We performed a search for the $K_L \to \pi^{0} \nu \bar{\nu}$ decay using the data taken in 2021 at the J-PARC KOTO experiment. With newly installed counters and new analysis method, the expected background was suppressed to $0.252\pm0.055_{\mathrm{stat}}$$^{+0.052}_{-0.067}$$_{\mathrm{syst}}$. With a single event sensitivity of $(9.33 \pm 0.06_{\rm stat} \pm 0.84_{\rm syst})\times 10^{-10}$, no events were observed in the signal region. An upper limit on the branching fraction for the decay was set to be $2.2\times10^{-9}$ at the 90% confidence level (C.L.), which improved the previous upper limit from KOTO by a factor of 1.4. With the same data, a search for $K_L \to \pi^{0} X^{0}$was also performed, where$X^{0}$ is an invisible boson with a mass ranging from 1 MeV/$c^{2}$ to 260 MeV/$c^{2}$. For $X^{0}$ with a mass of 135 MeV/$c^{2}$, an upper limit on the branching fraction of $K_L \to \pi^{0} X^{0}$was set to be$1.6\times10^{-9}$ at the 90% C.L.

We propose a new observable for the 21cm global signal during the dark ages, the dark-age consistency ratio, which is motivated from the fact that the shape of the functional form of the brightness temperature against the frequency is cosmological-parameter independent in the standard $\Lambda$CDM model. The dark-age consistency ratio takes a certain definite value in the $\Lambda$CDM case, which can serve as a critical test of the model and probe those beyond the standard one. The new observable just needs measurements of the brightness temperature at a few frequency bands during the dark ages, and thus it allows us to test cosmological scenarios even with limited information on the global signal.

The delay of the first-order electroweak phase transitions (EWPT) may lead to the emergence of baby universes inside wormhole structures due to the large vacuum energy density in false vacuum domains. Observers outside the false vacuum domains observe them as primordial black holes (PBHs), categorized as super-critical PBHs. We specifically investigate the dynamics of PBH formation due to delayed first-order EWPTs by solving the equations of bubble wall dynamics. We numerically confirm that such super-critical PBHs can be formed by the delayed first-order EWPT assuming spherically symmetric false vacuum domains with the thin-wall approximation for its boundary. Our numerical results show that a PBH formation criterion utilizing characteristic timescales is more appropriate than the conventional criterion based on density fluctuations. Employing our numerical results, we update the parameter regions of new physics models which can be explored by current and future constraints on the PBH abundance.

The existence of pseudo-Nambu-Goldstone boson (pNGB) fields is a common feature in many models beyond the Standard Model, characterized by their exclusive derivative couplings. This paper investigates a scenario where a pNGB is coupled to the inflaton field during the reheating phase of the early universe. We calculate the perturbative decay rate of a coherently oscillating inflaton into pNGBs on a general basis, considering both constant and field-dependent couplings with monomial potentials at the minimum. As a concrete application, we explore the production of axions when the radial mode of the Peccei-Quinn (PQ) scalar serves as the inflaton, particularly in the presence of a large gravitational non-minimal coupling. Our findings suggest that the presence of pNGBs during reheating can lead to significant non-thermal relics, offering new constraints on inflationary reheating models and providing potential observational signatures in the form of dark radiation.

The seagull terms for the electric polarizability of the nucleon are shown to vanish, if one introduces fluctuations around the Skyrmion, and the origin of the eletric polarizability cannot be attributed to the seagull terms in the Skyrme model.

The QCD axial anomaly, by coupling the chiral condensate and BCS pairing fields of quarks in dense matter, leads to a new critical point in the QCD phase diagram \cite{HTYB,chiral2}, which at sufficiently low temperature should terminate the line of phase transitions between chirally broken hadronic matter and color superconducting quark matter. The critical point indicates that matter at low temperature should cross over smoothly from the hadronic to the quark phase, as suggested earlier on the basis of symmetry. We review here the arguments, based on a general Ginzburg-Landau effective Lagrangian, for the existence of the new critical point, as well as discuss possible connections between the QCD phase structure and the BEC-BCS crossover in ultracold trapped atomic fermion systems at unitarity. and implications for the presence of quark matter in neutron stars.

