The MSSM from Scherk-Schwarz Supersymmetry Breaking

We present a five-dimensional model compactified on an interval where supersymmetry is broken by the Scherk-Schwarz mechanism. The gauge sector propagates in the bulk, two Higgs hypermultiplets are quasilocalized, and quark and lepton multiplets localized, in one of the boundaries. The effective four-dimensional theory is the MSSM with very heavy gauginos, heavy squarks and light sleptons and Higgsinos. The soft tree-level squared masses of the Higgs sector can be negative and they can (partially) cancel the positive one-loop contributions from the gauge sector. Electroweak symmetry breaking can then comfortably be triggered by two-loop radiative corrections from the top-stop sector. The fine tuning required to obtain the electroweak scale is found to be much smaller than in the MSSM, with essentially no fine-tuning for few TeV gaugino masses. All bounds from direct Higgs searches at LEP and from electroweak precision observables can be satisfied. The lightest supersymmetric particle is a (Higgsino-like) neutralino that can accomodate the abundance of Dark Matter consistently with recent WMAP observations.Comment: 23 pages, 3 figure

Ab-initio study of the relation between electric polarization and electric field gradients in ferroelectrics

The hyperfine interaction between the quadrupole moment of atomic nuclei and the electric field gradient (EFG) provides information on the electronic charge distribution close to a given atomic site. In ferroelectric materials, the loss of inversion symmetry of the electronic charge distribution is necessary for the appearance of the electric polarization. We present first-principles density functional theory calculations of ferroelectrics such as BaTiO3, KNbO3, PbTiO3 and other oxides with perovskite structures, by focusing on both EFG tensors and polarization. We analyze the EFG tensor properties such as orientation and correlation between components and their link with electric polarization. This work supports previous studies of ferroelectric materials where a relation between EFG tensors and polarization was observed, which may be exploited to study ferroelectric order when standard techniques to measure polarization are not easily applied.Comment: 9 pages, 6 figures, 5 tables, corrected typos, as published in Phys. Rev.

Orbital and physical properties of planets and their hosts: new insights on planet formation and evolution

We explore the relations between physical and orbital properties of planets and properties of their host stars to identify the main observable signatures of the formation and evolution processes of planetary systems. We use a large sample of FGK dwarf planet hosts with stellar parameters derived in a homogeneous way from the SWEET-Cat database to study the relation between stellar metallicity and position of planets in the period-mass diagram. In the second part we use all the RV-detected planets orbiting FGK stars to explore the role of planet-disk and planet-planet interaction on the evolution of orbital properties of planets with masses above 1MJup. We show that planets orbiting metal-poor stars have longer periods than those in metal-rich systems. This trend is valid for masses at least from 10MEarth to 4MJup. Earth-like planets orbiting metal-rich stars always show shorter periods (fewer than 20 days) than those orbiting metal-poor stars. We also found statistically significant evidence that very high mass giants have on average more eccentric orbits than giant planets with lower mass.Finally, we show that the eccentricity of planets with masses higher than 4MJup tends to be lower for planets with shorter periods. Our results suggest that the planets in the P-MP diagram are evolving differently because of a mechanism that operates over a wide range of planetary masses. This mechanism is stronger or weaker depending on the metallicity of the respective system. One possibility is that planets in metal-poor disks form farther out from their central star and/or they form later and do not have time to migrate as far as the planets in metal-rich systems. The trends and dependencies obtained for very high mass planetary systems suggest that planet-disk interaction is a very important and orbit-shaping mechanism for planets in the high-mass domain. Shortened.Comment: 8 pages, 4 figures and 1 table. Accepted for publication in A&

Espectrometría de rayos gamma: Aplicaciones a las facies orgánicas carbonatadas del Sinemuriense–Pliensbachiense de la Cuenca Lusitánica (Portugal)

