Particle theory

Abstract:

In this letter we demonstrate the genericity of suppressed gaugino masses M_a \sim m_{3/2}/ln(M_P/m_{3/2}) in the IIB string landscape, by showing that this relation holds for D7-brane gauginos whenever the associated modulus is stabilised by nonperturbative effects. Although m_{3/2} and M_a take many different values across the landscape, the above small mass hierarchy is maintained. We show that it is valid for models with an arbitrary number of moduli and applies to both the KKLT and exponentially large volume approaches to Kahler moduli stabilisation. In the latter case we explicitly calculate gaugino and moduli masses for compactifications on the two-modulus Calabi-Yau P^4_[1,1,1,6,9]. In the large-volume scenario we also show that soft scalar masses are approximately universal with m_i^2 \sim m_{3/2}^2 (1 + \epsilon_i), with the non-universality parametrised by \epsilon_i \sim 1/ln (M_P/m_{3/2})^2 \sim 1/1000. We briefly discuss possible phenomenological implications of our results.

Abstract:

We derive a set of exact cosmological solutions to the D=4, N=1 supergravity description of heterotic M theory. Having identified a new and exact SU(3) Toda model solution, we then apply symmetry transformations to both this solution and to a previously known SU(2) Toda model, in order to derive two further sets of new cosmological solutions. In the symmetry-transformed SU(3) Toda case we find an unusual bouncing motion for the M5 brane, such that this brane can be made to reverse direction part way through its evolution. This bounce occurs purely through the interaction of nonstandard kinetic terms, as there are no explicit potentials in the action. We also present a perturbation calculation which demonstrates that, in a simple static limit, heterotic M theory possesses a scale-invariant isocurvature mode. This mode persists in certain asymptotic limits of all the solutions we have derived, including the bouncing solution. © 2006 The American Physical Society.

Abstract:

The sources of the observed ultra-high energy cosmic rays must also generate ultra-high energy neutrinos. Deep inelastic scattering of these neutrinos with nucleons on Earth probe center-of-mass energies $\sqrt{s} \sim 100$ TeV, well beyond those attainable at terrestrial colliders. By comparing the rates for two classes of observable events, any departure from the benchmark (unscreened perturbative QCD) neutrino-nucleon cross-section can be constrained. Using the projected sensitivity of the Pierre Auger Observatory to quasi-horizontal showers and Earth-skimming tau neutrinos, we show that a `Super-Auger' detector can thus provide an unique probe of strong interaction dynamics.