The forward-backward asymmetry of top quark production at the Tevatron in warped extra dimensional models

The CDF and D0 experiments have reported on the measurement of the forward-backward asymmetry of top quark pair production at the Tevatron and the result is that it is more than 2 standard deviations above the predicted value in the Standard Model. This has to be added to the longstanding anomaly in the forward-backward asymmetry for bottom quark production at LEP which is 3 standard deviations different from the Standard Model value. The discrepancy in the bottom asymmetry can be accounted for by the contributions of Kaluza-Klein excitations of electroweak gauge bosons at LEP in warped extra dimensional models in which the fermions are localized differently along the extra dimension so that the gauge interactions of heavy third generation fermions are naturally different from that of light fermions. In this paper, we show that it is more difficult to elaborate a model generating a significant top asymmetry in a similar way -- through exchanges of Kaluza-Klein gluons at the Tevatron -- due to the indirect constraints originating from precision electroweak data.Comment: 4 pages, 1 figure, published versio

Flavour physics of the RS model with KK masses reachable at LHC

The version of the higher-dimensional Randall-Sundrum (RS) model with matter in the bulk, which addresses the gauge hierarchy problem, has additional attractive features. In particular, it provides an intrinsic geometrical mechanism that can explain the origin of the large mass hierarchies among the Standard Model fermions. Within this context, a good solution for the gauge hierarchy problem corresponds to low masses for the Kaluza-Klein (KK) excitations of the gauge bosons. Some scenarios have been proposed in order to render these low masses (down to a few TeV) consistent with precision electroweak measurements. Here, we give specific and complete realizations of this RS version with small KK masses, down to 1 TeV, which are consistent with the entire structure of the fermions in flavour space: (1) all the last experimental data on quark/lepton masses and mixing angles (including massive neutrinos of Dirac type) are reproduced, (2) flavour changing neutral current constraints are satisfied and (3) the effective suppression scales of non-renormalizable interactions (in the physical basis) are within the bounds set by low energy flavour phenomenology. Our result, on the possibility of having KK gauge boson modes as light as a few TeV, constitutes one of the first theoretical motivations for experimental searches of direct signatures at the LHC collider, of this interesting version of the RS model which accommodates fermion masses.Comment: 27 pages, Latex file. References and comments adde

Probing RS scenarios of flavour at LHC via leptonic channels

We study a purely leptonic signature of the Randall-Sundrum scenario with Standard Model fields in the bulk at LHC: the contribution from the exchange of Kaluza-Klein (KK) excitations of gauge bosons to the clear Drell-Yan reaction. We show that this contribution is detectable (even with the low luminosities of the LHC initial regime) for KK masses around the TeV scale and for sufficiently large lepton couplings to KK gauge bosons. Such large couplings can be compatible with ElectroWeak precision data on the Zff coupling in the framework of the custodial O(3) symmetry recently proposed, for specific configurations of lepton localizations (along the extra dimension). These configurations can simultaneously reproduce the correct lepton masses, while generating acceptably small Flavour Changing Neutral Current (FCNC) effects. This LHC phenomenological analysis is realistic in the sense that it is based on fermion localizations which reproduce all the quark/lepton masses plus mixing angles and respect FCNC constraints in both the hadron and lepton sectors.Comment: 15 pages, 6 Figures, Latex fil

Efficiency of a thermodynamic motor at maximum power

Several recent theories address the efficiency of a macroscopic thermodynamic motor at maximum power and question the so-called "Curzon-Ahlborn (CA) efficiency." Considering the entropy exchanges and productions in an n-sources motor, we study the maximization of its power and show that the controversies are partly due to some imprecision in the maximization variables. When power is maximized with respect to the system temperatures, these temperatures are proportional to the square root of the corresponding source temperatures, which leads to the CA formula for a bi-thermal motor. On the other hand, when power is maximized with respect to the transitions durations, the Carnot efficiency of a bi-thermal motor admits the CA efficiency as a lower bound, which is attained if the duration of the adiabatic transitions can be neglected. Additionally, we compute the energetic efficiency, or "sustainable efficiency," which can be defined for n sources, and we show that it has no other universal upper bound than 1, but that in certain situations, favorable for power production, it does not exceed 1/2

Toward integrated conservation of North America's crop wild relatives

North America harbors a rich native flora of crop wild relatives—the progenitors and closely related species of domesticated plants—as well as a range of culturally significant wild utilized plants. Despite their current and potential future value, they are rarely prioritized for conservation efforts; thus many species are threatened in their natural habitats, and most are underrepresented in plant genebanks and botanical gardens. Further coordination of efforts among land management, botanical, and agricultural science organizations will improve conservation and general public awareness with regard to these species. We present examples of productive collaborations focused on wild cranberries (Vaccinium macrocarpon and Vaccinium oxycoccos) and chile peppers (Capsicum annuum var. glabriusculum). We then discuss five shared priorities for further action: (1) understand and document North America's crop wild relatives and wild utilized plants, (2) protect threatened species in their natural habitats, (3) collect and conserve ex situ the diversity of prioritized species, (4) make this diversity accessible and attractive for plant breeding, research, and education, and (5) raise public awareness of their value and the threats to their persistence

