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1. Inference of the Mass Composition of Cosmic Rays with Energies from ${10}^{18.5}$ to ${10}^{20}\mathrm{eV}$ Using the Pierre Auger Observatory and Deep Learning

   https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.134.021001  

   Abdul_Halim, A; Abreu, P; Aglietta, M; Allekotte, I; Almeida_Cheminant, K; Almela, A; Aloisio, R; Alvarez-Muñiz, J; Ammerman_Yebra, J; Anastasi, G A; et al (January 2025, Physical Review Letters)

   We present measurements of the atmospheric depth of the shower maximum $X_{\max }$, inferred for the first time on an event-by-event level using the surface detector of the Pierre Auger Observatory. Using deep learning, we were able to extend measurements of the $X_{\max }$distributions up to energies of 100 EeV ( ${10}^{20}\mathrm{eV}$), not yet revealed by current measurements, providing new insights into the mass composition of cosmic rays at extreme energies. Gaining a 10-fold increase in statistics compared to the fluorescence detector data, we find evidence that the rate of change of the average $X_{\max }$with the logarithm of energy features three breaks at $6.5\pm 0.6\left(\mathrm{stat}\right)\pm 1\left(\mathrm{syst}\right)\mathrm{EeV}$, $11\pm 2\left(\mathrm{stat}\right)\pm 1\left(\mathrm{syst}\right)\mathrm{EeV}$, and $31\pm 5\left(\mathrm{stat}\right)\pm 3\left(\mathrm{syst}\right)\mathrm{EeV}$, in the vicinity to the three prominent features (ankle, instep, suppression) of the cosmic-ray flux. The energy evolution of the mean and standard deviation of the measured $X_{\max }$distributions indicates that the mass composition becomes increasingly heavier and purer, thus being incompatible with a large fraction of light nuclei between 50 and 100 EeV. Published by the American Physical Society2025 

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2. Search for Rare $b\to d{\ell }^{+}{\ell }^{-}$ Transitions at Belle

   https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.133.101804  

   Adachi, I; Aggarwal, L; Aihara, H; Akopov, N; Aloisio, A; Al_Said, S; Asner, D M; Atmacan, H; Aushev, V; Aversano, M; et al (September 2024, Physical Review Letters)

   We present the results of a search for the $b\to d{\ell }^{+}{\ell }^{-}$flavor-changing neutral-current rare decays $B^{+,0}\to (\eta ,\omega ,{\pi }^{+,0},{\rho }^{+,0})e^{+}{e}^{-}$and $B^{+,0}\to (\eta ,\omega ,{\pi }^0,{\rho }^{+}){\mu }^{+}{\mu }^{-}$using a $711{\mathrm{fb}}^{-1}$data sample that contains $772\times {10}^{6}B\overline{B}$events. The data were collected at the $\mathrm{\Upsilon }\left(4S\right)$resonance with the Belle detector at the KEKB asymmetric-energy $e^{+}{e}^{-}$collider. We find no evidence for signal and set upper limits on branching fractions at the 90% confidence level in the range $\left(3.8–47\right)\times {10}^{-8}$depending on the decay channel. The obtained limits are the world’s best results. This is the first search for the channels $B^{+,0}\to (\omega ,{\rho }^{+,0})e^{+}{e}^{-}$and $B^{+,0}\to (\omega ,{\rho }^{+}){\mu }^{+}{\mu }^{-}$. Published by the American Physical Society2024 

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3. Search for the decay $B^0\to \gamma \gamma$ using Belle and Belle II data

   https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.110.L031106  

   Adachi, I; Aggarwal, L; Aihara, H; Akopov, N; Aloisio, A; Al_Said, S; Althubiti, N; Anh_Ky, N; Asner, D M; Atmacan, H; et al (August 2024, Physical Review D)

