Axion-photon Couplings in Invisible Axion Models

We reexamine the axion-photon couplings in various invisible axion models motivated by the recent proposal of using optical interferometry at the ASST facility in the SSCL to search for axion. We illustrate that the assignment of $U(1)_{PQ}$ charges for the fermion fields plays an important role in determining the couplings. Several simple non-minimal invisible axion models with suppressed and enhanced axion-photon couplings are constructed, respectively. We also discuss the implications of possible new experiments to detect solar axions by conversion to $X$-rays in a static magnetic apparatus tracking the sun.Comment: 14 pages, LaTeX fil

Chiral fermion mass and dispersion relations at finite temperature in the presence of hypermagnetic fields

We study the modifications to the real part of the thermal self-energy for chiral fermions in the presence of a constant external hypermagnetic field. We compute the dispersion relation for fermions occupying a given Landau level to first order in g'^2, g^2 and g_phi^2 and to all orders in g'B, where g' and g are the U(1)_Y and SU(2)_L couplings of the standard model, respectively, g_phi is the fermion Yukawa coupling, and B is the hypermagnetic field strength. We show that in the limit where the temperature is large compared to sqrt{g'B}, left- and right-handed modes acquire finite and different B-dependent masses due to the chiral nature of their coupling with the external field. Given the current bounds on the strength of primordial magnetic fields, we argue that the above is the relevant scenario to study the effects of magnetic fields on the propagation of fermions prior and during the electroweak phase transition.Comment: 11 pages 4 figures, published versio

Relativistic Mass Ejecta from Phase-transition-induced Collapse of Neutron Stars

We study the dynamical evolution of a phase-transition-induced collapse neutron star to a hybrid star, which consists of a mixture of hadronic matter and strange quark matter. The collapse is triggered by a sudden change of equation of state, which result in a large amplitude stellar oscillation. The evolution of the system is simulated by using a 3D Newtonian hydrodynamic code with a high resolution shock capture scheme. We find that both the temperature and the density at the neutrinosphere are oscillating with acoustic frequency. However, they are nearly 180$^{\circ}$ out of phase. Consequently, extremely intense, pulsating neutrino/antineutrino fluxes will be emitted periodically. Since the energy and density of neutrinos at the peaks of the pulsating fluxes are much higher than the non-oscillating case, the electron/positron pair creation rate can be enhanced dramatically. Some mass layers on the stellar surface can be ejected by absorbing energy of neutrinos and pairs. These mass ejecta can be further accelerated to relativistic speeds by absorbing electron/positron pairs, created by the neutrino and antineutrino annihilation outside the stellar surface. The possible connection between this process and the cosmological Gamma-ray Bursts is discussed.Comment: 40 pages, 11 figures, accepted for publication in JCA

Is the Sun Embedded in a Typical Interstellar Cloud?

The physical properties and kinematics of the partially ionized interstellar material near the Sun are typical of warm diffuse clouds in the solar vicinity. The interstellar magnetic field at the heliosphere and the kinematics of nearby clouds are naturally explained in terms of the S1 superbubble shell. The interstellar radiation field at the Sun appears to be harder than the field ionizing ambient diffuse gas, which may be a consequence of the low opacity of the tiny cloud surrounding the heliosphere. The spatial context of the Local Bubble is consistent with our location in the Orion spur.Comment: "From the Outer Heliosphere to the Local Bubble", held at International Space Sciences Institute, October 200

Large-scale magnetic fields from inflation in dilaton electromagnetism

The generation of large-scale magnetic fields is studied in dilaton electromagnetism in inflationary cosmology, taking into account the dilaton's evolution throughout inflation and reheating until it is stabilized with possible entropy production. It is shown that large-scale magnetic fields with observationally interesting strength at the present time could be generated if the conformal invariance of the Maxwell theory is broken through the coupling between the dilaton and electromagnetic fields in such a way that the resultant quantum fluctuations in the magnetic field has a nearly scale-invariant spectrum. If this condition is met, the amplitude of the generated magnetic field could be sufficiently large even in the case huge amount of entropy is produced with the dilution factor $\sim 10^{24}$ as the dilaton decays.Comment: 28 pages, 5 figures, the version accepted for publication in Phys. Rev. D; some references are adde

