35 research outputs found
Kahler Moduli Inflation
We show that under general conditions there is at least one natural
inflationary direction for the Kahler moduli of type IIB flux
compactifications. This requires a Calabi-Yau which has h^{2,1}>h^{1,1}>2 and
for which the structure of the scalar potential is as in the recently found
exponentially large volume compactifications. We also need - although these
conditions may be relaxed - at least one Kahler modulus whose only
non-vanishing triple-intersection is with itself and which appears by itself in
the non-perturbative superpotential. Slow-roll inflation then occurs without a
fine tuning of parameters, evading the eta problem of F-term inflation. In
order to obtain COBE-normalised density perturbations, the stabilised volume of
the Calabi-Yau must be O(10^5-10^7) in string units, and the inflationary scale
M_{infl} ~ 10^{13} GeV. We find a robust model independent prediction for the
spectral index of 1 - 2/N_e = 0.960 - 0.967, depending on the number of
efoldings.Comment: 17 pages, 1 figure; v2. references adde
Distribution of Flux Vacua around Singular Points in Calabi-Yau Moduli Space
We study the distribution of type IIB flux vacua in the moduli space near
various singular loci, e.g. conifolds, ADE singularities on P1, Argyres-Douglas
point etc, using the Ashok- Douglas density det(R + omega). We find that the
vacuum density is integrable around each of them, irrespective of the type of
the singularities. We study in detail an explicit example of an Argyres-Douglas
point embedded in a compact Calabi-Yau manifold.Comment: 27 pages, 1 figure; v2: minor change, references added ; v3:
references added, published versio
Low-Energy Supersymmetry Breaking from String Flux Compactifications: Benchmark Scenarios
Soft supersymmetry breaking terms were recently derived for type IIB string
flux compactifications with all moduli stabilised. Depending on the choice of
the discrete input parameters of the compactification such as fluxes and ranks
of hidden gauge groups, the string scale was found to have any value between
the TeV and GUT scales. We study the phenomenological implications of these
compactifications at low energy. Three realistic scenarios can be identified
depending on whether the Standard Model lies on D3 or D7 branes and on the
value of the string scale. For the MSSM on D7 branes and the string scale
between 10^12 GeV and 10^17 GeV we find that the LSP is a neutralino, while for
lower scales it is the stop. At the GUT scale the results of the fluxed MSSM
are reproduced, but now with all moduli stabilised. For the MSSM on D3 branes
we identify two realistic scenarios. The first one corresponds to an
intermediate string scale version of split supersymmetry. The second is a
stringy mSUGRA scenario. This requires tuning of the flux parameters to obtain
the GUT scale. Phenomenological constraints from dark matter, (g-2)_mu and
BR(b->s gamma) are considered for the three scenarios. We provide benchmark
points with the MSSM spectrum, making the models suitable for a detailed
phenomenological analysis.Comment: 29 pages, 12 figures, reference adde
Mayer and virial series at low temperature
We analyze the Mayer pressure-activity and virial pressure-density series for
a classical system of particles in continuous configuration space at low
temperature. Particles interact via a finite range potential with an attractive
tail. We propose physical interpretations of the Mayer and virial series'
radius of convergence, valid independently of the question of phase transition:
the Mayer radius corresponds to a fast increase from very small to finite
density, and the virial radius corresponds to a cross-over from monatomic to
polyatomic gas. Our results have consequences for the search of a low density,
low temperature solid-gas phase transition, consistent with the Lee-Yang
theorem for lattice gases and with the continuum Widom-Rowlinson model.Comment: 36 pages, 1 figur
Optimal designs for rational function regression
We consider optimal non-sequential designs for a large class of (linear and
nonlinear) regression models involving polynomials and rational functions with
heteroscedastic noise also given by a polynomial or rational weight function.
The proposed method treats D-, E-, A-, and -optimal designs in a
unified manner, and generates a polynomial whose zeros are the support points
of the optimal approximate design, generalizing a number of previously known
results of the same flavor. The method is based on a mathematical optimization
model that can incorporate various criteria of optimality and can be solved
efficiently by well established numerical optimization methods. In contrast to
previous optimization-based methods proposed for similar design problems, it
also has theoretical guarantee of its algorithmic efficiency; in fact, the
running times of all numerical examples considered in the paper are negligible.
