arXiv subjects

Kazunori Kohri

Publications and source records attributed to Kazunori Kohri.

At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources

arXiv2015

130GeV gamma-ray line through axion conversion

We apply the axion-photon conversion mechanism to the 130 GeV $γ$-ray line observed by the Fermi satellite. Near the Galactic center, some astrophysical sources and/or particle dark matter can produce energetic axions (or axionlike particles), and the axions convert to $γ$ rays in Galactic magnetic fields along their flight to the Earth. Since continuum $γ$-ray and antiproton productions are sufficiently suppressed in axion production, the scenario fits the 130 GeV $γ$-ray line without conflicting with cosmic ray measurements. We derive the axion production cross section and the decay rate of dark matter to fit the $γ$-ray excess as functions of axion parameters. In the scenario, the $γ$-ray spatial distributions depend on both the dark matter profile and the magnetic field configuration, which will be tested by future $γ$-ray observations, e.g., H.E.S.S. II, CTA, and GAMMA-400. As an illustrative example, we study realistic supersymmetric axion models, and show the favored parameters that nicely fit the $γ$-ray excess.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2015

Consistency Relations for Large Field Inflation: Non-minimal Coupling

We derive the consistency relations for a chaotic inflation model with a non-minimal coupling to gravity. For a quadratic potential in the limit of a small non-minimal coupling parameter $ξ$ and for a quartic potential without assuming small $ξ$, we give the consistency relations among the spectral index $n_s$, the tensor-to-scalar ratio $r$ and the running of the spectral index $α$. We find that unlike $r$, $α$ is less sensitive to $ξ$. If $r<0.1$, then $ξ$ is constrained to $ξ<0$ and $α$ is predicted to be $α\simeq -8\times 10^{-4}$ for a quartic potential. For a general monomial potential, $α$ is constrained in the range $-2.7\times 10^{-3}<α< -6\times 10^{-4}$ as long as $|ξ|\leq 10^{-3}$ if $r<0.1$.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2015

Small Field Coleman-Weinberg Inflation driven by Fermion Condensate

We revisit the small field Coleman-Weinberg (CW) inflation, which has the following two problems. First, the smallness of the slow roll parameter $ε$ requires the inflation scale to be very low. Second, the spectral index $n_s \approx1+2 η$ tends to become smaller compared to the observed value. In this letter, we consider two possible effects on the dynamics of inflation: radiatively generated non-minimal coupling to gravity $ξϕ^2 {\cal R}$ and condensation of fermions coupled to the inflaton as $ϕ\barψψ$. We show that the fermion condenate can solve the above problems.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2015

Ambiguity in running spectral index with an extra light field during inflation

At the beginning of inflation there could be extra dynamical scalar fields that will soon disappear (become static) before the end of inflation. In the light of multi-field inflation, those extra degrees of freedom may alter the time-dependence of the original spectrum of the curvature perturbation. It is possible to remove such fields introducing extra number of e-foldings prior to $N_e\sim 60$, however such extra e-foldings may make the trans-Planckian problem worse due to the Lyth bound. We show that such extra scalar fields can change the running of the spectral index to give correction of $\pm 0.01$ without adding significant contribution to the spectral index. The corrections to the spectral index (and the amplitude) could be important in considering global behavior of the corrected spectrum, although they can be neglected in the estimation of the spectrum and its spectral index at the pivot scale. The ambiguity in the running of the spectral index, which could be due to such fields, can be used to nullify tension between BICEP2 and Planck experiments.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2014

Testing scenarios of primordial black holes being the seeds of supermassive black holes by ultracompact minihalos and CMB $μ$-distortions

Supermassive black holes and intermediate mass black holes are believed to exist in the Universe. There is no established astrophysical explanation for their origin and considerations have been made in the literature that those massive black holes (MBHs) may be primordial black holes (PBHs), black holes which are formed in the early universe (well before the matter-radiation equality) due to the direct collapse of primordial overdensities. This paper aims at discussing the possibility of excluding the PBH scenario as the origin of the MBHs. We first revisit the constraints on PBHs obtained from the CMB distortion that the seed density perturbation causes. By adopting a recent computation of the CMB distortion sourced by the seed density perturbation and the stronger constraint on the CMB distortion set by the COBE/FIRAS experiment used in the literature, we find that PBHs in the mass range $6\times 10^4~M_\odot \sim 5 \times 10^{13}~M_\odot$ are excluded. Since PBHs lighter than $6 \times 10^4~M_\odot$ are not excluded from the non-observation of the CMB distortion, we propose a new method which can potentially exclude smaller PBHs as well. Based on the observation that large density perturbations required to create PBHs also result in the copious production of ultracompact minihalos (UCMHs), compact dark matter halos formed at around the recombination, we show that weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs) as dark matter annihilate efficiently inside UCMHs to yield cosmic rays far exceeding the observed flux. Our bound gives severe restriction on the compatibility between the particle physics models for WIMPs and the PBH scenario as the explanation of MBHs.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2014

