Open String Wavefunctions in Warped Compactifications

We analyze the wavefunctions for open strings in warped compactifications, and compute the warped Kahler potential for the light modes of a probe D-brane. This analysis not only applies to the dynamics of D-branes in warped backgrounds, but also allows to deduce warping corrections to the closed string Kahler metrics via their couplings to open strings. We consider in particular the spectrum of D7-branes in warped Calabi-Yau orientifolds, which provide a string theory realizations of the Randall-Sundrum scenario. We find that certain background fluxes, necessary in the presence of warping, couple to the fermionic wavefunctions and qualitatively change their behavior. This modified dependence of the wavefunctions are needed for consistency with supersymmetry, though it is present in non-supersymmetric vacua as well. We discuss the deviations of our setup from the RS scenario and, as an application of our results, compute the warping corrections to Yukawa couplings in a simple model. Our analysis is performed both with and without the presence of D-brane world-volume flux, as well as for the case of backgrounds with varying dilaton.Comment: 52 pages, refs. added, minor correction

Inflation on an Open Racetrack

We present a variant of warped D-brane inflation by incorporating multiple sets of holomorphically-embedded D7-branes involved in moduli stabilization with extent into a warped throat. The resultant D3-brane motion depends on the D7-brane configuration and the relative position of the D3-brane in these backgrounds. The non-perturbative moduli stabilization superpotential takes the racetrack form, but the additional D3-brane open string moduli dependence provides more flexibilities in model building. For concreteness, we consider D3-brane motion in the warped deformed conifold with the presence of multiple D7-branes, and derive the scalar potential valid for the entire throat. By explicit tuning of the microphysical parameters, we obtain inflationary trajectories near an inflection point for various D7-brane configurations. Moreover, the open racetrack potential admits approximate Minkowski vacua before uplifting. We demonstrate with a concrete D-brane inflation model where the Hubble scale during inflation can exceed the gravitino mass. Finally, the multiple sets of D7-branes present in this open racetrack setup also provides a mechanism to stabilize the D3-brane to metastable vacua in the intermediate region of the warped throat.Comment: 29 pages, 15 figures, pre-print number and references adde

Stability Constraints on Classical de Sitter Vacua

We present further no-go theorems for classical de Sitter vacua in Type II string theory, i.e., de Sitter constructions that do not invoke non-perturbative effects or explicit supersymmetry breaking localized sources. By analyzing the stability of the 4D potential arising from compactification on manfiolds with curvature, fluxes, and orientifold planes, we found that additional ingredients, beyond the minimal ones presented so far, are necessary to avoid the presence of unstable modes. We enumerate the minimal setups for (meta)stable de Sitter vacua to arise in this context.Comment: 18 pages; v2: argument improved, references adde

Soft branes in supersymmetry-breaking backgrounds

We revisit the analysis of effective field theories resulting from non-supersymmetric perturbations to supersymmetric flux compactifications of the type-IIB superstring with an eye towards those resulting from the backreaction of a small number of anti-D3-branes. Independently of the background, we show that the low-energy Lagrangian describing the fluctuations of a stack of probe D3-branes exhibits soft supersymmetry breaking, despite perturbations to marginal operators that were not fully considered in some previous treatments. We take this as an indication that the breaking of supersymmetry by anti-D3-branes or other sources may be spontaneous rather than explicit. In support of this, we consider the action of an anti-D3-brane probing an otherwise supersymmetric configuration and identify a candidate for the corresponding goldstino.Comment: 36+5 pages. References added, minor typos correcte

Warped Reheating in Multi-Throat Brane Inflation

We investigate in some quantitative details the viability of reheating in multi-throat brane inflationary scenarios by estimating and comparing the time scales for the various processes involved. We also calculate within perturbative string theory the decay rate of excited closed strings into KK modes and compare with that of their decay into gravitons; we find that in the inflationary throat the former is preferred. We also find that over a small but reasonable range of parameters of the background geometry, these KK modes will preferably tunnel to another throat (possibly containing the Standard Model) instead of decaying to gravitons due largely to their suppressed coupling to the bulk gravitons. Once tunneled, the same suppressed coupling to the gravitons again allows them to reheat the Standard Model efficiently. We also consider the effects of adding more throats to the system and find that for extra throats with small warping, reheating still seems viable.Comment: 29 pages, 4 figures, discussions on closed string decay expanded, references adde

