La masse est une des propriétés les plus fondamentales de la matière. Comprendre son origine a longtemps été un sujet central en physique. D'après la physique nucléaire et la physique des particules modernes, la clef de ce problème réside dans la compréhension de l’origine de la masse du nucléon à partir de l’interaction forte. Avec le développement des technologies informatiques, la chromodynamique quantique sur réseau offre la possibilité de comprendre l’origine de la masse à partir des premiers principes. Cependant, dû aux ressources de calcul limitées, les masses obtenues à partir des calculs sur réseau doivent être extrapolées jusqu'au point physique. La théorie chirale des perturbations en tant que théorie effective des champs de QCD à basse énergie est une méthode indépendante de modèle permettant de comprendre l’interaction forte dans la région non perturbative et de guider les diverses extrapolations nécessaires pour passer du résultat lattice au résultat physique. Le but de cette thèse est donc d'utiliser la complémentarité entre QCD sur réseau et théorie chirale des perturbations afin d'étudier de façon systématique les masses des baryons. Nous étudions les masses de l'octet baryonique le plus léger dans le cadre de la théorie chirale covariante des perturbations pour les baryons. Nous utilisons la méthode "extended on mass shell" jusqu'à l'ordre trois fois sous dominant. Afin d'étudier les artefacts des calculs sur réseau dus à la taille finie de la boîte nous calculons les effets de volume fini. Adaptant la théorie chirale des perturbations à des fermions de Wilson nous obtenons aussi les effets de discrétisation dû au pas fini du réseau. Nous étudions de façon systématique toutes les données réseau en tenant à la fois de l'extrapolation au continu, des corrections de volume finie et de l'extrapolation chirale. Nous démontrons l'importance des corrections de volume fini dans la description des masses des baryons sur réseau. Par contre les effets de discrétisation sont de l'ordre de 1% jusqu'à l'ordre a² et peuvent donc être ignorés. De plus nous trouvons que toutes les données sur réseau prises en sont consistentes entre elles malgré des différences notables dans les procédures adoptées. Utilisant les formules chirales des masses des baryons nous prédisons de façon précise leurs termes sigma via le théorème de Feynman-Hellmann en analysant les données sur réseau les plus récentes. Les effets dus au pas du réseau, à la troncation de la série de perturbation chirale et à la violation d'isospin de l'interaction forte sont pris en pour la première fois. En particulier le terme sigma pion nucléon et le « strangeness sigma term » sont en accord avec les résultats réseau les plus récents. Au vue des succès rencontrés lors de l'étude de l'octet baryonique nous avons fait une analyse systématique des masses du décuplet baryonique le plus léger dans la théorie chirale covariante des perturbations pour les baryons en fittant de façon simultanée les données réseau n_f=2+1. Une bonne description à la fois des données réseau et des masses expérimentales est obtenue. De plus les termes sigma sont prédits. Enfin comprendre le spectre d'excitation des hadrons est encore un challenge. En particulier le spectre des baryons a une structure très inhabituelle, la résonance Roper (1440) de parité positive étant plus légère que l'état de parité négative N(1535). La plupart des études sur réseau suggère que les effets des log chiraux sont plus importants pour la masse de la Roper que pour celle des nucléons. Nous avons donc calculé la masse de cette résonance en théorie chirale des perturbations en tenant en de façon explicite des contributions du nucléon et du delta. Les contributions venant du mélange entre le nucléon et la Roper sont étudiées pour la première fois. Une première analyse de la masse de cette particule est présentée. / Mass is one of the most fundamental properties of matter. Understanding its origin has long been a central topic in physics. According to modern particle and nuclear physics, the key to this issue is to understand the origin of nucleon (lowest-lying baryon) masses from the nonperturbative strong interaction. With the development of computing technologies, lattice Quantum Chromodynamics simulations provide great opportunities to understand the origin of mass from first principles. However, due to the limit of computational resources, lattice baryon masses have to be extrapolated to the physical point. Chiral perturbation theory, as an effective field theory of low-energy QCD, provides a model independent method to understand nonperturbative strong interactions and to guide the lattice multiple extrapolations. Therefore, we present the interplay between lattice QCD and chiral perturbation theory to systematically study the baryon masses. In the SU(3) sector, we study the lowest-lying octet baryon masses in covariant baryon chiral perturbation theory with the extended-on-mass-shell scheme up to next-to-next-to-next-to-leading order. In order to consider lattice artifacts from finite lattice box sizes, finite-volume corrections to lattice baryon masses are estimated. By constructing chiral perturbation theory for Wilson fermions, we also obtain the discretization effects of finite lattice spacings. We perform a systematic study of all the latest n_f=2+1 lattice data with chiral extrapolation (m_q → m_q^phys.), finite-volume corrections (V→∞), and continuum extrapolation (a→0). We find that finite-volume corrections are important to describe the present lattice baryon masses. On the other hand, the discretization effects of lattice simulations up to O(a²) are of the order 1% when a≈0.1 fm and can be safely ignored. Furthermore, we find that the lattice data from different collaborations are consistent with each other, though their setups are quite different. Using the chiral formulas of octet baryon masses, we accurately predict the octet baryon sigma terms via the Feynman-Hellmann theorem by analyzing the latest high-statistics lattice QCD data. Three key factors --- lattice scale setting effects, chiral expansion truncations and strong-interaction isospin-breaking effects --- are taken into account for the first time. In particular, the predicted pion- and strangeness-nucleon sigma terms, sigma_πN=55(1)(4) MeV and sigma_sN =27(27)(4) MeV, are consistent with the most latest lattice results of nucleon sigma terms. With the success in the study of octet baryon masses, we also present a systematic analysis of the lowest-lying decuplet baryon masses in covariant baryon chiral perturbation theory by simultaneously fitting n_f=2+1 lattice data. A good description for both the lattice and the experimental decuplet baryon masses is achieved. The convergence of covariant baryon chiral perturbation theory in the SU(3) sector is discussed. Furthermore, the pion- and strangeness-sigma terms for decuplet baryons are predicted by the Feynman-Hellmann theorem. In addition, understanding the excitation spectrum of hadrons is still a challenge, especially the first positive-parity nucleon resonance, the Roper(1440). The baryon spectrum shows a very unusual pattern that the Roper state is lower than the negative-parity state N(1535). Most lattice studies suggest that the Roper mass exhibits much larger chiral-log effects than that of the nucleon. Therefore, we calculate the Roper mass in chiral perturbation theory by explicitly including the nucleon/Delta contributions. The mixed contributions between nucleon and Roper to the baryon masses are taken into account for the first time. A first analysis of lattice Roper masses is presented.

