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Duane A. Dicus

Publications and source records attributed to Duane A. Dicus.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
arXiv2008

Critical Charges on Strange Quark Nuggets and Other Extended Objects

We investigate the behavior of the critical charge for spontaneous pair production, $Z_C$, defined as the charge at which the total energy of a $K$-shell electron is $E=-m_e$, as a function of the radius $R$ of the charge distribution. Our approach is to solve the Dirac equation for a potential $V(r)$ consisting of a spherically symmetrical charge distribution of radius $R$ and a Coulomb tail. For a spherical shell distribution of the type usually associated with color-flavor locked strange quark nuggets, we confirm the relation $Z_C=0.71 R({\rm fm})$ for sufficiently large $R$ obtained by Madsen, who used an approach based on the Thomas-Fermi model. We also present results for a uniformly charged sphere and again find that $Z_C\sim R$ for large enough $R$. Also discussed is the behavior of $Z_C$ when simple {\it ad hoc} modifications are made to the potential for $0\leq r < R$.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2007

Pair production with neutrinos in an intense background magnetic field

We present a detailed calculation of the electron-positron production rate using neutrinos in an intense background magnetic field. The computation is done for the process nu -> nu e- e+ (where nu can be nu_e, nu_mu, or nu_tau) within the framework of the Standard Model. Results are given for various combinations of Landau-levels over a range of possible incoming neutrino energies and magnetic field strengths.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2007

Comments on an alternative theory for the accelerating universe

We utilize the recently released supernova data of Riess {\it et al.} on the acceleration of the universe to determine how the parameters of a particular modification of gravity, the DGP 5-dimensional theory, are changed when compared to determinations using earlier data sets. We show the parameters of the theory are now very tightly constrained and at very reasonable values. For example, the curvature parameter, $Ω_k$, in contrast to an earlier analysis which used a smaller data set, is now consistent with zero, and the redshift at which the universe starts to accelerate is near unity.

astro-ph↗
arXiv2005

Scales of Fermion Mass Generation and Electroweak Symmetry Breaking

The scale of mass generation for fermions (including neutrinos) and the scale for electroweak symmetry breaking (EWSB) can be bounded from above by the unitarity of scattering involving longitudinal weak gauge bosons or their corresponding would-be Goldstone bosons. Including the exact n-body phase space we analyze the 2 --> n ($n \geq 2$) processes for the fermion-(anti)fermion scattering into multiple gauge boson final states. Contrary to naive energy power counting, we demonstrate that as $n$ becomes large, the competition between an increasing energy factor and a phase-space suppression leads to a {\it strong new upper bound} on the scale of fermion mass generation at a finite value $n=n_s$, which is {\it independent of the EWSB scale,} $v = (\sqrt{2}G_F)^{-1/2}$. For quarks, leptons and Majorana neutrinos, the strongest 2 --> n limits range from about 3TeV to 130-170TeV (with $2\lesssim n_s \lesssim 24$), depending on the measured fermion masses. Strikingly, given the tiny neutrino masses as constrained by the neutrino oscillations, neutrinoless double-beta decays and astrophysical observations, the unitarity violation of $ν_Lν_L\to nW_L^a$ scattering actually occurs at a scale no higher than ~170 TeV. Implications for various mechanisms of neutrino mass generation are analyzed. On the other hand, for the 2 --> n pure Goldstone-boson scattering, we find that the decreasing phase space factor always dominates over the growing overall energy factor when $n$ becomes large, so that the best unitarity bound on the scale of EWSB remains at n=2.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2005

Scales of Mass Generation for Quarks, Leptons and Majorana Neutrinos

We study 2 --> n inelastic fermion-(anti)fermion scattering into multiple longitudinal weak gauge bosons and derive universal upper bounds on the scales of fermion mass generation by imposing unitarity of the S-matrix. We place new upper limits on the scales of fermion mass generation, independent of the electroweak symmetry breaking scale. We find that the strongest 2 --> n limits fall in a narrow range, 3-170 TeV (with n=2-24), depending on the observed fermion masses.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2004

Scale of Mass Generation for Majorana Neutrinos

Scales of mass generation for Majorana neutrinos (as well as quarks and leptons) can be probed from high energy 2 --> n inelastic scattering involving a multiple longitudinal gauge boson final state. We demonstrate that the unitarity of 2 --> n scattering puts the strongest new upper limit on the scale of fermion mass generation, independent of the electroweak symmetry breaking scale $v=(\sqrt{2}G_F)^{-1/2}$. Strikingly, for Majorana neutrinos (quarks and leptons), we find that the strongest 2 --> n limits fall in a narrow range, 136-170 TeV (3-107 TeV) with n=20-24 (n=2-12), depending on the observed fermion masses. Physical implications are discussed.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2004

Constraints on the dark energy equation of state from recent supernova data

Measurements suggest that our universe has a substantial dark energy component. The most recent data on type Ia supernovae give a dark energy density which is in good agreement with other measurements if the dark energy is assumed to be a cosmological constant. Here we examine to what extent that data can put constraints on a more general equation of state for the dark energy.

astro-ph↗
arXiv2004

Unitarity in Higher Dimensions and Gauge Unification

Unitarity of the 4d standard model is ensured by the conventional Higgs mechanism with a fundamental spin-0 Higgs boson, responsible for gauge boson mass-generations. On the contrary Kaluza-Klein (KK) compactification of extra spatial dimensions can geometrically realize the gauge boson mass generation without invoking a fundamental Higgs scalar. We reveal that massive gauge boson scattering in the compactified theories is unitary at low energies, and the unitarity violation is {\it delayed} to the intrinsic ultraviolet (UV) scale of the higher dimensional gauge theory. We demonstrate that this is a generic consequence of the ``geometric Higgs mechanism'' (GHM), manifested via Kaluza-Klein equivalence theorem (KK-ET). We further show that the presence of many gauge KK states below the UV cutoff scale imposes strong bounds on the highest KK level (N_KK). Applying these bounds to higher-dimensional SUSY GUTs implies that only a small number of KK states can be used to accelerate gauge coupling unification, and suggests that the GUT scale in the 5d minimal SUSY SU(5) is above 10^{14} GeV.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2003

