On a class of 4D Kahler bases and AdS_5 supersymmetric Black Holes

We construct a class of toric Kahler manifolds, M_4, of real dimension four, a subset of which corresponds to the Kahler bases of all known 5D asymptotically AdS_5 supersymmetric black-holes. In a certain limit, these Kahler spaces take the form of cones over Sasaki spaces, which, in turn, are fibrations over toric manifolds of real dimension two. The metric on M_4 is completely determined by a single function H(x), which is the conformal factor of the two dimensional space. We study the solutions of minimal five dimensional gauged supergravity having this class of Kahler spaces as base and show that in order to generate a five dimensional solution H(x) must obey a simple sixth order differential equation. We discuss the solutions in detail, which include all known asymptotically AdS_5 black holes as well as other spacetimes with non-compact horizons. Moreover we find an infinite number of supersymmetric deformations of these spacetimes with less spatial isometries than the base space. These deformations vanish at the horizon, but become relevant asymptotically.Comment: 34 pages, 3 figures. v2: formula (8.35) and other minor typos corrected; references added; accepted for publication in JHE

At the horizon of a supersymmetric AdS_5 black hole: Isometries and half-BPS giants

The near-horizon geometry of an asymptotically AdS_5 supersymmetric black hole discovered by Gutowski and Reall is analysed. After lifting the solution to 10 dimensions, we explicitly solve the Killing spinor equations in both Poincare and global coordinates. It is found that exactly four supersymmetries are preserved which is twice the number for the full black hole. The full set of isometries is constructed and the isometry supergroup is shown to be SU(1,1|1) X SU(2) X U(3). We further study half-BPS configurations of D3-branes in the near-horizon geometry in Poincare and global coordinates. Both giant graviton probes and dual giant graviton probes are found.Comment: 26 pages. v2:Typos corrected, minor change

Dual giant gravitons in AdSm_m ×\times Yn^n (Sasaki-Einstein)

We consider BPS motion of dual giant gravitons on Ad$S_5\times Y^5$ where $Y^5$ represents a five-dimensional Sasaki-Einstein manifold. We find that the phase space for the BPS dual giant gravitons is symplectically isomorphic to the Calabi-Yau cone over $Y^5$, with the K\"{a}hler form identified with the symplectic form. The quantization of the dual giants therefore coincides with the K\"{a}hler quantization of the cone which leads to an explicit correspondence between holomorphic wavefunctions of dual giants and gauge-invariant operators of the boundary theory. We extend the discussion to dual giants in $AdS_4 \times Y^7$ where $Y^7$ is a seven-dimensional Sasaki-Einstein manifold; for special motions the phase space of the dual giants is symplectically isomorphic to the eight-dimensional Calabi-Yau cone.Comment: 14 pages. (v2) typo's corrected; factors of AdS radius reinstated for clarity; remarks about dual giant wavefunctions in T^{1,1} expanded and put in a new subsectio

Counting 1/8-BPS Dual-Giants

We count 1/8-BPS states in type IIB string theory on AdS_5 x S^5 background which carry three independent angular momenta on S^5. These states can be counted by considering configurations of multiple dual-giant gravitons up to N in number which share at least four supersymmetries. We map this counting problem to that of counting the energy eigen states of a system of N bosons in a 3-dimensional harmonic oscillator. We also count 1/8-BPS states with two independent non-zero spins in AdS_5 and one non-zero angular momentum on S^5 by considering configurations of arbitrary number of giant gravitons that share at least four supersymmetries.Comment: 19 page

Cosmology with a long range repulsive force

We consider a class of cosmological models in which the universe is filled with a (non-electric) charge density that repels itself by means of a force carried by a vector boson with a tiny mass. When the vector's mass depends upon other fields, the repulsive interaction gives rise to an electromagnetic barrier which prevents these fields from driving the mass to zero. This can modify the cosmology dramatically. We present a very simple realization of this idea in which the vector's mass arises from a scalar field. The electromagnetic barrier prevents this field from rolling down its potential and thereby leads to accelerated expansion.Comment: 15 pages, 8 figures, LaTeX (version accepted for publication in PRD). 3 new figures, extended discussion of observational consequence

Inflation in Realistic D-Brane Models

We find successful models of D-brane/anti-brane inflation within a string context. We work within the GKP-KKLT class of type IIB string vacua for which many moduli are stabilized through fluxes, as recently modified to include `realistic' orbifold sectors containing standard-model type particles. We allow all moduli to roll when searching for inflationary solutions and find that inflation is not generic inasmuch as special choices must be made for the parameters describing the vacuum. But given these choices inflation can occur for a reasonably wide range of initial conditions for the brane and antibrane. We find that D-terms associated with the orbifold blowing-up modes play an important role in the inflationary dynamics. Since the models contain a standard-model-like sector after inflation, they open up the possibility of addressing reheating issues. We calculate predictions for the CMB temperature fluctuations and find that these can be consistent with observations, but are generically not deep within the scale-invariant regime and so can allow appreciable values for $dn_s/d\ln k$ as well as predicting a potentially observable gravity-wave signal. It is also possible to generate some admixture of isocurvature fluctuations.Comment: 39 pages, 21 figures; added references; identified parameters combining successful inflation with strong warping, as needed for consistency of the approximation