Consistency Relations for Large Field Inflation

Consistency relations for chaotic inflation with a monomial potential and natural inflation and hilltop inflation are given which involve the scalar spectral index $n_s$, the tensor-to-scalar ratio $r$ and the running of the spectral index $α$. The measurement of $α$ with $O(10^{-3})$ and the improvement in the measurement of $n_s$ could discriminate monomial model from natural/hilltop inflation models. A consistency region for general large field models is also presented.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2014

Scale-dependent CMB asymmetry from primordial configuration

We demonstrate that a topological defect can explain the hemispherical power asymmetry of the CMB. The first point is that a defect configuration, which already exists prior to inflation, can source asymmetry of the CMB. The second point is that modulation mechanisms, such as the curvaton and other modulation mechanisms, can explain scale-dependence of the asymmetry. Using a simple analysis of the $δN$ formalism, we show models in which scale-dependent hemispherical power asymmetry is explained by primordial configuration of a defect.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2014

Distinguishing between Extra Natural Inflation and Natural Inflation after BICEP2

In this paper, we carefully calculated the tensor-to-scalar ratio, the running spectral index, and the running of running spectrum for (extra) natural inflation in order to compare with recent BICEP2 data, PLANCK satellite data and future 21 cm data. We discovered that the prediction for running spectral index and the running of running spectrum in natural inflation is different from that in the case of extra natural inflation. Near future observation for the running spectral index may achieve enough accuracy to allow us distinguishing between extra natural inflation from natural inflation. Distinguishing the models by using the running of running spectrum is not impossible but would be more challenging for future experiments.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2014

Precise Measurements of Primordial Power Spectrum with 21 cm Fluctuations

We discuss the issue of how precisely we can measure the primordial power spectrum by using future observations of 21 cm fluctuations and cosmic microwave background (CMB). For this purpose, we investigate projected constraints on the quantities characterizing primordial power spectrum: the spectral index n_s, its running alpha_s and even its higher order running beta_s. We show that future 21 cm observations in combinations with CMB would accurately measure above mentioned observables of primordial power spectrum. We also discuss its implications to some explicit inflationary models.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2014

Detecting the relic gravitational wave from the electroweak phase transition at SKA

We discuss possibilities to observe stochastic gravitational wave backgrounds produced by the electroweak phase transition in the early universe. Once the first-order phase transition occurs, which is still predicted in a lot of theories beyond the standard model, collisions of nucleated vacuum bubbles and induced turbulent motions can become significant sources of the gravitational waves. Detections of such gravitational wave backgrounds are expected to reveal the Higgs sector physics. In particular, through pulsar timing experiments planned in Square Kilometre Array (SKA) under construction, we will be able to detect the gravitational wave in near future and distinguish particle physics models by comparing the theoretical predictions to the observations.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2014

Probing Lepton Asymmetry with 21 cm Fluctuations

We investigate the issue of how accurately we can constrain the lepton number asymmetry xi_nu = mu_nu/T_nu in the Universe by using future observations of 21 cm line fluctuations and cosmic microwave background (CMB). We find that combinations of the 21 cm line and the CMB observations can constrain the lepton asymmetry better than big-bang nucleosynthesis (BBN). Additionally, we also discuss constraints on xi_nu in the presence of some extra radiation, and show that the 21 cm line observations can substantially improve the constraints obtained by CMB alone, and allow us to distinguish the effects of the lepton asymmetry from the ones of extra radiation.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2014

Big-bang nucleosynthesis through bound-state effects with a long-lived slepton in the NMSSM

We show that the Li problems can be solved in the next-to-minimal supersymmetric standard model where the slepton as the next-to-lightest SUSY particle is very long-lived. Such a long-lived slepton induces exotic nuclear reactions in big-bang nucleosynthesis, and destroys and produces the $^7$Li and $^6$Li nuclei via bound state formation. We study cases where the lightest SUSY particle is singlino-like neutralino and bino-like neutralino to present allowed regions in the parameter space which is consistent with the observations on the dark matter and the Higgs mass.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2014

