The s-wave pion-nucleus optical potential

We calculate the s-wave part of the pion-nucleus optical potential using a unitarized chiral approach that has been previously used to simultaneously describe pionic hydrogen and deuterium data as well as low energy pi N scattering in the vacuum. This energy dependent model allows for additional isoscalar parts in the potential from multiple rescattering. We consider Pauli blocking and pion polarization in an asymmetric nuclear matter environment. Also, higher order corrections of the pi N amplitude are included. The model can accommodate the repulsion required by phenomenological fits, though the theoretical uncertainties are bigger than previously thought. At the same time, we also find an enhancement of the isovector part compatible with empirical determinations.Comment: 31 pages, 27 figure

Low-energy sector of 8-dimensional General Relativity: Electro-Weak model and neutrino mass

In a Kaluza-Klein space-time $V^{4}\otimes S^{3}$, we demonstrate that the dimensional reduction of spinors provides a 4-field, whose associated SU(2) gauge connections are geometrized. However, additional and gauge-violating terms arise, but they are highly suppressed by a factor $\beta$, which fixes the amount of the spinor dependence on extra-coordinates. The application of this framework to the Electro-Weak model is performed, thus giving a lower bound for $\beta$ from the request of the electric charge conservation. Moreover, we emphasize that also the Higgs sector can be reproduced, but neutrino masses are predicted and the fine-tuning on the Higgs parameters can be explained, too.Comment: 14 pages, 1 figure, to appear on Int. J. Mod. Phys.

Thermodynamics of a model for RNA folding

We analyze the thermodynamic properties of a simplified model for folded RNA molecules recently studied by G. Vernizzi, H. Orland, A. Zee (in {\it Phys. Rev. Lett.} {\bf 94} (2005) 168103). The model consists of a chain of one-flavor base molecules with a flexible backbone and all possible pairing interactions equally allowed. The spatial pseudoknot structure of the model can be efficiently studied by introducing a $N \times N$ hermitian random matrix model at each chain site, and associating Feynman diagrams of these models to spatial configurations of the molecules. We obtain an exact expression for the topological expansion of the partition function of the system. We calculate exact and asymptotic expressions for the free energy, specific heat, entanglement and chemical potential and study their behavior as a function of temperature. Our results are consistent with the interpretation of $1/N$ as being a measure of the concentration of $\rm{Mg}^{++}$ in solution.Comment: 11 pages, 4 figure

A description of the f2(1270), rho3(1690), f4(2050), rho5(2350) and f6(2510) resonances as multi-rho(770) states

In a previous work regarding the interaction of two $\rho(770)$ resonances, the $f_2(1270)$ ($J^{PC}=2^{++}$) resonance was obtained dynamically as a two-$\rho$ molecule with a very strong binding energy, 135~MeV per $\rho$ particle. In the present work we use the $\rho\rho$ interaction in spin 2 and isospin 0 channel to show that the resonances $\rho_3(1690)$ ($3^{--}$), $f_4(2050)$ ($4^{++}$), $\rho_5(2350)$ ($5^{--}$) and $f_6(2510)$ ($6^{++}$) are basically molecules of increasing number of $\rho(770)$ particles. We use the fixed center approximation of the Faddeev equations to write the multi-body interaction in terms of the two-body scattering amplitudes. We find the masses of the states very close to the experimental values and we get an increasing value of the binding energy per $\rho$ as the number of $\rho$ mesons is increased.Comment: 17 pages, 6 figure

Non-Markovian entanglement dynamics of quantum continuous variable systems in thermal environments

We study two continuous variable systems (or two harmonic oscillators) and investigate their entanglement evolution under the influence of non-Markovian thermal environments. The continuous variable systems could be two modes of electromagnetic fields or two nanomechanical oscillators in the quantum domain. We use quantum open system method to derive the non-Markovian master equations of the reduced density matrix for two different but related models of the continuous variable systems. The two models both consist of two interacting harmonic oscillators. In model A, each of the two oscillators is coupled to its own independent thermal reservoir, while in model B the two oscillators are coupled to a common reservoir. To quantify the degrees of entanglement for the bipartite continuous variable systems in Gaussian states, logarithmic negativity is used. We find that the dynamics of the quantum entanglement is sensitive to the initial states, the oscillator-oscillator interaction, the oscillator-environment interaction and the coupling to a common bath or to different, independent baths.Comment: 10 two-column pages, 8 figures, to appear in Phys. Rev.

