CyberSec Research

We detail experimental results inferring ionization and temperature for warm dense copper plasmas at several times solid density (15 to 25 g/cm$^3$) and temperatures of 10 to 21 eV. Experiments performed at the OMEGA Laser Facility generate uniform warm dense matter conditions via symmetric shock compression of a buried copper layer. The plasma is probed with a laser-generated x-ray source to collect the K-shell x-ray absorption spectrum. Fitting bound-bound absorption contributions from constituent charge states of copper provides an estimated $\overline{Z}$ of approximately 4 to 7 for these warm dense copper plasmas. We find that these partially ionized plasmas have K-edge shifts of 12 to 30 eV and bound-bound resonance 1s$\rightarrow$3p absorption shifts of 4 to 26 eV with respect to the cold K-edge. This study provides necessary experimental data to improve ionization and opacity models in the warm dense matter regime.

We consider 331 composite Higgs model (CHM3) in which the Lagrangian of the strongly coupled sector is invariant with respect to global SU(3)_C \times SU(3)\times U(1)_6 symmetry that can originate from SU(6) subgroup of E_6 and contains the gauge group of the standard model (SM) as a subgroup. The breakdown of the approximate SU(3)\times U(1)_6 symmetry down to SU(2)_W\times U(1)_Y subgroup around the scale f\sim 10 TeV results in a set of pseudo--Nambu--Goldstone bosons (pNGBs) that, in particular, involves Higgs doublet. The generation of the masses of the SM fermions in the CHM3 is discussed. We argue that an approximate discrete Z_2 symmetry may give rise to tiny masses of the left-handed neutrinos and several composite fermions with masses 1-2 TeV. The lepton and baryon asymmetries can be generated within the CHM3 via the out--of equilibrium decays of extra Majorana particle into the Higgs doublet and these composite fermions.

We report optical evidence of cesium (Cs) evaporation from a bialkali (SbKCs) photo- cathode during controlled heating of a photomultiplier tube (PMT). A DFB laser scanned across the 852.113 nm Cs D2 line reveals absorption features only above 60 degrees Celsius, indicating thermal desorption. The absorption correlates with temperature and offers a non-invasive method to monitor photocathode degradation in sealed detectors.

A search for resonant structures in the $J/\psi +\psi$(2S) mass spectrum is performed using proton--proton collision data at $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 140 fb$^{-1}$, recorded by the ATLAS experiment at the LHC. The decay channels of $J/\psi +\psi\text{(2S)} \rightarrow 4\mu$ and $J/\psi +\psi\text{(2S)} \rightarrow 4\mu+2\pi$ are analyzed. An excess near 6.9 GeV is observed in both channels with a combined significance of 8.9$\sigma$. No significant signal is observed near 7.2 GeV, and an upper limit on its yield relative to $X$(6900) is provided. A simultaneous fit with the di-$J/\psi$ channel is carried out under assumptions regarding the resonance interferences, yielding a ratio of the partial decay widths between the $J/\psi +\psi\text{(2S)}$ and di-$J/\psi$ channels of $1.08\pm 0.20_{-0.17}^{+0.40}$ for the resonance near 6.9 GeV.

The IceCube Upgrade is an extension of the existing IceCube Neutrino Observatory and will be deployed in the 2025-2026 austral summer. It will significantly improve the sensitivity of the detector to atmospheric neutrino oscillations. The existing 86-string IceCube array contains a dense in-fill known as DeepCore which is optimized to measure neutrinos with energies down to a few GeV. The IceCube Upgrade will consist of seven new densely-instrumented strings placed within the DeepCore volume to further enhance the performance in the GeV energy range. The additional strings will feature new optical modules, each containing multiple PMTs, in contrast to the existing modules that each contain a single PMT. This will more than triple the number of PMT channels with respect to the current IceCube configuration, allowing for improved detection efficiency and reconstruction performance at GeV energies. We describe necessary updates to simulation, event selection, and reconstruction to accommodate the higher data rates observed by the upgraded detector and the addition of multi-PMT modules. We determine the expected sensitivity of the IceCube Upgrade to the atmospheric neutrino oscillation parameters sin$^2\theta_{23}$ and $\Delta m^2_{32}$, the appearance of tau neutrinos and the neutrino mass ordering. The IceCube Upgrade will provide neutrino oscillation measurements that are of similar precision to those from accelerator experiments, while providing complementarity by probing higher energies and longer baselines, and with different sources of systematic uncertainties.

