Chirally enhanced corrections to FCNC processes in the generic MSSM

Chirally enhanced supersymmetric QCD corrections to FCNC processes are investigated in the framework of the MSSM with generic sources of flavor violation. These corrections arise from flavor-changing self-energy diagrams and can be absorbed into a finite renormalization of the squark-quark-gluino vertex. In this way enhanced two-loop and even three-loop diagrams can be efficiently included into a leading-order (LO) calculation. Our corrections substantially change the values of the parameters delta^{d,LL}_{23}, delta^{d,LR}_{23}, delta^{d,RL}_{23}, and delta^{d,RR}_{23} extracted from Br[B->X_s gamma] if tan(beta) is large. We find stronger (weaker) constraints compared to the LO result for negative (positive) values of mu. The constraints on delta^{d,LR,RL}_{13} and delta^{d,LR,RL}_{23} from B_d mixing and B_s mixing change drastically if the third-generation squark masses differ from those of the first two generations. K mixing is more strongly affected by the chirally enhanced loop diagrams and even sub-percent deviations from degenerate down and strange squark masses lead to profoundly stronger constraints on delta^{d,LR,RL}_{12}.Comment: 19 pages, 10 figure

Variability of surface flows on the Sun and the implications for exoplanet detection

The published Mount Wilson Doppler-shift measurements of the solar velocity field taken in 1967--1982 are revisited with a more accurate model, which includes two terms representing the meridional flow and three terms corresponding to the convective limb shift. Integration of the recomputed data over the visible hemisphere reveals significant variability of the net radial velocity at characteristic time scales of 0.1--10 years, with a standard deviation of 1.4 \ms. This result is supported by independent published observations. The implications for exoplanet detection include reduced sensitivity of the Doppler method to Earth-like planets in the habitable zone, and an elevated probability of false detections at periods of a few to several years.Comment: Accepted in this form for publication in Ap

Integration of a virus membrane protein into the lipid bilayer of target cells as a prerequisite for immune cytolysis

Structural requirements for membrane antigens on target cells to mediate immune cytolysis were studied in a model system with purified membrane proteins from Semliki Forest virus (SFV). These SFV spike proteins were isolated in the form of detergent- and lipid-free protein micelles (29S complexes) or, after reconstitution into lipid vesicles, in the form of virosomes. Both the 29S complexes and the virosomes were found to bind well to murine tumor cells (P815 or Eb). When these cells, however, were used as target cells in complement-dependent lysis or in antibody-dependent cell- mediated cytotoxicity assays in the presence of anti-SFV serum, they were not lysed, although they effectively bound the antibody and consumed complement. The same tumor cells infected with SFV served as positive controls in both assays. Different results were obtained when inactivated Sendai virus was added as a fusion reagent to the cells coated with either virosomes or 29S complexes. Under these conditions the virosome-coated cells became susceptible to SFV- specific lysis, whereas the 29S complex-coated cells remained resistant. Evidence that the susceptibility to lysis ofvirosome-coated cells was dependent on active fusion and, therefore, integration of the viral antigens into the lipid bilayer of the target cells was derived from control experiments with enzyme-treated Sendai virus preparations. The 29S complexes and the virosomes partially and selectively blocked the target cell lysis by anti-H-2 sera but not by anti-non-H-2 sera confirming our previous finding that major histocompatibility antigens serve as receptors for SFV. The general significance of these findings for mechanisms of immune cytolysis is dicussed

Projected Three-Pion Correlation Functions

We propose a new procedure for constructing projected three-pion correlation functions which reduces undesirable artificial momentum dependences resulting from the commonly used procedure and facilitates comparison of three-pion correlation data with theoretical models.Comment: 6 pages revtex, incl. 1 figure. Submitted as Brief Report to Physical Review C. Normalization error and typos correcte

Real Business Cycles of Sticky Prices? The Impact of Technology Shocks on US Manufacturing

No abstract.