Dark Matter in SUSY Models

Direct detection experiments for neutralino dark matter in the Milky Way are examined within the framework of SUGRA models with R-parity invariance and grand unification at the GUT scale, M_G. Models of this type apply to a large number of phenomena, and all existing bounds on the SUSY parameter space due to current experimental constraints are included. For models with universal soft breaking at M_G (mSUGRA), the Higgs mass and b\to s\gamma constraints imply that the gaugino mass, m_{1/2}, obeys m_{1/2} >(300-400)GeV putting most of the parameter space in the co-annihilation domain where there is a relatively narrow band in the m_0 - m_{1/2} plane. For $\mu > 0$ we find that the neutralino -proton cross section >~ 10^{-10} pb for m_{1/2} < 1 TeV, making almost all of this parameter space accessible to future planned detectors. For \mu < 0, however, there will be large regions of parameter space with cross sections < 10^{-12} pb, and hence unaccessible experimentally. If, however, the muon magnetic moment anomaly is confirmed, then \mu >0 and m_{1/2}<~ 800 GeV. Models with non-universal soft breaking in the third generation and Higgs sector can allow for new effects arising from additional early universe annihilation through the Z-channel pole. Here cross sections that will be accessible in the near future to the next generation of detectors can arise, and can even rise to the large values implied by the DAMA data. Thus dark matter detectors have the possibility of studying the the post-GUT physics that control the patterns of soft breaking.Comment: 13 pages, latex, 10 figures, invited talk at NANP-01, Dubna, Russia, June 19--23, 200

The Static Quantum Multiverse

We consider the multiverse in the intrinsically quantum mechanical framework recently proposed in Refs. [1,2]. By requiring that the principles of quantum mechanics are universally valid and that physical predictions do not depend on the reference frame one chooses to describe the multiverse, we find that the multiverse state must be static---in particular, the multiverse does not have a beginning or end. We argue that, despite its naive appearance, this does not contradict observation, including the fact that we observe that time flows in a definite direction. Selecting the multiverse state is ultimately boiled down to finding normalizable solutions to certain zero-eigenvalue equations, analogous to the case of the hydrogen atom. Unambiguous physical predictions would then follow, according to the rules of quantum mechanics.Comment: 27 pages, 2 figures; a typo in the abstract correcte

Hyperbolicity and Constrained Evolution in Linearized Gravity

Solving the 4-d Einstein equations as evolution in time requires solving equations of two types: the four elliptic initial data (constraint) equations, followed by the six second order evolution equations. Analytically the constraint equations remain solved under the action of the evolution, and one approach is to simply monitor them ({\it unconstrained} evolution). Since computational solution of differential equations introduces almost inevitable errors, it is clearly "more correct" to introduce a scheme which actively maintains the constraints by solution ({\it constrained} evolution). This has shown promise in computational settings, but the analysis of the resulting mixed elliptic hyperbolic method has not been completely carried out. We present such an analysis for one method of constrained evolution, applied to a simple vacuum system, linearized gravitational waves. We begin with a study of the hyperbolicity of the unconstrained Einstein equations. (Because the study of hyperbolicity deals only with the highest derivative order in the equations, linearization loses no essential details.) We then give explicit analytical construction of the effect of initial data setting and constrained evolution for linearized gravitational waves. While this is clearly a toy model with regard to constrained evolution, certain interesting features are found which have relevance to the full nonlinear Einstein equations.Comment: 18 page

Gravitational GUT Breaking and the GUT-Planck Hierarchy

It is shown that non-renormalizable gravitational interactions in the Higgs sector of supersymmetric grand unified theories (GUT's) can produce the breaking of the unifying gauge group $G$ at the GUT scale $M_{\rm GUT} \sim 10^{16}$~GeV. Such a breaking offers an attractive alternative to the traditional method where the superheavy GUT scale mass parameters are added ad hoc into the theory. The mechanism also offers a natural explanation for the closeness of the GUT breaking scale to the Planck scale. A study of the minimal SU(5) model endowed with this mechanism is presented and shown to be phenomenologically viable. A second model is examined where the Higgs doublets are kept naturally light as Goldstone modes. This latter model also achieves breaking of $G$ at $M_{\rm GUT}$ but cannot easily satisfy the current experimental proton decay bound.Comment: 11 pages, REVTeX, 1 figure included as an uuencoded Z-compressed PostScript file. Our Web page at http://physics.tamu.edu/~urano/research/gutplanck.html contains ready to print PostScript version (with figures) as well as color version of plot

