643 research outputs found
Inhomogeneous non-Gaussianity
We propose a method to probe higher-order correlators of the primordial
density field through the inhomogeneity of local non-Gaussian parameters, such
as f_NL, measured within smaller patches of the sky. Correlators between
n-point functions measured in one patch of the sky and k-point functions
measured in another patch depend upon the (n+k)-point functions over the entire
sky. The inhomogeneity of non-Gaussian parameters may be a feasible way to
detect or constrain higher-order correlators in local models of
non-Gaussianity, as well as to distinguish between single and multiple-source
scenarios for generating the primordial density perturbation, and more
generally to probe the details of inflationary physics.Comment: 16 pages, 2 figures; v2: Minor changes and references added. Matches
the published versio
Non-Gaussianity from Symmetry
We point out that a light scalar field fluctuating around a symmetry-enhaced
point can generate large non-Gaussianity in density fluctuations. We name such
a particle as an "ungaussiton", a scalar field dominantly produced by the
quantum fluctuations,generating sizable non-Gaussianity in the density
fluctuations. We derive a consistency relation between the bispectrum and the
trispectrum, tau_NL = 10^3 f_NL^(4/3), which can be extended to arbitrary high
order correlation functions. If such a relation is confirmed by future
observations, it will strongly support this mechanism.Comment: 26 pages, 1 figure;v2 discussion and references added. To appear in
JCA
Non-Gaussianity from isocurvature perturbations
We develop a formalism to study non-Gaussianity in both curvature and
isocurvature perturbations. It is shown that non-Gaussianity in the
isocurvature perturbation between dark matter and photons leaves distinct
signatures in the CMB temperature fluctuations, which may be confirmed in
future experiments, or possibly, even in the currently available observational
data. As an explicit example, we consider the QCD axion and show that it can
actually induce sizable non-Gaussianity for the inflationary scale, H_{inf} =
O(10^9 - 10^{11})GeV.Comment: 24 pages, 6 figures; references added; version to appear in JCA
Characterization of the QUartz Photon Intensifying Detector (QUPID) for Noble Liquid Detectors
Dark Matter and Double Beta Decay experiments require extremely low
radioactivity within the detector materials. For this purpose, the University
of California, Los Angeles and Hamamatsu Photonics have developed the QUartz
Photon Intensifying Detector (QUPID), an ultra-low background photodetector
based on the Hybrid Avalanche Photo Diode (HAPD) and entirely made of
ultraclean synthetic fused silica. In this work we present the basic concept of
the QUPID and the testing measurements on QUPIDs from the first production
line. Screening of radioactivity at the Gator facility in the Laboratori
Nazionali del Gran Sasso has shown that the QUPIDs safely fulfill the low
radioactive contamination requirements for the next generation zero background
experiments set by Monte Carlo simulations. The quantum efficiency of the QUPID
at room temperature is > 30% at the xenon scintillation wavelength. At low
temperatures, the QUPID shows a leakage current less than 1 nA and a global
gain of 10^5. In these conditions, the photocathode and the anode show > 95%
linearity up to 1 uA for the cathode and 3 mA for the anode. The photocathode
and collection efficiency are uniform to 80% over the entire surface. In
parallel with single photon counting capabilities, the QUPIDs have a good
timing response: 1.8 +/- 0.1 ns rise time, 2.5 +/- 0.2 ns fall time, 4.20 +/-
0.05 ns pulse width, and 160 +/- 30 ps transit time spread. The QUPIDs have
also been tested in a liquid xenon environment, and scintillation light from
57Co and 210Po radioactive sources were observed.Comment: 15 pages, 22 figure
Rolling Closed String Tachyons and the Big Crunch
We study the low-energy effective field equations that couple gravity, the
dilaton, and the bulk closed string tachyon of bosonic closed string theory. We
establish that whenever the tachyon induces the rolling process, the string
metric remains fixed while the dilaton rolls to strong coupling. For negative
definite potentials we show that this results in an Einstein metric that
crunches the universe in finite time. This behavior is shown to be rather
generic even if the potentials are not negative definite. The solutions are
reminiscent of those in the collapse stage of a cyclic universe cosmology where
scalar field potentials with negative energies play a central role.Comment: 13 pages, 2 figures, LaTeX. Replaced version: one reference adde
Non-linear isocurvature perturbations and non-Gaussianities
We study non-linear primordial adiabatic and isocurvature perturbations and
their non-Gaussianity. After giving a general formulation in the context of an
extended delta N-formalism, we analyse in detail two illustrative examples. The
first is a mixed curvaton-inflaton scenario in which fluctuations of both the
inflaton and a curvaton (a light isocurvature field during inflation)
contribute to the primordial density perturbation. The second example is that
of double inflation involving two decoupled massive scalar fields during
inflation. In the mixed curvaton-inflaton scenario we find that the bispectrum
of primordial isocurvature perturbations may be large and comparable to the
bispectrum of adiabatic curvature perturbations.Comment: 24 pages, typos corrected, references adde
Ricci flows and expansion in axion-dilaton cosmology
We study renormalization-group flows by deforming a class of conformal
sigma-models. We consider overall scale factor perturbation of Einstein spaces
as well as more general anisotropic deformations of three-spheres. At leading
order in alpha, renormalization-group equations turn out to be Ricci flows. In
the three-sphere background, the latter is the Halphen system, which is exactly
solvable in terms of modular forms. We also analyze time-dependent deformations
of these systems supplemented with an extra time coordinate and time-dependent
dilaton. In some regimes time evolution is identified with
renormalization-group flow and time coordinate can appear as Liouville field.
