118608262
Skyrmion semiclassical quantization in the presence of an isospin chemical potential
The semiclassical description of Skyrmions at small isospin chemical potential {mu}{sub I} is carefully analyzed. We show that when the calculation of the energy of a nucleon is performed using the straightforward generalization of the vacuum sector techniques ({mu}{sub I}=0), together with the 'natural' assumption {mu}{sub I}=O(N{sub c}{sup 0}), the proton and neutron masses are nonlinear in {mu}{sub I} in the regime |{mu}{sub I}|<m{sub {pi}}. Although these nonlinearities turn out to be numerically quite small, such a result fails to strictly agree with the very robust prediction that for those values of {mu}{sub I} the energy excitations above the vacuum are linear in {mu}{sub I}. The resolution of this paradox is achieved by studying the realization of the large N{sub c} limit of QCD in the Skyrme model at finite {mu}{sub I}. This is done in a simplified context devoid of the technical complications present in the Skyrme model but which fully displays the general scaling behavior with N{sub c}. The analysis shows that the paradoxical result appears as a symptom of using the semiclassical approach beyond its regime of validity and that, at a formal level, the standard methods for dealing with the Skyrme model are only strictly justifiedmore » for states of high isospin, I{approx}N{sub c}.« less
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
119221065
SUSY simplified models at 14, 33, and 100 TeV proton colliders
A bstractResults are presented for a variety of SUSY Simplified Models at the 14 TeV LHC as well as a 33 and 100 TeV proton collider. Our focus is on models whose signals are driven by colored production. We present projections of the upper limit and discovery reach in the gluino-neutralino (for both light and heavy flavor decays), squark-neutralino, and gluino-squark Simplified Model planes. Depending on the model a jets + $ E_T^{\mathrm{miss}} $, mono-jet, or same-sign di-lepton search is applied. The impact of pileup is explored. This study utilizes the Snowmass backgrounds and combined detector. Assuming 3000 fb−1 of integrated luminosity, a gluino that decays to light flavor quarks can be discovered below 2.3 TeV at the 14 TeV LHC and below 11 TeV at a 100 TeV machine.
118925668
Cosmic-ray induced neutrino fluxes at the Moon: A semi-analytic approach
Abstract Cosmic-ray induced neutrino backgrounds at the Moon are estimated using a semi-analytic approach. The analytic expressions are derived, flux estimates for ν e + ν ¯ e and ν μ + ν ¯ μ are given, and comparisons with the analogous backgrounds generated in the Earth’s atmosphere are presented. Suppression of the lunar fluxes relative to the terrestrial fluxes is found. At energies >10 GeV, the suppression approaches a maximum of order 10 −4 . The lower background environment suggests that the Moon may be advantageous for future particle astrophysics endeavors.
10334629
A Comparison of Future Proton Colliders Using SUSY Simplified Models: A Snowmass Whitepaper
We present a summary of results for SUSY Simplified Model searches at future proton colliders: the 14 TeV LHC as well as a 33 TeV proton collider and a 100 TeV proton collider. Upper limits and discovery significances are provided for the gluino-neutralino (for both light and heavy flavor decays), squark-neutralino, and gluino-squark Simplified Model planes. Events are processed with the Snowmass combined detector and Standard Model backgrounds are computed using the Snowmass samples. We place emphasis on comparisons between different collider scenarios, along with the lessons learned regarding the impact of systematic errors and pileup. More details are provided in a companion paper.
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.