Intermediate scale inflation and metastable supersymmetry breaking

We investigate the possibility of obtaining a low scale of supersymmetry breaking within the ISS framework using a metastable vacuum. This is achieved by introducing an R   symmetry preserving gravitational coupling of the ISS sector to a relatively low scale inflationary sector. We find the allowed range for the supersymmetry breaking scale, ¹⁰⁴ GeV?μ?¹⁰⁸ GeV${10}^4\text{GeV}?\mu ?{10}^8\text{GeV}$, which is low enough to be amenable to gauge supersymmetry breaking mediation. This scenario is based upon a so-called hilltop inflation phase whose initial condition problem is also addressed.     

Angular intermittency in QCD jets

Using two methods, via fluctuations and correlations, an analytical formula is derived for the factorial multiplicity moments in a QCD jet at the Double Leading Logarithm accuracy. The resulting self-similar dependence on the solid-angle cell size is characteristic of an intermittency behaviour in angular variables. The intermittency indices depend on the diffusion angle through the running of α_S. Physical features of jet fluctuations such as collimation at large angles and saturation at small angles are well described in the perturbative framework. A parameter-free prediction of angular intermittency is proposed for Z⁰ decays into hadrons, assuming hadronparton duality.

     

Supersymmetron

We consider a supersymmetric model of dark energy coupled to cold dark matter: the supersymmetron. In the absence of cold dark matter, the supersymmetron converges to a supersymmetric minimum with a vanishing cosmological constant. When cold dark matter is present, the supersymmetron evolves to a matter dependent minimum where its energy density does not vanish. In the early Universe until the recent past of the Universe, the energy density of the supersymmetron is negligible compared to the cold dark matter energy density. Away from the supersymmetric minimum, the equation of state of the supersymmetron is constant and negative. When the supersymmetron reaches the neighbourhood of the supersymmetric minimum, its equation of state vanishes rapidly. This leads to an acceleration of the Universe which is transient unless supersymmetry breaking induces a pure cosmological constant and acceleration of the Universe does not end. Moreover, we find that the mass of supersymmetron is always greater than the gravitino mass. As a result, the supersymmetron generates a short ranged fifth force which evades gravitational tests. On the other hand, we find that the supersymmetron may lead to relevant effects on large scale structures.     

Strongly coupled chameleons and the neutronic quantum bouncer

We consider the potential detection of chameleons using bouncing ultracold neutrons. We show that the presence of a chameleon field over a planar plate would alter the energy levels of ultracold neutrons in the terrestrial gravitational field. When chameleons are strongly coupled to nuclear matter, β?10(8), we find that the shift in energy levels would be detectable with the forthcoming GRANIT experiment, where a sensitivity of the order of 1% of a peV is expected. We also find that an extremely large coupling β?10(11) would lead to new bound states at a distance of order 2 μm, which is already ruled out by previous Grenoble experiments. The resulting bound, β?10(11), is already 3 orders of magnitude better than the upper bound, β?10(14), from precision tests of atomic spectra.     

Lorentz invariance violation in modified gravity

We consider an environmentally dependent violation of Lorentz invariance in scalar–tensor models of modified gravity where General Relativity is retrieved locally thanks to a screening mechanism. We find that fermions have a modified dispersion relation and would go faster than light in an anisotropic and space-dependent way along the scalar field lines of force. Phenomenologically, these models are tightly restricted by the amount of Cerenkov radiation emitted by the superluminal particles, a constraint which is only satisfied by chameleons. Measuring the speed of neutrinos emitted radially from the surface of the earth and observed on the other side of the earth would probe the scalar field profile of modified gravity models in dense environments. We argue that the test of the equivalence principle provided by the Lunar ranging experiment implies that a deviation from the speed of light, for natural values of the coupling scale between the scalar field and fermions, would be below detectable levels, unless gravity is modified by camouflaged chameleons where the field normalisation is environmentally dependent.     

Matrix Theory in Curved Space

We study curved-space versions of matrix stringtheory taking as a definition of the theory a gaugedmatrix sigma model. By computing the contribution to theone-loop divergent terms in the effective action coming from the diagonal matrix elements weshow that these versions of matrix theory in curvedspace reproduce the string equations of motion and theR⁴ correction to the Hilbert-Einstein action.It is then demonstrated that the divergences due tothe nondiagonal elements induce terms in the effectiveaction that cannot be removed by appropriatecounterterms. This implies that the model can only beconsistent for Ricci flat manifolds with vanishingsix-dimensional Euler density.     

The Cosmological constant problem

Observational evidence seems to indicate that the expansion of the universe is currently accelerating. Such an acceleration strongly suggests that the content of the universe is dominated by a non-clustered form of matter, the so-called dark energy. The cosmological constant, introduced by Einstein to reconcile General Relativity with a closed and static Universe, is the most likely candidate for dark energy although other options such as a weakly interacting field, also known as quintessence, have been proposed. The fact that the dark energy density is some one hundred and twenty orders of magnitude lower than the energy scales present in the early universe constitutes the cosmological constant problem. We review various aspects of the cosmological constant problem and some interesting scenarios using supersymmetry or extra-dimensions attempting to solve one of the most puzzling issues in physics.     

Compatibility of the chameleon-field model with fifth-force experiments, cosmology, and PVLAS and CAST results

We analyze the PVLAS results using a chameleon field whose properties depend on the environment. We find that, assuming a runaway bare potential V(phi) and a universal coupling to matter, the chameleon potential is such that the scalar field can act as dark energy. Moreover, the chameleon-field model is compatible with the CERN Axion Solar Telescope results, fifth-force experiments, and cosmology.