Massive fields can exist in long-lived configurations around black holes. We examine how the gravitational wave signal of a perturbed black hole is affected by such “dirtiness” within linear theory. As a concrete example, we consider the gravitational radiation emitted by the infall of a massive scalar field into a Schwarzschild black hole. Whereas part of the scalar field is absorbed/scattered by the black hole and triggers gravitational wave emission, another part lingers in long-lived quasibound states. Solving numerically the Teukolsky master equation for gravitational perturbations coupled to the massive Klein-Gordon equation, we find a characteristic gravitational wave signal, composed by a quasinormal ringing followed by a late time tail. In contrast to “clean” black holes, however, the late time tail contains small amplitude wiggles with the frequency of the dominating quasibound state. Additionally, an observer dependent beating pattern may also be seen. These features were already observed in fully nonlinear studies; our analysis shows they are present at linear level, and, since it reduces to a $1+1$ dimensional numerical problem, allows for cleaner numerical data. Moreover, we discuss the power law of the tail and that it only becomes universal sufficiently far away from the dirty black hole. The wiggly tails, by constrast, are a generic feature that may be used as a smoking gun for the presence of massive fields around black holes, either as a linear cloud or as fully nonlinear hair.

Known as a symmetry of vacuum Maxwell equations, the electric-magnetic duality can be lifted actually to a symmetry of an action. The Lagrangian of this action is written in terms of two vector potentials, one electric and one magnetic, and while it is manifestly invariant under duality rotations, it is not manifestly Lorentz covariant. This duality symmetry exists also in linearized gravity in four dimensions, and can be lifted off shell too. In $d$ dimensions, the link between linearized gravity and its dual can also be seen from the point of view of a parental action. This is defined by a first order Lagrangian (with the help of some auxiliary variables) that delivers both Fierz-Pauli theory and its dual. In this work we use this formalism to implement the electric-magnetic duality in the nonrelativistic deviation of Fierz-Pauli theory arising from Hořava-Lifshitz gravity. Since this theory breaks diffeomorphism invariance, one finds that such implementation includes some peculiarities.

We examine the importance of baryonic feedback effects on the matter power spectrum on small scales and the implications for the precise measurement of neutrino masses through gravitational weak lensing. Planned large galaxy surveys such as the Large Synoptic Sky Telescope and Euclid are expected to measure the sum of neutrino masses to extremely high precision, sufficient to detect nonzero neutrino masses even in the minimal mass normal hierarchy. We show that weak lensing of galaxies, while being a very good probe of neutrino masses, is extremely sensitive to baryonic feedback processes. We use publicly available results from the Overwhelmingly Large Simulations project to investigate the effects of active galactic nuclei feedback, the nature of the stellar initial mass function, and gas cooling rates on the measured weak lensing shear power spectrum. Using the Fisher matrix formalism and priors from $\mathrm{CMB}+\mathrm{BAO}$ data, we show that, when one does not account for feedback, the measured neutrino mass may be substantially larger or smaller than the true mass, depending on the dominant feedback mechanism, with the mass error $|\mathrm{\Delta }{m}_{\nu }|$ often exceeding the mass $m_{\nu }$ itself. We also consider gravitational lensing of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) and show that it is not sensitive to baryonic feedback on scales $\ell <2000$, although CMB experiments that aim for sensitivities $\sigma (m_{\nu })<0.02\mathrm{eV}$ will need to include baryonic effects in modeling the CMB lensing potential. A combination of CMB lensing and galaxy lensing can help break the degeneracy between neutrino masses and baryonic feedback processes. We conclude that future large galaxy lensing surveys such as Large Synoptic Sky Telescope and Euclid can only measure neutrino masses accurately if the matter power spectrum can be measured to similar accuracy.

