Fixing the Solar Neutrino Parameters with Sterile Neutrinos

Neutrino mixing matrix appears to be close to bimaximal mixing, but for the solar mixing angle which is definitively smaller than forty five degrees. Whereas it seems quite easy to understand bimaximal mixing with the use of new global symmetries, as in models using $L_e - L_\mu - L_\tau$, understanding the about to eleven degrees of deviation in the observed solar angle seems less simple. We suggest that such a deviation could be due to a light sterile neutrino that mixes with the active sector. The mass scale needed to produce the effect has to be smaller than atmospheric scale, and it would introduce a new mass squared difference which should be smaller than the solar scale. We present a toy model that exemplifies these features.Comment: 19 pages, two figures. Discussion extended. References adde

FRW Universe in Ho\~rava Gravity

Recently, a field theoretic model for a UV complete theory of gravity has been proposed by Ho\~{r}ava. This theory is a non-relativistic renormalizable gravity theory which coincides with Einstein's general relativity at large distances. Subsequently L\"{u} et al have formulated the modified Friedmann equations and have presented a solution in vacuum. In the present work, we rewrite the modified FRW equations in the form of usual FRW equations in Einstein gravity and consequences has been analyzed. Also the thermodynamics of the FRW universe has been studied

Scalar and tensorial topological matter coupled to (2+1)-dimensional gravity:A.Classical theory and global charges

We consider the coupling of scalar topological matter to (2+1)-dimensional gravity. The matter fields consist of a 0-form scalar field and a 2-form tensor field. We carry out a canonical analysis of the classical theory, investigating its sectors and solutions. We show that the model admits both BTZ-like black-hole solutions and homogeneous/inhomogeneous FRW cosmological solutions.We also investigate the global charges associated with the model and show that the algebra of charges is the extension of the Kac-Moody algebra for the field-rigid gauge charges, and the Virasoro algebrafor the diffeomorphism charges. Finally, we show that the model can be written as a generalized Chern-Simons theory, opening the perspective for its formulation as a generalized higher gauge theory.Comment: 40 page

A Review of the "Digital Turn" in the New Literacy Studies

Digital communication has transformed literacy practices and assumed great importance in the functioning of workplace, recreational, and community contexts. This article reviews a decade of empirical work of the New Literacy Studies, identifying the shift toward research of digital literacy applications. The article engages with the central theoretical, methodological, and pragmatic challenges in the tradition of New Literacy Studies, while highlighting the distinctive trends in the digital strand. It identifies common patterns across new literacy practices through cross-comparisons of ethnographic research in digital media environments. It examines ways in which this research is taking into account power and pedagogy in normative contexts of literacy learning using the new media. Recommendations are given to strengthen the links between New Literacy Studies research and literacy curriculum, assessment, and accountability in the 21st century

Bogomolnyi Bound with a Cosmological Constant

Bogomolnyi-type bound is constructed for the topological solitons in O(3) nonlinear $\sigma$ model coupled to gravity with a negative cosmological constant. Spacetimes made by self-dual solutions form a class of G\"{o}del-type universe. In the limit of a spinless massive point particle, the obtained stationary metric does not violate the causality and it is a new point particle solution different from the known static hyperboloid and black hole. We also showed that static Nielsen-Olesen vortices saturate Bogomolnyi-type bound only when the cosmological constant vanishes.Comment: 11 pages, RevTe

Exploring the vicinity of the Bogomol'nyi-Prasad-Sommerfield bound

We investigate systems of real scalar fields in bidimensional spacetime, dealing with potentials that are small modifications of potentials that admit supersymmetric extensions. The modifications are controlled by a real parameter, which allows implementing a perturbation procedure when such parameter is small. The approach allows obtaining the energy and topological charge in closed forms, up to first order in the parameter. We illustrate the procedure with some examples. In particular, we show how to remove the degeneracy in energy for the one-field and the two-field solutions that appear in a model of two real scalar fields.Comment: Revtex, 9 pages, To be published in J. Phys.

G-Structures, Fluxes and Calibrations in M-Theory

We study the most general supersymmetric warped M-theory backgrounds with non-trivial G-flux of the type R^{1,2} x M_8 and AdS_3 x M_8. We give a set of necessary and sufficient conditions for preservation of supersymmetry which are phrased in terms of G-structures and their intrinsic torsion. These equations may be interpreted as calibration conditions for a static ``dyonic'' M-brane, that is, an M5-brane with self-dual three-form turned on. When the electric flux is turned off we obtain the supersymmetry conditions and non-linear PDEs describing M5-branes wrapped on associative and special Lagrangian three-cycles in manifolds with G_2 and SU(3) structures, respectively. As an illustration of our formalism, we recover the 1/2-BPS dyonic M-brane, and also construct some new examples.Comment: 40 pages; v2: one reference added, typos correcte

Extensions, expansions, Lie algebra cohomology and enlarged superspaces

After briefly reviewing the methods that allow us to derive consistently new Lie (super)algebras from given ones, we consider enlarged superspaces and superalgebras, their relevance and some possible applications.Comment: 9 pages. Invited talk delivered at the EU RTN Workshop, Copenhagen, Sep. 15-19 and at the Argonne Workshop on Branes and Generalized Dynamics, Oct. 20-24, 2003. Only change: wrong number of a reference correcte

Making sense of the bizarre behaviour of horizons in the McVittie spacetime

The bizarre behaviour of the apparent (black hole and cosmological) horizons of the McVittie spacetime is discussed using, as an analogy, the Schwarzschild-de Sitter-Kottler spacetime (which is a special case of McVittie anyway). For a dust-dominated "background" universe, a black hole cannot exist at early times because its (apparent) horizon would be larger than the cosmological(apparent) horizon. A phantom-dominated "background" universe causes this situation, and the horizon behaviour, to be time-reversed.Comment: 8 pages, 3 figure

Supersymmetric black holes in 2D dilaton supergravity: baldness and extremality

We present a systematic discussion of supersymmetric solutions of 2D dilaton supergravity. In particular those solutions which retain at least half of the supersymmetries are ground states with respect to the bosonic Casimir function (essentially the ADM mass). Nevertheless, by tuning the prepotential appropriately, black hole solutions may emerge with an arbitrary number of Killing horizons. The absence of dilatino and gravitino hair is proven. Moreover, the impossibility of supersymmetric dS ground states and of nonextremal black holes is confirmed, even in the presence of a dilaton. In these derivations the knowledge of the general analytic solution of 2D dilaton supergravity plays an important role. The latter result is addressed in the more general context of gPSMs which have no supergravity interpretation. Finally it is demonstrated that the inclusion of non-minimally coupled matter, a step which is already nontrivial by itself, does not change these features in an essential way.Comment: 30 pages, LaTeX, v2: mayor revision (rearranged title, shortened abstract, revised introduction, inserted section from appendix to main text, added subsection with new material on non-SUGRA gPSMs, added clarifying remarks at some places, updated references); v3: corrected minor misprints, added note with a new referenc