Strangeness in Neutron Stars

It is generally agreed on that the tremendous densities reached in the centers of neutron stars provide a high-pressure environment in which numerous novel particles processes are likely to compete with each other. These processes range from the generation of hyperons to quark deconfinement to the formation of kaon condensates and H-matter. There are theoretical suggestions of even more exotic processes inside neutron stars, such as the formation of absolutely stable strange quark matter, a configuration of matter even more stable than the most stable atomic nucleus, iron. In the latter event, neutron stars would be largely composed of pure quark matter, eventually enveloped in a thin nuclear crust. No matter which physical processes are actually realized inside neutron stars, each one leads to fingerprints, some more pronounced than others though, in the observable stellar quantities. This feature combined with the unprecedented progress in observational astronomy, which allows us to see vistas with remarkable clarity that previously were only imagined, renders neutron stars to nearly ideal probes for a wide range of physical studies, including the role of strangeness in dense matter.Comment: 15 pages, 6 figures, Presented at the 5th International Conference on Strangeness in Quark Matter (Strangeness 2000), Berkeley, California, USA, July 20-25, 200

The Principle of Non-Gravitating Vacuum Energy and some of its consequences

For Einstein's General Relativity (GR) or the alternatives suggested up to date the vacuum energy gravitates. We present a model where a new measure is introduced for integration of the total action in the D-dimensional space-time. This measure is built from D scalar fields $\varphi_{a}$. As a consequence of such a choice of the measure, the matter lagrangian $L_{m}$ can be changed by adding a constant while no gravitational effects, like a cosmological term, are induced. Such Non-Gravitating Vacuum Energy (NGVE) theory has an infinite dimensional symmetry group which contains volume-preserving diffeomorphisms in the internal space of scalar fields $\varphi_{a}$. Other symmetries contained in this symmetry group, suggest a deep connection of this theory with theories of extended objects. In general {\em the theory is different from GR} although for certain choices of $L_{m}$, which are related to the existence of an additional symmetry, solutions of GR are solutions of the model. This is achieved in four dimensions if $L_{m}$ is due to fundamental bosonic and fermionic strings. Other types of matter where this feature of the theory is realized, are for example: scalars without potential or subjected to nonlinear constraints, massless fermions and point particles. The point particle plays a special role, since it is a good phenomenological description of matter at large distances. de Sitter space is realized in an unconventional way, where the de Sitter metric holds, but such de Sitter space is supported by the existence of a variable scalar field which in practice destroys the maximal symmetry. The only space - time where maximal symmetry is not broken, in a dynamical sense, is Minkowski space. The theory has non trivial dynamics in 1+1 dimensions, unlike GR.Comment: 23 page

Magnetized strangelets at finite temperature

The main properties of magnetized strangelets, namely, their energy per baryon, radius and electric charge, are studied. Temperature effects are also taken into account in order to study their stability compared to the 56Fe isotope and non-magnetized strangelets using the liquid drop model. Massive quarks are considered with the aim to have a more realistic description for strangelets in the astrophysical context and the environment of heavy ion colliders, playing also an important role in the thermodynamical quantities of the quark gas. It is concluded that the presence of a magnetic field tends to stabilize more the strangelets, even when temperature effects are taken into account. Magnetized strangelets in a paired superconductor phase (magnetized color flavor locked phase) are also discussed. It is shown that they are more stable than ordinary magnetized strangelets for typical gap values of the order of O(100) MeV.Comment: 10 pages, 10 figures, discussion extended, new references adde

Interplay between quantum criticality and geometrical frustration in Fe3Mo3N with stella quadrangula lattice

In the eta-carbide-type correlated-electron metal Fe3Mo3N, ferromagnetism is abruptly induced from a nonmagnetic non-Fermi-liquid ground state either when a magnetic field (~14 T) applied to it or when it is doped with a slight amount of impurity (~5% Co). We observed a peak in the paramagnetic neutron scattering intensity at finite wave vectors, revealing the presence of the antiferromagnetic (AF) correlation hidden in the magnetic measurements. It causes a new type of geometrical frustration in the stellla quadrangula lattice of the Fe sublattice. We propose that the frustrated AF correlation suppresses the F correlation to its marginal point and is therfore responsible for the origin of the ferromagnetic (F) quantum critical behavior in pure Fe3Mo3N