Modelling the emergence of rodent filial huddling from physiological huddling

Huddling behaviour in neonatal rodents reduces the metabolic costs of physiological thermoregulation. However, animals continue to huddle into adulthood, at ambient temperatures where they are able to sustain a basal metabolism in isolation from the huddle. This 'filial huddling' in older animals is known to be guided by olfactory rather than thermal cues. The present study aimed to test whether thermally rewarding contacts between young mice, experienced when thermogenesis in brown adipose fat tissue (BAT) is highest, could give rise to olfactory preferences that persist as filial huddling interactions in adults. To this end, a simple model was constructed to fit existing data on the development of mouse thermal physiology and behaviour. The form of the model that emerged yields a remarkable explanation for filial huddling; associative learning maintains huddling into adulthood via processes that reduce thermodynamic entropy from BAT-metabolism and increase information about social ordering amongst littermates

Scattering of neutrinos on a polarized electron target as a test for new physics beyond the Standard Model

In this paper, we analyze the scattering of the neutrino beam on the polarized electron target, and predict the effects of two theoretically possible scenarios beyond the Standard Model. In both scenarios, Dirac neutrinos are assumed to be massive. First, we consider how the existence of CP violation phase between the complex vector V and axial A couplings of the Left-handed neutrinos affects the azimuthal dependence of the differential cross section. The future superbeam and neutrino factory experiments will provide the unique opportunity for the leptonic CP violation studies, if the large magnetized sampling calorimeters with good event reconstruction capabilities are build. Next, we take into account a scenario with the participation of the exotic scalar S coupling of the Right-handed neutrinos in addition to the standard vector V and axial A couplings of the Left-handed neutrinos. The main goal is to show how the presence of the R-handed neutrinos, in the above process changes the spectrum of recoil electrons in relation to the expected Standard Model prediction, using the current limits on the non-standard couplings. The interference terms between the standard and exotic couplings in the differential cross section depend on the angle $\alpha$ between the transverse incoming neutrino polarization and the transverse electron polarization of the target, and do not vanish in the limit of massless neutrino. The detection of the dependence on this angle in the energy spectrum of recoil electrons would be a signature of the presence of the R-handed neutrinos in the neutrino-electron scattering. To make this test feasible, the polarized artificial neutrino source needs to be identified.Comment: 11 pages, 3 eps figures, revtex, submitted to publicatio

Theoretical study of the N N --> N N pi pi reaction

We have developed a model for the N N --> N N pi pi reaction and evaluated cross sections for the different charged channels. The low energy part of those channels where the pions can be in an isospin zero state is dominated by N* excitation, driven by an isoscalar source recently found experimentally, followed by the decay N* --> N (pi pi, T=0, s-wave). At higher energies, and in channels where the pions are not in T=0, Delta excitation mechanisms become relevant. A rough agreement with the experimental data is obtained in most channels. Repercussions of the present findings for the ABC effect and the p p --> p p pi0 reaction close to threshold are also suggested.Comment: 22 pages, 12 postscripts figures, revised: a more general N* N pi pi Lagrangian is considered, to be published in Nucl. Phys.

Weyl’s gauge argument

The standard U(1) “gauge principle” or “gauge argument” produces an exact potential A=dλ and a vanishing field F=ddλ=0. Weyl has his own gauge argument, which is sketchy, archaic and hard to follow; but at least it produces an inexact potential A and a nonvanishing field F=dA≠0. I attempt a reconstruction

Probability in Orthodox Quantum Mechanics: Probability as a Postulate Versus Probability as an Emergent Phenomenon

The role of probability in quantum mechanics is reviewed, with a discussion of the ``orthodox'' versus the statistical interpretive frameworks, and of a number of related issues. After a brief summary of sources of unease with quantum mechanics, a survey is given of attempts either to give a new interpretive framework assuming quantum mechanics is exact, or to modify quantum mechanics assuming it is a very accurate approximation to a more fundamental theory. This survey focuses particularly on the issues of whether probabilities in quantum mechanics are postulated or emergent.Comment: Latex; Submitted to the Proceedings of the Ischia Conference on ``Chance in Physics: Foundations and Perspectives'