Physics Commons^™

Jet Substructure Measurements In Proton-Proton And Proton-Gold Collisions, Isaac Arthur Mooney

Wayne State University Dissertations

Observing a modification of high-energy probes in the hot nuclear environment created by ultrarelativistic heavy-ion collisions is critical for understanding the microscopic structure of the QCD medium. However, before a modification can be observed, the probes must be calibrated. For this reason, measurements of jet observables in vacuum (pp collisions) and in the presence of cold nuclear matter (pAu collisions) are presented, which will allow for future comparison of jet substructure measurements in AuAu to these baseline measurements. \parData from the STAR detector on the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider at Brookhaven National Laboratory are used for both analyses. The pp …

Non-Perturbative Processes In Standard Model \& New Physics: From Standard Calculations To Machine Learning, Cody Michael Grant

Wayne State University Dissertations

I calculated non-perturbative processes to study the Standard Model and probe areas of new physics. I found that invisible decays of heavy mesons are not dominated by the leading order contribution in the Standard Model. I argue that this affects neutrino mass constraints and avenues for discovering new physics, such as dark photons. In addition to this, I used a novel approach to approximate a semileptonic form factor with an artificial neural network (ANN). Comparing the results from the ANN to common phenomenological parameterizations, and using it to set a lower bound constraint on the CKM matrix element, $V_{cd}$. Finally, …

Study Of The Decay B^± → K^0_S Π^± Π^0 At The Belle Experiment, Suravinda Janaka Kumara Kospalage

Wayne State University Dissertations

Belle is a particle physics experiment based at the KEK laboratory in Tsukuba Japanwhich ran from 1999 to 2010 and collected 1ab−1 of data. The Belle experiment is focused on studying the properties of particles called B mesons which are produced by accelerating and colliding electron and positron beams. These B mesons show the biggest differences between the properties of matter and anti-matter of any known particles. One of the main goals of the Belle experiments is to understand the differences between matter and anti-matter, specifically violations of charge-parity symmetry (CP violation) and how anti-matter vanished and we come to …

Measurement Of The Cross Section Of Top Quark Pairs Produced In Association With A Photon In Lepton + Jets Events At √S = 13 Tev With Full Runii Cms Data, Nabin Poudyal

Wayne State University Dissertations

The inclusive production cross section of top quark pairs in association with a photon is measured in proton-proton collisions at the LHC with 13 TeV energy using the full RunII data collected by CMS in 2016, 2017, and 2018 with a total corresponding integrated luminosity of 137 fb −1 . The relative fraction of ttγ events normalized to inclusive tt production is measured. The cross section measurement provides important information about the electromagnetic coupling of the standard model top quark and is sensitive to physics beyond the standard model. The analysis is carried out in the in semileptonic decay channel …

Effective Field Theory And Machine Learning Approaches To Controlling Nonperturbative Uncertainties In Flavor Physics, Ayesh Gunawardana

Wayne State University Dissertations

The radiative decay $\bar{B}\to X_s\gamma$ and semileptonic heavy meson decay $D\to \pi l \nu$ are important flavor physics probes of new physics. However, these decays are plagued with nonperturbative uncertainties that are needed to be controlled to obtain a theoretically clean description. In this dissertation, we provide effective field theory and machine learning approaches to controlling these uncertainties.\par

In $\bar B\to X_s\gamma$, the largest uncertainty on the total rate and the CP asymmetry arises from resolved photon contributions. These appear first at order $1/m_b$ and are related to operators other than $Q_{7\gamma}$ in the effective weak Hamiltonian. One of the …

Data Analysis Of Large Angle Beamstrahlung Monitor, Samuel Doeg Izaguirre Gamez

Wayne State University Dissertations

The first experimental evidence of large angle beamstrahlung at SuperKEKB is discussed in this Thesis. Beamstrahlung is the tn radiation emitted by particles belonging to one beam when they are accelerated transversely by the electro-magnetic field of the other beam. The properties of the radiation are related to the beam interaction topologyand can be used to optimize the beam-beam collision. This, in turn, makes the machine’s luminosity, and therefore the number of produced events, higher. A device entirely built at WSU, the Large Angle Beamstrahlung Monitor, or LABM, has been deployed in the SuperKEKB accelerator since 2015. A five Institutions …

Jet Geometry Engineering Via Di-Jet Imbalance Measurements At Rhic In Star, Nicholas Elsey

Wayne State University Dissertations

Ultra-relativistic heavy ion collisions produced at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) and the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) produce a new state of matter of deconfined quarks and gluons (partons) called the quark-gluon plasma (QGP). This plasma of deconfined but strongly coupled partons is believed to have been the primary state of matter in the universe up to a few milliseconds after the Big Bang. High energy partons produced in hard scatterings early in the collision can be used to probe the entire lifetime of the QGP. These partons propagate through and interact with the QGP before fragmenting into collimated …

