On the emergence of the Λ{\bf\Lambda}CDM model from self-interacting Brans-Dicke theory in d=5{\bf d= 5}

We investigate whether a self-interacting Brans-Dicke theory in $d=5$ without matter and with a time-dependent metric can describe, after dimensional reduction to $d=4$, the FLRW model with accelerated expansion and non-relativistic matter. By rewriting the effective 4-dimensional theory as an autonomous three-dimensional dynamical system and studying its critical points, we show that the $\Lambda$CDM cosmology cannot emerge from such a model. This result suggests that a richer structure in $d=5$ may be needed to obtain the accelerated expansion as well as the matter content of the 4-dimensional universe.Comment: 7 pages, 7 figure

Physics of Brane Kinetic Terms

Models with extra dimensions may give new effects visible at future experiments. In these models, bulk fields can develop localized corrections to their kinetic terms which can modify the phenomenological predictions in a sizeable way. We review the case in which both gauge bosons and fermions propagate in the bulk, and discuss the limits on the parameter space arising from electroweak precision data.Comment: Presented at Matter To The Deepest: Recent Developments In Physics of Fundamental Interactions, XXVII International Conference of Theoretical Physics, Ustron 15-21 September 2003, Polan

Bulk fields with brane terms

In theories with branes, bulk fields get in general divergent corrections localized on these defects. Hence, the corresponding brane terms are renormalized and should be included in the effective theory from the very beginning. We review the phenomenology associated to brane kinetic terms for different spins and backgrounds, and point out that renormalization is required already at the classical level.Comment: Presented at HEP2003, International Europhysics Conference on High Energy Physics (July 17-23, 2003) Aachen, German

Observable contributions of new exotic quarks to quark mixing

Models with new vector-like quarks can produce observable quark mixing effects which are forbidden in the Standard Model. We classify all such models and write down the effective Lagrangian that results from integrating out the new quarks. We study the relations between neutral and charged currents and discuss how to distinguish among the different possibilities.Comment: 15 pages, 1 figure, typos corrected, version to appear in JHE