Quantization of scalar perturbations in brane-world inflation

We consider a quantization of scalar perturbations about a de Sitter brane in a 5-dimensional anti-de Sitter (AdS) bulk spacetime. We first derive the second order action for a master variable $\Omega$ for 5-dimensional gravitational perturbations. For a vacuum brane, there is a continuum of normalizable Kaluza-Klein (KK) modes with $m>3H/2$. There is also a light radion mode with $m=\sqrt{2}H$ which satisfies the junction conditions for two branes, but is non-normalizable for a single brane model. We perform the quantization of these bulk perturbations and calculate the effective energy density of the projected Weyl tensor on the barne. If there is a test scalar field perturbation on the brane, the $m^2 = 2H^2$ mode together with the zero-mode and an infinite ladder of discrete tachyonic modes become normalizable in a single brane model. This infinite ladder of discrete modes as well as the continuum of KK modes with $m>3H/2$ introduce corrections to the scalar field perturbations at first-order in a slow-roll expansion. We derive the second order action for the Mukhanov-Sasaki variable coupled to the bulk perturbations which is needed to perform the quantization and determine the amplitude of scalar perturbations generated during inflation on the brane.Comment: 14 page

Resolution of puzzles from the LSND, KARMEN, and MiniBooNE experiments

This work has attempted to reconcile puzzling neutrino oscillation results from the LSND, KARMEN and MiniBooNE experiments. We show that the LSND evidence for $\bar{\nu}_\mu \to \bar{\nu}_e$ oscillations, its long-standing disagreement with the results from KARMEN, and the anomalous event excess observed by MiniBooNE in $\nu_\mu$ and $\bar{\nu}_\mu$ data could all be explained by the existence of a heavy sterile neutrino ($\nu_h$). All these results are found to be consistent with each other assuming that the $\nu_h$ is created in $\nu_\mu$ neutral-current interactions and decays radiatively into a photon and a light neutrino. Assuming the $\nu_h$ is produced through mixing with $\nu_\mu$, the combined analysis of the LSND and MiniBooNe excess events suggests that the $\nu_h$ mass is in the range from 40 to 80 MeV, the mixing strength is $|U_{\mu h}|^2 \simeq 10^{-3}-10^{-2}$, and the lifetime is $\tau_{\nu_h} \lesssim 10^{-9}$ s. Surprisingly, this LSND-MiniBooNE parameters window is found to be unconstrained by the results from the most sensitive experiments searching for heavy neutrino. We set new limits on $|U_{\mu h}|^2$ for the LSND-MiniBooNE favorable mass region from the precision measurements of the Michel spectrum by the TWIST experiment. The results obtained provide a strong motivation for a sensitive search for the $\nu_h$ in a near future $K$ decay or neutrino experiments, which fit well in the existing/planned experimental programs at CERN or FNAL. The question of whether the heavy neutrino is Dirac or Majorana particle is briefly discussed.Comment: 24 pages, 28 figures, version to appear in PR

Muon content of ultra-high-energy air showers: Yakutsk data versus simulations

We analyse a sample of 33 extensive air showers (EAS) with estimated primary energies above 2\cdot 10^{19} eV and high-quality muon data recorded by the Yakutsk EAS array. We compare, event-by-event, the observed muon density to that expected from CORSIKA simulations for primary protons and iron, using SIBYLL and EPOS hadronic interaction models. The study suggests the presence of two distinct hadronic components, ``light'' and ``heavy''. Simulations with EPOS are in a good agreement with the expected composition in which the light component corresponds to protons and the heavy component to iron-like nuclei. With SYBILL, simulated muon densities for iron primaries are a factor of \sim 1.5 less than those observed for the heavy component, for the same electromagnetic signal. Assuming two-component proton-iron composition and the EPOS model, the fraction of protons with energies E>10^{19} eV is 0.52^{+0.19}_{-0.20} at 95% confidence level.Comment: 8 pages, 3 figures; v2: replaced with journal versio

