We introduce an array-scalable, magnon-based detector (MOSAIC) to search for the spin-dependent interactions of electron-coupled axion dark matter. These axions can excite single magnons in magnetic targets, such as the yttrium iron garnet (YIG) spheres used here, which are subsequently sensed by the detector. For MOSAIC, this sensing is implemented by coupling the magnons in the YIG spheres to magnetic-field-resilient single-electron charge-qubits, whose state is then interrogated with a quantum non-demolition measurement. Using standard superconducting fabrication techniques, MOSAIC can integrate many YIG sphere-qubit sensors, forming a large detector array. We outline the detector design and operation, and determine its sensitivity to axion dark matter. We find that a detector built with available technology will exceed the sensitivity of previous ferromagnetic haloscopes, and provides a platform where further improvements in performance would search for electron-coupled axion dark matter in unexplored parameter space.

Spectroscopic parameters and widths of the tensor hybrid mesons $H_{\mathrm{ bc}}$ and $\widetilde{H}_{\mathrm{bc}}$ with the structure $\overline{b}gc$ and spin-parities $J^{\mathrm{P}}=2^{-}$ and $J^{\mathrm{P}}=2^{+}$ are calculated with high accuracy in the QCD sum rule framework. Information on their masses $m=(7.214\pm 0.075)~\mathrm{GeV}$ and $\widetilde{m} =(7.685\pm 0.040)~\mathrm{GeV}$ enable us to determine decay channels of $H_{\mathrm{bc} }$ and $\widetilde{H}_{\mathrm{bc}}$. The full width of the meson $H_{ \mathrm{bc}}$ is estimated by considering the decays $H_{\mathrm{bc}} \to D^{+}\overline{B}^{\ast 0}$ and $D^{0}B^{\ast +}$. The channels $\widetilde{H }_{\mathrm{bc}}\to B^{+}D^{0}$, $B^{0}D^{+}$, $B^{\ast +}D^{\ast 0}$, $ B^{\ast 0}D^{\ast +} $, $B_{s}^{0}D_{s}^{+}$, and $B_{s}^{\ast 0}D_{s}^{\ast +}$ are studied to find the width of the $\widetilde{H}_{\mathrm{bc}}$ state. The widths of these processes are calculated using QCD three-point sum rule approach, which require estimation of the strong couplings at hybrid-meson-meson vertices. The results $(50.8 \pm 9.8)~\mathrm{MeV}$ and $ (184.3\pm 22.8)~\mathrm{MeV}$ for the full widths of the hybrid mesons $H_{ \mathrm{bc}}$ and $\widetilde{H}_{\mathrm{bc}}$ characterize them as relatively narrow and broad structures, respectively.

One of the key scientific objectives for the next decade is to uncover the nature of dark matter (DM). We should continue prioritizing targets such as weakly-interacting massive particles (WIMPs), Axions, and other low-mass dark matter candidates to improve our chances of achieving it. A varied and ongoing portfolio of experiments spanning different scales and detection methods is essential to maximize our chances of discovering its composition. This report paper provides an updated overview of the Brazilian community's activities in dark matter and dark sector physics over the past years with a view for the future. It underscores the ongoing need for financial support for Brazilian groups actively engaged in experimental research to sustain the Brazilian involvement in the global search for dark matter particles

This dissertation highlights the contributions I have made to the field of theoretical nuclear physics, specifically in high-energy Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD). High-energy QCD is a robust subject and my research is refined to the sub-field of small-$x$ spin physics; small-$x$ physics is characterized by high-energy and density collisions and is well-suited for the Color Glass Condensate (CGC) effective field theory. Small-$x$ spin physics takes the ultra-relativistic description of high-energy QCD and gives special attention to spin-dependent interactions suppressed by powers of the center-of-mass energy. My expertise lies in exploring the theory and phenomenology relating to the KPS-CTT small-$x$ helicity evolution equations, a rubric that allows one to make predictions of the quarks' and gluons' distributions of spin at small-$x$. These predictions are heavily influenced by the initial conditions of the evolution, and the initial conditions are determined through analyses of world polarized data. My contributions focus on Bayesian parameter analysis, numerical and analytical calculations to discretize and cross-check the evolution equations, and the incorporation of a new observable into the pool of analyzed data. The results of such work show that the net amount of spin from quarks and gluons in the small-$x$ regime is predicted to be negative and/or potentially small; an analysis of polarized deep-inelastic scattering (DIS) and semi-inclusive DIS (SIDIS) data resulted in a net small-$x$ spin prediction that can be large and negative, but new results with the inclusion of data for single-inclusive jet production in polarized proton-proton ($pp$) collisions now estimate that the net amount of parton spin at small $x$ is small, with 1-$\sigma$ uncertainty that spans zero.

