Fourth generation effects in processes induced by the $b \rightarrow s$ transition

We study the effects of sequential fourth quark generation in rare decays induced by the transition and in B _s ⁰- mixing. Using the experimental values on the branching ratios of the and decays, the allowed regions for and are determined as a function of the t ^' quark mass. Received: 3 April 2003 / Published online: 2 June 2003 RID="a" ID="a" e-mail: taliev@metu.edu.tr RID="b" ID="b" e-mail: ozpineci@ictp.trieste.it RID="c" ID="c" e-mail: savci@metu.edu.tr     

How well can we reconstruct the $t\bar{t}$ system near its threshold at future ee linear colliders?

We developed a new method for the full kinematical reconstruction of the system near its threshold at future linear e ⁺ e ^- colliders. In the core of the method lies likelihood fitting which is designed to improve measurement accuracies of the kinematical variables that specify the final states resulting from decays. The improvement is demonstrated by applying this method to a Monte Carlo sample generated with various experimental effects including beamstrahlung, finite acceptance and resolution of the detector system, etc. In most cases the fit takes a broad non-Gaussian distribution of a given kinematical variable to a nearly Gaussian shape, thereby justifying phenomenological analyses based on simple Gaussian smearing of the parton-level momenta. The standard deviations of the resultant distributions of various kinematical variables are given in order to facilitate such phenomenological analyses. A possible application of the kinematical fitting method and its expected impact are also discussed. Received: 4 March 2003 / Published online: 23 May 2003 RID="a" ID="a" e-mail: ikematsu@post.kek.jp RID="b" ID="b" e-mail: fujiik@jlcuxf.kek.jp RID="c" ID="c" e-mail: hioki@ias.tokushima-u.ac.jp RID="d" ID="d" e-mail: sumino@tuhep.phys.tohoku.ac.jp RID="e" ID="e" e-mail: tohrut@hiroshima-u.ac.jp     

Seesaw induced Higgs mechanism

We discuss a two scalar doublets model which induces the Higgs mechanism by means of a seesaw mechanism. This model naturally predicts a light Higgs scalar whose mass is suppressed by the grand unification scale. The model requires an intermediate scale between the electroweak symmetry breaking scale and the grand unification scale at 10⁹ GeV. Below this intermediate energy scale the usual standard model appears as an effective theory. An implementation of this mechanism in models where the Planck scale is in the TeV region is discussed. Received: 20 September 2002 / Revised version: 6 March 2003 / Publishes online: 13 May 2003 RID="a" ID="a" e-mail: calmet@theory.caltech.edu     

On the nature of the low-temperature phase in discontinuous mean-field spin glasses

The low-temperature phase of discontinuous mean-field spin glasses is generally described by a one-step replica symmetry breaking (1RSB) ansatz. The Gardner transition, i.e. a very-low-temperature phase transition to a full replica symmetry breaking (FRSB) phase, is often regarded as an inessential, and somehow exotic phenomenon. In this paper we show that the metastable states which are relevant for the out-of-equilibrium dynamics of such systems are always in a FRSB phase. The only exceptions are (to the best of our knowledge) the p-spin spherical model and the random energy model (REM). We also discuss the consequences of our results for aging dynamics and for local search algorithms in hard combinatorial problems. Received 10 February 2003 Published online 20 June 2003 RID="a" ID="a"e-mail: Federico.Ricci@roma1.infn.it RID="b" ID="b"UMR 8549, Unité Mixte de Recherche du Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique et de l' école Normale Supérieure     

Chiral order and fluctuations in multi-flavour QCD

Multi-flavour chiral perturbation theory (PT) may exhibit instabilities due to vacuum fluctuations of sea pairs. Keeping the fluctuations small would require a very precise fine tuning of the low-energy constants and to , . A small deviation from these critical values - like the one suggested by the phenomenology of OZI-rule violation in the scalar channel - is amplified by huge numerical factors inducing large effects of vacuum fluctuations. This would lead in particular to a strong N_f dependence of chiral symmetry breaking (SB) and a suppression of the multi-flavour chiral order parameters. A simple resummation is shown to cure the instability of PT, but it modifies the standard expressions of some O(p ² ) and O(p ⁴ ) low-energy parameters in terms of observables. On the other hand, for r= m _s /m > 15, the two-flavour condensate is not suppressed, due to the contribution induced by massive vacuum pairs. Thanks to the latter, the standard two-flavour PT is protected from multi-flavour instabilities and could provide a well-defined expansion scheme in powers of non-strange quark masses. Received: 31 July 2002 / Revised version: 6 November 2002 / Published online: 15 January 2003 RID="a" ID="a" e-mail: sdg@hep.phys.soton.ac.uk RID="b" ID="b" e-mail: luca.girlanda@pd.infn.it ^* Present address: ECT^*, Villa Tambosi, Strada delle Tabarelle 286, 38050 Trento, Italy RID="c" ID="c" e-mail: stern@ipno.in2p3.fr     

