301 research outputs found
The Effective Potential, the Renormalisation Group and Vacuum Stability
We review the calculation of the the effective potential with particular
emphasis on cases when the tree potential or the
renormalisation-group-improved, radiatively corrected potential exhibits
non-convex behaviour. We illustrate this in a simple Yukawa model which
exhibits a novel kind of dimensional transmutation. We also review briefly
earlier work on the Standard Model. We conclude that, despite some recent
claims to the contrary, it can be possible to infer reliably that the tree
vacuum does not represent the true ground state of the theory.Comment: 23 pages; 5 figures; v2 includes minor changes in text and additional
reference
Brane Interaction as the Origin of Inflation
We reanalyze brane inflation with brane-brane interactions at an angle, which
include the special case of brane-anti-brane interaction. If nature is
described by a stringy realization of the brane world scenario today (with
arbitrary compactification), and if some additional branes were present in the
early universe, we find that an inflationary epoch is generically quite
natural, ending with a big bang when the last branes collide. In an interesting
brane inflationary scenario suggested by generic string model-building, we use
the density perturbation observed in the cosmic microwave background and the
coupling unification to find that the string scale is comparable to the GUT
scale.Comment: 28 pages, 8 figures, 2 tables, JHEP forma
Poly-instanton Inflation
We propose a new inflationary scenario in type IIB Calabi-Yau
compactifications, where the inflaton is a K\"ahler modulus parameterising the
volume of an internal four-cycle. The inflaton potential is generated via
poly-instanton corrections to the superpotential which give rise to a naturally
flat direction due to their double exponential suppression. Given that the
volume mode is kept stable during inflation, all the inflaton-dependent higher
dimensional operators are suppressed. Moreover, string loop effects can be
shown to be negligible throughout all the inflationary dynamics for natural
values of the underlying parameters. The model is characterised by a reheating
temperature of the order GeV which requires e-foldings of inflation. All the inflationary observables are compatible
with current observations since the spectral index is , while
the tensor-to-scalar ratio is . The volume of the Calabi-Yau
is of order in string units, corresponding to an inflationary scale
around GeVComment: 20 pages, 4 figure
Brane-Antibrane Inflation in Orbifold and Orientifold Models
We analyse the cosmological implications of brane-antibrane systems in
string-theoretic orbifold and orientifold models. In a class of realistic
models, consistency conditions require branes and antibranes to be stuck at
different fixed points, and so their mutual attraction generates a potential
for one of the radii of the underlying torus or the 4D string dilaton. Assuming
that all other moduli have been fixed by string effects, we find that this
potential leads naturally to a period of cosmic inflation with the radion or
dilaton field as the inflaton. The slow-roll conditions are satisfied more
generically than if the branes were free to move within the space. The
appearance of tachyon fields at certain points in moduli space indicates the
onset of phase transitions to different non-BPS brane systems, providing ways
of ending inflation and reheating the corresponding observable brane universe.
In each case we find relations between the inflationary parameters and the
string scale to get the correct spectrum of density perturbations. In some
examples the small numbers required as inputs are no smaller than 0.01, and are
the same small quantities which are required to explain the gauge hierarchy.Comment: 30 pages, 2 figures. Substantial changes on version 1. New
cosmological scenarios proposed including the dilaton as the inflaton. Main
conclusions unchange
A simple inert model solves the little hierarchy problem and provides a dark matter candidate
We discuss a minimal extension to the standard model in which two singlet
scalar states that only interacts with the Higgs boson is added. Their masses
and interaction strengths are fixed by the two requirements of canceling the
one-loop quadratic corrections to the Higgs boson mass and providing a viable
dark matter candidate. Direct detection of the lightest of these new states in
nuclear scattering experiments is possible with a cross section within reach of
future experiments.Comment: Finite corrections included. Model modified. Conclusion unchange
Modeling of Photoionized Plasmas
In this paper I review the motivation and current status of modeling of
plasmas exposed to strong radiation fields, as it applies to the study of
cosmic X-ray sources. This includes some of the astrophysical issues which can
be addressed, the ingredients for the models, the current computational tools,
the limitations imposed by currently available atomic data, and the validity of
some of the standard assumptions. I will also discuss ideas for the future:
challenges associated with future missions, opportunities presented by improved
computers, and goals for atomic data collection.Comment: 17 pages, 8 figures, to appear in the proceedings of Xray2010,
Utrecht, the Netherlands, March 15-17 201
Assisted Inflation from Geometric Tachyon
We study the effect of rolling of N D3-branes in the vicinity of NS5-branes.
We find out that this system coupled with the four dimensional gravity gives
the slow roll assisted inflation of the scalar field theory. Once again this
expectation is exactly similar to that of N-tachyon assisted inflation on
unstable D-branes.Comment: 15 pages, 3 figures, minor modifications, to appear in JHE
Game Theoretical Interactions of Moving Agents
Game theory has been one of the most successful quantitative concepts to
describe social interactions, their strategical aspects, and outcomes. Among
the payoff matrix quantifying the result of a social interaction, the
interaction conditions have been varied, such as the number of repeated
interactions, the number of interaction partners, the possibility to punish
defective behavior etc. While an extension to spatial interactions has been
considered early on such as in the "game of life", recent studies have focussed
on effects of the structure of social interaction networks.
However, the possibility of individuals to move and, thereby, evade areas
with a high level of defection, and to seek areas with a high level of
cooperation, has not been fully explored so far. This contribution presents a
model combining game theoretical interactions with success-driven motion in
space, and studies the consequences that this may have for the degree of
cooperation and the spatio-temporal dynamics in the population. It is
demonstrated that the combination of game theoretical interactions with motion
gives rise to many self-organized behavioral patterns on an aggregate level,
which can explain a variety of empirically observed social behaviors
Non-Minimal Sneutrino Inflation, Peccei-Quinn Phase Transition and non-Thermal Leptogenesis
We consider a phenomenological extension of the minimal supersymmetric
standard model which incorporates non-minimal chaotic inflation, driven by a
quartic potential associated with the lightest right-handed sneutrino.
Inflation is followed by a Peccei-Quinn phase transition based on
renormalizable superpotential terms, which resolves the strong CP and mu
problems of the minimal supersymmetric standard model provided that one related
parameter of the superpotential is somewhat small. Baryogenesis occurs via
non-thermal leptogenesis, which is realized by the inflaton decay. Confronting
our scenario with the current observational data on the inflationary
observables, the baryon assymetry of the universe, the gravitino limit on the
reheating temperature and the upper bound on the light neutrino masses, we
constrain the effective Yukawa coupling involved in the decay of the inflaton
to relatively small values and the inflaton mass to values lower than 10^12
GeV.Comment: 21 pages including 3 figures; Final versio
Colliding branes and formation of spacetime singularities in string theory
Colliding branes without symmetry and the formation of spacetime
singularities in string theory are studied. After developing the general
formulas to describe such events, we study a particular class of exact
solutions first in the 5-dimensional effective theory, and then lift it to the
10-dimensional spacetime. In general, the 5-dimensional spacetime is singular,
due to the mutual focus of the two colliding 3-branes. Non-singular cases also
exist, but with the price that both of the colliding branes violate all the
three energy conditions, weak, dominant, and strong. After lifted to 10
dimensions, we find that the spacetime remains singular, whenever it is
singular in the 5-dimensional effective theory. In the cases where no
singularities are formed after the collision, we find that the two 8-branes
necessarily violate all the energy conditions.Comment: revtex4, 13 figures. Some typos were corrected, and new refereeces
added. Final version to appear in JHE
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