We show how the Born-Oppenheimer effective field theory (BOEFT) provides a unified description of ordinary and exotic quarkonia grounded on the non-relativistic expansions of QCD and supplemented with lattice QCD inputs. We apply BOEFT to tetraquarks, pentaquarks, quarkonium hybrids and to assess threshold effects in the quarkonium spectrum.

In this paper we carefully assess the theory prediction for $R(s)$ below charm threshold, $R_{uds}$, and address tensions with the existing data, notably with the 2021 BES-III results. We analyze the uncertainty of the perturbative QCD description in the light of renormalons making use of the large-$\beta_0$ limit and the renormalon-free gluon-condensate scheme. We provide a reliable estimate of the duality violation contributions; we show they are sizable up to $2.5$~GeV and improve the agreement between theory and data, but are negligible for higher energies. We then combine the available experimental data for $R_{uds}$ and find the data sets to be mutually compatible. Finally, we compare theory and data, both locally and in their contributions to the anomalous magnetic moment of the muon. Theory is compatible with the combined data but discrepancies with the BES-III data reach more than 3$\sigma$.

We present an overview of theoretical and phenomenological studies on the partonic structure of nuclei and small-$x$ QCD dynamics using photon-nucleus $(\gamma A$) scattering in heavy ion ultraperipheral collisions (UPCs). Focusing on nuclear shadowing, we review implications of coherent charmonium and inclusive dijet production in Pb-Pb UPCs at the LHC and discuss the potential of inelastic $\gamma A$ scattering accompanied by forward neutrons in a zero degree calorimeter (ZDC).

High-precision $e^+e^-\to c\bar{c}$ data (20 final states) from the BESIII and Belle in $\sqrt{s}=3.75-4.7$ GeV are analyzed with a semi three-body unitary coupled-channel model. Vector charmonium poles are extracted from the amplitudes obtained from the fit. We find well-known $\psi$ states listed in the PDG, and also several states near open-charm thresholds. The compositeness of the near-threshold poles suggests that $\psi(4040)$ could mainly consist of a $D^*\bar{D}^*$-molecule component, rather than a conventionally accepted quark-model $\psi(3S)$ state. Also, $\psi(4230)$ and $\psi(4360)$ might be substantial mixtures of $D_1(2420)\bar{D}$, $D_1(2420)\bar{D}^*$, $D_s^*\bar{D}_s^*$, and $c\bar{c}$ components.

In a previous paper arxiv:2507.21691, we have carried out one-loop renormalization of the type-I seesaw model in the modified minimal-subtraction ($\overline{\rm MS}$) scheme. In the present one, we continue to renormalize the type-I seesaw model in the on-shell scheme. Such an investigation is mainly motivated by the fact that the on-shell scheme has been widely adopted in the renormalization of the standard electroweak theory and implemented for its precision tests. We first specify the physical parameters in the on-shell scheme, and then fix the corresponding counterterms through on-shell renormalization conditions. In the presence of massive Majorana neutrinos, we propose a practical method to determine gauge-independent counterterms for the lepton flavor mixing matrix. With the explicit counterterms in both the $\overline{\rm MS}$ and on-shell schemes, we establish the matching relations of the electric charge, physical masses and flavor mixing matrix elements between these two schemes. Our results in the present and previous papers lay the foundation for precision calculations in the type-I seesaw model.

