1,070 research outputs found
Comment on Higgs Inflation and Naturalness
We rebut the recent claim (arXiv:0912.5463) that Einstein-frame scattering in
the Higgs inflation model is unitary above the cut-off energy Lambda ~ Mp/xi.
We show explicitly how unitarity problems arise in both the Einstein and Jordan
frames of the theory. In a covariant gauge they arise from non-minimal Higgs
self-couplings, which cannot be removed by field redefinitions because the
target space is not flat. In unitary gauge, where there is only a single scalar
which can be redefined to achieve canonical kinetic terms, the unitarity
problems arise through non-minimal Higgs-gauge couplings.Comment: 5 pages, 1 figure V3: Journal Versio
On Inflation with Non-minimal Coupling
A simple realization of inflation consists of adding the following operators
to the Einstein-Hilbert action: (partial phi)^2, lambda phi^4, and xi phi^2 R,
with xi a large non-minimal coupling. Recently there has been much discussion
as to whether such theories make sense quantum mechanically and if the inflaton
phi can also be the Standard Model Higgs. In this note we answer these
questions. Firstly, for a single scalar phi, we show that the quantum field
theory is well behaved in the pure gravity and kinetic sectors, since the
quantum generated corrections are small. However, the theory likely breaks down
at ~ m_pl / xi due to scattering provided by the self-interacting potential
lambda phi^4. Secondly, we show that the theory changes for multiple scalars
phi with non-minimal coupling xi phi dot phi R, since this introduces
qualitatively new interactions which manifestly generate large quantum
corrections even in the gravity and kinetic sectors, spoiling the theory for
energies > m_pl / xi. Since the Higgs doublet of the Standard Model includes
the Higgs boson and 3 Goldstone bosons, it falls into the latter category and
therefore its validity is manifestly spoiled. We show that these conclusions
hold in both the Jordan and Einstein frames and describe an intuitive analogy
in the form of the pion Lagrangian. We also examine the recent claim that
curvature-squared inflation models fail quantum mechanically. Our work appears
to go beyond the recent discussions.Comment: 14 pages, 2 figures. Version 2: Clarified findings and improved
wording. Elaborated important sections and removed an unnecessary section.
Added references. Version 3: Updated towards JHEP version. Version 4: Final
JHEP versio
Monoclonal antibody levels and protection from COVID-19
Multiple monoclonal antibodies have been shown to be effective for both prophylaxis and therapy for SARS-CoV-2 infection. Here we aggregate data from randomized controlled trials assessing the use of monoclonal antibodies (mAb) in preventing symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection. We use data on the in vivo concentration of mAb and the associated protection from COVID-19 over time to model the dose-response relationship of mAb for prophylaxis. We estimate that 50% protection from COVID-19 is achieved with a mAb concentration of 96-fold of the in vitro IC50 (95% CI: 32—285). This relationship provides a tool for predicting the prophylactic efficacy of new mAb and against SARS-CoV-2 variants. Finally, we compare the relationship between neutralization titer and protection from COVID-19 after either mAb treatment or vaccination. We find no significant difference between the 50% protective titer for mAb and vaccination, although sample sizes limited the power to detect a difference
Seasonal variation of water uptake of a Quercus suber tree in Central Portugal
Hydraulic redistribution (HR) is the phenomenon
where plant roots transfer water between
soil horizons of different water potential. When dry
soil is a stronger sink for water loss from the plant
than transpiration, water absorbed by roots in wetter
soil horizons is transferred toward, and exuded into
dry soil via flow reversals through the roots. Reverse
flow is a good marker of HR and can serve as a useful
tool to study it over the long-term. Seasonal variation
of water uptake of a Quercus suber tree was studied
from late winter through autumn 2003 at Rio Frio
near Lisbon, Portugal. Sap flow was measured in five
small shallow roots (diameter of 3–4 cm), 1 to 2 m
from the tree trunk and in four azimuths and at
different xylem depths at the trunk base, using the
heat field deformation method (HFD). The pattern of
sap flow differed among lateral roots as soil dried with constant positive flow in three roots and reverse
flow in two other roots during the night when
transpiration ceased. Rain modified the pattern of
flow in these two roots by eliminating reverse flow
and substantially increasing water uptake for transpiration
during the day. The increase in water uptake in
three other roots following rain was not so substantial.
In addition, the flux in individual roots was correlated
to different degrees with the flux at different radial
depths and azimuthal directions in trunk xylem. The
flow in outer trunk xylem seemed to be mostly
consistent with water movement from surface soil
horizons, whereas deep roots seemed to supply water
to the whole cross-section of sapwood. When water
flow substantially decreased in shallow lateral roots
and the outer stem xylem during drought, water flow
in the inner sapwood was maintained, presumably due
to its direct connection to deep roots. Results also
suggest the importance of the sap flow sensor
placement, in relation to sinker roots, as to whether
lateral roots might be found to exhibit reverse flow
during drought. This study is consistent with the
dimorphic rooting habit of Quercus suber trees in
which deep roots access groundwater to supply
superficial roots and the whole tree, when shallow
soil layers were dry
Andy's Algorithms: new automated digital image analysis pipelines for FIJI.
