• #### 5/2 Fractional Quantum Hall Effect in the Corbino Geometry

For certain measurements, the Corbino geometry has a distinct advantage over the Hall and van der Pauw geometries, in that it provides a direct probe of the bulk 2DEG without complications due to edge effects. This may be important in enabling detection of the non-Abelian entropy of the 5/2 fractional quantum Hall state via bulk thermodynamic measurements. We report the successful fabrication and measurement of a Corbino-geometry sample in an ultra-high mobility GaAs heterostructure, with a focus on transport in the second and higher Landau levels. Such a device opens the possibility to study the bulk of the 5/2 state using techniques not possible in other geometries.
Fractional Quantum Hall EffectStripe phasesFractional quantum Hall stateSecond Landau levelThermalisationQuantum Hall statesCoolingExtinctionMountingCyclotron...
• #### The non-gravitational interactions of dark matter in colliding galaxy clusters

Collisions between galaxy clusters provide a test of the non-gravitational forces acting on dark matter. Dark matter's lack of deceleration in the bullet cluster collision' constrained its self-interaction cross-section \sigma_DM/m < 1.25cm2/g (68% confidence limit) for long-ranged forces. Using the Chandra and Hubble Space Telescopes we have now observed 72 collisions, including both major' and `minor' mergers. Combining these measurements statistically, we detect the existence of dark mass at 7.6\sigma significance. The position of the dark mass has remained closely aligned within 5.8+/-8.2 kpc of associated stars: implying a self-interaction cross-section \sigma_DM/m < 0.47 cm2/g (95% CL) and disfavoring some proposed extensions to the standard model.
Cluster of galaxiesGalaxyDark sectorNull hypothesisMerging galaxy clusterDark matter particleHidden sectorLine of sightMomentum transferData archive...
• #### Chandra and XMM-Newton observations of the merging cluster of galaxies PLCK G036.7+14.9

We present Chandra and XMM-Newton observations of PLCK G036.7+14.9 from the Chandra-Planck Legacy Program. The high resolution X-ray observations reveal two close subclusters, G036N and G036S, which were not resolved by previous ROSAT, optical, or recent Planck observations. We perform detailed imaging and spectral analyses and use a simplified model to study the kinematics of this system. The basic picture is that PLCK G036.7+14.9 is undergoing a major merger (mass ratio close to unity) between the two massive subclusters, with the merger largely along the line-of-sight and probably at an early stage. G036N hosts a small, moderate cool-core, while G036S has at most a very weak cool-core in the central 40 kpc region. The difference in core cooling times is unlikely to be caused by the ongoing merger disrupting a pre-existing cool-core in G036S. G036N also hosts an unresolved radio source in the center, which may be heating the gas if the radio source is extended. The Planck derived mass is higher than the X-ray measured mass of either subcluster, but is lower than the X-ray measured mass of the whole cluster, due to the fact that Planck does not resolve PLCK G036.7+14.9 into subclusters and interprets it as a single cluster. This mass discrepancy could induce significant bias to the mass function if such previously unresolved systems are common in the Planck cluster sample. High resolution X-ray observations are necessary to identify the fraction of such systems and correct such a bias for the purpose of precision cosmological studies.
Temperature profileSurface brightness profileThermalisationSpectral analysisBrightest cluster galaxyActive Galactic NucleiCoolingObservatoriesEPIC PN cameraCluster of galaxies...
• #### Chiral Magnetic Effect in QED induced by longitudinal photonsver. 2

We demonstrate the existence of the chiral magnetic effect in an electron-positron magnetized gas. A pseudo-vector(conserved)Ohm current is induced by the electric field related to the longitudinal QED mode propagating parallel to the external magnetic field $\textbf{B}$ and separating opposite charges of the same heliticity. This current breaks the pre-existing chiral symmetry. From a relation between axial and electromagnetic currents we obtain a non-conserved current leading to an expression close to the usual axial anomaly. The effect is interesting in connection to the QCD chiral magnetic case reported in current literature.
Longitudinal modePhoton self-energyPositronLowest Landau LevelEigenvalueHelicityRight-handed helicityQuark-gluon plasmaParamagnetTransverse mode...
• #### Hilbert Series for Constructing Lagrangians: expanding the phenomenologist's toolbox