We report measurements of charmonium sequential suppression in $^{96}_{44}\rm{Ru}$+$^{96}_{44}\rm{Ru}$ and $^{96}_{40}\rm{Zr}$+$^{96}_{40}\rm{Zr}$ collisions at \sqrtsnn\ = 200 GeV with the STAR experiment at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC). The inclusive yield ratio of $\psi$(2S) to J/$\psi$ as a function of transverse momentum is reported, along with the centrality dependence of the double ratio, defined as the $\psi$(2S) to J/$\psi$ ratio in heavy-ion collisions relative to that in $p$+$p$ collisions. In the 0-80\% centrality class, the double ratio is found to be 0.41 $\pm$ 0.10 (stat) $\pm$ 0.03 (syst) $\pm$ 0.02 (ref), lower than unity with a significance of 5.6 standard deviations. This provides experimental evidence that $\psi$(2S) is significantly more suppressed than J/$\psi$ in heavy-ion collisions at RHIC. It is also observed that this sequential suppression pattern is more pronounced at lower transverse momentum.

This paper describes a measurement of the \LbJpsiLambda branching fraction using data collected with the LHCb experiment in proton-proton collisions from 2016 to 2018. The dataset corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 5.4\invfb. The branching fraction is determined relative to that of $B^0\to J\psi K^0_\text{S}$ decays, $\frac{\mathcal{B}(\Lambda_b^0\to J\psi\Lambda)}{\mathcal{B}(B^0\to J\psi K^0_\text{S}} = 0.750 \pm 0.005 \pm 0.022 \pm 0.005 \pm 0.062\,,$ yielding $\mathcal{B}(\Lambda_b^0\to J\psi\Lambda) = (3.34 \pm 0.02 \pm 0.10 \pm 0.08 \pm 0.28)\times 10^{-4}$, where the first uncertainty is statistical, the second systematic, the third due to external inputs on branching fractions and the fourth due to the ratio of $\Lambda_b^0$ baryon and $B^0$ meson hadronisation fractions. In addition, the isospin asymmetry between the rates of $B^0\to J\psi K^0_\text{S}$ and $B^0\to J\psi K^+$ decays is measured to be $A_{\rm I} = -0.0135 \pm 0.0004 \pm 0.0133$, where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second systematic.

Muon imaging, especially muon scattering tomography (MST), has recently garnered significant attention. MST measures the magnitude of muon scattering angles inside an object, which depends not only on the material properties but also on the muon momentum. Due to the difficulty of simultaneous measurement of momentum, it was neglected and taken as a constant in multiple MST reconstruction algorithms. Recently, an experimental measurement scheme has emerged that is feasible in engineering, but it requires many layers of detectors to approach the true momentum. From this, we proposed both an algorithm to incorporating momentum into MST, and a scheme to determine the thresholds of Cherenkov detectors. This novel scheme, termed the "equi-percentage scheme", sets momentum thresholds for Cherenkov detector layers based on cosmic muon momentum distribution. Results showed our approach delivers noticeable enhancement in reconstructed image quality even with only two detector layers, reaching near-saturation performance with four layers. This study proves that momentum measurement significantly enhances short-duration MST, and that substantial improvement can be achieved with relatively coarse momentum measurement using 2-4 layers of Cherenkov detectors.

The Spin Physics Detector (SPD) experiment at the NICA collider in JINR aims to investigate the spin structure of nucleons and spin-related phenomena. The combination of the number of background processes, the event rate and conditions for event selection makes the use of a classical trigger system impractical, requiring a triggerless data acquisition (DAQ) system. The DAQ system is designed to ensure precise time synchronization, efficient data collection, and high-throughput processing. Its architecture combines commercially available FPGA-based modules and high-speed optical interfaces with custom-developed components based on widely accessible technologies. This approach provides scalability from 180,000 at the initial stage of the experiment to more than 600,000 detector channels in the final configuration and supports data rates up to 20 GB/s or more. The modular system design ensures adaptability for future upgrades while maintaining high efficiency and reliability. Such an approach makes the DAQ system suitable for other high-rate nuclear physics experiments.

