Quantum power correction to the Newton law

We have found the graviton contribution to the one-loop quantum correction to the Newton law. This correction results in interaction decreasing with distance as 1/r^3 and is dominated numerically by the graviton contribution. The previous calculations of this contribution to the discussed effect are demonstrated to be incorrect.Comment: 10 pages, 5 figures; numerical error corrected, few references adde

Photon-Photon Scattering, Pion Polarizability and Chiral Symmetry

Recent attempts to detect the pion polarizability via analysis of $\gamma\gamma\rightarrow\pi\pi$ measurements are examined. The connection between calculations based on dispersion relations and on chiral perturbation theory is established by matching the low energy chiral amplitude with that given by a full dispersive treatment. Using the values for the polarizability required by chiral symmetry, predicted and experimental cross sections are shown to be in agreement.Comment: 21 pages(+10 figures available on request), LATEX, UMHEP-38

Final state rescattering as a contribution to B→ργB \to \rho \gamma

We provide a new estimate of the long-distance component to the radiative transition $B \to \rho \gamma$. Our mechanism involves the soft-scattering of on-shell hadronic products of nonleptonic $B$ decay, as in the chain $B \to \rho\rho \to \rho\gamma$. We employ a phenomenological fit to scattering data to estimate the effect. The specific intermediate states considered here modify the $B \to \rho \gamma$ decay rate at roughly the $5 \to 8$ level, although the underlying effect has the potential to be larger. Contrary to other mechanisms of long distance physics which have been discussed in the literature, this yields a non-negligible modification of the $B^0 \to \rho^0 \gamma$ channel and hence will provide an uncertainty in the extraction of $V_{td}$. This mechanism also affects the isospin relation between the rates for $B^- \to \rho^-\gamma$ and $B^0 \to \rho^0 \gamma$ and may generate CP asymmetries at experimentally observable levels.Comment: 15 pages, RevTex, 3 figure

Further implications of the Bessis-Moussa-Villani conjecture

We find further implications of the BMV conjecture, which states that for hermitian matrices A and B, the function Tr exp(A - t B) is the Laplace transform of a positive measure.Comment: LaTeX, 8 page

Classical Physics and Quantum Loops

The standard picture of the loop expansion associates a factor of h-bar with each loop, suggesting that the tree diagrams are to be associated with classical physics, while loop effects are quantum mechanical in nature. We discuss examples wherein classical effects arise from loop contributions and display the relationship between the classical terms and the long range effects of massless particles.Comment: 15 pages, 3 figure

The Electromagnetic Mass Differences of Pions and Kaons

We use the Cottingham method to calculate the pion and kaon electromagnetic mass differences with as few model dependent inputs as possible. The constraints of chiral symmetry at low energy, QCD at high energy and experimental data in between are used in the dispersion relation. We find excellent agreement with experiment for the pion mass difference. The kaon mass difference exhibits a strong violation of the lowest order prediction of Dashen's theorem, in qualitative agreement with several other recent calculations.Comment: 40 pages, Latex, needs axodraw. and psfig. macros, 4 figure

Positive Diagnosis of Ancient Leprosy and Tuberculosis Using Ancient DNA and Lipid Biomarkers

Diagnosis of leprosy and tuberculosis in archaeological material is most informative when based upon entire genomes. Ancient DNA (aDNA) is often degraded but amplification of specific fragments also provides reliable diagnoses. Cell wall lipid biomarkers can distinguish ancient leprosy from tuberculosis and DNA extraction residues can be utilized. The diagnostic power of combined aDNA and lipid biomarkers is illustrated by key cases of ancient leprosy and/or tuberculosis. Human tuberculosis was demonstrated in a woman and child from Atlit-Yam (~9 ka) in the Eastern Mediterranean and in the 600 BCE Egyptian “Granville” mummy. Both aDNA and lipids confirmed Pleistocene tuberculosis in a ~17 ka bison from Natural Trap Cave, Wyoming. Leprosy is exemplified by cases from Winchester (10th–12th centuries CE) and Great Chesterford (5th–6th centuries CE). A mixed infection from Kiskundorozsma, Hungary (7th century CE) allowed lipid biomarkers to assess the relative load of leprosy and tuberculosis. Essential protocols for aDNA amplification and analysis of mycolic, mycolipenic, mycocerosic acid, and phthiocerol lipid biomarkers are summarized. Diagnoses of ancient mycobacterial disease can be extended beyond the reach of whole genomics by combinations of aDNA amplification and lipid biomarkers, with sole use of the latter having the potential to recognize even older cases

On the notion of potential in quantum gravity

The problem of consistent definition of the quantum corrected gravitational field is considered in the framework of the $S$-matrix method. Gauge dependence of the one-particle-reducible part of the two-scalar-particle scattering amplitude, with the help of which the potential is usually defined, is investigated at the one-loop approximation. The $1/r^2$-terms in the potential, which are of zero order in the Planck constant $\hbar,$ are shown to be independent of the gauge parameter weighting the gauge condition in the action. However, the $1/r^3$-terms, proportional to $\hbar,$ describing the first proper quantum correction, are proved to be gauge-dependent. With the help of the Slavnov identities, their dependence on the weighting parameter is calculated explicitly. The reason the gauge dependence originates from is briefly discussed.Comment: LaTex 2.09, 16 pages, 5 ps figure

Extension of the Chiral Perturbation Theory Meson Lagrangian to Order P6P^6

We have derived the most general chirally invariant Lagrangian ${\cal L}_6$ for the meson sector at order $p^6$. The result provides an extension of the standard Gasser-Leutwyler Lagrangian ${\cal L}_4$ to one higher order, including as well all the odd intrinsic parity terms in the Lagrangian. The most difficult part of the derivation was developing a systematic strategy so as to get all of the independent terms and eliminate the redundant ones in an efficient way. The 'equation of motion' terms, which are redundant in the sense that they can be transformed away via field transformations, are separated out explicitly. The resulting Lagrangian has been separated into groupings of terms contributing to increasingly more complicated processes, so that one does not have to deal with the full result when calculating $p^6$ contributions to simple processes.Comment: 59 pages in LaTex, using RevTex macro, TRIUMF preprint TRI-PP-94-6