arXiv subjects
Publications and source records attributed to Thomas W. Kephart.
In a simplified renormalizable model where the neutrinos have PMNS (Pontecorvo-Maki-Nakagawa-Sakata) mixings tan$^{2} θ_{12} = {1/2}, θ_{13}=0, θ_{23} = π/4$ and with flavor symmetry $T^{'}$ there is a corresponding prediction where the quarks have CKM (Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa) mixings tan$2 Θ_{12} = \frac{\sqrt{2}}{3}, Θ_{13}=0, Θ_{23} =0$.
Few physical systems with topologies more complicated than simple gaussian linking have been explored in detail. Here we focus on examples with higher topologies in non-relativistic quantum mechanics and in QCD.
We show that the linking of a semiclassical path of a charged particle with a knotted magnetic solenoid results in the Aharonov-Bohm effect. The phase shift in the wave function is proportional to the flux intersecting a certain connected and orientable surface bounded by the knot (a Seifert surface of the knot).
Gaussian linking of superconducting loops containing Josephson junctions with enclosed magnetic fields give rise to interference shifts in the phase that modulates the current carried through the loop, proportional to the magnitude of the enclosed flux. We generalize these results to higher order linking of a superconducting loop with several magnetic solenoids, and show there may be interference shifts proportional to the product of two or more fluxes.
The entropy in the interior of the Universe has many contributions including well understood ones from radiation and relic neutrinos. The gravitational entropy is larger and more subtle. One contribution which provides our lower bound is from supermassive black holes at the centers of galaxies. The remainder is harder to pin down. We suggest an upper bound which is many orders of magnitude below the holographic bound yet above that of the supermassive black holes. We propose that gravitational entropy in dark matter halos is the largest contributor to the present entropy of the universe.
We consider models built on $AdS_5\otimes S^5/Γ$ orbifold compactifications of the type $IIB$ superstring, where $Γ$ is the abelian group $Z_n$. An attractive three family $\mathcal{N}=0$ SUSY model is found for $n=7$ that is a modified Pati--Salam Model which reduced to the Standard Model after symmetry breaking.
We study the decay of the standard model Z boson into unparticle plus a single photon through a one-loop process. As in the anomaly type decay, only the axial-vector part of the Z coupling matching with the vector unparticle and/or the vector part of the Z coupling matching with the axial-vector unparticle can give a nonzero contribution to the decay. We show that the photon spectrum terminates at the end point in accord with Yang's theorem. Existing data on single photon production at LEP I is used to constrain the unparticle sector.
Present data on neutrino masses and mixing favor the highly symmetric tribimaximal neutrino mixing matrix which suggests an underlying flavor symmetry. A systematic study of non-abelian finite groups of order $g \leq 31$ reveals that tribimaximal mixing can be derived not only from the well known tetrahedral flavor symmetry $T \equiv A_4$, but also by using the binary tetrahedral symmetry $T^{'} \equiv SL_2(F_3)$ which does not contain the tetrahedral group as a subgroup. $T^{'}$ has the further advantage that it can also neatly accommodate the quark masses including a heavy top quark.
This review describes the conformality approach to extending the standard model of particle phenomenology using an assumption of no conformal anomaly at high energy. Topics include quiver gauge theory, the conformality approach to phenomenology, strong-electroweak unification at 4 TeV, cancellation of quadratic divergences, cancellation of U(1) anomalies, and a dark matter candidate.
We study orbifold compactifications of the type IIB superstring on AdS_5 x S^5/Gamma, where Gamma is the abelian group Z_8, which can lead to non-SUSY three and four family models based on quartification. In particular, we focus on two models, one fully quartified model and one a model with two trinification families and one quartification family, which reduces to the standard model with a minimal leptonic color sector.
We provide what we believe is the minimal three family ${\cal N} = 1$ SUSY and conformal Pati-Salam Model from type IIB superstring theory. This $Z_3$ orbifolded AdS$\otimes S^5$ model has long lived protons and has potential phenomenological consequences for LHC.
Dark matter candidates and proton decay in a class of models based on the AdS/CFT correspondence are discussed. We show that the present bound on the proton decay lifetime is inconsistent with ${\cal N} = 1$ SUSY, and strongly constrains ${\cal N} = 0$ non-SUSY, low scale trinification type unification of orbifolded AdS$\otimes S^5$ models.
It is well known that for a field theory with the Chern-Simons action, expectation values of Wilson line operators are topological invariants. The standard result is expressed in terms of the Gaussian linkings of closed curves defining the operators. We show how judicious choice of Wilson lines leads to higher order topological linkings.
Gaussian linking of a semiclassical path of a charged particle with a magnetic flux tube is responsible for the Aharonov-Bohm effect, where one observes interference proportional to the magnitude of the enclosed flux. We construct quantum mechanical wave functions where semiclassical paths can have second order linking to two magnetic flux tubes, and show there is interference proportional to the product of the two fluxes.
In classical mechanics, an action is defined only modulo additive terms which do not modify the equations of motion; in certain cases, these terms are topological quantities. We construct an infinite sequence of higher order topological actions and argue that they play a role in quantum mechanics, and hence can be accessed experimentally.
We derive conditions for stable tracker solutions for both quintessence and k-essence in a general cosmological background, H^2 \propto f(ρ). We find that tracker solutions are possible only when η= d ln f /d ln ρis constant, aside from a few special cases, which are enumerated. Expressions for the quintessence or k-essence equation of state are derived as a function of ηand the equation of state of the dominant background component.
We show interesting relations between extremal partition functions of a family of conformal field theories and dimensions of the irreducible representations of the Fischer-Griess Monster sporadic group. We argue that these relations can be interpreted as an extension of Monster moonshine.
Due to quantum fluctuations, spacetime is foamy on small scales. For maximum spatial resolution of the geometry of spacetime, the holographic model of spacetime foam stipulates that the uncertainty or fluctuation of distance $l$ is given, on the average, by $(l l_P^2)^{1/3}$ where $l_P$ is the Planck length. Applied to cosmology, it predicts that the cosmic energy is of critical density and the cosmic entropy is the maximum allowed by the holographic principle. In addition, it requires the existence of unconventional (dark) energy/matter and accelerating cosmic expansion in the present era. We will argue that a holographic foam cosmology of this type has the potential to become a full fledged competitor (with distinct testable consequences) for scalar driven inflation.