Theory of Phase Ordering Kinetics

The theory of phase ordering dynamics -- the growth of order through domain coarsening when a system is quenched from the homogeneous phase into a broken-symmetry phase -- is reviewed, with the emphasis on recent developments. Interest will focus on the scaling regime that develops at long times after the quench. How can one determine the growth laws that describe the time-dependence of characteristic length scales, and what can be said about the form of the associated scaling functions? Particular attention will be paid to systems described by more complicated order parameters than the simple scalars usually considered, e.g. vector and tensor fields. The latter are needed, for example, to describe phase ordering in nematic liquid crystals, on which there have been a number of recent experiments. The study of topological defects (domain walls, vortices, strings, monopoles) provides a unifying framework for discussing coarsening in these different systems.Comment: To appear in Advances in Physics. 85 pages, latex, no figures. For a hard copy with figures, email [email protected]

The S-parameter in Holographic Technicolor Models

We study the S parameter, considering especially its sign, in models of electroweak symmetry breaking (EWSB) in extra dimensions, with fermions localized near the UV brane. Such models are conjectured to be dual to 4D strong dynamics triggering EWSB. The motivation for such a study is that a negative value of S can significantly ameliorate the constraints from electroweak precision data on these models, allowing lower mass scales (TeV or below) for the new particles and leading to easier discovery at the LHC. We first extend an earlier proof of S>0 for EWSB by boundary conditions in arbitrary metric to the case of general kinetic functions for the gauge fields or arbitrary kinetic mixing. We then consider EWSB in the bulk by a Higgs VEV showing that S is positive for arbitrary metric and Higgs profile, assuming that the effects from higher-dimensional operators in the 5D theory are sub-leading and can therefore be neglected. For the specific case of AdS_5 with a power law Higgs profile, we also show that S ~ + O(1), including effects of possible kinetic mixing from higher-dimensional operator (of NDA size) in the $5D$ theory. Therefore, our work strongly suggests that S is positive in calculable models in extra dimensions.Comment: 21 pages, 2 figures. v2: references adde

The Chromomagnetic Dipole Operator and the B Semileptonic Branching Ratio

We consider the possibility of having a large branching ratio for the decay $b\to s g$ coming from an enhanced Wilson coefficient of the chromomagnetic dipole operator. We show that values of $BR(b\to s g)$ up to $\sim 10\%$ or more are compatible with the constraints coming from the CLEO experimental results on $BR(B\to X_s\gamma)$ and $BR(B\to X_s\phi)$. Such large values can reconcile the predictions of both the semileptonic branching ratio and the charm counting with the present experimental results. We also discuss a supersymmetric model with gluino-mediated flavour violations, which can account for such large values of $BR(b\to s g)$.Comment: 19 pages, 3 eps figures included, replacement with minor change

Spin-pairing instabilities at the coincidence of two Landau levels

The effect of interactions near the coincidence of two Landau levels with opposite spins at filling factor 1/2 is investigated. By mapping to Composite Fermions it is shown that the fluctuations of the gauge field induces an effective attractive Fermion interaction. This can lead to a spin-singlet ground state that is separated from the excited states by a gap. The magnitude of the gap is evaluated. The results are consistent with the recently observed half-polarized states in the FQHE at a fixed filling factor. It is suggested that similar anomalies exist for other spin configurations in degenerate spin-up and spin-down Landau levels. An experiment for testing the spin-singlet state is proposed.Comment: to be published in Physical Review

Brane World Susy Breaking from String/M Theory

String and M-theory realizations of brane world supersymmetry breaking scenarios are considered in which visible sector Standard Model fields are confined on a brane, with hidden sector supersymmetry breaking isolated on a distant brane. In calculable examples with an internal manifold of any volume the Kahler potential generically contains brane--brane non-derivative contact interactions coupling the visible and hidden sectors and is not of the no-scale sequestered form. This leads to non-universal scalar masses and without additional assumptions about flavor symmetries may in general induce dangerous sflavor violation even though the Standard Model and supersymmetry branes are physically separated. Deviations from the sequestered form are dictated by bulk supersymmetry and can in most cases be understood as arising from exchange of bulk supergravity fields between branes or warping of the internal geometry. Unacceptable visible sector tree-level tachyons arise in many models but may be avoided in certain classes of compactifications. Anomaly mediated and gaugino mediated contributions to scalar masses are sub-dominant except in special circumstances such as a flat or AdS pure five--dimensional bulk geometry without bulk vector multiplets.Comment: Latex, 83 pages, references adde

