Grand Unification and Time Variation of the Gauge Couplings

Astrophysical indications that the fine structure constant is time dependent are discussed in the framework of grand unification models. A variation of the electromagnetic coupling constant could either be generated by a corresponding time variation of the unified coupling constant or by a time variation of the unification scale, or by both. The case in which the time variation of the electromagnetic coupling constant is caused by a time variation of the unification scale is of special interest. It is supported in addition by recent hints towards a time change of the proton-electron mass ratio. Possible implications for baryogenesis are discussed.Comment: talk given at the 10th International Conference on Supersymmetry and Unification of Fundamental Interactions (SUSY02), Hamburg, Germany, 17-23 June 200

Symmetry Breaking and Time Variation of the QCD Coupling

Astrophysical indications that the fine structure constant has undergone a small time variation during the cosmological evolution are discussed within the framework of the standard model of the electroweak and strong interactions and of grand unification. A variation of the electromagnetic coupling constant could either be generated by a corresponding time variation of the unified coupling constant or by a time variation of the unification scale, of by both. The various possibilities, differing substantially in their implications for the variation of low energy physics parameters like the nuclear mass scale, are discussed. The case in which the variation is caused by a time variation of the unification scale is of special interest. It is supported in addition by recent hints towards a time change of the proton-electron mass ratio.Comment: 5 page

The crucial problem: the electroweak symmetry breaking

1. Why we do Believe in the Standard Model 2. Why we do not Believe in the Standard Model 2.1 Conceptual Problems 2.2 Hints from Experiment 2.2.1 Unification of Couplings 2.2.2 Dark Matter 2.2.3 Neutrino Masses 2.2.4 Baryogenesis 3. Status of the Search for the Higgs and for New Physics 4. ConclusionComment: 16 pages, Talk, XI Rencontres de Blois, Frontiers of Matter, 27 June-3 July 199

Symmetry Breaking and Time Variation of Gauge Couplings

Astrophysical indications that the fine structure constant has undergone a small time variation during the cosmological evolution are discussed within the framework of the standard model of the electroweak and strong interactions and of grand unification. A variation of the electromagnetic coupling constant could either be generated by a corresponding time variation of the unified coupling constant or by a time variation of the unification scale, of by both. The various possibilities, differing substantially in their implications for the variation of low energy physics parameters like the nuclear mass scale, are discussed. The case in which the variation is caused by a time variation of the unification scale is of special interest. It is supported in addition by recent hints towards a time change of the proton-electron mass ratio. Implications for the analysis of the Oklo remains and for quantum optics tests are discussed.Comment: 9 page

Does the QCD Scale vary in time?

Last year I talked at this meeting about a possible time dependence of the QCD coupling constant $\alpha_s$. This year I shall look into the problem once more, without fully repeating the arguments given last year. Astrophysical indications that the fine structure constant has undergone a small time variation during the cosmological evolution are discussed within the framework of the standard model of the electroweak and strong interactions and of grand unification. A variation of the electromagnetic coupling constant could either be generated by a corresponding time variation of the unified coupling constant or by a time variation of the unification scale, or by both. The various possibilities, differing substantially in their implications for the variation of low energy physics parameters like the nuclear mass scale, are discussed. The case in which the variation is caused by a time variation of the unification scale is of special interest. It is supported in addition by recent hints towards a time change of the proton-electron mass ratio.Comment: 5 pages, QCD International Conference Montpellier 2-9 July 200

Understanding SUSY limits from LEP

LEP results have constrained heavily the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model, while providing hints for light Higgs boson and for ``SUSY-assisted'' gauge couling unification. In this paper the results obtained at LEP within two scenarios, the gravity-mediated MSSM framework and the minimal SUGRA scenario are presented. Model-dependence and coverage of LEP results is discussed.Comment: Prepared for 3nd International Conference on Physics Beyond the Standard Model, Beyond the Desert 02, Oulu, Finland, 2-7 June 200

The Intermediate Scale MSSM, the Higgs Mass and F-theory Unification

Even if SUSY is not present at the Electro-Weak scale, string theory suggests its presence at some scale M_{SS} below the string scale M_s to guarantee the absence of tachyons. We explore the possible value of M_{SS} consistent with gauge coupling unification and known sources of SUSY breaking in string theory. Within F-theory SU(5) unification these two requirements fix M_{SS} ~ 5 x 10^{10} GeV at an intermediate scale and a unification scale M_c ~ 3 x 10^{14} GeV. As a direct consequence one also predicts the vanishing of the quartic Higgs SM self-coupling at M_{SS} ~10^{11} GeV. This is tantalizingly consistent with recent LHC hints of a Higgs mass in the region 124-126 GeV. With such a low unification scale M_c ~ 3 x 10^{14} GeV one may worry about too fast proton decay via dimension 6 operators. However in the F-theory GUT context SU(5) is broken to the SM via hypercharge flux. We show that this hypercharge flux deforms the SM fermion wave functions leading to a suppression, avoiding in this way the strong experimental proton decay constraints. In these constructions there is generically an axion with a scale of size f_a ~ M_c/(4\pi)^2 ~ 10^{12} GeV which could solve the strong CP problem and provide for the observed dark matter. The prize to pay for these attractive features is to assume that the hierarchy problem is solved due to anthropic selection in a string landscape.Comment: 48 pages, 8 figures. v3: further minor correction