The stability of the method is demonstrated in an example involving high degree
polynomials. After discussing linear models, applications for finding locally
optimal designs for nonlinear regression models involving rational functions
are presented, then extensions to robust regression designs, and trigonometric
regression are shown. As a corollary, an upper bound on the size of the support
set of the minimally-supported optimal designs is also found. The method is of
considerable practical importance, with the potential for instance to impact
design software development. Further study of the optimality conditions of the
main optimization model might also yield new theoretical insights.Comment: 25 pages. Previous version updated with more details in the theory
and additional example
Evidence Map of Pancreatic Surgery–A living systematic review with meta-analyses by the International Study Group of Pancreatic Surgery (ISGPS)
Background: Pancreatic surgery is associated with considerable morbidity and, consequently, offers a large and complex field for research. To prioritize relevant future scientific projects, it is of utmost importance to identify existing evidence and uncover research gaps. Thus, the aim of this project was to create a systematic and living Evidence Map of Pancreatic Surgery. Methods: PubMed, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and Web of Science were systematically searched for all randomized controlled trials and systematic reviews on pancreatic surgery. Outcomes from every existing randomized controlled trial were extracted, and trial quality was assessed. Systematic reviews were used to identify an absence of randomized controlled trials. Randomized controlled trials and systematic reviews on identical subjects were grouped according to research topics. A web-based evidence map modeled after a mind map was created to visualize existing evidence. Meta-analyses of specific outcomes of pancreatic surgery were performed for all research topics with more than 3 randomized controlled trials. For partial pancreatoduodenectomy and distal pancreatectomy, pooled benchmarks for outcomes were calculated with a 99% confidence interval. The evidence map undergoes regular updates. Results: Out of 30, 860 articles reviewed, 328 randomized controlled trials on 35, 600 patients and 332 systematic reviews were included and grouped into 76 research topics. Most randomized controlled trials were from Europe (46%) and most systematic reviews were from Asia (51%). A living meta-analysis of 21 out of 76 research topics (28%) was performed and included in the web-based evidence map. Evidence gaps were identified in 11 out of 76 research topics (14%). The benchmark for mortality was 2% (99% confidence interval: 1%–2%) for partial pancreatoduodenectomy and <1% (99% confidence interval: 0%–1%) for distal pancreatectomy. The benchmark for overall complications was 53% (99%confidence interval: 46%–61%) for partial pancreatoduodenectomy and 59% (99% confidence interval: 44%–80%) for distal pancreatectomy. Conclusion: The International Study Group of Pancreatic Surgery Evidence Map of Pancreatic Surgery, which is freely accessible via www.evidencemap.surgery and as a mobile phone app, provides a regularly updated overview of the available literature displayed in an intuitive fashion. Clinical decision making and evidence-based patient information are supported by the primary data provided, as well as by living meta-analyses. Researchers can use the systematic literature search and processed data for their own projects, and funding bodies can base their research priorities on evidence gaps that the map uncovers. © 2021 The Author
Seeing through the String Landscape - a String Hunter's Companion in Particle Physics and Cosmology
In this article we will overview several aspects of the string landscape,
namely intersecting D-brane models and their statistics, possible model
independent LHC signatures of intersecting brane models, flux compactification,
moduli stabilization in type II compactifications, domain wall solutions and
brane inflation.Comment: 94 pages, Review paper invited and accepted for publication by JHEP,
revised version contains several new references and other minor modification
Content and performance of the MiniMUGA genotyping array: A new tool to improve rigor and reproducibility in mouse research
The laboratory mouse is the most widely used animal model for biomedical research, due in part to its well-annotated genome, wealth of genetic resources, and the ability to precisely manipulate its genome. Despite the importance of genetics for mouse research, genetic quality control (QC) is not standardized, in part due to the lack of cost-effective, informative, and robust platforms. Genotyping arrays are standard tools for mouse research and remain an attractive alternative even in the era of high-throughput whole-genome sequencing. Here, we describe the content and performance of a new iteration of the Mouse Universal Genotyping Array (MUGA), MiniMUGA, an array-based genetic QC platform with over 11,000 probes. In addition to robust discrimination between most classical and wild-derived laboratory strains, MiniMUGA was designed to contain features not available in other platforms: (1) chromosomal sex determination, (2) discrimination between substrains from multiple commercial vendors, (3) diagnostic SNPs for popular laboratory strains, (4) detection of constructs used in genetically engineered mice, and (5) an easy-to-interpret report summarizing these results. In-depth annotation of all probes should facilitate custom analyses by individual researchers. To determine the performance of MiniMUGA, we genotyped 6899 samples from a wide variety of genetic backgrounds. The performance of MiniMUGA compares favorably with three previous iterations of the MUGA family of arrays, both in discrimination capabilities and robustness. We have generated publicly available consensus genotypes for 241 inbred strains including classical, wild-derived, and recombinant inbred lines. Here, we also report the detection of a substantial number of XO and XXY individuals across a variety of sample types, new markers that expand the utility of reduced complexity crosses to genetic backgrounds other than C57BL/6, and the robust detection of 17 genetic constructs. We provide preliminary evidence that the array can be used to identify both partial sex chromosome duplication and mosaicism, and that diagnostic SNPs can be used to determine how long inbred mice have been bred independently from the relevant main stock. We conclude that MiniMUGA is a valuable platform for genetic QC, and an important new tool to increase the rigor and reproducibility of mouse research