This note presents the Hilbert series technique to a wider audience in the context of constructing group-invariant Lagrangians. This technique provides a fast way to calculate the number of operators of a specified mass dimension for a given field content, and is a useful cross check on more well-known group theoretical methods. In addition, at least when restricted to invariants without derivatives, the Hilbert series technique supplies a robust way of counting invariants in scenarios which, due to the large number of fields involved or to high dimensional group representations, are intractable by traditional methods. We work out several practical examples.
SpurionStandard ModelPermutationQuarkGenerating functionalBaryon numberEffective field theoryBaryon number violationFierz identityHigher dimensional operators...
• #### Lepton Number Violation with and without Majorana Neutrinos

We discuss the various incarnations of a gauged B-L symmetry: 1) unbroken, it features Dirac neutrinos, neutrinogenesis to create the baryon asymmetry of our Universe, and a potentially light Z' boson; 2) broken by two units, we obtain the standard case of Majorana neutrinos, seesaw and thermal leptogenesis; 3) broken by four units, we find Dirac neutrinos with lepton-number-violating interactions, which can give rise to a new Dirac leptogenesis mechanism. We review and discuss the signatures distinguishing the three scenarios.
Standard ModelNeutrinoDark matterBaryon asymmetry of the UniverseNeutrino massSterile neutrinoYukawa couplingGlobal symmetryVacuum expectation valueSphaleron...
• #### Star forming filaments in warm dark matter modelsver. 2

We performed a hydrodynamical cosmological simulation of the formation of a Milky Way-like galaxy in a warm dark matter (WDM) cosmology. Smooth and dense filaments, several co-moving mega parsec long, form generically above z 2 in this model. Atomic line cooling allows gas in the centres of these filaments to cool to the base of the cooling function, resulting in a very striking pattern of extended Lyman-limit systems (LLSs). Observations of the correlation function of LLSs might hence provide useful limits on the nature of the dark matter. We argue that the self-shielding of filaments may lead to a thermal instability resulting in star formation. We implement a sub-grid model for this, and find that filaments rather than haloes dominate star formation until z 6. Reionisation decreases the gas density in filaments, and the more usual star formation in haloes dominates below z 6, although star formation in filaments continues until z=2. Fifteen per cent of the stars of the z=0 galaxy formed in filaments. At higher redshift, these stars give galaxies a stringy appearance, which, if observed, might be a strong indication that the dark matter is warm.
Cold dark matterWDM particlesAccretionSmoothed-particle hydrodynamicsGalaxy FormationPopulation IIIStellar massMilky Way satelliteStar formationFree streaming...
• #### Revisiting the Majorana Relativistic Theory of Particles with Arbitrary Spin

In 1932 Ettore Majorana published an article proving that relativity allows any value for the spin of a quantum particle and that there is no privilege for the spin 1/2. The Majorana idea was so innovative for the time that the scientific community understood its importance only towards the end of the thirties. This paper aims to analyse what were the scientific reasons led Majorana to the formulation of a new relativistic theory of quantum particles and what was its contribution to the development of quantum mechanics in the years that followed. In doing so, it will be followed a purely physical-mathematical approach in order to highlight strengths and limitations of the Majorana theory, comparing the results with those provided by the modern quantum physics.
Quantum mechanicsParticlesSpin
• #### Relativistic covariance of Ohm's lawver. 4

The derivation of relativistic generalizations of Ohm's law has been a long-term issue in theoretical physics with deep implications for the study of relativistic plasmas in astrophysics and cosmology. Here we propose an alternative route to this problem by introducing the most general Lorentz covariant first order response law, which is written in terms of the fundamental response tensor $\chi^\mu_{~\nu}$ relating induced four-currents to external four-potentials. We show the equivalence of this description to Ohm's law and thereby prove the validity of Ohm's law in every frame of reference. We further use the universal relation between $\chi^\mu_{~\nu}$ and the microscopic conductivity tensor $\sigma_{k\ell}$ to derive a fully relativistic transformation law for the latter, which includes all effects of anisotropy and relativistic retardation. In the special case of a constant, scalar conductivity this transformation law reproduces a standard textbook generalization of Ohm's law.
Lorentz transformationRankingFunctional derivativeContinuity equationHomogenizationBlack holeQuantum liquidResponse theoryTime-dependent electric fieldsTabletop experiment...
• #### Evidence for dark matter in the inner Milky Way