Quantification of cellular antigens and their interactions via antibody-based detection methods are widely used in scientific research. Accurate high-throughput quantitation of these assays using general image analysis software can be time consuming and challenging, particularly when attempted by users with limited image processing and analysis knowledge. To overcome this, we have designed Andy's Algorithms, a series of automated image analysis pipelines for FIJI, that permits rapid, accurate and reproducible batch-processing of 3,3'-diaminobenzidine (DAB) immunohistochemistry, proximity ligation assays (PLAs) and other common assays. Andy's Algorithms incorporates a step-by-step tutorial and optimization pipeline to make batch image analysis simple for the untrained user and adaptable across laboratories. Andy's algorithms provide a simpler, faster, standardized work flow compared to existing programs, while offering equivalent performance and additional features, in a free to use open-source application of FIJI. Andy's Algorithms are available at GitHub, publicly accessed at https://github.com/andlaw1841/Andy-s-Algorithm
Long-lived charged Higgs at LHC as a probe of scalar Dark Matter
We study inert charged Higgs boson production and decays at LHC
experiments in the context of constrained scalar dark matter model (CSDMM). In
the CSDMM the inert doublet and singlet scalar's mass spectrum is predicted
from the GUT scale initial conditions via RGE evolution. We compute the cross
sections of processes at the LHC and show that
for light the first one is dominated by top quark mediated 1-loop
diagram with Higgs boson in s-channel. In a significant fraction of the
parameter space are long-lived because their decays to predominantly
singlet scalar dark matter (DM) and next-to-lightest (NL) scalar, are suppressed by the small singlet-doublet mixing
angle and by the moderate mass difference
The experimentally measurable displaced vertex in decays to leptons
and/or jets and missing energy allows one to discover the signal over
the huge background. We propose benchmark points for studies of this
scenario at the LHC. If, however, are short-lived, the subsequent
decays necessarily produce additional
displaced vertices that allow to reconstruct the full decay chain.Comment: 15 pages, 5 figure
Large N and Bosonization in Three Dimensions
Bosonization is normally thought of as a purely two-dimensional phenomenon,
and generic field theories with fermions in D>2 are not expected be describable
by local bosonic actions, except in some special cases. We point out that 3D
SU(N) gauge theories on R^{1,1} x S^{1}_{L} with adjoint fermions can be
bosonized in the large N limit. The key feature of such theories is that they
enjoy large N volume independence for arbitrary circle size L. A consequence of
this is a large N equivalence between these 3D gauge theories and certain 2D
gauge theories, which matches a set of correlation functions in the 3D theories
to corresponding observables in the 2D theories. As an example, we focus on a
3D SU(N) gauge theory with one flavor of adjoint Majorana fermions and derive
the large-N equivalent 2D gauge theory. The extra dimension is encoded in the
color degrees of freedom of the 2D theory. We then apply the technique of
non-Abelian bosonization to the 2D theory to obtain an equivalent local theory
written purely in terms of bosonic variables. Hence the bosonized version of
the large N three-dimensional theory turns out to live in two dimensions.Comment: 30 pages, 2 tables. v2 minor revisions, references adde
Higgs mass and vacuum stability in the Standard Model at NNLO
We present the first complete next-to-next-to-leading order analysis of the
Standard Model Higgs potential. We computed the two-loop QCD and Yukawa
corrections to the relation between the Higgs quartic coupling (lambda) and the
Higgs mass (Mh), reducing the theoretical uncertainty in the determination of
the critical value of Mh for vacuum stability to 1 GeV. While lambda at the
Planck scale is remarkably close to zero, absolute stability of the Higgs
potential is excluded at 98% C.L. for Mh < 126 GeV. Possible consequences of
the near vanishing of lambda at the Planck scale, including speculations about
the role of the Higgs field during inflation, are discussed.Comment: 35 pages, 8 figures. Final published version, misprints fixed,
figures update
Correlation Functions of Large N Chern-Simons-Matter Theories and Bosonization in Three Dimensions
We consider the conformal field theory of N complex massless scalars in 2+1
dimensions, coupled to a U(N) Chern-Simons theory at level k. This theory has a
't Hooft large N limit, keeping fixed \lambda = N/k. We compute some
correlation functions in this theory exactly as a function of \lambda, in the
large N (planar) limit. We show that the results match with the general
predictions of Maldacena and Zhiboedov for the correlators of theories that
have high-spin symmetries in the large N limit. It has been suggested in the
past that this theory is dual (in the large N limit) to the Legendre transform
of the theory of fermions coupled to a Chern-Simons gauge field, and our
results allow us to find the precise mapping between the two theories. We find
that in the large N limit the theory of N scalars coupled to a U(N)_k
Chern-Simons theory is equivalent to the Legendre transform of the theory of k
fermions coupled to a U(k)_N Chern-Simons theory, thus providing a bosonization
of the latter theory. We conjecture that perhaps this duality is valid also for
finite values of N and k, where on the fermionic side we should now have (for
N_f flavors) a U(k)_{N-N_f/2} theory. Similar results hold for real scalars
(fermions) coupled to the O(N)_k Chern-Simons theory.Comment: 49 pages, 16 figures. v2: added reference
Composite Fermion Metals from Dyon Black Holes and S-Duality
We propose that string theory in the background of dyon black holes in
four-dimensional anti-de Sitter spacetime is holographic dual to conformally
invariant composite Dirac fermion metal. By utilizing S-duality map, we show
that thermodynamic and transport properties of the black hole match with those
of composite fermion metal, exhibiting Fermi liquid-like. Built upon
Dirac-Schwinger-Zwanziger quantization condition, we argue that turning on
magnetic charges to electric black hole along the orbit of Gamma(2) subgroup of
SL(2,Z) is equivalent to attaching even unit of statistical flux quanta to
constituent fermions. Being at metallic point, the statistical magnetic flux is
interlocked to the background magnetic field. We find supporting evidences for
proposed holographic duality from study of internal energy of black hole and
probe bulk fermion motion in black hole background. They show good agreement
with ground-state energy of composite fermion metal in Thomas-Fermi
approximation and cyclotron motion of a constituent or composite fermion
excitation near Fermi-point.Comment: 30 pages, v2. 1 figure added, minor typos corrected; v3. revised
version to be published in JHE
- …