X-ray Spectroscopy of the Mixed Morphology Supernova Remnant W28 with XMM-Newton

We report on spatially resolved X-ray spectroscopy of the north-eastern part of the mixed morphology supernova remnant (SNR) W28 with {\it XMM-Newton}. The observed field of view includes a prominent and twisted shell emission forming the edge of this SNR as well as part of the center-filled X-ray emission brightening toward the south-west edge of the field of view. The shell region spectra are in general represented by an optically thin thermal plasma emission in collisional ionization equilibrium with a temperature of $\sim$0.3~keV and a density of $\sim$10~cm$^{-3}$, which is much higher than the density obtained for inner parts. In contrast, we detected no significant X-ray flux from one of the TeV $γ$-ray peaks with an upper-limit flux of 2.1$\times$10$^{-14}$ erg cm$^{-2}$ s$^{-1}$ in the 2--10~keV band. The large flux ratio of TeV to X-ray, larger than 16, and the spatial coincidence of the molecular cloud and the TeV $γ$-ray emission site indicate that the TeV $γ$-ray of W28 is $π^{0}$-decay emission originating from collisions between accelerated protons and molecular cloud protons. Comparing the spectrum in the TeV band and the X-ray upper limit, we obtained a weak upper limit on the magnetic field strength $B\lesssim$ 1500~$μ$G.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2014

Hilltop Supernatural Inflation and SUSY Unified Models

In this paper, we consider high scale (100 TeV) supersymmetry (SUSY) breaking and realize the idea of hilltop supernatural inflation in concrete particle physics models based on flipped-SU(5) and Pati-Salam models in the framework of supersymmetric grand unified theories (SUSY GUTs). The inflaton can be a flat direction including right-handed sneutrino and the waterfall field is a GUT Higgs. The spectral index is $n_s=0.96$ which fits very well with recent data by PLANCK satellite. There is no both thermal and non-thermal gravitino problems. Non-thermal leptogenesis can be resulted from the decay of right-handed sneutrino which plays (part of) the role of inflaton.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2014

Constraining the co-genesis of Visible and Dark Matter with AMS-02 and Xenon-100

We study a non-thermal scenario in a two-Higgs doublet extension of the standard model (SM), augmented by an U(1)_{\rm B-L} gauge symmetry. In this set up, it is shown that the decay product of a weakly coupled scalar field just above the electroweak scale can generate visible and dark matter (DM) simultaneously. The DM is unstable because of the broken B-L symmetry. The lifetime of DM (\approx 5\times 10^{25} sec) is found to be much longer than the age of the Universe, and its decay to the SM leptons at present epoch can explain the positron excess observed at the AMS-02. The relic abundance and the direct detection constraint from Xenon-100 can rule out a large parameter space just leaving the $B-L$ breaking scale around \approx 2 - 4 TeV.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2013

Threshold of primordial black hole formation

Based on a physical argument, we derive a new analytic formula for the amplitude of density perturbation at the threshold of primordial black hole formation in the universe dominated by a perfect fluid with the equation of state $p=wρc^{2}$ for $w\ge 0$. The formula gives $δ^{\rm UH}_{H c}=\sin^{2}[π\sqrt{w}/(1+3w)]$ and $\tildeδ_{c}=[3(1+w)/(5+3w)]\sin^{2}[π\sqrt{w}/(1+3w)]$, where $δ^{\rm UH}_{H c}$ and $\tildeδ_{c}$ are the amplitude of the density perturbation at the horizon crossing time in the uniform Hubble slice and the amplitude measure used in numerical simulations, respectively, while the conventional one gives $δ^{\rm UH}_{H c}=w$ and $\tildeδ_{c}=3w(1+w)/(5+3w)$. Our formula shows a much better agreement with the result of recent numerical simulations both qualitatively and quantitatively than the conventional formula. For a radiation fluid, our formula gives $δ^{\rm UH}_{H c}=\sin^{2}(\sqrt{3}π/6)\simeq 0.6203$ and $\tildeδ_{c}=(2/3)\sin^{2}(\sqrt{3}π/6)\simeq 0.4135$. We also discuss the maximum amplitude and the cosmological implications of the present result.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2013

Modulated decay in the multi-component Universe

The early Universe after inflation may have oscillations, kinations (nonoscillatory evolution of a field), topological defects, relativistic and non-relativistic particles at the same time. The Universe whose energy density is a sum of those components can be called the multi-component Universe. The components, which may have distinguishable density scalings, may decay modulated. In this paper we study generation of the curvature perturbations caused by the modulated decay in the multi-component Universe.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2013

Non-Gaussianity in the inflating curvaton

Inflating curvaton can create curvature perturbation when the curvaton density is slowly varying. Using the delta-N formalism, we discuss the evolution of the curvature perturbation during curvaton inflation and find analytic formulation of the non-Gaussianity parameter. We first consider the inflating curvaton with sufficiently long inflationary expansion. Then we compare the result with short curvaton inflation.

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