In-beam γ-ray spectroscopy of 42Ca

High-spin states of the ⁴²Ca nucleus, populated in the 68 MeV ¹⁸O + ³⁰Si reaction, have been studied in a γ-γ-recoil coincidence experiment. The level scheme of ⁴²Ca has been extended up to 13.7 MeV. An elaborate decay pattern with various paths, together with high-quality DCO and polarization information assigns spins and parities for almost all observed levels. The sequence of non-yrast positive-parity states is discussed and compared with highly deformed bands in ³⁶Ar and ⁴⁰Ca. Received: 26 November 2002 / Accepted: 11 December 2002 / Published online: 18 February 2003 RID="a" ID="a"e-mail: Malgorzata.Lach@ifj.edu.pl RID="b" ID="b"Present address: TRIUMF, Vancouver, Canada. RID="†" ID="†"Deceased. Communicated by D. Schwalm     

Massive or massless scalar field and confinement

The generalization of QCD motivated classical SU(2) Yang-Mills theory coupled to a scalar field is discussed. The massive scalar field, corresponding to the scalar glueball, provides a confining potential for static, point-like, external sources. In the case of a massless scalar field screening solutions are found. However, there is a confining sector as well. Both, massive and massless confining solutions, are compared with phenomenological potentials. The case of a non-dynam ical permittivity is also discussed. Received: 15 November 2002 / Revised version: 31 January 2003 / Published online: 7 March 2003 RID="a" ID="a" e-mail: mslus@phys.ualberta.ca RID="b" ID="b" e-mail: wereszcz@alphas.if.uj.edu.pl     

Abelian decomposition method for G<Subscript>2</Subscript> gauge theory

The method of Abelian decomposition proposed by Faddeev and Niemi is used to derive the low-energy effective lagrangian of G₂ gauge theory. The G₂ algebra is studied. The commutation relations among the generators of the G₂ algebra are established, based on the framework of its regular maximal subalgebra, an SU(3) algebra. Received: 19 December 2002 / Revised version: 10 January 2003 / Published online: 14 March 2003 RID="a" ID="a" e-mail: suw@phy.ccu.edu.tw     

Explicit model realizing parton-hadron duality

An explicit model realizing parton-hadron duality and fitting the data is suggested. Complex nonlinear Regge trajectories are important ingredients of the model. The inclusion of Δ and N^* trajectories should account for all resonances in the direct channel. The exotic trajectory is responsible for the smooth background. Received: 7 June 2002 / Accepted: 3 July 2002 / Published online: 10 December 2002 RID="a" ID="a"e-mail: fiore@cs.infn.it RID="b" ID="b"e-mail: flachi@ifae.es RID="c" ID="c"e-mail: jenk@gluk.org RID="d" ID="d"e-mail: sasha@len.uzhgorod.ua RID="e" ID="e"e-mail: vladimir@cfif.ist.utl.pt Communicated by V.V. Anisovich     

Atomic coherent states studied by virtue of the EPR entangled state and their Wigner functions

Based on the newly constructed Einstein, Podolsky and Rosen (EPR) entangled state representation we introduce macroscopic classical functions associated with atomic coherent state τ with angular momentum value j. These functions are proportional to the ordinary one-variable Hermite polynomials of order 2j. The corresponding Wigner quasiprobability function for τ in phase space is also derived which turns out to be a two-variable Hermite polynomial H _{2j, 2j}. In so doing, a new classical-quantum correspondence scheme for angular momentum system is established. Received 7 August 2002 / Received in final form 14 December 2002 Published online 24 April 2003 RID="a" ID="a"Work supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China under grant 10175057. RID="b" ID="b"e-mail: fhym@sjtu.edu.en     