A search for the rare decay $K_L \!\to\! \pi^0 \nu \overline{\nu}$ was performed. With the data collected in 2015, corresponding to $2.2 \times 10^{19}$ protons on target, a single event sensitivity of $( 1.30 \pm 0.01_{\rm stat} \pm 0.14_{\rm syst} ) \times 10^{-9}$ was achieved and no candidate events were observed. We set an upper limit of $3.0 \times 10^{-9}$ for the branching fraction of $K_L \!\to\! \pi^0 \nu \overline{\nu}$ at the 90% confidence level (C.L.), which improved the previous limit by almost an order of magnitude. An upper limit for $K_L \!\to\! \pi^0 X^0$ was also set as $2.4 \times 10^{-9}$ at the 90% C.L., where $X^0$ is an invisible boson with a mass of $135~{\rm MeV}/c^2$.

We report a high-statistics measurement of the branching fraction for tau^- --> pi^- pi^0 nu_tau and the invariant mass spectrum of the produced pi^- pi^0 system using 72.2 fb^-1 of data recorded with the Belle detector at the KEKB asymmetric-energy e^+ e^- collider. The branching fraction obtained is (25.24 +/- 0.01 +/- 0.39)%, where the first error is statistical and the second is systematic. The unfolded pi^- pi^0 mass spectrum is used to determine resonance parameters for the rho(770), rho'(1450), and rho"(1700) mesons. We also use this spectrum to estimate the hadronic (2pi) contribution to the anomalous magnetic moment of the muon (a_{mu}^{pipi}). Our result for a_{mu}^{pipi} integrated over the mass range sqrt{s} = 2m_{pi} - 1.8 GeV/c^2 is a_{mu}^{pipi} = (523.5 +/- 1.5 (exp) +/- 2.6 (Br) +/- 2.5 (isospin))x 10^{-10}, where the first error is due to the experimental uncertainties, the second is due to the uncertainties in the branching fractions and the third is due to the uncertainties in the isospin-violating corrections.

The rare decay $K_L \!\to\! \pi^0 \nu \overline{\nu}$ was studied with the dataset taken at the J-PARC KOTO experiment in 2016, 2017, and 2018. With a single event sensitivity of $( 7.20 \pm 0.05_{\rm stat} \pm 0.66_{\rm syst} ) \times 10^{-10}$, three candidate events were observed in the signal region. After unveiling them, contaminations from $K^{\pm}$ and scattered $K_L$ decays were studied, and the total number of background events was estimated to be $1.22 \pm 0.26$. We conclude that the number of observed events is statistically consistent with the background expectation. For this dataset, we set an upper limit of $4.9 \times 10^{-9}$ on the branching fraction of $K_L \!\to\! \pi^0 \nu \overline{\nu}$ at the 90% confidence level.

Developing nanostructured bulk ceramics is a major challenge when conventional high-temperature sintering is employed for consolidation. In the current investigation, yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) with a composition of ZrO2 - 3 mol% Y2O3 is first treated using high-pressure torsion (HPT) and further consolidated using spark plasma sintering (SPS) to produce a nanostructured bulk sample. The material demonstrates phase transformations from tetragonal to dislocation-decorated monoclinic by HPT and reversely transforms to the tetragonal phase after the SPS process while maintaining a mean grain size of 80 nm and large numbers of dislocations. The consolidated ceramic exhibits a density of 6.07 g/cm3 (99% relative density) with a high hardness of 1500 Hv, which is reasonably consistent with the prediction of the Hall-Petch relationship. Examination of the indented areas during the hardness test confirms the absence of cracks, indicating good fracture toughness (KIC) because of the presence of dislocations, while the sample processed only by SPS and without HPT processing forms numerous cracks by indentation and exhibits low KIC.

