17651517
The Truncated disk of CoKu Tau/4
We present a model of a dusty disk with an inner hole that accounts for the Spitzer Space Telescope Infrared Spectrograph observations of the low-mass pre-main-sequence star CoKu Tau/4. We have modeled the mid-infrared spectrum (between 8 and 25 μm) as arising from the inner wall of a disk. Our model disk has an evacuated inner zone of radius ~10 AU, with a dusty inner "wall" of half-height ~2 AU that is illuminated at normal incidence by the central star. The radiative equilibrium temperature decreases from the inner disk edge outward through the optically thick disk; this temperature gradient is responsible for the emission of the silicate bands at 10 and 20 μm. The observed spectrum is consistent with being produced by Fe-Mg amorphous glassy olivine and/or pyroxene, with no evidence of a crystalline component. The mid-infrared spectrum of CoKu Tau/4 is reminiscent of that of the much older star TW Hya, where it has been suggested that the significant clearing of its inner disk is due to planet formation. However, no inner disk remains in CoKu Tau/4, consistent with the star being a weak-emission (nonaccreting) T Tauri star. The relative youth of CoKu Tau/4 (~1 Myr) may indicate much more rapid planet formation than typically assumed.
117890277
Properties and evolution of circumstellar disks and envelopes around young low-mass stars in the Taurus star-forming region
16416157
Radiative Transfer Modeling of Passive Circumstellar Disks: Application to HR4796A
We present a radiative transfer model which computes the spectral energy distribution of a passive, irradiated, circumstellar disk, assuming the grains are in radiative equilibrium. Dependence on radial density profile, grain temperature estimation, and optical depth profiles on the output SED are discussed. The bist fit model for HR4796A has a minimum and maximum spherical grain size of 2.2 and 1000 \mu$m respectively, a size distribution slightly steeper than the "classical" -3.5 MRN power law, grains composed of silicates, trolite, ice, and organics and a peak radial density of 1.0 x 10^-17 g cm^-2 at 70 AU, yielding a disk mass of roughly 2 M_{oplus}$.
118514242
EMISSION FROM WATER VAPOR AND ABSORPTION FROM OTHER GASES AT 5-7.5 μm IN SPITZER-IRS SPECTRA OF PROTOPLANETARY DISKS
We present spectra of 13 T Tauri stars in the Taurus-Auriga star-forming region showing emission in Spitzer Space Telescope Infrared Spectrograph 5-7.5 μm spectra from water vapor and absorption from other gases in these stars' protoplanetary disks. Seven stars' spectra show an emission feature at 6.6 μm due to the ν{sub 2} = 1-0 bending mode of water vapor, with the shape of the spectrum suggesting water vapor temperatures >500 K, though some of these spectra also show indications of an absorption band, likely from another molecule. This water vapor emission contrasts with the absorption from warm water vapor seen in the spectrum of the FU Orionis star V1057 Cyg. The other 6 of the 13 stars have spectra showing a strong absorption band, peaking in strength at 5.6-5.7 μm, which for some is consistent with gaseous formaldehyde (H{sub 2}CO) and for others is consistent with gaseous formic acid (HCOOH). There are indications that some of these six stars may also have weak water vapor emission. Modeling of these stars' spectra suggests these gases are present in the inner few AU of their host disks, consistent with recent studies of infrared spectra showing gas in protoplanetary disks.
119302415
SPITZER SPECTROSCOPY OF THE CIRCUMPRIMARY DISK IN THE BINARY BROWN DWARF 2MASS J04414489+2301513*
Using the Spitzer Infrared Spectrograph, we have performed mid-infrared spectroscopy on the young binary brown dwarf 2MASS J04414489+2301513 (15 AU) in the Taurus star-forming region. The spectrum exhibits excess continuum emission that likely arises from a circumstellar disk around the primary. Silicate emission is not detected in these data, indicating the presence of significant grain growth. This is one of the few brown dwarf disks at such a young age (~1 Myr) that has been found to lack silicate emission. To quantitatively constrain the properties of the disk, we have compared the spectral energy distribution of 2MASS J04414489+2301513 to the predictions of our vertical structure codes for irradiated accretion disks. Our models suggest that the remaining atmospheric grains of moderately depleted layers may have grown to a size of 5 μm. In addition, our model fits indicate an outer radius of 0.2-0.3 AU for the disk. The small size of this circumprimary disk could be due to truncation by the secondary. The absence of an outer disk containing a reservoir of small, primordial grains, combined with a weak turbulent mechanism, may be responsible for the advanced grain growth in this disk.
