One- and two-dimensional higher-point conformal blocks as free-particle wavefunctions in AdS3⊗m_3^{\otimes m}

We establish that all of the one- and two-dimensional global conformal blocks are, up to some choice of prefactor, free-particle wavefunctions in tensor products of AdS$_3$ or limits thereof. Our first core observation is that the six-point comb-channel conformal blocks correspond to free-particle wavefunctions on an AdS$_3$ constructed directly in cross-ratio space. This construction generalizes to blocks for a special class of diagrams, which are determined as free-particle wavefunctions in tensor products of AdS$_3$. Conformal blocks for all the remaining topologies are obtained as limits of the free wavefunctions mentioned above. Our results show directly that the integrable models associated with all one- and two-dimensional conformal blocks can be seen as limits of free theory, and manifest a relation between AdS and CFT kinematics that lies outside of the standard AdS/CFT dictionary. We complete the discussion by providing explicit Feynman-like rules that can be used to work out blocks for all topologies, as well as a Mathematica notebook that allows simple computation of Casimir equations and series expansions for blocks, by requiring just an OPE diagram as input.Comment: 39 pages + an appendix, 18 figures, Mathematica notebook attache

Feynman Rules for Scalar Conformal Blocks

We complete the proof of "Feynman rules" for constructing $M$-point conformal blocks with external and internal scalars in any topology for arbitrary $M$ in any spacetime dimension by combining the rules for the blocks (based on their Witten diagram interpretation) with the rules for the construction of conformal cross ratios (based on OPE flow diagrams). The full set of Feynman rules leads to blocks as power series of the hypergeometric type in the conformal cross ratios. We then provide a proof by recursion of the Feynman rules which relies heavily on the first Barnes lemma and the decomposition of the topology of interest in comb-like structures. Finally, we provide a nine-point example to illustrate the rules.Comment: 61 pages + an appendi

A Little Higgs model of neutrino masses

Little Higgs models are formulated as effective theories with a cut-off of up to 100 times the electroweak scale. Neutrino masses are then a puzzle, since the usual see-saw mechanism involves a much higher scale that would introduce quadratic corrections to the Higgs mass parameter. We propose a model that can naturally accommodate the observed neutrino masses and mixings in Little Higgs scenarios. Our framework does not involve any large scale or suppressed Yukawa couplings, and it implies the presence of three extra (Dirac) neutrinos at the TeV scale. The masses of the light neutrinos are induced radiatively, they are proportional to small (\approx keV) mass parameters that break lepton number and are suppressed by the Little Higgs cut-off.Comment: 10 pages, 3 figure

Higgs-pair Production and Decay in Simplest Little Higgs Model

In the framework of the simplest little Higgs model (SLHM), we study the production of a pair of neutral CP-even Higgs bosons at the LHC. First, we examine the production rate and find that it can be significantly larger than the SM prediction. Then we investigate the decays of the Higgs-pair and find that for a low Higgs mass their dominant decay mode is hh->\eta\eta\eta\eta (\eta is a CP-odd scalar) while hh->b\bar{b}\eta\eta and hh->\eta\eta WW may also have sizable ratios. Finally, we comparatively study the rates of pp-> hh -> b\bar{b}\tau^+ \tau^-, pp->hh->b\bar{b}\gamma\gamma, and pp->hh->WWWW in the SLHM and the littlest Higgs models (LHT). We find that for a light Higgs, compared with the SM predictions, all the three rates can be sizably enhanced in the LHT but severely suppressed in the SLHM; while for an intermediately heavy Higgs, both the LHT and SLHM can enhance sizably the SM predictions.Comment: Version in Nucl. Phys.

Phenomenology of models with more than two Higgs doublets

We study the most general Multi-Higgs-Doublet Model (MHDM) with Natural Flavor Conservation (NFC). The couplings of a charged scalar $H_i^{\pm}$ to up quarks, down quarks and charged leptons depend on three new complex parameters, $X_i$, $Y_i$ and $Z_i$, respectively. We prove relations among these parameters. We carry out a comprehensive analysis of phenomenological constraints on the couplings of the lightest charged scalar: $X$, $Y$ and $Z$. We find that the general MHDM may differ significantly from its minimal version, the Two-Higgs-Doublet Model (2HDM).Comment: 28 pages, 8 figures available upon request, LaTeX, WIS-94/3/Jan-P

