First-Order Electroweak Phase Transition in the Standard Model with a Low Cutoff

We study the possibility of a first-order electroweak phase transition (EWPT) due to a dimension-six operator in the effective Higgs potential. In contrast with previous attempts to make the EWPT strongly first-order as required by electroweak baryogenesis, we do not rely on large one-loop thermally generated cubic Higgs interactions. Instead, we augment the Standard Model (SM) effective theory with a dimension-six Higgs operator. This addition enables a strong first-order phase transition to develop even with a Higgs boson mass well above the current direct limit of 114 GeV. The phi^6 term can be generated for instance by strong dynamics at the TeV scale or by integrating out heavy particles like an additional singlet scalar field. We discuss conditions to comply with electroweak precision constraints, and point out how future experimental measurements of the Higgs self couplings could test the idea.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures. v2: corrected typos, improved discussion of the case lambda<0 and added references. To be published in PR

Chiral Compactification on a Square

We study quantum field theory in six dimensions with two of them compactified on a square. A simple boundary condition is the identification of two pairs of adjacent sides of the square such that the values of a field at two identified points differ by an arbitrary phase. This allows a chiral fermion content for the four-dimensional theory obtained after integrating over the square. We find that nontrivial solutions for the field equations exist only when the phase is a multiple of \pi/2, so that this compactification turns out to be equivalent to a T^2/Z_4 orbifold associated with toroidal boundary conditions that are either periodic or anti-periodic. The equality of the Lagrangian densities at the identified points in conjunction with six-dimensional Lorentz invariance leads to an exact Z_8\times Z_2 symmetry, where the Z_2 parity ensures the stability of the lightest Kaluza-Klein particle.Comment: 28 pages, latex. References added. Clarifying remarks included in section 2. Minor corrections made in section

Vegetation response to the "African Humid Period" termination in Central Cameroon (7° N) – new pollen insight from Lake Mbalang

A new pollen sequence from the Lake Mbalang (7°19´ N, 13°44´ E, 1110 m a.s.l.) located on the eastern Adamawa plateau, in Central Cameroon, is presented in this paper to analyze the Holocene African Humid Period (AHP) termination and related vegetation changes at 7° N in tropical Africa, completing an important transect for exploring shifts in the northern margin of the African Monsoon. This sequence, spanning the last 7000 cal yr BP, shows that the vegetation response to this transitional climatic period was marked by significant successional changes within the broad context of long-term aridification. Semi-deciduous/sub-montane forest retreat in this area is initially registered as early as ca. 6100 cal yr BP and modern savannah was definitely established at ca. 3000 cal yr BP and stabilized at ca. 2400 cal yr BP; but a slight forest regeneration episode is observed between ca. 5200 and ca. 4200 cal yr BP. In this area with modern high rainfall, increasing in the length of the dry season during the AHP termination linked to a contraction of the northern margin of the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) from ca. 6100 cal yr BP onward, probably associated with decreasing in cloud cover and/or fog frequency, has primarily controlled vegetation dynamics and above all the disappearance of the forested environment on the Adamawa plateau. Compared to previous studies undertaken in northern tropical and Central Africa, this work clearly shows that the response of vegetation to transitional periods between climatic extremes such as the AHP termination might be different in timing, mode and amplitude according to the regional climate of the study sites, but also according to the stability of vegetation before and during these climatic transitions

Gravitational Waves from Warped Spacetime

We argue that the RSI model can provide a strong signature in gravitational waves. This signal is a relic stochastic background generated during the cosmological phase transition from an AdS-Schwarschild phase to the RS1 geometry that should occur at a temperature in the TeV range. We estimate the amplitude of the signal in terms of the parameters of the potential stabilizing the radion and show that over much of the parameter region in which the phase transition completes, a signal should be detectable at the planned space interferometer, LISA.Comment: 18 pages, 15 figures; v2: discussion improved, in particular on the justification of the thick wall approximation. 6 figures added. 4 pi factor corrected in perturbativity bound. N-dependence displayed. Conclusions unchanged. JHEP versio

Dirac Neutrino Dark Matter

We investigate the possibility that dark matter is made of heavy Dirac neutrinos with mass in the range [O(1) GeV- a few TeV] and with suppressed but non-zero coupling to the Standard Model Z as well as a coupling to an additional Z' gauge boson. The first part of this paper provides a model-independent analysis for the relic density and direct detection in terms of four main parameters: the mass, the couplings to the Z, to the Z' and to the Higgs. These WIMP candidates arise naturally as Kaluza-Klein states in extra-dimensional models with extended electroweak gauge group SU(2)_L* SU(2)_R * U(1). They can be stable because of Kaluza-Klein parity or of other discrete symmetries related to baryon number for instance, or even, in the low mass and low coupling limits, just because of a phase-space-suppressed decay width. An interesting aspect of warped models is that the extra Z' typically couples only to the third generation, thus avoiding the usual experimental constraints. In the second part of the paper, we illustrate the situation in details in a warped GUT model.Comment: 35 pages, 25 figures; v2: JCAP version; presentation and plots improved, results unchange