The ubiquitous presence of dark matter in the universe is today a central tenet in modern cosmology and astrophysics. Ranging from the smallest galaxies to the observable universe, the evidence for dark matter is compelling in dwarfs, spiral galaxies, galaxy clusters as well as at cosmological scales. However, it has been historically difficult to pin down the dark matter contribution to the total mass density in the Milky Way, particularly in the innermost regions of the Galaxy and in the solar neighbourhood. Here we present an up-to-date compilation of Milky Way rotation curve measurements, and compare it with state-of-the-art baryonic mass distribution models. We show that current data strongly disfavour baryons as the sole contribution to the galactic mass budget, even inside the solar circle. Our findings demonstrate the existence of dark matter in the inner Galaxy while making no assumptions on its distribution. We anticipate that this result will compel new model-independent constraints on the dark matter local density and profile, thus reducing uncertainties on direct and indirect dark matter searches, and will shed new light on the structure and evolution of the Galaxy.
Rotation CurveKinematicsStarCircular velocitySolar motionGalactic CenterMilky WayStatisticsStellar diskMaser...
• #### Strong disorder renormalization group primer and the superfluid-insulator transition

This brief review introduces the method and application of real-space renormalization group to strongly disordered quantum systems. The focus is on recent applications of the strong disorder renormalization group to the physics of disordered-boson systems and the superfluid-insulator transition in one dimension. The fact that there is also a well understood weak disorder theory for this problem allows to illustrate what aspects of the physics change at strong disorder. In particular the strong disorder RG analysis suggests that the transitions at weak disorder and strong disorder belong to distinct universality classes, but this question remains under debate and is not fully resolved to date. Further applications of the strong disorder renormalization group to higher-dimensional Bose systems and to bosons coupled to dissipation are also briefly reviewed.
SuperfluidCluster of atomsRenormalization groupCritical pointInsulatorsRenormalizationHamiltonianCompressibilityBosonizationManifold...
• #### Accelerating cosmological expansion from shear and bulk viscosityver. 2

The dissipation of energy from local velocity perturbations in the cosmological fluid affects the time evolution of spatially averaged fluid dynamic fields and the cosmological solution of Einstein's field equations. We show how this backreaction effect depends on shear and bulk viscosity and other material properties of the dark sector, as well as the spectrum of perturbations. If sufficiently large, this effect could account for the acceleration of the cosmological expansion.
Equation of state (cosmology)HomogenizationFluid dynamicsShear viscosityWeak interactionEinstein field equationsDark matterDark energyExpansion of the UniverseExpectation Value...
• #### The Hot QCD White Paper: Exploring the Phases of QCD at RHIC and the LHC

The past decade has seen huge advances in experimental measurements made in heavy ion collisions at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) and more recently at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). These new data, in combination with theoretical advances from calculations made in a variety of frameworks, have led to a broad and deep knowledge of the properties of thermal QCD matter. Increasingly quantitative descriptions of the quark-gluon plasma (QGP) created in these collisions have established that the QGP is a strongly coupled liquid with the lowest value of specific viscosity ever measured. However, much remains to be learned about the precise nature of the initial state from which this liquid forms, how its properties vary across its phase diagram and how, at a microscopic level, the collective properties of this liquid emerge from the interactions among the individual quarks and gluons that must be visible if the liquid is probed with sufficiently high resolution. This white paper, prepared by the Hot QCD Writing Group as part of the U.S. Long Range Plan for Nuclear Physics, reviews the recent progress in the field of hot QCD and outlines the scientific opportunities in the next decade for resolving the outstanding issues in the field.
LuminosityNuclear matterCERNBrookhaven National LaboratoryQuark matterLiquidsPHENIX detectorHeavy quarkTime projection chamberParton...
• #### Holographic quantum error-correcting codes: Toy models for the bulk/boundary correspondence