Applications Of Effective Field Theories To New Physics, Derek Edward Hazard

Wayne State University Dissertations

We apply an effective field theory approach and argue that lepton flavor violating (LFV) decays M → l1l2 of meson states M with different quantum numbers could be used to put constraints on the Wilson coefficients of effective operators describing LFV interactions at low energy scales. We note that the restricted kinematics of the two-body decay of quarkonium or a heavy quark meson allows us to select operators with particular quantum numbers, significantly reducing the reliance on the single operator dominance assumption that is prevalent in constraining parameters of the effective LFV Lagrangian. We shall also argue that studies of …

Azimuthally-Differential Pion Femtoscopy Relative To The Second And Third Harmonic In Pb-Pb Collisions, Mohammad Saleh

Wayne State University Dissertations

Heavy-ion collisions at LHC energies create a hot and dense medium of deconned quarks

and gluons, known as the quark-gluon plasma (QGP) [56]. The QGP reball rst expands,

cools and then freezes out into a collection of nal-state hadrons. Correlations between the

free particles carry information about the space-time extent of the emitting source, and are

imprinted on the nal-state spectra due to a quantum-mechanical interference eect [18].

The correlation of two identical particles at small relative momentum, commonly known as

intensity, or Hanbury Brown-Twiss (HBT), interferometry, is an eective tool to study the

space-time structure of the emitting source …

Commissioning Of The Large Angle Beamstrahlung Monitor At Superkekb, Salvatore Di Carlo

Wayne State University Dissertations

The Large Angle Beamstrahlung Monitor (LABM) is a device capable to monitor

the beam-beam collisions. The LABM measures the beamstrahlung light emitted

at large angle during the collisions of electron and positron beams. The properties

of the beamstrahlung, spectrum and polarization, are fundamentally related to the

size and relative position of the beams. Measuring the beamstrahlung, the LABM

delivers information about the size of the beams and their relative position at the

interaction point. The LABM will be part of the instrumentation of SuperKEKB,

a new e+e− collider that aims to reach the world record luminosity of 8×10^35 cm^-2 s^-1. …

Multiple Dalitz Plot Analysis At Cleo-C, Mackenzie Smith

Wayne State University Dissertations

Dalitz Plot analysis is a standard technique for the study of weak hadronic 3-body decays. This technique allows us to extract the relative amplitudes, phases, and fit fractions of the resonances that are the primary product of such decays. A Dalitz analysis is complicated by the presence of two or more interfering resonances that appear at the same place on the plot. In this analysis I attempt to resolve the $K^{0}_{s} a_{0}(980)^{0}$ and $K^{0}_{s} f_{0}(980)$ in the decay of $D^{0} \to K^{0}_{s} K^{+} K^{-}$. Using the $K^{0}_{s} a_{0}(980)^{0}$ resonance found in $D^{0} \to K^{0}_{s} \pi^{0} \eta$, I compare equating a …

Search For Fully Reconstructed W Boson Decay, Sangeetha Baskaran

Wayne State University Theses

We have applied techniques used in reconstructing charm and bottom hadron decays to reconstruct W Boson decay. This technique can also be used for the study of other heavy Boson decays. We search for the decay of a W Boson to a D+ meson and a K*0 meson. Events are selected based on the topology of the displaced decay vertex of the D+ → K^- π^+ π^+ . The K*0 is reconstructed in its K^± π^∓ decay mode.

Search For Contact Interactions Using The Dimuon Mass Spectrum In P-P Collisions At Sqrt(S) = 8 Tev At Cms, Chamath Kottachchi

Wayne State University Dissertations

The mass hierarchy problem associated with the standard model suggests that there might be more fundamental particles in nature. If quarks and leptons have substructures, known as preons, the manifestation of compositeness can be a four-fermion contact interaction. The experimental signal for contact interactions is a non-resonant enhancement of the number of events in the high-mass region of the dimuon mass spectrum. This dissertation describes a detailed search strategy for contact interactions using the Compact Muon Solenoid experiment. The dimuon mass spectrum above 300 GeV has been studied using the data collected in 2012 at sqrt(s) = 8 TeV corresponding …

Determination Of Jet Transport Parameters And Their Temperature Dependence In Heavy-Ion Collisions, Karen Marie Burke

Wayne State University Theses

In the continuing effort to describe properties of the quark-gluon plasma, energy loss is studied through leading order higher twist calculations of high transverse momentum single hadron suppression. Input of several values for the jet transport parameter q ̂ were used at pT ranges of ~5-20 GeV at RHIC and ~10-100 GeV at LHC, with collision centrality of 0-5%. The results of the calculations are then compiled and compared with experimental data to determine the best fit value for q ̂.

