In our earlier work [Phys. Rev. Lett. 103, 161101 (2009)], it was shown that nonextremal highly charged Reissner–Nordstrøm–de Sitter black holes are gravitationally unstable in $D>6$-dimensional space-times. Here, we find accurate threshold values of the $\mathrm{\Lambda }$ term at which the instability of the extremally charged black holes starts. The larger $D$ is, the smaller is the threshold value of $\mathrm{\Lambda }$. We have shown that the ratio $\rho =r_h/r_{\cos }$ (where $r_{\cos }$ and $r_h$ are the cosmological and event horizons) is proportional to $e^{-(D-4)/2}$ at the onset of instability for $D=7,8,\dots 11$, implying that the same law should fulfill for arbitrary $D$. This is numerical evidence that extremally charged Reissner–Nordstrøm–de Sitter black holes are gravitationally unstable for $D>6$, while asymptotically flat extremally charged Reissner-Nordstrøm black holes are stable for all $D$. The instability is not connected to the horizon instability discussed recently in the literature, and, unlike the later one, develops also outside the event horizon; that is, it can be seen by an external observer. In addition, for the nonextremal case through fitting of the numerical data, we obtained an approximate analytical formula which relates values of charge and the $\mathrm{\Lambda }$ term at the onset of instability.

The first direct detection of neutron-star– black-hole binaries will likely be made with gravitational-wave observatories. Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo will be able to observe neutron-star– black-hole mergers at a maximum distance of 900 Mpc. To achieve this sensitivity, gravitational-wave searches will rely on using a bank of filter waveforms that accurately model the expected gravitational-wave signal. The emitted signal will depend on the masses of the black hole and the neutron star and also the angular momentum of both components. The angular momentum of the black hole is expected to be comparable to the orbital angular momentum when the system is emitting gravitational waves in Advanced LIGO’s and Advanced Virgo’s sensitive band. This angular momentum will affect the dynamics of the inspiralling system and alter the phase evolution of the emitted gravitational-wave signal. In addition, if the black hole’s angular momentum is not aligned with the orbital angular momentum, it will cause the orbital plane of the system to precess. In this work we demonstrate that if the effect of the black hole’s angular momentum is neglected in the waveform models used in gravitational-wave searches, the detection rate of $(10+1.4)M_{\odot }$ neutron-star– black-hole systems with isotropic spin distributions would be reduced by 33%–37% in comparison to a hypothetical perfect search at a fixed signal-to-noise ratio threshold. The error in this measurement is due to uncertainty in the post-Newtonian approximations that are used to model the gravitational-wave signal of neutron-star– black-hole inspiralling binaries. We describe a new method for creating a bank of filter waveforms where the black hole has nonzero angular momentum that is aligned with the orbital angular momentum. With this bank we find that the detection rate of $(10+1.4)M_{\odot }$ neutron-star– black-hole systems would be reduced by 26%–33%. Systems that will not be detected are ones where the precession of the orbital plane causes the gravitational-wave signal to match poorly with nonprecessing filter waveforms. We identify the regions of parameter space where such systems occur and suggest methods for searching for highly precessing neutron-star– black-hole binaries.

The Planck mission, designed for making measurements of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) radiation with unprecedented accuracy and angular resolution, is expected to release its entire data in the near future. In this paper, we provide model-independent forecasts for the $TT$, $EE$, and $TE$ angular power spectra for the Planck mission using synthetic data based on the best-fit Lambda cold dark matter ($\mathrm{\Lambda }\mathrm{CDM}$) model. The nonparametric function estimation methodology we use here is based on the agnostic viewpoint of allowing the data to speak for themselves rather than letting the models decide what is inferred from the data. Our analysis indicates that the three Planck angular power spectra will be determined sufficiently well for $2\le l\lesssim l_{\max }$, where $l_{\max }=2500\left(TT\right)$, $1377(EE)$, and $1727\text{(}TE\text{)}$ respectively. A key signature of reionization, namely, a bump at low values of $l$, is evident in our forecasts for the $EE$ and $TE$ power spectra. Nonparametric confidence bands in the phase shift (${\varphi }_m$) versus acoustic scale ($l_A$) plane, corresponding to the first eight peaks in the $TT$ power spectrum, show a confluence region for $300\lesssim l_A\lesssim 305$ which is in good agreement with the estimate $l_A=300$ based on the best-fit $\mathrm{\Lambda }\mathrm{CDM}$ model. From our results, we expect that the final Planck data should lead to accurate model-independent estimates of CMB angular power spectra using our nonparametric regression formalism.

