Yukawa couplings and proton decay in SUSY models

We discuss proton decay induced by dimension--5 operators in supersymmetric models containing extra hypercharge-1/3 color-triplets. We derive a general formula relating dimension-5 operator to the color-triplet mass matrix. We show that certain zeros in the triplet mass-matrix together with some triplet coupling selection rules can lead to elimination of dimension-5 operators. We apply this mechanism to SU(5) and flipped SU(5) theories with extended Higgs sectors.Comment: 6 pages, uses JHEP.cls, talk given at the Trieste Meeting of the TMR Network on Physics Beyond the Standard Model, 24-27 February 1999, Trieste, Italy (to appear in the proceedings

Holography and the C-Theorem

We review the geometric definition of C-function in the context of field theories that admit a holographic gravity dual.Comment: Contribution to the proceedings of the TMR 2000 Paris Conferenc

A Note on the String Analog of N=2N=2 Super-Symmetric Yang-Mills

A connection between the conifold locus of the type II string on the $W\:P_{11226}^4$ Calabi-Yau manifold and the geometry of the quantum moduli of $N = 2$ $SU(2)$ super Yang-Mills is presented. This relation is obtained from the anomalous behaviour of the $SU(2)$ super Yang-Mills special coordinates under $S$-duality transformation in $Sl(2;Z) / \Gamma_2$.Comment: 7 pages, Late

Velocity selector with a microwave magnetic dipole transition

We proposed a method based on microwave magnetic dipole transitions to prepare samples of atoms with well defined position and velocity. Each microwave pulse corresponds to a position measurement for the atoms and two pulses separated by a given delay result in a velocity measurement. The method gives velocity sensitivity approaching that obtained with Raman transitions but it is easier to implement. Moreover, it has the advantages that it also selects in position and has less demanding experimental requirements. The method can be demonstrated in a magneto-optical trap.Comment: 4 pages, 1 figur