Large-Angle Beamstrahlung: Simulation And Diagnostics, Ryan Stephen Gillard

Wayne State University Dissertations

LARGE-ANGLE BEAMSTRAHLUNG: SIMULATION AND DIAGNOSTICS

by

RYAN S. GILLARD

May 2014

Advisor: Dr. Giovanni Bonvicini

Major: Physics

Degree: Doctor of Philosophy

Luminosity is paramount in high energy physics research, therefore it is critical to optimize it. Particle beams are complex and orbit in a complicated fashion therefore they don't always collide as intended thus reducing our chance of discovery. Simulations and calculations of the beam-beam radiation or beamstrahlung can provide crucial insight into the collision geometry. Combined with an optics box that can collect and analyze this radiation, this could be an extremely valuable tool leading to correction of the …

Weak Decay Studies From An Effective Theory Standpoint, Aditya Yechan Gunja

Wayne State University Dissertations

In this doctoral dissertation I discuss the phenomenology of some weak interaction decays using a model independent approach by employing effective field theories. I discuss the soft photon contribution and background effect to the rare dimuonic decay of the neutral B meson. I also study some radiative exclusive W boson decays in the standard model in the context of pQCD and SCET. Additionally I invoke leptonic decays of charged mesons to constrain two general models of light dark matter.

Comment On "Unified Formalism Of Adreev Reflection At A Ferromagnet/Superconductor Interface", M. Eschrig, A. A. Golubov, I. I. Mazin, B. Nadgorny, Y. Tanaka, O. T. Valls, Igor Žutić

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Research Publications

A Comment on the Letter by T. Y. Chen et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 109 146602 (2012) The authors of the Letter offer a Reply.

Freeze-Out Dynamics Via Charged Kaon Femtoscopy In √ Snn = 200 Gev Central Au + Au Collisions, L. Adamczyk, E. Elnimr, S. Lapointe, C. Pruneau, J. Putschke, M. Sharma, L. H. Tarini, S. A. Voloshin, Star Collaboration

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Research Publications

We present measurements of three-dimensional correlation functions of like-sign, low-transverse-momentum kaon pairs from √s_NN=200 GeV Au+Au collisions. A Cartesian surface-spherical harmonic decomposition technique was used to extract the kaon source function. The latter was found to have a three-dimensional Gaussian shape and can be adequately reproduced by Therminator event-generator simulations with resonance contributions taken into account. Compared to the pion one, the kaon source function is generally narrower and does not have the long tail along the pair transverse momentum direction. The kaon Gaussian radii display a monotonic decrease with increasing transverse mass m_T over …

Using Heavy Flavors To Study New Physics, Kristopher Jason Healey

Wayne State University Dissertations

In this doctoral dissertation I discuss the possible standard model contributions to select leptonic heavy meson decay modes. Included are calculations of soft photon contributions to a di-lepton decay of B-mesons as well as two-particle hadronic unitary contributions to the rare di-leptonic decay of the neutral D meson. Additionally, constraints are calculated for two super-WIMP dark matter models from rare heavy flavor decays.

Search For The Decay Ds To Omega L Nu, Jin Zhu

Wayne State University Dissertations

This analysis searches for a new type of rare decay of the charmed mesons,

which would provide direct evidence for the presence of Fock states inside

hadrons.

We use 586pb of e+e- collisions at the Cornell Electron Storage

Ring (CESR), at \sqrt{s}=4.17 GeV, recorded with the Cleo-c detector.

A limit on the branching ratio Ds to omega e nu is found, at 0.231\%

(95\% C.L.).

Low Energy Search For Physics Beyond The Standard Model, Andriy Badin

Wayne State University Dissertations

After discussion of the theoretical aspects of the Standard Model we point out experimental observations that can not be answered within its framework. Methods for the inderect detection of the heavy (electroweak scale and above) and light New Physics particles are discussed. Study of the meson mixing in the $B_s$ system is proposed as the way to indirectly probe NP. We predict that New Physics contribution to the lifetime difference of $B_s$-$\bar{B}_s$ system can be dominant in certain scenarios. As an example of the way to detect the light New Physics we considered the Dark Matter production in the heavy …

A Search For The Sm Higgs Boson In The Process Zhllbb In 4.1/Fb Of Cdf Ii Data, Shalhout Zaki Shalhout

Wayne State University Dissertations

This dissertation presents a search for the standard model (SM) Higgs boson in the associated production process ZH → l⁺l_- bb using 4.1fb^-1 of Tevatron collision data collected with the CDF II detector.

To increase the sensitivity to a ZH signal over previous CDF searches, we implement new electron and expanded b-jet identification algorithms.

We utilize neural network classifiers enhanced with matrix element probabilities, a b-jet identifying neural network, and multivariate jet energy corrections to maximize the separation of signal from SM backgrounds.

We employ three neural network classifiers separately optimized for each of our three …