One of the primary targets of current and especially future cosmological observations are light thermal relics of the hot big bang. Within the Standard Model of particle physics, an important thermal relic are cosmic neutrinos, while many interesting extensions of the Standard Model predict new light particles which are even more weakly coupled to ordinary matter and therefore hard to detect in terrestrial experiments. On the other hand, these elusive particles may be produced efficiently in the early universe and their gravitational influence could be detectable in cosmological observables. In this thesis, we describe how measurements of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) and the large-scale structure (LSS) of the universe can shed new light on the properties of neutrinos and on the possible existence of other light relics. These cosmological observations are remarkably sensitive to the amount of radiation in the early universe, partly because free-streaming species such as neutrinos imprint a small phase shift in the baryon acoustic oscillations (BAO) which we study in detail in the CMB and LSS power spectra. Building on this analytic understanding, we provide further evidence for the cosmic neutrino background by independently confirming its free-streaming nature in different, currently available datasets. In particular, we propose and establish a new analysis of the BAO spectrum beyond its use as a standard ruler, resulting in the first measurement of this imprint of neutrinos in the clustering of galaxies. Future cosmological surveys, such as the next generation of CMB experiments (CMB-S4), have the potential to measure the energy density of relativistic species at the sub-percent level and will therefore be capable of probing physics beyond the Standard Model. We demonstrate how this improvement in sensitivity can indeed be achieved and present an observational target which would allow the detection of any extra light particle that has ever been in thermal equilibrium. Interestingly, even the absence of a detection would result in new insights by providing constraints on the couplings to the Standard Model. As an example, we show that existing bounds on additional scalar particles, such as axions, may be surpassed by orders of magnitude.

La production d'étrangeté est une composante majeure de la mise en évidence d'une phase de partons déconfinés dans les collisions d'ions lourds ultra-relativistes. Parmi les nouvelles expériences ayant pris place auprès du collisionneur RHIC, STAR (Solenoidal Tracker At RHIC) offre d'importantes possibilités pour la reconstruction de particules multi-étranges comme les Oméga et l'hypothétique dibaryon H0. Nous avons détaillé les principales motivations de ce type d'étude replacées dans le contexte de différents modèles ainsi que des expériences passées. L'analyse des collisions issues des premières prises de données de STAR à 130 GeV par paire de nucléons dans le centre de masse, grâce à la mise au point de sélections spécifiques, nous a permis d'obtenir un signal significatif d'Oméga et d'anti-Oméga. Concernant les deux modes de désintégration envisagés pour les H0, aucun signal significatif n'a pu être observé. A partir de simulations, il a été possible d'estimer l'efficacité de détection de ces particules étranges et de déterminer la sensibilité de détection de STAR pour la reconstruction d'un des modes de désintégration supposés du H0 qui s'élève à 0,39 H0 par événement pour la première année de fonctionnement. De même, la détermination de l'efficacité de notre sélection des Omégas nous a permis d'établir le rapport anti-particule/particule (0.95 +/- 0.15) puis de déterminer le taux de production dN/dy= 0.64 +/- 0.14 et le paramètre de pente inverse correspondant T= 411 +/- 44 MeV. Ces résultats entachés actuellement d'une grande incertitude statistique restent compatibles avec différentes prédictions théoriques. Ils ne permettent donc pas encore de conclure quant à l'existence d'un plasma de quarks et de gluons.