We report the first detection of a correlation between gravitational lensing by large scale structure and the thermal Sunyaev-Zeldovich (tSZ) effect. Using the mass map from the Canada France Hawaii Telescope Lensing Survey and a newly constructed tSZ map from Planck, we measure a nonzero correlation between the two maps out to one degree angular separation on the sky, with an overall significance of $6\sigma$. The tSZ maps are formed in a manner that removes primary cosmic microwave background fluctuations and minimizes residual contamination by galactic and extragalactic dust emission, and by CO line emission. We perform numerous tests to show that our measurement is immune to these residual contaminants. The resulting correlation function is consistent with the existence of a warm baryonic gas tracing the large scale structure with a bias $b_{\mathrm{gas}}$. Given the shape of the lensing kernel, our signal sensitivity peaks at a redshift $z\sim 0.4$, where half a degree separation on the sky corresponds to a physical scale of $\sim 10\mathrm{Mpc}$. The amplitude of the signal constrains the product $(b_{\text{gas}}/1)(T_e/0.1\mathrm{keV})({\overline{n}}_e/1{\mathrm{m}}^{-3})=2.01\pm 0.31\pm 0.21$, at redshift zero. Our study suggests that a substantial fraction of the “missing” baryons in the Universe may reside in a low-density warm plasma that traces dark matter.

The upcoming direct detection of gravitational waves will open a window to probing the strong-field regime of general relativity. As a consequence, waveforms that include the presence of deviations from general relativity have been developed (e.g., in the parametrized post-Einsteinian approach). TIGER, a data analysis pipeline which builds Bayesian evidence to support or question the validity of general relativity, has been written and tested. In particular, it was shown that the LIGO and Virgo detectors can probe deviations from general relativity in a regime than cannot be tested by Solar System tests or pulsar timing measurements. However, evidence from several detections is required before a deviation from general relativity can be confidently claimed. An interesting consequence is that, should general relativity not be the correct theory of gravity in its strong field regime, using standard general relativity templates for the matched filter analysis of interferometer data will introduce biases in the gravitational wave measured parameters with potentially serious consequences on the astrophysical inferences, such as the coalescence rate or the mass distribution. In this work we consider three heuristic possible deviations from general relativity and show that the biases introduced in the estimated parameters of gravitational waves emitted during the inspiral phase of spinless compact binary coalescence systems assuming the validity of general relativity manifest in various ways. The mass parameters are usually the most affected, with biases that can be as large as 30 standard deviations for the symmetric mass ratio, and nearly one percent for the chirp mass, which is usually estimated with subpercent accuracy. Other parameters do not show a significant bias. We conclude that statements about the nature of the observed sources, e.g., if both objects are neutron stars, depend critically on the explicit assumption that general relativity is the right theory of gravity in the strong field regime.

We study an extended $B-L$ model, which has in its structure four neutral scalars. In this model, a representative set of parameters enable us to conclude that one of these scalars is a promising candidate for low-mass dark matter. We introduce a $Z_2$ symmetry, which ensures the stability of the dark matter. The dominant annihilation process will be through the $s$ channel of the Scalar boson exchange in $b\overline{b}$. So, this is also a Higgs-portal dark matter model, but the Higgs decay to dark matter is suppressed and meets the constraints from invisible decays of the Higgs boson. The model is also in agreement with the constraints established by the XENON100, CoGeNT, and CDMS experiments, matching the relic abundance and the cross section with the nucleon.

We study the evolution of the gauge coupling and the anomalous dimension of the mass towards an infrared fixed point for nonsupersymmetric gauge theories in the modified regularization invariant scheme. This is done at the three-loop level where all the renormalization group functions have been calculated explicitly. The purpose is to assess the scheme dependence of earlier and similar investigations performed at three- and four-loop order in the modified minimal subtraction, $\overline{\mathrm{MS}}$, scheme. Our results are of the same order when compared to the $\overline{\mathrm{MS}}$ scheme.

