Effect of the Pauli principle on photoelectron spin transport in p+p^+ GaAs

In p+ GaAs thin films, the effect of photoelectron degeneracy on spin transport is investigated theoretically and experimentally by imaging the spin polarization profile as a function of distance from a tightly-focussed light excitation spot. Under degeneracy of the electron gas (high concentration, low temperature), a dip at the center of the polarization profile appears with a polarization maximum at a distance of about $2 \; \mu m$ from the center. This counterintuitive result reveals that photoelectron diffusion depends on spin, as a direct consequence of the Pauli principle. This causes a concentration dependence of the spin stiffness while the spin dependence of the mobility is found to be weak in doped material. The various effects which can modify spin transport in a degenerate electron gas under local laser excitation are considered. A comparison of the data with a numerical solution of the coupled diffusion equations reveals that ambipolar coupling with holes increases the steady-state photo-electron density at the excitation spot and therefore the amplitude of the degeneracy-induced polarization dip. Thermoelectric currrents are predicted to depend on spin under degeneracy (spin Soret currents), but these currents are negligible except at very high excitation power where they play a relatively small role. Coulomb spin drag and bandgap renormalization are negligible due to electrostatic screening by the hole gas

Flipped SU(5), see-saw scale physics and degenerate vacua

We investigate the requirement of the existence of two degenerate vacua of the effective potential as a function of the Weinberg-Salam Higgs scalar field norm, as suggested by the multiple point principle, in an extension of the Standard Model including see-saw scale physics. Results are presented from an investigation of an extension of the Standard Model to the gauge symmetry group SU(3)_C\times SU(2)_L\times U(1)'\times \tilde U(1), where two groups U(1)' and \tilde U(1) originate at the see-saw scale M_{SS}, when heavy (right-handed) neutrinos appear. The consequent unification of the group SU(3)_C\times SU(2)_L\times U(1)' into the flipped SU(5) at the GUT scale leads to the group SU(5)\times \tilde U(1). We assume the position of the second minimum of the effective potential coincides with the fundamental scale, here taken to be the GUT scale. We solve the renormalization group equations in the one-loop approximation and obtain a top-quark mass of 171\pm 3 GeV and a Higgs mass of 129\pm 4 GeV, in the case when the Yukawa couplings of the neutrinos are less than half that of the top quark at the GUT scale.Comment: 12 pages and 3 Figures; Presented at 'Planck 05' conference, ICT

Unusual Higgs or Supersymmetry from Natural Electroweak Symmetry Breaking

This review provides an elementary discussion of electroweak symmetry breaking in the minimal and the next-to-minimal supersymmetric models with the focus on the fine-tuning problem -- the tension between natural electroweak symmetry breaking and the direct search limit on the Higgs boson mass. Two generic solutions of the fine-tuning problem are discussed in detail: models with unusual Higgs decays; and models with unusual pattern of soft supersymmetry breaking parameters.Comment: 23 pages, 6 figures; invited review by MPL

Perturbative QCD relations inspired by hypothetical tau leptons

We review our recent works on tests of perturbative QCD, inspired by the relation between the hadronic decay of the tau lepton and the e+ e- annihilation into hadrons. First, we present a set of commensurate scale relations that probe the self-consistency of leading-twist QCD predictions for any observable which defines an effective charge. These tests are independent of the renormalization scheme and scale, and are applicable over wide data ranges. As an example we apply this approach to R_{e+ e-}. Second, using a differential form of these conmensurate scale relations, we present a method to measure the QCD Gell-Mann--Low Psi function.Comment: To appear in the proceedings of the QCD 99 Euroconference, 7-13th July 1999 Montpellier, France 4 pages, uses espcrc2.sty (included

R-values in Low Energy e^+e^- Annihilation

This presentation briefly summarizes the recent measurements of R-values in low energy e^+e^- annihilation. The new experiments aimed at reducing the uncertainties in R-values and performed with the upgraded Beijing Spectrometer (BESII) at Beijing Electron Positron Collider (BEPC) in Beijing and with CMD-2 and SND at VEEP-2M in Novosibirsk are reviewed and discussed.Comment: 17 pages, 10 figures, invited presentation at the XIX International Symposium on Lepton and Photon Interactions at High Energy, Stanford University, August 199

Implications of the ALEPH tau-Lepton Decay Data for Perturbative and Non-Perturbative QCD

We use ALEPH data on hadronic $\tau$ decays in order to calculate Euclidean coordinate space correlation functions in the vector and axial-vector channels. The linear combination $V-A$ receives no perturbative contribution and is quantitatively reproduced by the instanton liquid model. In the case of $V+A$ the instanton calculation is in good agreement with the data once perturbative corrections are included. These corrections clearly show the evolution of $\alpha_s$. We also analyze the range of validity of the Operator Product Expansion (OPE). In the $V-A$ channel we find a dimension $d=6$ contribution which is comparable to the original SVZ estimate, but the instanton model provides a different non-singular term of the same magnitude. In the $V+A$ case both the OPE and the instanton model predict the same $d=4$ power correction induced by the gluon condensate, but it is masked by much larger perturbative contributions. We conclude that the range of validity of the OPE is limited to x\lsim0.3 fm, whereas the instanton model describes the data over the entire range.Comment: 4 pages, 6 figure

Phenomenology of Higgs bosons in the Zee-Model

To generate small neutrino masses radiatively, the Zee-model introduces two Higgs doublets and one weak-singlet charged Higgs boson to its Higgs sector. From analyzing the renormalization group equations, we determine the possibile range of the lightest CP-even Higgs boson ($h$) mass and the Higgs boson self-couplings as a function of the cut-off scale beyond which either some of the coupling constants are strong enough to invalidate the perturbative analysis or the stability of the electroweak vacuum is no longer guaranteed. Using the results obtained from the above analysis, we find that the singlet charged Higgs boson can significantly modify the partial decay width of $h \to \gamma \gamma$ via radiative corrections, and its collider phenomenology can also be drastically different from that of the charged Higgs bosons in the usual two-Higgs-doublet models.Comment: Added a paragraph and a figure in Section V, corrected typos, added references. (RevTeX, 45 pages, 16 figures included.) To appear in Physical Review

On Radiative Weak Annihilation Decays

We discuss a little-studied class of weak decay modes sensitive to only one quark topology at leading order in G_F: M --> m gamma, where M,m are mesons with completely distinct flavor quantum numbers. Specifically, they proceed via the annihilation of the valence quarks through a W and the emission of a single hard photon, and thus provide a clear separation between CKM and strong interaction physics. We survey relevant calculations performed to date, discuss experimental discovery potential, and indicate interesting future directions.Comment: 10 pages LaTeX, includes macros file and 9 .eps figures. Invited talk at RADCOR 2000 (5th Int. Symp. on Radiative Corrections), Carmel, CA, Sept. 200