We show that the existence of a new massive sterile neutrino can be manifested employing a novel experimental method of neutrino oscillations, namely, neutrino oscillometry. With a judicious monochromatic neutrino source the relevant oscillation length is expected to be shorter than 1.5 m. Thus the needed measurements can be implemented with a gaseous spherical time projection chamber of modest dimensions having a very good energy and position resolution. The best candidates for oscillometry are discussed. The expected sensitivity to the mixing angle ${\theta }_{14}$ has been estimated: ${sin}^2(2{\theta }_{14})=0.05$ (99%) with only two months of data handling with ${}^{51}\mathrm{Cr}$.

We have searched for sidereal variations in the rate of antineutrino interactions in the MINOS Near Detector. Using antineutrinos produced by the NuMI beam, we find no statistically significant sidereal modulation in the rate. When this result is placed in the context of the Standard Model Extension theory we are able to place upper limits on the coefficients defining the theory. These limits are used in combination with the results from an earlier analysis of MINOS neutrino data to further constrain the coefficients.

CMB observations suggest the possibility of an extra dark radiation component, while the current evidence from big bang nucleosynthesis (BBN) is more ambiguous. Dark radiation from a decaying particle can affect these two processes differently. Early decays add an additional radiation component to both the CMB and BBN, while late decays can alter the radiation content seen in the CMB while having a negligible effect on BBN. Here, we quantify this difference and explore the intermediate regime by examining particles decaying during BBN, i.e., particle lifetimes ${\tau }_X$ satisfying $0.1\sec <{\tau }_X<1000\sec$. We calculate the change in the effective number of neutrino species, $N_{\mathrm{eff}}$, as measured by the CMB, $\Delta N_{\mathrm{CMB}}$, and the change in the effective number of neutrino species as measured by BBN, $\Delta N_{\mathrm{BBN}}$, as a function of the decaying particle initial energy density and lifetime, where $\Delta N_{\mathrm{BBN}}$ is defined in terms of the number of additional two-component neutrinos needed to produce the same change in the primordial ${}^4\mathrm{He}$ abundance as our decaying particle. As expected, for short lifetimes (${\tau }_X\lesssim 0.1\sec$), the particles decay before the onset of BBN, and $\Delta N_{\mathrm{CMB}}=\Delta N_{\mathrm{BBN}}$, while for long lifetimes (${\tau }_X\gtrsim 1000\sec$), $\Delta N_{\mathrm{BBN}}$ is dominated by the energy density of the nonrelativistic particles before they decay, so that $\Delta N_{\mathrm{BBN}}$ remains nonzero and becomes independent of the particle lifetime. By varying both the particle energy density and lifetime, one can obtain any desired combination of $\Delta N_{\mathrm{BBN}}$ and $\Delta N_{\mathrm{CMB}}$, subject to the constraint that $\Delta N_{\mathrm{CMB}}\ge \Delta N_{\mathrm{BBN}}$. We present limits on the decaying particle parameters derived from observational constraints on $\Delta N_{\mathrm{CMB}}$ and $\Delta N_{\mathrm{BBN}}$.

We study supersymmetric vacua of the $\mathcal{N}=1$ cascading $SU(M+p)\times SU(p)$ gauge theory with flavor—the theory on $p$ D3-branes and $M$ wrapped D5-branes at the tip of the conifold, and $N_f$ flavor D7-branes wrapping a holomorphic four-cycle inside the conifold. The Coulomb branch of the moduli space is inherited from the pure gauge theory without flavor and was thoroughly studied in the past. Besides, there is a Higgs branch where some D3- and/or D5-branes dissolve in the D7-branes forming the worldvolume gauge instantons. We study the Higgs branch both from the field theory and the bulk point of view. On the classical level the moduli space is closely related to the one of the $\mathcal{N}=2$ ${\mathbb{C}}^2/{\mathbb{Z}}_2$ orbifold theory, in particular, certain vacua of the $\mathcal{N}=1$ theory are related to noncommutative instantons on the resolved ${\mathbb{C}}^2/{\mathbb{Z}}_2$. On the quantum level the Higgs branch acquires corrections due to renormalization of the Kähler potential and nonperturbative effects in field theory. In the bulk this is encoded in the classical D7-brane geometry. We compute the vacuum expectation value (VEV)s of the protected operators and the field theory RG flow and find an agreement with the parallel computations in the bulk.

