Supersymmetric Heavy Higgses at e^+e^- Linear Collider and Dark-Matter Physics

We consider the capability of the e^+e^- linear collider (which is recently called as the International Linear Collider, or ILC) for studying the properties of the heavy Higgs bosons in the supersymmetric standard model. We pay special attention to the large \tan\beta region which is motivated, in particular, by explaining the dark-matter density of the universe (i.e., so-called ``rapid-annihilation funnels''). We perform a systematic analysis to estimate expected uncertainties in the masses and widths of the heavy Higgs bosons assuming an energy and integrated luminosity of \sqrt{s}=1 TeV and L=1 ab^{-1}. We also discuss its implication to the reconstruction of the dark-matter density of the universe.Comment: 28 pages, 13 figures, version to appear in PR

MSSM curvaton in the gauge-mediated SUSY breaking

We study the curvaton scenario using the MSSM flat directions in the gauge-mediated SUSY breaking model. We find that the fluctuations in the both radial and phase directions can be responsible for the density perturbations in the universe through the curvaton mechanism. Although it has been considered difficult to have a successful curvaton scenario with the use of those flat directions, it is overcome by taking account of the finite temperature effects, which induce a negative thermal logarithmic term in the effective potential of the flat direction.Comment: 12 page

Cosmic Rays from Dark Matter Annihilation and Big-Bang Nucleosynthesis

Recent measurements of cosmic-ray electron and positron fluxes by PAMELA and ATIC experiments may indicate the existence of annihilating dark matter with large annihilation cross section. We show that the dark matter annihilation in the big-bang nucleosynthesis epoch affects the light element abundances, and it gives stringent constraints on such annihilating dark matter scenarios for the case of hadronic annihilation. Constraints on leptonically annihilating dark matter models are less severer.Comment: 21 pages, 5 figures; added references; corrected the electromagnetic-emission part and got milder constraint from the photodissociation processes by a factor of 50 (v3

Synchrotron Radiation from the Galactic Center in Decaying Dark Matter Scenario

We discuss the synchrotron radiation flux from the Galactic center in unstable dark matter scenario. Motivated by the anomalous excess of the positron fraction recently reported by the PAMELA collaboration, we consider the case that the dark matter particle is unstable (and long-lived), and that energetic electron and positron are produced by the decay of dark matter. Then, the emitted electron and positron becomes the source of the synchrotron radiation. We calculate the synchrotron radiation flux for models of decaying dark matter, which can explain the PAMELA positron excess. Taking the lifetime of the dark matter of O(10^26 sec), which is the suggested value to explain the PAMELA anomaly, the synchrotron radiation flux is found to be O(1 kJy/str) or smaller, depending on the particle-physics and cosmological parameters.Comment: 20 pages, 6 figure

Superhorizon curvaton amplitude in inflation and pre-big bang cosmology

We follow the evolution of the curvaton on superhorizon scales and check that the spectral tilt of the curvaton perturbations is unchanged as the curvaton becomes non-relativistic. Both inflation and pre-big bang cosmology can be treated since the curvaton mechanism within the two scenarios works the same way. We also discuss the amplitude of the density perturbations, which leads to some interesting constrains on the pre-big bang scenario. It is shown that within a SL(3,R) non-linear sigma model one of the three axions has the right coupling to the dilaton and moduli to yield a flat spectrum with a high string scale, if a quadratic non-perturbative potential is generated and an intermediate string phase lasts long enough.Comment: 15 pages, LaTeX. Discussion and references adde

Anomaly-Mediated Supersymmetry Breaking with Axion

We construct hadronic axion models in the framework of the anomaly-mediated supersymmetry breaking scenario. If the Peccei-Quinn symmetry breaking is related to the supersymmetry breaking, mass spectrum of the minimal anomaly-mediated scenario is modified, which may solve the negative slepton mass problem in the minimal anomaly-mediated model. We find several classes of phenomenologically viable models of axion within the framework of the anomaly mediation and, in particular, we point out a new mechanism of stabilizing the axion potential. In this class of models, the Peccei-Quinn scale is related to the messenger scale. We also study phenomenological aspects of this class of models. We will see that, in some case, the lightest particle among the superpartners of the standard-model particles is stau while the lightest superparticle becomes the axino, the superpartner of the axion. With such a unique mass spectrum, conventional studies of the collider physics and cosmology for supersymmetric models should be altered.Comment: 20 pages, 5 figures, added footnotes and references for section

