64 research outputs found
Low energy conversion electron detection in superfluid He3 at ultra-low temperature
We report on the first results of the MACHe3 (MAtrix of Cells of Helium 3)
prototype experiment concerning the measurement of low energy conversion
electrons at ultra-low temperature. For the first time, the feasibility of the
detection of low energy electrons is demonstrated in superfluid He3-B cooled
down to 100 microK. Low energy electrons at 7.3 keV coming from the K shell
conversion of the 14.4 keV nuclear transition of a low activity Co57 source are
detected, opening the possibility to use a He3-based detector for the detection
of Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs) which are expected to release
an amount of energy higher-bounded by 5.6 keV.Comment: 8 pages, 3 figures, to appear in NIM
Field theory models for variable cosmological constant
Anthropic solutions to the cosmological constant problem require seemingly
unnatural scalar field potentials with a very small slope or domain walls
(branes) with a very small coupling to a four-form field. Here we introduce a
class of models in which the smallness of the corresponding parameters can be
attributed to a spontaneously broken discrete symmetry. We also demonstrate the
equivalence of scalar field and four-form models. Finally, we show how our
models can be naturally embedded into a left-right extension of the standard
model.Comment: A reference adde
Cosmic Acceleration in Brans-Dicke Cosmology
We consider Brans-Dicke theory with a self-interacting potential in Einstein
conformal frame. We show that an accelerating expansion is possible in a
spatially flat universe for large values of the Brans-Dicke parameter
consistent with local gravity experiments.Comment: 10 Pages, 3 figures, To appear in General Relativity and Gravitatio
Supergravity brane worlds and tachyon potentials
We study massless and massive graviton modes that bind on thick branes which
are supergravity domain walls solutions in -dimensional supergravity
theories where only the supergravity multiplet and the scalar supermultiplet
are turned on. The domain walls are bulk solutions provided by tachyon
potentials. Such domain walls are regarded as BPS branes of one lower dimension
that are formed due to tachyon potentials on a non-BPS D-brane.Comment: RevTex4, 6 pages; version to appear in Phys. Rev.
Massive Charged Scalar Quasinormal Modes of Reissner-N\"ordstrom Black Hole Surrounded by Quintessence
We evaluate the complex frequencies of the normal modes for the massive
charged scalar field perturbations around a Reissner-N\"ordstrom black hole
surrounded by a static and spherically symmetric quintessence using third order
WKB approximation approach. Due to the presence of quintessence, quasinormal
frequencies damp more slowly. We studied the variation of quasinormal
frequencies with charge of the black bole, mass and charge of perturbating
scalar field and the quintessential state parameter.Comment: 9 pages, 9 figures and one tabl
Dark energy and key physical parameters of clusters of galaxies
We study physics of clusters of galaxies embedded in the cosmic dark energy
background. Under the assumption that dark energy is described by the
cosmological constant, we show that the dynamical effects of dark energy are
strong in clusters like the Virgo cluster. Specifically, the key physical
parameters of the dark mater halos in clusters are determined by dark energy:
1) the halo cut-off radius is practically, if not exactly, equal to the
zero-gravity radius at which the dark matter gravity is balanced by the dark
energy antigravity; 2) the halo averaged density is equal to two densities of
dark energy; 3) the halo edge (cut-off) density is the dark energy density with
a numerical factor of the unity order slightly depending on the halo profile.
The cluster gravitational potential well in which the particles of the dark
halo (as well as galaxies and intracluster plasma) move is strongly affected by
dark energy: the maximum of the potential is located at the zero-gravity radius
of the cluster.Comment: 8 pages, 1 figur
Constraints on accelerating universe using ESSENCE and Gold supernovae data combined with other cosmological probes
We use recently observed data: the 192 ESSENCE type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia),
the 182 Gold SNe Ia, the 3-year WMAP, the SDSS baryon acoustic peak, the X-ray
gas mass fraction in clusters and the observational data to constrain
models of the accelerating universe. Combining the 192 ESSENCE data with the
observational data to constrain a parameterized deceleration parameter,
we obtain the best fit values of transition redshift and current deceleration
parameter , .
Furthermore, using CDM model and two model-independent equation of
state of dark energy, we find that the combined constraint from the 192 ESSENCE
data and other four cosmological observations gives smaller values of
and , but a larger value of than the combined
constraint from the 182 Gold data with other four observations. Finally,
according to the Akaike information criterion it is shown that the recently
observed data equally supports three dark energy models: CDM,
and .Comment: 18 pages, 8 figure
Lemaitre-Tolman-Bondi model and accelerating expansion
I discuss the spherically symmetric but inhomogeneous Lemaitre-Tolman- Bondi
(LTB) metric, which provides an exact toy model for an inhomogeneous universe.
Since we observe light rays from the past light cone, not the expansion of the
universe, spatial variation in matter density and Hubble rate can have the same
effect on redshift as acceleration in a perfectly homogeneous universe. As a
consequence, a simple spatial variation in the Hubble rate can account for the
distant supernova data in a dust universe without any dark energy. I also
review various attempts towards a semirealistic description of the universe
based on the LTB model.Comment: Invited Review for a special Gen. Rel. Grav. issue on Dark Energy. 17
pages, 3 figure
See-Saw Modification of Gravity
We discuss a model in which the fundamental scale of gravity is restricted to
10^{-3} eV. An observable modification of gravity occurs simultaneously at the
Hubble distance and at around 0.1 mm. These predictions can be tested both by
the table-top experiments and by cosmological measurements. The model is
formulated as a brane-world theory embedded in a space with two or more
infinite-volume extra dimensions. Gravity on the brane reproduces the
four-dimensional laws at observable distances but turns to the high-dimensional
behavior at larger scales. To determine the crossover distance we smooth out
the singularities in the Green's functions by taking into account softening of
the graviton propagator due to the high-dimensional operators that are
suppressed by the fundamental scale. We find that irrespective of the precise
nature of microscopic gravity the ultraviolet and infrared scales of
gravity-modification are rigidly correlated. This fixes the fundamental scale
of gravity at 10^{-3} eV. The result persists for nonzero thickness branes.Comment: 24 LaTex pages; v2: comments added, typos correcte
Renormalization-group running of the cosmological constant and the fate of the universe
For a generic quantum field theory we study the role played by the
renormalization-group (RG) running of the cosmological constant (CC) in
determining the ultimate fate of the universe. We consider the running of the
CC of generic origin (the vacuum energy of quantum fields and the potential
energy of classical fields), with the RG scale proportional to the (total
energy density as the most obvious identification. Starting from
the present-era values for cosmological parameters we demonstrate how the
running can easily provide a negative cosmological constant, thereby changing
the fate of the universe, at the same time rendering compatibility with
critical string theory. We also briefly discuss the recent past in our
scenario.Comment: 9 pages, 7 figures, revtex4; version to appear in PR
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