We calculate the production rate of the Higgs boson at the LHC in the context of general five-dimensional (5D) warped scenarios with space-time background modified from the usual ${\mathrm{AdS}}_5$, and where all the Standard Model fields, including the Higgs, propagate in the bulk. This modification can alleviate considerably the bounds coming from precision electroweak tests and flavor physics. We evaluate the Higgs production rate and show that it is generically consistent with the current experimental results from the LHC for Kaluza-Klein masses as low as 2 TeV, unlike in pure ${\mathrm{AdS}}_5$ scenarios, where for the same masses, the Higgs production typically receives corrections too large to be consistent with LHC data. Thus the new pressure on warped models arising from LHC Higgs data is also alleviated in ${\mathrm{AdS}}_5$-modified warped scenarios.

We propose a model for baryons at a finite temperature using AdS/QCD correspondence. In this model, we modify the AdS spacetime into the AdS-Schwarzchild spacetime and consider a couple of bulk spinors in this background. Solving this model, we get an eigenvalue equation for the baryon masses. We then investigate the effects of temperature on the baryon masses numerically and find an interesting temperature dependence. Our result is consistent with the results from lattice QCD and other phenomenological models.

We investigate the sign problem of the fermion determinant at finite baryon density in ($1+1$) dimensions, in which the ground state in the chiral limit should be free from the sign problem by forming a chiral spiral. To confirm it, we evaluate the fermion determinant in the continuum theory at the one-loop level and find that the determinant becomes real as expected. The conventional lattice formulation to implement a chemical potential is, however, not compatible with the spiral transformation. We discuss an alternative of the finite-density formulation and numerically verify the chiral spiral on the finite density lattice.

Lattice Monte Carlo calculations of baryon spectroscopy in gauge groups $SU(N)$, $N=3$, 5, 7, are presented. The quenched valence fermions come in three flavors, two degenerate mass ones and a third heavier flavor. The data show striking regularities reminiscent of the real-world case of $N=3$: higher angular momentum states lie higher in mass, and Sigma-like states lie higher than Lambda-like ones. These simple regularities are reasonably well described by $1/N$ expansions.

Hadronic matrix elements of proton decays are essential ingredients for bridging the grand unification theory to low-energy observables like the proton lifetime. In this paper we nonperturbatively calculate the matrix elements, relevant for the process of a nucleon decaying into a pseudoscalar meson and an antilepton through generic baryon-number-violating four-fermi operators. Lattice QCD with $2+1$ flavor dynamical domain-wall fermions with the direct method—which is the direct measurement of the matrix elements from the three-point function without using chiral perturbation theory—is used for this study in order to have good control over the errors due to lattice discretization effects, operator renormalization, and chiral extrapolation. The relevant form factors for possible transition processes from an initial proton or neutron to a final pion or kaon induced by all types of three-quark operators are obtained through three-point functions of the (nucleon)-(three-quark operator)-(meson) with physical kinematics. In this study all the relevant systematic uncertainties of the form factors are taken into account for the first time, and the total error is found to be in the range 30%–40% for the $\pi$ and 20%–40% for the $K$ final states.

The Froissart bound implies that the total cross section (or, equivalently, the structure function) cannot rise faster than the logarithmic growth of ${\ln }^2(\frac{1}{x})$. In this work, we show that such a slow growth is not compatible with the notion of self-similarity. As a result, it calls for the modification of the defining transverse-momentum-dependent parton density function (TMD PDF) of a self-similarity based proton structure function $F_2(x,Q^2)$ at small $x$. Using plausible assumptions, we obtain the Froissart saturation condition on this TMD PDF.

We consider the production of overall neutral pairs consisting of heavy $D^{(*)}$ or $B^{(*)}$ mesons and antimesons in processes where such pairs can be created in an $S$ wave, such as $e^{+}{e}^{-}\to {\pi }^0{D}^{*}{\overline{D}}^{(*)}$, $e^{+}{e}^{-}\to \gamma D^{(*)}{\overline{D}}^{(*)}$, and similar reactions with $B^{(*)}$ mesons. The ratio $R^{c/n}$ of the yield of pairs of charged mesons to that of neutral mesons near the threshold for the heavy pair is strongly affected by isospin breaking due to the isotopic mass differences and due to the Coulomb interaction between the charged mesons. The actual behavior of isospin breaking in $R^{c/n}$ is also sensitive to the strong interaction between the heavy mesons, so that experimental measurement of this ratio can be used as a probe of this strong interaction. We calculate $R^{c/n}$ at and very near the threshold in terms of the isotopic scattering lengths for the meson pairs. In particular, we find that the yield of pairs of charged mesons does not go to zero at exactly the threshold, but rather starts with a finite step, whose height depends on the value of the scattering length in a particular channel.

