377 research outputs found
Geophysical constraint on a relic background of the dilatons
According to a scenario in string cosmology, a relic background of light
dilatons can be a significant component of the dark matter in the Universe. A
new approach of searching for such a dilatonic background by observing Earth's
surface gravity was proposed in my previous work. In this paper, the concept of
the geophysical search is briefly reviewed, and the geophysical constraint on
the dilaton background is presented as a function of the strength of the
dilaton coupling, . For simplicity, I focus on massless dilatons and
assume a simple Earth model. With the current upper limit on , we obtain
the upper limit on the dimensionless energy density of the massless background,
, which is about one-order of
magnitude more stringent than the one from astrophysical observations, at the
frequency of 7 10 Hz. If the magnitude of is
experimentally found to be smaller than the current upper limit by one order of
magnitude, the geophysical upper limit on becomes less
stringent and comparable to the one obtained from the astrophysical
observations.Comment: 6 pages, Proceedings for the 8th Edoardo Amaldi Conference on
Gravitational Waves, 21-26 June, 2009, Columbia University, New York, US
Dependence of X-Ray Burst Models on Nuclear Reaction Rates
X-ray bursts are thermonuclear flashes on the surface of accreting neutron
stars and reliable burst models are needed to interpret observations in terms
of properties of the neutron star and the binary system. We investigate the
dependence of X-ray burst models on uncertainties in (p,),
(,), and (,p) nuclear reaction rates using fully
self-consistent burst models that account for the feedbacks between changes in
nuclear energy generation and changes in astrophysical conditions. A two-step
approach first identified sensitive nuclear reaction rates in a single-zone
model with ignition conditions chosen to match calculations with a
state-of-the-art 1D multi-zone model based on the {\Kepler} stellar evolution
code. All relevant reaction rates on neutron deficient isotopes up to mass 106
were individually varied by a factor of 100 up and down. Calculations of the 84
highest impact reaction rate changes were then repeated in the 1D multi-zone
model. We find a number of uncertain reaction rates that affect predictions of
light curves and burst ashes significantly. The results provide insights into
the nuclear processes that shape X-ray burst observables and guidance for
future nuclear physics work to reduce nuclear uncertainties in X-ray burst
models.Comment: 24 pages, 13 figures, 4 tables, submitte
Metastable Charged Sparticles and the Cosmological Li7 Problem
We consider the effects of metastable charged sparticles on Big-Bang
Nucleosynthesis (BBN), including bound-state reaction rates and chemical
effects. We make a new analysis of the bound states of negatively-charged
massive particles with the light nuclei most prominent in BBN, and present a
new code to track their abundances, paying particular attention to that of Li7.
Assuming, as an example, that the gravitino is the lightest supersymmetric
particle (LSP), and that the lighter stau slepton, stau_1, is the metastable
next-to-lightest sparticle within the constrained minimal supersymmetric
extension of the Standard Model (CMSSM), we analyze the possible effects on the
standard BBN abundances of stau_1 bound states and decays for representative
values of the gravitino mass. Taking into account the constraint on the CMSSM
parameter space imposed by the discovery of the Higgs boson at the LHC, we
delineate regions in which the fit to the measured light-element abundances is
as good as in standard BBN. We also identify regions of the CMSSM parameter
space in which the bound state properties, chemistry and decays of metastable
charged sparticles can solve the cosmological Li7 problem.Comment: 49 pages, 29 eps figure
Gravitino Decays and the Cosmological Lithium Problem in Light of the LHC Higgs and Supersymmetry Searches
We studied previously the impact on light-element abundances of gravitinos
decaying during or after Big-Bang nucleosynthesis (BBN). We found regions of
the gravitino mass m_{3/2} and abundance zeta_{3/2} plane where its decays
could reconcile the calculated abundance of Li7 with observation without
perturbing the other light-element abundances unacceptably. Here we revisit
this issue in light of LHC measurements of the Higgs mass and constraints on
supersymmetric model parameters, as well as updates in the astrophysical
measurements of light-element abundances. In addition to the constrained
minimal supersymmetric extension of the Standard Model with universal soft
supersymmetry-breaking masses at the GUT scale (the CMSSM) studied previously,
we also study models with universality imposed below the GUT scale and models
with non-universal Higgs masses (NUHM1). We calculate the total likelihood
function for the light-element abundances, taking into account the
observational uncertainties. We find that gravitino decays provide a robust
solution to the cosmological Li7 problem along strips in the (m_{3/2},
