Some phenomenological implications of string loop effects

We investigate low energy implications of string loop corrections to supergravity couplings which break a possible flavor universality of the tree level. If supersymmetry is broken by the dilaton F-term, universal soft scalar masses arise at the leading order but string loop corrections generically induce flavor-non-diagonal soft terms. Constraints from flavor changing neutral currents (FCNC) and CP violation then require a large supersymmetry breading scale and thus heavy gluinos and squarks. If supersymmetry is broken by moduli F-terms, universality at the string tree level can only be guaranteed by extra conditions on the Kahler potential. A large hierarchy between the gluino and squark masses ensures that FCNC and CP-violation constraints are satisfied. If the soft scalar masses vanish at the string tree level, the cosmological problems related to light moduli can be evaded. However, generic string loop corrections violate FCNC bounds and require very heavy squark masses (∼ 100 TeV).     

Soft supersymmetry breaking, scalar top-charm mixing and Higgs signatures

The squark mass-matrix from the soft supersymmetry (SUSY) breaking sector contains a rich flavor-mixing structure that allows O(1) mixings among top- and charm-squarks while being consistent with all the existing theoretical and experimental bounds. We formulate a minimal flavor-changing-neutral current scheme in which the squark mixings arise from the non-diagonal scalar trilinear interactions. This feature can be realized in a class of new models with a horizontal U(1)_H symmetry which generates realistic quark-mass matrices and provides a solution to the SUSY μ-problem. Finally, without using the mass-insertion approximation, we analyze SUSY radiative corrections to the H^±bc and h⁰tc couplings, and show that these couplings can reveal exciting new discovery channels for the Higgs boson signals at the Tevatron and the LHC.     

Effective action,conformal anomaly and the issue of quadratic divergences

For massless ?⁴${?}^4$ theory, we explicitly compute the lowest order non-local contributions to the one-loop effective action required for the determination of the trace anomaly. Imposing exact conformal invariance of the local part of the effective action, we argue that the issue of quadratic divergences does not arise in a theory where exact conformal symmetry is only broken by quantum effects. Conformal symmetry can thus replace low energy supersymmetry as a possible guide towards stabilizing the weak scale and solving the hierarchy problem, if (i) there are no intermediate scales between the weak scale and the Planck scale, and (ii) the running couplings exhibit neither Landau poles nor instabilities over this whole range of energies.     

Constraints on light bottom squarks from radiative B-meson decays

The presence of a light squark (  GeV) and gluino (  GeV) might explain the observed excess in b-quark production at the Tevatron. Though provocative, this model is not excluded by present data. The light supersymmetric particles can induce large flavor-changing effects in radiative decays of B mesons. We analyze the decays B→X_sγ and B→X_sg in this scenario and derive restrictive bounds on the flavor-changing quark–squark–gluino couplings.     

Hermitian flavor violation

The fundamental constraint on two Higgs doublet models comes from the requirement of sufficiently suppressing flavor-changing neutral currents. There are various standard approaches for dealing with this problem, but they all tend to share a common feature; all of the Higgs doublets couple very weakly to the first generation quarks. Here we consider a simple two Higgs doublet model which is able to have large couplings to the first generation, while also being safe from flavor constraints. We assume only that there is an SUf(3) flavor symmetry which is respected by the couplings of one of the Higgs doublets, and which is broken by Hermitian Yukawa couplings of the second doublet. As a result of the large permitted couplings to the first generation quarks, this scenario may be used to address the excess in W+dijet events recently observed by CDF at the Tevatron. Moreover, Hermitian Yukawa coupling matrices arise naturally in a broad class of solutions to the strong CP problem, providing a compelling context for the model.     

Magnetic monopoles from a hidden magnetic symmetry

It is proposed that Magnetic Monopoles (MMs) could originate from a new U(1)_M symmetry. Such an abelian symmetry is assumed to be related to the conservation of a magnetic number M. This number is associated with massive MMs corresponding to an expected high scale breaking of the magnetic symmetry. The involved scales are approached and the properties of such MMs are investigated including their detection prospects.     

Effect of bare mass on the Hosotani mechanism

It is pointed out that the existence of bare mass terms for matter fields changes gauge symmetry patterns through the Hosotani mechanism. As a demonstration, we study an SU(2) gauge model with massive adjoint fermions defined on M⁴S¹. It turns out that the vacuum structure changes at certain critical values of mL, where m (L) stands for the bare mass (the circumference of S¹). The gauge symmetry breaking patterns are different from models with massless adjoint fermions. We also consider a supersymmmetric SU(2) gauge model with adjoint hypermultiplets, in which the supersymmetry is broken by bare mass terms for the gaugino and squark fields instead of the Scherk–Schwarz mechanism.     