Strange Star Heating Events as a Model for Giant Flares of Soft Gamma-ray Repeaters

Two giant flares were observed on 5 March 1979 and 27 August 1998 from the soft gamma-ray repeaters SGR 0526-66 and SGR 1900+14, respectively. The striking similarity between these remarkable bursts strongly implies a common nature. We show that the light curves of the giant bursts may be easily explained in the model where the burst radiation is produced by the bare quark surface of a strange star heated, for example, by impact of a massive comet-like object.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures, accepted for publication in Phys. Rev. Letter

How the recent BABAR data for P to \gamma\gamma* affect the Standard Model predictions for the rare decays P to l+l-

Measuring the lepton anomalous magnetic moments $(g-2)$ and the rare decays of light pseudoscalar mesons into lepton pairs $P\to l^{+}l^{-}$, serve as important tests of the Standard Model. To reduce the theoretical uncertainty in the standard model predictions, the data on the charge and transition form factors of the light pseudoscalar mesons play a significant role. Recently, new data on the behavior of the transition form factors $P\to\gamma\gamma*$ at large momentum transfer were supplied by the BABAR collaboration. There are several problems with the theoretical interpretation of these data: 1) An unexpectedly slow decrease of the pion transition form factor at high momenta, 2) the qualitative difference in the behavior of the pion form factor and the $\eta$ and $\eta^\prime$ form factors at high momenta, 3) the inconsistency of the measured ratio of the $\eta$ and $\eta^\prime$ form factors with the predicted one. We comment on the influence of the new BABAR data on the rare decay branchings.Comment: 11 pages, 3 figure

Naturalness Bounds on Dipole Moments from New Physics

Assuming naturalness that the quantum corrections to the mass should not exceed the order of the observed mass, we derive and apply model-independent bounds on the anomalous magnetic moments and electric dipole moments of leptons and quarks due to new physics.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figure

Photon-Photon and Pomeron-Pomeron Processes in Peripheral Heavy Ion Collisions

We estimate the cross sections for the production of resonances, pion pairs and a central cluster of hadrons in peripheral heavy-ion collisions through two-photon and double-pomeron exchange, at energies that will be available at RHIC and LHC. The effect of the impact parameter in the diffractive reactions is introduced, and imposing the condition for realistic peripheral collisions we verify that in the case of very heavy ions the pomeron-pomeron contribution is indeed smaller than the electromagnetic one. However, they give a non-negligible background in the collision of light ions. This diffractive background will be more important at RHIC than at LHC.Comment: 22 pages, 1 Postscript figures, 4 tables, to appear in Phys. Rev.

Discriminating New Physics Scenarios at NLC: The Role of Polarization

We explore the potential of the Next Linear Collider (NLC), operating in the $e\gamma$ mode, to disentangle new physics scenarios on single $W$ production. We study the effects related with the exchange of composite fermion in the reaction $e\gamma \to W \nu_e$, and compare with those arising from trilinear gauge boson anomalous couplings. We stress the role played by the initial state polarization to increase the reach of this machine and to discriminate the possible origin of the new phenomena.Comment: 26 pages, LaTeX file using ReVTeX. 10 Figure

Sneutrino-induced like sign dilepton signal with conserved R-parity

Lepton number violation could be manifest in the sneutrino sector of supersymmetric extensions of the standard model with conserved R-parity. Then sneutrinos decay partly into the ``wrong sign charged lepton'' final state, if kinematically accessible. In sneutrino pair production or associated single sneutrino production, the signal then is a like sign dilepton final state. Under favourable circumstances, such a signal could be visible at the LHC or a next generation linear collider for a relative sneutrino mass-splitting of order ${\cal O}(0.001)$ and sneutrino width of order ${\cal O}$(1 GeV). On the other hand, the like sign dilepton event rate at the TEVATRON is probably too small to be observable.Comment: 19 pages, 14 Figures. Section about LSD at LHC and TEVATRON added. Previous Title "Single sneutrino production and the wrong charged lepton signal