Lattice field theory with the $\theta$ term suffers from the sign problem. The sign problem appears as flattening of the free energy. As an alternative to the conventional method, the Fourier transform method (FTM), we apply the maximum entropy method (MEM) to Monte Carlo data obtained using the CP$^3$ model with the $\theta$ term. For data without flattening, we obtain the most probable images of the partition function ${\hat{\cal Z}}(\theta)$ with rather small errors. The results are quantitatively close to the result obtained with the FTM. Motivated by this fact, we systematically investigate flattening in terms of the MEM. Obtained images ${\hat{\cal Z}}(\theta)$ are consistent with the FTM for small values of $\theta$, while the behavior of ${\hat{\cal Z}}(\theta)$ depends strongly on the default model for large values of $\theta$. This behavior of ${\hat{\cal Z}}(\theta)$ reflects the flattening phenomenon.

We argue that the 21-cm global signal can be a powerful probe of isocurvature perturbations, particularly for the ones with blue-tilted spectra. Although the 21-cm global signal is much affected by astrophysical processes, which give some uncertainties when cosmological models are investigated, recent results from HERA have constrained several astrophysical parameters, whose information can reduce the ambiguities originating from astrophysics. We show that the size and spectral tilt of isocurvature perturbations can be well inferred from the 21-cm global signal once the information on astrophysics from the HERA results is taken into account.

We report measurements of the branching fractions for $B^0\to\pi^+\pi^-$, $K^+\pi^-$, $K^+K^-$ and $K^0\pi^0$, and $B^+\to\pi^+\pi^0$, $K^+\pi^0$, $K^0\pi^+$ and $K^+\bar{K}{}^0$. The results are based on 10.4 fb$^{-1}$ of data collected on the $\Upsilon$(4S) resonance at the KEKB $e^+e^-$ storage ring with the Belle detector, equipped with a high momentum particle identification system for clear separation of charged $\pi$ and $K$ mesons. We find ${\cal B}(B^0\to\pi^+\pi^-) =(0.56^{+0.23}_{-0.20}\pm 0.04)\times 10^{-5}$,${\cal B}(B^0\to K^+\pi^-) =(1.93^{+0.34 +0.15}_{-0.32 -0.06})\times 10^{-5}$,${\cal B}(B^+\to K^+\pi^0) =(1.63^{+0.35 +0.16}_{-0.33 -0.18})\times 10^{-5}$,${\cal B}(B^+\to K^0\pi^+) =(1.37^{+0.57 +0.19}_{-0.48 -0.18})\times 10^{-5}$, and${\cal B}(B^0\to K^0\pi^0) =(1.60^{+0.72 +0.25}_{-0.59 -0.27})\times 10^{-5}$, where the first and second errors are statistical and systematic. We also set upper limits of ${\cal B}(B^+\to\pi^+\pi^0)<1.34\times 10^{-5}$,${\cal B}(B^0\to K^+K^-)<0.27\times 10^{-5}$, and${\cal B}(B^+\to K^+\bar{K}{}^0)<0.50\times 10^{-5}$ at the 90% confidence level.

The broad energy range spanned by ASTRO-H instruments, from ~0.3 to 600 keV, with its high spectral resolution calorimeter and sensitive hard X-ray imaging, offers unique opportunities to study black holes and their environments. The ability to measure polarization is particularly novel, with potential sources including blazars, Galactic pulsars and X-ray binaries. In this White Paper, we present an overview of the synergistic instrumental capabilities and the improvements over prior missions. We also show how ASTRO-H fits into the multi-wavelength landscape. We present in more detail examples and simulations of key science ASTRO-H can achieve in a typical 100 ksec observation when data from all four instruments are combined. Specifically, we consider observations of black-hole source (Cyg X-1 and GRS 1915+105), blazars (Mrk 421 and Mrk 501), a quasar (3C 273), radio galaxies (Centaurus A and 3C 120), and active galaxies with a strong starburst (Circinus and NGC 4945). We will also address possible new discoveries expected from ASTRO-H.