   We report the result of a search for the rare decay $B^0\to \gamma \gamma$using a combined dataset of $753\times {10}^{6}B\overline{B}$pairs collected by the Belle experiment and $387\times {10}^{6}B\overline{B}$pairs collected by the Belle II experiment from decays of the $\mathrm{\Upsilon }\left(4\mathrm{S}\right)$resonance produced in $e^{+}{e}^{-}$collisions. A simultaneous fit to the Belle and Belle II data sets yields ${11.0}_{-5.5}^{+6.5}$signal events, corresponding to a $2.5\sigma$significance. We determine the branching fraction $\mathcal{B}(B^0\to \gamma \gamma )=\left({3.7}_{-1.8}^{+2.2}\right(\text{stat})\pm 0.5(\text{syst}\left)\right)\times {10}^{-8}$and set a 90% credibility level upper limit of $\mathcal{B}(B^0\to \gamma \gamma )<6.4\times {10}^{-8}$. Published by the American Physical Society2024 

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4. Search for the baryon number and lepton number violating decays ${\tau }^{-}\to \mathrm{\Lambda }{\pi }^{-}$ and ${\tau }^{-}\to \overline{\mathrm{\Lambda }}{\pi }^{-}$ at Belle II

   https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.110.112003  

   Adachi, I; Aggarwal, L; Ahmed, H; Aihara, H; Akopov, N; Aloisio, A; Althubiti, N; Anh_Ky, N; Asner, D M; Atmacan, H; et al (December 2024, Physical Review D)

   We present a search for the baryon number $B$and lepton number $L$violating decays ${\tau }^{-}\to \mathrm{\Lambda }{\pi }^{-}$and ${\tau }^{-}\to \overline{\mathrm{\Lambda }}{\pi }^{-}$produced from the $e^{+}{e}^{-}\to {\tau }^{+}{\tau }^{-}$process, using a $364{\mathrm{fb}}^{-1}$data sample collected by the Belle II experiment at the SuperKEKB collider. No evidence of signal is found in either decay mode, which have $\left|\mathrm{\Delta }\right(B-L\left)\right|$equal to 2 and 0, respectively. Upper limits at 90% credibility level on the branching fractions of ${\tau }^{-}\to \mathrm{\Lambda }{\pi }^{-}$and ${\tau }^{-}\to \overline{\mathrm{\Lambda }}{\pi }^{-}$are determined to be $4.7\times {10}^{-8}$and $4.3\times {10}^{-8}$, respectively. Published by the American Physical Society2024 

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5. Search for a heavy neutral lepton that mixes predominantly with the tau neutrino

   https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.109.L111102  

   Nayak, M; Dey, S; Soffer, A; Adachi, I; Aihara, H; Al_Said, S; Asner, D M; Atmacan, H; Ayad, R; Babu, V; et al (June 2024, Physical Review D)

   We report a search for a heavy neutral lepton (HNL) that mixes predominantly with ${\nu }_{\tau }$. The search utilizes data collected with the Belle detector at the KEKB asymmetric energy $e^{+}{e}^{-}$collider. The data sample was collected at and just below the center-of-mass energies of the $\mathrm{\Upsilon }\left(4S\right)$and $\mathrm{\Upsilon }\left(5S\right)$resonances and has an integrated luminosity of $915{\mathrm{fb}}^{-1}$, corresponding to $(836\pm 12)\times {10}^6$ $e^{+}{e}^{-}\to {\tau }^{+}{\tau }^{-}$events. We search for production of the HNL (denoted $N$) in the decay ${\tau }^{-}\to {\pi }^{-}N$followed by its decay via $N\to {\mu }^{+}{\mu }^{-}{\nu }_{\tau }$. The search focuses on the parameter-space region in which the HNL is long-lived, so that the ${\mu }^{+}{\mu }^{-}$originate from a common vertex that is significantly displaced from the collision point of the KEKB beams. Consistent with the expected background yield, one event is observed in the data sample after application of all the event-selection criteria. We report limits on the mixing parameter of the HNL with the $\tau$neutrino as a function of the HNL mass. Published by the American Physical Society2024 

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