The $\gamma p \to \pi^0 \eta p$ reaction has been investigated by the CBELSA/TAPS Collaboration, revealing a narrow structure in the $\eta p$ invariant mass distributions at a mass of $1700$ MeV. In this study, we explore the possibility that the narrow structure is caused by a decay cascade via an intermediate nucleon resonance decaying to $\eta p$ final states. The candidates for the intermediate nucleon resonances are $N(1700)3/2^{-}$ and $N(1710)1/2^{+}$, with masses near the observed structure. We consider the $t$-channel $\rho$- and $\omega$-exchange diagrams, the $u$-channel nucleon-pole exchange diagram, the contact term, and the $s$-channel pole diagrams of nucleon, $\Delta$, and nucleon resonances when constructing the reaction amplitudes to reproduce the stripped individual contribution of the narrow structure. Our analysis indicates that the signature strength of the decay cascade $\gamma p \to \pi^{0}N(1700)3/2^{-} \to \pi^{0}\eta p$ is too weak to reach the experimental curve of the narrow structure due to the small decay branching ratio of $N(1700)3/2^{-}$ to $\eta p$. Although the decay cascade $\gamma p \to \pi^{0}N(1710)1/2^{+} \to \pi^{0}\eta p$ can qualitatively reproduce the experimental curve of the invariant mass distributions, its cross-section width is much larger than that of the corresponding experimental curve. Therefore, we conclude that the decay cascade via an intermediate nucleon resonance could not be the reason leading to the narrow structure in the $\eta p$ invariant mass distributions of the $\gamma p \to \pi^0 \eta p$ reaction.

The size of the direct CP asymmetry generated during the weak decay of hadrons is attributed to the weak phase and some strong phases. The weak phase comes from the CKM matrix and a strong phase may result from the resonance effect which is produced by the mixing of vector meson $V\left\{\rho^{0}(770),\omega(782),\phi(1020)\right\}$ to $\pi^+ \pi^-$ meson pairs. $\rho^{0}(770)$ can decay directly into $\pi^+ \pi^-$ meson pairs, both $\omega(782)$ and $\phi(1020)$ can also decay into $\pi^+ \pi^-$ meson pairs with small contribution from isospin symmetry breaking. The main contribution for the middle state vector meson $\rho^{0}(770)-\omega(782)-\phi(1020)$ interference is the mix of $\rho^{0}(770)$, $\omega(782)-\rho^{0}(770)$ and $\phi(1020)-\rho^{0}(770)$. We calculate the CP asymmetry and decay branching ratio for $\bar{B}^0_{s} \rightarrow \pi^+ \pi^- \pi^0 (\bar K ^{0})$ in the framework of QCD factorization and compare them with previous work. We also add the analysis of $\bar{B}^0_{s} \rightarrow \pi^+ \pi^- \eta(\eta^{(')})$ decay process. The results show that the CP asymmetry of these four decay processes are significantly enhanced especially for the $\bar{B}^0_{s} \rightarrow \pi^+ \pi^- \bar K ^{0}$ decay process and the decay branching ratio also changes under resonance effect. These work might provide support for the experimental analysis of the $\bar B^{0}_s$ meson.

Any effective field theory relies on power counting rules that allow one to perform a systematic expansion of calculated quantities in terms of some soft scales. However, a naive power counting can be violated due to the presence of various hard scales in a given scheme. A typical example of such a scale is an ultraviolet regulator. This issue is particularly challenging when the interaction is nonperturbative. The power counting is expected to be restored in the course of renormalization, that is by redefining bare low-energy constants in the effective Lagrangian. Whether this procedure eventually leads to a self-consistent framework is not a priory obvious. We discuss various criteria of renormalizability in application to nuclear chiral effective field theory and provide several instructive counterexamples.

We consider gravitational positivity bounds on the Higgs-portal scalar dark matter model. Applying gravitational positivity bounds with dark matter forward scattering process $\phi \phi \to \phi \phi$ to this DM model, we find that the new physics, besides the Higgs-portal dark matter physics, arises at an energy scale lower than $10^{10}$ GeV without the dark matter self-coupling. With the existence of the dark matter self-coupling, the hierarchical order of magnitude between the self-coupling $\lambda_{\phi}$ and the Higgs-portal coupling $\lambda_{h\phi}$ changes the game. With $\lambda_{\phi}/\lambda_{h\phi} = 10^{12}$, the GUT scale cutoff can realize. In this case, the dark freezeout scenario is possible for realizing the relic density of dark matter in the Universe. We find that $\lambda_{\phi} \sim O(1)$, $\lambda_{h\phi} \sim 10^{-12}$, and sub-GeV dark matter is implicated for the GUT scale cutoff possibility with the Higgs-portal dark matter model.

