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At least 973 records · Page 54

Effective field theory of stochastic diffusion from gravity

Planar black holes in AdS have long-lived quasinormal modes which capture the physics of charge and momentum diffusion in the dual field theory. How should we characterize the effective dynamics of a probe system coupled to the conserved currents of the dual field theory? Specifically, how would such a probe record the long-lived memory of the black hole and its Hawking fluctuations? We address this question by exhibiting a universal gauge invariant framework which captures the physics of stochastic diffusion in holography: a designer scalar with a gravitational coupling governed by a single parameter, the Markovianity index. We argue that the physics of gauge and gravitational perturbations of a planar Schwarzschild-AdS black hole can be efficiently captured by such designer scalars. We demonstrate that this framework allows one to decouple, at the quadratic order, the long-lived quasinormal and Hawking modes from the short-lived ones. It furthermore provides a template for analyzing fluctuating open quantum field theories with memory. In particular, we use this set-up to analyze the diffusive Hawking photons and gravitons about a planar Schwarzschild-AdS black hole and derive the quadratic effective action that governs fluctuating hydrodynamics of the dual CFT. Along the way we also derive results relevant for probes of hyperscaling violating backgrounds at finite temperature.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

AdS scale separation and the distance conjecture

It has been argued that orientifold vacua with fluxes in type IIA string theory can achieve moduli stabilisation and arbitrary decoupling between the AdS and KK scales upon sending certain unconstrained RR-flux quanta to infinity. In this paper, we find a novel scalar field in the open-string sector that allows us to interpolate between such IIA vacua that differ in flux quanta and find that the limit of large fluxes is nicely consistent with the distance conjecture. This shows that the massive IIA vacua pass an important Swampland criterion and suggests that scale-separated AdS vacua might not be in the Swampland. Our analysis also naturally suggests a flux analogue of “Reid’s fantasy” where flux vacua that differ in quantised flux numbers can be connected through trajectories in open-string field space and not just via singular domain walls.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

QED corrections to the thermal neutrino interaction rate

Abstract Motivated by precision computations of neutrino decoupling at MeV temperatures, we show how QED corrections to the thermal neutrino interaction rate can be related to the electron-positron spectral function as well as an effective$$\overline{\nu }\nu \gamma $$vertex. The spectral function is needed both in a timelike and in a spacelike domain, and for both of its physical polarization states (transverse and longitudinal with respect to spatial momentum). Incorporating an NLO evaluation of this spectral function, an estimate of the$$\overline{\nu }\nu \gamma $$vertex, and HTL resummation of scatterings mediated by soft Bose-enhancedt-channel photons, we compute the interaction rate as a function of the neutrino momentum and flavour. Effects on the – (0. . .2)% level are found, noticeably smaller than a previous estimate of a related quantity.

Physics↗

On-shell structures of MHV amplitudes beyond the planar limit

We initiate an exploration of on-shell functions in N=4 SYM beyond the planar limit by providing compact, combinatorial expressions for all leading singularities of MHV amplitudes and showing that they can always be expressed as a positive sum of differently ordered Parke-Taylor tree amplitudes. This is understood in terms of an extended notion of positivity in G(2, n), the Grassmannian of 2-planes in n dimensions: a single on-shell diagram can be associated with many different “positive” regions, of which the familiar G + (2, n) associated with planar diagrams is just one example. The decomposition into Parke-Taylor factors is simply a “triangulation” of these extended positive regions. The U(1) decoupling and Kleiss-Kuijf (KK) relations satisfied by the Parke-Taylor amplitudes also follow naturally from this geometric picture. Finally, these results suggest that non-planar MHV amplitudes in N=4 SYM at all loop orders can be expressed as a sum of polylogarithms weighted by color factors and (unordered) Parke-Taylor amplitudes.

1/N Expansion↗

Precision corrections to fine tuning in SUSY

Requiring that the contributions of supersymmetric particles to the Higgs mass are not highly tuned places upper limits on the masses of superpartners — in particular the higgsino, stop, and gluino. We revisit the details of the tuning calculation and introduce a number of improvements, including RGE resummation, two-loop effects, a proper treatment of UV vs. IR masses, and threshold corrections. This improved calculation more accurately connects the tuning measure with the physical masses of the superpartners at LHC-accessible energies. After these refinements, the tuning bound on the stop is now also sensitive to the masses of the 1st and 2nd generation squarks, which limits how far these can be decoupled in Effective SUSY scenarios. We find that, for a fixed level of tuning, our bounds can allow for heavier gluinos and stops than previously considered. Despite this, the natural region of supersymmetry is under pressure from the LHC constraints, with high messenger scales particularly disfavored.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Effective field theory of the two Higgs doublet model