Akt and mitogen-activated protein kinase enhance C-type lectin-like receptor 2-mediated platelet activation by inhibition of glycogen synthase kinase 3α/β

BACKGROUND: The C‐type lectin‐like receptor 2 (CLEC‐2) and the collagen receptor glycoprotein (GP)VI activate platelets through Src and Syk tyrosine kinases, and phospholipase Cγ2. The initial events in the two signaling cascades, however, are distinct, and there are quantitative differences in the roles of proteins downstream of Syk activation. The activation of Akt and mitogen‐activated protein kinases (MAPKs) has been shown to enhance platelet activation by GPVI, but their role in CLEC‐2 signaling is not known. OBJECTIVES: We sought to investigate the role of the Akt and MAPK pathways in platelet activation by CLEC‐2. RESULTS: The CLEC‐2 agonist rhodocytin stimulated phosphorylation of Akt and p38 and extracellular signal‐related kinase (ERK) MAPKs, but with a delay relative to Syk. Phosphorylation of these proteins was markedly inhibited in the combined presence of apyrase and indomethacin, consistent with the reported feedback action of ADP and thromboxane A(2) in CLEC‐2 signaling. Phosphorylation of Akt and phosphorylation of ERK were blocked by the phosphoinositide 3‐kinase (PI3K) inhibitor wortmannin and the protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitor Ro31‐8220, respectively, whereas Syk phosphorylation was not altered. On the other hand, both inhibitors reduced phosphorylation of the Akt substrate glycogen synthase kinase 3α/β (GSK3α/β). Phosphorylation of GSK3α/β was also blocked by the Akt inhibitor MK2206, and reduced at late, but not early, times by the MEK inhibitor PD0325901. MK2206 and PD0325901 inhibited aggregation and secretion in response to a low concentration of rhodocytin, which was restored by GSK3α/β inhibitors. CONCLUSIONS: These results demonstrate that CLEC‐2 regulates Akt and MAPK downstream of PI3K and PKC, leading to phosphorylation and inhibition of GSK3α/β, and enhanced platelet aggregation and secretion

Adiabatic Modes in Cosmology

We show that the field equations for cosmological perturbations in Newtonian gauge always have an adiabatic solution, for which a quantity ${\cal R}$ is non-zero and constant in all eras in the limit of large wavelength, so that it can be used to connect observed cosmological fluctuations in this mode with those at very early times. There is also a second adiabatic mode, for which ${\cal R}$ vanishes for large wavelength, and in general there may be non-adiabatic modes as well. These conclusions apply in all eras and whatever the constituents of the universe, under only a mild technical assumption about the wavelength dependence of the field equations for large wave length. In the absence of anisotropic inertia, the perturbations in the adiabatic modes are given for large wavelength by universal formulas in terms of the Robertson--Walker scale factor. We discuss an apparent discrepancy between these results and what appears to be a conservation law in all modes found for large wavelength in synchronous gauge: it turns out that, although equivalent, synchronous and Newtonian gauges suggest inequivalent assumptions about the behavior of the perturbations for large wavelength.Comment: 24 pages, Latex, no special macro

Cosmological Constraints on Neutrino Injection

We derive general constraints on the relic abundances of a long-lived particle which mainly decays into a neutrino (and something else) at cosmological time scales. Such an exotic particle may show up in various particle-physics models based on physics beyond the standard model. The constraints are obtained from big-bang nucleosynthesis, cosmic microwave background and diffuse neutrino and photon fluxes, depending on the lifetime and the electromagnetic and hadronic branching ratios.Comment: 33 pages, 23 figure

Electroweak Precision Data and Gravitino Dark Matter

Electroweak precision measurements can provide indirect information about the possible scale of supersymmetry already at the present level of accuracy. We review present day sensitivities of precision data in mSUGRA-type models with the gravitino as the lightest supersymmetric particle (LSP). The chi^2 fit is based on M_W, sin^2 theta_eff, (g-2)_mu, BR(b -> s gamma) and the lightest MSSM Higgs boson mass, M_h. We find indications for relatively light soft supersymmetry-breaking masses, offering good prospects for the LHC and the ILC, and in some cases also for the Tevatron.Comment: 4 pages, 1 figure. Talk given at the LCWS06 March 2006, Bangalore, India. References adde