Successful Yukawa structures in Warped Extra Dimensions

For a RS model, with SM fields in the bulk and the Higgs boson on the TeV-brane, we suggest two specific structures for the Yukawa couplings, one based on a permutation symmetry and the other on the Universal Strength of Yukawa couplings hypothesis (USY). In USY, all Yukawa couplings have equal strength and the difference in the Yukawa structure lies in some complex phase. In both scenarios, all Yukawa couplings are of the same order of magnitude. Thus, the main features of the fermion hierarchies are explained through the RS geometrical mechanism, and not because some Yukawa coupling is extremely small. We find that the RS model is particularly appropriate to incorporate the suggested Yukawa configurations. Indeed, the RS geometrical mechanism of fermion locations along the extra dimension, combined with the two Yukawa scenarios, reproduces all the present experimental data on fermion masses and mixing angles. It is quite remarkable that in the USY case, only two complex phases of definite value +-Pi/2 are sufficient to generate the known neutrino mass differences, while at same time, permitting large leptonic mixing in agreement with experiment.Comment: 11 page

Developement of real time diagnostics and feedback algorithms for JET in view of the next step

Real time control of many plasma parameters will be an essential aspect in the development of reliable high performance operation of Next Step Tokamaks. The main prerequisites for any feedback scheme are the precise real-time determination of the quantities to be controlled, requiring top quality and highly reliable diagnostics, and the availability of robust control algorithms. A new set of real time diagnostics was recently implemented on JET to prove the feasibility of determining, with high accuracy and time resolution, the most important plasma quantities. With regard to feedback algorithms, new model–based controllers were developed to allow a more robust control of several plasma parameters. Both diagnostics and algorithms were successfully used in several experiments, ranging from H-mode plasmas to configuration with ITBs. Since elaboration of computationally heavy measurements is often required, significant attention was devoted to non-algorithmic methods like Digital or Cellular Neural/Nonlinear Networks. The real time hardware and software adopted architectures are also described with particular attention to their relevance to ITER.Comment: 12th International Congress on Plasma Physics, 25-29 October 2004, Nice (France

Intermittency in the Joint Cascade of Energy and Helicity

The statistics of the energy and helicity fluxes in isotropic turbulence are studied using high resolution direct numerical simulation. The scaling exponents of the energy flux agree with those of the transverse velocity structure functions through refined similarity hypothesis, consistent with Kraichnan's prediction \cite{Kr74}. The helicity flux is even more intermittent than the energy flux and its scaling exponents are closer to those of the passive scalar. Using Waleffe's helical decomposition, we demonstrate that the existence of positive mean helicity flux inhibits the energy transfer in the negative helical modes, a non-passive effect

Suitability versus fidelity for rating single-photon guns

The creation of specified quantum states is important for most, if not all, applications in quantum computation and communication. The quality of the state preparation is therefore an essential ingredient in any assessment of a quantum-state gun. We show that the fidelity, under the standard definitions is not sufficient to assess quantum sources, and we propose a new measure of suitability that necessarily depends on the application for the source. We consider the performance of single-photon guns in the context of quantum key distribution (QKD) and linear optical quantum computation. Single-photon sources for QKD need radically different properties than sources for quantum computing. Furthermore, the suitability for single-photon guns is discussed explicitly in terms of experimentally accessible criteria.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures Revised per referee suggestion

Constraint of B_{d,s}-bar{B}_{d,s} mixing on warped extra-dimension model

Recent CDF measurement of the Bs-Bs oscillation frequency, at the Tevatron imposes significant constraint on various models for new physics. A warped extra-dimension model with custodial isospin symmetry accommodates the Bd-Bd mixing at tree level mainly through the Kaluza-Klein gluons. This is due to the misalignment between the bulk gauge eigenstates and the localized Yukawa eigenstates of the bulk fermions. We adopt the universal 5D Yukawa coupling model where all Yukawa couplings are of order one. The SM fermion mass spectra and mixings are controlled by the bulk Dirac mass parameters. With two versions of the hadronic parameter values, we investigate the implication of the observed BB mixings on this model. The CP-violating effects on the Bd system is shown to provide very strong constraint: The first Kaluza-Klein mass of a gluon has its lower bound about 3.7 TeV with 1 sigma uncertainty.Comment: published version in JHEP, CP-violating effects include