119236237
Chiral condensate in holographic models of QCD
Bottom-up holographic models of QCD, inspired by the anti-de Sitter space/conformal field theory correspondence, have shown a remarkable degree of phenomenological success. However, they rely on a number of bold assumptions. We investigate the reliability of one of the key assumptions, which involves matching the parameters of these models to QCD at high 4D momentum q{sup 2} and renormalization scale {mu}{sup 2}. We show that this leads to phenomenological and theoretical inconsistencies for scale-dependent quantities such as .
9144282
QCD inequalities for the nucleon mass and the free energy of baryonic matter.
The positivity of the integrand of certain Euclidean space functional integrals for two flavor QCD with degenerate quark masses implies that the free energy per unit volume for QCD with a baryon chemical potential mu(B) (and zero isospin chemical potential) is greater than the free energy with an isospin chemical potential mu(I)=(2 mu(B)/N(c)) (and zero baryon chemical potential). The same result applies to QCD with any number of heavy flavors in addition to the two light flavors so long as the chemical potential is understood as applying to the light quark contributions to the baryon number. This relation implies a bound on the nucleon mass: there exists a particle X in QCD (presumably the pion) such that M(N)> or =(N(c) m(X)/2 I(X)) where m(X) is the mass of the particle and I(X) is its isospin.
29345433
Quark and gluon condensates in nuclear matter.
Quark and gluon condensates in nuclear matter are studied. These in-medium condensates may be linked to a wide range of nuclear phenomena and are important inputs to QCD sum-rule calculations at finite density. The Hellmann-Feynman theorem yields a prediction of the quark condensate that is model independent to first order in the nucleon density. This linear density dependence, with slope determined by the nucleon {sigma} term, implies that the quark condensate is reduced considerably at nuclear matter saturation density---it is roughly 25--50 % smaller than the vacuum value. The trace anomaly and the Hellmann-Feynman theorem lead to a prediction of the gluon condensate that is model independent to first order in the nucleon density. At nuclear matter saturation density, the gluon condensate is about 5% smaller than the vacuum value. Contributions to the in-medium quark condensate that are of higher order in the nucleon density are estimated with mean-field quark-matter calculations using the Nambu--Jona-Lasinio and Gell-Mann--Levy models. Treatments of nuclear matter based on hadronic degrees of freedom are also considered, and the uncertainties are discussed.
33491035
Color-dielectric models from a lattice point of view.
We study the color-dielectric model, introduced by Nielsen and Patkos, using lattice gauge theory. We argue that the collective color-dielectric field, which is introduced by a block-spinning method, approaches zero in the vacuum for confining theories for a sufficiently large averaging size of the block-spinning box, as a consequence of the area-law behavior of Wilson loops. Increasing the box size increases the effective potential height for quarks, but decreases the resolving power of the effective theory. Estimates show that there exists an optimal choice of the size of the box suitable for a mean-field description of hadrons within the color-dielectric models with confinement. This yields a limit for the maximum momentum scales for which these models are applicable. This limit poses no difficulties for construction of phenomenological models.
126291695
Nuclear and Hadronic Physics at Large N c
This talk briefly surveys some of the advances in large Nc QCD in nuclear and hadronic physics during the past decade or so. It highlights recent results including an analytic result for the total nucleon-nucleon cross section in nucleon-nucleon scattering in the extreme large Nc limit (logNc 1)); it is given by s total = 2p log 2 (Nc) m 2 for p s much larger than the QCD scale. The talk also stresses a demonstration that given certain technical assumptions, it can be shown that QCD must have a Hagedorn spectrum (i.e., a spectrum where the number of hadrons grows exponentially with hadron mass) . Another theme in the talk is the phenomenology of a variant of the large Nc limit based on quarks in the two-index antisymmetric representation. This variant of large Nc QCD is qualitatively different from the conventional one in which quarks are in the fundamental representation and corresponds to a distinct large Nc limit with a distinct 1=Nc expansion. The description of nuclear forces and nuclear matter in both variants of the largeNc limit are discussed.