The next generation of high-luminosity electron-positron colliders, such as FCC-ee and CEPC operating at the $Z$ pole (TeraZ), is expected to deliver unprecedented precision in electroweak measurements. These precision observables are typically interpreted within the Standard Model Effective Field Theory (SMEFT), offering a powerful tool to constrain new physics. However, the large number of independent SMEFT operators allows for the possibility of blind directions, parameter combinations to which electroweak precision data are largely insensitive. In this work, we demonstrate that such blind directions are not merely an artefact of agnostic effective field theory scans, but arise generically in realistic ultraviolet completions involving multiple heavy fields. We identify several concrete multi-field extensions of the Standard Model whose low-energy SMEFT projections align with known blind subspaces, and show that these persist even after accounting for renormalisation group evolution and finite one-loop matching effects. Our analysis highlights that the apparent sensitivity to new physics of TeraZ may be significantly overestimated, and that indirect searches alone are often insufficient to rule out broad classes of ultraviolet physics. Complementary high-energy collider probes are therefore essential to fully explore the SMEFT parameter space.

The Gallium anomaly is an unexplained deficit in the neutrinos observed during the calibration of GALLEX and SAGE using a $^{51}$Cr radioactive source and recently confirmed by BEST. The possible explanations for this deficit include an overestimation of the neutrino absorption cross section in Ga, an incorrect measurement of the source activity or the existence of sterile neutrinos. However, as this deficit has only been observed in Ga detectors, it has not been possible to distinguish among various proposals. Therefore, we propose an experiment using the same radioactive source but with a different detection method, electron-neutrino scattering. We discuss potential locations for such an experiment, estimating the main backgrounds and expected event rates, considering various target masses and source positions. Even if the anomaly does not result from the detection method, such an experiment can provide an independent determination of the branching ratio of the $^{51}$Cr decay by using the spectral information or observing the scattering angle. It is also sensitive to an eventual baseline dependence of the anomaly, as is predicted in sterile neutrino models.

High-energy proton-nucleus (pA) collisions have provided various clues for the role of cold nuclear matter effects in hadron production. In particular, multiple rescatterings of an incoming parton by the nuclear target are known to induce the radiation of many soft gluons, with those having a long formation time leading to the modification of hadron production rates due to fully coherent energy loss (FCEL). Here we present a recently derived formula for the induced single soft gluon radiation spectrum beyond leading logarithmic accuracy, whose main features are demonstrated with the example of $q\, g \to q\, g$ scattering.

We present a discussion of model-independent contributions to the EDM of the electron. We focus on those contributions that emerge from a heavy scalar sector that is linearly realized. In particular, we explore the decoupling limit of the aligned 2HDM. In this model, Barr-Zee diagrams with a fermion loop produce logarithmically-enhanced contributions that are proportional to potentially large new sources of CP violation. In the decoupling limit these contributions are generated by effective dimension-6 operators via the mixing of four-fermion operators into electroweak dipole operators. These logarithmic contributions are not present in more constrained versions of the 2HDM where a $\mathcal Z_2$ symmetry is imposed, which then controls the basis of effective operators needed to describe the new physics contributions to the electron EDM. Thus, the $\mathcal Z_2$ symmetry provides a suppression mechanism. We then study how the experimental bounds on the electron EDM constrain the set of parameters of the aligned 2HDM.

Since Feynman integrals (FIs) at higher spacetime dimensions are free of infrared and collinear divergence--and their ultraviolet divergences can be systematically subtracted--this allows us to construct a wide range of locally finite Feynman integrals. Especially, we propose a method named $\bar{R}$-operation to subtract out ultraviolet divergences that at the same time preserves infrared and collinear safety of the original FI. By expressing these locally finite FIs in terms of master integrals and imposing constraints on their $\epsilon$-expanded forms, we reduce the $\epsilon$-expanded master integrals to a minimal basis. We provide an automated package to identify such constraints, offering a tool useful for high-order perturbative computations.

It is well-known that the momentum spectra of particles confined to finite spatial volumes deviate from the continuous spectra used for unconfined particles. In this article, we consider real scalar particles confined to finite volumes with periodic boundary conditions, such that the particles' spectra are discrete. We directly compute the density matrices describing the decay processes $\phi \to \varphi^2$ and $\phi \to \varphi\chi\nu$, and subsequently derive expressions for the decay probabilities both for confined and unconfined particles. The latter decay process is used as a rough toy model for a neutron decaying into a proton, an electron, and an anti-electron neutrino. We propose that finite volume effects can have an impact on the outcomes of experiments measuring the neutron lifetime. In addition, our findings at the toy model level suggest that taking into account possible initial correlations between neutrons and their daughter particles might be relevant as well.

