New Physics and novel Higgs signals

We review some of the results of our recent work dealing with the novel type of Higgs signals that arise when one considers extensions of the standard model. We discuss first possible deviations on the Higgs couplings due to heavy particles, in the context of the MSSM and with large extra-dimensions. Then, we present several models where it is possible to induce flavor violating Higgs couplings, and probe them at future hadron colliders through the LFV Higgs decay h-> tau mu or with rare top decays.Comment: Talk given at the X Mexican School of Particles and Fields, Playa del Carmen, Mexico, 200

Disc atmospheres and winds in X-ray binaries

We review the current status of studies of disc atmospheres and winds in low mass X-ray binaries. We discuss the possible wind launching mechanisms and compare the predictions of the models with the existent observations. We conclude that a combination of thermal and radiative pressure (the latter being relevant at high luminosities) can explain the current observations of atmospheres and winds in both neutron star and black hole binaries. Moreover, these winds and atmospheres could contribute significantly to the broad iron emission line observed in these systems.Comment: Accepted for publication in Acta Polytechnica. Invited review talk at the Vulcano Workshop 2012: "Frontier Objects in Astrophysics and Particle Physics

History state formalism for Dirac's theory

We propose a history state formalism for a Dirac particle. By introducing a reference quantum clock system it is first shown that Dirac's equation can be derived by enforcing a timeless Wheeler-DeWitt-like equation for a global state. The Hilbert space of the whole system constitutes a unitary representation of the Lorentz group with respect to a properly defined invariant product, and the proper normalization of global states directly ensures standard Dirac's norm. Moreover, by introducing a second quantum clock, the previous invariant product emerges naturally from a generalized continuity equation. The invariant parameter $\tau$ associated with this second clock labels history states for different particles, yielding an observable evolution in the case of an hypothetical superposition of different masses. Analytical expressions for both space-time density and electron-time entanglement are provided for two particular families of electron's states, the former including Pryce localized particles.Comment: 9 pages, 2 figures, final versio

Top-Quark FCNC Decay t->cgg in Topcolor-assisted Technicolor Model

The topcolor-assisted technicolor (TC2) model predicts several pseudo-scalars called top-pions and at loop level they can induce the FCNC top quark decay t->cgg which is extremely suppressed in the Standard Model (SM). We find that in the allowed parameter space the TC2 model can greatly enhance such a FCNC decay and push the branching ratio up to 10^{-3}, which is much larger than the predictions in the SM (10^{-9}) and in the minimal supersymmetric model (10^{-4}). We also compare the result with the two-body FCNC decay t-> cg and find that the branching ratio of t-> cgg is slightly larger than t-> cg. Such enhanced FCNC top quark decays may serve as a good probe of TC2 model at the future top quark factory.Comment: 11 pages, 4 figure