Spectroscopic redshift surveys offer great prospects for constraining the dark sector in cosmology. Future surveys will however be both deep and wide and will thus require an analysis in three-dimensional spherical geometry. We review and compare several methods which have been proposed in the literature for this purpose, focusing in particular on implementations of the spherical harmonic tomography (SHT) power spectrum $C_l^{ij}$ and the spherical Fourier Bessel (SFB) power spectrum $C_l(k,k^{\prime })$. Using a Fisher analysis, we compare the forecasted constraints on cosmological parameters using these statistics. These constraints typically rely on approximations such as the Limber approximation and make specific choices in the numerical implementation of each statistic. Using a series of toy models, we explore the applicability of these approximations and study the sensitivity of the SHT and SFB statistics to the details of their implementation. In particular, we show that overlapping redshift bins may improve cosmological constraints using the SHT statistic when the number of bins is small, and that the SFB constraints are quite robust to changes in the assumed distance-redshift relation. We also find that the SHT can be tailored to be more sensitive to modes at redshifts close to the survey boundary, while the SFB appears better suited to capture information beyond the smooth shape of the power spectrum. In this context, we discuss the pros and cons of the different techniques and their impact on the design and analysis of future wide field spectroscopic surveys.

Dark energy might directly interact with cold dark matter. However, in such a scenario, an early-time large-scale instability occurs occasionally, which may be due to the incorrect treatment for the pressure perturbation of dark energy as a nonadiabatic fluid. To avoid this nonphysical instability, we establish a new framework to correctly calculate the cosmological perturbations in the interacting dark energy models. Inspired by the well-known parametrized post-Friedmann approach, the condition of the dark energy pressure perturbation is replaced with the relationship between the momentum density of dark energy and that of other components on large scales. By reconciling the perturbation evolutions on the large and small scales, one can complete the perturbation equations system. The large-scale instability can be successfully avoided and the well-behaved density and metric perturbations are obtained within this framework. Our test results show that this new framework works very well and is applicable to all the interacting dark energy models.

We discuss the recent claim [G. Mishima, arXiv:1311.7109; M. Fael and M. Passera, arXiv:1402.1575 [Phys. Rev. D (to be published)]] about discovery of a nonperturbative quantum-electrodynamic contribution of order $(\alpha /\pi {)}^5$ to lepton anomalous magnetic moments. We explain why this nonperturbative correction does not exist.

The chiral $SU(3)$ Lagrangian with charmed baryons of spin $J^P=1/2^{+}$ and $J^P=3/2^{+}$ is analyzed. We consider all counterterms that are relevant at next-to-next-to-next-to-leading order (${\mathrm{N}}^3\mathrm{LO}$) in a chiral extrapolation of the charmed baryon masses. At ${\mathrm{N}}^2\mathrm{LO}$ we find 16 low-energy parameters. There are three mass parameters for the antitriplet and the two sextet baryons, six parameters describing the meson-baryon vertices and seven symmetry breaking parameters. The heavy-quark spin symmetry predicts four sum rules for the meson-baryon vertices and degenerate masses for the two baryon sextet fields. Here a large-$N_c$ operator analysis at next-to-leading order (NLO) suggests the relevance of one further spin-symmetry breaking parameter. Going from ${\mathrm{N}}^2\mathrm{LO}$ to ${\mathrm{N}}^3\mathrm{LO}$ adds $53=17+36$ parameters. For the leading symmetry conserving two-body counterterms involving two baryon fields and two Goldstone boson fields we find 36 terms. While the heavy-quark spin symmetry leads to $36-16=20$ sum rules, an expansion in $1/N_c$ at NLO generates $36-7=29$ parameter relations. A combined expansion leaves six unknown parameters only. For the symmetry breaking counterterms we find 17 terms, for which there are $17-9=8$ sum rules from the heavy-quark spin symmetry and $17-5=12$ sum rules from a $1/N_c$ expansion at NLO.

