Language Contact in Amazonia

Book review of Language Contact in Amazonia. Alexandra Y. Aikhenvald. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2003. 320 pp., 1 map. ISBN 978-0-19-925785-0

Scaling function in AdS/CFT from the O(6) sigma model

Asymptotic behavior of the anomalous dimensions of Wilson operators with high spin and twist is governed in planar N=4 SYM theory by the scaling function which coincides at strong coupling with the energy density of a two-dimensional bosonic O(6) sigma model. We calculate this function by combining the two-loop correction to the energy density for the O(n) model with two-loop correction to the mass gap determined by the all-loop Bethe ansatz in N=4 SYM theory. The result is in agreement with the prediction coming from the thermodynamical limit of the quantum string Bethe ansatz equations, but disagrees with the two-loop stringy corrections to the folded spinning string solution.Comment: 25 pages, 2 figure

Inclusive hadron and photon production at LHC in dipole momentum space

Using a momentum space model for the dipole scattering amplitude we present an analysis of the saturation effects at LHC energies, describing the data on proton-proton and proton-lead collisions. The model is based on the asymptotic solutions of the Balitsky-Kovchegov equation, being ideal in the saturation domain where the target wave function has a high occupation number. We also make predictions for the nuclear modification ratios on charged hadron and prompt photon production in the forward region, where the high parton density effects are important.Comment: New section added and typos corrected. To be published in PR

Cusp anomalous dimension in maximally supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory at strong coupling

We construct an exact analytical solution to the integral equation which is believed to describe logarithmic growth of the anomalous dimensions of high spin operators in planar N=4 super Yang-Mills theory and use it to determine the strong coupling expansion of the cusp anomalous dimension.Comment: 5 pages. v3: minor corrections, references and important note adde

Scattering of Giant Holes

We study scalar excitations of high spin operators in N=4 super Yang-Mills theory, which are dual to solitons propagating on a long folded string in AdS_3 x S^1. In the spin chain description of the gauge theory, these are associated to holes in the magnon distribution in the sl(2,R) sector. We compute the all-loop hole S-matrix from the asymptotic Bethe ansatz, and expand in leading orders at weak and strong coupling. The worldsheet S-matrix of solitonic excitations on the GKP string is calculated using semiclassical quantization. We find an exact agreement between the gauge theory and string theory results.Comment: 13 pages. v2: minor corrections, references adde

Assessing the Climate-Smartness of the West Africa Agricultural Productivity Programme (WAAPP): What can we learn from Benin, Guinea, Niger, Togo and Chad projects?

This info note summarizes the findings from participatory assessments of the climate-smartness of World Bank funded West Africa Agricultural Productivity Programme (WAAPP)”. This activity was implemented by CCAFS West Africa regional programme in partnership with CORAF under the Capacitating Stakeholders in Using Climate Information for Enhanced Resilience in the Agricultural Sector in West Africa (CaSCIERA-WA) project to strengthen the capacity of country stakeholders of WAAPP to mainstream and implement CSA in their activities in West Africa

Momentum space saturation model for deep inelastic scattering and single inclusive hadron production

We show how the AGBS model, originally developed for deep inelastic scattering applied to HERA data on the proton structure function, can also describe the RHIC data on single inclusive hadron yield for $d+Au$ and $p+p$ collisions through a new simultaneous fit. The single inclusive hadron production is modeled through the color glass condensate, which uses the quark(and gluon)--condensate amplitudes in momentum space. The AGBS model is also a momentum space model based on the asymptotic solutions of the BK equation, although a different definition of the Fourier transform is used. This aspect is overcome and a description entirely in transverse momentum of both processes arises for the first time. The small difference between the simultaneous fit and the one for HERA data alone suggests that the AGBS model describes very well both kind of processes and thus emerges as a good tool to investigate the inclusive hadron production data. We use this model for predictions at LHC energies, which agree very well with available experimental data.Comment: 10 pages, 7 figure