The resulting space-time interpretation is that of a homogeneous isotropic
Friedmann-Robertson-Walker universe in axion-dilaton cosmology. We find as
general behaviour the superposition of a big-bang (polynomial) expansion with a
finite number of oscillations at early times. Any initial anisotropy disappears
during the evolution.Comment: 22 page
Composite fluxbranes with general intersections
Generalized composite fluxbrane solutions for a wide class of intersection
rules are obtained. The solutions are defined on a manifold which contains a
product of n Ricci-flat spaces M_1 x ... x M_n with 1-dimensional M_1. They are
defined up to a set of functions H_s obeying non-linear differential equations
equivalent to Toda-type equations with certain boundary conditions imposed. A
conjecture on polynomial structure of governing functions H_s for intersections
related to semisimple Lie algebras is suggested. This conjecture is valid for
Lie algebras: A_m, C_{m+1}, m > 0. For simple Lie algebras the powers of
polynomials coincide with the components of the dual Weyl vector in the basis
of simple roots. Explicit formulas for A_1 + ... + A_1 (orthogonal),
"block-ortogonal" and A_2 solutions are obtained. Certain examples of solutions
in D = 11 and D =10 (II A) supergravities (e.g. with A_2 intersection rules)
and Kaluza-Klein dyonic A_2 flux tube, are considered.Comment: 19 pages, Latex, 1 reference (on a pioneering paper of Gibbons and
Wiltshire) and two missing relations are added Published: Class. Quantum
Grav. 19 (2002) 3033-304
A non-Gaussian landscape
Primordial perturbations with wavelengths greater than the observable universe shift the effective background fields in our observable patch from their global averages over the inflating space. This leads to a landscape picture where the properties of our observable patch depend on its location and may significantly differ from the expectation values predicted by the underlying fundamental inflationary model. We show that if multiple fields are present during inflation, this may happen even if our horizon exit would be preceded by only a few e-foldings of inflation. Non-Gaussian statistics are especially affected: for example models of local non-Gaussianity predicting |f_NL|>> 10 over the entire inflating volume can have a probability up to a few tens of percent to generate a non-detectable bispectrum in our observable patch |fNL^{obs.}|<10. In this work we establish systematic connections between the observable local properties of primordial perturbations and the global properties of the inflating space which reflect the underlying high energy physics. We study in detail the implications of both a detection and non-detection of primordial non-Gaussianity by Planck, and discover novel ways of characterising the naturalness of different observational configurations
Exact Results in ABJM Theory from Topological Strings
Recently, Kapustin, Willett and Yaakov have found, by using localization
techniques, that vacuum expectation values of Wilson loops in ABJM theory can
be calculated with a matrix model. We show that this matrix model is closely
related to Chern-Simons theory on a lens space with a gauge supergroup. This
theory has a topological string large N dual, and this makes possible to solve
the matrix model exactly in the large N expansion. In particular, we find the
exact expression for the vacuum expectation value of a 1/6 BPS Wilson loop in
the ABJM theory, as a function of the 't Hooft parameters, and in the planar
limit. This expression gives an exact interpolating function between the weak
and the strong coupling regimes. The behavior at strong coupling is in precise
agreement with the prediction of the AdS string dual. We also give explicit
results for the 1/2 BPS Wilson loop recently constructed by Drukker and
TrancanelliComment: 18 pages, two figures, small misprints corrected and references
added, final version to appear in JHE
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