On Symmetry Non-Restoration at High Temperature

We study the effect of next-to-leading order contributions on the phenomenon of symmetry non-restoration at high temperature in an $O(N_1)\times O(N_2)$ model.Comment: 8 pages. Two figures in a separate fil

Reconciling the CAST and PVLAS Results

The PVLAS experiment has recently claimed evidence for an axion-like particle in the milli-electron-Volt mass range with a coupling to two photons that appears to be in contradiction with the negative results of the CAST experiment searching for solar axions. The simple axion interpretation of these two experimental results is therefore untenable and it has posed a challenge for theory. We propose a possible way to reconcile these two results by postulating the existence of an ultralight pseudo-scalar particle interacting with two photons and a scalar boson and the existence of a low scale phase transition in the theory.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures; references update

Can Symmetry non-restoration solve the Monopole Problem?

We reexamine a recently proposed non-inflationary solution to the monopole problem, based on the possibility that spontaneously broken Grand-Unified symmetries do not get restored at high temperature. We go beyond leading order by studying the self-consistent one-loop equations of the model. We find large next-to-leading corrections that reverse the lowest order results and cause symmetry restoration at high temperature.Comment: 17 pages plus three coded and compressed postscript files for figure

Higgs Sector of the Minimal Left-Right Symmetric Model

We perform an exhaustive analysis of the most general Higgs sector of the minimal left-right symmetric model (MLRM). We find that the CP properties of the vacuum state are connected to the Higgs spectrum: if CP is broken spontaneously, the MLRM does not approach the Standard Model in the limit of a decoupling left-right symmetry breaking scale. Depending on the size of the CP phases scenarios with extra non-decoupling flavor-violating doublet Higgses or very light SU(2) triplet Higgses emerge, both of which are ruled out by phenomenology. For zero CP phases the non-standard Higgses decouple only if a very unnatural fine-tuning condition is fulfilled. We also discuss generalizations to a non-minimal Higgs sector.Comment: brief discussion of non-minimal Higgs sectors added, journal versio

Minimal Supersymmetric Pati-Salam Theory: Determination of Physical Scales

We systematically study the minimal supersymmetric Pati-Salam theory, paying special attention to the unification constraints. We find that the SU(4)_c scale M_c and the Left-Right scale M_R lie in the range 10^{10} GeV < M_c < 10^{14} GeV, 10^{3} GeV < M_R <10^{10} GeV (with single-step breaking at 10^{10} GeV), giving a potentially accessible scale of parity breaking. The theory includes the possibility of having doubly-charged supermultiplets at the supersymmetry breaking scale; color octet states with mass of order M_R^2/M_c; magnetic monopoles of intermediate mass that do not conflict with cosmology, and a 'clean' (type I) form for the see-saw mechanism of neutrino mass.Comment: 5 page

GUTs with dim-5 interactions: Gauge Unification and Intermediate Scales

Dimension-5 corrections to the gauge kinetic term of Grand Unified Theories (GUTs) may capture effects of quantum gravity or string compactification. Such operators modify the usual gauge coupling unification prediction in a calculable manner. Here we examine SU(5), SO(10), and E(6) GUTs in the light of all such permitted operators and calculate the impact on the intermediate scales and the unification programme. We show that in many cases at least one intermediate scale can be lowered to even 1-10 TeV, where a neutral Z' and possibly other states are expected.Comment: 23 pages, 8 figures, 10 tables, Treatment of U(1) mixing effects corrected. Published version

Grand Unification in Non-Commutative Geometry

The formalism of non-commutative geometry of A. Connes is used to construct models in particle physics. The physical space-time is taken to be a product of a continuous four-manifold by a discrete set of points. The treatment of Connes is modified in such a way that the basic algebra is defined over the space of matrices, and the breaking mechanism is planted in the Dirac operator. This mechanism is then applied to three examples. In the first example the discrete space consists of two points, and the two algebras are taken respectively to be those of $2\times 2$ and $1\times 1$ matrices. With the Dirac operator containing the vacuum breaking $SU(2)\times U(1)$ to $U(1)$, the model is shown to correspond to the standard model. In the second example the discrete space has three points, two of the algebras are identical and consist of $5\times 5$ complex matrices, and the third algebra consists of functions. With an appropriate Dirac operator this model is almost identical to the minimal $SU(5)$ model of Georgi and Glashow. The third and final example is the left-right symmetric model $SU(2)_L\times SU(2)_R\times U(1)_{B-L}.$Comment: 25 pages, ZU-TH-30/1992 and ETH/TH/92-4

Geometric CP Violation with Extra Dimensions

We discuss how CP symmetry can be broken geometrically through orbifold projections in hidden extra dimensions in the context of D-brane models for particle unifications. We present a few toy models to illustrate the idea and suggest ways to incorporate this technique in the context of realistic models.Comment: 6 pages, one figure; references updated and a new model adde