Excluded volume effects in the quark meson coupling model

Excluded volume effects are incorporated in the quark-meson coupling model to take into account in a phenomenological way the hard-core repulsion of the nuclear force. The formalism employed is thermodynamically consistent and does not violate causality. The effects of the excluded volume on in-medium nucleon properties and the nuclear matter equation of state are investigated as a function of the size of the hard core. It is found that in-medium nucleon properties are not altered significantly by the excluded volume, even for large hard-core radii, and the equation of state becomes stiffer as the size of the hard core increases.

CERN to Gran Sasso; an ideal distance for superbeam?

We use the CP trajectory diagram as a tool for pictorial representation of the genuine CP and the matter effects to explore the possibility of an in situ simultaneous measurement of δ and the sign of Δℳ13 2. We end up with a low-energy conventional superbeam experiment with a megaton-class water Cherenkov detector and baseline length of about 700 km. A picturesque description of the combined ambiguity which may arise in simultaneous determination of θ13 and the above two quantities is given in terms of CP trajectory diagram.

Multicharged dyonic integrable models

We introduce and study new integrable models (IMs) of An (1)-nonabelian Toda type which admit U(1) ⊗ U(1) charged topological solitons. They correspond to the symmetry breaking SU(n + 1) → SU(2) ⊗ SU(2) ⊗ U(1)n-2 and are conjectured to describe charged dyonic domain walls of N = 1 SU(n + 1) SUSY gauge theory in large n limit. It is shown that this family of relativistic IMs corresponds to the first negative grade q = -1 member of a dyonic hierarchy of generalized cKP type. The explicit relation between the 1-soliton solutions (and the conserved charges as well) of the IMs of grades q = -1 and q = 2 is found. The properties of the IMs corresponding to more general symmetry breaking SU(n + 1) → SU(2)⊗p ⊗ U(1)n-p as well as IM with global SU(2) symmetries are discussed. © 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

First measurement of π-e→π-eγ pion virtual compton scattering

Pion virtual compton scattering (VCS) via the reaction π-e→π-eγ was observed in the Fermilab E781 SELEX experiment. SELEX used a 600 GeV/c π- beam incident on target atomic electrons, detecting the incident π- and the final state π-, electron and γ. Theoretical predictions based on chiral perturbation theory are incorporated into a Monte Carlo simulation of the experiment and are compared to the data. The number of reconstructed events (=9) and their distribution with respect to the kinematic variables (for the kinematic region studied) are in reasonable accord with the predictions. The corresponding π- VCS experimental cross section is σ=38.8±13 nb, in agreement with the theoretical expectation of σ=34.7 nb.

Self-consistent quantum effects in the quark meson coupling model

We derive the equation of state of nuclear matter for the quark-meson coupling model taking into account quantum fluctuations of the σ meson as well as vacuum polarization effects for the nucleons. This model incorporates explicitly quark degrees of freedom with quarks coupled to the scalar and vector mesons. Quantum fluctuations lead to a softer equation of state for nuclear matter giving a lower value of incompressibility than would be reached without quantum effects. The in-medium nucleon and σ-meson masses are also calculated in a self-consistent manner. The spectral function of the σ meson is calculated and the σ mass has the value increased with respect to the purely classical approximation at high densities.

Short-range repulsion and isospin dependence in the kaon-nucleon (KN) system

The short-range properties of the kaon-nucleon (KN) interaction are studied within the meson-exchange model of the Jülich group. Specifically, dynamical explanations for the phenomenological short-range repulsion, required in this model for achieving agreement with the empirical KN data, are explored. Evidence is found that contributions from the exchange of a heavy scalar-isovector meson [a0(980)] as well as from genuine quark-gluon exchange processes are needed. Taking both mechanisms into account, a satisfactory description of the KN phase shifts can be obtained without resorting to phenomenological pieces.

Possible origin of RHIC Rout/Rsid HBT results

The effects of opacity of the nuclei together with a blackbody type of emission along the system history are considered as a means to explain the ratio Rout/Rsid observed by STAR and PHENIX collaborations at RHIC. Within our model, no flow is required to explain the data trend of this ratio for large surface emissivities. © 2003 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Warm asymmetric matter in the quark-meson coupling model

In this work we study the warm equation of state of asymmetric nuclear matter in the quark-meson coupling model which incorporates explicitly quark degrees of freedom, with quarks coupled to scalar, vector, and isovector mesons. Mechanical and chemical instabilities are discussed as a function of density and isospin asymmetry. The binodal section, essential in the study of the liquid-gas phase transition is also constructed and discussed. The main results for the equation of state are compared with two common parametrizations used in the nonlinear Walecka model and the differences are outlined.