Structure of Cosmological CP Violation via Neutrino Seesaw

The cosmological matter-antimatter asymmetry can originate from CP-violating interactions of seesaw Majorana neutrinos via leptogenesis in the thermal phase of the early universe. Having the cosmological CP-phase for leptogenesis requires at least two right-handed Majorana neutrinos. Using only the low energy neutrino observables we quantitatively reconstruct a minimal neutrino seesaw. We establish a general criterion for minimal seesaw schemes in which the cosmological CP-phase is {\it completely} reconstructed from the low energy CP-phases measured by neutrino oscillation and neutrinoless double-beta decay experiments. We reveal and analyze two distinct classes of such minimal schemes that are shown to be highly predictive. Extension of our reconstruction formalism to a three-heavy-neutrino seesaw is discussed.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2003

Unitarity of the Higher Dimensional Standard Model

We study the unitarity of the standard model (SM) in higher dimensions. We show that the essential features of SM unitarity remain after compactification, and place bounds on the highest Kaluza-Klein (KK) level N_KK and the Higgs mass m_H in the effective four-dimensional (4d) low-energy theory. We demonstrate these general observations by explicitly analyzing the effective 4d KK theory of a compactified 5d SM on S^1/Z_2. The nontrivial energy cancellations in the scattering of longitudinal KK gluons or KK weak bosons, a consequence of the geometric Higgs mechanism, are verified. In the case of the electroweak gauge bosons, the longitudinal KK states also include a small mixture from the KK Higgs excitations. With the analyses before and after compactification, we derive the strongest bounds on N_KK from gauge KK scattering. Applying these bounds to higher-dimensional SUSY GUTs implies that only a small number of KK states can be used to accelerate gauge coupling unification. As a consequence, we show that the GUT scale in the 5d minimal SUSY GUT cannot be lower than about 10^{14} GeV.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2003

Z -> b b-bar b b-bar in the light gluino and light sbottom scenario

The light gluino (12 - 16 GeV) and light sbottom (2 - 6 GeV) scenario has been used to explain the apparent overproduction of b-quarks at the Tevatron. This scenario also predicts the decay Z -> b b-bar ~g ~g where the gluinos subsequently decay into b-quarks and sbottoms. We show that this can contribute to the width Gamma_4b = Gamma(Z -> b b-bar b b-bar) since most of the sbottoms and b-quarks arising from gluino decay have a small angular separation. We find that while no excess in Gamma_4b is observable due to large uncertainties in experimental measurements, the ratio Gamma(Z -> b b-bar ~g ~g)/Gamma(Z -> b b-bar b b-bar) can be large due to sensitivity to b-quark mass, the sbottom mixing angle and the gluino mass. We calculate it to be in the range 0.05 - 0.41 inclusive of the entire parameter space.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2003

Discriminating between models for the dark energy

Recent measurements suggest our universe has a substantial dark energy component, which is usually interpreted in terms of a cosmological constant. Here we examine how much the form of this dark energy can be modified while still retaining an acceptable fit to the high redshift supernova data. We first consider changes in the dark energy equation of state and then explore a model in which the dark energy is interpreted as a fluid with a bulk viscosity.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2002

Minimal Schemes for Large Neutrino Mixings with Inverted Hierarchy

Existing oscillation data point to nonzero neutrino masses with large mixings. We analyze the generic features of the neutrino Majorana mass matrix with inverted hierarchy and construct realistic {\it minimal schemes} for the neutrino mass matrix that can explain the large (but not maximal) ν_e - ν_mu mixing of MSW-LAM as well as the nearly maximal ν_mu - ν_tau mixing and the small (or negligible) ν_e --> ν_tau transition. These minimal schemes are quite unique and turn out to be extremely predictive. Implications for neutrinoless double beta decay, tritium beta decay and cosmology are analyzed.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2001

Unitarity of Compactified Five Dimensional Yang-Mills Theory

Compactified five dimensional Yang-Mills theory results in an effective four-dimensional theory with a Kaluza-Klein (KK) tower of massive vector bosons. We explicitly demonstrate that the scattering of the massive vector bosons is unitary at tree-level for low energies, and analyze the relationship between the unitarity violation scale in the KK theory and the nonrenormalizability scale in the five dimensional gauge theory. In the compactified theory, low-energy unitarity is ensured through an interlacing cancellation among contributions from the relevant KK levels. Such cancellations can be understood using a Kaluza-Klein equivalence theorem which results from the geometric ``Higgs'' mechanism of compactification. In these theories, the unitarity violation is delayed to energy scales higher than the customary limit through the introduction of additional vector bosons rather than Higgs scalars.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2001

Comment on "Evolution of a Quasi-Stationary State"

Approximately forty years ago it was realized that the time development of decaying systems might not be precisely exponential. Rolf Winter (Phys. Rev. {\bf 123}, 1503 (1961)) analyzed the simplest nontrivial system - a particle tunneling out of a well formed by a wall and a delta-function. He calculated the probability current just outside the well and found irregular oscillations on a short time scale followed by an exponential decrease followed by more oscillations and finally by a decrease as a power of the time. We have reanalyzed this system, concentrating on the survival probability of the particle in the well rather than the probability current, and find a different short time behavior.

quant-ph↗