Dynamical Scaling: the Two-Dimensional XY Model Following a Quench

To sensitively test scaling in the 2D XY model quenched from high-temperatures into the ordered phase, we study the difference between measured correlations and the (scaling) results of a Gaussian-closure approximation. We also directly compare various length-scales. All of our results are consistent with dynamical scaling and an asymptotic growth law $L \sim (t/\ln[t/t_0])^{1/2}$, though with a time-scale $t_0$ that depends on the length-scale in question. We then reconstruct correlations from the minimal-energy configuration consistent with the vortex positions, and find them significantly different from the ``natural'' correlations --- though both scale with $L$. This indicates that both topological (vortex) and non-topological (``spin-wave'') contributions to correlations are relevant arbitrarily late after the quench. We also present a consistent definition of dynamical scaling applicable more generally, and emphasize how to generalize our approach to other quenched systems where dynamical scaling is in question. Our approach directly applies to planar liquid-crystal systems.Comment: 10 pages, 10 figure

Bottom Production

We review the prospects for bottom production physics at the LHC.Comment: 74 pages, Latex, 71 figures, to appear in the Report of the ``1999 CERN Workshop on SM physics (and more) at the LHC'', P. Nason, G. Ridolfi, O. Schneider G.F. Tartarelli, P. Vikas (conveners

Aspects of Split Supersymmetry

We explore some fundamental differences in the phenomenology, cosmology and model building of Split Supersymmetry compared with traditional low-scale supersymmetry. We show how the mass spectrum of Split Supersymmetry naturally emerges from theories where the dominant source of supersymmetry breaking preserves an $R$ symmetry, characterize the class of theories where the unavoidable $R$-breaking by gravity can be neglected, and point out a new possibility, where supersymmetry breaking is directly communicated at tree level to the visible sector via renormalizable interactions. Next, we discuss possible low-energy signals for Split Supersymmetry. The absence of new light scalars removes all the phenomenological difficulties of low-energy supersymmetry, associated with one-loop flavor and CP violating effects. However, the electric dipole moments of leptons and quarks do arise at two loops, and are automatically at the level of present limits with no need for small phases, making them accessible to several ongoing new-generation experiments. We also study proton decay in the context of Split Supersymmetry, and point out scenarios where the dimension-six induced decays may be observable. Finally, we show that the novel spectrum of Split Supersymmetry opens up new possibilities for the generation of dark matter, as the decays of ultraheavy gravitinos in the early universe typically increase the abundance of the lightest neutralino above its usual freeze-out value. This allows for lighter gauginos and Higgsinos, more accessible both to the LHC and to dark-matter detection experiments.Comment: 50 pages, references added, typos correcte

Phenomenology of the Lense-Thirring effect in the Solar System

Recent years have seen increasing efforts to directly measure some aspects of the general relativistic gravitomagnetic interaction in several astronomical scenarios in the solar system. After briefly overviewing the concept of gravitomagnetism from a theoretical point of view, we review the performed or proposed attempts to detect the Lense-Thirring effect affecting the orbital motions of natural and artificial bodies in the gravitational fields of the Sun, Earth, Mars and Jupiter. In particular, we will focus on the evaluation of the impact of several sources of systematic uncertainties of dynamical origin to realistically elucidate the present and future perspectives in directly measuring such an elusive relativistic effect.Comment: LaTex, 51 pages, 14 figures, 22 tables. Invited review, to appear in Astrophysics and Space Science (ApSS). Some uncited references in the text now correctly quoted. One reference added. A footnote adde

Quantum walks: a comprehensive review

Quantum walks, the quantum mechanical counterpart of classical random walks, is an advanced tool for building quantum algorithms that has been recently shown to constitute a universal model of quantum computation. Quantum walks is now a solid field of research of quantum computation full of exciting open problems for physicists, computer scientists, mathematicians and engineers. In this paper we review theoretical advances on the foundations of both discrete- and continuous-time quantum walks, together with the role that randomness plays in quantum walks, the connections between the mathematical models of coined discrete quantum walks and continuous quantum walks, the quantumness of quantum walks, a summary of papers published on discrete quantum walks and entanglement as well as a succinct review of experimental proposals and realizations of discrete-time quantum walks. Furthermore, we have reviewed several algorithms based on both discrete- and continuous-time quantum walks as well as a most important result: the computational universality of both continuous- and discrete- time quantum walks.Comment: Paper accepted for publication in Quantum Information Processing Journa