Dark sectors, consisting of new, light, weakly-coupled particles that do not interact with the known strong, weak, or electromagnetic forces, are a particularly compelling possibility for new physics. Nature may contain numerous dark sectors, each with their own beautiful structure, distinct particles, and forces. This review summarizes the physics motivation for dark sectors and the exciting opportunities for experimental exploration. It is the summary of the Intensity Frontier subgroup "New, Light, Weakly-coupled Particles" of the Community Summer Study 2013 (Snowmass). We discuss axions, which solve the strong CP problem and are an excellent dark matter candidate, and their generalization to axion-like particles. We also review dark photons and other dark-sector particles, including sub-GeV dark matter, which are theoretically natural, provide for dark matter candidates or new dark matter interactions, and could resolve outstanding puzzles in particle and astro-particle physics. In many cases, the exploration of dark sectors can proceed with existing facilities and comparatively modest experiments. A rich, diverse, and lowcost experimental program has been identified that has the potential for one or more game-changing discoveries. These physics opportunities should be vigorously pursued in the US and elsewhere.
We use distorted wave electron scattering calculations to extract the weak charge form factor F W (q), the weak charge radius R W , and the point neutron radius R n of 208 Pb from the Lead Radius Experiment (PREX) parity-violating asymmetry measurement. The form factor is the Fourier transform of the weak charge density at the average momentum transferq = 0.475 fm −1 . We find F W (q) = 0.204 ± 0.028 (exp) ± 0.001 (model). We use the Helm model to infer the weak radius from F W (q). We find R W = 5.826 ± 0.181 (exp) ± 0.027 (model) fm. Here the experimental error includes PREX statistical and systematic errors, while the model error describes the uncertainty in R W from uncertainties in the surface thickness σ of the weak charge density. The weak radius is larger than the charge radius, implying a "weak charge skin" where the surface region is relatively enriched in weak charges compared to (electromagnetic) charges. We extract the point neutron radius R n = 5.751 ± 0.175 (exp) ± 0.026 (model) ± 0.005 (strange) fm from R W . Here there is only a very small error (strange) from possible strange quark contributions. We find R n to be slightly smaller than R W because of the nucleon's size. Finally, we find a neutron skin thickness of R n − R p = 0.302 ± 0.175 (exp) ± 0.026 (model) ± 0.005 (strange) fm, where R p is the point proton radius.
Since the discovery of neutrino oscillations, we know that neutrinos have non-zero mass. However, the absolute neutrino-mass scale remains unknown. Here we report the upper limits on effective electron anti-neutrino mass, mν, from the second physics run of the Karlsruhe Tritium Neutrino experiment. In this experiment, mν is probed via a high-precision measurement of the tritium β-decay spectrum close to its endpoint. This method is independent of any cosmological model and does not rely on assumptions whether the neutrino is a Dirac or Majorana particle. By increasing the source activity and reducing the background with respect to the first physics campaign, we reached a sensitivity on mν of 0.7 eV c–2 at a 90% confidence level (CL). The best fit to the spectral data yields $${{\mbox{}}}{m}_{\nu }^{2}{{\mbox{}}}$$ m ν 2 = (0.26 ± 0.34) eV2 c–4, resulting in an upper limit of mν < 0.9 eV c–2 at 90% CL. By combining this result with the first neutrino-mass campaign, we find an upper limit of mν < 0.8 eV c–2 at 90% CL.
We have measured parity-violating asymmetries in elastic electron-proton scattering over the range of momentum transfers 0.12 < or =Q2 < or =1.0 GeV2. These asymmetries, arising from interference of the electromagnetic and neutral weak interactions, are sensitive to strange-quark contributions to the currents of the proton. The measurements were made at Jefferson Laboratory using a toroidal spectrometer to detect the recoiling protons from a liquid hydrogen target. The results indicate nonzero, Q2 dependent, strange-quark contributions and provide new information beyond that obtained in previous experiments.
The electric form factor of the neutron was determined from studies of the reaction 3 − → He( e, e n)pp in quasi-elastic kinematics in Hall A at Jefferson Lab. Longitudinally polarized electrons were scattered off a polarized target in which the nuclear polarization was oriented perpendicular to the momentum transfer. The scattered electrons were detected in a magnetic spectrometer in coincidence with neutrons that were registered in a large-solid-angle detector. More than doubling
The ⌳ 13 C hypernucleus was studied by measuring ␥ rays in coincidence with the 13 C(K Ϫ , Ϫ ) reaction. ␥ rays from the 1/2 Ϫ and 3/2 Ϫ states, which are the partners of the spin-orbit doublet states with a predominant configuration of ͓ 12 C g.s. (0 ϩ ) p ⌳ ͔, to the ground state were measured. The splitting of the states was found to be ⌬E(1/2 Ϫ Ϫ3/2 Ϫ )ϭϩ152Ϯ54(stat)Ϯ36(syst) keV. This value is 20-30 times smaller than that of single particle states in nuclei around this mass region. The j ⌳ ϭl ⌳ Ϫ1/2͓(p 1/2 ) ⌳ ͔ state appeared higher in energy, as in normal nuclei. The value gives new insight into the Y N interaction. The excitation energies of the 1/2 Ϫ and 3/2 Ϫ states were obtained as 10.982Ϯ0.031(stat)Ϯ0.056(syst) and 10.830Ϯ0.031(stat)Ϯ0.056(syst) MeV, respectively. We also observed ␥ rays from the 3/2 ϩ state, which has a ͓ 12 C(2 ϩ ) s ⌳ ͔ configuration, to the ground state in ⌳ 13 C. The excitation energy of the 3/2 ϩ state was obtained as 4.880Ϯ0.010(stat) Ϯ0.017(syst) MeV. Nuclear ␥ rays with energies of 4.438 and 15.100 MeV had similar yields, which suggests that a quasifree knockout of a ⌳ particle is dominant in highly excited regions.
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