We propose a family of exactly solvable toy models for the AdS/CFT correspondence based on a novel construction of quantum error-correcting codes with a tensor network structure. Our building block is a special type of tensor with maximal entanglement along any bipartition, which gives rise to an exact isometry from bulk operators to boundary operators. The entire tensor network is a quantum error-correcting code, where the bulk and boundary degrees of freedom may be identified as logical and physical degrees of freedom respectively. These models capture key features of entanglement in the AdS/CFT correspondence; in particular, the Ryu-Takayanagi formula and the negativity of tripartite information are obeyed exactly in many cases. That bulk logical operators can be represented on multiple boundary regions mimics the Rindler-wedge reconstruction of boundary operators from bulk operators, realizing explicitly the quantum error-correcting features of AdS/CFT recently proposed by Almheiri et. al in arXiv:1411.7041.
Greedy algorithmGeodesicConformal field theoryCausalityErasureQubitBlack holeEntropyUnitary transformationGraph...
• #### A common surface-density scale for the Milky Way and Andromeda dwarf satellites as a constraint on dark matter models

In an attempt to place an explicit constraint on dark matter models, we define and estimate a mean surface density of a dark halo within a radius of maximum circular velocity, which is derivable for various galaxies with any dark-matter density profiles. We find that this surface density is generally constant across a wide range of maximum circular velocities of $\sim$ 10 to 400 km s$^{-1}$, irrespective of different density distribution in each of the galaxies. This common surface density at high halo-mass scales is found to be naturally reproduced by both cold and warm dark matter (CDM and WDM) models, even without employing any fitting procedures. However, the common surface density at dwarf-galaxy scales, for which we have derived from the Milky Way and Andromeda dwarf satellites, is reproduced only in a massive range of WDM particle masses, whereas CDM provides a reasonable agreement with the observed constancy. This is due to the striking difference between mass-concentration relations for CDM and WDM halos at low halo-mass scales. In order to explain the universal surface density of dwarf-galaxy scales in WDM models, we suggest that WDM particles need to be heavier than 3 keV.
Too big to fail problemCold dark matterParticle massDark matter subhaloDark matter column densityWarm dark matterMilky WayMilky Way haloDwarf spheroidal galaxyThermalisation...
• #### Growth rate of cosmological perturbations at z ~ 0.1 from a new observational test

Spatial variations in the distribution of galaxy luminosities, estimated from redshifts as distance proxies, are correlated with the peculiar velocity field. Comparing these variations with the peculiar velocities inferred from galaxy redshift surveys is a powerful test of gravity and dark energy theories on cosmological scales. Using ~ 2 $\times$ 10$^{5}$ galaxies from the SDSS Data Release 7, we perform this test in the framework of gravitational instability to estimate the normalized growth rate of density perturbations f$\sigma_{8}$ = 0.37 +/- 0.13 at z ~ 0.1, which is in agreement with the $\Lambda$CDM scenario. This unique measurement is complementary to those obtained with more traditional methods, including clustering analysis. The estimated accuracy at z ~ 0.1 is competitive with other methods when applied to similar datasets.
Luminosity functionCold dark matterGalaxyLambda-CDM modelSpectroscopic redshiftDensity parameterCosmological redshiftSloan Digital Sky SurveyPeculiar velocityCalibration...
• #### Evidence for dark matter in the inner Milky Way...Really?

The following is a comment on the recent letter by Iocco et al. (2015, arXiv:1502.03821) where the authors claim to have found "...convincing proof of the existence of dark matter...". The letter in question presents a compilation of recent rotation curve observations for the Milky Way, together with Newtonian rotation curve estimates based on recent baryonic matter distribution measurements. A mismatch between the former and the latter is then presented as "evidence for dark matter". Here we show that the reported discrepancy is the well known gravitational anomaly which consistently appears when dynamical accelerations approach the critical Milgrom acceleration a_0 = 1.2 \times 10^{-10} m / s^2. Further, using a simple modified gravity force law, the baryonic models presented in Iocco et al. (2015), yield dynamics consistent with the observed rotation values.
Modified Newtonian DynamicsMilky WayRotation CurveCalibrationNon-baryonic dark matterGravitational interactionAccretionNewtonian gravitationObservational errorVorticity...
• #### Conformal field theory on the planever. 2

We provide an introduction to conformal field theory on the plane in the conformal bootstrap approach. We introduce the main ideas of the bootstrap approach to quantum field theory, and how they apply to two-dimensional theories with local conformal symmetry. We describe the mathematical structures which appear in such theories, from the Virasoro algebra and its representations, to the BPZ equations and their solutions. As examples, we study a number of models: Liouville theory, (generalized) minimal models, free bosonic theories, the $H_3^+$ model, and the $SU_2$ and $\widetilde{SL}_2(\mathbb{R})$ WZW models.
Symmetry algebraFusion rulesTwo-point correlation functionVerma moduleConformal invarianceVacuum stateRational conformal field theoryFree bosonStatistical mechanicsVertex operator...
• #### An Introduction to NRQED

