15290105
On the Stability of Non-Abelian Semi-local Vortices
Abstract We study the stability of non-Abelian semi-local vortices based on an N = 2 supersymmetric H = SU ( N c ) × U ( 1 ) / Z N c ∼ U ( N c ) gauge theory with an arbitrary number of flavors ( N f > N c ) in the fundamental representation, when certain N = 1 mass terms are present, making the vortex solutions no longer BPS-saturated. Local (ANO-like) vortices are found to be stable against fluctuations in the transverse directions. Strong evidence is found that the ANO-like vortices are actually the true minima. In other words, the semi-local moduli, which are present in the BPS limit, disappear in our non-BPS system, leaving the vortex with the orientational moduli C P N c − 1 only. We discuss the implications of this fact on the system in which the U ( N c ) model arises as the low-energy approximation of an underlying e.g. G = SU ( N c + 1 ) gauge theory.
126281417
QCD Jet calculus
123003167
Generation of mass hierarchies and gravitational instanton-induced supersymmetry breaking
Consequences of supersymmetry breaking by gravitational instantons are studied in the context of N = 1 supergravity models. In particular, models containing an additional term, proportional to the Euler characteristics density of the spacetime manifold, are shown to lead to a large hierarchy of masses, with the supersymmetry breaking mass scale much smaller than the Planck mass. Possible mechanisms of mass generation for gauge fermions, matter scalars and matter fermions are discussed. Models of this type can arise as a low-energy approximation to superstring models. Our analysis suggests the existence and importance of those nonperturbative effects in the underlying string theories that correspond to the Yang-Mills and gravitational instantons of low-energy effective field theories.
119485873
A simple algorithm for QCD jets
Abstract A proposal is made, giving multiparticle (parton) spectra inside quark and gluon jets in terms of the tree diagrams of an effective field theory. The resulting “jet calculus” satisfies many consistency checks. A first sample of applications is given.
1333458
Non-Abelian confinement near nontrivial conformal vacua
Abstract We discuss some aspects of confinement and dynamical symmetry breaking in the so-called non-Abelian Argyres–Douglas vacua, which occur very generally in supersymmetric theories. These systems are characterized by strongly-coupled non-Abelian monopoles and dyons; confinement and dynamical symmetry breaking are caused by the condensation of monopole composites, rather than by condensation of single weakly-coupled monopoles. In general, there are strong constraints on which kind of monopoles can appear as the infrared degrees of freedom, related to the proper realization of the global symmetry of the theory. Drawing analogies to some of the phenomena found here, we make a speculation on the ground state of the standard QCD.
122228895
On the short distance behavior of string theories
Short distance behavior of string theories is investigated by the use of the discretized path-integral formulation. In particular, the minimum physical length and the generalized uncertainty relation are re-derived from a set of Ward–Takahashi identities. Several issues related to the form of the generalized uncertainty relation and to its implications are discussed. A consistent qualitative picture of short distance behavior of string theory seems to emerge from such a study.
118626595
A MISMATCH IN THE ULTRAVIOLET SPECTRA BETWEEN LOW-REDSHIFT AND INTERMEDIATE-REDSHIFT TYPE Ia SUPERNOVAE AS A POSSIBLE SYSTEMATIC UNCERTAINTY FOR SUPERNOVA COSMOLOGY
We present Keck high-quality rest-frame ultraviolet (UV) through optical spectra of 21 Type Ia supernovae (SNe?Ia) in the redshift range 0.11 ? z ? 0.37 and a mean redshift of 0.22 that were discovered during the Sloan Digital Sky Survey-II (SDSS-II) SN Survey. Using the broadband photometry of the SDSS survey, we are able to reconstruct the SN host-galaxy spectral energy distributions (SEDs), allowing for a correction for the host-galaxy contamination in the SN Ia spectra. Comparison of composite spectra constructed from a subsample of 17 high-quality spectra to those created from a low-redshift sample with otherwise similar properties shows that the Keck/SDSS SNe?Ia have, on average, extremely similar rest-frame optical spectra but show a UV flux excess. This observation is confirmed by comparing synthesized broadband colors of the individual spectra, showing a difference in mean colors at the 2.4?-4.4? level for various UV colors. We further see a slight difference in the UV spectral shape between SNe with low-mass and high-mass host galaxies. Additionally, we detect a relationship between the flux ratio at 2770 and 2900 ? and peak luminosity that differs from that observed at low redshift. We find that changing the UV SED of an SN Ia within the observed dispersion can change the inferred distance moduli by ~0.1?mag. This effect only occurs when the data probe the rest-frame UV. We suggest that this discrepancy could be due to differences in the host-galaxy population of the two SN samples or to small-sample statistics.
