8,023 research outputs found
SU(5)-inspired double beta decay
The short-range part of the neutrinoless double beta amplitude is generated via the exchange of exotic particles, such as charged scalars, leptoquarks and/or diquarks. In order to give a sizable contribution to the total decay rate, the masses of these exotics should be of the order of (at most) a few TeV. Here, we argue that these exotics could be the ¿light¿ (i.e., weak-scale) remnants of some B ¿ L violating variants of SU(5). We show that unification of the standard model gauge couplings, consistent with proton decay limits, can be achieved in such a setup without the need to introduce supersymmetry. Since these nonminimal SU(5)-inspired models violate B ¿ L, they generate Majorana neutrino masses and therefore make it possible to explain neutrino oscillation data. The light colored particles of these models can potentially be observed at the LHC, and it might be possible to probe the origin of the neutrino masses with Delta L = 2 violating signals. As particular realizations of this idea, we present two models, one for each of the two possible tree-level topologies of neutrinoless double beta decay
On the behavior of rainfall maxima at the eastern Andes
In this study, we detect high percentile rainfall events in the eastern central Andes, based on Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) with a spatial resolution of 0.25 × 0.25°, a temporal resolution of 3 h, and for the duration from 2001 to 2018. We identify three areas with high mean accumulated rainfall and analyze their atmospheric behaviour and rainfall characteristics with specific focus on extreme events. Extreme events are defined by events above the 95th percentile of their daily mean accumulated rainfall. Austral summer (DJF) is the period of the year presenting the most frequent extreme events over these three regions. Daily statistics show that the spatial maxima, as well as their associated extreme events, are produced during the night. For the considered period, ERA-Interim reanalysis data, provided by the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) with 0.75° x0.75° spatial and 6-hourly temporal resolutions, were used for the analysis of the meso- and synoptic-scale atmospheric patterns. Night- and day-time differences indicate a nocturnal overload of northerly and northeasterly low-level humidity flows arriving from tropical South America. Under these conditions, cooling descending air from the mountains may find unstable air at the surface, giving place to the development of strong local convection. Another possible mechanism is presented here: a forced ascent of the low-level flow due to the mountains, disrupting the atmospheric stratification and generating vertical displacement of air trajectories. A Principal Component Analysis (PCA) in T-mode is applied to day- and night-time data during the maximum and extreme events. The results show strong correlation areas over each subregion under study during night-time, whereas during day-time no defined patterns are found. This confirms the observed nocturnal behavior of rainfall within these three hotspots.Fil: Hierro, Rodrigo Federico. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones CientÃficas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Austral. Facultad de IngenierÃa; ArgentinaFil: Burgos Fonseca, Yuditsabet. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones CientÃficas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de FÃsica de Buenos Aires. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de FÃsica de Buenos Aires; ArgentinaFil: Ramezani Ziarani, M.. Universitat Potsdam; Alemania. German Research Centre for Geosciences; AlemaniaFil: Llamedo Soria, Pablo Martin. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones CientÃficas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Austral. Facultad de IngenierÃa; ArgentinaFil: Schmidt, T.. German Research Centre for Geosciences; AlemaniaFil: de la Torre, Alejandro. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones CientÃficas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Austral. Facultad de IngenierÃa; ArgentinaFil: Alexander, Pedro Manfredo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones CientÃficas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de FÃsica de Buenos Aires. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de FÃsica de Buenos Aires; Argentin
State based model of long-term potentiation and synaptic tagging and capture
Recent data indicate that plasticity protocols have not only synapse-specific but also more widespread effects. In particular, in synaptic tagging and capture (STC), tagged synapses can capture plasticity-related proteins, synthesized in response to strong stimulation of other synapses. This leads to long-lasting modification of only weakly stimulated synapses. Here we present a biophysical model of synaptic plasticity in the hippocampus that incorporates several key results from experiments on STC. The model specifies a set of physical states in which a synapse can exist, together with transition rates that are affected by high- and low-frequency stimulation protocols. In contrast to most standard plasticity models, the model exhibits both early- and late-phase LTP/D, de-potentiation, and STC. As such, it provides a useful starting point for further theoretical work on the role of STC in learning and memory
Issues on Generating Primordial Anisotropies at the End of Inflation
We revisit the idea of generating primordial anisotropies at the end of
inflation in models of inflation with gauge fields. To be specific we consider
the charged hybrid inflation model where the waterfall field is charged under a
U(1) gauge field so the surface of end of inflation is controlled both by
inflaton and the gauge fields. Using delta N formalism properly we find that
the anisotropies generated at the end of inflation from the gauge field
fluctuations are exponentially suppressed on cosmological scales. This is
because the gauge field evolves exponentially during inflation while in order
to generate appreciable anisotropies at the end of inflation the spectator
gauge field has to be frozen and scale invariant. We argue that this is a
generic feature, that is, one can not generate observable anisotropies at the
end of inflation within an FRW background.Comment: V3: new references added, JCAP published versio
Supersymmetric mass spectra and the seesaw type-I scale
We calculate supersymmetric mass spectra with cMSSM boundary conditions and a
type-I seesaw mechanism added to explain current neutrino data. Using
published, estimated errors on SUSY mass observables for a combined LHC+ILC
analysis, we perform a theoretical analysis to identify parameter
regions where pure cMSSM and cMSSM plus seesaw type-I might be distinguishable
with LHC+ILC data. The most important observables are determined to be the
(left) smuon and selectron masses and the splitting between them, respectively.
