4,550 research outputs found
Invariant approach to flavour-dependent CP-violating phases in the MSSM
We use a new weak basis invariant approach to classify all the observable
phases in any extension of the Standard Model (SM). We apply this formalism to
determine the invariant CP phases in a simplified version of the Minimal
Supersymmetric SM with only three non-trivial flavour structures. We propose
four experimental measures to fix completely all the observable phases in the
model. After these phases have been determined from experiment, we are able to
make predictions on any other CP-violating observable in the theory, much in
the same way as in the Standard Model all CP-violation observables are
proportional to the Jarlskog invariant.Comment: 25 pages, 12 figure
Virtual Hand Illusion Induced by Visuomotor Correlations
Background: Our body schema gives the subjective impression of being highly stable. However, a number of easily-evoked illusions illustrate its remarkable malleability. In the rubber-hand illusion, illusory ownership of a rubber-hand is evoked by synchronous visual and tactile stimulation on a visible rubber arm and on the hidden real arm. Ownership is concurrent with a proprioceptive illusion of displacement of the arm position towards the fake arm. We have previously shown that this illusion of ownership plus the proprioceptive displacement also occurs towards a virtual 3D projection of an arm when the appropriate synchronous visuotactile stimulation is provided. Our objective here was to explore whether these illusions (ownership and proprioceptive displacement) can be induced by only synchronous visuomotor stimulation, in the absence of tactile stimulation.Methodology/Principal Findings: To achieve this we used a data-glove that uses sensors transmitting the positions of fingers to a virtually projected hand in the synchronous but not in the asynchronous condition. The illusion of ownership was measured by means of questionnaires. Questions related to ownership gave significantly larger values for the synchronous than for the asynchronous condition. Proprioceptive displacement provided an objective measure of the illusion and had a median value of 3.5 cm difference between the synchronous and asynchronous conditions. In addition, the correlation between the feeling of ownership of the virtual arm and the size of the drift was significant.Conclusions/Significance: We conclude that synchrony between visual and proprioceptive information along with motor activity is able to induce an illusion of ownership over a virtual arm. This has implications regarding the brain mechanisms underlying body ownership as well as the use of virtual bodies in therapies and rehabilitation
Slepton Non-Universality in the Flavor-Effective MSSM
Supersymmetric theories supplemented by an underlying flavor-symmetry
provide a rich playground for model building aimed at
explaining the flavor structure of the Standard Model. In the case where
supersymmetry breaking is mediated by gravity, the soft-breaking Lagrangian
typically exhibits large tree-level flavor violating effects, even if it stems
from an ultraviolet flavor-conserving origin. Building on previous work, we
continue our phenomenological analysis of these models with a particular
emphasis on leptonic flavor observables. We consider three representative
models which aim to explain the flavor structure of the lepton sector, with
symmetry groups , and .Comment: References added, minor typos corrected. 28 pages, 8 figure
Eviction of a 125 GeV "heavy"-Higgs from the MSSM
We prove that the present experimental constraints are already enough to rule
out the possibility of the ~125 GeV Higgs found at LHC being the second
lightest Higgs in a general MSSM context, even with explicit CP violation in
the Higgs potential. Contrary to previous studies, we are able to eliminate
this possibility analytically, using simple expressions for a relatively small
number of observables. We show that the present LHC constraints on the diphoton
signal strength, tau-tau production through Higgs and BR(B -> X_s gamma) are
enough to preclude the possibility of H_2 being the observed Higgs with m_H~125
GeV within an MSSM context, without leaving room for finely tuned
cancellations. As a by-product, we also comment on the difficulties of an MSSM
interpretation of the excess in the gamma-gamma production cross section
recently found at CMS that could correspond to a second Higgs resonance at
m_H~136 GeV.Comment: 38 pages, 9 figures. Final version accepted at JHEP. Sections 2, 3
and appendices simplified. Experimental results updated, several references
added. Small typos corrected and a new comparison of approximate formulas
with full expressions include
Controlled flavor violation in the MSSM from a unified flavor symmetry
We study the phenomenology of a unified supersymmetric theory with a flavor
symmetry . The model accommodates quark and lepton masses, mixing
angles and CP phases. In this model, the Dirac and Majorana mass matrices have
a unified texture zero structure in the entry that leads to the
Gatto-Sartori-Tonin relation between the Cabibbo angle and ratios of the masses
in the quark sectors, and to a natural departure from zero of the
angle in the lepton sector. We derive the flavor structures
of the trilinears and soft mass matrices, and show their general
non-universality. This causes large flavor violating effects. As a consequence,
the parameter space for this model is constrained, allowing it to be
(dis)proven by flavor violation searches in the next decade. Although the
results are model specific, we compare them to previous studies to show similar
flavour effects (and associated constraints) are expected in general in
supersymmetric flavor models, and may be used to distinguish them.Comment: 21 pages, 6 figure
Viure per pintar. J.MartÃnez Lozano (esbós d'un artista) (Thais Gómez Pol, Eduard MartÃnez MartÃnez)
Viure per pintar. J.MartÃnez Lozano (esbós d'un artista) (Thais Gómez Pol, Eduard MartÃnez MartÃnez
EAGLE ISS - A modular twin-channel integral-field near-IR spectrograph
The ISS (Integral-field Spectrograph System) has been designed as part of the
EAGLE Phase A Instrument Study for the E-ELT. It consists of two input channels
of 1.65x1.65 arcsec field-of-view, each reconfigured spatially by an
image-slicing integral-field unit to feed a single near-IR spectrograph using
cryogenic volume-phase-holographic (VPH) gratings to disperse the image
spectrally. A 4k x 4k array detector array records the dispersed images. The
optical design employs anamorphic magnification, image slicing, VPH gratings
scanned with a novel cryo-mechanism and a three-lens camera. The mechanical
implementation features IFU optics in Zerodur, a modular bench structure and a
number of high-precision cryo-mechanisms.Comment: 12 pages, to be published in Proc SPIE 7735: Ground-based & Airborne
Instrumentation for Astronomy II
Creixement i Convergència Regional a Espanya i Europa
Regional policies in the supply of public goods can have a significant impact on regional
disequality in Europe. In the middle or long run, equalisation of the regional supply of public
and human capital will reduce regional income dispersion per head approximately be a third.
The contributions of education and infrastructure investment to this amount are approximately of the same order of magnitude. Investment priorities implied by various equity and efficiency criteria are quite at variance. It doet not follow that there is allways a conflict between equity and efficiency. This is not the case in the group of regions with a low supply of public capital and un acceptable return to investment. The contribution of infrastructure police to the reduction of regional disequality in Spain during the period analysed has been very small (around 1%). The assignation of FEDER transfers has proven to be clearly a redistributive criterion.
The impact of these funds has been considerable, although limited by the small volume of available
resources. According to our results, FEDER has reduced dispersion of regional income in Spain, for the most optimistic scenario, around 5%, a figure which represents approximately one third of the total reduction in regional disequality during the decade of the eighties
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