Dark Matter and Dark Energy via Non-Perturbative (Flavour) Vacua

A non-perturbative field theoretical approach to flavour physics (Blasone-Vitiello formalism) has been shown to imply a highly non-trivial vacuum state. In a previous work, we implemented the approach on a simple supersymmetric model (free Wess-Zumino), with flavour mixing, which was regarded as a model for free neutrinos and sneutrinos. The resulting effective vacuum (called "flavour vacuum") was found to be characterized by a strong SUSY breaking. In this paper we explore the phenomenology of the model and we argue that the flavour vacuum is a consistent source for both Dark Energy (thanks to the bosonic sector of the model) and Dark Matter (via the fermionic one). Quite remarkably, besides the parameters connected with neutrino physics, in this model no other parameters have been introduced, possibly leading to a predictive theory of Dark Energy/Matter. Despite its oversimplification, such a toy model already seems capable to shed some light on the observed energy hierarchy between neutrino physics, Dark Energy and Dark Matter. Furthermore, we move a step forth in the construction of a more realistic theory, by presenting a novel approach for calculating relevant quantities and hence extending some results to interactive theories, in a completely non-perturbative way.Comment: 14 pages, 2 figure

The Ultra-Luminous IR Galaxy Population

We summarize results from an on-going Hubble Space Telescope (HST) survey of a large sample of ULIRGs (Ultra-Luminous IR Galaxies). New ground-based multi-fiber spectroscopic observations are now being obtained to complement the HST data and to assist in the interpretation of these complex objects.Comment: 2 pages; requires newpasp.sty. Paper to appear in the ASP Conference Series for the May 2000 conference "Gas and Galaxy Evolution" (Socorro, NM), edited by J. E. Hibbard, M. P. Rupen and J. H. van Gorko

Parametrization and Classification of 20 Billion LSST Objects: Lessons from SDSS

The Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST) will be a large, wide-field ground-based system designed to obtain, starting in 2015, multiple images of the sky that is visible from Cerro Pachon in Northern Chile. About 90% of the observing time will be devoted to a deep-wide-fast survey mode which will observe a 20,000 deg$^2$ region about 1000 times during the anticipated 10 years of operations (distributed over six bands, $ugrizy$). Each 30-second long visit will deliver 5$\sigma$ depth for point sources of $r\sim24.5$ on average. The co-added map will be about 3 magnitudes deeper, and will include 10 billion galaxies and a similar number of stars. We discuss various measurements that will be automatically performed for these 20 billion sources, and how they can be used for classification and determination of source physical and other properties. We provide a few classification examples based on SDSS data, such as color classification of stars, color-spatial proximity search for wide-angle binary stars, orbital-color classification of asteroid families, and the recognition of main Galaxy components based on the distribution of stars in the position-metallicity-kinematics space. Guided by these examples, we anticipate that two grand classification challenges for LSST will be 1) rapid and robust classification of sources detected in difference images, and 2) {\it simultaneous} treatment of diverse astrometric and photometric time series measurements for an unprecedentedly large number of objects.Comment: Presented at the "Classification and Discovery in Large Astronomical Surveys" meeting, Ringberg Castle, 14-17 October, 200

Macrophage Depletion in Hypertensive Rats Accelerates Development of Cardiomyopathy

Inflammation contributes to the process of ventricular remodeling after acute myocardial injury. To investigate the role of macrophages in the chronic process of cardiac remodeling, they were selectively depleted by intravenous administration of liposomal clodronate in heart failure-prone hypertensive Ren-2 rats from the age of 7 until 13 weeks. plain liposomes were used for comparison. Liposomal clodronate treatment reduced the number of blood monocytes and decreased the number of macrophages in the myocardium. Compared to plain liposomes, liposomal clodronate treatment rapidly worsened left ventricular ejection function in hypertensive rats. Liposomal clodronate-treated Ren-2 rat hearts showed areas of myocyte loss with abundant inflammatory cell infiltration, predominantly comprising CD4 positive T lymphocytes. The current-study showed that lack of macrophages vas associated with earlier development of myocardial dysfunction in hypertensive rats. Modulation of macrophage function may be of value in the evolution of cardiomyopath