This work is devoted to baryon and lepton number violation and flavour physics in theories beyond the Standard Model of particle interactions. First, the relations between the accidental and imposed symmetries are dis- cussed. For example, we argue that the Levi-Civita tensors in the color space may be understood as a unique spurion carrying the baryon number, and as such its absence in the Lagrangian of a specific model indicates baryon number conservation. Afterwards, the two minimal scenarios of quark-lepton unification are ana- lyzed in detail: the Minimal quark-lepton symmetry model and its extension by the inverse seesaw mechanism. We investigate if the observed anomalies in the B-meson decays could be to some extent accommodated within these models. Finally, possible low-energy effects of gauge leptoquarks are studied in the theory of quark-lepton unification and its simple extensions by vector-like leptons. Taking fully into account the freedom in the quark-lepton mixing, a catalogue of measurements currently forming the border of the excluded parameter space is found. We argue that, within the considered class of models, the gauge leptoquark can account for the discrepancies in the neutral-current B decays if and only if at least two extra generations of weak-isosinglet leptons exist. 1

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Big Bang Nucleosynthesis (BBN), together with the analyses of the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) anisotropies, confirm what our day to day experience of life attests :antimatter is far less present than matter in the Universe. In addition, these observables also permit to evaluate that there exists about one proton for every 10^{10} photons present in the Universe. This is in contradiction with expectations coming from the standard hot big bang, where no distinction between matter and antimatter is made, and where subsequent annihilations would lead to equal matter and antimatter contents, at a level 10^{−10} smaller than the observed one. The Standard Model of fundamental interactions fails to explain this result, leading us to search for ‘Beyond the Standard Model’ physics.<p><p>Among the possible mechanism which could be responsible for the creation of such a matter asymmetry, leptogenesis is particularly attractive because it only relies on the same ingredients previously introduced to generate neutrino masses. Unfortunatelly, this elegant proposal suffers from a major difficulty :it resists to any tentative of being probed by our low energy observables. In this thesis, we tackle the problem the other way around and propose a way to falsify this mechanism. Considering the type-I leptogenesis mechanism, i.e. a mechanism based on the asymmetric decay of right-handed neutrinos, in a left-right symmetric framework, we show that the observation of a right-handed gauge boson W_R at future colliders would rule out any possibility for such mechanism to be responsible of the matter asymmetry present in our Universe.<p><p>Another intriguing question that analyses of the anisotropies of the CMB confirmed is the presence of a non-baryonic component of matter in our Universe, i.e. the dark matter. As hinted by observations of galactic rotation curves, it should copiously be present in our galactic halo, but is notoriously difficult to detect directly. We can take advantage on the fact that antimatter almost disappeared from our surroundings to detect the contamination of cosmic rays from standard sources the annihilation products of dark matter would produce.<p><p>The second subject tackled in this work is the study of the imprints the Inert Doublet Modem (IDM) could leave in (charged) cosmic rays, namely positrons, antprotons and antideuterons. This model, first proposed to allow the Bout-Englert-Higgs particle to evade the Electroweak Precision Test (EWPT) measurements, introduces an additional scalar doublet which is inert in the sense that it does not couple directly to fermions. This latter property brings an additional virtue to this additional doublet :since it interacts weakly with particles, it can play the role of dark matter. This study will be done in the light of the data recently released by the PAMELA, ATIC and Fermi-GLAST collaborations, which reported e^± excesses in two different energy ranges. / Doctorat en Sciences / info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

The parity violating weak decay of hyperons offers a valuable means of measuring their polarization, providing insight into the production of strange quarks and the matter they compose. Jefferson Lab’s CLAS collaboration has utilized this property of hyperons, publishing the most precise polarization measurements for the Λ and Σ in both photoproduction and electroproduction to date. In contrast, cascades, which contain two strange quarks, can only be produced through indirect processes and as a result, exhibit low cross sections thus remaining experimentally elusive. At present, there are two aspects in cascade physics where progress has been minimal: characterizing their production mechanism, which lacks theoretical and experimental developments, and observation of the numerous excited cascade resonances that are required to exist by flavor SU(3)F symmetry. However, CLAS data were collected in 2008 with a luminosity of 68 pb−1 using a circularly polarized photon beam with energies up to 5.45 GeV, incident on a liquid hydrogen target. This dataset is, at present, the world’s largest for meson photoproduction in its energy range and provides a unique opportunity to study cascade physics with polarization measurements. The current analysis explores hyperon production through the γp → K+K+Ξ− reaction by providing the first ever determination of spin observables P, Cx and Cz for the cascade. Three of our primary goals are to test the only cascade photoproduction model in existence, examine the underlying processes that give rise to hyperon polarization, and to stimulate future theoretical developments while providing constraints for their parameters. Our research is part of a broader program to understand the production of strange quarks and hadrons with strangeness. The remainder of this document discusses the motivation behind such research, the method of data collection, details of their analysis, and the significance of our results.