Current constraints on Cosmological Parameters from Microwave Background Anisotropies

We compare the latest observations of Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) Anisotropies with the theoretical predictions of the standard scenario of structure formation. Assuming a primordial power spectrum of adiabatic perturbations we found that the total energy density is constrained to be $\Omega_{tot}=1.03\pm0.06$ while the energy density in baryon and Cold Dark Matter (CDM) are $\Omega_bh^2=0.021\pm0.003$ and $\Omega_{cdm}h^2=0.12\pm0.02$, (all at 68% C.L.) respectively. The primordial spectrum is consistent with scale invariance, ($n_s=0.97\pm0.04$) and the age of the universe is $t_0=14.6\pm0.9$ Gyrs. Adding informations from Large Scale Structure and Supernovae, we found a strong evidence for a cosmological constant $\Omega_{\Lambda}=0.70_{-0.05}^{+0.07}$ and a value of the Hubble parameter $h=0.69\pm0.07$. Restricting this combined analysis to flat universes, we put constraints on possible 'extensions' of the standard scenario. A gravity waves contribution to the quadrupole anisotropy is limited to be $r \le 0.42$ (95% c.l.). A constant equation of state for the dark energy component is bound to be $w_Q \le -0.74$ (95% c.l.). We constrain the effective relativistic degrees of freedom $N_\nu \leq 6.2$ and the neutrino chemical potential $-0.01 \leq \xi_e \leq 0.18$ and $|\xi_{\mu,\tau}|\leq 2.3$ (massless neutrinos).Comment: The status of cosmological parameters before WMAP. In press on Phys. Rev. D., Rapid Communication, 6 pages, 5 figure

Stringent Constraints on Cosmological Neutrino-Antineutrino Asymmetries from Synchronized Flavor Transformation

We assess a mechanism which can transform neutrino-antineutrino asymmetries between flavors in the early universe, and confirm that such transformation is unavoidable in the near bi-maximal framework emerging for the neutrino mixing matrix. We show that the process is a standard Mikheyev-Smirnov-Wolfenstein flavor transformation dictated by a synchronization of momentum states. We also show that flavor ``equilibration'' is a special feature of maximal mixing, and carefully examine new constraints placed on neutrino asymmetries. In particular, the big bang nucleosynthesis limit on electron neutrino degeneracy xi_e < 0.04 does not apply directly to all flavors, yet confirmation of the large-mixing-angle solution to the solar neutrino problem will eliminate the possibility of degenerate big bang nucleosynthesis.Comment: 11 pages, 6 figures; minor changes to match PRD versio

Cross Section Measurements of Charged Pion Photoproduction in Hydrogen and Deuterium from 1.1 to 5.5 GeV

The differential cross section for the gamma +n --> pi- + p and the gamma + p --> pi+ n processes were measured at Jefferson Lab. The photon energies ranged from 1.1 to 5.5 GeV, corresponding to center-of-mass energies from 1.7 to 3.4 GeV. The pion center-of-mass angles varied from 50 degree to 110 degree. The pi- and pi+ photoproduction data both exhibit a global scaling behavior at high energies and high transverse momenta, consistent with the constituent counting rule prediction and the existing pi+ data. The data suggest possible substructure of the scaling behavior, which might be oscillations around the scaling value. The data show an enhancement in the scaled cross section at center-of-mass energy near 2.2 GeV. The differential cross section ratios at high energies and high transverse momenta can be described by calculations based on one-hard-gluon-exchange diagrams.Comment: 18 pages, 19 figure

On exact solutions for quintessential (inflationary) cosmological models with exponential potentials

We first study dark energy models with a minimally-coupled scalar field and exponential potentials, admitting exact solutions for the cosmological equations: actually, it turns out that for this class of potentials the Einstein field equations exhibit alternative Lagrangians, and are completely integrable and separable (i.e. it is possible to integrate the system analytically, at least by quadratures). We analyze such solutions, especially discussing when they are compatible with a late time quintessential expansion of the universe. As a further issue, we discuss how such quintessential scalar fields can be connected to the inflationary phase, building up, for this class of potentials, a quintessential inflationary scenario: actually, it turns out that the transition from inflation toward late-time exponential quintessential tail admits a kination period, which is an indispensable ingredient of this kind of theoretical models. All such considerations have also been done by including radiation into the model.Comment: Revtex4, 10 figure