118997983
Progress on the MIT 5-meter interferometer.
2702261
LISA source confusion: identification and characterization of signals
The Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) is expected to detect gravitational radiation from a large number of compact binary systems. We present a method by which these signals can be identified and have their parameters estimated. Our approach uses Bayesian inference, specifically the application of a Markov chain Monte Carlo method. The simulation study that we present here considers a large number of sinusoidal signals in noise, and our method estimates the number of periodic signals present in the data, the parameters for these signals and the noise level. The method is significantly better than classical spectral techniques at performing these tasks and does not use stopping criteria for estimating the number of signals present.
122531619
Measuring the stochastic gravitational-radiation background with laser-interferometric antennas.
A study of the method of detecting a stochastic gravitation-wave background (SGWB) with laser-interferometric gravitational-wave antennas is presented. The SGWB can be measured by correlating the output of two or more detectors. The results in this paper can be applied to the planned new generation of kilometer length interferometers, such as the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) in the United States, or similar systems in other countries. Advanced detectors will be able to limit the gravity-wave background energy density per logarithmic interval at 100 Hz to 2\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{\ensuremath{-}10}$ times the closure density of the Universe. A survey of potential sources indicates that a pair of antennas will be able to confirm or deny the existence of cosmic strings, or may detect the background produced by extragalactic neutron star binaries. Elements of the optimal interferometer design and orientation for detecting the SGWB, or any gravity wave, are given. In particular, the criteria for orienting a pair of antennas, the trade-off between sensitivity and bandwidth, and the effect of antenna separation on the correlation are presented. A procedure for obtaining the correlated signal from two interferometers is given. The statistical basis of the correlation experiment is presented. The cause and effect of correlated noise is examined. Filtering and data analysis issues are also discussed.
15806292
The Age of the Universe and the Cosmological Constant Determined from Cosmic Microwave Background Anisotropy Measurements
If Ωtot = 1 and structure formed from adiabatic initial conditions, then the age of the universe, as constrained by measurements of the cosmic microwave background (CMB), is t0 = 14.0 ± 0.5 Gyr. The uncertainty is surprisingly small given that CMB data alone do not significantly constrain either h or ΩΛ. This small uncertainty is due to the tight (and accidental) correlation in flat adiabatic models of the age with the angle subtended by the sound horizon on the last-scattering surface and, thus, with the well-determined acoustic peak locations. If we assume either the Hubble Space Telescope Key Project result h = 0.72 ± 0.08 or simply that h > 0.55, we find ΩΛ > 0.4 at 95% confidence—another argument for dark energy, independent of supernovae observations. Our analysis is greatly simplified by the Monte Carlo Markov chain approach to Bayesian inference combined with a fast method for calculating angular power spectra.
43905547
Veto studies for LIGO inspiral triggers
LIGO recently conducted its third scientific data run, S3. Here, we summarize the veto and data quality studies conducted by the LIGO Scientific Collaboration in connection with the search for binary inspiral signals in the S3 data. The veto results presented here come from studies on the S3 playground data. LIGO's interferometer channels and physical environmental monitors were monitored, and events in these channels coincident with inspiral triggers were examined.
15589153
A time-domain MCMC search and upper limit technique for gravitational waves of uncertain frequency from a targeted neutron star
It is computationally expensive to search the large parameter space associated with a gravitational wave signal of uncertain frequency, such as might be expected from the possible pulsar generated by SN1987A. To address this difficulty we have developed a Markov Chain Monte Carlo method that performs a time-domain Bayesian search for a signal over a 4 Hz frequency band and a spindown of magnitude of up to 1 ? 10?9 Hz s?1. We use Monte Carlo simulations to set upper limits on signal amplitude with this technique, which we intend to apply to a gravitational wave search.
