Scaling Solutions to 6D Gauged Chiral Supergravity

We construct explicitly time-dependent exact solutions to the field equations of 6D gauged chiral supergravity, compactified to 4D in the presence of up to two 3-branes situated within the extra dimensions. The solutions we find are scaling solutions, and are plausibly attractors which represent the late-time evolution of a broad class of initial conditions. By matching their near-brane boundary conditions to physical brane properties we argue that these solutions (together with the known maximally-symmetric solutions and a new class of non-Lorentz-invariant static solutions, which we also present here) describe the bulk geometry between a pair of 3-branes with non-trivial on-brane equations of state.Comment: Contribution to the New Journal of Physics focus issue on Dark Energy; 28 page

Kicking the Rugby Ball: Perturbations of 6D Gauged Chiral Supergravity

We analyze the axially-symmetric scalar perturbations of 6D chiral gauged supergravity compactified on the general warped geometries in the presence of two source branes. We find all of the conical geometries are marginally stable for normalizable perturbations (in disagreement with some recent calculations) and the nonconical for regular perturbations, even though none of them are supersymmetric (apart from the trivial Salam-Sezgin solution, for which there are no source branes). The marginal direction is the one whose presence is required by the classical scaling property of the field equations, and all other modes have positive squared mass. In the special case of the conical solutions, including (but not restricted to) the unwarped `rugby-ball' solutions, we find closed-form expressions for the mode functions in terms of Legendre and Hypergeometric functions. In so doing we show how to match the asymptotic near-brane form for the solution to the physics of the source branes, and thereby how to physically interpret perturbations which can be singular at the brane positions.Comment: 21 pages + appendices, references adde

The neutron and its role in cosmology and particle physics

Experiments with cold and ultracold neutrons have reached a level of precision such that problems far beyond the scale of the present Standard Model of particle physics become accessible to experimental investigation. Due to the close links between particle physics and cosmology, these studies also permit a deep look into the very first instances of our universe. First addressed in this article, both in theory and experiment, is the problem of baryogenesis ... The question how baryogenesis could have happened is open to experimental tests, and it turns out that this problem can be curbed by the very stringent limits on an electric dipole moment of the neutron, a quantity that also has deep implications for particle physics. Then we discuss the recent spectacular observation of neutron quantization in the earth's gravitational field and of resonance transitions between such gravitational energy states. These measurements, together with new evaluations of neutron scattering data, set new constraints on deviations from Newton's gravitational law at the picometer scale. Such deviations are predicted in modern theories with extra-dimensions that propose unification of the Planck scale with the scale of the Standard Model ... Another main topic is the weak-interaction parameters in various fields of physics and astrophysics that must all be derived from measured neutron decay data. Up to now, about 10 different neutron decay observables have been measured, much more than needed in the electroweak Standard Model. This allows various precise tests for new physics beyond the Standard Model, competing with or surpassing similar tests at high-energy. The review ends with a discussion of neutron and nuclear data required in the synthesis of the elements during the "first three minutes" and later on in stellar nucleosynthesis.Comment: 91 pages, 30 figures, accepted by Reviews of Modern Physic

Breakdown phenomena in high power klystrons

In the course of developing new high peak power klystrons at SLAC, high electric fields in several regions of these devices have become an important source of vacuum breakdown phenomena. In addition, a renewed interest in breakdown phenomena for nanosecond pulse, multi-megavolt per centimeter fields has been sparked by recent R and D work in the area of gigawatt RF sources. The most important regions of electrical breakdown are in the output cavity gap area, the RF ceramic windows, and the gun ceramic insulator. The details of the observed breakdown in these regions, experiments performed to understand the phenomena and solutions found to alleviate the problems will be discussed. Recently experiments have been performed on a new prototype R and D klystron. Peak electric fields across the output cavity gaps of this klystron exceed 2 MV/cm. The effect of peak field duration (i.e. pulse width) on the onset of breakdown have been measured. The pulse widths varied from tens of nanoseconds to microseconds. Results from these experiments will be presented. The failure of ceramic RF windows due to multipactor and puncturing was an important problem to overcome in order that our high power klystrons would have a useful life expectancy. Consequently many studies and tests were made to understand and alleviate window breakdown phenomena. Some of the results in this area, especially the effects of surface coatings, window materials and processing techniques and their effects on breakdown will be discussed. Another important source of klystron failure in the recent past at SLAC has been the puncturing of the high voltage ceramic insulator in the gun region. A way of alleviating this problem has been found although the actual cause of the puncturing is not yet clear. The ''practical'' solution to this breakdown process will be described and a possible mechanism for the puncturing will be presented. 9 refs., 5 figs., 3 tabs

The Next Linear Collider Test Accelerator

During the past several years, there has been tremendous progress on the development of the RF system and accelerating structures for a Next Linear Collider (NLC). Developments include high-power klystrons, RF pulse-compression systems and damped/detuned accelerator structures to reduce wakefields. In order to integrate these separate development efforts into an actual X-band accelerator capable of accelerating the electron beams necessary for an NLC, we plan to build an NLC Test Accelerator (NLCTA). The goal of the NLCTA is to bring together all elements of the entire accelerating system by constructing. and reliably operating an engineered model of a high-gradient linac suitable for the NLC. The NLCTA win serve as a test-bed as the design of the NLC evolves and will provide a model upon which a reliable cost estimate can be based. In addition to testing the RF acceleration system, the NLCTA will be able to address many questions related to the dynamics of the beam during acceleration. In this paper, we will report on the status of the design and component development for the NLC Test Accelerator