Eikonal contributions to ultra high energy neutrino–nucleon cross sections in low scale gravity models

We calculate low scale gravity effects on the cross section for neutrino–nucleon scattering at center of mass energies up to the Greisen–Zatsepin–Kuzmin (GZK) scale, in the eikonal approximation. We compare the cases of an infinitely thin brane embedded in n=5$n=5$ compactified extra-dimensions, and of a brane with a physical tension MS=1 TeV$M_S=1\text{TeV}$ and MS=10 TeV$M_S=10\text{TeV}$. The extra dimensional Planck scale MD$M_D$ is set at ¹⁰³ GeV${10}^3\text{GeV}$ and 2×¹⁰³ GeV$2\times {10}^3\text{GeV}$. We also compare our calculations with neutral current standard model calculations in the same energy range, and compare the thin brane eikonal cross section to its saddle point approximation. New physics effects enhance the cross section by orders of magnitude on average. They are quite sensitive to MS$M_S$ and MD$M_D$ choices, though much less sensitive to n.     

Elliptic flow arising from ridges due to semi-hard scattering

Azimuthal anisotropy in heavy-ion collisions is studied by taking into account the ridges generated by semi-hard scattering of intermediate-momentum partons, which can be sensitive to the initial spatial configuration of the medium in non-central collisions. In a simple treatment of the problem where the recombination of only thermal partons is considered, analytical formulas can be derived that yield results in accord with the data on v₂$v_2$ for pT<1–2 GeV/c$p_T<1\text{–}2\text{GeV}/c$. Centrality dependence is described by a geometrical factor. Ridge phenomenology is used to determine the initial slopes of v₂$v_2$ at low pT$p_T$ for both pion and proton. For higher pT$p_T$, shower partons from high-pT$p_T$ jets must be included, but they are not considered here.     

Atomic parity violation in the economical 3–3–1 model

The deviation δQW$\delta Q_{\mathrm{W}}$ of the weak charge from its standard model prediction due to the mixing of the W boson with the charged bilepton Y as well as of the Z   boson with the neutral Z^′$Z^{\prime }$ and the real part of the non-Hermitian neutral bilepton X   in the economical 3–3–1 model is established. Additional contributions to the usual δQW$\delta Q_{\mathrm{W}}$ expression in the extra U(1)$\mathrm{U}(1)$ models and the left–right models are obtained. Our calculations are quite different from previous analyzes in this kind of the 3–3–1 models and give the limit on mass of the Z^′$Z^{\prime }$ boson, the Z–Z^′$Z\text{–}{Z}^{\prime }$ and W–Y$W\text{–}Y$ mixing angles with the more appropriate values: MZ^′>564 GeV$M_{Z^{\prime }}>564\text{GeV}$, −0.018<sinφ<0$-0.018<\sin \phi <0$ and |sinθ|<0.043$|\sin \theta |<0.043$.     

Bound for entropy and viscosity ratio of strange quark matter

High energy density (?) and temperature (T) links general relativity and hydrodynamics leading to a lower bound for the ratio of shear viscosity (η) and entropy density (s  ). We get the interesting result that the bound is saturated in the simple model for quark matter that we use for strange stars at the surface for T∼80 MeV$T\sim 80\text{MeV}$. At this T   we have the possibility of cosmic separation of phases. At the surface of the star where the pressure is zero—the density ? has a fixed value for all stars of various masses with correspondingly varying central energy density ?c${\mathrm{?}}_c$. Inside the star where this density is higher, the ratio of η/s$\eta /s$ is larger and are like the known results found for perturbative QCD. This serves as a check of our calculation. The deconfined quarks at the surface of the strange star at T=80 MeV$T=80\text{MeV}$ seem to constitute the most perfect interacting fluid permitted by nature.     

Probing the reheating temperature at colliders and with primordial nucleosynthesis

Considering gravitino dark matter scenarios with a long-lived charged slepton, we show that collider measurements of the slepton mass and its lifetime can probe not only the gravitino mass but also the post-inflationary reheating temperature TR$T_{\mathrm{R}}$. In a model independent way, we derive upper limits on TR$T_{\mathrm{R}}$ and discuss them in light of the constraints from the primordial catalysis of ⁶Li through bound-state effects. In the collider-friendly region of slepton masses below 1 TeV, the obtained conservative estimate of the maximum reheating temperature is about TR=3×¹⁰⁹ GeV$T_{\mathrm{R}}=3\times {10}^9\text{GeV}$ for the limiting case of a small gluino–slepton mass splitting and about TR=¹⁰⁸ GeV$T_{\mathrm{R}}={10}^8\text{GeV}$ for the case that is typical for universal soft supersymmetry breaking parameters at the scale of grand unification. We find that a determination of the gluino–slepton mass ratio at the Large Hadron Collider will test the possibility of TR>¹⁰⁹ GeV$T_{\mathrm{R}}>{10}^9\text{GeV}$ and thereby the viability of thermal leptogenesis with hierarchical heavy right-handed Majorana neutrinos.     