On the basis of perturbative QCD and a relativistic quark model we calculate relativistic and bound state corrections in the production processes of a pair of double heavy diquarks. Relativistic factors in the production amplitude connected with the relative motion of heavy quarks and the transformation law of the bound state wave function to the reference frame of the moving diquark $S$-wave bound states are taken into account. For the gluon and quark propagators entering the production vertex function we use a truncated expansion in the ratio of the relative quark momenta to the center-of-mass energy $s$ up to the second order. Relativistic corrections to the quark-quark bound state wave functions in the rest frame are considered by means of the Breit-like potential. It turns out that examined effects change essentially nonrelativistic results of the cross sections. The estimate of the yield of pairs of double heavy baryons $(ccq)$ at the $B$ factory is presented.

Assuming the Majorana nature of neutrinos, a general expression for the charged lepton corrections to scaling neutrino mixing has been obtained in the context of three flavor neutrino oscillations. The nonzero value of the reactor mixing angle is nicely accommodated. It is noted that scaling in the effective neutrino mass matrix is equivalent to the presence of two vanishing minors corresponding to first row elements of the effective neutrino mass matrix. A value of the reactor mixing angle which is fairly close to the currently measured best fit is predicted for charged lepton corrections of the order of the Cabbibo angle. We also present symmetry realization of such texture structures in the framework of the type-I seesaw mechanism with a nondiagonal charged lepton mass matrix using discrete Abelian flavor symmetry.

In a class of supersymmetric gauge theories with asymptotic freedom, the low-energy effective theory below the confinement scale is described by the composite superfields of the fundamental representation fields. Based on the supersymmetric gauge theory with $N_c=2$ and $N_f=3$ with an additional unbroken $Z_2$ symmetry, we propose a new model where neutrino masses, dark matter, and baryon asymmetry of the Universe can be simultaneously explained by physics below the confinement scale. This is an example for the ultraviolet complete supersymmetric extension of so-called radiative seesaw scenarios with first-order phase transition required for successful electroweak baryogenesis. We show that there are benchmark points where all the neutrino data, the lepton flavor violation data, and the LHC data are satisfied. We also briefly discuss Higgs phenomenology in this model.

We analyze the implications of light charginos on the Higgs boson signal strength via gluon-gluon fusion and diphoton decay in the minimal supersymmetric standard model (MSSM) at the Large Hadron Collider. We show that enhancements are possible with a rate up to 25%. We also prove that they are possible for a high scale constrained version of the MSSM with nonuniversal Higgs and gaugino masses. In contrast, effects due to light charged Higgs bosons, which we also have investigated, are generically negligible in the $\gamma \gamma$ decay, though they may affect the $b\overline{b}$ rate, and hence the total width.

We study the neutrino oscillation physics performance of the Long-Baseline Neutrino Experiment in various configurations. In particular, we compare the case of a surface detector at the far site augmented by a near detector, to that with the far site detector placed deep underground but no near detector. In the latter case, information from atmospheric neutrino events is also utilized. For values of ${\theta }_{13}$ favored by reactor experiments and a 100 kt-yr exposure, we find roughly equivalent sensitivities to the neutrino mass hierarchy, the octant of ${\theta }_{23}$, and to $CP$ violation. We also find that as the exposure is increased, the near detector helps increase the sensitivity to $CP$ violation substantially more than atmospheric neutrinos.

For highly energetic top quarks, the products of the decay $t\to bq{q}^{\prime }$ are collimated. The three-prong decay structure can no longer be resolved using calorimeter information alone if the particle jet separation approaches the calorimeter granularity. We propose a new method, the HPTTopTagger, that uses tracks of charged particles inside a fat jet to find top quarks with transverse momentum $p_T>1\mathrm{TeV}$. The tracking information is complemented by the calorimeter measurement of the fat jet energy to eliminate the sensitivity to jet-to-jet fluctuations in the charged-to-neutral particle ratio. We show that with the HPTTopTagger, a leptophobic narrow-mass $Z^{\prime }$ boson of mass 3 TeV could be found using $300\mathrm{fb}{}^{-1}$ of 14 TeV LHC data.