Dynamically Warped Theory Space and Collective Supersymmetry Breaking

We study deconstructed gauge theories in which a warp factor emerges dynamically and naturally. We present nonsupersymmetric models in which the potential for the link fields has translational invariance, broken only by boundary effects that trigger an exponential profile of vacuum expectation values. The spectrum of physical states deviates exponentially from that of the continuum for large masses; we discuss the effects of such exponential towers on gauge coupling unification. We also present a supersymmetric example in which a warp factor is driven by Fayet-Iliopoulos terms. The model is peculiar in that it possesses a global supersymmetry that remains unbroken despite nonvanishing D-terms. Inclusion of gravity and/or additional messenger fields leads to the collective breaking of supersymmetry and to unusual phenomenology.Comment: 28 pages LaTeX, JHEP format, 7 eps figures (v2: reference added

W physics at the ILC with polarized beams as a probe of the Littlest Higgs Model

We study the possibility of using W pair production and leptonic decay of one of the W's at the ILC with polarized beams as a probe of the Littlest Higgs Model. We consider cross-sections, polarization fractions of the W's, leptonic decay energy and angular distributions, and left-right polarization asymmetry as probes of the model. With parameter values allowed by present experimental constraints detectable effects on these observables at typical ILC energies of 500 GeV and 800 GeV will be present. Beam polarization is further found to enhance the sensitivity.Comment: 17 pages, plain latex, 6 figures, replaced with version accepted by JHEP, typographical errors removed, notation and references improved, new references added, explanation added in appendix regarding beam polarization dependenc

The correction of the littlest Higgs model to the Higgs production process e−γ→νeW−He^{-}\gamma\to \nu_{e}W^{-}H in e−γe^{-}\gamma collisions

The littlest Higgs model is the most economical one among various little Higgs models. In the context of the littlest Higgs(LH) model, we study the process $e^{-}\gamma\to \nu_{e}W^{-}H$ and calculate the contributions of the LH model to the cross section of this process. The results show that, in most of parameter spaces preferred by the electroweak precision data, the value of the relative correction is larger than 10%. Such correction to the process $e^{-}\gamma\to \nu_{e}W^{-}H$ is large enough to be detected via $e^{-}\gamma$ collisions in the future high energy linear $e^{+}e^{-}$ collider($LC$) experiment with the c.m energy $\sqrt{s}$=500 GeV and a yearly integrated luminosity $\pounds=100fb^{-1}$, which will give an ideal way to test the model.Comment: 13 pages, 4 figure

CDF Multi-Muon Events and Singlet Extensions of the MSSM

We discuss a generalization of the minimal supersymmetric extension of the Standard Model in the form of three additional singlet superfields, which would explain the essential features of the CDF multi-muon events presented recently: a large production cross section of ~ 100 pb originates from the production of a CP-odd scalar A with a mass in the 70 - 80 GeV range and a large value of tan(beta) ~ 40. The CP-odd scalar A decays dominantly into CP-odd and CP-even scalars a_1 and h_1, which generate decay cascades h_1 -> 2 h_2 -> 4 a_2 -> 8 tau-leptons, and a_1 -> h_1 a_2 with h_1 decaying as above. The decay a_2 -> tau+ tau- is slow, leading to a lifetime of O(20) ps. The phenomenology of the model differs from similar scenarios presented before in that one of the two cascades leads to 10 instead of 8 tau-leptons, and additional production processes like associate A production with b b-bar pairs are relevant.Comment: 10 pages, comments on the required total cross section added, to appear in MPL

Pseudo-axions in Little Higgs models

Little Higgs models have an enlarged global symmetry which makes the Higgs boson a pseudo-Goldstone boson. This symmetry typically contains spontaneously broken U(1) subgroups which provide light electroweak-singlet pseudoscalars. Unless such particles are absorbed as the longitudinal component of $Z'$ states, they appear as pseudoscalars in the physical spectrum at the electroweak scale. We outline their significant impact on Little Higgs phenomenology and analyze a few possible signatures at the LHC and other future colliders in detail. In particular, their presence significantly affects the physics of the new heavy quark states predicted in Little Higgs models, and inclusive production at LHC may yield impressive diphoton resonances.Comment: 28 pages, 9 figs., accepted to PRD; footnote added, typos correcte

Transverse spectral functions and Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interactions in XXZ spin chains

