260 research outputs found
Fermion localization on degenerate and critical branes
In this work we analyze the localization of fermions on degenerate and
critical Bloch branes. This is done directly on physical coordinates, in
constrast to some works that has been using conformal coordinates. We find the
range of coupling constants of the interaction of fermions with the scalar
fields that allow us to have normalizable fermion zero-mode localized on the
brane on both, critical and degenerate Bloch branes. In the case of critical
branes our results agree with those found in [Class. Quantum Grav. \textbf{27}
(2010) 185001]. The results on fermion localization on degenerate Bloch branes
are new. We also propose a coupling of fermions to the scalar fields which
leads to localization of massless fermion on both sides of a double-brane.Comment: 16 pages, 6 figure
The moment of truth for WIMP Dark Matter
We know that dark matter constitutes 85% of all the matter in the Universe,
but we do not know of what it is made. Amongst the many Dark Matter candidates
proposed, WIMPs (weakly interacting massive particles) occupy a special place,
as they arise naturally from well motivated extensions of the standard model of
particle physics. With the advent of the Large Hadron Collider at CERN, and a
new generation of astroparticle experiments, the moment of truth has come for
WIMPs: either we will discover them in the next five to ten years, or we will
witness the inevitable decline of WIMP paradigm.Comment: To appear in Nature (Nov 18, 2010
Sommerfeld Enhancement from Multiple Mediators
We study the Sommerfeld enhancement experienced by a scattering object that
couples to a tower of mediators. This can occur in, e.g., models of secluded
dark matter when the mediator scale is generated naturally by hidden-sector
confinement. Specializing to the case of a confining CFT, we show that
off-resonant values of the enhancement can be increased by ~ 20% for cases of
interest when (i) the (strongly-coupled) CFT admits a weakly-coupled dual
description and (ii) the conformal symmetry holds up to the Planck scale.
Larger enhancements are possible for lower UV scales due to an increase in the
coupling strength of the tower.Comment: 17p, 2 figures; v2 JHEP version (inconsequential typo fixed,
references added
Relic densities including Sommerfeld enhancements in the MSSM
We have developed a general formalism to compute Sommerfeld enhancement (SE)
factors for a multi-state system of fermions, in all possible spin
configurations and with generic long-range interactions. We show how to include
such SE effects in an accurate calculation of the thermal relic density for
WIMP dark matter candidates. We apply the method to the MSSM and perform a
numerical study of the relic abundance of neutralinos with arbitrary
composition and including the SE due to the exchange of the W and Z bosons,
photons and Higgses. We find that the relic density can be suppressed by a
factor of a few in a seizable region of the parameter space, mostly for
Wino-like neutralino with mass of a few TeV, and up to an order of magnitude
close to a resonance.Comment: 23 pages, 7 figures; table 1 corrected and rearranged, numerical
results practically unchanged, matches published versio
An Electron Fixed Target Experiment to Search for a New Vector Boson A' Decaying to e+e-
We describe an experiment to search for a new vector boson A' with weak
coupling alpha' > 6 x 10^{-8} alpha to electrons (alpha=e^2/4pi) in the mass
range 65 MeV < m_A' < 550 MeV. New vector bosons with such small couplings
arise naturally from a small kinetic mixing of the "dark photon" A' with the
photon -- one of the very few ways in which new forces can couple to the
Standard Model -- and have received considerable attention as an explanation of
various dark matter related anomalies. A' bosons are produced by radiation off
an electron beam, and could appear as narrow resonances with small production
cross-section in the trident e+e- spectrum. We summarize the experimental
approach described in a proposal submitted to Jefferson Laboratory's PAC35,
PR-10-009. This experiment, the A' Experiment (APEX), uses the electron beam of
the Continuous Electron Beam Accelerator Facility at Jefferson Laboratory
(CEBAF) at energies of ~1-4 GeV incident on 0.5-10% radiation length Tungsten
wire mesh targets, and measures the resulting e+e- pairs to search for the A'
using the High Resolution Spectrometer and the septum magnet in Hall A. With a
~1 month run, APEX will achieve very good sensitivity because the statistics of
e+e- pairs will be ~10,000 times larger in the explored mass range than any
previous search for the A' boson. These statistics and the excellent mass
resolution of the spectrometers allow sensitivity to alpha'/alpha one to three
orders of magnitude below current limits, in a region of parameter space of