In ultra-peripheral heavy ion collisions (UPCs), the broad energy spectrum of photons enables a variety of physical processes, ranging from lepton pair production to giant dipole resonances (GDRs). In this work, we evaluate production of electron-positron pair production cross section with GDR. Specifically, we focus on Au+Au collisions at a center of mass energy of $\sqrt{s_{NN}}=$ 200 GeV and Pb+Pb collisions of $\sqrt{s_{NN}}=$ 2.76 TeV per nucleon. We calculate cross sections while taking into account with and without the kinematic restrictions relevant to STAR detectors. We also present the differential cross sections in terms of the variables rapidity $(y)$, transverse momentum ($p_\perp$) and invariant mass ($M$) to compare them with respect to RHIC and LHC energies.

We propose a GeV-scale self-interacting dark matter (SIDM) candidate within a dark $U(1)_D$ gauged extension of the Standard Model (SM), addressing small-scale structure issues in $\Lambda$CDM while predicting an observable contribution to $\Delta N_{\rm eff}$ in the form of dark radiation. The model introduces a fermionic DM candidate $\chi$ and a scalar $\phi$, both charged under an unbroken $U(1)_D$ gauge symmetry. The self-interactions of $\chi$ are mediated by a light vector boson $X^\mu$, whose mass is generated via the Stueckelberg mechanism. The relic abundance of $\chi$ is determined by thermal freeze-out through annihilations into $X^\mu$, supplemented by a non-thermal component from the late decay of $\phi$. Crucially, $\phi$ decays after the Big Bang Nucleosynthesis (BBN) but before the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) epoch, producing additional $\chi$ and a dark radiation species ($\nu_S$). This late-time production compensates for thermal underabundance due to efficient annihilation into light mediators, while remaining consistent with structure formation constraints. The accompanying dark radiation yields a detectable $\Delta N_{\rm eff}$, compatible with Planck 2018 bounds and within reach of next-generation experiments such as SPT-3G, CMB-S4, and CMB-HD.

The study of neutral $D$-meson mixing provides a unique probe of long-distance effects in the charm sector, where Standard Model contributions are dominated by nonperturbative effects. In this work, we investigate the feasibility of using spectral reconstruction techniques within lattice QCD to compute the long-distance contributions to $D^0- \bar{D}^0$ mixing. After outlining the general formalism describing neutral meson mixing in the charm sector, we focus on the determination of the mixing amplitudes and the dimensionless parameters $x = \Delta m_D / \Gamma_D$ and $y = \Delta \Gamma_D /(2 \Gamma_D)$, which respectively encode the mass and width differences between the $D$-meson mass eigenstates. We discuss in detail the required theoretical and computational framework, including the definition and renormalization of the four-quark operators entering the $\Delta C = 1$ weak Hamiltonian, and strategies for evaluating the relevant correlation functions employing variance-reduction techniques. To extract the mixing amplitudes, we explore methods for reconstructing the spectral density from lattice correlators, providing preliminary assessments of the data quality required to reach the scaling regime, where the smearing width is small enough to yield physically meaningful results. Our findings lay the groundwork for future precision determinations of long-distance contributions to $D$-meson mixing from first principles.

In theories of ultralight dark matter, solitons form in the inner regions of galactic halos. The observational implications of these depend on the soliton mass. Various relations between the mass of the soliton and properties of the halo have been proposed. We analyze the implications of these relations, and test them with a suite of numerical simulations. The relation of Schive et al. 2014 is equivalent to $(E/M)_{\rm sol}=(E/M)_{\rm halo}$ where $E_{\rm sol (halo)}$ and $M_{\rm sol (halo)}$ are the energy and mass of the soliton (halo). If the halo is approximately virialized, this relation is parametrically similar to the evaporation/growth threshold of Chan et al. 2022, and it thus gives a rough lower bound on the soliton mass. A different relation has been proposed by Mocz et al. 2017, which is equivalent to $E_{\rm sol}=E_{\rm halo}$, so is an upper bound on the soliton mass provided the halo energy can be estimated reliably. Our simulations provide evidence for this picture, and are in broad consistency with the literature, in particular after accounting for ambiguities in the definition of $E_{\rm halo}$ at finite volume.

