Top-Down Approach to Unified Supergravity Models

We introduce a new approach for studying unified supergravity models. In this approach all the parameters of the grand unified theory (GUT) are fixed by imposing the corresponding number of low energy observables. This determines the remaining particle spectrum whose dependence on the low energy observables can now be investigated. We also include some SUSY threshold corrections that have previously been neglected. In particular the SUSY threshold corrections to the fermion masses can have a significant impact on the Yukawa coupling unification.Comment: 19 pages, uuencoded compressed ps file, DESY 94-057 (paper format corrected

Production of neutral MSSM Higgs bosons in e+e−e^+e^- collisions: a complete 1-loop calculation

We present the first complete 1-loop diagrammatic calculation of the cross sections for the neutral Higgs production processes e^+e^-\ra Z^0h^0 and e^+e^-\ra A^0h^0 in the minimal supersymmetric standard model. We compare the results from the diagrammatic calculation with the corresponding ones of the simpler and compact effective potential approximation and discuss the typical size of the differences.Comment: LaTeX, 16 pages, 8 figures appended in a uuencoded file, complete PostScript file available at http://itpaxp1.physik.uni-karlsruhe.de/prep/KA-TP-16-1995/KA-TP-16-199

The decay h0→A0A0h^0 \to A^0A^0: a complete 1-loop calculation in the MSSM

In the minimal supersymmetric standard model the decay $h^0 \to A^0A^0$ of the light neutral scalar $h^0$ is kinematically allowed for low values of $\tan\beta$ when radiative corrections to the neutral Higgs masses are taken into account. The width of this decay mode is revisited on the basis of a complete 1-loop diagrammatic calculation. We give the analytical expressions and numerical results and compare them with the corresponding ones from the simpler and compact approximations of the effective potential method and the renormalization group approach.Comment: 25 pages, LaTex, 10 figures included. Complete ps-file also available via WWW at http://itpaxp1.physik.uni-karlsruhe.de/prep/prep.htm

MSSM Higgs Boson Phenomenology at the Tevatron Collider

The Higgs sector of the minimal supersymmetric standard model (MSSM) consists of five physical Higgs bosons, which offer a variety of channels for their experimental search. The present study aims to further our understanding of the Tevatron reach for MSSM Higgs bosons, addressing relevant theoretical issues related to the SUSY parameter space, with special emphasis on the radiative corrections to the down--quark and lepton couplings to the Higgs bosons for large $\tan\beta$. We performed a computation of the signal and backgrounds for the production processes $W\phi$ and $b \bar{b} \phi$ at the upgraded Tevatron, with $\phi$ being the neutral MSSM Higgs bosons. Detailed experimental information and further higher order calculations are demanded to confirm/refine these predictions.Comment: 47 pages, REVTex format, 15 figures; spacing changed to reduce length, references added or moved within manuscript for clarity, some rewording, labelling corrected on two figures, results unchange

Electroweak Precision Observables in the MSSM with Non-Minimal Flavor Violation

The leading corrections to electroweak precision observables in the MSSM with non-minimal flavor violation (NMFV) are calculated and the effects on M_W and sin^2 theta_eff are analyzed. The corrections are obtained by evaluating the full one-loop contributions from the third and second generation scalar quarks, including the mixing in the scalar top and charm, as well as in the scalar bottom and strange sector. Furthermore the leading corrections to the mass of the lightest MSSM Higgs boson, m_h, is obtained. The electroweak one-loop contribution to M_W can amount up to 140 MeV and up to 70x10^{-5} for sin^2 theta_eff, allowing to set limits on the NMFV parameters. The corrections for m_h are not significant for moderate generation mixing.Comment: LaTeX, 21 pages, 8 figures. Complete one-loop effects from scalar quark generation mixing (beyond Delta rho) included for M_W and sin^2 theta_ef

Possible Gauge Theoretic Origin for Quark-Lepton Complementarity

Similarity between the weak interaction properties of quarks and leptons has led to suggestions that the origin of lepton mixing angles may be related to those of quarks. In this paper, we present a gauge model based on $SU(2)_L \times SU(2)_R\times SU(4)_c$ group that leads to a new form for the quark lepton complementarity which predicts the solar neutrino mixing angle in terms of the Cabibbo angle for the case of inverted mass hierarchy for neutrinos. We also indicate how these ideas can be implemented in an $E_6$ inspired trinification $SU(3)_C \times SU(3)_L \times SU(3)_R$ model, which is more closely allied to string theory by the AdS/CFT correspondence.Comment: 9 pages, latex, no figures; presentation improved; results unchanged; minor typos correcte

Hadronic production of bottom-squark pairs with electroweak contributions

We present the complete computation of the tree-level and the next-to-leading order electroweak contributions to bottom-squark pair production at the LHC. The computation is performed within the minimal supersymmetric extension of the Standard Model. We discuss the numerical impact of these contributions in several supersymmetric scenarios.Comment: 33 pages, v2: preprint numbers correcte

FACT - Monitoring Blazars at Very High Energies

The First G-APD Cherenkov Telescope (FACT) was built on the Canary Island of La Palma in October 2011 as a proof of principle for silicon based photosensors in Cherenkov Astronomy. The scientific goal of the project is to study the variability of active galatic nuclei (AGN) at TeV energies. Observing a small sample of TeV blazars whenever possible, an unbiased data sample is collected. This allows to study the variability of the selected objects on timescales from hours to years. Results from the first three years of monitoring will be presented. To provide quick flare alerts to the community and trigger multi-wavelength observations, a quick look analysis has been installed on-site providing results publicly online within the same night. In summer 2014, several flare alerts were issued. Results of the quick look analysis are summarized.Comment: 2014 Fermi Symposium proceedings - eConf C14102.

Data compression for the First G-APD Cherenkov Telescope

The First Geiger-mode Avalanche photodiode (G-APD) Cherenkov Telescope (FACT) has been operating on the Canary island of La Palma since October 2011. Operations were automated so that the system can be operated remotely. Manual interaction is required only when the observation schedule is modified due to weather conditions or in case of unexpected events such as a mechanical failure. Automatic operations enabled high data taking efficiency, which resulted in up to two terabytes of FITS files being recorded nightly and transferred from La Palma to the FACT archive at ISDC in Switzerland. Since long term storage of hundreds of terabytes of observations data is costly, data compression is mandatory. This paper discusses the design choices that were made to increase the compression ratio and speed of writing of the data with respect to existing compression algorithms. Following a more detailed motivation, the FACT compression algorithm along with the associated I/O layer is discussed. Eventually, the performances of the algorithm is compared to other approaches.Comment: 17 pages, accepted to Astronomy and Computing special issue on astronomical file format

Improved full one--loop corrections to A^0 -> \sq_1 \sq_2 and \sq_2 -> \sq_1 A^0

We calculate the full electroweak one-loop corrections to the decay of the CP-odd Higgs boson A^0 into scalar quarks in the minimal supersymmetric extension of the Standard Model (MSSM). Due to the complex structure of the electroweak sector a proper renormalization of many parameters in the on-shell renormalization scheme is necessary. For the decay into sbottom quarks, especially for large tanb, the corrections can be very large in the on-shell renormalization scheme, which makes the perturbation series unreliable. We solve this problem by an appropriate definition of the tree-level coupling in terms of running quark masses and running trilinear couplings A_q. We also discuss the decay of heavy scalar quarks into light scalar quarks and A^0. We find that the corrections are significant and therefore cannot be neglected.Comment: 15 pages, 9 figures, Fig. 8 correcte