Large N_c in chiral perturbation theory

The construction of the effective Lagrangian relevant for the mesonic sector of QCD in the large N_c limit meets with a few rather subtle problems. We thoroughly examine these and show that, if the variables of the effective theory are chosen suitably, the known large N_c counting rules of QCD can unambiguously be translated into corresponding counting rules for the effective coupling constants. As an application, we demonstrate that the Kaplan-Manohar transformation is in conflict with these rules and is suppressed to all orders in 1/N_c. The anomalous dimension of the axial singlet current generates an additional complication: The corresponding external field undergoes nonmultiplicative renormalization. As a consequence, the Wess-Zumino-Witten term, which accounts for the U(3)_R x U(3)_L anomalies in the framework of the effective theory, contains pieces that depend on the running scale of QCD. The effect only shows up at nonleading order in 1/N_c, but requires specific unnatural parity contributions in the effective Lagrangian that restore renormalization group invariance.Comment: 56 page

Driven collective instabilities in magneto-optical traps: a fluid-dynamical approach

We present a theoretical model to describe an instability mechanism in ultra-cold gases, where long-range interactions are taken into account. Focusing on the nonlinear coupling between the collective (plasma-like) and the center-of-mass modes, we show that the resulting dynamics is governed by a parametric equation of the generalized Mathieu type and compute the corresponding stability chart. We apply our model to typical ranges of magneto-optical traps (MOT) parameters and find a good agreement with previous experimental observations.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures. Some minor changes in the published version

Inflationary paradigm after Planck 2013

Models of cosmic inflation posit an early phase of accelerated expansion of the universe, driven by the dynamics of one or more scalar fields in curved spacetime. Though detailed assumptions about fields and couplings vary across models, inflation makes specific, quantitative predictions for several observable quantities, such as the flatness parameter ($\Omega_k = 1 - \Omega$) and the spectral tilt of primordial curvature perturbations ($n_s - 1 = d \ln {\cal P}_{\cal R} / d \ln k$), among others---predictions that match the latest observations from the {\it Planck} satellite to very good precision. In the light of data from {\it Planck} as well as recent theoretical developments in the study of eternal inflation and the multiverse, we address recent criticisms of inflation by Ijjas, Steinhardt, and Loeb. We argue that their conclusions rest on several problematic assumptions, and we conclude that cosmic inflation is on a stronger footing than ever before.Comment: 11 pages, no figures; added references, and brief additions to Footnote 1, Section VI, and the Acknowledgment

A Kohn-Sham system at zero temperature

An one-dimensional Kohn-Sham system for spin particles is considered which effectively describes semiconductor {nano}structures and which is investigated at zero temperature. We prove the existence of solutions and derive a priori estimates. For this purpose we find estimates for eigenvalues of the Schr\"odinger operator with effective Kohn-Sham potential and obtain $W^{1,2}$-bounds of the associated particle density operator. Afterwards, compactness and continuity results allow to apply Schauder's fixed point theorem. In case of vanishing exchange-correlation potential uniqueness is shown by monotonicity arguments. Finally, we investigate the behavior of the system if the temperature approaches zero.Comment: 27 page