36009299
Doubly heavy hadrons and the domain of validity of doubly heavy diquark-antiquark symmetry
In the limit of heavy quark masses going to infinity, a symmetry is known to emerge in QCD relating properties of hadrons with two heavy quarks to analogous states with one heavy antiquark. A key question is whether the charm mass is heavy enough so that this symmetry is manifest in at least an approximate manner. The issue is crucial in attempting to understand the recent reports by the SELEX Collaboration of doubly charmed baryons. We argue on very general grounds that the charm quark mass is substantially too light for the symmetry to emerge automatically via color coulombic interactions. However, the symmetry could emerge approximately depending on the dynamical details of the nonperturbative physics. To treat the problem systematically, a new expansion that simultaneously incorporates NRQCD and HQET is needed.
118642460
Changes in dark matter properties after freeze-out
The properties of the dark matter that determine its thermal relic abundance can be very different from the dark matter properties today. We investigate this possibility by coupling a dark matter sector to a scalar that undergoes a phase transition after the dark matter freezes out. If the value of {omega}{sub DM}h{sup 2} calculated from parameters measured at colliders and by direct and indirect detection experiments does not match the astrophysically observed value, a novel cosmology of this type could provide the explanation.
119203754
Jet substructure templates: data-driven QCD backgrounds for fat jet searches
A bstractQCD is often the dominant background to new physics searches for which jet substructure provides a useful handle. Due to the challenges associated with modeling this background, data-driven approaches are necessary. This paper presents a novel method for determining QCD predictions using templates — probability distribution functions for jet substructure properties as a function of kinematic inputs. Templates can be extracted from a control region and then used to compute background distributions in the signal region. Using Monte Carlo, we illustrate the procedure with two case studies and show that the template approach effectively models the relevant QCD background. This work strongly motivates the application of these techniques to LHC data.
118415332
Electroweak Baryogenesis and Higgs Signatures
We explore the connection between the strength of the electroweak phase transition and the properties of the Higgs boson. Our interest is in regions of parameter space that can realize electroweak baryogenesis. We do so in a simplified framework in which a single Higgs field couples to new scalar fields charged under $SU(3{)}_{c}$ by way of the Higgs portal. Such new scalars can make the electroweak phase transition more strongly first-order, while contributing to the effective Higgs boson couplings to gluons and photons through loop effects. For Higgs boson masses in the range $115\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{GeV}\ensuremath{\lesssim}{m}_{h}\ensuremath{\lesssim}130\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{GeV}$, whenever the phase transition becomes strong enough for successful electroweak baryogenesis, we find that Higgs boson properties are modified by an amount observable by the LHC. We also discuss the baryogenesis window of the minimal supersymmetric standard model (MSSM), which appears to be under tension. Furthermore, we argue that the discovery of a Higgs boson with standard model-like couplings to gluons and photons will rule out electroweak baryogenesis in the MSSM.
118984899
Singlet-Doublet Dark Matter
In light of recent data from direct detection experiments and the Large Hadron Collider, we explore models of dark matter in which an SU(2){sub L} doublet is mixed with a Standard Model singlet. We impose a thermal history. If the new particles are fermions, this model is already constrained due to null results from XENON100. We comment on remaining regions of parameter space and assess prospects for future discovery. We do the same for the model where the new particles are scalars, which at present is less constrained. Much of the remaining parameter space for both models will be probed by the next generation of direct detection experiments. For the fermion model, DeepCore may also play an important role.
119280549
On-shell constructibility of tree amplitudes in general field theories
We study “on-shell constructibility” of tree amplitudes from recursion relations in general 4-dimensional local field theories with any type of particles, both massless and massive. Our analysis applies to renormalizable as well as non-renormalizable interactions, with or without supersymmetry. We focus on recursion relations that arise from complex deformations of all external momenta. Under certain conditions, these “all-line shift recursion relations” imply the MHV vertex expansion. We derive a simple sufficient criterion for the validity of the all-line shift recursion relations. It depends only on the mass dimensions of the coupling constants and on the sum of helicities of the external particles. Our proof is strikingly simple since it just relies on dimensional analysis and little-group transformation properties. In particular, the results demonstrate that all tree amplitudes with n > 4 external states are constructible in any power-counting renormalizable theory. Aspects of all-line shift constructibility are illustrated in numerous examples, ranging from pure scalar theory and the massless Wess-Zumino model to theories with higher-derivative interactions, gluon-Higgs fusion, and Z-boson scattering. We propose a sharp physical interpretation of our constructibility criterion: the all-line shift fails precisely for those classes of n-point amplitudes that can receive local contributions from independent gauge-invariant n-field operators.