195323488
Spitzer IRS Observations of Class I/II Objects in Taurus: Composition, Temperature and Thermal History of the Circumstellar Ices
We present observations of Taurus-Auriga Class I/II protostars obtained with the Spitzer InfraRed Spectrograph. Detailed spectral fits to the 6 and 15 micron features are made, using publicly-available laboratory data, to constrain the molecular composition, abundances, and levels of thermal processing along the lines of sight. We provide an inventory of the molecular environments observed, which have an average composition dominated by water ice with ∼12% CO2 (abundance relative to H2O), &2-9% CH3OH, .14% NH3, ∼4% CH4, ∼2% H2CO, ∼0.6% HCOOH, and ∼0.5% SO2. We find CO2/H2O ratios nearly equivalent to those observed in cold clouds and lines of sight toward the galactic center. The unidentified 6.8 micron profile shapes vary from source to source, and it is shown to be likely that even combinations of the most common candidates (NH4 and CH3OH) are inadequate to explain the feature fully. We discuss correlations among SED spectral indices, abundance ratios, and thermallyprocessed ice fractions and their implications for CO2 formation and evolution. Comparison of our spectral fits to cold molecular cloud sight-lines indicate abundant prestellar ice environments made even richer by the radiative effects of protostars. Our results add additional constraints and a finer level of detail to current full-scale models of protostellar and protoplanetary systems. Subject headings: stars: pre-main sequence — ISM: abundances — ISM: molecules — infrared: ISM — astrochemistry
119258843
Realistic composite Higgs models
We study the role of fermionic resonances in realistic composite Higgs models. We consider the low energy effective description of a model in which the Higgs arises as the pseudo-Goldstone boson of an SO(5)/SO(4) global symmetry breaking pattern. Assuming that only fermionic resonances are present below the cutoff of our effective theory, we perform a detailed analysis of the electroweak constraints on such a model. This includes the exact one-loop calculation of the T parameter and the anomalous Zb{sub L}b{sub L} coupling for arbitrary new fermions and couplings. Other relevant observables like b{yields}s{gamma} and {delta}B=2 processes have also been examined. We find that, while minimal models are difficult to make compatible with electroweak precision tests, models with several fermionic resonances, such as the ones that appear in the spectrum of viable composite Higgs models from warped extra dimensions, are fully realistic in a large region of parameter space. These fermionic resonances could be the first observable signature of the model at the CERN LHC.
119628433
-symmetric extension of the Korteweg-de Vries equation
The Korteweg-de Vries equation ut + uux + uxxx = 0 is symmetric (invariant under spacetime reflection). Therefore, it can be generalized and extended into the complex domain in such a way as to preserve the symmetry. The result is the family of complex nonlinear wave equations ut − iu(iux) + uxxx = 0, where is real. The features of these equations are discussed. Special attention is given to the = 3 equation, for which conservation laws are derived and solitary waves are investigated.
120005192
Phenomenology of composite Higgs models
The long-standing quest for a simple and elegant description of the fundamental components of the world that surrounds us and of their interactions led so far to the construction of a theory describing gravity, the theory of relativity, and of a model for the strong and electroweak interactions, the Standard Model. At the energy scales that we can probe with current collider experiments gravity is too weak to play any role, and is usually ignored. In Chapter 1 we review what is currently considered as the “Standard Model” of particle physics, including the Higgs sector. This sector is introduced to account for the low-energy breaking of the SU(2)L × U(1)Y electroweak gauge symmetry to the electromagnetic symmetry U(1)em. Its most important prediction is the existence of a new particle, the Higgs boson. Such particle has not been observed yet, but from indirect experimental evidence we expect it to be relatively light. A light fundamental scalar is not natural, though. Radiative corrections are expected to drive its mass close to the Planck scale (or to the scale of onset of some new physics). Many extensions of the Standard Model have been introduced to try and address this and other shortcomings of the Standard Model. These new theories need to be consistent with the large amount of data that have been collected so far, and are usually in very good agreement with the Standard Model. We conclude Chapter 1 introducing an effective parametrization of new physics scenarios that allows for an easy comparison with the current electroweak constraints from collider experiments. An elegant way to explain the lightness of a particle is to assume that some symmetry protects its mass from large radiative corrections. The most famous example is supersymmetry, that exploits the cancellation between the contributions given by fermions and by bosons to the Higgs self-energy. This is not the only solution. Composite Higgs
53117738
Higgs boson gluon–fusion production at threshold in N3LO QCD
We present the cross-section for the threshold production of the Higgs boson at hadron-colliders at next-to-next-to-next-to-leading order (N3LO) in perturbative QCD. We present an analytic expression for the partonic cross-section at threshold and the impact of these corrections on the numerical estimates for the hadronic cross-section at the LHC. With this result we achieve a major milestone towards a complete evaluation of the cross-section at N3LO which will reduce the theoretical uncertainty in the determination of the strengths of the Higgs boson interactions.
118582742
Discovery potential of top-partners in a realistic composite Higgs model with early LHC data
Composite Higgs models provide a natural, non-supersymmetric solution to the hierarchy problem. In these models, one or more sets of heavy top-partners are typically introduced. Some of these new quarks can be relatively light, with a mass of a few hundred GeV, and could be observed with the early LHC collision data expected to be collected during 2010. We analyse in detail the collider signatures that these new quarks can produce. We show that final states with two (same-sign) or three leptons are the most promising discovery channels. They can yield a 5σ excess over the Standard Model expectation already with the 2010 LHC collision data. Exotic quarks of charge 5/3 are a distinctive feature of this model. We present a new method to reconstruct their masses from their leptonic decay without relying on jets in the final state.