2,125 research outputs found
Is G a conversion factor or a fundamental unit?
By using fundamental units c, h, G as conversion factors one can easily
transform the dimensions of all observables. In particular one can make them
all ``geometrical'', or dimensionless. However this has no impact on the fact
that there are three fundamental units, G being one of them. Only experiment
can tell us whether G is basically fundamental.Comment: 2 page
The cosmological 7Li problem from a nuclear physics perspective
The primordial abundance of 7Li as predicted by Big Bang Nucleosynthesis
(BBN) is more than a factor 2 larger than what has been observed in metal-poor
halo stars. Herein, we analyze the possibility that this discrepancy originates
from incorrect assumptions about the nuclear reaction cross sections relevant
for BBN. To do this, we introduce an efficient method to calculate the changes
in the 7Li abundance produced by arbitrary (temperature dependent)
modifications of the nuclear reaction rates. Then, considering that 7Li is
mainly produced from 7Be via the electron capture process 7Be + e -> 7Li +
nu_e, we assess the impact of the various channels of 7Be destruction.
Differently from previous analysis, we consider the role of unknown resonances
by using a complete formalism which takes into account the effect of Coulomb
and centrifugal barrier penetration and that does not rely on the use of the
narrow-resonance approximation. As a result of this, the possibility of a
nuclear physics solution to the 7Li problem is significantly suppressed. Given
the present experimental and theoretical constraints, it is unlikely that the
7Be + n destruction rate is underestimated by the 2.5 factor required to solve
the problem. We exclude, moreover, that resonant destruction in the channels
7Be + t and 7Be + 3He can explain the 7Li puzzle. New unknown resonances in 7Be
+ d and 7Be + alpha could potentially produce significant effects. Recent
experimental results have ruled out such a possibility for 7Be+d. On the other
hand, for the 7Be + alpha channel very favorable conditions are required. The
possible existence of a partially suitable resonant level in 11C is studied in
the framework of a coupled-channel model and the possibility of a direct
measurement is considered.Comment: Final version, accepted for publication in JCA
Gribov horizon and non-perturbative BRST symmetry in the maximal Abelian gauge
The non-perturbative nilpotent exact BRST symmetry of the Gribov-Zwanziger
action in the Landau gauge constructed in [ arXiv:1506.06995 [hep-th]] is
generalized to the case of Euclidean Yang-Mills theories quantized in the
maximal Abelian gauge. The resulting diagonal gluon propagator is evaluating in
dimensions D=4,3,2. In D=4,3 a decoupling type behavior is found in the
infrared region, while in D=2 a scaling type behavior emerges.Comment: Reviewed version with a new section and new references adde
Mantle geoneutrinos in KamLAND and Borexino
The KamLAND and Borexino experiments have observed, each at ~4 sigma level,
signals of electron antineutrinos produced in the decay chains of thorium and
uranium in the Earth's crust and mantle (Th and U geoneutrinos). Various pieces
of geochemical and geophysical information allow an estimation of the crustal
geoneutrino flux components with relatively small uncertainties. The mantle
component may then be inferred by subtracting the estimated crustal flux from
the measured total flux. To this purpose, we analyze in detail the experimental
Th and U geoneutrino event rates in KamLAND and Borexino, including neutrino
oscillation effects. We estimate the crustal flux at the two detector sites,
using state-of-the-art information about the Th and U distribution on global
and local scales. We find that crust-subtracted signals show hints of a
residual mantle component, emerging at ~2.4 sigma level by combining the
KamLAND and Borexino data. The inferred mantle flux slightly favors scenarios
with relatively high Th and U abundances, within +-1 sigma uncertainties
comparable to the spread of predictions from recent mantle models.Comment: Slight changes and improvements in the text & figures. Results
unchanged. To appear in Phys. Rev.
A non-perturbative study of matter field propagators in Euclidean Yang-Mills theory in linear covariant, Curci-Ferrari and maximal Abelian gauges
In this work, we study the propagators of matter fields within the framework
of the Refined Gribov-Zwanziger theory, which takes into account the effects of
the Gribov copies in the gauge-fixing quantization procedure of Yang-Mills
theory. In full analogy with the pure gluon sector of the Refined
Gribov-Zwanziger action, a non-local long-range term in the inverse of the
Faddeev-Popov operator is added in the matter sector. Making use of the recent
BRST invariant formulation of the Gribov-Zwanziger framework achieved in [Capri
et al 2016], the propagators of scalar and quark fields in the adjoint and
fundamental representations of the gauge group are worked out explicitly in the
linear covariant, Curci-Ferrari and maximal Abelian gauges. Whenever lattice
data are available, our results exhibit good qualitative agreement.Comment: 27 pages, no figures; V2, minor modifications, to appear in EPJ
- …