great theoretical and phenomenological interest. Similar experiments could also
be performed at other facilities, such as the Mainz Microtron.Comment: 19 pages, 12 figures, 2 table
Effects of temperature on thick branes and the fermion (quasi-)localization
Following Campos's work [Phys. Rev. Lett. 88, 141602 (2002)], we investigate
the effects of temperature on flat, de Sitter (dS), and anti-de Following
Campos's work [Phys. Rev. Lett. \textbf{88}, 141602 (2002)], we investigate the
effects of temperature on flat, de Sitter (dS), and anti-de Sitter (AdS) thick
branes in five-dimensional (5D) warped spacetime, and on the fermion
(quasi-)localization. First, in the case of flat brane, when the critical
temperature reaches, the solution of the background scalar field and the warp
factor is not unique. So the thickness of the flat thick brane is uncertain at
the critical value of the temperature parameter, which is found to be lower
than the one in flat 5D spacetime. The mass spectra of the fermion Kaluza-Klein
(KK) modes are continuous, and there is a series of fermion resonances. The
number and lifetime of the resonances are finite and increase with the
temperature parameter, but the mass of the resonances decreases with the
temperature parameter. Second, in the case of dS brane, we do not find such a
critical value of the temperature parameter. The mass spectra of the fermion KK
modes are also continuous, and there is a series of fermion resonances. The
effects of temperature on resonance number, lifetime, and mass are the same
with the case of flat brane. Last, in the case of AdS brane, {the critical
value of the temperature parameter can less or greater than the one in the flat
5D spacetime.} The spectra of fermion KK modes are discrete, and the mass of
fermion KK modes does not decrease monotonically with increasing temperature
parameter.Comment: 24 pages, 15 figures, published versio
Variação do potencial da água da folha com o desenvolvimento da planta de batatinha (Solanum tuberosum L. cv. 'Bintje')
A manutenção de um balanço hídrico favorável à planta é uma condição reconhecidamente necessária para assegurar a seqüência das reações metabólicas que se desenvolvem nas células vegetais. Os deficits de água¹ nas plantas poderiam ser quantitativamente avaliados a partir de determinações do teor ou do estado de energia da água dos tecidos. Neste trabalho, o potencial osmótico das hastes e folhas, o potencial da água da folha e as relações entre este e o teor relativo de água da folha foram determinados em plantas de batata (Solanum tuberosum L.) adequadamente supridas com água do solo, em condições de campo. Os resultados revelaram que os potenciais determinados variaram durante o ciclo fenológico. Assim, o potencial da água da folha foi sendo reduzido com o desenvolvimento das plantas. Após o completo desenvolvimento vegetativo, não foi possível identificar qualquer tendência definida, crescente ou decrescente. Esta variação modificou as relações entre o potencial e o teor relativo de água da folha, de tal maneira, que o potencial associado a um determinado teor relativo de água, foi sendo reduzido a medida que as plantas se desenvolveram. A par destes resultados, pode-se concluir que o potencial da água da folha não parece ser um indicador seguro da existência de déficits fisiológicos de água na planta. O conhecimento do teor relativo de água, associado ao potencial, poderia contribuir decisivamente para fornecer uma avaliação mais precisa da condição da água nos tecidos vegetais.The maintainance of a favorable plant water budget is a condition generally regarded to assure the sequence of cell metabolism. Plant water deficits should be quantitatively evaluated through the determination of tissue water content or tissue water content or tissue water potential. In this work the osmotic potential of stems and leaves, the leaf water potential, and the relative water content-water potential relationships were determined in adequately irrigated patatoes (Solanum tuberosum L.) growing in the field. The results showed that potentials changed during the growing season. Leaf water potential decreseased with aging of the plants and after the complete vegetative growth it was not possible to observe any definite trend, either increasing or decreasing. This change affected relative water content-water potential relationships, so that the relationships shifted to progressively lower water potential for a given relative water content. The data indicated that leaf water potential does not seem a reliable indicator of physiological water deficits. The knowledge of relative water content associated with leaf water potential measurement would provide a more precise condition of water in the plant tissues
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