Gravitational field equations in a braneworld with Euler-Poincare term

We present the effective gravitational field equations in a 3-brane world with Euler-Poincare term and a cosmological constant in the bulk spacetime. The similar equations on a 3-brane with $\mathbb{Z}_2$ symmetry embedded in a five dimensional bulk spacetime were obtained earlier by Maeda and Torii using the Gauss-Coddazzi projective approach in the framework of the Gaussian normal coordinates. We recover these equations on the brane in terms of differential forms and using a more general coordinate setting in the spirit of Arnowitt, Deser and Misner (ADM). The latter allows for acceleration of the normals to the brane surface through the lapse function and the shift vector. We show that the gravitational effects of the bulk space are transmitted to the brane through the projected ``electric'' 1-form field constructed from the conformal Weyl curvature 2-form of the bulk space. We also derive the evolution equations into the bulk space for the electric 1-form field, as well as for the ``magnetic'' 2-form field part of the bulk Weyl curvature 2-form. As expected, unlike on-brane equations, the evolution equations involve terms determined by the nonvanishing acceleration of the normals in the ADM-type slicing of spacetime

Neutralino Dark Matter Elastic Scattering in a Flat and Accelerating Universe

In SUGRA inspired supersymmetric models with universal boundary conditions for the soft masses, the scalar cross section $\sigma_{scalar}$ for the elastic neutralino--nucleon scattering is in general several orders of magnitude below the sensitivity of current experiments. For large $\tan \beta$ and low $M_{1/2}, m_0$ values, the theoretically predicted $\sigma_{scalar}$ can approach the sensitivity of these experiments ($\approx 10^{-6} pb$) being at the same time in agreement with recent cosmological data, which impose severe restrictions on the CDM relic density, and with accelerator experiments which put lower bounds on sparticle and Higgs boson masses. Further improvement of the sensitivity of DAMA and CDMS experiments will probe the large $\tan \beta$ region of the parameter space in the vicinity of the boundaries of the parameter space allowed by chargino and Higgs searches.Comment: 15 pages, 9 figures. A note added; version to appear in MPL

Gravity from the extension of spatial diffeomorphisms

The possibility of the extension of spatial diffeomorphisms to a larger family of symmetries in a class of classical field theories is studied. The generator of the additional local symmetry contains a quadratic kinetic term and a potential term which can be a general (not necessarily local) functional of the metric. From the perspective of the foundation of Einstein's gravity our results are positive: The extended constraint algebra is either that of Einstein's gravity, or ultralocal gravity. If our goal is a simple modification of Einstein's gravity that for example makes it perturbatively renormalizable, as has recently been suggested, then our results show that there is no such theory within this class.Comment: 34 page

Planck Scale Physics and the Testability of SU(5) Supergravity GUT

GUT scale threshold corrections in minimal SU(5) supergravity grand unification are discussed. It is shown that predictions may be made despite uncertainties associated with the high energy scale. A bound relating the strong coupling constant to the mass scales associated with proton decay and supersymmetry is derived, and a sensitive probe of the underlying theory is outlined. In particular, low energy measurements can in principle determine the presence of Planck scale ($1 / {{\rm M}_{\rm Pl}}$) terms.Comment: 12 pages, REVTeX, 2 figures included in an uuencoded Z-compressed PostScript file. Ready to print PostScript version (with figures) may be picked up at ftp://phys.tamu.edu/urano/planck/paper_prep.p

Geometrodynamics in a spherically symmetric, static crossflow of null dust

The spherically symmetric, static spacetime generated by a crossflow of non-interacting radiation streams, treated in the geometrical optics limit (null dust) is equivalent to an anisotropic fluid forming a radiation atmosphere of a star. This reference fluid provides a preferred / internal time, which is employed as a canonical coordinate. Among the advantages we encounter a new Hamiltonian constraint, which becomes linear in the momentum conjugate to the internal time (therefore yielding a functional Schr\"{o}dinger equation after quantization), and a strongly commuting algebra of the new constraints.Comment: Section on boundary behavior and fall-off conditions of canonical variables added. New references, 1 new figure, 12 pages. Version accepted in Phys.Rev.