Microcanonical Thermodynamics of First Order Phase Transitions studied in the Potts Model

Phase transitions of first and second order can easily be distinguished in small systems in the microcanonical ensemble. Configurations of phase coexistence, which are suppressed in the canonical formulation, carry important information about the main characteristics of first order phase transitions like the transition temperature, the latent heat, and the interphase surface tension. The characterisitc backbending of the micro- canonical caloric equation of state T(E) (not to be confused with the well known Van der Waals loops in ordinary thermodynamics) leading to a negative specific heat is intimatly linked to the interphase surface entropy.Comment: Latex, 4 eps-figures, graphicx.st

Long distance contribution to K+→π+ννˉK^+ \to \pi^+ \nu {\bar \nu} decay and O(p4)O(p^4) terms in CHPT

The long distance contribution to $K^+ \to \pi^+ \nu {\bar \nu}$ is calculated using chiral perturbation theory. The leading contribution comes from $O(p^4)$ tree terms. The branching ratio of the $O(p^4)$ long distance contribution is found to be of order $10_{-3}$ smaller than the short distance contributions.Comment: 12 pages, 1 figure (available upon request

Rare Kaon Decays in the 1/Nc1/N_c-Expansion

We study the unknown coupling constants that appear at order $p^4$ in the Chiral Perturbation Theory analysis of $K \to \pi \gamma^* \to \pi l^+ l^-$, $K^{+-} \to \pi^{+-} \gamma \gamma$ and $K \to \pi \pi \gamma$ decays. To that end, we compute the chiral realization of the $\Delta S \, = \, 1$ Hamiltonian in the framework of the $1/N_c$-expansion of the low-energy action. The phenomenological implications are also discussed.Comment: 18 pages, LaTeX, CPT-92/P.279

Radiative Kaon Decays K±→π±π0γK^\pm\to\pi^\pm\pi^0\gamma and Direct CP Violation

It is stressed that a measurement of the electric dipole amplitude for direct photon emission in \kpm decays through its interference with inner bremsstrahlung is important for differentiating among various models. Effects of amplitude CP violation in the radiative decays of the charged kaon are analyzed in the Standard Model in conjunction with the large $N_c$ approach. We point out that gluon and electromagnetic penguin contributions to the CP-violating asymmetry between the Dalitz plots of \kpm are of equal weight. The magnitude of CP asymmetry ranges from $2\times 10^{-6}$ to $1\times 10^{-5}$ when the photon energy in the kaon rest frame varies from 50 MeV to 170 MeV.Comment: Latex, 11 pages, ITP-SB-93-36, IP-ASTP-22-9

Role of Scalar Meson Resonances in $K_{L}^{0} \rightarrow \pi^{0} \gamma \gamma Decay

Corrections to $K_{L}^{0}\rightarrow \pi^{0} \gamma \gamma$ decay induced by scalar meson exchange are studied within chiral perturbation theory. In spite of bad knowledge of scalar-mesons parameters, the calculated branching ratio can be changed by a few percent.Comment: 18 pages of text, 2 figures (available upon request); preprint IJS-TP-16-94 , TUM-T31-63-94

Rare Kaon Decays

The current status of rare kaon decay experiments is reviewed. New limits in the search for Lepton Flavor Violation are discussed, as are new measurements of the CKM matrix.Comment: 8 pages, 3 figures, LaTeX, presented at the 3rd International Conference on B Phyiscs and CP Violation, Taipei December 3-7, 199

The vector form factor of the pion from unitarity and analyticity: a model-independent approach

We study a model-independent parameterization of the vector pion form factor that arises from the constraints of analyticity and unitarity. Our description should be suitable up to sqrt(s) ~ 1.2 GeV and allows a model-independent determination of the mass of the rho(770) resonance, M(rho) = (775.1 +- 0.5) MeV. We analyse the experimental data on tau(-) -> pion(-) pion(0) neutrino(tau), in this framework, and its consequences on the low-energy observables worked out by chiral perturbation theory. An evaluation of the two-pion contribution to the anomalous magnetic moment of the muon, a_muon, and to the fine structure constant, alpha(M(Z)^2), is also performed.Comment: 1+15 pages, 2 figure

Ubiquitous CP violation in a top-inspired left-right model

We explore CP violation in a Left-Right Model that reproduces the quark mass and CKM rotation angle hierarchies in a relatively natural way by fixing the bidoublet Higgs VEVs to be in the ratio m_b:m_t. Our model is quite general and allows for CP to be broken by both the Higgs VEVs and the Yukawa couplings. Despite this generality, CP violation may be parameterized in terms of two basic phases. A very interesting feature of the model is that the mixing angles in the right-handed sector are found to be equal to their left-handed counterparts to a very good approximation. Furthermore, the right-handed analogue of the usual CKM phase delta_L is found to satisfy the relation delta_R \approx delta_L. The parameter space of the model is explored by using an adaptive Monte Carlo algorithm and the allowed regions in parameter space are determined by enforcing experimental constraints from the K and B systems. This method of solution allows us to evaluate the left- and right-handed CKM matrices numerically for various combinations of the two fundamental CP-odd phases in the model. We find that all experimental constraints may be satisfied with right-handed W and Flavour Changing Neutral Higgs masses as low as about 2 TeV and 7 TeV, respectively.Comment: 37 pages, 13 figure

Pion propagation in real time field theory at finite temperature

We describe how the thermal counterpart of a vacuum two-point function may be obtained in the real time formalism in a simple way by using directly the $2\times 2$ matrices that different elements acquire in this formalism. Using this procedure we calculate the analytic (single component) thermal amplitude for the pion pole term in the ensemble average of two axial-vector currents to two loops in chiral perturbation theory. The general expressions obtained for the effective mass and decay constants of the pion are evaluated in the chiral and the nonrelativistic limits. We also investigate the effect of massive states on these effective parameters.Comment: 17 pages TeX and 9 eps figure

The standard model at low energies

The hadronic sector of the standard model at low energies is described by a non--decoupling effective field theory, chiral perturbation theory. An introduction is given to the construction of effective chiral Lagrangians, both in the purely mesonic sector and with inclusion of baryons. The connection between the relativistic formulation and the heavy baryon approach to chiral perturbation theory with baryons is reviewed.Comment: Lectures given at the 6th Indian-Summer School on Intermediate Energy Physics, Prague, Aug. 1993, Latex, 26 pages (with a4.sty), UWThPh-1993-3