We revisit the effective field theory of the two Higgs doublet model at tree level. The introduction of a novel basis in the UV theory allows us to derive matching coefficients in the effective description that resum important contributions from the Higgs vacuum expectation value. The new basis typically provides a significantly better approximation of the full theory prediction than the traditional approach that utilizes the Higgs basis, particularly for alignment away from the decoupling limit.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Cornering natural SUSY at LHC Run II and beyond

We derive the latest constraints on various simplified models of natural SUSY with light higgsinos, stops and gluinos, using a detailed and comprehensive reinterpretation of the most recent 13 TeV ATLAS and CMS searches with ~ 15 fb -1 of data. We discuss the implications of these constraints for fine-tuning of the electroweak scale. While the most “vanilla” version of SUSY (the MSSM with R-parity and flavor-degenerate sfermions) with 10% fine-tuning is ruled out by the current constraints, models with decoupled valence squarks or reduced missing energy can still be fully natural. However, in all of these models, the mediation scale must be extremely low (<100 TeV). We conclude by considering the prospects for the high-luminosity LHC era, where we expect the current limits on particle masses to improve by up to ~ 1 TeV, and discuss further model-building directions for natural SUSY that are motivated by this work.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Dark radiation and superheavy dark matter from black hole domination

If even a relatively small number of black holes were created in the early universe, they will constitute an increasingly large fraction of the total energy density as space expands. It is thus well-motivated to consider scenarios in which the early universe included an era in which primordial black holes dominated the total energy density. Within this context, we consider Hawking radiation as a mechanism to produce both dark radiation and dark matter. If the early universe included a black hole dominated era, we find that Hawking radiation will produce dark radiation at a level $\Delta N_{\rm eff} \sim 0.03-0.2$ for each light and decoupled species of spin 0, 1/2, or 1. This range is well suited to relax the tension among late and early-time Hubble determinations, and is within the reach of upcoming CMB experiments. The dark matter could additionally originate as Hawking radiation in a black hole dominated early universe, although such dark matter candidates must be very heavy ($m_{\rm DM} >10^{11}$ GeV) if they are to avoid exceeding the measured abundance.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Tests of Seiberg-like dualities in three dimensions

We use localization techniques to study several duality proposals for supersymmetric gauge theories in three dimensions reminiscent of Seiberg duality. We compare the partition functions of dual theories deformed by real mass terms and FI parameters. We find that Seiberg-like duality for N = 3 Chern-Simons gauge theories proposed by Giveon and Kutasov holds on the level of partition functions and is closely related to level-rank duality in pure Chern-Simons theory. We also clarify the relationship between the Giveon-Kutasov duality and a duality in theories of fractional M2 branes and propose a generalization of the latter. Our analysis also confirms previously known results concerning decoupled free sectors in N = 4 gauge theories realized by monopole operators.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Scalar Co-SIMP dark matter: models and sensitivities

In this work, we present UV completions of the recently proposed number-changing Co-SIMP freeze-out mechanism. In contrast to the standard cannibalistic-type dark matter picture that occurs entirely in the dark sector, the 3 → 2 process setting the relic abundance in this case requires one Standard Model particle in the initial and final states. This prevents the dark sector from overheating and leads to rich experimental signatures. We generate the Co-SIMP interaction with a dark sector consisting of two scalars, with the mediator coupling to either nucleons or electrons. In either case, the dark matter candidate is naturally light : nucleophilic interactions favor the sub-GeV mass range and leptophilic interactions favor the sub-MeV mass range. Viable thermal models in these lighter mass regimes are particularly intriguing to study at this time, as new developments in low-threshold detector technologies will begin probing this region of parameter space. While particles in the sub-MeV regime can potentially impact light element formation and CMB decoupling, we show that a late-time phase transition opens up large fractions of parameter space. These thermal light dark matter models can instead be tested with dedicated experiments. We discuss the viable parameter space in each scenario in light of the current sensitivity of various experimental probes and projected future reach.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Gluino coannihilation revisited

In this study, some variants of the MSSM feature a strip in parameter space where the lightest neutralino χ is identified as the lightest supersymmetric particle (LSP), the gluino g ~ is the next-to-lightest supersymmetric particle (NLSP) and is nearly degenerate with χ, and the relic cold dark matter density is brought into the range allowed by astrophysics and cosmology by coannihilation with the gluino NLSP. We calculate the relic density along this gluino coannihilation strip in the MSSM, including the effects of gluino-gluino bound states and initial-state Sommerfeld enhancement, and taking into account the decoupling of the gluino and LSP densities that occurs for large values of the squark mass m q ~ . We find that bound-state effects can increase the maximum m χ for which the relic cold dark matter density lies within the range favoured by astrophysics and cosmology by as much as ~50% if m q ~ /m g ~ =1.1 , and that the LSP may weigh up to ~8 TeV for a wide range of m q ~ /m g ~ ≲100 .