zeta_{3/2}) plane along which the abundances of deuterium, He4 and Li7 may be
fit with chi^2_min < 3, compared with chi^2 ~ 34 if the effects of gravitino
decays are unimportant. The minimum of the likelihood function is reduced to
chi^2 < 2 when the uncertainty on D/H is relaxed and < 1 when the lithium
abundance is taken from globular cluster data.Comment: 20 pages, 5 figures; added a new table and a discussion paragraph for
it in Section 4, matches the published versio
Nuclear Reaction Uncertainties, Massive Gravitino Decays and the Cosmological Lithium Problem
We consider the effects of uncertainties in nuclear reaction rates on the
cosmological constraints on the decays of unstable particles during or after
Big-Bang nucleosynthesis (BBN). We identify the nuclear reactions due to
non-thermal hadrons that are the most important in perturbing standard BBN,
then quantify the uncertainties in these reactions and in the resulting
light-element abundances. These results also indicate the key nuclear processes
for which improved cross section data would allow different light-element
abundances to be determined more accurately, thereby making possible more
precise probes of BBN and evaluations of the cosmological constraints on
unstable particles. Applying this analysis to models with unstable gravitinos
decaying into neutralinos, we calculate the likelihood function for the
light-element abundances measured currently, taking into account the current
experimental errors in the determinations of the relevant nuclear reaction
rates. We find a region of the gravitino mass and abundance in which the
abundances of deuterium, He4 and Li7 may be fit with chi^2 = 5.5, compared with
chi^2 = 31.7 if the effects of gravitino decays are unimportant. The best-fit
solution is improved to chi^2 ~ 2.0 when the lithium abundance is taken from
globular cluster data. Some such re-evaluation of the observed light-element
abundances and/or nuclear reaction rates would be needed if this region of
gravitino parameters is to provide a complete solution to the cosmological Li7
problem.Comment: 24 pages, 10 figure
Higher D or Li: Probes of Physics beyond the Standard Model
Standard Big Bang Nucleosynthesis at the baryon density determined by the
microwave anisotropy spectrum predicts an excess of \li7 compared to
observations by a factor of 4-5. In contrast, BBN predictions for D/H are
somewhat below (but within ~2 \sigma) of the weighted mean of observationally
determined values from quasar absorption systems. Solutions to the \li7 problem
which alter the nuclear processes during or subsequent to BBN, often lead to a
significant increase in the deuterium abundance consistent with the highest
values of D/H seen in absorption systems. Furthermore, the observed D/H
abundances show considerable dispersion. Here, we argue that those systems with
D/H \simeq 4 \times 10^{-5} may be more representative of the primordial
abundance and as a consequence, those systems with lower D/H would necessarily
have been subject to local processes of deuterium destruction. This can be
accounted for by models of cosmic chemical evolution able to destroy in situ
Deuterium due to the fragility of this isotope.Comment: 22 pages, 8 figure
Lower Limits on Soft Supersymmetry-Breaking Scalar Masses
Working in the context of the CMSSM, we argue that phenomenological
constraints now require the universal soft supersymmetry-breaking scalar mass
m_0 be non-zero at the input GUT scale. This conclusion is primarily imposed by
the LEP lower limit on the Higgs mass and the requirement that the lightest
supersymmetric particle not be charged. We find that m_0 > 0 for all tan beta
if mu 0 only when tan beta sim 8 and
one allows an uncertainty of 3+ GeV in the theoretical calculation of the Higgs
mass. Upper limits on flavour-changing neutral interactions in the MSSM squark
sector allow substantial violations of non-universality in the m_0 values, even
if their magnitudes are comparable to the lower limit we find in the CMSSM.
Also, we show that our lower limit on m_0 at the GUT scale in the CMSSM is
compatible with the no-scale boundary condition m_0 = 0 at the Planck scale.Comment: 11 pages, latex, 6 eps figure
PArthENoPE: Public Algorithm Evaluating the Nucleosynthesis of Primordial Elements
We describe a program for computing the abundances of light elements produced
during Big Bang Nucleosynthesis which is publicly available at
http://parthenope.na.infn.it/. Starting from nuclear statistical equilibrium
conditions the program solves the set of coupled ordinary differential
equations, follows the departure from chemical equilibrium of nuclear species,
and determines their asymptotic abundances as function of several input
cosmological parameters as the baryon density, the number of effective
neutrino, the value of cosmological constant and the neutrino chemical
potential. The program requires commercial NAG library routines.Comment: 18 pages, 2 figures. Version accepted by Comp. Phys. Com. The code
(and an updated manual) is publicly available at
http://parthenope.na.infn.it
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