Splitting in the (left) smuon and selectrons is tiny in most of cMSSM parameter
space, but can be quite sizeable for large values of the seesaw scale,
. Thus, for very roughly GeV hints for type-I
seesaw might appear in SUSY mass measurements. Since our numerical results
depend sensitively on forecasted error bars, we discuss in some detail the
accuracies, which need to be achieved, before a realistic analysis searching
for signs of type-I seesaw in SUSY spectra can be carried out.Comment: 17 pages, 7 figure
A precision study of the fine tuning in the DiracNMSSM
Recently the DiracNMSSM has been proposed as a possible solution to reduce
the fine tuning in supersymmetry. We determine the degree of fine tuning needed
in the DiracNMSSM with and without non-universal gaugino masses and compare it
with the fine tuning in the GNMSSM. To apply reasonable cuts on the allowed
parameter regions we perform a precise calculation of the Higgs mass. In
addition, we include the limits from direct SUSY searches and dark matter
abundance. We find that both models are comparable in terms of fine tuning,
with the minimal fine tuning in the GNMSSM slightly smaller.Comment: 20 pages + appendices, 10 figure
GRB 090417B and its Host Galaxy: A Step Towards an Understanding of Optically-Dark Gamma-Ray Bursts
GRB 090417B was an unusually long burst with a T_90 duration of at least 2130
s and a multi-peaked light curve at energies of 15-150 keV. It was optically
dark and has been associated with a bright star-forming galaxy at a redshift of
0.345 that is broadly similar to the Milky Way. This is one of the few cases
where a host galaxy has been clearly identified for a dark gamma-ray burst and
thus an ideal candidate for studying the origin of dark bursts. We find that
the dark nature of GRB 090417B cannot be explained by high redshift, incomplete
observations, or unusual physics in the production of the afterglow. Assuming
the standard relativistic fireball model for the afterglow we find that the
optical flux is at least 2.5 mag fainter than predicted by the X-ray flux. The
Swift/XRT X -ray data are consistent with the afterglow being obscured by a
dense, localized sheet of dust approximately 30-80 pc from the burst along the
line of sight. Our results suggest that this dust sheet imparts an extinction
of A_V >~ 12 mag, which is sufficient to explain the missing optical flux. GRB
090417B is an example of a gamma-ray burst that is dark due to the localized
dust structure in its host galaxy.Comment: Accepted for publication in Ap
Wilson Lines and a Canonical Basis of SU(4) Heterotic Standard Models
The spontaneous breaking of SU(4) heterotic standard models by Z_3 x Z_3
Wilson lines to the MSSM with three right-handed neutrino supermultiplets and
gauge group SU(3)_C x SU(2)_L x U(1) x U(1) is explored. The two-dimensional
subspace of the Spin(10) Lie algebra that commutes with su(3)_C + su(2)_L is
analyzed. It is shown that there is a unique basis for which the initial soft
supersymmetry breaking parameters are uncorrelated and for which the U(1) x
U(1) field strengths have no kinetic mixing at any scale. If the Wilson lines
"turn on" at different scales, there is an intermediate regime with either a
left-right or a Pati-Salam type model. We compute their spectra directly from
string theory, and adjust the associated mass parameter so that all gauge
parameters exactly unify. A detailed analysis of the running gauge couplings
and soft gaugino masses is presented.Comment: 59 pages, 9 figure
Quantitative Treatment of Decoherence
We outline different approaches to define and quantify decoherence. We argue
that a measure based on a properly defined norm of deviation of the density
matrix is appropriate for quantifying decoherence in quantum registers. For a
semiconductor double quantum dot qubit, evaluation of this measure is reviewed.
For a general class of decoherence processes, including those occurring in
semiconductor qubits, we argue that this measure is additive: It scales
linearly with the number of qubits.Comment: Revised version, 26 pages, in LaTeX, 3 EPS figure
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