Constraining SN feedback: a tug of war between reionization and the Milky Way satellites

Theoretical models of galaxy formation based on the cold dark matter cosmogony typically require strong feedback from supernova (SN) explosions in order to reproduce the Milky Way satellite galaxy luminosity function and the faint end of the field galaxy luminosity function. However, too strong a SN feedback also leads to the universe reionizing too late, and the metallicities of Milky Way satellites being too low. The combination of these four observations therefore places tight constraints on SN feedback. We investigate these constraints using the semi-analytical galaxy formation model GALFORM. We find that these observations favour a SN feedback model in which the feedback strength evolves with redshift. We find that, for our best-fitting model, half of the ionizing photons are emitted by galaxies with rest-frame far-UV absolute magnitudes MAB(1500Å) 1010 M⊙ and preferentially inhabit haloes with mass Mhalo > 1013 M⊙

Heavy Baryonic Decays of \Lambda_b \to \Lambda \eta^{(\prime)} and Nonspectator Contribution

We calculate the branching ratios of the hadronic \Lambda_b decays to \eta and \eta^\prime in the factorization approximation where the form factors are estimated via QCD sum rules and the pole model. Our results indicate that, contrary to B\to K\eta^{(\prime)} decays, the branching ratios for \Lambda_b\to\Lambda\eta and \Lambda_b\to\Lambda\eta^\prime are more or less the same in the hadronic \Lambda_b transitions. We estimate the branching ratio of \Lambda_b\to\Lambda\eta^{(\prime)} to be 10.80 (10.32)\times 10^{-6} in QCD sum rules, and 2.78 (2.96)\times 10^{-6} in the pole model. We also estimate the nonfactorizable gluon fusion contribution to \Lambda_b\to\Lambda\eta^\prime decay by dividing this process into strong and weak vertices. Our results point to an enhancement of more than an order of magnitude due to this mechanism.Comment: 16 pages, ReVTeX, 5 eps figure

Conformal Affine Toda Soliton and Moduli of IIB Superstring on AdS5×S5AdS_5\times S^5

In this paper we interpret the hidden symmetry of the moduli space of IIB superstring on $AdS_{5}\times S^{5}$ in terms of the chiral embedding in $AdS_{5}$, which turns to be the $\mathbb{CP}^{3}$ conformal affine Toda model. We review how the position $\mu$ of poles in the Riemann-Hilbert formulation of dressing transformation and how the value of loop parameters $\mu$ in the vertex operator of affine algebra determines the moduli space of the soliton solutions, which describes the moduli space of the Green-Schwarz superstring. We show also how this affine SU(4) symmetry affinize the conformal symmetry in the twistor space, and how a soliton string corresponds to a Robinson congruence with twist and dilation spin coefficients $\mu$ of twistor.Comment: Final version, Misprints corrected, Note adde

Bounds on the mass of the b' quark, revisited

Recent results from the DELPHI collaboration led us to review the present bounds on the b' quark mass. We use all available experimental data for m_b' > 96 GeV to constrain the b' quark mass as a function of the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa elements in a sequential four generations model. We find that there is still room for a b' with a mass larger than 96 GeV.Comment: 9 pages and 7 figures. REVTEX

A novel anti-CD19 monoclonal antibody (GBR 401) with high killing activity against B cell malignancies.

BACKGROUND: CD19 is a B cell lineage specific surface receptor whose broad expression, from pro-B cells to early plasma cells, makes it an attractive target for the immunotherapy of B cell malignancies. In this study we present the generation of a novel humanized anti-CD19 monoclonal antibody (mAb), GBR 401, and investigate its therapeutic potential on human B cell malignancies. METHODS: GBR 401 was partially defucosylated in order to enhance its cytotoxic function. We analyzed the in vitro depleting effects of GBR 401 against B cell lines and primary malignant B cells from patients in the presence or in absence of purified NK cells isolated from healthy donors. In vivo, the antibody dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) efficacy of GBR 401 was assessed in a B cell depletion model consisting of SCID mice injected with healthy human donor PBMC, and a malignant B cell depletion model where SCID mice are xenografted with both primary human B-CLL tumors and heterologous human NK cells. Furthermore, the anti-tumor activity of GBR 401 was also evaluated in a xenochimeric mouse model of human Burkitt lymphoma using mice xenografted intravenously with Raji cells. Pharmacological inhibition tests were used to characterize the mechanism of the cell death induced by GBR 401. RESULTS: GBR 401 exerts a potent in vitro and in vivo cytotoxic activity against primary samples from patients representing various B-cell malignancies. GBR 401 elicits a markedly higher level of ADCC on primary malignant B cells when compared to fucosylated similar mAb and to Rituximab, the current anti-CD20 mAb standard immunotherapeutic treatment for B cell malignancies, showing killing at 500 times lower concentrations. Of interest, GBR 401 also exhibits a potent direct killing effect in different malignant B cell lines that involves homotypic aggregation mediated by actin relocalization. CONCLUSION: These results contribute to consolidate clinical interest in developing GBR 401 for treatment of hematopoietic B cell malignancies, particularly for patients refractory to anti-CD20 mAb therapies