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Reconciling large- and small-scale structure in Twin Higgs models

Here, we study possible extensions of the Twin Higgs model that solve the Hierarchy problem and simultaneously address problems of the large- and small-scale structures of the Universe. Besides naturally providing dark matter (DM) candidates as the lightest charged twin fermions, the twin sector contains a light photon and neutrinos, which can modify structure formation relative to the prediction from the ΛCDM paradigm. We focus on two viable scenarios. First, we study a Fraternal Twin Higgs model in which the spin-3/2 baryon $\hat{Ω}$~($\hat{b}$$\hat{b}$$\hat{b}$) and the lepton twin tau $\hat{τ}$ contribute to the dominant and subcomponent dark matter densities. A non-decoupled scattering between the twin tau and twin neutrino arising from a gauged twin lepton number symmetry provides a drag force that damps the density inhomogeneity of a dark matter subcomponent. Next, we consider the possibility of introducing a twin hydrogen atom $\hat{H}$ as the dominant DM component. After recombination, a small fraction of the twin protons and leptons remains ionized during structure formation, and their scattering to twin neutrinos through a gauged U(1) B-L force provides the mechanism that damps the density inhomogeneity. Both scenarios realize the Partially Acoustic dark matter (PAcDM) scenario and explain the σ 8 discrepancy between the CMB and weak lensing results. Moreover, the self-scattering neutrino behaves as a dark fluid that enhances the size of the Hubble rate H 0 to accommodate the local measurement result while satisfying the CMB constraint. For the small-scale structure, the scattering of $\hat{Ω}$ ’s and $\hat{H}$’s through the twin photon exchange generates a self-interacting dark matter (SIDM) model that solves the mass deficit problem from dwarf galaxy to galaxy cluster scales. Furthermore, when varying general choices of the twin photon coupling, bounds from the dwarf galaxy and the cluster merger observations can set an upper limit on the twin electric coupling.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

On the light massive flavor dependence of the large order asymptotic behavior and the ambiguity of the pole mass

Here, we provide a systematic renormalization group formalism for the mass effects in the relation of the pole mass m Q pole and short-distance masses such as the $—\atop{MS}$ mass $—\atop{m}$ Q of a heavy quark Q, coming from virtual loop insertions of massive quarks lighter than Q. The formalism reflects the constraints from heavy quark symmetry and entails a combined matching and evolution procedure that allows to disentangle and successively integrate out the corrections coming from the lighter massive quarks and the momentum regions between them and to precisely control the large order asymptotic behavior. With the formalism we systematically sum logarithms of ratios of the lighter quark masses and m Q , relate the QCD corrections for different external heavy quarks to each other, predict the O(α$4\atop{s}$) virtual quark mass corrections in the pole-$—\atop{MS}$ mass relation, calculate the pole mass differences for the top, bottom and charm quarks with a precision of around 20 MeV and analyze the decoupling of the lighter massive quark flavors at large orders. The summation of logarithms is most relevant for the top quark pole mass m t pole , where the hierarchy to the bottom and charm quarks is large. We determine the ambiguity of the pole mass for top, bottom and charm quarks in different scenarios with massive or massless bottom and charm quarks in a way consistent with heavy quark symmetry, and we find that it is 250 MeV. The ambiguity is larger than current projections for the precision of top quark mass measurements in the high-luminosity phase of the LHC.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Supernova 1987A constraints on sub-GeV dark sectors, millicharged particles, the QCD axion, and an axion-like particle