Prospective memory (PM), defining the currently conceived intention of a future action, is crucial for daily functioning, particularly in aging populations. This study develops and validates a virtual reality prospective memory training (VR-PMT) system that integrates visual imagery training (VIT) and virtual reality training (VRT) to enhance the PM abilities of users. The framework is designed to progressively challenge users by simulating real-life PM tasks in a controlled VR environment. The VIT component is designed to improve the generation and utilization of visual imagery by users, while the VRT component provides PM tasks based on time and event cues within a virtual environment.The framework was evaluated on ten healthy adults (university students and elderly participants) over nine weeks. During the initial session, the baseline PM abilities of the participants were assessed using the memory for intentions screening test (MIST). The subsequent sessions alternated between VIT and VRT with increasing task complexity. The MIST scores were significantly positively correlated with task achievement, confirming the efficacy of the system. Imagery abilities were also strongly correlated with task performance, underscoring the importance of visual imagery in PM training.Usability and user experiences, evaluated on the Jikaku-sho Shirabe questionnaire and the user experience questionnaire, indicated an overall positive user experience but higher fatigue levels in elderly participants. This study demonstrates that the VR--PMT system effectively trains and assesses PM abilities by integrating VIT and VRT, supporting its potential for broader applications in clinical settings.

We investigate cosmological bounds on sterile neutrino masses in the light of the Hubble and $S_8$ tensions. We argue that non-zero masses for sterile neutrinos are inferred at 2$\sigma$ level in some extended models such as varying dark energy equation of state, when a direct measurement of the Hubble constant $H_0$ and weak lensing measurement of dark energy survey (DES) are taken into account. Furthermore, the Hubble and $S_8$ tensions are also reduced in such a framework. We also consider the case where a non-flat Universe is allowed and show that a slightly open Universe may be favored in models with sterile neutrinos in the context of the cosmological tensions.

In the framework of modular transformations, we reformulate the recently proposed hadron-quark hybrid model when the imaginary baryonic chemical potential is introduced. As a result, we can consider the torus, which is characterized by the complex number densities of baryons (antibaryons) and quarks (antiquarks). We apply this model to analyze the Roberge-Weiss transition. It is shown that the torus vanishes at the baryonic chemical potential where the Roberge-Weiss transition appears because the number density of baryons (antibaryons) is not linearly independent of the number density of quarks (antiquarks). When the temperature T is lower than the Roberge-Weiss transition temperature TRW, the torus shrinks smoothly to the one-dimensional object at the Roberge-Weiss transition point, but the discontinuity does not appear. On the other hand, the discontinuity of the geometrical object appears when T>TRW. We also calculate the modulus of the torus and transform it into the fundamental region. The transformed moduli are symmetric below TRW, but the symmetry is broken above TRW.

The differential cross sections for the process $\gamma \gamma \to \pi^0 \pi^0$have been measured in the kinematic range 0.6 GeV$< W < 4.1$ GeV, |\cos \theta^*|&lt;0.8 in energy and pion scattering angle, respectively, in the $\gamma\gamma$ center-of-mass system. The results are based on a 223 fb$^{-1}$ data sample collected with the Belle detector at the KEKB $e^+ e^-$ collider. The differential cross sections are fitted in the energy region 1.7 GeV &lt; W &lt; 2.5 GeV to confirm the two-photon production of two pions in the G wave. In the higher energy region, we observe production of the $\chi_{c0}$ charmonium state and obtain the product of its two-photon decay width and branching fraction to $\pi^0\pi^0$. We also compare the observed angular dependence and ratios of cross sections for neutral-pion and charged-pion pair production to QCD models. The energy and angular dependence above 3.1 GeV are compatible with those measured in the $\pi^+\pi^-$ channel, and in addition we find that the cross section ratio, $\sigma(\pi^0\pi^0)/\sigma(\pi^+\pi^-)$, is $0.32 \pm 0.03 \pm 0.05$ on average in the 3.1-4.1 GeV region.

We investigate constraints on the spectral index of primordial gravitational waves (GWs), paying particular attention to a blue-tilted spectrum. Such constraints can be used to test a certain class of models of the early Universe. We investigate observational bounds from LIGO+Virgo, pulsar timing and big bang nucleosynthesis, taking into account the suppression of the amplitude at high frequencies due to reheating after inflation and also late-time entropy production. Constraints on the spectral index are presented by changing values of parameters such as reheating temperatures and the amount of entropy produced at late time. We also consider constraints under the general modeling approach which can approximately describe various scenarios of the early Universe. We show that the constraints on the blue spectral tilt strongly depend on the underlying assumption and, in some cases, a highly blue-tilted spectrum can still be allowed.