High Environmental Temperature Increases Glucose Requirement in the Developing Chicken Embryo

Environmental conditions during the perinatal period influence metabolic and developmental processes in mammals and avian species, which could impact pre- and postnatal survival and development. The current study investigated the effect of eggshell temperature (EST) on glucose metabolism in broiler chicken embryos. Broiler eggs were incubated at a high (38.9°C) or normal (37.8°C) EST from day 10.5 of incubation onward and were injected with a bolus of [U-13C]glucose in the chorio-allantoic fluid at day 17.5 of incubation. After [U-13C]glucose administration, 13C enrichment was determined in intermediate pools and end-products of glucose metabolism. Oxidation of labeled glucose occurred for approximately 3 days after injection. Glucose oxidation was higher in the high than in the normal EST treatment from day 17.6 until 17.8 of incubation. The overall recovery of 13CO2 tended to be 4.7% higher in the high than in the normal EST treatment. An increase in EST (38.9°C vs 37.8°C) increased 13C enrichment in plasma lactate at day 17.8 of incubation and 13C in hepatic glycogen at day 18.8 of incubation. Furthermore, high compared to normal EST resulted in a lower yolk-free body mass at day 20.9 (-2.74 g) and 21.7 (-3.81 g) of incubation, a lower hepatic glycogen concentration at day 18.2 (-4.37 mg/g) and 18.8 (-4.59 mg/g) of incubation, and a higher plasma uric acid concentration (+2.8 mg/mL/+43%) at day 21.6 of incubation. These results indicate that the glucose oxidation pattern is relatively slow, but the intensity increased consistently with an increase in developmental stage of the embryo. High environmental temperatures in the perinatal period of chicken embryos increased glucose oxidation and decreased hepatic glycogen prior to the hatching process. This may limit glucose availability for successful hatching and could impact body development, probably by increased gluconeogenesis from glucogenic amino acids to allow anaerobic glycolysi

Mode-division-multiplexed 3x112-Gb/s DP-QPSK transmission over 80-km few-mode fiber with inline MM-EDFA and blind DSP

We show transmission of a 3x112-Gb/s DP-QPSK mode-multiplexed signal up to 80km, without and with multi-mode EDFA, using blind 6x6 MIMO digital signal processing. We show that the OSNR-penalty induced by mode-mixing in the multi-mode EDFA is negligible

Follow-Up Near-infrared Spectroscopy of Ultraluminous Infrared Galaxies observed by ISO

We present low resolution near-infrared spectroscopy of an unbiased sample of 24 ultraluminous infrared galaxies (ULIRGs), selected from samples previously observed spectroscopically in the mid-infrared with the Infrared Space Observatory (ISO). Qualitatively, the near-infrared spectra resemble those of starbursts. Only in one ULIRG, IRAS 04114-5117E, do we find spectroscopic evidence for AGN activity. The spectroscopic classification in the near-infrared is in very good agreement with the mid-infrared one. For a subset of our sample for which extinction corrections can be derived from Pa-alpha and Br-gamma, we find rather high Pa-alpha luminosities, in accordance with the powering source of these galaxies being star formation.[Fe] emission is strong in ULIRGs and may be linked to starburst and superwind activity. Additionally, our sample includes two unusual objects. The first, IRAS F00183-7111, exhibits extreme [Fe] emission and the second, IRAS F23578-5307, is according to our knowledge one of the most luminous infrared galaxies in H2 rotation-vibration emission.Comment: Accepted for publication in A&A (12 pages, 4 figures). See http://www.mpia-hd.mpg.de/homes/dannerb/ for a version with higher quality figure