We review the state of the art in the detection of extreme high-energy neutrinos, focusing on the IceCube and KM3NeT neutrino telescopes. IceCube, operating deep in Antarctic ice, and KM3NeT, a new array in the Mediterranean Sea, employ distinct designs to capture Cherenkov light from neutrino interactions. We examine their detector architectures, readout and reconstruction performance for PeV-scale and higher-energy neutrinos. Recent candidate events above 5 PeV are highlighted. These include a ~120 PeV muon track observed by KM3NeT in 2023, and IceCube's highest-energy detections, which comprise several-PeV showers and tracks. We outline current approaches to neutrino energy reconstruction and explore scenarios that might explain the apparent differences in observed event characteristics. Finally, we summarize future prospects for extreme-energy neutrino observations and their implications for astrophysical source populations and cosmogenic neutrinos.

Composite asymmetric dark matter (ADM) models provide a well-motivated paradigm that simultaneously explains dark matter (DM) relic density and matter-antimatter asymmetry. In these models, the mass of the DM candidate (the lightest dark baryon) is generated through the dark confinement scale dynamics. Although the leptophilic composite ADM model offers a viable framework, comprehensive studies of its collider phenomenology are absent. This work systematically explores novel signatures from leptophilic composite asymmetric dark sector at both low-energy and high-energy $e^+e^-$ colliders as well as other existing collider constraints. We demonstrate detectability of TeV-scale mediators along with sub-GeV to GeV-scale lightest dark mesons at Belle II and its proposed far detector, GAZELLE, as well as CEPC experiments. Moreover, these experiments exhibit complementary coverage of the model parameter space.

Double Higgs production is challenging even at the High Luminosity LHC. The Standard Model (SM) $hh\to b\bar{b}WW(ZZ)\to b\bar{b}\ell\ell\nu\nu$ has a moderate cross section compared to other decay modes, but its backgrounds, mainly top quark pairs and Drell-Yan production, are overwhelming. In this work, we propose new kinematic features designed to improve the discrimination of double Higgs pairs, in the $b\bar{b}\ell\ell\nu\nu$ channel, with cut-based and multivariate analyses. The new features are built with the neutrinos' momenta solutions obtained from imposing mass constraints when calculating Higgsness and Topness variables. For the SM $hh$ production, we estimate a $3.7\sigma$ statistical significance from an optimized cut-based strategy, improving about 20% over the best estimates of the literature, and $5\sigma$ from a multivariate analysis if systematic uncertainties on the backgrounds are small. The new variables are constructed as ratios of kinematic functions of the particles' momenta, being less prone to systematic errors. We also demonstrate the usefulness of the solutions in reconstructing heavy scalar resonances and other variables of phenomenological importance.

The anisotropic flow coefficients $v_n$ quantify the collective medium response to the initial spatial anisotropy of the overlapping region in ion collisions and serve as sensitive probes of both the medium properties and shape of nuclear initial states. In this analysis, the $v_2$ and $v_3$ parameters of prompt charged particles are measured using the multiparticle cumulant method in fixed-target PbNe and PbAr collisions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}} = 70.9$ GeV, collected by LHCb using the SMOG2 gas-target system during the 2024 LHC lead-beam run. The cumulant method is first validated using 2018 PbPb collision data, successfully reproducing previous measurements obtained via the two-particle correlation method. Results for the fixed-target collisions are then presented, showing a significantly larger value of the elliptic flow coefficient $v_2$ in central PbNe with respect to PbAr collisions. This is qualitatively consistent with 3+1D hydrodynamic predictions including ab-initio descriptions of the nuclear structure. The results provide the first experimental confirmation of the distinctive bowling-pin shape of the ground-state $^{20}$Ne nucleus, validating at the same time the hydrodynamic description of the hot medium formed in high-energy collisions involving light ions.