This work provides detailed information of outcrop gamma-ray logging from the Sinemurian–Pliensbachian organic-rich units (Água de Madeiros and Vale das Fontes formations) of the Lusitanian Basin, which are recognized as one of the most important potential oil source rocks interval of Portugal. The study included total and spectral gamma-ray measurements in outcrop and laboratory, Total Organic Carbon (TOC) content and whole-rock mineralogical characterization by X-ray diffraction, carried out in the two most important outcrop areas of the Western Lusitanian Basin (S. Pedro de Moel and Peniche). The outcrop data was compared with subsurface information. The results show high variability of the gamma radiation (26 to 210 cps) and radioactive elements associated with the lithological, mineralogical and geochemical differences. The TOC data yielded the organic matter enrichment of both formations, where the highest values are observed in the Água de Madeiros Formation (maximum=20.4%). The highest U concentration (11 ppm) is consistent with the highest Total Organic Carbon peak mainly supported by the precipitation of authigenic U (10 ppm). The majority of the analysed samples show an obvious authigenic U enrichment, especially in the Água de Madeiros Formation where it represents the main component of the total U content. A highly significant U/TOC correlation (r up to 0.87) with a low ratio (0.3–0.7 ppm/wt.%TOC) was obtained, confirming that U content can be used as a proxy for organic richness in the studied depositional system. The gamma-ray tool was also useful in the identification of 2nd order Transgressive–Regressive facies cycles (and maximum flooding surfaces) and in the correlation between outcrop and subsurface data.Este trabajo proporciona información detallada de espectrometría de rayos gamma de las unidades ricas en materia orgánica del Sinemuriense–Pliensbachiense de la Cuenca Lusitánica, reconocidas como los depósitos con más potencial para generar petróleo en Portugal. El estudio incluye mediciones de espectrometría de rayos gamma en afloramiento y laboratorio, cuantificación del carbono orgánico total (COT) y caracterización mineralógica por difracción de rayos X, llevada a cabo en dos áreas de la Cuenca Lusitánica (S. Pedro de Moel y Peniche). Los datos de afloramiento se han comparado con información de pozos. Los resultados muestran una alta variabilidad de la radiación gamma (26 a 210 cps), de los elementos radioactivos asociados a las distintas litologias, y de las características mineralógicas y geoquímicas. Los datos de COT evidencian un enriquecimiento en materia orgánica de toda la secuencia estudiada, en particular de la Formación de Água de Madeiros (máximo=20.4%). La concentración más elevada de U (11 ppm) es consistente con el pico principal de COT causado por la precipitación de U autigénico (10 ppm). La mayoría de las muestras analizadas presentan un marcado enriquecimiento en U autigénico, especialmente en la Formación de Água de Madeiros que representa el principal componente del contenido total de U. Se ha obtenido una correlación U/COT muy significativa (que alcanza valores de r=0.87) con una proporción baja (0.3 a 0.7 ppm/%COT), lo que confirma que el valor de la concentración de U puede ser utilizado para calcular el contenido en materia orgánica en el sistema deposicional estudiado. La técnica de rayos gamma también ha sido útil en la identificación de ciclos Transgressivo-Regressivos de 2º orden, de superficies de máxima inundación y en la correlación de datos de superficie con datos de pozos

Percolative phase transition on ferromagnetic insulator manganites: uncorrelated to correlated polaron clusters

In this work, we report an atomic scale study on the ferromagnetic insulator manganite LaMnO$_{3.12}$ using $\gamma-\gamma$ PAC spectroscopy. Data analysis reveals a nanoscopic transition from an undistorted to a Jahn-Teller-distorted local environment upon cooling. The percolation thresholds of the two local environments enclose a macroscopic structural transition (Rhombohedric-Orthorhombic). Two distinct regimes of JT-distortions were found: a high temperature regime where uncorrelated polaron clusters with severe distortions of the Mn$^{3+}$O$_{6}$ octahedra survive up to $T \approx 800 K$ and a low temperature regime where correlated regions have a weaker JT-distorted symmetry.Comment: 4 pages, 4 Figures, submitted to PRL, new version with more data, text reformulate