The double parton distributions (dPDF), both conventional (i.e. double ladder) and those corresponding to $1\to 2$ ladder splitting, are calculated and compared for different two-parton combinations. The conventional and splitting dPDFs have very similar shape in $x_1$ and $x_2$. We make a first quantitative evaluation of the single-ladder-splitting contribution to double parton scattering (DPS) production of two S- or P-wave quarkonia, two Higgs bosons and $c\overline{c}c\overline{c}$. The ratio of the single-ladder-splitting to conventional (i.e. double ladder against double ladder) contributions is discussed as a function of center-of-mass energy, mass of the produced system and other kinematical variables. Using a simple model for the dependence of the conventional two-parton distribution on transverse parton separation (Gaussian and independent of $x_i$ and scales), we find that the single-ladder-splitting (or 2v1) contribution is as big as the conventional (or 2v2) contribution discussed in recent years in the literature. In many experimental studies of DPS, one extracts the quantity $1/{\sigma }_{\mathrm{eff}}={\sigma }^{\mathrm{DPS}}/({\sigma }^{\mathrm{SPS},1}{\sigma }^{\mathrm{SPS},2}$), with ${\sigma }^{\mathrm{SPS},1}$ and ${\sigma }^{\mathrm{SPS},2}$ being the single scattering cross sections for the two subprocesses in the DPS process. Many past phenomenological studies of DPS have only considered the conventional contribution and have obtained values a factor of $\sim 2$ too small for $1/{\sigma }_{\mathrm{eff}}$. Our analysis shows that it is important also to consider the ladder-splitting mechanism, and that this might resolve the discrepancy (this was also pointed out in a recent study by Blok et al.). The differential distributions in rapidity and transverse momenta calculated for conventional and single-ladder-splitting DPS processes are however very similar which causes their experimental separation to be rather difficult, if not impossible. The direct consequence of the existence of the two components (conventional and splitting) is the energy and process dependence of the empirical parameter ${\sigma }_{\mathrm{eff}}$. This is illustrated in our paper for the considered processes.

We derive electric dipole moment (EDM) constraints on possible new macroscopic time-reversal and parity-violating (TVPV) spin-dependent forces. These constraints are compared to those derived from direct searches in fifth-force experiments and from combining laboratory searches with astrophysical bounds on stellar energy loss. For axion-mediated TVPV spin-dependent forces, EDM constraints dominate over fifth-force limits by several orders of magnitude. However, we show that for a generic light scalar, unrelated to the strong $CP$ problem, present bounds from direct fifth-force searches are more stringent than those inferred from EDM limits for the interaction ranges explored by fifth-force experiments. Thus, correlating observations in EDM and fifth-force experiments could help distinguish axions from more generic light scalar scenarios.

We match continuum and lattice heavy-light four-fermion operators at one loop in perturbation theory. For the heavy quarks we use nonrelativistic QCD and for the massless light quarks the highly improved staggered quark action. We include the full set of $\mathrm{\Delta }B=2$ operators relevant to neutral $B$ mixing both within and beyond the standard model and match through order ${\alpha }_s$, ${\mathrm{\Lambda }}_{\mathrm{QCD}}/M_b$, and ${\alpha }_s/(a{M}_b)$.

We investigate nonstandard interaction effects in antineutrino-electron scattering experiments with baselines short enough to ignore standard oscillation phenomena. The setup is free of ambiguities from the interference between new physics and oscillation effects and is sensitive to both semileptonic new physics at the source and purely leptonic new physics in the weak interaction scattering at the detector. We draw on the TEXONO experiment as the model system, extending its analysis of nonstandard interaction effects at the detector to include the generally allowed nonstandard interaction phase at the detector and both nonuniversal and flavor-changing new physics at the reactor source. We confirm that the current data allows for new physics constraints at the detector of the same order as those currently published, but we find that constraints on the source new physics are at least an order of magnitude weaker. The new physics phase effects are at the 5% level, noticeable in the 90% C.L. contour plots but not significantly affecting the conclusions. Based on projected increase in sensitivity with an upgraded TEXONO experiment, we estimate the improvement of sensitivity to both source and detector nonstandard interactions. We find that the bounds on source parameters improve by an order of magnitude, but do not reach parameter space beyond current limits. On the other hand, the detector new physics sensitivity would push current limits by factors of 5 to 10 smaller.

