35667342
Teaching symmetry in the introductory physics curriculum
Modern physics is largely defined by fundamental symmetry principles and Noether’s theorem. Yet these are not taught, or rarely mentioned, to beginning students, thus missing an opportunity to reveal that the subject of physics is as lively and contemporary as molecular biology, and as beautiful as the arts. We prescribe a symmetry module, of a week’s length, to insert into the curriculum.
15028896
Fractal theory space: Space-time of noninteger dimensionality
We construct matter field theories in ``theory space'' that are fractal, and invariant under geometrical renormalization group (RG) transformations. We treat in detail complex scalars, and discuss issues related to fermions, chirality, and Yang-Mills gauge fields. In the continuum limit these models describe physics in a noninteger spatial dimension which appears above a RG invariant ``compactification scale,'' M. The energy distribution of KK modes above M is controlled by an exponent in a scaling relation of the vacuum energy (Coleman-Weinberg potential), and corresponds to the dimensionality. For truncated-s-simplex lattices with coordination number s the spacetime dimensionality is 1+(3+2ln(s)/ln(s+2)). The computations in theory space involve subtleties, owing to the 1+3 kinetic terms, yet the resulting dimensionalites are equivalent to thermal spin systems. Physical implications are discussed.
10472717
Chiral multiplets of heavy-light mesons
The recent discovery of a narrow resonance in ${D}_{s}{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{0}$ by the BaBar Collaboration is consistent with the interpretation of a heavy ${J}^{P}{(0}^{+}{,1}^{+})$ spin multiplet. This system is the parity partner of the ground state ${(0}^{\ensuremath{-}}{,1}^{\ensuremath{-}})$ multiplet, which we argue is required in the implementation of ${\mathrm{SU}(3)}_{L}\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{\mathrm{SU}(3)}_{R}$ chiral symmetry in heavy-light meson systems. The ${(0}^{+}{,1}^{+})\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{(0}^{\ensuremath{-}}{,1}^{\ensuremath{-}})+\ensuremath{\pi}$ transition couplings satisfy a Goldberger-Treiman relation, ${g}_{\ensuremath{\pi}}=\ensuremath{\Delta}{M/f}_{\ensuremath{\pi}},$ where $\ensuremath{\Delta}M$ is the mass gap. The BaBar resonance fits the ${0}^{+}$ state, with a kinematically blocked principal decay mode to $D+K.$ The allowed ${D}_{s}+\ensuremath{\pi},$ ${D}_{s}+2\ensuremath{\pi},$ and electromagnetic transitions are computed from the full chiral theory and found to be suppressed, consistent with the narrowness of the state. This state establishes the chiral mass difference for all such heavy-quark chiral multiplets, and precise predictions exist for the analogous ${B}_{s}$ and strange doubly heavy baryon states.
122717656
Renormalization in indefinite metric theories
We consider the Lee model,V ⇆ N+θ, and a two neutral scalar meson model with indefinite metrics. It is shown that in general the coupling will cause positive definite bare states to become negative length dressed states through renormalization effects. This can render the theory unphysical depending upon the auxiliary conditions imposed with the indefinite metric.
11755173
Cosmology with ultralight pseudo Nambu-Goldstone bosons.
We explore the cosmological implications of an ultralight pseudo Nambu-Goldstone boson. With global spontaneous symmetry breaking scale $f\ensuremath{\simeq}{10}^{18}\mathrm{GeV}$ and explicit breaking scale comparable to Mikheyev-Smirnov-Wolfenstein neutrino masses, $M\ensuremath{\sim}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}3}\mathrm{eV}$, such a field, which acquires a mass ${m}_{\ensuremath{\varphi}}\ensuremath{\sim}{M}^{2}/f\ensuremath{\sim}{H}_{0}$, would currently dominate the energy density of the Universe. The field acts as an effective cosmological constant before relaxing into a condensate of nonrelativistic bosons. Such a model can reconcile dynamical estimates of the density parameter, ${\ensuremath{\Omega}}_{m}\ensuremath{\sim}0.2$, with a spatially flat universe, yielding ${H}_{0}{t}_{0}\ensuremath{\simeq}1$ consistent with limits from gravitational lens statistics.
119473346
Renormalization group fixed points and the Higgs boson spectrum
Abstract We study numerically the renormalization group equations for the Higgs potential of the two-doublet model assuming perturbative unification and sufficiently large initial quartic and Higgs-Yukawa couplings such that the full nonlinearities interplay. We obtain predictions for the physical Higgs boson spectrum in the two-doublet model up to systematic differences in fermion coupling schemes. Unambiguous predictions emerge only when there exists a heavy generation in which quarks couple to both doublets. In other cases we find that the potential can become quartically unstable at low energies for arbitrary initial stable values of the coupling constants.
11057739
Initial experience with the CDF layer 00 silicon detector
We report on initial experience with the CDF Layer 00 Detector. Layer 00 is an innovative, low-mass, silicon detector installed in CDF during the upgrade for Run 2A of the Tevatron. Noise pickup present during operation at CDF is discussed. An event-by-event pedestal correction implemented by CDF is presented. This off-line solution prevents L00 from being used in the current incarnation of the on-line displaced track trigger. Preliminary performance of Layer 00 is described.
137745598
Concept for a lead-ion accelerating facility at CERN
22673060
Ions for LHC: Beam Physics and Engineering Challenges
The first phase of the heavy ion physics program at the LHC aims to provide lead-lead collisions at energies of 5.5 TeV per colliding nucleon pair and ion-ion luminosity of 1027cm-2s-1. The transformation of CERN’s ion injector complex (Linac3-LEIR-PS-SPS) presents a number of beam physics and engineering challenges, which are described in this paper. In the LHC itself, there are fundamental performance limitations due to various beam loss mechanisms. To study these without risk of damage there will be an initial period of operation with a reduced number of nominal intensity bunches. While reducing the work required to commission the LHC with ions in 2008, this will still enable early physics discoveries.
102555920
The LHC Lead Ion Injector Chain
122380850
New operational beam for the CERN heavy ion program
After 9 yr of delivering lead ions to the SPS fixed target physics program, a new beam was requested for the 2003 physics period, namely indium. The operational requirements and present status of the source will be presented together with the solutions to some of the problems experienced.