Distinguishing dark matter annihilation enhancement scenarios via halo shapes

Sommerfeld enhancement and Breit–Wigner enhancement of the dark matter annihilation have been proposed to explain the “boost factor” which is suggested by observed cosmic ray excesses. Although these two scenarios can provide almost indistinguishable effects on the cosmic ray fluxes, the cross sections of the self-interaction in those enhancement mechanisms are drastically different. As a result, we might be able to distinguish them by examining the effects of the self-interaction on the dark matter halo shapes. In the Sommerfeld enhancement models with m??100 MeV$m_{?}?100\text{MeV}$ and mDM?3 TeV$m_{\mathrm{DM}}?3\text{TeV}$, the self-interaction of dark matter can lead to more spherical dark halo. In the Breit–Wigner models, the dark matter is effectively collisionless.     

What if supersymmetry breaking appears below the GUT scale?

We consider the possibility that the soft supersymmetry-breaking parameters m_1/2$m_{1/2}$ and m₀$m_0$ of the MSSM are universal at some scale Min$M_{\mathrm{in}}$ below the supersymmetric grand unification scale MGUT$M_{\mathrm{GUT}}$, as might occur in scenarios where either the primordial supersymmetry-breaking mechanism or its communication to the observable sector involve a dynamical scale below MGUT$M_{\mathrm{GUT}}$. We analyze the (m_1/2,m₀)$(m_{1/2},m_0)$ planes of such sub-GUT CMSSM models, noting the dependences of phenomenological, experimental and cosmological constraints on Min$M_{\mathrm{in}}$. In particular, we find that the coannihilation, focus-point and rapid-annihilation funnel regions of the GUT-scale CMSSM approach and merge when Min∼¹⁰¹² GeV$M_{\mathrm{in}}\sim {10}^{12}\text{GeV}$. We discuss sparticle spectra and the possible sensitivity of LHC measurements to the value of Min$M_{\mathrm{in}}$.     

On analogues of black brane solutions in the model with multicomponent anisotropic fluid

A family of spherically symmetric solutions with horizon in the model with m  -component anisotropic fluid is presented. The metrics are defined on a manifold that contains a product of n−1$n-1$ Ricci-flat “internal” spaces. The equation of state for any s  -th component is defined by a vector Us$U^s$ belonging to Rn+1${\mathbb{R}}^{n+1}$. The solutions are governed by moduli functions Hs$H_s$ obeying non-linear differential equations with certain boundary conditions imposed. A simulation of black brane solutions in the model with antisymmetric forms is considered. An example of solution imitating M₂–M₅$M_2\text{–}{M}_5$ configuration (in D=11$D=11$ supergravity) corresponding to Lie algebra A₂$A_2$ is presented.     

Vacuum phase transition at nonzero baryon density

It is argued that the dominant contribution to the interaction of quark–gluon plasma at moderate T?Tc$T?T_c$ is given by the nonperturbative vacuum field correlators. Basing on that nonperturbative equation of state of quark–gluon plasma is computed and in the lowest approximation expressed in terms of absolute values of Polyakov lines for quarks and gluons Lfund(T),Ladj(T)=(Lfund)^9/4$L_{\mathrm{fund}}(T),L_{\mathrm{adj}}(T)={(L_{\mathrm{fund}})}^{9/4}$ known from lattice and analytic calculations. Phase transition at any μ   is described as a transition due to vanishing of one of correlators, DE(x)$D^E(x)$, which implies the change of gluonic condensate ΔG₂$\mathrm{\Delta }{G}_2$. Resulting transition temperature Tc(μ)$T_c(\mu )$ is calculated in terms of ΔG₂$\mathrm{\Delta }{G}_2$ and Lfund(Tc)$L_{\mathrm{fund}}(T_c)$. The phase curve Tc(μ)$T_c(\mu )$ is in a good agreement with lattice data. In particular Tc(0)=0.27$T_c(0)=0.27$; 0.19; 0.17 GeV$0.17\text{ GeV}$ for nf=0,2,3$n_f=0,2,3$ and fixed ΔG₂=0.0035 GeV⁴$\mathrm{\Delta }{G}_2=0.0035{\text{ GeV}}^4$.     

Gravitino overproduction in inflaton decay

Most of the inflation models end up with non-vanishing vacuum expectation values of the inflaton fields ?   in the true vacuum, which induce, in general, non-vanishing auxiliary field G?$G_{?}$ for the inflaton potential in supergravity. We show that the presence of nonzero G?$G_{?}$ gives rise to inflaton decay into a pair of the gravitinos and are thereby severely constrained by cosmology especially if the gravitino is unstable and its mass is in a range of O(100) GeV–O(10) TeV$O(100)\text{GeV}\text{–}O(10)\text{TeV}$. For several inflation models, we explicitly calculate the values of G?$G_{?}$ and find that most of them are excluded or on the verge of being excluded for the gravitino mass in that range. We conclude that an inflation model with vanishing G?$G_{?}$, typically realized in a chaotic inflation, is favored in a sense that it naturally avoids the potential gravitino overproduction problem.     

