High-Energy Proton-Proton Forward Scattering and Derivative Analyticity Relations

We present the results of several parametrizations to two different ensemble of data on $pp$ total cross sections $\sigma_{tot}^{pp}$ at the highest center-of-mass energies (including cosmic-ray information). The results are statistically consistent with two distinct scenarios at high energies. From one ensemble the prediction for the LHC ($\sqrt s = 14$ TeV) is $\sigma_{tot}^{pp} = 113 \pm 5$ mb and from the other, $\sigma_{tot}^{pp}=140 \pm 7$ mb. From each parametrization, and making use of derivative analyticity relations (DAR), we determine $\rho(s)$ (ratio between the forward real and imaginary parts of the elastic scattering amplitude). A discussion on the optimization of the DAR in terms of a free parameter is also presented.In all cases good descriptions of the experimental data are obtained.Comment: One formula added, one unit changed, small misprints corrected, final version to be published in Brazilian Journal of Physics; 13 pages, 8 figures, aps-revte

Energy-dependent dipole form factor in a QCD-inspired model

We consider the effect of an energy-dependent dipole form factor in the high-energy behavior of the forward amplitude. The connection between the semihard parton-level dynamics and the hadron-hadron scattering is established by an eikonal QCD-based model. Our results for the proton-proton ($pp$) and antiproton-proton ($\bar{p}p$) total cross sections, $\sigma_{tot}^{pp,\bar{p}p}(s)$, obtained using the CTEQ6L1 parton distribution function, are consistent with the recent data from the TOTEM experiment.Comment: 7 pages, 1 figure; Contribution to Proceedings of XIIIth International Workshop on Hadron Physics, Angra dos Reis, Brazil, 22-27 March, 201

Topological Vertex, String Amplitudes and Spectral Functions of Hyperbolic Geometry

We discuss the homological aspects of the connection between quantum string generating function and the formal power series associated to the dimensions of chains and homologies of suitable Lie algebras. Our analysis can be considered as a new straightforward application of the machinery of modular forms and spectral functions (with values in the congruence subgroup of $SL(2,{\mathbb Z})$) to the partition functions of Lagrangian branes, refined vertex and open string partition functions, represented by means of formal power series that encode Lie algebra properties. The common feature in our examples lies in the modular properties of the characters of certain representations of the pertinent affine Lie algebras and in the role of Selberg-type spectral functions of an hyperbolic three-geometry associated with $q$-series in the computation of the string amplitudes.Comment: Revised version. References added, results remain unchanged. arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:hep-th/0701156, arXiv:1105.4571, arXiv:1206.0664 by other author

The small xx behavior of the gluon structure function from total cross sections

Within a QCD-based eikonal model with a dynamical infrared gluon mass scale we discuss how the small $x$ behavior of the gluon distribution function at moderate $Q^{2}$ is directly related to the rise of total hadronic cross sections. In this model the rise of total cross sections is driven by gluon-gluon semihard scattering processes, where the behavior of the small $x$ gluon distribution function exhibits the power law $xg(x,Q^2)= h(Q^2)x^{-\epsilon}$. Assuming that the $Q^{2}$ scale is proportional to the dynamical gluon mass one, we show that the values of $h(Q^2)$ obtained in this model are compatible with an earlier result based on a specific nonperturbative Pomeron model. We discuss the implications of this picture for the behavior of input valence-like gluon distributions at low resolution scales.Comment: 19 pages, 3 figures; revised version; to appear in Int. J. Mod. Phys.

A conjecture on the infrared structure of the vacuum Schrodinger wave functional of QCD

The Schrodinger wave functional for the d=3+1 SU(N) vacuum is a partition function constructed in d=4; the exponent 2S in the square of the wave functional plays the role of a d=3 Euclidean action. We start from a gauge-invariant conjecture for the infrared-dominant part of S, based on dynamical generation of a gluon mass M in d=4. We argue that the exact leading term, of O(M), in an expansion of S in inverse powers of M is a d=3 gauge-invariant mass term (gauged non-linear sigma model); the next leading term, of O(1/M), is a conventional Yang-Mills action. The d=3 action that is the sum of these two terms has center vortices as classical solutions. The d=3 gluon mass, which we constrain to be the same as M, and d=3 coupling are related through the conjecture to the d=4 coupling strength, but at the same time the dimensionless ratio in d=3 of mass to coupling squared can be estimated from d=3 dynamics. This allows us to estimate the QCD coupling $\alpha_s(M^2)$ in terms of this strictly d=3 ratio; we find a value of about 0.4, in good agreement with an earlier theoretical value but a little low compared to QCD phenomenology. The wave functional for d=2+1 QCD has an exponent that is a d=2 infrared-effective action having both the gauge-invariant mass term and the field strength squared term, and so differs from the conventional QCD action in two dimensions, which has no mass term. This conventional d=2 QCD would lead in d=3 to confinement of all color-group representations. But with the mass term (again leading to center vortices), N-ality = 0 mod N representations are not confined.Comment: 15 pages, no figures, revtex

Using green vaccination to brighten the agronomic future

Crop plants host a variety of pests and diseases that can ultimately reduce agricultural productivity. Current methods of pest and disease control depend largely on pesticides. However, the use of chemicals alone is increasingly regarded as unsustainable due to the development of resistance and the introduction of stricter European regulation. There is a need, therefore, to reduce their use and to pursue the development of new Integrated Pest (and disease) Management (IPM) strategies. Research that focuses on the role that the plant’s immune system can play against these biological threats provides another potential source for future IPM strategies. Plants have sophisticated ways to defend themselves effectively and some stimuli can augment their innate immune capacity to resist future diseases. This phenomenon is known as priming of defence. Studies, mainly in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana, have unravelled the molecular and physiological mechanisms of this apparent plant ‘vaccination’. This article describes recent findings and provides the ingredients for the “right formulation” in order to integrate green vaccination as a tool for the second green revolution