Primordial Non-Gaussianity and Gravitational Waves: Observational Tests of Brane Inflation in String Theory

We study brane inflation scenarios in a warped throat geometry and show that there exists a consistency condition between the non-Gaussianity of the curvature perturbation and the amplitude and scale-dependence of the primordial gravitational waves. This condition is independent of the warping of the throat and the form of the inflaton potential. We find that such a relation could be tested by a future CMB polarization experiment if the Planck satellite is able to detect both a gravitational wave background and a non-Gaussian statistic. In models where the observable stage of inflation occurs when the brane is in the tip region of the throat, we derive a further consistency condition involving the scalar spectral index, the tensor-scalar ratio and the curvature perturbation bispectrum. We show that when such a relation is combined with the WMAP3 results, it leads to a model-independent bound on the gravitational wave amplitude given by 0.001 < r < 0.01. This corresponds to the range of sensitivity of the next generation of CMB polarization experiments.Comment: 7 pages, uses RevTeX4. v2, replaced with version accepted by Phys. Rev.

Primordial non-gaussianities from multiple-field inflation

We calculate the three-point correlation function evaluated at horizon crossing for a set of interacting scalar fields coupled to gravity during inflation. This provides the initial condition for the three-point function of the curvature perturbation in the Sasaki--Stewart \delta N formulation. We find that the effect is small, of the order of a slow-roll parameter, and that the non-gaussianity can be determined on large scales once the unperturbed background evolution is known. As an example of the use of our formalism, we calculate the primordial non-gaussianity arising in a model of assisted inflation.Comment: 24 pages, JCAP LaTeX style; replaced with version accepted by JCAP. Some corrections to Sections 2 and 5, conclusions unchange

Primordial non-gaussianities in single field inflation

We calculate the three-point function for primordial scalar fluctuations in a single field inflationary scenario where the scalar field Lagrangian is a completely general function of the field and its first derivative. We obtain an explicit expression for the three-point correlation function in a self-consistent approximation scheme where the expansion rate varies slowly, analogous to the slow-roll limit in standard, single-field inflation. The three-point function can be written in terms of the familiar slow-roll parameters and three new parameters which measure the non-trivial kinetic structure of the scalar field, the departure of the sound speed from the speed of light, and the rate of change of the sound speed.Comment: 26 pages, uses iopart.cls. Updated to match version published in JCA

The tension between gauge coupling unification, the Higgs boson mass, and a gauge-breaking origin of the supersymmetric mu-term

We investigate the possibility of generating the $\mu$-term in the MSSM by the condensation of a field that is a singlet under the SM gauge group but charged under an additional family-independent $U(1)_X$ gauge symmetry. We attempt to do so while preserving the gauge coupling unification of the MSSM. For this, we find that SM non-singlet exotics must be present in the spectrum. We also prove that the pure $U(1)_X$ anomalies can always be solved with rationally charged fields, but that a large number of SM singlets are often required. For $U(1)_X$ charges that are consistent with an embedding of the MSSM in SU(5) or SO(10), we show that the $U(1)_X$ charges of the MSSM states can always be expressed as a linear combination of abelian subgroups of $E_6$. However, the SM exotics do not appear to have a straightforward embedding into GUT multiplets. We conclude from this study that if this approach to the $\mu$-term is correct, as experiment can probe, it will necessarily complicate the standard picture of supersymmetric grand unification.Comment: 10 pages, no figure

Firmware Development Improves System Efficiency

Most manufacturing processes require physical pointwise positioning of the components or tools from one location to another. Typical mechanical systems utilize either stop-and-go or fixed feed-rate procession to accomplish the task. The first approach achieves positional accuracy but prolongs overall time and increases wear on the mechanical system. The second approach sustains the throughput but compromises positional accuracy. A computer firmware approach has been developed to optimize this point wise mechanism by utilizing programmable interrupt controls to synchronize engineering processes 'on the fly'. This principle has been implemented in an eddy current imaging system to demonstrate the improvement. Software programs were developed that enable a mechanical controller card to transmit interrupts to a system controller as a trigger signal to initiate an eddy current data acquisition routine. The advantages are: (1) optimized manufacturing processes, (2) increased throughput of the system, (3) improved positional accuracy, and (4) reduced wear and tear on the mechanical system

Lindstedt Series Solutions of the Fermi-Pasta-Ulam Lattice

We apply the Lindstedt method to the one dimensional Fermi-Pasta-Ulam $\beta$ lattice to find fully general solutions to the complete set of equations of motion. The pertubative scheme employed uses $\epsilon$ as the expansion parameter, where $\epsilon$ is the coefficient of the quartic coupling between nearest neighbors. We compare our non-secular perturbative solutions to numerical solutions and find striking agreement.Comment: 17 pages, 10 figures. To appear in the Journal of Mathematical Physic