Probing Exotic Physics With Cosmic Neutrinos

Traditionally, collider experiments have been the primary tool used in searching for particle physics beyond the Standard Model. In this talk, I will discuss alternative approaches for exploring exotic physics scenarios using high energy and ultra-high energy cosmic neutrinos. Such neutrinos can be used to study interactions at energies higher, and over baselines longer, than those accessible to colliders. In this way, neutrino astronomy can provide a window into fundamental physics which is highly complementary to collider techniques. I will discuss the role of neutrino astronomy in fundamental physics, considering the use of such techniques in studying several specific scenarios including low scale gravity models, Standard Model electroweak instanton induced interactions, decaying neutrinos and quantum decoherence.Comment: 11 pages, 6 figures; For the proceedings of From Colliders To Cosmic Rays, Prague, Czech Republic, September 7-13, 200

Some Physical Properties of Aqueous Salt Solutions

The refractive indices of solutions of the alkali halides and nitrates were determined at 25 ° and from these the specific refractivities of both the solution and solute were calculated by means of the Lorenz-Lorentz formula. From density data the partial molal volumes were also calculated. The dielectric constants of the solutions were calculated by means of the Huckel relation involving the refractive index and were found to decrease with increase in concentration, the values for all salts approaching the same small value at saturation. The activities were calculated according to the equation given by Huckel for concentrated solutions of strong electrolytes and were found to agree qualitatively with experimental values

Some Physical Properties of Concentrated Aqueous Salt Solutions

The densities and refractive indices were determined at 25° for solutions of the halides of some of the alkali metals, over a concentration range from 0.1 molal to almost saturation. The partial molal volumes were calculated by differentiating the equations of the volume-molality curves. From the refractive index the specific refractivity of the solution and of the solute were calculated. The specific refractivity of the solute was found to be constant throughout the concentrations studied. Using an equation derived by Hückel, involving the refractive index, the dielectric constants of the solutions were calculated

Satellite applications to marine geodesy

Potential use of satellites for enhancing positioning capabilities and for marine geodetic contro

Working with simple machines

A set of examples is provided that illustrate the use of work as applied to simple machines. The ramp, pulley, lever and hydraulic press are common experiences in the life of a student and their theoretical analysis therefore makes the abstract concept of work more real. The mechanical advantage of each of these systems is also discussed so that students can evaluate their usefulness as machines.Comment: 9 pages, 4 figure

Affinities of the family Sollasellidae (Porifera, Demospongiae). I. Morphological evidence

Comparison of Sollasella digitata Lendenfeld, 1888, up until the present assigned to its own family Sollasellidae Lendenfeld, 1887 in the order Hadromerida, and Raspailopsis cervicornis Burton, 1959, assigned to Raspailiidae Nardo, 1833 in the order Poecilosclerida, leads to the conclusion that both should be considered congeneric and are best assigned to a single genus Sollasella. This conclusion is based on examination of habit and skeletal characters of the type material of S. digitata and both type and freshly collected material of S. cervicornis. The conclusion is strengthened by the discovery of a new species, Sollasella moretonensis n.sp. collected in North Australia (primarily in the northeastern coast, but also an isolated record from the northwestern Australian coast), which possesses in addition to the characteristic surface pattern and skeletal structure, genuine echinating acanthostyles. The redefined genus Sollasella shares axial / extra-axial arrangement of the skeleton, special surface brushes of oxeas surrounding a single protruding style, and vestigial occurrence of acanthostyles with many Raspailia s.l. Nevertheless, it is retained as a separate genus, on account of its peculiar polygonal arrangement of surface pores. The distribution of the genus is disjunctive including both (southeast, northeast and northwest) Australian and Western Indian Ocean localities, but so far no intermediate records. Based on this morphological evidence, it is proposed – pending publication of corroborating molecular evidence to be presented in a follow-up study – to reassign Sollasella and the family Sollasellidae to the poecilosclerid family Raspailiidae

Spinless photon dark matter from two universal extra dimensions

We explore the properties of dark matter in theories with two universal extra dimensions, where the lightest Kaluza-Klein state is a spin-0 neutral particle, representing a six-dimensional photon polarized along the extra dimensions. Annihilation of this 'spinless photon' proceeds predominantly through Higgs boson exchange, and is largely independent of other Kaluza-Klein particles. The measured relic abundance sets an upper limit on the spinless photon mass of 500 GeV, which decreases to almost 200 GeV if the Higgs boson is light. The phenomenology of this dark matter candidate is strikingly different from Kaluza-Klein dark matter in theories with one universal extra dimension. Elastic scattering of the spinless photon with quarks is helicity suppressed, making its direct detection challenging, although possible at upcoming experiments. The prospects for indirect detection with gamma rays and antimatter are similar to those of neutralinos. The rates predicted at neutrino telescopes are below the sensitivity of next-generation experiments.Comment: 22 pages. Figure 7 corrected, leading to improved prospects for direct detection. Some clarifying remarks include

Competing magnetic fluctuations in Sr3Ru2O7 probed by Ti doping

We report the effect of nonmagnetic Ti4+ impurities on the electronic and magnetic properties of Sr3Ru2O7. Small amounts of Ti suppress the characteristic peak in magnetic susceptibility near 16 K and result in a sharp upturn in specific heat. The metamagnetic quantum phase transition and related anomalous features are quickly smeared out by small amounts of Ti. These results provide strong evidence for the existence of competing magnetic fluctuations in the ground state of Sr3Ru2O7. Ti doping suppresses the low temperature antiferromagnetic interactions that arise from Fermi surface nesting, leaving the system in a state dominated by ferromagnetic fluctuations.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures, 1 tabl

Kaluza-Klein Dark Matter, Electrons and Gamma Ray Telescopes

Kaluza-Klein dark matter particles can annihilate efficiently into electron-positron pairs, providing a discrete feature (a sharp edge) in the cosmic $e^+ e^-$ spectrum at an energy equal to the particle's mass (typically several hundred GeV to one TeV). Although this feature is probably beyond the reach of satellite or balloon-based cosmic ray experiments (those that distinguish the charge and mass of the primary particle), gamma ray telescopes may provide an alternative detection method. Designed to observe very high-energy gamma-rays, ACTs also observe the diffuse flux of electron-induced electromagnetic showers. The GLAST satellite, designed for gamma ray astronomy, will also observe any high energy showers (several hundred GeV and above) in its calorimeter. We show that high-significance detections of an electron-positron feature from Kaluza-Klein dark matter annihilations are possible with GLAST, and also with ACTs such as HESS, VERITAS or MAGIC.Comment: 10 pages, 2 figure