222 research outputs found
Unitarity bounds on low scale quantum gravity
We study the unitarity of models with low scale quantum gravity both in four
dimensions and in models with a large extra-dimensional volume. We find that
models with low scale quantum gravity have problems with unitarity below the
scale at which gravity becomes strong. An important consequence of our work is
that their first signal at the Large Hadron Collider would not be of a
gravitational nature such as graviton emission or small black holes, but rather
linked to the mechanism which fixes the unitarity problem. We also study models
with scalar fields with non minimal couplings to the Ricci scalar. We consider
the strength of gravity in these models and study the consequences for
inflation models with non-minimally coupled scalar fields. We show that a
single scalar field with a large non-minimal coupling can lower the Planck mass
in the TeV region. In that model, it is possible to lower the scale at which
gravity becomes strong down to 14 TeV without violating unitarity below that
scale.Comment: 15 page
One-particle inclusive CP asymmetries
One-particle inclusive CP asymmetries in the decays of the type B -> D(*) X
are considered in the framework of a QCD based method to calculate the rates
for one-particle inclusive decays.Comment: Latex, 13 pages, 6 figures (eps). Analytical and numerical results
unchanged, extended discussion of model assumptions and systematic
uncertainties. Version to be published in Phys. Rev. D 62, 0960xx. Additional
transparencies are available via the WWW at
http://www-ttp.physik.uni-karlsruhe.de/Slides
Non-locality in quantum field theory due to general relativity
We show that general relativity coupled to a quantum field theory generically leads to non-local effects in the matter sector. These non-local effects can be described by non-local higher dimensional operators which remarkably have an approximate shift symmetry. When applied to inflationary models, our results imply that small non-Gaussianities are a generic feature of models based on general relativity coupled to matter fields. However, these effects are too small to be observable in the cosmic microwave background
Gravitational effective action at second order in curvature and gravitational waves
We consider the full effective theory for quantum gravity at second order in curvature including non-local terms. We show that the theory contains two new degrees of freedom beyond the massless graviton: namely a massive spin-2 ghost and a massive scalar field. Furthermore, we show that it is impossible to fine-tune the parameters of the effective action to eliminate completely the classical spin-2 ghost because of the non-local terms in the effective action. Being a classical field, it is not clear anyway that this ghost is problematic. It simply implies a repulsive contribution to Newton’s potential. We then consider how to extract the parameters of the effective action and show that it is possible to measure, at least in principle, the parameters of the local terms independently of each other using a combination of observations of gravitational waves and measurements performed by pendulum type experiments searching for deviations of Newton’s potential
Brane world models need low string scale
Models with large extra dimensions offer the possibility of the Planck scale being of order the electroweak scale, thus alleviating the gauge hierarchy problem. We show that these models suffer from a breakdown of unitarity at around three quarters of the low effective Planck scale. An obvious candidate to fix the unitarity problem is string theory. We therefore argue that it is necessary for the string scale to appear below the effective Planck scale and that the first signature of such models would be string resonances. We further translate experimental bounds on the string scale into bounds on the effective Planck scale
Absolutely stable proton and lowering the gauge unification scale
A unified model is constructed, based on flipped SU(5) in which the proton is absolutely stable. The model requires the existence of new leptons with masses of order the weak scale. The possibility that the unification scale could be extremely low is discussed
Quantum Black Holes from Cosmic Rays
We investigate the possibility for cosmic ray experiments to discover
non-thermal small black holes with masses in the TeV range. Such black holes
would result due to the impact between ultra high energy cosmic rays or
neutrinos with nuclei from the upper atmosphere and decay instantaneously. They
could be produced copiously if the Planck scale is in the few TeV region. As
their masses are close to the Planck scale, these holes would typically decay
into two particles emitted back-to-back. Depending on the angles between the
emitted particles with respect to the center of mass direction of motion, it is
possible for the simultaneous showers to be measured by the detectors.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figure
Quantum gravitational corrections to a star metric and the black hole limit
In this paper we consider the full set of quantum gravitational corrections to a star metric to second order in curvature. As we use an effective field theoretical approach, these corrections apply to any model of quantum gravity that is based on general coordinate invariance. We then discuss the black hole limit and identify an interesting phenomenon which could shed some light on the nature of astrophysical black holes: while star metrics receive corrections at second order in curvature, vacuum solutions such as black hole metrics do not. What happens to these corrections when a star collapses
Minimum black hole mass from colliding Gaussian packets
We study the formation of a black hole in the collision of two Gaussian
packets. Rather than following their dynamical evolution in details, we assume
a horizon forms when the mass function for the two packets becomes larger than
half the flat areal radius, as it would occur in a spherically symmetric
geometry. This simple approximation allows us to determine the existence of a
minimum black hole mass solely related to the width of the packets. We then
comment on the possible physical implications, both in classical and quantum
physics, and models with extra spatial dimensions.Comment: 11 pages, 4 figure
A review of Quantum Gravity at the Large Hadron Collider
The aim of this article is to review the recent developments in the
phenomenology of quantum gravity at the Large Hadron Collider. We shall pay
special attention to four-dimensional models which are able to lower the
reduced Planck mass to the TeV region and compare them to models with a large
extra-dimensional volume. We then turn our attention to reviewing the emission
of gravitons (massless or massive) at the LHC and to the production of small
quantum black holes.Comment: 32 pages, invited revie
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