Electroweak and Flavor Physics in Extensions of the Standard Model with Large Extra Dimensions

We study the implications of extra dimensions of size $R\sim 1/TeV$ on electroweak and flavor physics due to the presence of Kaluza-Klein excitations of the SM gauge-bosons. We consider several scenarios with the SM fermions either living in the bulk or being localized at different points of an extra dimension. Global fits to electroweak observables provide lower bounds on 1/R, which are generically in the 2-5 TeV range. We find, however, certain models where the fit to electroweak observables is better than in the SM, because of an improvement in the prediction to the weak charge Q_W. We also consider the case of softly-broken supersymmetric theories and we find new non-decoupling effects that put new constraints on 1/R. If quarks of different families live in different points of the extra dimension, we find that the Kaluza-Klein modes of the SM gluons generate (at tree level) dangerous flavor and CP-violating interactions. The lower bounds on 1/R can increase in this case up to 5000 TeV, disfavoring these scenarios in the context of TeV-strings.Comment: 21 pages, 3 figures, Late

A New Gauge Mediation Theory

We propose a class of models with gauge mediation of supersymmetry breaking, inspired by simple brane constructions, where R-symmetry is very weakly broken. The gauge sector has an extended N=2 supersymmetry and the two electroweak Higgses form an N=2 hypermultiplet, while quarks and leptons remain in N=1 chiral multiplets. Supersymmetry is broken via the D-term expectation value of a secluded U(1) and it is transmitted to the Standard Model via gauge interactions of messengers in N=2 hypermultiplets: gauginos thus receive Dirac masses. The model has several distinct experimental signatures with respect to ordinary models of gauge or gravity mediation realizations of the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (MSSM). First, it predicts extra states as a third chargino that can be observed at collider experiments. Second, the absence of a D-flat direction in the Higgs sector implies a lightest Higgs behaving exactly as the Standard Model one and thus a reduction of the `little' fine-tuning in the low tan(beta) region. This breaking of supersymmetry can be easily implemented in string theory modelsComment: 23 pages, 3 figures, uses axodraw.sty. v2: a mistake in the radiative generation of the scalar masses is corrected. The main conclusions are unchange

Indirect Effect of Supersymmetric Triplets in Stop Decays

We study an extension of the minimal supersymmetric standard model with a zero hypercharge triplet, and the effect that such a particle has on stop decays. This model has the capability of predicting a 125.5 GeV Higgs even in the presence of light stops and it can modify the diphoton rate by means of the extra charged fermion triplet coupled to the Higgs. Working in the limit where the scalar triplet decouples, and with small values of mA, we find that the fermion triplet can greatly affect the branching ratios of the stops, even in the absence of a direct stop-triplet coupling. We compare the triplet extension with the MSSM and discuss how the additional fields affect the search for stop pair production.Comment: pdfLateX, 16 pages, 7 figures, 2 tables, Typos, minor changes. Version published in JHE

Inflation from IIB Superstrings with Fluxes

We study the conditions needed to have an early epoch of inflationary expansion with a potential coming from IIB superstring theory with fluxes involving two moduli fields. The phenomenology of this potential is different from the usual hybrid inflation scenario and we analize the possibility that the system of field equations undergo a period of inflation in three different regimes with the dynamics modified by a Randall-Sundrum II term in the Friedmann equation. We find that the system can produce inflation and due to the modification of the dynamics, a period of accelerated contraction can follow or preceed this inflationary stage depending on the sign of one of the parameters of the potential. We discuss on the viability of this model in a cosmological context.Comment: 10 pages, 6 figure

Triviality and vacuum stability bounds in the three-loop neutrino mass model

We study theoretical constraints on the parameter space under the conditions from vacuum stability and triviality in the three-loop radiative seesaw model with TeV-scale right-handed neutrinos which are odd under the $Z_2$ parity. In this model, some of the neutrino Yukawa coupling constants can be of the order of one. Requirement of strongly first order phase transition for successful electroweak baryogenes is also prefers order-one coupling constants in the scalar sector. Hence, it is important to clarify whether this model satisfies those theoretical conditions up to a given cutoff scale. It is found that the model can be consistent up to the scale above 10 TeV in the parameter region where the neutrino data, the lepton flavor violation data, the thermal relic abundance of dark matter as well as the requirement from the strongly first order phase transition are satisfied.Comment: 22 pages, 14 figure

Brans-Dicke-type theories and avoidance of the cosmological singularity

We tudy flat Friedmann-Robertson-Walker cosmology in Brans-Dicke-type theories of gravitation with minimal coupling between the scalar field and the matter fields in the Einstein frame (general relativity with an extra scalar field) for arbitrary values of the Brans-Dicke parameter $\omega>-{3/2}$. It is shown that the cosmological singularity occuring in the Einstein frame formulation of this theory is removed in the Jordan frame in the range $-{3/2}<\omega<\leq-{4/3}$. This result is interpreted in the ligth of a viewpoint (first presented in reference gr-qc/9905071) asserting that both Jordan frame and Einstein frame formulations of general relativity are physically equivalent. The implications of the obtained result for string theory are outlined.Comment: 9 pages, LaTeX, no figures. Improved version accepted for publication in PR

Analisis Financiero de la Fundacion Integral Campesina (Finca-Costa Rica)

This paper attempts a financial evaluation of Finca-Costa Rica. This private development organization has experienced substantial growth since 1985. Operation losses, in real terms, its subsidy dependence, and the rate of decapitalization have significantly declined as the organization has expanded its operations. Although the general trend of most indicators is positive, Finca is not yet institutionally viable and financially self-sufficient. Despite some weaknesses originating from past mistakes, Finca has acquired enough strength and faces good opportunities to achieve institutional viability in a reasonable period of time. The achievement of this objective is contingent upon the adoption of appropriate financial policies