145 research outputs found
Confusing the extragalactic neutrino flux limit with a neutrino propagation limit
We study the possible suppression of the extragalactic neutrino flux due to a
nonstandard interaction during its propagation. In particular, we study
neutrino interaction with an ultra-light scalar field dark matter. It is shown
that the extragalactic neutrino flux may be suppressed by such an interaction,
leading to a new mechanism to reduce the ultra-high energy neutrino flux. We
study both the cases of non-self-conjugate as well as self-conjugate dark
matter. In the first case, the suppression is independent of the neutrino and
dark matter masses. We conclude that care must be taken when explaining limits
on the neutrino flux through source acceleration mechanisms only, since there
could be other mechanisms for the reduction of the neutrino flux.Comment: 15 pages, 4 figures. Important changes implemented. Abstract
modified. Conclusions remain. To be published in JCA
First Kepler results on compact pulsators - VIII. Mode identifications via period spacings in g-mode pulsating subdwarf B stars
We investigate the possibility of nearly equally spaced periods in 13 hot subdwarf B (sdB) stars observed with the Kepler spacecraft and one observed with CoRoT. Asymptotic limits for gravity (g-)mode pulsations provide relationships between equal-period spacings of modes with differing degrees ℓ and relationships between periods of the same radial order n but differing degrees ℓ. Period transforms, Kolmogorov-Smirnov tests and linear least-squares fits have been used to detect and determine the significance of equal-period spacings. We have also used Monte Carlo simulations to estimate the likelihood that the detected spacings could be produced randomly. Period transforms for nine of the Kepler stars indicate ℓ= 1 period spacings, with five also showing peaks for ℓ= 2 modes. 12 stars indicate ℓ= 1 modes using the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test while another shows solely ℓ= 2 modes. Monte Carlo results indicate that equal-period spacings are significant in 10 stars above 99 per cent confidence, and 13 of the 14 are above 94 per cent confidence. For 12 stars, the various methods find consistent period spacings to within the errors, two others show some inconsistencies, likely caused by binarity, and the last has significant detections but the mode assignment disagrees between the methods. We use asymptotic period spacing relationships to associate observed periods of variability with pulsation modes for ℓ= 1 and 2. From the Kepler first-year survey sample of 13 multiperiodic g-mode pulsators, five stars have several consecutive overtones making period spacings easy to detect, six others have fewer consecutive overtones but period spacings are readily detected, and two stars show marginal indications of equal-period spacings. We also examine a g-mode sdB pulsator observed by CoRoT with a rich pulsation spectrum, and our tests detect regular period spacings. We use Monte Carlo simulations to estimate the significance of the detections in individual stars. From the simulations, it is determined that regular period spacings in 10 of the 14 stars are very unlikely to be random, another two are moderately unlikely to be random and two are mostly unconstrained. We find a common ℓ= 1 period spacing spanning a range from 231 to 272 s allowing us to correlate pulsation modes with 222 periodicities and that the ℓ= 2 period spacings are related to the ℓ= 1 spacings by the asymptotic relationship forumla. We briefly discuss the impact of equal-period spacings which indicate low-degree modes with a lack of significant mode trappings
Supersymmetry: From the Fermi Scale to the Planck Scale
The physics of supersymmetry is reviewed from the perspective of physics at
ever increasing energies. Starting from the minimal supersymmetric extension of
the Standard Model at the electroweak scale, we proceed to higher energies
seeking to understand the origin of the many model parameters. Supersymmetric
grand unification, supergravity, and superstrings are introduced sequentially,
and their contribution to the sought explanations is discussed. Typical
low-energy supersymmetric models are also presented, along with their possible
experimental consequences via direct and indirect processes at high-energy
physics experimental facilities.