In this paper we investigate the structure of the glue in Zwanziger’s gauge invariant expansion for the $A^2$-type mass term in Yang-Mills theory. We show how to derive this expansion, in terms of the inverse covariant Laplacian, and extend it to higher orders. In particular, we give an explicit expression, for the first time, for the next to next to leading order term. We further show that the expansion is not unique and give examples of the resulting ambiguity.

We study thermodynamics of an ideal gas in doubly special relativity. A new type of special functions (which we call “incomplete modified Bessel functions”) emerge. We obtain a series solution for the partition function and derive thermodynamic quantities. We observe that doubly special relativity thermodynamics is nonperturbative in the special relativity and massless limits. A stiffer equation of state is found.

Strongly coupled conformal field theory appears to describe universal scaling around quantum criticality, where critical exponents reflect the nature of emergent excitations. In particular, novel symmetries can emerge from strong interactions that are expected to be responsible for quantum number fractionalization. An underlying mechanism has been proposed: An emergent enhanced symmetry allows a topological term associated with anomaly, which assigns a fermion’s quantum number to a topological excitation referred to as the Goldstone-Wilczek current. Although this mechanism has been verified in one-dimensional interacting electrons, where either spinons or holons are identified with topological solitons, its generalization to higher dimensions is beyond the field-theoretic framework in the respect that interplay between interaction and anomaly cannot be taken into account sincerely within the field theory technique above one dimension. In this study we examine the interplay between correlations and topological terms based on the holographic approach, allowing us to incorporate such nonperturbative quantum effects via solving classical equations of motion but on a curved space. We solve the Einstein-Maxwell-Chern-Simons theory on the Reissner-Nordström-${\mathrm{AdS}}_5$ in the extremal limit, and uncover novel critical-exponents to appear in the current-current correlation functions, where both the emergent locality and the Chern-Simons term play an important role in such critical exponents. We speculate that the corresponding conformal field theory may result from interacting $U(1)$ currents with chiral anomaly at finite density, where dyon-type excitations appear to carry nontrivial fermion’s quantum numbers.

Anisotropic emission of gravitational waves (GWs) from inspiralling compact binaries leads to the loss of linear momentum and hence gravitational recoil of the system. The loss rate of linear momentum in the far-zone of the source (a nonspinning binary system of black holes in quasicircular orbit) is investigated at the 2.5 post-Newtonian (PN) order and used to provide an analytical expression in harmonic coordinates for the 2.5PN accurate recoil velocity of the binary accumulated in the inspiral phase. The maximum recoil velocity of the binary system at the end of its inspiral phase (i.e at the innermost stable circular orbit (ISCO)) estimated by the 2.5PN formula is of the order of $4\mathrm{km}{\mathrm{s}}^{-1}$ which is smaller than the 2PN estimate of $22\mathrm{km}{\mathrm{s}}^{-1}$. Going beyond inspiral, we also provide an estimate of the more important contribution to the recoil velocity from the plunge phase. The maximum recoil velocity at the end of the plunge, involving contributions both from inspiral and plunge phase, for a binary with symmetric mass ratio $\nu =0.2$ is of the order of $182\mathrm{km}{\mathrm{s}}^{-1}$.

Parametrized frameworks for modified gravity are potentially useful tools for model-independent tests of general relativity on cosmological scales. The toy model of an Einstein–de Sitter universe provides a safe test bed in which to improve our understanding of their behavior. We implement a mathematically consistent parametrization at the level of the field equations, and use this to calculate the evolution of perturbations in an Einstein–de Sitter scenario. Our parametrization explicitly allows for new scalar degrees of freedom, and we compare this to theories in which the only degrees of freedom come from the metric and ordinary matter. The impact on the integrated Sachs-Wolfe effect and canonically conserved superhorizon perturbations is considered.

