14389566
Non-Abelian Vortices of Higher Winding Numbers
We make a detailed study of the moduli space of winding number two (k=2) 
axially symmetric vortices (or equivalently, of co-axial composite of two 
fundamental vortices), occurring in U(2) gauge theory with two flavors in the 
Higgs phase, recently discussed by Hashimoto-Tong (hep-th/0506022) and 
Auzzi-Shifman-Yung (hep-th/0511150). We find that it is a weighted projective 
space WCP^2_(2,1,1)=CP^2/Z_2. This manifold contains an A_1-type (Z_2) orbifold 
singularity even though the full moduli space including the relative position 
moduli is smooth. The SU(2) transformation properties of such vortices are 
studied. Our results are then generalized to U(N) gauge theory with N flavors, 
where the internal moduli space of k=2 axially symmetric vortices is found to 
be a weighted Grassmannian manifold. It contains singularities along a 
submanifold.
121970658
A Simple Algorithm for QCD Jets-An Introduction to Jet Calculus
A new, simple algorithm, recently proposed for QCD jets, is discussed. It allows to compute multiparton distributions inside QCD (q- or g-) jets, within the leading logarithmic approximation. Some of its applications are given.
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.
126281417
QCD Jet calculus
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.
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.
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.
119248886
Subaru Spectroscopy of SDSS-II Supernovae
The Sloan Digital Sky Survey II (SDSS-II) Supernova Survey discovered Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) in an almost unexplored intermediate redshift range of $0.05 < z < 0.4$ and provided densely sampled multi-color light curves for SN candidates. Followup spectroscopy of this survey was carried out with the Subaru telescope and spectra of 71 SN Ia candidates were obtained. One spectrum was observed per candidate except for a peculiar variable. This paper presents the method for processing these spectra. The observed wavelength ranges of our spectra are 4000 to 9000 {\AA} for Year 2005 and 3600 to 9000 {\AA} for Year 2006. Most SN Ia spectra have signal to noise ratios (S/N) between 4 and 10 per 2 {\AA} averaged over the entire wavelength region. We developed a new code to extract the SN spectral component from spectra contaminated by the host galaxy. Of 71 SN Ia candidates, 59 are identified as normal SNe Ia and 3 are peculiar SNe Ia. The range of spectral phases varies from -7 days to +30 days from maximum brightness. There are also 7 SNe II, 1 possible hypernova and 1 AGN.
119204401
First-year Sloan Digital Sky Survey-II supernova results: consistency and constraints with other intermediate-redshift data sets
ABSTRACT We present an analysis of the luminosity distances of Type Ia Supernovae (SNe) from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey-II (SDSS-II) SN Survey in conjunction with other intermediate-redshift (z 97 per cent level from this single data set. We find good agreement between the SN and BAO distance measurements, both consistent with a Λ-dominated cold dark matter cosmology, as demonstrated through an analysis of the distance duality relationship between the luminosity (dL) and angular diameter (dA) distance measures. We then use these data to estimate w within this restricted redshift range (z < 0.4). Our most stringent result comes from the combination of all our intermediate-redshift data (SDSS-II SNe, BAO, ISW and redshift-space distortions), giving w = -0.81+0.16-0.18 (stat) +/- 0.15 (sys) and ΩM = 0.22+0.09-0.08 assuming a flat universe. This value of w and associated errors only change slightly if curvature is allowed to vary, consistent with constraints from the cosmic microwave background. We also consider more limited combinations of the geometrical (SN, BAO) and dynamical (ISW, redshift-space distortions) probes.