Evaluation of charged current neutrino–nucleon interaction differential cross section

The charged current neutrino–nucleon interaction differential cross section are evaluated in the kinematical range 30<Eν<300 GeV$30<E_{\nu }<300\text{GeV}$, 0.1<x<0.8$0.1<x<0.8$ and 0<y<1$0<y<1$ using QCD inspired Thermodynamic Bag Model (TBM). We also discuss the x   and Q²$Q^2$ dependence of nucleon structure functions F₂(x,Q²)$F_2(x,Q^2)$ and xF₃(x,Q²)$x{F}_3(x,Q^2)$ estimated with statistical approach. The contribution of strange quark distribution function to the cross section is explored and the results obtained have been compared with relevant data from NuTeV and CHORUS experiments.     

Standard Model Higgs boson mass from inflation

We analyse one-loop radiative corrections to the inflationary potential in the theory, where inflation is driven by the Standard Model Higgs field. We show that inflation is possible provided the Higgs mass mH$m_H$ lies in the interval mmin<mH<mmax$m_{\min }<m_H<m_{\max }$, where mmin=[136.7+(mt−171.2)×1.95] GeV$m_{\min }=[136.7+(m_t-171.2)\times 1.95]\text{GeV}$, mmax=[184.5+(mt−171.2)×0.5] GeV$m_{\max }=[184.5+(m_t-171.2)\times 0.5]\text{GeV}$ and mt$m_t$ is the mass of the top quark. In the renormalization scheme associated with the Einstein frame the predictions of the spectral index of scalar fluctuations and of the tensor-to-scalar ratio practically do not depend on the Higgs mass within the admitted region and are equal to ns=0.97$n_s=0.97$ and r=0.0034$r=0.0034$ correspondingly.     

Effects of colored noise and noise delay on a calcium oscillation system

As a calcium oscillations system is in steady state, the effects of colored noise and noise delay on the system is investigated using stochastic simulation methods. The results indicate that: (1) the colored noise can induce coherence bi-resonance phenomenon. (2) there exist three peaks in the R–_τ0$R\text{–}{\tau }_0$ (R$R$ is the reciprocal coefficient of variance, and _τ0${\tau }_0$ is the self-correlation time of the colored noise) curves. For the same noise intensity Q=1$Q=1$, the Gaussian colored noise can induce calcium spikes but the white noise cannot do this. (3) the delay time can improve noise induced spikes regularity as _τ0${\tau }_0$ is small, and R$R$ has a significant minimum with increasing τ$\tau$ as _τ0${\tau }_0$ is large. (4) large values of ζ$\zeta$ reduce noise induced spikes regularity.     

Neutron–proton analyzing power at 12 MeV and inconsistencies in parametrizations of nucleon–nucleon data

We present the most accurate and complete data set for the analyzing power Ay(θ)$A_y(\theta )$ in neutron–proton scattering. The experimental data were corrected for the effects of multiple scattering, both in the center detector and in the neutron detectors. The final data at En=12.0 MeV$E_n=12.0\text{MeV}$ deviate considerably from the predictions of nucleon–nucleon phase-shift analyses and potential models. The impact of the new data on the value of the charged pion–nucleon coupling constant is discussed in a model study.     

Transverse energy per charged particle and freeze-out criteria in heavy-ion collisions

In relativistic nucleus–nucleus collisions the transverse energy per charged particle, ET/Nch$E_T/N_{\mathrm{ch}}$, increases rapidly with beam energy and remains approximately constant at about 800 MeV for beam energies from SPS to RHIC. It is shown that the hadron resonance gas model describes the energy dependence, as well as the lack of centrality dependence, qualitatively. The values of ET/Nch$E_T/N_{\mathrm{ch}}$ are related to the chemical freeze-out criterium E/N≈1 GeV$E/N\approx 1\text{GeV}$ valid for primordial hadrons.     

Running inflation in the Standard Model

An interacting scalar field with largish coupling to curvature can support a distinctive inflationary universe scenario. Previously this has been discussed for the Standard Model Higgs field, treated classically or in a leading log approximation. Here we investigate the quantum theory using renormalization group methods. In this model the running of both the effective Planck mass and the couplings is important. The cosmological predictions are consistent with existing WMAP5 data, with 0.967?ns?0.98$0.967?n_s?0.98$ (for Ne=60$N_e=60$) and negligible gravity waves. We find a relationship between the spectral index and the Higgs mass that is sharply varying for mh∼120–135 GeV$m_h\sim 120\text{–}135\text{GeV}$ (depending on the top mass); in the future, that relationship could be tested against data from PLANCK and LHC. We also comment briefly on how similar dynamics might arise in more general settings, and discuss our assumptions from the effective field theory point of view.