We have investigated the renormalization group evolution and the perturbative expansion of the vacuum expectation value(VEV) of the Abelian Higgs model both in the $R_{\xi }$ and the general gauge which extrapolate between the Fermi and the $\overline{R_{\xi }}$ gauge. In the $R_{\xi }$ gauge, the gamma function of the VEV was different from that of the scalar field. On the contrary, the gamma function of the VEV was the same as that of the scalar field in general gauge. Both in the $R_{\xi }$ and $\overline{R_{\xi }}$ gauge, the two-loop VEVs have an IR divergence in the Landau gauge($\xi =0$) and these IR divergences do not occur when $\xi \ne 0$.

When two electromagnetic fields counterpropagate, they are modified due to mutual interaction via the polarized virtual electron-positron states of the vacuum. By studying how photon-photon scattering effects such as birefringence and four-wave mixing evolve as the fields pass through one another, we find a significant increase during overlap when both electromagnetic variants can be nonzero. The results have particular relevance for calculations based on a constant field background.

We investigate a novel mechanism for phase transitions that is a distinctive feature of higher-curvature gravity theories. For definiteness, we bound ourselves to the case of Lovelock gravities. These theories are known to have several branches of asymptotically anti–de Sitter solutions. Here, extending our previous work, we show that phase transitions among some of these branches are driven by a thermalon configuration: a bubble separating two regions of different effective cosmological constants, generically hosting a black hole in the interior. Above some critical temperature, this thermalon configuration is preferred with respect to the finite-temperature anti–de Sitter space, triggering a sophisticated version of the Hawking-Page transition. After being created, the unstable bubble configuration can in general dynamically change the asymptotic cosmological constant. While this phenomenon already occurs in the case of a gravity action with square curvature terms, we point out that in the case of Lovelock theory with cubic (and higher) terms new effects appear. For instance, the theory may admit more than one type of bubble and branches that are in principle free of pathologies may also decay through the thermalon mechanism. We also find ranges of the gravitational couplings for which the theory becomes sick. These add up to previously found restrictions to impose tighter constraints on higher-curvature gravities. The results of this paper point to an intricate phase diagram which might accommodate similarly rich behavior in the dual conformal field theory side.

We present the first results of an all-sky search for continuous gravitational waves from unknown spinning neutron stars in binary systems using LIGO and Virgo data. Using a specially developed analysis program, the TwoSpect algorithm, the search was carried out on data from the sixth LIGO science run and the second and third Virgo science runs. The search covers a range of frequencies from 20 Hz to 520 Hz, a range of orbital periods from 2 to $\sim 2,254\mathrm{h}$ and a frequency- and period-dependent range of frequency modulation depths from 0.277 to 100 mHz. This corresponds to a range of projected semimajor axes of the orbit from $\sim 0.6\times 10^{-3}\mathrm{ls}$ to $\sim 6,500\mathrm{ls}$ assuming the orbit of the binary is circular. While no plausible candidate gravitational wave events survive the pipeline, upper limits are set on the analyzed data. The most sensitive 95% confidence upper limit obtained on gravitational wave strain is $2.3\times 10^{-24}$ at 217 Hz, assuming the source waves are circularly polarized. Although this search has been optimized for circular binary orbits, the upper limits obtained remain valid for orbital eccentricities as large as 0.9. In addition, upper limits are placed on continuous gravitational wave emission from the low-mass x-ray binary Scorpius X-1 between 20 Hz and 57.25 Hz.