Exciton correlations in coupled quantum wells and their luminescence blue shift

In this paper we present a study of an exciton system where electrons and holes are confined in double quantum well structures. The dominating interaction between excitons in such systems is a dipole - dipole repulsion. We show that the tail of this interaction leads to a strong correlation between excitons and substantially affects the behavior of the system. Making use of qualitative arguments and estimates we develop a picture of the exciton - exciton correlations in the whole region of temperature and concentration where excitons exist. It appears that at low concentration degeneracy of the excitons is accompanied with strong multi-particle correlation so that the system cannot be considered as a gas. At high concentration the repulsion suppresses the quantum degeneracy down to temperatures that could be much lower than in a Bose gas with contact interaction. We calculate the blue shift of the exciton luminescence line which is a sensitive tool to observe the exciton - exciton correlations.Comment: 27 pages in PDF and DVI format, 8 figure

The Lorentz Integral Transform (LIT) method and its applications to perturbation induced reactions

The LIT method has allowed ab initio calculations of electroweak cross sections in light nuclear systems. This review presents a description of the method from both a general and a more technical point of view, as well as a summary of the results obtained by its application. The remarkable features of the LIT approach, which make it particularly efficient in dealing with a general reaction involving continuum states, are underlined. Emphasis is given on the results obtained for electroweak cross sections of few--nucleon systems. Their implications for the present understanding of microscopic nuclear dynamics are discussed.Comment: 83 pages, 31 figures. Topical review. Corrected typo

Magnetic interactions and spin dynamics in the bond-disordered pyrochlore fluoride NaCaCo2_2F7_7

We report high-frequency/high-field electron spin resonance (ESR) and high-field magnetization studies on single crystals of the bond-disordered pyrochlore NaCaCo$_2$F$_7$. Frequency- and temperature-dependent ESR investigations above the freezing temperature $T_f \sim 2.4$ K reveal the coexistence of two distinct magnetic phases. A cooperative paramagnetic phase, evidenced by a gapless excitation mode, is found as well as a spin-glass phase developing below 20 K which is associated with a gapped low-energy excitation. Effective $g$-factors close to 2 are obtained for both modes in line with pulsed high-field magnetization measurements which show an unsaturated isotropic behavior up to 58 T at 2 K. In order to describe the field-dependent magnetization in high magnetic fields, we propose an empirical model accounting for highly anisotropic ionic $g$-tensors expected for this material and taking into account the strongly competing interactions between the spins which lead to a frustrated ground state. As a detailed quantitative relation between effective $g$-factors as determined from ESR and the local $g$-tensors obtained by neutron scattering [Ross et al., Phys. Rev. B 93, 014433 (2016)] is still sought after, our work motivates further theoretical investigations of the low-energy excitations in bond-disordered pyrochlores.Comment: 9 pages, 6 figure

Proposal to Search for Heavy Neutral Leptons at the SPS

A new fixed-target experiment at the CERN SPS accelerator is proposed that will use decays of charm mesons to search for Heavy Neutral Leptons (HNLs), which are right-handed partners of the Standard Model neutrinos. The existence of such particles is strongly motivated by theory, as they can simultaneously explain the baryon asymmetry of the Universe, account for the pattern of neutrino masses and oscillations and provide a Dark Matter candidate. Cosmological constraints on the properties of HNLs now indicate that the majority of the interesting parameter space for such particles was beyond the reach of the previous searches at the PS191, BEBC, CHARM, CCFR and NuTeV experiments. For HNLs with mass below 2 GeV, the proposed experiment will improve on the sensitivity of previous searches by four orders of magnitude and will cover a major fraction of the parameter space favoured by theoretical models. The experiment requires a 400 GeV proton beam from the SPS with a total of 2x10^20 protons on target, achievable within five years of data taking. The proposed detector will reconstruct exclusive HNL decays and measure the HNL mass. The apparatus is based on existing technologies and consists of a target, a hadron absorber, a muon shield, a decay volume and two magnetic spectrometers, each of which has a 0.5 Tm magnet, a calorimeter and a muon detector. The detector has a total length of about 100 m with a 5 m diameter. The complete experimental set-up could be accommodated in CERN's North Area. The discovery of a HNL would have a great impact on our understanding of nature and open a new area for future research