Quasi-local Energy for Spherically Symmetric Spacetimes

We present two complementary approaches for determining the reference for the covariant Hamiltonian boundary term quasi-local energy and test them on spherically symmetric spacetimes. On the one hand, we isometrically match the 2-surface and extremize the energy. This can be done in two ways, which we call programs I (without constraint) and II (with additional constraints). On the other hand, we match the orthonormal 4-frames of the dynamic and the reference spacetimes. Then, if we further specify the observer by requiring the reference displacement to be the timelike Killing vector of the reference, the result is the same as program I, and the energy can be positive, zero, or even negative. If, instead, we require that the Lie derivatives of the two-area along the displacement vector in both the dynamic and reference spacetimes to be the same, the result is the same as program II, and it satisfies the usual criteria: the energies are non-negative and vanish only for Minkowski (or anti-de Sitter) spacetime.Comment: 16 pages, no figure

A Note on Acceleration from Product Space Compactification

We study compactifications of Einstein gravity on product spaces in vacuum and their acceleration phases. Scalar potentials for the dimensionally reduced effective theory are found to be of exponential form and exact solutions are obtained for a class of product spaces. The inflation in our solutions is not sufficient for the early universe. We comment on the possibility of obtaining sufficient inflation by compactification in general.Comment: 19 pages, 6 figures, v2: further comments and references added, v3: typos fixe

A marker of glutathione S-transferase-mediated resistance to insecticides is associated with higher Plasmodium infection in the African malaria vector Anopheles funestus

Metabolic resistance to insecticides is threatening malaria control in Africa. However, the extent to which it impacts malaria transmission remains unclear. Here, we investigated the association between a marker of glutathione S-transferase mediated metabolic resistance and Plasmodium infection in field population of Anopheles funestus s.s. in comparison to the A296S-RDL target site mutation. The 119F-GSTe2 resistant allele was present in southern (Obout) (56%) and central (Mibellon) (25%) regions of Cameroon whereas the 296S-RDL resistant allele was detected at 98.5% and 15% respectively. The whole mosquito Plasmodium and sporozoite infection rates were 57% and 14.8% respectively in Obout (n = 508) and 19.7% and 5% in Mibellon (n = 360). No association was found between L119F-GSTe2 genotypes and whole mosquito infection status. However, when analyzing oocyst and sporozoite infection rates separately, the resistant homozygote 119F/F genotype was significantly more associated with Plasmodium infection in Obout than both heterozygote (OR = 2.5; P = 0.012) and homozygote susceptible (L/L119) genotypes (OR = 2.10; P = 0.013). In contrast, homozygote RDL susceptible mosquitoes (A/A296) were associated more frequently with Plasmodium infection than other genotypes (OR = 4; P = 0.03). No additive interaction was found between L119F and A296S. Sequencing of the GSTe2 gene showed no association between the polymorphism of this gene and Plasmodium infection. Glutathione S-transferase metabolic resistance is potentially increasing the vectorial capacity of resistant An. funestus mosquitoes. This could result in a possible exacerbation of malaria transmission in areas of high GSTe2-based metabolic resistance to insecticides

Hyperbolic Space Cosmologies

We present a systematic study of accelerating cosmologies obtained from M/string theory compactifications of hyperbolic spaces with time-varying volume. A set of vacuum solutions where the internal space is a product of hyperbolic manifolds is found to give qualitatively the same accelerating four-dimensional FLRW universe behavior as a single hyperbolic space. We also examine the possibility that our universe is a hyperbolic space and provide exact Milne type solutions, as well as intersecting S-brane solutions. When both the usual 4D spacetime and the m-dimensional internal space are hyperbolic, we find eternally accelerating cosmologies for $m\geq 7$, with and without form field backgrounds. In particular, the effective potential for a magnetic field background in the large 3 dimensions is positive definite with a local minimum and thus enhances the eternally accelerating expansion.Comment: 33 pages, 2 figures; v2 refs added; v3 minor change in text, JHEP versio

Notes on the algebraic curves in (p,q) minimal string theory

Loop amplitudes in (p,q) minimal string theory are studied in terms of the continuum string field theory based on the free fermion realization of the KP hierarchy. We derive the Schwinger-Dyson equations for FZZT disk amplitudes directly from the W_{1+\infty} constraints in the string field formulation and give explicitly the algebraic curves of disk amplitudes for general backgrounds. We further give annulus amplitudes of FZZT-FZZT, FZZT-ZZ and ZZ-ZZ branes, generalizing our previous D-instanton calculus from the minimal unitary series (p,p+1) to general (p,q) series. We also give a detailed explanation on the equivalence between the Douglas equation and the string field theory based on the KP hierarchy under the W_{1+\infty} constraints.Comment: 61 pages, 1 figure, section 2.5 and Appendix B added, references added, final version to appear in JHE