Theoretical Constraints on the Higgs Effective Couplings

We derive constraints on the sign of couplings in an effective Higgs Lagrangian using prime principles such as the naturalness principle, global symmetries, and unitarity. Specifically, we study four dimension-six operators, O_H, O_y, O_g, and O_gamma, which contribute to the production and decay of the Higgs boson at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), among other things. Assuming the Higgs is a fundamental scalar, we find: 1) the coefficient of O_H is positive except when there are triplet scalars, resulting in a reduction in the Higgs on-shell coupling from their standard model (SM) expectations if no other operators contribute, 2) the linear combination of O_H and O_y controlling the overall Higgs coupling to fermion is always reduced, 3) the sign of O_g induced by a new colored fermion is such that it interferes destructively with the SM top contribution in the gluon fusion production of the Higgs, if the new fermion cancels the top quadratic divergence in the Higgs mass, and 4) the correlation between naturalness and the sign of O_gamma is similar to that of O_g, when there is a new set of heavy electroweak gauge bosons. Next considering a composite scalar for the Higgs, we find the reduction in the on-shell Higgs couplings persists. If further assuming a collective breaking mechanism as in little Higgs theories, the coefficient of O_H remains positive even in the presence of triplet scalars. In the end, we conclude that the gluon fusion production of the Higgs boson is reduced from the SM rate in all composite Higgs models. Our study suggests a wealth of information could be revealed by precise measurements of the Higgs couplings, providing strong motivations for both improving on measurements at the LHC and building a precision machine such as the linear collider.Comment: 37 pages, one figure; v2: improved discussion on dispersion relation and other minor modifications; version accepted for publication

Human papillomavirus type 18 infection in a female renal allograft recipient : a case report

Publisher Copyright: © 2016 The Author(s).Background: Human papillomavirus type 18 is the second most common cause of cervical cancer and is found in 7 to 20 % of cases of cervical cancer. The oncogenic potential of high-risk human papillomavirus is associated with expression of early proteins E6 and E7. Due to long-term immunosuppressive therapy, renal transplant recipients have a higher risk of developing persistent human papillomavirus infection. Case presentation: A 29-year-old white woman from Latvia with chronic focal segmental glomerulosclerosis received renal allograft transplantation and was prescribed immunosuppressive therapy with cyclosporine, prednisolone, and mycophenolate mofetil. Two weeks after renal transplantation, her cervical swab was positive for human papillomavirus consensus sequences. After 6 months, quantitative polymerase chain reaction showed a high viral load of 3,630,789 copies/105 cells of high-risk human papillomavirus type 18 and expression of E6 and E7 oncogenes in her cervical swab and urine sample. One year after renal transplantation, the viral load in her cervical swab increased significantly to 7,413,102 copies/105 cells. Messenger ribonucleic acid of human papillomavirus type 18 E6 and E7 oncogenes were also detected. Shortly after this, she had an unsuccessful pregnancy which resulted in a spontaneous abortion at 6/7 weeks. Two months after the abortion her viral load sharply decreased to 39 copies/105 cells. Oncogenes E6 and E7 messenger ribonucleic acid expression was not observed in this period. Conclusions: This case report represents data which show that immunosuppressive therapy may increase the risk of developing persistent high-risk human papillomavirus infection with expression of E6 and E7 oncogenes in renal transplant recipients. However, even during this therapy the immune status of a recipient can improve and contribute to human papillomavirus viral load reduction. Spontaneous abortion can be considered a possible contributory factor in human papillomavirus clearance.publishersversionPeer reviewe

Electroweak Precision Constraints on Vector-like Fermions

We calculate the oblique electroweak corrections and confront with the experiments in an extension of the Standard Model. The new fields added are a vector-like weak doublet and a singlet fermion. After electroweak symmetry breaking there is a mixing between the components of the new fields, but no mixing allowed with the standard fermions. Four electroweak parameters, $\hat{S}$, $\hat{T}$, W, Y are presented in the formalism of Barbieri et al., these are the generalization of the Peskin-Takeuchi S, T, U's. The vector-like extension is slightly constrained, $\hat{T}$ requires the new neutral fermion masses not to be very far from each other, allowing higher mass difference for higher masses and smaller mixing. $\hat{S}, W, Y$ gives practically no constraints on the masses. This extension can give a positive contribution to $\hat{T}$, allowing a heavy Higgs boson in electroweak precision tests of the Standard Model.Comment: 11 pages, 3 figures, references added,sign correction, conclusion about heavy Higgs has change