Cosmological Axion Problem in Chaotic Inflationary Universe

We investigate two cosmological axion problems (isocurvature fluctuations and domain-wall formation) in chaotic inflationary universe. It is believed that these problems are solved if potential for the Peccei-Quinn scalar field is very flat. However, we find that too many domain walls are produced through parametric resonance decay of the Peccei-Quinn scalar field. Only the axion model with N=1(N: QCD anomaly factor) is consistent with observations. We also point out that the flat potential is naturally obtained in a supersymmetric extension of the Peccei-Quinn model. If Peccei-Quinn breaking scale $F_a$ is about 10^{12} GeV, this model predicts anisotropies of cosmic microwave background radiation due to the axion isocurvature fluctuations which may be detectable in future observations.Comment: LaTeX2e 19 pages including 5 figures (use epsf.sty), revised version to be published in Physics Letters

Verifiable Radiative Seesaw Mechanism of Neutrino Mass and Dark Matter

A minimal extension of the Standard Model is proposed, where the observed left-handed neutrinos obtain naturally small Majorana masses from a one-loop radiative seesaw mechanism. This model has two candidates (one bosonic and one fermionic) for the dark matter of the Universe. It has a very simple structure and should be verifiable in forthcoming experiments at the Large Hadron Collider.Comment: 8 pages, 1 figur

Connection Between the Neutrino Seesaw Mechanism and Properties of the Majorana Neutrino Mass Matrix

If it can be ascertained experimentally that the 3X3 Majorana neutrino mass matrix M_nu has vanishing determinants for one or more of its 2X2 submatrices, it may be interpreted as supporting evidence for the theoretically well-known canonical seesaw mechanism. I show how these two things are connected and offer a realistic M_nu with two zero subdeterminants as an example.Comment: title changed, version to appear in PRD(RC

Affleck-Dine Baryogenesis after Thermal Inflation

We argue that an extension of the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model that gives rise to viable thermal inflation, and so does not suffer from a Polonyi/moduli problem, should contain right-handed neutrinos which acquire their masses due to the vacuum expectation value of the flaton that drives thermal inflation. This strongly disfavours SO(10) Grand Unified Theories. The $\mu$-term of the MSSM should also arise due to the vev of the flaton. With the extra assumption that $m_L^2 - m_{H_u}^2 < 0$, but of course $m_L^2 - m_{H_u}^2 + |\mu|^2 > 0$, we show that a complicated Affleck-Dine type of baryogenesis employing an $LH_u$ $D$-flat direction can naturally generate the baryon asymmetry of the Universe.Comment: 17 pages, LaTeX, 4 postscript figures, version to be published in Phys. Rev. D, new figures, references added, minor changes in the tex

In vitro reactivation of spindle elongation in fission yeast nuc2 mutant cells.

To investigate the mechanisms of spindle elongation and chromosome separation in the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe, we have developed an in vitro assay using a temperature-sensitive mutant strain, nuc2. At the restrictive temperature, nuc2 cells are arrested at a metaphase-like stage with short spindles and condensed chromosomes. After permeabilization of spheroplasts of the arrested cells, spindle elongation was reactivated by addition of ATP and neurotubulin both at the restrictive and the permissive temperatures, but chromosome separation was not. This suggests that the nuc2 cells are impaired in function at a stage before sister chromatid disjunction. Spindle elongation required both ATP and exogenous tubulin and was inhibited by adenylyl imidodiphosphate (AMPPNP) or vanadate. The ends of yeast half-spindle microtubules pulse-labeled with biotinylated tubulin moved past each other during spindle elongation and a gap formed between the original half-spindles. These results suggest that the primary mechanochemical event responsible for spindle elongation is the sliding apart of antiparallel microtubules of the two half-spindles

R-invariant New Inflation Model vs Supersymmetric Standard Model

We revisit the implications of the R-invariant New Inflation model to the supersymmetric standard model in light of recent discussion of gravitino production processes by the decay of the inflaton or the supersymmetry breaking field. We show that the models with supergravity mediation do not go well with the R-invariant New Inflation model, where the gravitino abundance produced by the decay of the inflaton or the supersymmetry breaking field significantly exceeds the bounds from cosmological observations without fine-tuning. We also show that the models with gauge mediation can go together with R-invariant New Inflation model, where the dark matter and the baryon asymmetry are consistently explained without severe fine-tuning.Comment: 19 pages, 3 figure

A 125GeV Higgs Boson and Muon g-2 in More Generic Gauge Mediation

Recently, the ATLAS and CMS collaborations reported exciting hints of a Standard Model-like Higgs boson with a mass around 125GeV. A Higgs boson this heavy is difficult to realize in conventional models of gauge mediation. Here we revisit the lightest Higgs boson mass in "more generic gauge mediation," where the Higgs doublets mix with the messenger doublets. We show that a Higgs boson mass around 125GeV can be realized in more generic gauge mediation models, even for a relatively light gluino mass ~1TeV. We also show that the muon anomalous magnetic moment can be within 1sigma of the experimental value for these models, even when the Higgs boson is relatively heavy. We also discuss the LHC constraints and the prospects of discovery.Comment: 28 pages, 7 figures. Corrections and references are adde