Probing the Majorana mass scale of right-handed neutrinos in mSUGRA

We discuss the perspectives of testing the right-handed Majorana mass scale M_R of the SUSY see-saw model in the mSUGRA framework. Lepton-flavor violating low energy processes are analyzed in recently proposed post-LEP benchmark scenarios, taking into account present uncertainties and future developments in the neutrino sector. Non-observation of in the next-generation PSI experiment will provide upper bounds on M_R of the order of GeV, while on the other hand, a positive signal for at SUPERKEKB or the LHC may determine M_R for a given mSUGRA scenario with an accuracy of a factor of 2. Received: 14 June 2002 / Revised version: 7 January 2003 / Published online: 14 April 2003 RID="a" ID="a" e-mail: deppisch@physik.uni-wuerzburg.de RID="b" ID="b" e-mail: paes@physik.uni-wuerzburg.de RID="c" ID="c" e-mail: asredelb@physik.uni-wuerzburg.de RID="d" ID="d" e-mail: rueckl@physik.uni-wuerzburg.de RID="e" ID="e" e-mail: shimizu@eken.phys.nagoya-u.ac.jp     

High-spin states in the <Superscript>97</Superscript>Tc nucleus

High-spin states in the ⁹⁷Tc nucleus have been studied by in-beam γ-ray spectroscopy with the reaction ⁸²Se(¹⁹F,4nγ) at 68 MeV incident energy. Excited states have been observed up to about 8 MeV excitation and spin 43/2. The observed level scheme is compared with results of shell model calculations. Received: 22 November 2002 / Accepted: 23 December 2002 / Published online: 18 March 2003 RID="a" ID="a"e-mail: bucurescu@tandem.nipne.ro RID="b" ID="b"Present address: INFN, Laboratori Nazionali di Legnaro, Legnaro, Italy. RID="b" ID="b"Present address: INFN, Laboratori Nazionali di Legnaro, Legnaro, Italy. RID="b" ID="b"Present address: INFN, Laboratori Nazionali di Legnaro, Legnaro, Italy. RID="c" ID="c"Present address: Università di Padova, Padova, Italy. Communicated by C. Signorini     

Slow nucleic acid unzipping kinetics from sequence-defined barriers

Recent experiments on unzipping of RNA helix-loop structures by force have shown that ≈40-base molecules can undergo kinetic transitions between two well-defined “open” and “closed” states, on a timescale ≈1 sec [Liphardt et al., Science 297, 733-737 (2001)]. Using a simple dynamical model, we show that these phenomena result from the slow kinetics of crossing large free energy barriers which separate the open and closed conformations. The dependence of barriers on sequence along the helix, and on the size of the loop(s) is analyzed. Some DNA and RNA sequences that could show dynamics on different time scales, or three(or more)-state unzipping, are proposed. Our dynamical model is also applied to the unzipping of long (kilo-basepair) DNA molecules at constant force. Received 29 July 2002 / Received in final form 5 February 2003 Published online: 16 April 2003 RID="a" ID="a"e-mail: cocco@ldfc.u-strasbg.fr RID="b" ID="b"e-mail: jmarko@uic.edu RID="c" ID="c"e-mail: monasson@lpt.ens.fr     

Spin structure function g 1 (x, Q) and the DHGHY integral I(Q) at low Q: predictions from the GVMD model

Theoretical predictions for the polarized nucleon structure function g ₁ (x, Q ² ) at low Q² are obtained in the framework of the generalized vector meson dominance model. Contributions from both light and heavy vector mesons are evaluated. In the photoproduction limit the first moment of g₁ is related to the static properties of the nucleon via the Drell-Hearn-Gerasimov-Hosoda-Yamamoto sum rule. This property is employed to fix the magnitude of the light vector meson contribution to g₁, using the recent measurements in the region of baryonic resonances. The results are compared to the data on g ₁ (x, Q ² ). Finally, the DHGHY moment function I(Q ² ) is calculated, and our theoretical predictions are confronted with the recent preliminary data obtained at the Jefferson Laboratory. Received: 9 July 2002 / Published online: 7 October 2002 RID="a" ID="a" e-mail: badelek@fuw.edu.pl RID="b" ID="b" e-mail: jan.kwiecinski@ifj.edu.pl RID="c" ID="c" e-mail: ziaja@tsl.uu.se     

Confronting spectral functions from ee annihilation and $\tau$ decays: consequences for the muon magnetic moment

