Two-photon decay of pseudoscalar quarkonia

We report on our recent evaluation of the two-photon width of the pseudoscalar quarkonia, eta_c(nS) and eta_b(nS) in an approach based on Heavy-Quark Spin Symmetry (HQSS). To what concerns the 1S state eta_c, our parameter-free computation agrees with experiments, as well as most of other theoretical works. On the other hand, our computation for the 2S-state looks 2S like a confirmation that there may exist an anomaly related to the decay of eta_c(2S), especially in the light of the new preliminary result of the Belle collaboration. We also point out that the essentially model-independent ratio of eta_b two-photon width to the Upsilon leptonic width and the eta_b two-photon width could be used to extract the strong coupling constant alpha_s.Comment: Presented by T.N. Pham at the Joint Meeting Heidelberg-Liege-Paris-Wroclaw (HLPW08), Spa, Belgium, 6-8 March 2008, 9 pages, 2 figures, LaTeX, uses aip-6s.clo, aipproc.cls and aipxfm.sty (included

Spin configurations in circular and rectangular vertical quantum dots in a magnetic field: Three-dimensional self-consistent simulation

The magnetic field dependence of the electronic properties of \textit{real} single vertical quantum dots in circular and rectangular mesas is investigated within a full three-dimensional multiscale self-consistent approach without any {\it \'a priori} assumptions about the shape and strength of the confinement potential. The calculated zero field electron addition energies are in good agreement with available experimental data for both mesa geometries. Charging diagrams in a magnetic field for number of electrons up to five are also computed. Consistent with the experimental data, we found that the charging curves for the rectangular mesa dot in a magnetic field are flatter and exhibit less features than for a circular mesa dot. Evolution of the singlet-triplet energy separation in the two electron system for both dot geometries in magnetic field was also investigated. In the limit of large field, beyond the singlet-triplet transition, the singlet-triplet energy difference continues to become more negative in a circular mesa dot without any saturation within the range of considered magnetic fields whilst it is predicted to asymptotically approach zero for the rectangular mesa dot. This different behavior is attributed to the symmetry "breaking" that occurs in the singlet wave-functions in the rectangular mesa dot but not in the circular one.Comment: 12 pages, 8 gifure

Astrophysical tests of mirror dark matter

Mirror matter is a self-collisional dark matter candidate. If exact mirror parity is a conserved symmetry of the nature, there could exist a parallel hidden (mirror) sector of the Universe which has the same kind of particles and the same physical laws of our (visible) sector. The two sectors interact each other only via gravity, therefore mirror matter is naturally "dark". The most promising way to test this dark matter candidate is to look at its astrophysical signatures, as Big Bang nucleosynthesis, primordial structure formation and evolution, cosmic microwave background and large scale structure power spectra.Comment: 9 pages, 2 figure

J/psi production at the Tevatron and RHIC from s-channel cut

We report on our recent evaluation of the s-channel cut contribution to J/psi hadroproduction. We show that it is likely significantly larger than the usual cut contribution of the colour-singlet model (CSM), which is known to underestimate the experimental measurements. Here the s-channel cut develops for configurations with off-shell quarks in the bound state. A correct treatment of its contribution requires the introduction of a four point function, partially constrained by gauge invariance and limiting behaviours at small and large momenta. When the unconstrained degrees of freedom are fixed to reproduce the Tevatron data, we show that RHIC data are remarkably well reproduced down to very low transverse momenta P_T without need of resummation of initial-state gluon effects. This unique feature might be typical of s-channel cut contribution.Comment: Presented by J.P. Lansberg at the Joint Meeting Heidelberg-Liege-Paris-Wroclaw (HLPW08), Spa, Belgium, 6-8 March 2008, 10 pages, 8 figures, LaTeX, uses aip-6s.clo, aipproc.cls and aipxfm.sty (included

Central Exclusive Dijet Production

Calculations of central exclusive production are affected by very large perturbative and non-perturbative corrections. In this talk, we summarize the results of a study of the uncertainties on these corrections in the case of exclusive dijet production.Comment: To appear in the Proceedings of the 43rd Rencontres de Moriond, QCD and High Energy Interactions, La Thuile, Italy, 1-8 March 200

Allowed and forbidden transitions in artificial hydrogen and helium atoms

The strength of radiative transitions in atoms is governed by selection rules. Spectroscopic studies of allowed transitions in hydrogen and helium provided crucial evidence for the Bohr's model of an atom. Forbidden transitions, which are actually allowed by higher-order processes or other mechanisms, indicate how well the quantum numbers describe the system. We apply these tests to the quantum states in semiconductor quantum dots (QDs), which are regarded as artificial atoms. Electrons in a QD occupy quantized states in the same manner as electrons in real atoms. However, unlike real atoms, the confinement potential of the QD is anisotropic, and the electrons can easily couple with phonons of the material. Understanding the selection rules for such QDs is an important issue for the manipulation of quantum states. Here we investigate allowed and forbidden transitions for phonon emission in one- and two-electron QDs (artificial hydrogen and helium atoms) by electrical pump-and-probe experiments, and find that the total spin is an excellent quantum number in artificial atoms. This is attractive for potential applications to spin based information storage.Comment: slightly longer version of Nature 419, 278 (2002

Perspectives on heavy-quarkonium production at the LHC

We summarise the perspectives on heavy-quarkonium production at the LHC, both for proton-proton and heavy-ion runs, as emanating from the round table held at the HLPW 2008 Conference. The main topics are: present experimental and theoretical knowledge, experimental capabilities, open questions, recent theoretical advances and potentialities linked to some new observables.Comment: Summary of the round table on quarkonium production held at the Joint Meeting Heidelberg-Liege-Paris-Wroclaw: Three Days of Strong Interactions and Astrophysics (HLPW08), Spa, Liege, Belgium, 6-8 March 2008. 30 pages, 12 figures, LaTeX, uses aip-6s.clo, aipproc.cls and aipxfm.sty (included

Gravitational Lensing, Dark Matter and the Optical Gravitational Lens Experiment

After briefly reviewing the history of gravitational lensing, we recall the basic principles of the theory. We then describe and use a simple optical gravitational lens experiment which has the virtue of accounting for all types of image configurations observed so far among the presently known gravitational lens systems. Finally, we briefly present the 4m International Liquid Mirror Telescope project in the context of a photometric monitoring of multiply imaged quasars