Contents
1. Introduction
2. Low-energy Supersymmetry
3. Supersymmetric Grand Unification
4. Supergravity
5. Superstrings
6. Dynamics
7. Experimental Prospects
8. ConclusionsComment: 61 pages, LaTeX, 11 figures (included). To appear in Reports on
Progress in Physic
Collider and Dark Matter Phenomenology of Models with Mirage Unification
We examine supersymmetric models with mixed modulus-anomaly mediated SUSY
breaking (MM-AMSB) soft terms which get comparable contributions to SUSY
breaking from moduli-mediation and anomaly-mediation. The apparent (mirage)
unification of soft SUSY breaking terms at Q=mu_mir not associated with any
physical threshold is the hallmark of this scenario. The MM-AMSB structure of
soft terms arises in models of string compactification with fluxes, where the
addition of an anti-brane leads to an uplifting potential and a de Sitter
universe, as first constructed by Kachru {\it et al.}. The phenomenology mainly
depends on the relative strength of moduli- and anomaly-mediated SUSY breaking
contributions, and on the Higgs and matter field modular weights, which are
determined by the location of these fields in the extra dimensions. We
delineate the allowed parameter space for a low and high value of tan(beta),
for a wide range of modular weight choices. We calculate the neutralino relic
density and display the WMAP-allowed regions. We show the reach of the CERN LHC
and of the International Linear Collider. We discuss aspects of MM-AMSB models
for Tevatron, LHC and ILC searches, muon g-2 and b->s \gamma branching
fraction. We also calculate direct and indirect dark matter detection rates,
and show that almost all WMAP-allowed models should be accessible to a
ton-scale noble gas detector. Finally, we comment on the potential of colliders
to measure the mirage unification scale and modular weights in the difficult
case where mu_mir>>M_GUT.Comment: 34 pages plus 42 EPS figures; version with high resolution figures is
at http://www.hep.fsu.edu/~bae
VLTI-MATISSE chromatic aperture-synthesis imaging of η Carinae\u27s stellar wind across the Br α line: Periastron passage observations in February 2020
Context. Eta Carinae is a highly eccentric, massive binary system (semimajor axis ~15.5 au) with powerful stellar winds and a phase-dependent wind-wind collision (WWC) zone. The primary star, η Car A, is a luminous blue variable (LBV); the secondary, η Car B, is a Wolf-Rayet or O star with a faster but less dense wind. Aperture-synthesis imaging allows us to study the mass loss from the enigmatic LBV η Car. Understanding LBVs is a crucial step toward improving our knowledge about massive stars and their evolution. Aims. Our aim is to study the intensity distribution and kinematics of η Car\u27s WWC zone. Methods. Using the VLTI-MATISSE mid-infrared interferometry instrument, we perform Brα imaging of η Car\u27s distorted wind. Results. We present the first VLTI-MATISSE aperture-synthesis images of η Car A\u27s stellar windin several spectral channels distributed across the Brα 4.052 μm line (spectral resolving power R ~ 960). Our observations were performed close to periastron passage in February 2020 (orbital phase ~ 14.0022). The reconstructed iso-velocity images show the dependence of the primary stellar wind on wavelength or line-of-sight (LOS) velocity with a spatial resolution of 6 mas (~14 au). The radius of the faintest outer wind regions is ~26 mas (~60 au). At several negative LOS velocities, the primary stellar wind is less extended to the northwest than in other directions. This asymmetry is most likely caused by the WWC. Therefore, we see both the velocity field of the undisturbed primary wind and the WWC cavity. In continuum spectral channels, the primary star wind is more compact than in line channels. A fit of the observed continuum visibilities with the visibilities of a stellar wind CMFGEN model (CMFGEN is an atmosphere code developed to model the spectra of a variety of objects) provides a full width at half maximum fit diameter of the primary stellar wind of 2.84 ± 0.06 mas (6.54 ± 0.14 au). We comparethe derived intensity distributions with the CMFGEN stellar wind model and hydrodynamic WWC models
Yukawa Unified Supersymmetric SO(10) Model: Cosmology, Rare Decays and Collider Searches
It has recently been pointed out that viable sparticle mass spectra can be
generated in Yukawa unified SO(10) supersymmetric grand unified models
consistent with radiative breaking of electroweak symmetry. Model solutions are
obtained only if , and positive -term
contributions to scalar masses from SO(10) gauge symmetry breaking are used. In
this paper, we attempt to systematize the parameter space regions where
solutions are obtained. We go on to calculate the relic density of neutralinos
as a function of parameter space. No regions of the parameter space explored
were actually cosmologically excluded, and very reasonable relic densities were
found in much of parameter space. Direct neutralino detection rates could
exceed 1 event/kg/day for a Ge detector, for low values of GUT scale
gaugino mass . We also calculate the branching fraction for decays, and find that it is beyond the 95% CL experimental limits in
much, but not all, of the parameter space regions explored. However, recent
claims have been made that NLO effects can reverse the signs of certain
amplitudes in the calculation, leading to agreement between
theory and experiment in Yukawa unified SUSY models. For the Fermilab Tevatron
collider, significant regions of parameter space can be explored via
and searches. There also exist some limited regions of
parameter space where a trilepton signal can be seen at TeV33. Finally, there
exist significant regions of parameter space where direct detection of bottom
squark pair production can be made, especially for large negative values of the
GUT parameter .Comment: Added comparison to Blazek/Raby results and added Comments on de Boer
et al. b->s gamma result
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