Neutrino masses,mixings, and FCNC’s in an <Emphasis Type="Italic">S</Emphasis><Subscript>3</Subscript> flavor symmetric extension of the standard model

By introducing threeHiggs fields that are SU(2) doublets and a flavor permutational symmetry, S ₃, in the theory, we extend the concepts of flavor and generations to the Higgs sector and formulate a Minimal S ₃-Invariant Extension of the Standard Model. The mass matrices of the neutrinos and charged leptons are re-parameterized in terms of their eigenvalues, then the neutrino mixing matrix, V _PMNS, is computed and exact, explicit analytical expressions for the neutrino mixing angles as functions of the masses of neutrinos and charged leptons are obtained in excellent agreement with the latest experimental data. We also compute the branching ratios of some selected flavor-changing neutral current (FCNC) processes, as well as the contribution of the exchange of neutral flavor-changing scalars to the anomaly of the magnetic moment of the muon, as functions of the masses of charged leptons and the neutral Higgs bosons. We find that the S ₃ × Z ₂ flavor symmetry and the strong mass hierarchy of the charged leptons strongly suppress the FCNC processes in the leptonic sector, well below the present experimental bounds by many orders of magnitude. The contribution of FCNC’s to the anomaly of the muon’s magnetic moment is small, but not negligible.     

Superheavy fermions and horizontal symmetries

The mechanism which was formerly used to obtain neutrino masses is generalized to all light fermions. Correspondingly, several sets of superheavy fermions are introduced. Assignments under a horizontal symmetry group are arranged such that the heaviest among the light fermions acquire their masses, not from the ordinary Higgs-Yukawa couplings, but from couplings to the heavy fermions. Masses of the other light fermions are then obtained through horizontal gauge interactions. Accordingly, the resulting light fermion masses exhibit a hierarchical generation structure. Because of the construction, light Higgs fields do not induce dangerous flavor-changing neutral-current interactions.     

Lepton masses in a dynamical model of family symmetry

The hierarchy of lepton masses is studied in a dynamical model of family (horizontal) symmetry. Left-right symmetry for both vertical (electroweak) and horizontal gauge groups is favored. The decay μ→eγ puts a strong constraint on couplings as well as on the masses of both the horizontal gauge boson and the right handed Z boson.     

Possible CP-violation effects in core-collapse supernovae

We study CP-violation effects when neutrinos are present in dense matter, such as outside the proto-neutron star formed in a core-collapse supernova. Using general arguments based on the Standard Model, we confirm that there are no CP-violating effects at the tree level on the electron neutrino and anti-neutrino fluxes in a core-collapse supernova. On the other hand significant effects can be obtained for muon and tau neutrinos even at the tree level. We show that CP-violating effects can be present in the supernova electron (anti-)neutrino fluxes as well, if muon and tau neutrinos have different fluxes at the neutrinosphere. Such differences could arise due to physics beyond the Standard Model, such as the presence of flavor-changing interactions.     

Topological structures on domain walls

The possibility that a symmetry which is preserved in the vacuum might be broken in the interior of a domain wall is discussed. The simplest field theory example is explored in detail. The possibility that unexpected topological structures could then arise is illustrated with some examples. If the broken symmetry is electromagnetism, the domain wall becomes superconducting, a phenomenon which was discovered in the context of cosmic strings.     

Phenomenological consequences of right-handed down squark mixings

The mixings of d(R) quarks, hidden from view in the standard model (SM), are naturally the largest if one has an Abelian flavor symmetry. With supersymmetry (SUSY) their effects can surface via d(R) squark loops. Squark and gluino masses are at TeV scale, but they can still induce effects comparable to SM in B(d) (or B(s)) mixings, while D0 mixing could be close to recent hints from data. In general, CP phases would be different from SM, as may be indicated by recent B factory data. Presence of nonstandard soft SUSY breakings with large tanbeta could enhance b-->dgamma (or sgamma) transitions.     

Eddy diffusivity in convective hydromagnetic systems

An eigenvalue equation, for linear instability modes involving large scales in a convective hydromagnetic system, is derived in the framework of multiscale analysis. We consider a horizontal layer with electrically conducting boundaries, kept at fixed temperatures and with free surface boundary conditions for the velocity field; periodicity in horizontal directions is assumed. The steady states must be stable to short (fast) scale perturbations and possess symmetry about the vertical axis, allowing instabilities involving large (slow) scales to develop. We expand the modes and their growth rates in power series in the scale separation parameter and obtain a hierarchy of equations, which are solved numerically. Second order solvability condition yields a closed equation for the leading terms of the asymptotic expansions and respective growth rate, whose origin is in the (combined) eddy diffusivity phenomenon. For about 10% of randomly generated steady convective hydromagnetic regimes, negative eddy diffusivity is found.     