It is known that a constant magnetic field is a strong catalyst of dynamical chiral symmetry breaking in $2+1$ dimensions, leading to generating dynamical fermion mass even at weakest attraction. In this work we investigate the collective modes associated with the dynamical chiral symmetry breaking in a constant magnetic field in the ($2+1$)-dimensional Nambu–Jona-Lasinio model with continuous U(1) chiral symmetry. We introduce a self-consistent scheme to evaluate the propagators of the collective modes at the leading order in $1/N$. The contributions from the vacuum and from the magnetic field are separated such that we can employ the well-established regularization scheme for the case of vanishing magnetic field. The same scheme can be applied to the study of the next-to-leading order correction in $1/N$. We show that the sigma mode is always a lightly bound state with its mass being twice the dynamical fermion mass for arbitrary strength of the magnetic field. Since the dynamics of the collective modes is always $2+1$ dimensional, the finite temperature transition should be of the Kosterlitz-Thouless (KT) type. We determine the KT transition temperature $T_{\mathrm{KT}}$ as well as the mass melting temperature $T^{*}$ as a function of the magnetic field. It is found that the pseudogap domain $T_{\mathrm{KT}}<T<T^{*}$ is enlarged with increasing strength of the magnetic field. The influence of a chiral imbalance or axial chemical potential ${\mu }_5$ is also studied. We find that even a constant axial chemical potential ${\mu }_5$ can lead to inverse magnetic catalysis of the KT transition temperature in $2+1$ dimensions. The inverse magnetic catalysis behavior is actually the de Haas–van Alphen oscillation induced by the interplay between the magnetic field and the Fermi surface.

We compute the cross section for the electromagnetic annihilation into charged leptons, and the electromagnetic scattering off nucleons, of spin-$3/2$ self-conjugate (Majorana) particles using the general form of the electromagnetic vertex function that was obtained previously for such particles. In addition to the restrictions imposed by common principles such as electromagnetic gauge invariance and Hermiticity, the vertex function incorporates the restriction due to the Majorana condition as well as the particular properties related to the spinors in the Rarita–Schwinger representation and is the counterpart of the so-called anapole interaction of spin-$1/2$ Majorana particles. The formulas obtained for the cross sections share certain similarities with the corresponding results in the spin-$1/2$ case, but they also reveal some important differences which are pointed out and discussed. The results given here can be useful for applications involving the electromagnetic interactions of spin-$3/2$ or spin-$1/2$ Majorana particles in several contexts that have been of interest in the recent literature such as nucleosynthesis and dark matter.

This paper studies the pair production of the doubly charged Higgs boson of the left-right symmetric model using a multilepton final state in the vector boson fusionlike processes. The study is performed in a framework consistent with the model’s correction to the standard model ${\rho }_{\mathrm{EW}}$ parameter. Vector boson fusion topological cuts, the number of leptons, and $p_T$ cuts on the leptons are found to be effective in suppressing the background. Significant mass reach can be achieved for exclusion/discovery of the doubly charged Higgs boson for the upcoming LHC run with a luminosity of $\mathcal{O}(10^3){\mathrm{fb}}^{-1}$.

Flavor changing neutral current (FCNC) $|\mathrm{\Delta }B|=|\mathrm{\Delta }S|=1$ processes are sensitive to possible new physics at the electroweak scale and beyond, providing detailed information about flavor, chirality and Lorentz structure. Recently the LHCb Collaboration announced a $2.6\sigma$ deviation in the measurement of $R_K=\mathcal{B}(\overline{B}\to \overline{K}\mu \mu )/\mathcal{B}(\overline{B}\to \overline{K}ee)$ from the standard model’s prediction of lepton universality. We identify dimension-six operators that could explain this deviation and study constraints from other measurements. Vector and axial-vector four-fermion operators with flavor structure $\overline{s}b\overline{\ell }\ell$ can provide a good description of the data. Tensor operators cannot describe the data. Pseudoscalar and scalar operators only fit the data with some fine-tuning; they can be further probed with the $\overline{B}\to \overline{K}ee$ angular distribution. The data appear to point towards $C_9^{\mathrm{NP}\mu }=-C_{10}^{\mathrm{NP}\mu }<0$, an $\mathrm{SU}(2{)}_L$ invariant direction in parameter space supported by $R_K$, the $\overline{B}\to {\overline{K}}^{*}\mu \mu$ forward-backward asymmetry and the ${\overline{B}}_s\to \mu \mu$ branching ratio, which is currently allowed to be smaller than the standard model prediction. We present two leptoquark models which can explain the FCNC data and give predictions for the LHC and rare decays.