We derive a new symmetric hyperbolic formulation of the Einstein-Euler equations in Lagrange coordinates that are adapted to the Frauendiener-Walton formulation of the Euler equations. As an application, we use this system to show that the densitized lapse and zero-shift coordinate systems for the vacuum Einstein equations are equivalent to Lagrange coordinates for a fictitious fluid with a specific equation of state.

In order to obtain an evolution system which is robust against the violation of constraints, we present a new set of evolution systems based on the so-called Baumgarte-Shapiro-Shibata-Nakamura equations. The idea is to add functional derivatives of the norm of constraints, $C^2$, to the evolution equations, which was proposed by Fiske (2004) and was applied to the ADM formulation in our previous study. We derive the constraint propagation equations, discuss the behavior of constraint damping, and present the results of numerical tests using the gauge-wave and polarized Gowdy wave spacetimes. The construction of the $C^2$-adjusted system is straightforward. However, in BSSN, there are two kinetic constraints and three algebraic constraints; thus, the definition of $C^2$ is a matter of concern. By analyzing constraint propagation equations, we conclude that $C^2$ should include all the constraints, which is also confirmed numerically. By tuning the parameters, the lifetime of the simulations can be increased 2–10 times longer than those of the standard Baumgarte-Shapiro-Shibata-Nakamura evolutions.

We analyze detector responses of gravitational wave detectors for gravitational waves with arbitrary polarizations predicted in the metric theories of gravity. We present the general formulas for the frequency responses valid in various interferometric arrangements including Michelson, Delay-Line and Fabry-Perot detectors. We analyze the angular and frequency behavior and the sensitivity patterns of the responses for each polarization mode.

Local non-Gaussianity, parametrized by $f_{\mathrm{NL}}$, introduces a scale-dependent bias that is strongest at large scales, precisely where general relativistic (GR) effects also become significant. With future data, it should be possible to constrain $f_{\mathrm{NL}}=\mathcal{O}(1)$ with high redshift surveys. GR corrections to the power spectrum and ambiguities in the gauge used to define bias introduce effects similar to $f_{\mathrm{NL}}=\mathcal{O}(1)$, so it is essential to disentangle these effects. For the first time in studies of primordial non-Gaussianity, we include the consistent GR calculation of galaxy power spectra, highlighting the importance of a proper definition of bias. We present observable power spectra with and without GR corrections, showing that an incorrect definition of bias can mimic non-Gaussianity. However, these effects can be distinguished by their different redshift and scale dependence, so as to extract the true primordial non-Gaussianity.

We consider the Higgs sector in extensions of the minimal supersymmetric standard model by higher-dimension operators in the superpotential and the Kähler potential, in the context of Higgs searches at the LHC 7 TeV run. Such an effective field theory approach, also referred to as BMSSM, allows for a model-independent description that may correspond to the combined effects of additional supersymmetric sectors, such as heavy singlets, triplets or gauge bosons, in which the supersymmetry-breaking mass splittings can be treated as a perturbation. We consider the current LHC dataset, based on about $1–2{\mathrm{fb}}^{-1}$ of data to set exclusion limits on a large class of BMSSM models. We also present projections for integrated luminosities of 5 and $15{\mathrm{fb}}^{-1}$, assuming that the ATLAS and CMS collaborations will combine their results in each channel. Our study shows that the majority of the parameter space will be probed at the $2\sigma$ level with $15{\mathrm{fb}}^{-1}$ of data. A nonobservation of a Higgs boson with about $10{\mathrm{fb}}^{-1}$ of data will point towards a Higgs SUSY spectrum with intermediate $\tan \beta$ ($\approx \mathrm{\text{a few to}}10$) and a light SM-like Higgs with somewhat enhanced couplings to bottom and tau pairs. We define a number of BMSSM benchmark scenarios and analyze the possible exclusion/discovery channels and the projected required luminosity to probe them. We also discuss the results of the effective field theory framework for two specific models, one with a singlet superfield and one with $\mathrm{SU}(2{)}_L$ triplets.