Recently much progress has been made in applying field theory methods, first developed to study X-ray edge singularities, to interacting one dimensional systems in order to include band curvature effects and study edge singularities at arbitrary momentum. Finding experimental confirmations of this theory remains an open challenge. Here we point out that spin chains with uniform Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya (DM) interactions provide an opportunity to test these theories since these interactions may be exactly eliminated by a gauge transformation which shifts the momentum. However, this requires an extension of these X-ray edge methods to the transverse spectral function of the xxz spin chain in a magnetic field, which we provide

Pseudonatural Inflation

We study how to obtain a sufficiently flat inflaton potential that is natural from the particle physics point of view. Supersymmetry, which is broken during inflation, cannot protect the potential against non-renormalizable operators violating slow-roll. We are therefore led to consider models based on non-linearly realized symmetries. The basic scenario with a single four-dimensional pseudo Nambu Goldstone boson requires the spontaneous breaking scale to be above the Planck scale, which is beyond the range of validity of the field theory description, so that quantum gravity corrections are not under control. A nice way to obtain consistent models with large field values is to consider simple extensions in extra-dimensional setups. We also consider the minimal structures necessary to obtain purely four-dimensional models with spontaneous breaking scale below M_P; we show that they require an approximate symmetry that is supplemented by either the little-Higgs mechanism or supersymmetry to give trustworthy scenarios.Comment: 30 pages, 2 figures. v2: minor changes, ref. added, accepted for JCA

Discrete Gravitational Dimensions

We study the physics of a single discrete gravitational extra dimension using the effective field theory for massive gravitons. We first consider a minimal discretization with 4D gravitons on the sites and nearest neighbor hopping terms. At the linear level, 5D continuum physics is recovered correctly, but at the non-linear level the theory becomes highly non-local in the discrete dimension. There is a peculiar UV/IR connection, where the scale of strong interactions at high energies is related to the radius of the dimension. These new effects formally vanish in the limit of zero lattice spacing, but do not do so quickly enough to reproduce the continuum physics consistently in an effective field theory up to the 5D Planck scale. Nevertheless, this model does make sense as an effective theory up to energies parametrically higher than the compactification scale. In order to have a discrete theory that appears local in the continuum limit, the lattice action must have interactions between distant sites. We speculate on the relevance of these observations to the construction of finite discrete theories of gravity in four dimensions.Comment: 5 pages, 4 diagrams. Important typos in some equations corrected; conclusion s unchange

Renal functions in pediatric patients with beta-thalassemia major: relation to chelation therapy: original prospective study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>In β-thalassemia, profound anemia and severe hemosiderosis cause functional and physiological abnormalities in various organ systems. In recent years, there have been few published studies mainly in adult demonstrating renal involvement in β-thalassemia. This prospective study was aimed to investigate renal involvement in pediatric patients with transfusion dependant beta-thalassemia major (TD-βTM), using both conventional and early markers of glomerular and tubular dysfunctions, and to correlate findings to oxidative stress and iron chelation therapy.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Sixty-nine TD-βTM patients (aged 1-16 years) and 15 healthy controls (aged 3-14 years) were enrolled in this study. Based on receiving chelation therapy (deferoxamine, DFO), patients were divided into two groups: group [I] with chelation (n = 34) and group [II] without chelation (n = 35). Levels of creatinine (Cr), calcium (Ca), inorganic phosphorus (PO₄), uric acid (UA) and albumin were measured by spectrophotometer. Serum (S) levels of cystatin-C (S_CysC) and total antioxidant capacity (S_TAC) and urinary (U) levels of β₂-microglobulin (U_β2MG) were measured by immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Urinary N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase (U_NAG) activity and malondialdehyde (U_MDA) were measured by chemical methods. Estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was determined from serum creatinine.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In patient with and without chelation, glomerular [elevated S_CysC, S_Cr, U_albumin/Cr and diminished eGFR]; and tubular dysfunctions [elevated S_UA, S_PO4, U_NAG/Cr, U_β2MG/Cr] and oxidative stress marker disturbances [diminished S_TACand elevated U_MDA/Cr] were reported than controls. In patients with chelation, S_CysCwas significantly higher while, S_TACwas significantly lower than those without chelation. In all patients, S_CysCshowed significant positive correlation with S_Crand negative correlation with eGFR; S_TACshowed significant positive correlation with eGFR and negative correlation with S_CysC, S_Cr, U_NAG/Cr; U_MDA/Cr showed significant positive correlation with U_albumin/Cr, U_β2MG/Cr, U_NAG/Cr.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Our data confirm high frequency of glomerular and tubular dysfunctions in TD-βTM pediatric patients which could be attributed to oxidative stress and DFO therapy.</p