Measurement of the hadronic photon structure function F_{2}^{γ} at LEP2

The hadronic structure function of the photon F_{2}^{γ} (x, Q²) is measured as a function of Bjorken x and of the photon virtuality Q² using deep-inelastic scattering data taken by the OPAL detector at LEP at e⁺e⁻ centre-of-mass energies from 183 to 209 GeV. Previous OPAL measurements of the x dependence of F_{2}^{γ} are extended to an average Q² of 〈Q²〉=780 GeV² using data in the kinematic range 0.15<x<0.98. The Q² evolution of F_{2}^{γ} is studied for 12.1<〈Q²〉<780 GeV² using three ranges of x. As predicted by QCD, the data show positive scaling violations in F_{2}^{γ} with F_{2}^{γ} (Q²)/α = (0.08±0.02⁺⁰·⁰⁵_₀.₀₃) + (0.13±0.01⁺⁰·⁰¹_₀.₀₁) lnQ², where Q² is in GeV², for the central x region 0.10–0.60. Several parameterisations of F_{2}^{γ} are in qualitative agreement with the measurements whereas the quark-parton model prediction fails to describe the data

Cellulose fibres, nanofibrils and microfibrils: The morphological sequence of MFC components from a plant physiology and fibre technology point of view

During the last decade, major efforts have been made to develop adequate and commercially viable processes for disintegrating cellulose fibres into their structural components. Homogenisation of cellulose fibres has been one of the principal applied procedures. Homogenisation has produced materials which may be inhomogeneous, containing fibres, fibres fragments, fibrillar fines and nanofibrils. The material has been denominated microfibrillated cellulose (MFC). In addition, terms relating to the nano-scale have been given to the MFC material. Several modern and high-tech nano-applications have been envisaged for MFC. However, is MFC a nano-structure? It is concluded that MFC materials may be composed of (1) nanofibrils, (2) fibrillar fines, (3) fibre fragments and (4) fibres. This implies that MFC is not necessarily synonymous with nanofibrils, microfibrils or any other cellulose nano-structure. However, properly produced MFC materials contain nano-structures as a main component, i.e. nanofibrils

DBI Inflation in the Tip Region of a Warped Throat

Previous work on DBI inflation, which achieves inflation through the motion of a $D3$ brane as it moves through a warped throat compactification, has focused on the region far from the tip of the throat. Since reheating and other observable effects typically occur near the tip, a more detailed study of this region is required. To investigate these effects we consider a generalized warp throat where the warp factor becomes nearly constant near the tip. We find that it is possible to obtain 60 or more e-folds in the constant region, however large non-gaussianities are typically produced due to the small sound speed of fluctuations. For a particular well-studied throat, the Klebanov-Strassler solution, we find that inflation near the tip may be generic and it is difficult to satisfy current bounds on non-gaussianity, but other throat solutions may evade these difficulties.Comment: 26 pages, 1 figure. v1. references added, typos corrected v2. clarifications mad

Measurement of the charm structure function F_{2,c)^{γ} of the photon at LEP

The production of charm quarks is studied in deep-inelastic electron–photon scattering using data recorded by the OPAL detector at LEP at nominal e⁺e⁻ centre-of-mass energies from 183 to 209 GeV. The charm quarks have been identified by full reconstruction of charged D* mesons using their decays into D⁰π with the D⁰ observed in two decay modes with charged particle final states, Kπ and Kπππ. The cross-section σ^{D*} for production of charged D* in the reaction e⁺e⁻→e⁺e⁻D*Χ is measured in a restricted kinematical region using two bins in Bjorken x, 0.00140.1 the perturbative QCD calculation at next-to-leading order agrees perfectly with the measured cross-section. For x<0.1 the measured cross-section is 43.8±14.3±6.3±2.8 pb with a next-to-leading order prediction of 17.0⁺²·⁹_₂.₃ pb

Measurement of triple gauge boson couplings from W⁺W⁻ production at LEP energies up to 189 GeV

A measurement of triple gauge boson couplings is presented, based on W-pair data recorded by the OPAL detector at LEP during 1998 at a centre-of-mass energy of 189 GeV with an integrated luminosity of 183 pb⁻¹. After combining with our previous measurements at centre-of-mass energies of 161–183 GeV we obtain κ = 0.97_{-0.16}^{+0.20}, g_{1}^{z} = 0.991_{-0.057}^{+0.060} and λ = -0.110_{-0.055}^{+0.058}, where the errors include both statistical and systematic uncertainties and each coupling is determined by setting the other two couplings to their Standard Model values. These results are consistent with the Standard Model expectations