Astrophysics

We point out that light scalar fields with symmetries generically generate non-Gaussianity in the density fluctuations. Our observation makes the presence of the non-Gaussianity ubiquitous. When the inflationary scale and the properties of the scalar fields satisfy a certain relation, the non-Gaussianity becomes large enough to be observed by the ongoing and planned observations. We name such a particle responsible for a large non-Gaussianity as an \'ungaussiton\', and give explicit examples to realize the ungaussiton mechanism. We also derive a consistency relation between the bispectrum and the trispectrum, tau_NL = 10^3 f_NL^(4/3), which, if confirmed, will strongly support this mechanism.

A new class of particle physics models of inflation is presented which is based on the phase transition associated with the spontaneous breaking of family symmetry responsible for the generation of the effective quark and lepton Yukawa couplings. We show

We formulate a general replica field-theoretic framework for stochastic inflation in which a manifestation of dimensional reduction is found. The scale above which the latter becomes dominant is explicitly calculated. It is found that for a wide class of stochastic systems considerable changes of the spectral index inevitably occur on super-horizon scales. We work out an explicit relation between the noise correlator and the non-Gaussianity parameter $f_{NL}$, which thus can effectively be generated entirely by quantum fluctuations.

One of the most compelling hints for physics beyond the standard model is the cosmological observation that nearly a quarter of our universe consists of cold dark matter. In the next few years, LHC shows the promise of producing these elusive particles and possibly measuring their microscopic properties. This will be challenging, per se, and using LHC observations to reconstruct a complete theory of cosmological dark matter could prove quite challenging. In this talk I will discuss the prospects and many challenges facing such a program. In particular, we will consider complications that can arise rather generically from supersymmetry breaking or gravitational effects in the early universe. Although this will make synthesis much more difficult, many of these effects could lead to insights into the baryon asymmetry and its relation to the dark matter abundance.

Loop quantum cosmology is a non-perturbative canonical quantization of simple cosmological models based on loop quantum gravity. In recent years, a greater control on the underlying quantum theory has revealed a picture where the big bang is replaced by a quantum bounce at Planck scale. The evolution across the bounce is unitary and non-singular without a need of choice of exotic potential or matter. By analysis of an exactly solvable model of a homogeneous and isotropic spacetime we will describe how the backward evolution of our universe with the quantum constraint leads to a pre big bang branch. We will also discuss the way it predicts modifications to Friedman dynamics at high curvatures, contrasts with the Wheeler-DeWitt scenario and semi-classicality across the bounce.

I describe a variety of bubbles of nothing which do not require a Kaluza-Klein circle but instead may be found in asymptotically flat or AdS spaces without any identifications.  There are many such bubbles which expand outwards and threaten to destabilize spacetimes with more than four dimensions.   In the AdS case, one can show there are both bubbles and topologically trivial smooth states which violate all of the energy bounds, both classical and quantum, in the corresponding gauge theory.

We argue that, within a broad class of extensions of the Standard Model, there is a tight corellation between the dynamics of the electroweak phase transition and the cubic self-coupling of the Higgs boson: Models which exhibit a strong first-order electroweak phase transition predict a large deviation of the Higgs self-coupling from the Standard Model prediction, as long as no accidental cancellations occur. Order-one deviations are typical. This shift would be observable at the Large Hadron Collider if the proposed luminosity or energy upgrades are realized, as well as at a future electron-positron collider such as the proposed International Linear Collider. These measurements would provide a laboratory test of the dynamics of the electroweak phase transition.

Searches for neutrinoless double beta decays could determine if neutrinos are Majorana particles and could measure their absolute mass scale. The initial stage of the Enriched Xenon Observatory project, EXO-200, will look for two-neutrino and neutrinoless double-beta decays of Xe-136 in a liquid-xenon time-projection chamber. By combining the ionization signal with detection of the scintillation light collected in Large Area Avalanche Photodiodes (LAAPDs), an energy resolution of about 1.4% at the decay energy can be achieved. All construction materials have been systematically selected to minimize naturally-occurring radioactive impurities. An active muon veto is presently under construction. Using these background reduction techniques and the available 200 kg of isotopically enriched xenon (80% in Xe-136), EXO-200 will be soon able to test present constraints on the effective Majorana-neutrino mass. It will also serve to demonstrate the potential performance of a larger-scale EXO experiment which will further reduce backgrounds by detecting the residual Ba ion produced in the decay. Installation of the EXO-200 detector is now in progress at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) in New Mexico.

Linear confinement in holographic QCD can be obtained with a soft-wall quadratic dilaton background. We present a dynamical five-dimensional model realizing this setup and discuss the implications for the hypothetical string theory dual to QCD.

According to Doering and Isham the spectral topos corresponds to any quantum system. The descriptions of the systems become similar to these given by classical theories. Topoi can also modify local smooth spacetime structure. Supposing that a quantum system modifies the local spacetime structure and interacts with a gravitational field via the spectral topos, a natural pattern for non-gravitating quantum zero-point modes of the system, appears. A way how to add gravity into the spectral topos of a system is presented. A theory of gravity and systems should be symmetric with respect to some 2-group derived from the category of systems. Hence, a fundamental symmetry of gravity is rather 2-group of automorphisms of the category of systems. This higher symmetry is responsible for the vanishing of the cotributions to the cosmological constant derived from zero-point modes of energy of quantum systems in spacetime. A connection with strings (via the coefficients of the 2-connection of some 2-bundle, with this 2group as the structure group) is also shown. Institute of Physics, University of Silesia