119409593
Unitarity and bounds on the scale of fermion mass generation
The scale of fermion mass generation can, as shown by Appelquist and Chanowitz, be bounded from above by relating it to the scale of unitarity violation in the helicity nonconserving amplitude for fermion-anti-fermion pairs to scatter into pairs of longitudinally polarized electroweak gauge bosons. In this paper, we examine the process tt{yields}W{sub L}{sup +}W{sub L}{sup -} in a family of phenomenologically-viable deconstructed Higgsless models and we show that scale of unitarity violation depends on the mass of the additional vectorlike fermion states that occur in these theories (the states that are the deconstructed analogs of Kaluza-Klein partners of the ordinary fermions in a five-dimensional theory). For sufficiently light vector fermions, and for a deconstructed theory with sufficiently many lattice sites (that is, sufficiently close to the continuum limit), the Appelquist-Chanowitz bound can be substantially weakened. More precisely, we find that, as one varies the mass of the vectorlike fermion for fixed top-quark and gauge-boson masses, the bound on the scale of top-quark mass generation interpolates smoothly between the Appelquist-Chanowitz bound and one that can, potentially, be much higher. In these theories, therefore, the bound on the scale of fermion mass generation is independent of the bound on the scale ofmore » gauge-boson mass generation. While our analysis focuses on deconstructed Higgsless models, any theory in which top-quark mass generation proceeds via the mixing of chiral and vector fermions will give similar results.« less
118726227
Low-energy effective theory, unitarity, and nondecoupling behavior in a model with heavy Higgs-triplet fields
We discuss the properties of a model incorporating both a scalar electroweak Higgs doublet and an electroweak Higgs triplet. We construct the low-energy effective theory for the light Higgs doublet in the limit of small (but nonzero) deviations in the {rho} parameter from one, a limit in which the triplet states become heavy. For {delta}{rho}>0, perturbative unitarity of WW scattering breaks down at a scale inversely proportional to the renormalized vacuum expectation value of the triplet field (or, equivalently, inversely proportional to the square root of {delta}{rho}). This result imposes an upper limit on the mass scale of the heavy triplet bosons in a perturbative theory; we show that this upper bound is consistent with dimensional analysis in the low-energy effective theory. Recent articles have shown that the triplet bosons do not decouple, in the sense that deviations in the {rho} parameter from one do not necessarily vanish at one-loop in the limit of large triplet mass. We clarify that, despite the nondecoupling behavior of the Higgs triplet, this model does not violate the decoupling theorem since it incorporates a large dimensionful coupling. Nonetheless, we show that if the triplet-Higgs boson masses are of order the grand unified theory scale, more » perturbative consistency of the theory requires the (properly renormalized) Higgs-triplet vacuum expectation value to be so small as to be irrelevant for electroweak phenomenology. « less
118524954
Deconstructed Higgsless Models at LHC: The Top Triangle Moose
We describe a deconstructed Higgsless model in which electroweak symmetry breaking results largely from a Higgsless mechanism while the top quark mass is generated by a topcolor mechanism. The top quark mass arises from a Yukawa coupling to an effective top-Higgs which develops a small vacuum expectation value. Both the heavy partners of the electoweak gauge bosons and those for the SM fermions can be light enough to be visible at LHC.
206997636
CalcHEP 3.4 for collider physics within and beyond the Standard Model
We present version 3.4 of the CalcHEP software package which is designed for effective evaluation and simulation of high energy physics collider processes at parton level. The main features of CalcHEP are the computation of Feynman diagrams, integration over multi-particle phase space and event simulation at parton level. The principle attractive key-points along these lines are that it has: (a) an easy startup and usage even for those who are not familiar with CalcHEP and programming; (b) a friendly and convenient graphical user interface (GUI); (c) the option for the user to easily modify a model or introduce a new model by either using the graphical interface or by using an external package with the possibility of cross checking the results in different gauges; (d) a batch interface which allows to perform very complicated and tedious calculations connecting production and decay modes for processes with many particles in the final state. With this features set, CalcHEP can efficiently perform calculations with a high level of automation from a theory in the form of a Lagrangian down to phenomenology in the form of cross sections, parton level event simulation and various kinematical distributions. In this paper we report on the new features of CalcHEP 3.4 which improves the power of our package to be an effective tool for the study of modern collider phenomenology
119258873
MSSM Higgs bosons at the LHC
Accepting the existence of a SM-like Higgs boson in the range 123GeV-127GeV as indicated by the observed ga,ga events, there are two distinct regions left in the Minimal Supersymmetric (SUSY) Standard Model (MSSM) Higgs sector: (a) the lighter CP-even Higgs boson SM-like and the non-SM-like Higgs bosons all heavy and nearly degenerate above 300GeV; (b) the heavier CP-even Higgs boson being SM-like and the neutral non-SM-like Higgs bosons all nearly degenerate around 100GeV (a non-decoupling region). Due to the strong correlation between the Higgs decays to W+W- and to ga,ga predicted in the MSSM, the deficit of a W+W- final state signal would be in direct conflict with the ga,ga peak. If we consider W+W- on its own, the absence of the W+W- signal would imply that the SM-like Higgs boson has reduced coupling to W+-, and that the other non-SM-like Higgs bosons should not be too heavy and do not decouple. If both the ga,ga excess and the absence of W+W- continue, new physics beyond the MSSM will be required. A similar correlation exists between the W+W- and tau+tau- channels: a reduced W+W- channel would force the tau+tau- channel to be larger. Future searches for the SM-like Higgs boson at the LHC will provide critical tests for the MSSM prediction. We emphasize the potential importance of the electroweak processes pp->H+H-, H+-A0, which are independent of the SUSY parameters except for their masses. In addition, there may be sizable contributions from pp->H+-h0, A0h0 and W+-H0, ZH0 in the non-decoupling region, which may serve to discriminate the model parameters. We vary the relevant SUSY parameters in a broad range and demonstrate the correlations and constraints on these parameters and associated SUSY particles.