Beyond the standard model with B and K physics

In the first part of the talk the flavor physics input to models beyond the Standard Model is described. One specific example of such a new physics model is given: a model with bulk fermions in one non-factorizable extra dimension. In the second part of the talk we discuss several observables that are sensitive to new physics. We explain what type of new physics can produce deviations from the Standard Model predictions in each of these observables.Comment: 10 pages, 5 figures, Invited talk presented at the 21st International Symposium On Lepton And Photon Interactions At High Energies (LP03) 11-16 Aug 2003, Batavia, Illinois. Version to appear in the proceeding edited by Harry W. K. Cheung and Tracey Prat

Non-equilibrium evolution of the disoriented chiral condensate in heavy-ion collisions

We study the dynamics of the chiral phase transition expected during the expansion of the quark-gluon plasma produced in a high energy hadron or heavy ion collision in the $O(4)$ linear sigma model to leading order in a large $N$ expansion for strong coupling constants. Starting from an approximate equilibrium configuration at an initial proper time $\tau$ in the disordered phase, we study the transition to the ordered broken symmetry phase as the system expands and cools. We give results for the proper time evolution of the effective pion mass, the order parameter $$ as well as for the pion two point correlation function expressed in terms of a time dependent phase space number density and pair correlation density. We investigate the possibility of disoriented chiral condensate being formed during the expansion. In order to create large domains of disoriented chiral condensates low-momentum instabilities have to last for long enough periods of time. Our simulations show that instabilities that are formed during the initial stages of the expansion survive for proper times that are at most $3\,fm/c$.Comment: talk at continous advances in QCD workshop, Minneapolis, February, 1994, 24 pages, LA-UR-94-156

Introduction to flavor physics

This set of lectures covers the very basics of flavor physics and are aimed to be an entry point to the subject. A lot of problems are provided in the hope of making the manuscript a self study guide.Comment: 45 pages. Lectures given at the "2009 European School of High-Energy Physics," Bautzen, Germany, June 14-27, 2009, and at the "Flavianet School on Flavor Physics," Karlsruhe, Germany, September 7-18, 200