Observation of vortex coalescence in the anisotropic spin-triplet superconductor Sr2_{2}RuO4_{4}

We present direct imaging of magnetic flux structures in the anisotropic, spin-triplet superconductor Sr$_{2}$RuO$_{4}$ using a scanning $\mu$SQUID microscope. Individual quantized vortices were seen at low magnetic fields. Coalescing vortices forming flux domains were revealed at intermediate fields. Based on our observations we suggest that a mechanism intrinsic to the material stabilizes the flux domains against the repulsive vortex-vortex interaction. Topological defects like domain walls can provide this, implying proof for unconventional chiral superconductivity.Comment: submitted to PR

Correlation between the promoter basal core and precore mutations and HBsAg quantification in French blood donors infected with hepatitis B virus

International audienceHepatitis B virus (HBV) basal core promoter (BCP) and precore (PC) mutations, HBV viral load and HBV surface antigen (HBsAg) quantitation were screened to assess correlations between these HBV markers in asymptomatic chronic hepatitis B carriers in France. From January 2006 to July 2007, 200 sera were collected from patients who were discovered to be HBsAg-positive when they volunteered to give blood. Direct sequencing of precore/core gene was used to detect A1762T/G1764A mutations in the BCP and G1896A in the PC region. HBV viral load and HBsAg were quantified with two commercials assays. The prevalence of the BCP and PC mixed/mutants were 37% and 60% respectively (P = 0.0001). HBV DNA level and HBsAg titer were significantly lower in subjects harboring the mixed/mutant PC virus compared to those infected by the wild phenotype. No significant difference was observed in HBV viral loads of blood donors infected by wild or mixed/mutant BCP viruses. Mutant or mixed PC virus was associated with male gender, HBeAb-positive status and HBV/D and HBV/E genotypes. BCP mutations were associated with age, and both HBV/A-HBV/E genotypes.The genetic properties of HBV in this cohort showed that most of the blood donors had a negative HBeAg serological status and harbored the PC mutant phenotype in combination with low levels of both HBV DNA and HBsAg. As the study was conducted in healthy subjects who could be considered as asmptomatic carriers, these results suggest a possible protective effect of the G1896A mutation against severe liver lesions. J. Med. Virol. 87:529–535, 2015. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc

Кераміка для техніки

The benthic invertebrates fauna of most of the saline lakes of the Sud Lipez region (Bolivia, Altiplano) has been until now quite unstudied. Samples collected during an extensive survey of 12 lakes and two small inflow rivers allow a first list of the main macroinvertebrates living in the biotopes. The heterogeneous nature of these saline lakes with their freshwater springs and phreatic inflows offers a variety of habitats to macroinvertebrates. The benthic fauna in lakes with salinity > 10 g l-1 is not so low in density but includes few species and is dominated by Orthocladinae and Podonominae larvae. In contrast, the freshwater springs and inflows are colonized by a diverse fauna with a mixture of both freshwater and saline taxa, but dominated by Elmidae and Amphipoda. The lakes are quite isolated and, apart from some cosmopolitan organisms, their fauna can be quite distinctive. (Résumé d'auteur

Effet de la matrice de l'eau sur l'élimination des micropolluants organiques par ozonation. Partie 1. Consommation spécifique de l'ozone dans un réacteur