Here, we consider the constraints from Supernova 1987A on particles with small couplings to the Standard Model. We discuss a model with a fermion coupled to a dark photon, with various mass relations in the dark sector; millicharged particles; dark-sector fermions with inelastic transitions; the hadronic QCD axion; and an axion-like particle that couples to Standard Model fermions with couplings proportional to their mass. In the fermion cases, we develop a new diagnostic for assessing when such a particle is trapped at large mixing angles. Our bounds for a fermion coupled to a dark photon constrain small couplings and masses ≲ 200 MeV, and do not decouple for low fermion masses. They exclude parameter space that is otherwise unconstrained by existing accelerator-based and direct-detection searches. In addition, our bounds are complementary to proposed laboratory searches for sub-GeV dark matter, and do not constrain several benchmark-model targets in parameter space for which the dark matter obtains the correct relic abundance from interactions with the Standard Model. For a millicharged particle, we exclude charges between 10 –9 –few×10 –6 in units of the electron charge, also for masses ≲ 200 MeV; this excludes parameter space to higher millicharges and masses than previous bounds. For the QCD axion and an axion-like particle, we apply several updated nuclear physics calculations and include the energy dependence of the optical depth to accurately account for energy loss at large couplings. These corrections allow us to rule out a hadronic axion of mass between 0.1 and a few hundred eV, or equivalently to put a bound on the scale of Peccei-Quinn symmetry breaking between a few×10 4 and 10 8 GeV, closing the hadronic axion window. For an axion-like particle, our bounds disfavor decay constants between a few×10 5 GeV up to a few×10 8 GeV, for a mass ≲ 200 MeV. In all cases, our bounds differ from previous work by more than an order of magnitude across the entire parameter space. We also provide estimated systematic errors due to the uncertainties of the progenitor.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

The electroweak phase transition: a collider target

Determining the thermal history of electroweak symmetry breaking (EWSB) is an important challenge for particle physics and cosmology. Lattice simulations indicate that EWSB in the Standard Model (SM) occurs through a crossover transition, while the presence of new physics beyond the SM could alter this thermal history. The occurrence of a first order EWSB transition would be particularly interesting, providing the needed pre-conditions for generation of the cosmic matter-antimatter asymmetry and sources for potentially observable gravitational radiation. I provide simple, generic arguments that if such an alternate thermal history exists, the new particles involved cannot be too heavy with respect to the SM electroweak temperature, nor can they interact too feebly with the SM Higgs boson. These arguments do not rely on the decoupling limit. I derive corresponding quantitative expectations for masses and interaction strengths which imply that their effects could in principle be observed (or ruled out) by prospective next generation high energy colliders. The simple, generic arguments provide a quantitative, parametric understanding of results obtained in a wide range of explicit model studies; relate them explicitly to the electroweak temperature; and delineate broad contours of collider phenomenology pertaining to a non-standard history of EWSB.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Collision of localized shocks in AdS 5 as a series expansion in transverse gradients

We introduce a computational framework to more efficiently calculate the collision of localized shocks in five dimensional asymptotically Anti-de Sitter space. We expand the Einstein equations in transverse gradients and find that our numerical results agree well with exact solutions already at first order in the expansion. Moreover, the Einstein equations at first order in transverse gradients can be decoupled into two sets of differential equations. Here, the bulk fields of one of these sets has only a negligible contribution to boundary observables, such that the computation on each time slice can be simplified to the solution of several planar shockwave equations plus four further differential equations for each transverse plane ‘pixel’. At the cost of errors of ≲ 10% at the hydrodynamization time and for low to mid rapidities, useful numerical solutions can be sped up by roughly one order of magnitude.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

A Goldstone boson equivalence for inflation

The effective field theory of single-field inflation characterizes the inflationary epoch in terms of a pattern of symmetry breaking. An operator acquires a time-dependent vacuum expectation value, defining a preferred spatial slicing. In the absence of dynamical gravity, the fluctuations around the time-dependent background are described by the Goldstone boson associated with this symmetry breaking process. With gravity, the Goldstone is eaten by the metric, becoming the scalar metric fluctuation. In this paper, we will show that in general single-field inflation, the statistics of scalar metric fluctuations are given by the statistics of this Goldstone boson decoupled from gravity up to corrections that are controlled as an expansion in slow-roll parameters. This even holds in the presence of additional parameters, like the speed of sound, that naively enhance the impact of the gravitational terms. In the process, we derive expressions for leading and sub-leading gravitational corrections to all-orders in the Goldstone boson.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Wormholes without averaging

After averaging over fermion couplings, SYK has a collective field description that sometimes has “wormhole” solutions. We study the fate of these wormholes when the couplings are fixed. Working mainly in a simple model, we find that the wormhole saddles persist, but that new saddles also appear elsewhere in the integration space — “half-wormholes.” The wormhole contributions depend only weakly on the specific choice of couplings, while the half-wormhole contributions are strongly sensitive. The half-wormholes are crucial for factorization of decoupled systems with fixed couplings, but they vanish after averaging, leaving the non-factorizing wormhole behind.

1/N Expansion↗