119063261
Excited heavy baryons and their symmetries II: Effective theory
Abstract We develop an effective theory for heavy baryons and their excited states. The approach is based on the contracted O(8) symmetry recently shown to emerge from QCD for these states in the combined large- N c and heavy-quark limits. The effective theory is based on perturbations about this limit; a power-counting scheme is developed in which the small parameter is λ 1/2 where λ∼1/N c , Λ/m Q (with Λ being a typical strong interaction scale). We derive the effective Hamiltonian for strong interactions at next-to-leading order. The next-to-leading-order effective Hamiltonian depends on only two parameters beyond the known masses of the nucleon and heavy meson. We also show that the effective operators for certain electroweak transitions can be obtained with no unknown parameters at next-to-leading order.
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.
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.
37449512
Is there a "most perfect fluid" consistent with quantum field theory?
It was recently conjectured that the ratio of the shear viscosity to entropy density eta/s for any fluid always exceeds [formula: see text]. A theoretical counterexample to this bound can be constructed from a nonrelativistic gas by increasing the number of species in the fluid while keeping the dynamics essentially independent of the species type. The question of whether the underlying structure of relativistic quantum field theory generically inhibits the realization of such a system and thereby preserves the possibility of a universal bound is considered here. Using rather conservative assumptions, it is shown here that a metastable gas of heavy mesons in a particular controlled regime of QCD provides a realization of the counterexample and is consistent with a well-defined underlying relativistic quantum field theory. Thus, quantum field theory appears to impose no lower bound on eta/s, at least for metastable fluids.
118729457
A sticky business: the status of the conjectured viscosity/entropy density bound
There have been a number of forms of a conjecture that there is a universal lower bound on the ratio, η/s, of the shear viscosity, η, to entropy density, s, with several different domains of validity. We examine the various forms of the conjecture. We argue that a number of variants of the conjecture are not viable due to the existence of theoretically consistent counterexamples. We also note that much of the evidence in favor of a bound does not apply to the variants which have not yet been ruled out.
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.
119221672
Jet substructure by accident
A bstractWe propose a new search strategy for high-multiplicity hadronic final states. When new particles are produced at threshold, the distribution of their decay products is approximately isotropic. If there are many partons in the final state, it is likely that several will be clustered into the same large-radius jet. The resulting jet exhibits substructure, even though the parent states are not boosted. This “accidental” substructure is a powerful discriminant against background because it is more pronounced for high-multiplicity signals than for QCD multijets. We demonstrate how to take advantage of accidental substructure to reduce backgrounds without relying on the presence of missing energy. As an example, we present the expected limits for several R-parity violating gluino decay topologies. This approach allows for the determination of QCD backgrounds using data-driven methods, which is crucial for the feasibility of any search that targets signatures with many jets and suppressed missing energy.
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.
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.
8964651
Electroweak Baryogenesis and Colored Scalars
We consider the 2-loop finite temperature effective potential for a Standard Model-like Higgs boson, allowing Higgs boson couplings to additional scalars. If the scalars transform under color, they contribute 2-loop diagrams to the effective potential that include gluons. These 2-loop effects are perhaps stronger than previously appreciated. For a Higgs boson mass of 115 GeV, they can increase the strength of the phase transition by as much as a factor of 3.5. It is this effect that is responsible for the survival of the tenuous electroweak baryogenesis window of the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model. We further illuminate the importance of these 2-loop diagrams by contrasting models with colored scalars to models with singlet scalars. We conclude that baryogenesis favors models with light colored scalars. This motivates searches for pair-produced di-jet resonances or jet(s) + = E{sub T}.