Superfield theories on S3S^3 and their localization

We consider the superfield formulation of supersymmetric gauge and matter field theories on a three-dimensional sphere with rigid ${\cal N}=2$ supersymmetry, as well as with ${\cal N}> 2$. The construction is based on a supercoset $SU(2|1)/U(1)$ containing $S^3$ as the bosonic subspace. We derive an explicit form of $SU(2|1)/U(1)$ supervielbein and covariant derivatives, and use them to construct classical superfield actions for gauge and matter supermultiplets in this superbackground. We then apply superfield methods for computing one-loop partition functions of these theories and demonstrate how the localization technique works directly in the superspace.Comment: 1+64 pages; v2: Section 4.2 and a reference are adde

More on integrable structures of superstrings in AdS(4) x CP(3) and AdS(2) x S(2) x T(6) superbackgrounds

In this paper we continue the study, initiated in arXiv:1009.3498 and arXiv:1104.1793, of the classical integrability of Green-Schwarz superstrings in AdS(4) x CP(3) and AdS(2) x S(2) x T(6) superbackgrounds whose spectrum contains non-supercoset worldsheet degrees of freedom corresponding to broken supersymmetries in the bulk. We derive an explicit expression, to all orders in the coset fermions and to second order in the non-coset fermions, which extends the supercoset Lax connection in these backgrounds with terms depending on the non-coset fermions. An important property of the obtained form of the Lax connection is that it is invariant under Z_4-transformations of the superisometry generators and the spectral parameter. This demonstrates that the contribution of the non-coset fermions does not spoil the Z_4-symmetry of the super-coset Lax connection which is of crucial importance for the application of Bethe-ansatz techniques. The expressions describing the AdS(4) x CP(3) and AdS(2) x S(2) x T(6) superstring sigma--models and their Lax connections have a very similar form. This is because their amount of target-space supersymmetries complement each other to 32=24+8, the maximal number of 10d type II supersymmetries. As a byproduct, this similarity has allowed us to obtain the form of the geometry of the complete type IIA AdS(2) x S(2) x T(6) superspace to all orders in the coset fermions and to the second order in the non-coset ones.Comment: 28 pages; v2: References adde

Constructing the Cubic Interaction Vertex of Higher Spin Gauge Fields

We propose a method of construction of a cubic interaction in massless Higher Spin gauge theory both in flat and in AdS space-times of arbitrary dimensions. We consider a triplet formulation of the Higher Spin gauge theory and generalize the Higher Spin symmetry algebra of the free model to the corresponding algebra for the case of cubic interaction. The generators of this new algebra carry indexes which label the three Higher Spin fields involved into the cubic interaction. The method is based on the use of oscillator formalism and on the Becchi-Rouet-Stora-Tyutin (BRST) technique. We derive general conditions on the form of cubic interaction vertex and discuss the ambiguities of the vertex which result from field redefinitions. This method can in principle be applied for constructing the Higher Spin interaction vertex at any order. Our results are a first step towards the construction of a Lagrangian for interacting Higher Spin gauge fields that can be holographically studied.Comment: Published Version; comments added in introduction; minor typos and references correcte

On Dimensional Degression in AdS(d)

We analyze the pattern of fields in d+1 dimensional anti-de Sitter space in terms of those in d dimensional anti-de Sitter space. The procedure, which is neither dimensional reduction nor dimensional compactification, is called dimensional degression. The analysis is performed group-theoretically for all totally symmetric bosonic and fermionic representations of the anti-de Sitter algebra. The field-theoretical analysis is done for a massive scalar field in AdS(d+d$^\prime$) and massless spin one-half, spin one, and spin two fields in AdS(d+1). The mass spectra of the resulting towers of fields in AdS(d) are found. For the scalar field case, the obtained results extend to the shadow sector those obtained by Metsaev in [1] by a different method.Comment: 30 page

The degenerate gravitino scenario

In this work, we explore the "degenerate gravitino" scenario where the mass difference between the gravitino and the lightest MSSM particle is much smaller than the gravitino mass itself. In this case, the energy released in the decay of the next to lightest sypersymmetric particle (NLSP) is reduced. Consequently the cosmological and astrophysical constraints on the gravitino abundance, and hence on the reheating temperature, become softer than in the usual case. On the other hand, such small mass splittings generically imply a much longer lifetime for the NLSP. We find that, in the constrained MSSM (CMSSM), for neutralino LSP or NLSP, reheating temperatures compatible with thermal leptogenesis are reached for small splittings of order 10^{-2} GeV. While for stau NLSP, temperatures of 4x10^9 GeV can be obtained even for splittings of order of tens of GeVs. This "degenerate gravitino" scenario offers a possible way out to the gravitino problem for thermal leptogenesis in supersymmetric theories.Comment: 27 pages, 10 figures and 1 table. Minor typos and references fixed. Matches published version in JCAP

Magneto-Optical Trap for Thulium Atoms

Thulium atoms are trapped in a magneto-optical trap using a strong transition at 410 nm with a small branching ratio. We trap up to $7\times10^{4}$ atoms at a temperature of 0.8(2) mK after deceleration in a 40 cm long Zeeman slower. Optical leaks from the cooling cycle influence the lifetime of atoms in the MOT which varies between 0.3 -1.5 s in our experiments. The lower limit for the leaking rate from the upper cooling level is measured to be 22(6) s$^{-1}$. The repumping laser transferring the atomic population out of the F=3 hyperfine ground-state sublevel gives a 30% increase for the lifetime and the number of atoms in the trap.Comment: 4 pages, 6 figure