A partir des réactions possibles entre l'ozone, les radicaux et les principaux composants d'une eau à potabiliser, des formules théoriques de formations de radicaux et de décomposition de l'ozone sont établies. La matière organique est schématisée par les composés qui réagissent avec l'ozone (Si), les initiateurs, les promoteurs et les inhibiteurs de la réaction radicalaire (SIi, Sp,i, Ss,i). La décomposition de l'ozone est ensuite mesurée pour 56 eaux naturelles caractérisées par les analyses suivantes (pH, Absorbance à 254 nm, COT, Alcalinité). En se basant sur les connaissances acquises et les valeurs expérimentales du taux spécifique de consommation de l'ozone w, l'équation théorique est simplifiée et on obtient:-(d[O3]/dt)=([O3](∑kDlSl,i)(∑klDP,i[SP,i])) / ([HCO3-](k9+k10 10pH-10,25))En prenant le COT comme représentatif des [Sp,i] (attaque radicalaire non sélective) et l'absorbance à 254 nm comme representative de SI,i (attaque directe sur les cycles aromatiques), une analyse multifactorielle permet d'obtenir l'expression:log10w = -3,93 + 0,24pH + 0,75 log10 Absorbance à 254 mm + 1,08 log10 COT - 0,19 log10 alcalinitéL'équation ainsi obtenue peut être utilisée dans tous les modèles prédictifs faisant appel aux bilans massiques sur l'oxydant.From the numerous reactions between ozone and other components of raw water in a drinking water plant, we obtain theoretical equations for hydroxy radical concentrations (1) and for the disappearance of ozone (2). Dissolved organic matter is divided in to four components: substances which react with ozone by a direct mechanism (Si), initiators, promotors, and scavengers ofradical reactions (SI,i, SP,i, SS,i). We also take into account the reactions between hydrogen peii*iâô. orThe, and free radicals to simulate advanced oxidation processes.[OH∘]= ([O3]{2k1∙10pH-14+2k2 10pH-11,6 [H2O2] + ∑kdl,i [Sl,i]}) / (klD[P]+[HCO3-] (k9+k10∙10pH-10,25)+∑klDS,i [Ss,i])   (1)-(d[O3])/(dt) = {kD[P]+∑kD,i[Si]+∑kDl,i[Sl,i]+3k110pH-14+k210pH-11,6H2O2]}[O3]+[OH∘]{k8[O3]+[H2O2](k210pH-11,6+K7)+∑klDP,i[SP,i]   (2)For 56 natural water samples, we measured the disappearence of ozone directly in a completely stirred batch reactor. Water samples were characterized by pH, TOC, 254 nm UV absorbance and alkalinity. Kinetics were first order with respect to ozone(d[O3])/(dt) = -w[O3]with w : specific ozone disappearence rate.Each term of equation 2 is discussed and, based on the experimental values of w, a simplified equation 3 obtained :-(d[O3])/(dt) = ([O3](∑kDISl,i)(∑klDP,i[SP,i))/([HCO3](k9+k10 10pH-10,25))The TOC parameter can represent [SP,i] because radical reactions are non selective, where as the 254 nm UV absorbance can represent [Si] because organic matter (Fulvic and Humic acid) can react directly with ozone via its constituent aromatic rings.Using the data set of 56 w values measured in natual water samples, mathematical correlations can be calculated :log10w = -3,93 + 0,24pH + 0,75 log10 Absorbance à 254 mm + 1,08 log10 COT - 0,19 log10 alcalinityA strong correlation between experimental measurements and predicted w values is obtained

Résultats de trois méthodes pour la détection de la mutation précore G1896A du virus de l’hépatite B chez les donneurs de sang français : PCR temps réel, séquençage et test Inno-LIPA

AIM: To screen hepatitis B virus (HBV) genotypes and associated basal core promoter (BCP; T1762A/A1764) and precore (PC; A1896) mutations among the 100 HBV surface antigen (HBsAg) positive voluntary blood donors in France. METHODS: HBV genotypes were determined by using direct sequence analysis. Three methods were used to detect G1896A mutation: non-commercial real-time PCR (PCRTR°, line probe assay (InnoLiPA HBV PreCore, INNOGENETICS(®)) and direct sequencing of precore gene. HBV viral load was quantified with two commercial real-time PCR (COBAS(®) AmpliPrep/COBAS(®) TaqMan(®) HBV Test/Roche and Real Time HBV/M2000/Abbott). RESULTS: The mean age of donors was 30 (18-64). Patients were from Africa (42%), Europa (50%), and Asia (8%). HBV/D was the most predominant (37%) genotype followed by HBV/A (31%) and HBV/E (22%). PC and BCP mutants were found in 57% with Inno-LIPA HBV test and 59% with both PCRTR and sequencing methods. A significant difference in the viral load of blood donors with wild and PC mutants was observed with the Taqman Cobas real time PCR (3,19 Log(10) UI/ml versus 4,93 Log(10) UI/ml, p &lt; 0.05). Precore phenotype determination was in agreement with the three PC mutation detection methods in 56% of cases. CONCLUSIONS: Non-Caucasian genotype E was present in the French blood donors. PC mutation was more common than BCP mutations in this study. As HBV infected blood donors were more often asymptomatic carriers, we could speculate that the G1896A mutation may favour the asymptomatic state, supporting previous observations