Comments on the Quark Content of the Scalar Meson f0(1370)f_0(1370)

Based on the measurements of $(D_s^+,D^+)\to f_0(1370)\pi^+$ we determine, in a model independent way, the allowed $s\bar s$ content in the scalar meson $f_0(1370)$. We find that, on the one hand, if this isoscalar resonance is a pure $n\bar n$ state [ $n\bar n\equiv(u\bar u+d\bar d)/\sqrt{2} ]$, a very large $W$-annihilation term will be needed to accommodate $D_s^+\to f_0(1370)\pi^+$. On the other hand, the $s\bar s$ component of $f_0(1370)$ should be small enough to avoid excessive $D_s^+\to f_0(1370)\pi^+$ induced from the external $W$-emission. Measurement of $f_0(1370)$ production in the decay $D_s^+\to K^+K^-\pi^+$ will be useful to test the above picture. For the decay $D^0\to f_0(1370)\bar K^0$ which is kinematically barely or even not allowed, depending on the mass of $f_0(1370)$, we find that the finite width effect of $f_0(1370)$ plays a crucial role on the resonant three-body decay $D^0\to f_0(1370)\bar K^0\to\pi^+\pi^-\bar K^0$.Comment: 12 pages, 2 figure

Measuring the Relative Strong Phase in D0→K∗+K−D^0 \to K^{*+} K^- and D0→K∗−K+D^0 \to K^{*-} K^+ Decays

In a recently suggested method for measuring the weak phase $\gamma$ in $B^\pm \to K^\pm (KK^*)_D$ decays, the relative strong phase $\delta_D$ in $D^0 \to K^{*+} K^-$ and $D^0 \to K^{*-} K^+$ decays (equivalently, in $D^0 \to K^{*+} K^-$ and \od \to K^{*+} K^-) plays a role. It is shown how a study of the Dalitz plot in $D^0 \to K^+ K^- \pi^0$ can yield information on this phase, and the size of the data sample which would give a useful measurement is estimated.Comment: 13 pages, latex, 5 figures, submitted to Phys. Rev. D. Appendix and some text on additional resonant contributions adde

Using untagged B^0 -> D K_S to determine gamma

It is shown that the weak phase gamma=arg(-V_{ud}V^*_{ub}V_{cb}V_{cd}^*) can be determined using only untagged decays B/Bbar--> D K_S. In order to reduce the uncertainty in gamma, we suggest combining information from B^{+-}--> DK^{+-} and from untagged B^0 decays, where the D meson is observed in common decay modes. Theoretical assumptions, which may further reduce the statistical error, are also discussed.Comment: 18 pages, same as published versio

Cosmic Microwave Background Observables of Small Field Models of Inflation

We construct a class of single small field models of inflation that can predict, contrary to popular wisdom, an observable gravitational wave signal in the cosmic microwave background anisotropies. The spectral index, its running, the tensor to scalar ratio and the number of e-folds can cover all the parameter space currently allowed by cosmological observations. A unique feature of models in this class is their ability to predict a negative spectral index running in accordance with recent cosmic microwave background observations. We discuss the new class of models from an effective field theory perspective and show that if the dimensionless trilinear coupling is small, as required for consistency, then the observed spectral index running implies a high scale of inflation and hence an observable gravitational wave signal. All the models share a distinct prediction of higher power at smaller scales, making them easy targets for detection.Comment: 13 pages, 3 figures, added numerical analysis and discussion on the properties of the spectra. Version to be published in JCA

A Phenomenological Analysis of Gluon Mass Effects in Inclusive Radiative Decays of the J/ψ\rm{J/\psi} and $\Upsilon

The shapes of the inclusive photon spectra in the processes \Jp \to \gamma X and \Up \to \gamma X have been analysed using all available experimental data. Relativistic, higher order QCD and gluon mass corrections were taken into account in the fitted functions. Only on including the gluon mass corrections, were consistent and acceptable fits obtained. Values of $0.721^{+0.016}_{-0.068}$ GeV and $1.18^{+0.09}_{-0.29}$ GeV were found for the effective gluon masses (corresponding to Born level diagrams) for the \Jp and \Up respectively. The width ratios \Gamma(V \to {\rm hadrons})/\Gamma(V \to \gamma+ {\rm hadrons}) V=\Jp, \Up were used to determine $\alpha_s(1.5 {\rm GeV})$ and $\alpha_s(4.9 {\rm GeV})$. Values consistent with the current world average $\alpha_s$ were obtained only when gluon mass correction factors, calculated using the fitted values of the effective gluon mass, were applied. A gluon mass $\simeq 1$ GeV, as suggested with these results, is consistent with previous analytical theoretical calculations and independent phenomenological estimates, as well as with a recent, more accurate, lattice calculation of the gluon propagator in the infra-red region.Comment: 50 pages, 11 figures, 15 table