SuperWIMP Dark Matter Signals from the Early Universe

Cold dark matter may be made of superweakly-interacting massive particles, superWIMPs, that naturally inherit the desired relic density from late decays of metastable WIMPs. Well-motivated examples are weak-scale gravitinos in supergravity and Kaluza-Klein gravitons from extra dimensions. These particles are impossible to detect in all dark matter experiments. We find, however, that superWIMP dark matter may be discovered through cosmological signatures from the early universe. In particular, superWIMP dark matter has observable consequences for Big Bang nucleosynthesis and the cosmic microwave background (CMB), and may explain the observed underabundance of 7Li without upsetting the concordance between deuterium and CMB baryometers. We discuss implications for future probes of CMB black body distortions and collider searches for new particles. In the course of this study, we also present a model-independent analysis of entropy production from late-decaying particles in light of WMAP data.Comment: 19 pages, 5 figures, typos correcte

Development and validation of a radial variable geometry turbine model for transient pulsating flow applications

This paper presents the development and validation of a one-dimensional radial turbine model able to be used in automotive turbocharger simulations. The model has been validated using results from a numerical 3D CFD simulation of stationary and pulsating flow in a variable geometry radial turbine. As the CFD analysis showed, the main non-quasi-steady behavior of the turbine is due to the volute geometry, so special care was taken in order to properly model it while maintaining low computational costs. The flow in the volute has been decomposed in its radial and azimuthal direction. The azimuthal flow corresponds to the flow moving along the volute, while the radial flow is computed by coupling its flow with a stator model. Although the stator caused fewer accumulation effects than the volute, a small accumulation model has been used for it, which also allows to compute the evolution of the flow inside the turbine with lower costs. The flow in the moving rotor can be considered quasi-steady, so a zero-dimensional model for the rotor has been developed. Several losses models where implemented for both the stator and the rotor. The results show good agreement with the CFD computations. 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.The authors are indebted to the Spanish Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad through Project TRA 2010-16205.Galindo, J.; Tiseira Izaguirre, AO.; Fajardo, P.; García-Cuevas González, LM. (2014). Development and validation of a radial variable geometry turbine model for transient pulsating flow applications. Energy Conversion and Management. 85:190-203. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enconman.2014.05.072S1902038

Spin Analysis of Supersymmetric Particles

The spin of supersymmetric particles can be determined at $e^+e^-$ colliders unambiguously. This is demonstrated for a characteristic set of non-colored supersymmetric particles -- smuons, selectrons, and charginos/neutralinos. The analysis is based on the threshold behavior of the excitation curves for pair production in $e^+e^-$ collisions, the angular distribution in the production process and decay angular distributions. In the first step we present the observables in the helicity formalism for the supersymmetric particles. Subsequently we confront the results with corresponding analyses of Kaluza-Klein particles in theories of universal extra space dimensions which behave distinctly different from supersymmetric theories. It is shown in the third step that a set of observables can be designed which signal the spin of supersymmetric particles unambiguously without any model assumptions. Finally in the fourth step it is demonstrated that the determination of the spin of supersymmetric particles can be performed experimentally in practice at an $e^+e^-$ collider.Comment: 39 pages, 14 figure

Gravitational collapse of a Hagedorn fluid in Vaidya geometry

The gravitational collapse of a high-density null charged matter fluid, satisfying the Hagedorn equation of state, is considered in the framework of the Vaidya geometry. The general solution of the gravitational field equations can be obtained in an exact parametric form. The conditions for the formation of a naked singularity, as a result of the collapse of the compact object, are also investigated. For an appropriate choice of the arbitrary integration functions the null radial outgoing geodesic, originating from the shell focussing central singularity, admits one or more positive roots. Hence a collapsing Hagedorn fluid could end either as a black hole, or as a naked singularity. A possible astrophysical application of the model, to describe the energy source of gamma-ray bursts, is also considered.Comment: 14 pages, 2 figures, to appear in Phys. Rev.