Supersymmetry and the KdV equations for integrable hierarchies with a half-integer gradation

Supersymmetry is formulated for integrable models based on the sl(2 1) loop algebra endowed with a principal gradation. The symmetry transformations which have half-integer grades generate supersymmetry. The sl(2 1) loop algebra leads to N=2 supersymmetric mKdV and sinh-Gordon equations. The corresponding N=1 mKdV and sinh-Gordon equations are obtained via reduction induced by twisted automorphism. Our method allows for a description of a non-local symmetry structure of supersymmetric integrable models. © 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Covariant quantization of the superstring

After constructing a BRST operator from the fermionic Green-Schwarz constraints and a bosonic pure spinor ghost variable, the superstring is covariantly quantized and N-point tree amplitudes are computed in a manifestly ten-dimensional super-Poincaré covariant manner. © 2004 Published by Elsevier B.V.

Can one cure the nonunitarity of three-dimensional quadratic gravity using a topological Chern-Simons term?

Quadratic gravity in (2+1)D is nonunitarity at the tree level. When a topological Chern-Simons term is added to this theory, the harmless massive scalar mode of the former gives rise to a troublesome massive spin-0 ghost, while the massive spin-2 ghost is replaced by two massive physical particles both of spin-2. Therefore, unlike what it is claimed in the literature, quadratic Chern-Simons gravity in (2+1)D is nonunitary at the tree level. © 2004 Published by Elsevier B.V.

Quintessential inflation and non-oscillatory reheating model

A numerical study of the non-oscillatory reheating mechanism in a quintessential inflation context shows that high reheating temperature can be achieved compared with the usual reheating mechanism in which particles are produced gravitationally. We find that even for a very small coupling between the inflaton field and a massless scalar field, the non-oscillatory reheating production of particles dominates over the gravitational production mechanism. © 2004 Published by Elsevier B.V.

On the role of boundary terms in the AdS/CFT correspondence

We consider a scalar field theory on AdS, and show that the usual AdS/CFT prescription is unable to map to the boundary a part of the information arising from the quantization in the bulk. We propose a solution to this problem by defining the energy of the theory in the bulk through the Noether current corresponding to time displacements, and, in addition, by introducing a proper generalized AdS/CFT prescription. We also show how this extended formulation could be used to consistently describe double-trace interactions in the boundary. The formalism is illustrated by focusing on the non-minimally coupled case using Dirichlet boundary conditions. © 2004 Published by Elsevier B.V.

Pseudospin symmetry and the relativistic harmonic oscillator

A generalized relativistic harmonic oscillator for spin 1/2 particles is studied. The Dirac Hamiltonian contains a scalar S and a vector V quadratic potentials in the radial coordinate, as well as a tensor potential U linear in r. Setting either or both combinations Σ=5+V and δ=V-S to zero, analytical solutions for bound states of the corresponding Dirac equations are found. The eigenenergies and wave functions are presented and particular cases are discussed, devoting a special attention to the nonrelativistic limit and the case Σ=0, for which pseudospin symmetry is exact. We also show that the case U=δ=0 is the most natural generalization of the nonrelativistic harmonic oscillator. The radial node structure of the Dirac spinor is studied for several combinations of harmonic-oscillator potentials, and that study allows us to explain why nuclear intruder levels cannot be described in the framework of the relativistic harmonic oscillator in the pseudospin limit.

Determination of the Θ+ parity from γn → K -K+n

It is demonstrated that measurements of photon asymmetry in the γn → K-K+n reaction, can most likely determine the parity of the newly discovered Θ+ pentaquark. We predict that if the parity of Θ+ is positive, the photon asymmetry is significantly positive; if the parity is negative, the photon asymmetry is significantly negative. If the background contribution is large, the photon asymmetry may become very small in magnitude, thereby making it difficult to distinguish between the positive and negative parity results. However, even in this case, a combined analysis of the (K+n) invariant mass distribution and photon asymmetry should allow a determination of the parity of Θ+. © 2004 Published by Elsevier B.V.