As an approach to describe the long-range properties of non-Abelian gauge theories at nonzero temperature $T<T_c$, we consider a noninteracting ensemble of dyons (magnetic monopoles) with nontrivial holonomy. We show analytically that the quark-antiquark free energy from the Polyakov loop correlator grows linearly with the distance, and how the string tension scales with the dyon density. In numerical treatments, the long-range tails of the dyon fields cause severe finite-volume effects. Therefore, we demonstrate the application of Ewald’s summation method to this system. Finite-volume effects are shown to be under control, which is a crucial requirement for numerical studies of interacting dyon ensembles.

We study the resonant contributions in the process of ${\overline{B}}^0\to K^{-}{\pi }^{+}{\mu }^{+}{\mu }^{-}$ with the $K^{-}{\pi }^{+}$ invariant mass square $m_{K\pi }^2\in [1,5]{\mathrm{GeV}}^2$. Width effects of the involved strange mesons, $K^{*}(1410)$, $K_0^{*}(1430)$, $K_2^{*}(1430)$, $K^{*}(1680)$, $K_3^{*}(1780)$ and $K_4^{*}(2045)$, are incorporated. In terms of helicity amplitudes, we derive a compact form for the full angular distributions, through which the branching ratios, forward-backward asymmetries and polarizations are attained. We propose that the uncertainties in the $B\to K_J^{*}$ form factors can be pinned down by the measurements of a set of SU(3)-related processes. Using results from the large energy limit, we derive the dependence of branching fractions on the $m_{K\pi }$, and find that the $K_2^{*}$ resonance has a clear signature, in particular, in the transverse polarizations.

An expansion of the electromagnetic form factors of the nucleon and $\Delta (1232)$ in small momentum transfer and pion mass is performed in a manifestly covariant EFT framework consistent with chiral symmetry and analyticity. We present the expressions for the nucleon and $\Delta (1232)$ electromagnetic form factors, charge radii, and electromagnetic moments in the framework of $SU(2)$ baryon chiral perturbation theory, with nucleon and $\Delta$-isobar degrees of freedom, to next-to-leading order. Motivated by the results for the proton electric radius obtained from the muonic-hydrogen atom and electron-scattering process, we extract values for the second derivative of the electric form factor which is a genuine prediction of the $p^3$ $\mathrm{B}\chi \mathrm{PT}$. The chiral behavior of radii and moments is studied and compared to that obtained in the heavy-baryon framework and lattice QCD. The chiral behavior of $\Delta (1232)$-isobar properties exhibits cusps and singularities at the threshold of $\Delta \to \pi N$ decay, and their physical significance is discussed.

We illustrate a technique for fitting lattice QCD correlators to sums of exponentials that is significantly faster than traditional fitting methods—10–40 times faster for the realistic examples we present. Our examples are drawn from a recent analysis of the ${\rm Y}$ spectrum, and another recent analysis of the $D\to \pi$ semileptonic form factor. For single correlators, we show how to simplify traditional effective-mass analyses.

We investigate the possible effects of short-baseline ${\overline{\nu }}_e$ disappearance implied by the reactor antineutrino anomaly on the Double-Chooz determination of ${\vartheta }_{13}$ through the normalization of the initial antineutrino flux with the Bugey-4 measurement. We show that the effects are negligible and the value of ${\vartheta }_{13}$ obtained by the Double-Chooz collaboration is accurate only if $\Delta m_{41}^2\gtrsim 3{\mathrm{eV}}^2$. For smaller values of $\Delta m_{41}^2$ the short-baseline oscillations are not fully averaged at Bugey-4 and the uncertainties due to the reactor antineutrino anomaly can be of the same order of magnitude of the intrinsic Double-Chooz uncertainties.