The rare top quark decays t→cVt\to cV in the topcolor-assisted technicolor model

We consider the rare top quark decays in the framework of topcolor-assisted technicolor (TC2) model. We find that the contributions of top-pions and top-Higgs predicted by the TC2 model can enhance the SM branching ratios by as much as 6-9 orders of magnitude. i.e., in the most case, the orders of magnitude of branching ratios are $Br(t\to c g)\sim 10^{-5}$, $Br(t\to c Z)\sim 10^{-5}$, $Br(t\to c \gamma)\sim 10^{-7}$. With the reasonable values of the parameters in TC2 model, such rare top quark decays may be testable in the future experiments. So, rare top quark decays provide us a unique way to test TC2 model.Comment: 14 pages, 4 figure

Lepton Polarization and Forward-Backward Asymmetries in b -> s tau+ tau-

We study the spin polarizations of both tau leptons in the decay b -> s tau+ tau-. In addition to the polarization asymmetries involving a single tau, we construct asymmetries for the case where both polarizations are simultaneously measured. We also study forward-backward asymmetries with polarized tau's. We find that a large number of asymmetries are predicted to be large, >~ 10%. This permits the measurement of all Wilson coefficients and the b-quark mass, thus allowing the standard model (SM) to be exhaustively tested. Furthermore, there are many unique signals for the presence of new physics. For example, asymmetries involving triple-product correlations are predicted to be tiny within the SM, O(10^{-2}). Their observation would be a clear signal of new physics.Comment: 21 pages, LaTeX, 4 figures (included). Paper somewhat reorganized, references greatly expanded, conclusions unchange

Search for TeV Scale Physics in Heavy Flavour Decays

The subject of heavy flavour decays as probes for physics beyond the TeV scale is covered from the experimental perspective. Emphasis is placed on the more traditional Beyond the Standard Model topics that have potential for impact in the short term, with the physics explained. We do unabashedly promote our own phemonenology work.Comment: 10 pages, 9 figures (now fixed); Submitted for the SUSY07 proceeding

Charm multiplicity and the branching ratios of inclusive charmless b quark decays in the general two-Higgs-doublet models

In the framework of general two-Higgs-doublet models, we calculate the branching ratios of various inclusive charmless b decays by using the low energy effective Hamiltonian including next-to-leading order QCD corrections, and examine the current status and the new physics effects on the determination of the charm multiplicity $n_c$ and semileptonic branching ratio $B_{SL}$. Within the considered parameter space, the enhancement to the ratio $BR(b \to s g)$ due to the charged-Higgs penguins can be as large as a factor of 8 (3) in the model III (II), while the ratio $BR(b \to no charm)$ can be increased from the standard model prediction of 2.49% to 4.91% (2.99%) in the model III (II). Consequently, the value of $B_{SL}$ and $n_c$ can be decreased simultaneously in the model III. The central value of $B_{SL}$ will be lowered slightly by about 0.003, but the ratio $n_c$ can be reduced significantly from the theoretical prediction of $n_c= 1.28 \pm 0.05$ in the SM to $n_c= 1.23 \pm 0.05$, $1.18 \pm 0.05$ for $m_{H^+}=200, 100$ GeV, respectively. We find that the predicted $n_c$ and the measured $n_c$ now agree within roughly one standard deviation after taking into account the effects of gluonic charged Higgs penguins in the model III with a relatively light charged Higgs boson.Comment: 25 pages, Latex file, axodraw.sty, 6 figures. Final version to be published in Phys.Rev.

Exclusive B-> M \nu \bar{\nu} (M= \pi, K, \rho, K^*) Decays and Leptophobic Z^\prime Model

We consider the exclusive flavor changing neutral current processes B -> M \nu \bar{\nu} (M= \pi, K, \rho, K^*) in the leptophobic Z^\prime model, in which the charged leptons do not couple to the extra Z^\prime boson. We find that these exclusive modes are very effective to constrain the leptophobic Z^\prime model. In the leptophobic Z^\prime model, additional right-handed neutrinos are introduced and they can contribute to the missing energy signal in B -> M + E_missing decays. Through the explicit calculations, we obtain quite stringent bounds on the model parameters, |U_{sb}^{Z^\prime}| \leq 0.29 and |U_{db}^{Z^\prime}| \leq 0.61, from the already existing experimental data. We also briefly discuss an interesting subject of massive right-handed neutrinos, which might be connected with the dark matter problem.Comment: 17 pages, 3 figures, minor corrections, version to appear in PL