17597272
The Sloan Digital Sky Survey-II Photometry and Supernova IA Light Curves from the 2005 Data
We present ugriz light curves for 146 spectroscopically-confirmed or spectroscopically-probable Type Ia supernovae (SNe) from the 2005 season of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey-II Supernova (SN) survey. The light curves have been constructed using a photometric technique that we call scene modeling, which is described in detail here; the major feature is that SN brightnesses are extracted from a stack of images without spatial resampling or convolution of the image data. This procedure produces accurate photometry along with accurate estimates of the statistical uncertainty, and can be used to derive photometry taken with multiple telescopes. We discuss various tests of this technique that demonstrate its capabilities. We also describe the methodology used for the calibration of the photometry, and present calibrated magnitudes and fluxes for all of the spectroscopic SNe Ia from the 2005 season.
53135988
The Sloan Digital Sky Survey - II:supernova survey: technical summary
The Sloan Digital Sky Survey-II (SDSS-II) has embarked on a multi-year project to identify and measure light curves for intermediate-redshift (0.05 < z < 0.35) Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) using repeated five-band (ugriz) imaging over an area of 300 sq. deg. The survey region is a stripe 2.5° wide centered on the celestial equator in the Southern Galactic Cap that has been imaged numerous times in earlier years, enabling construction of a deep reference image for the discovery of new objects. Supernova imaging observations are being acquired between September 1 and November 30 of 2005-7. During the first two seasons, each region was imaged on average every five nights. Spectroscopic follow-up observations to determine supernova type and redshift are carried out on a large number of telescopes. In its first two three-month seasons, the survey has discovered and measured light curves for 327 spectroscopically confirmed SNe Ia, 30 probable SNe Ia, 14 confirmed SNe Ib/c, 32 confirmed SNe II, plus a large number of photometrically identified SNe Ia, 94 of which have host-galaxy spectra taken so far. This paper provides an overview of the project and briefly describes the observations completed during the first two seasons of operation.
10089918
THE SLOAN DIGITAL SKY SURVEY-II SUPERNOVA SURVEY: SEARCH ALGORITHM AND FOLLOW-UP OBSERVATIONS
The Sloan Digital Sky Survey-II Supernova Survey has identified a large number of new transient sources in a 300 deg2 region along the celestial equator during its first two seasons of a three-season campaign. Multi-band (ugriz) light curves were measured for most of the sources, which include solar system objects, galactic variable stars, active galactic nuclei, supernovae (SNe), and other astronomical transients. The imaging survey is augmented by an extensive spectroscopic follow-up program to identify SNe, measure their redshifts, and study the physical conditions of the explosions and their environment through spectroscopic diagnostics. During the survey, light curves are rapidly evaluated to provide an initial photometric type of the SNe, and a selected sample of sources are targeted for spectroscopic observations. In the first two seasons, 476 sources were selected for spectroscopic observations, of which 403 were identified as SNe. For the type Ia SNe, the main driver for the survey, our photometric typing and targeting efficiency is 90%. Only 6% of the photometric SN Ia candidates were spectroscopically classified as non-SN Ia instead, and the remaining 4% resulted in low signal-to-noise, unclassified spectra. This paper describes the search algorithm and the software, and the real-time processing of the SDSS imaging data. We also present the details of the supernova candidate selection procedures and strategies for follow-up spectroscopic and imaging observations of the discovered sources.
116998818
Circular Statistical Tests for Angular Distributions of Neutrino Burst from SN 1987A and Solar Neutrinos