Vacuum polarization integrals involve the vector spectral functions which can be experimentally determined from two sources: (i) e ⁺ e ^- annihilation cross sections and (ii) hadronic decays. Recently results with comparable precision have become available from CMD-2 on one side, and ALEPH, CLEO and OPAL on the other. The comparison of the respective spectral functions involves a correction from isospin-breaking effects, which is evaluated. After the correction it is found that the dominant spectral functions do not agree within experimental and theoretical uncertainties. Some disagreement is also found for the spectral functions. The consequences of these discrepancies for vacuum polarization calculations are presented, with the emphasis on the muon anomalous magnetic moment. The work includes a complete re-evaluation of all exclusive cross sections, taking into account the most recent data that became available in particular from the Novosibirsk experiments and applying corrections for the missing radiative corrections. The values found for the lowest-order hadronic vacuum polarization contributions are where the errors have been separated according to their sources: experimental, missing radiative corrections in e ⁺ e ^- data, and isospin breaking. The Standard Model predictions for the muon magnetic anomaly read where the errors account for the hadronic, light-by-light scattering and electroweak contributions. We observe deviations with the recent BNL measurement at the 3.0 (e ⁺ e ^- ) and 0.9 () level, when adding experimental and theoretical errors in quadrature. Received: 27 August 2002 / Revised version: 10 January 2003 / Published online: 26 February 2003 RID="a" ID="a" e-mail: davier@lal.in2p3.fr RID="b" ID="b" e-mail: simon.eidelman@cern.ch RID="c" ID="c" e-mail: hoecker@lal.in2p3.fr RID="d" ID="d" e-mail: zhangzq@lal.in2p3.fr     

Electron-electron bound states in Maxwell-Chern-Simons-Proca QED <Emphasis Type="Bold">3</Emphasis>

We start from a parity-breaking MCS QED₃ model with spontaneous breaking of the gauge symmetry as a framework for evaluation of the electron-electron interaction potential and for attainment of numerical values for the e ^- e ^- - bound state. Three expressions ( V _eff , V _eff , V _eff ) are obtained according to the polarization state of the scattered electrons. In an energy scale compatible with condensed matter electronic excitations, these three potentials become degenerated. The resulting potential is implemented in the Schr?dinger equation and the variational method is applied to carry out the electronic binding energy. The resulting binding energies in the scale of 10-100 meV and a correlation length in the scale of 10-30 ? are possible indications that the MCS-QED₃ model adopted may be suitable to address an eventual case of e ^- e ^- pairing in the presence of parity-symmetry breakdown. The data analyzed here suggest an energy scale of 10-100 meV to fix the breaking of the U (1)-symmetry. Received 24 September 2002 / Received in final form 15 January 2003 Published online 1st April 2003 RID="a" ID="a"e-mail: belich@cbpf.br RID="b" ID="b"e-mail: delcima@cbpf.br RID="c" ID="c"e-mail: manojr@cbpf.br RID="d" ID="d"e-mail: helayel@cbpf.br     

Circumstantial evidence for rotating mass matrix from fermion mass and mixing data

It is shown that existing data on the mixing between up and down fermion states and on the hierarchical mass ratios between fermion generations, as far as can be so analyzed at present, are all consistent with the two phenomena being both consequences of a mass matrix rotating in generation space with changing energy scale. As a result, the rotating mass matrix can be traced over some 14 orders of magnitude in energy from the mass scale of the t quark at 175 GeV to below that of the atmospheric neutrino at 0.05 eV. Received: 27 August 2002 / Published online: 24 January 2003 RID="a" ID="a" e-mail: jose.m.bordes@uv.es RID="b" ID="b" e-mail: h.m.chan@rl.ac.uk RID="c" ID="c" e-mail: tsou@maths.ox.ac.uk     

Sensitivity of the pQCD deuteron structure to the nucleon form factors

We discuss the applicability of pQCD to the elastic scattering of electrons on protons and deuterons. We analyze the Q²-dependence of the reduced deuteron form factor, taking into account the recent data on the electric proton form factor and we find that the value of the QCD-scale parameter Λ differs essentially from the value Λ = 0.1 GeV, previously found using the dipole parametrization of the electromagnetic nucleon form factors G_E and G_M. Moreover, the predicted scaling behavior of the reduced deuteron form factor cannot be recovered in the Dirac and Pauli representations for the nucleon electromagnetic form factors. Received: 14 October 2002 / Accepted: 12 November 2002 / Published online: 11 March 2003 RID="a" ID="a"Permanent address: National Science Center KFTI, 310108 Kharkov, Ukraine. RID="b" ID="b"e-mail: etomasi@cea.fr Communicated by V.V. Anisovich