Symmetries and the Antibracket: The Batalin-Vilkovisky Method

These lectures on the Batalin-Vilkovisky method of quantization were delivered at "VII Mexican School of Particles and Fields", M\'erida, M\'exico, October 30-November 6, 1996. In section II, we study the derivation of BV from Schwinger-Dyson-BRST symmetry; in section III, we consider some generalizations of the BV structure suggested by our approach. In section IV, we present a connection between the Poisson bracket and the antibracket and use it to relate the Nambu bracketc with the generalized $n$-brackets of section III.Comment: 38 pages, Late

Loop Quantum Gravity Corrections and Cosmic Ray Decays

Loop quantum gravity effective theories are reviewed in the context of the observed GZK limit anomaly and related processes. This is accomplished through a kinematical analysis of the modified threshold conditions for the involved decay reactions, arising from the theory. Specially interesting is the possibility of an helicity dependant violation of the limit, whose primary effect would be the observation of favoured helicity states for highly energetic particles.Comment: Revtex, 19 pages. Additional reference