A relativistic self-gravitating equilibrium system with steady flow as well as spherical symmetry is discovered. The energy-momentum tensor contains the contribution of a current related to the flow and the metric tensor does an off-diagonal component to balance with the flow momentum. The presence of the off-diagonal component of the metric implies the radial motion of the reference frame, which gives rise to a problem how the relativistic effect is included in thermodynamic observables for such a general relativistic system. This problem is solved by taking an instantaneously rest frame in which geometric thermodynamic observables read as previously and giving them the special relativistic effect emerged from the inverse transformation to the original frame pointwise. The solution of the thermodynamic observables in accord with the laws of thermodynamics and the theory of relativity is presented. Finally the relativistic structure equations for the equilibrium are derived, from which the general relativistic Poisson equation as well as the heat conduction one are developed exactly.

Explicit example, where the Hawking temperature of a black hole horizon is compatible with the black hole's R\'enyi entropy thermodynamic description, is constructed. It is shown that for every static, spherically symmetric, vacuum black hole space-time, a corresponding black hole solution can be derived, where the Hawking temperature is identical with the R\'enyi temperature, i.e. the one obtained from the R\'enyi entropy of the black hole via the 1st law of thermodynamics. In order to have this Hawking-R\'enyi type thermodynamic property, the black holes must be surrounded by an anisotropic fluid in the form of a Kiselev metric, where the properties of the fluid are uniquely determined by the mass of the black hole, $M$, and the R\'enyi parameter, {\lambda}. In the simplest Schwarzschild scenario, the system is found to be thermodynamically unstable, and the 3rd law of thermodynamics seems to play the role of a cosmic censor via placing an upper bound on the black hole's mass, by which preventing the black hole from loosing its horizon(s).

In this note, we investigate the stability of the dark energy model from time crystals proposed in [1]. We emphasize two ingredients, the coupling of the scalar field to gravity, and the fact that these time crystals are on an expanding FRW background, which play a crucial role in the field's dynamics. The Hubble parameter, which contributes a drag term to the equations of motion, grows with time until the scale factor diverges. When taken into account, these factors also alleviate the stability concern of [2].

We present the results of our lattice QCD computation of the hadronic matrix elements relevant to the $h_{c}\to \eta_{c}\gamma$ and $h_{b}\to \eta_{b}\gamma$ decays by using the gauge configurations produced by the Extended Twisted Mass Collaboration with $N_{f}=2+1+1$ dynamical Wilson-Clover twisted mass fermions at five different lattice spacings with physical dynamical $u$ , $d$, $s$ and $c$ quark masses (except for the the coarsest lattice for which the lightest sea quark corresponds to a pion with $m_{\pi}\simeq 175~\mathrm{MeV}$). While the hadronic matrix element for $h_{c}\to \eta_{c}\gamma$ is obtained directly, the one relevant to $h_{b}\to\eta_{b}\gamma$ is reached by working with heavy quark masses $m^{(n)}_{H} = \lambda^{n-1} m_{c}$, with $\lambda \sim 1.24$ and $n=1,2, \ldots ,6$, and then extrapolated to $m_{b}$ by several judicious ans\"atze. In the continuum limit we obtain $\Gamma( h_{c}\to \eta_{c} \gamma ) = 0.604(24)~\mathrm{MeV}$, which is by a factor of $2.3$ more accurate than the previous lattice estimates, and in good agreement with the experimental measurement. In the $b$-quark case we obtain $\Gamma( h_{b}\to \eta_{b} \gamma) =46.0(4.8)~\mathrm{keV}$.

We present the first lattice QCD determination of coupled $DD_s^*$ and $D^*D_s$ scattering amplitudes in the $J^{P}=1^{+}$ channel and elastic $DD_s$ scattering amplitude in the $J^{P}=0^{+}$ channel.The aim is to investigate whether tetraquarks with flavor $cc\bar u\bar s$ exist in the region near threshold. Lattice QCD ensembles from the CLS consortium with $m_{\pi} \sim 280$ MeV, $a\sim0.09$ fm and $L/a = 24, 32$ are utilized. Finite-volume spectra are determined via variational analysis of two-point correlation matrices, computed using large bases of operators resembling bilocal two-meson structures within the distillation framework. The scattering matrix for partial wave $l=0$ is determined using lattice eigenenergies from multiple inertial frames following L\"uscher's formalism as well as following the solutions of Lippmann-Schwinger Equation in the finite-volume on a plane-wave basis. We observe small nonzero energy shifts in the simulated spectra from the noninteracting scenario in both the channels studied, which points to rather weak nontrivial interactions between the mesons involved. Despite the nonzero energy shifts, the lattice-extracted $S$-wave amplitudes do not carry signatures of any hadron pole features in the physical amplitudes in the energy region near the threshold.