Local BRS transformations and OSp(3,1¦2) symmetry of Yang-Mills theories

We consider a certain local generalization of BRS transformations of Yang-Mills theory in which the anti-commuting parameter is space time dependent. While these are not exact symmetries, they do lead to a new nontrivial WT identity. We make a precise connection between the “local BRS” and the broken orthosymplectic symmetry recently found in superspace formulation of Yang-Mills theory by showing that the local BRS WT identity is precisely the WT identity obtained in the superspace formulation via a superrotation. This “local BRS” WT identity could lead to new consequences not contained in the usual BRS WT identity.     

Counting rule of Nambu–Goldstone modes for internal and spacetime symmetries: Bogoliubov theory approach

When continuous symmetry is spontaneously broken, there appear Nambu–Goldstone modes (NGMs) with linear or quadratic dispersion relation, which is called type-I or type-II, respectively. We propose a framework to count these modes including the coefficients of the dispersion relations by applying the standard Gross–Pitaevskii–Bogoliubov theory. Our method is mainly based on (i) zero-mode solutions of the Bogoliubov equation originated from spontaneous symmetry breaking and (ii) their generalized orthogonal relations, which naturally arise from well-known Bogoliubov transformations and are referred to as “σ$\sigma$-orthogonality” in this paper. Unlike previous works, our framework is applicable without any modification to the cases where there are additional zero modes, which do not have a symmetry origin, such as quasi-NGMs, and/or where spacetime symmetry is spontaneously broken in the presence of a topological soliton or a vortex. As a by-product of the formulation, we also give a compact summary for mathematics of bosonic Bogoliubov equations and Bogoliubov transformations, which becomes a foundation for any problem of Bogoliubov quasiparticles. The general results are illustrated by various examples in spinor Bose–Einstein condensates (BECs). In particular, the result on the spin-3 BECs includes new findings such as a type-I–type-II transition and an increase of the type-II dispersion coefficient caused by the presence of a linearly-independent pair of zero modes.     

Exothermic Transition to a Future Susy Universe

The Higgs sector of the MSSM may be extended to solve the μ problem by the addition of a gauge singlet scalar field. We consider an extended Higgs model. For simplicity we consider the case where all the fields in the scalar sector are real. We analyze the vacuum structure of the model. We address the question of an exothermic phase transition from a broken susy phase with electroweak symmetry breaking (our current universe) to an exact susy phase with electroweak symmetry breaking (future susy universe).     

Soft-breaking correction to hard supersymmetric relations QCD correction to squark decay

Supersymmetric relations between dimensionless couplings receive finite correction at one-loop when supersymmetry is broken softly. We calculate theO (α _s) correction to the squark decay width to a quark and an electroweak gaugino, which is found to be nonvanishing. Logarithmic correction appears when the gluino is heavy.     

Chemical ordering in Al(72)Ni(20)Co(8) decagonal quasicrystals

First-principles total energy calculations of the 2-nm clusters seen in high-perfection Al (72)Ni(20)Co(8) decagonal quasicrystals demonstrate that chemical ordering between Al and transition metals in the central ring is energetically highly favorable. The chemical ordering introduces extensive structure relaxation and results in broken decagonal symmetry. Such broken symmetry is sufficient to enforce the perfect quasiperiodic tiling.     

Twistor correspondences for the soliton hierarchies

In this article we propose a new overview on the theory of integrable systems based on symmetry reduction of the anti-self-dual Yang—Mills equations and its twistor correspondence. First, the non-linear Schrödinger (NS) equations and the Korteweg de Vries (KdV) equations are shown to be symmetry reductions of the anti-self-dual Yang—Mills (ASDYM) equation with real forms of SL (2, ) as gauge groups.

We obtain a twistor correspondence between solutions of the NS and KdV equations and certain holomorphic vector bundles with a symmetry on the total space of the complex line bundle of Chern class two on the Riemann sphere. Remarkably, when the Chern class is increased, the correspondence extends to the NS and KdV hierarchies. If the symmetry condition is dropped we obtain a twistor correspondence for a hierarchy for the Bogomolny equations, which yields the KdV and NS hierarchies when the symmetry is imposed.

The inverse scattering transform is shown to be a coordinate realization of the twistor correspondence. Both the pure solitons and the solitonless cases are treated. The k-soliton solutions arise from the kth “Ward ansatze” in an analogous fashion to the monopole solutions.