We present a pedagogical introduction to NRQED (non-relativistic quantum electrodynamics). NRQED is an effective field theory that describes the interaction of non-relativistic, possibly composite, spin-half particle with the electromagnetic field. We explain in detail how the NRQED Lagrangian is constructed up to and including order $1/M^2$, where $M$ is the mass of the spin-half particle. As a sample application, we derive the Thomson scattering cross section for the low energy scattering of a photon and a possibly composite spin-half particle.
Time-reversal symmetryCovariant derivativeElectricity and magnetismQuantum electrodynamicsQuantum mechanicsHermitian operatorThomson Cross-SectionGauge transformationFeynman rulesEffective theory...
• #### EP-GIG Priors and Applications in Bayesian Sparse Learning

In this paper we propose a novel framework for the construction of sparsity-inducing priors. In particular, we define such priors as a mixture of exponential power distributions with a generalized inverse Gaussian density (EP-GIG). EP-GIG is a variant of generalized hyperbolic distributions, and the special cases include Gaussian scale mixtures and Laplace scale mixtures. Furthermore, Laplace scale mixtures can subserve a Bayesian framework for sparse learning with nonconvex penalization. The densities of EP-GIG can be explicitly expressed. Moreover, the corresponding posterior distribution also follows a generalized inverse Gaussian distribution. These properties lead us to EM algorithms for Bayesian sparse learning. We show that these algorithms bear an interesting resemblance to iteratively re-weighted $\ell_2$ or $\ell_1$ methods. In addition, we present two extensions for grouped variable selection and logistic regression.
RegressionNear-infraredInverse-gamma distributionGamma distributionRegularizationModified Bessel FunctionJeffreys priorNormal-gamma distributionLinear regressionSupervised learning...
• #### QED trace anomaly, non-local Lagrangians and quantum Equivalence Principle violations

We discuss the derivation of the trace anomaly using a non-local effective action at one loop. This provides a simple and instructive form and emphasizes infrared physics. We then use this example to explore several of the properties of non-local actions, including displaying the action for the full non-local energy-momentum tensor. As an application, we show that the long-distance corrections at one loop lead to quantum violations of some classical consequences of the equivalence principle, for example producing a frequency dependence of the gravitational bending of light.
Equivalence principleEffective actionTrace anomalyActionGravitationTensorFrequencyLagrangian...
• #### A reversible infinite HMM using normalised random measures

We present a nonparametric prior over reversible Markov chains. We use completely random measures, specifically gamma processes, to construct a countably infinite graph with weighted edges. By enforcing symmetry to make the edges undirected we define a prior over random walks on graphs that results in a reversible Markov chain. The resulting prior over infinite transition matrices is closely related to the hierarchical Dirichlet process but enforces reversibility. A reinforcement scheme has recently been proposed with similar properties, but the de Finetti measure is not well characterised. We take the alternative approach of explicitly constructing the mixing measure, which allows more straightforward and efficient inference at the cost of no longer having a closed form predictive distribution. We use our process to construct a reversible infinite HMM which we apply to two real datasets, one from epigenomics and one ion channel recording.
Markov chainGamma processHidden Markov modelGamma distributionRandom walkRandom measureGraphDNAMonte Carlo Markov chainProtein...
• #### Quantization of Emergent Gravityver. 4

Emergent gravity is based on a novel form of the equivalence principle known as the Darboux theorem or the Moser lemma in symplectic geometry stating that the electromagnetic force can always be eliminated by a local coordinate transformation as far as spacetime admits a symplectic structure, in other words, a microscopic spacetime becomes noncommutative (NC). If gravity emerges from U(1) gauge theory on NC spacetime, this picture of emergent gravity suggests a completely new quantization scheme where quantum gravity is defined by quantizing spacetime itself, leading to a dynamical NC spacetime. Therefore the quantization of emergent gravity is radically different from the conventional approach trying to quantize a phase space of metric fields. This approach for quantum gravity allows a background independent formulation where spacetime as well as matter fields is equally emergent from a universal vacuum of quantum gravity.
Gauge fieldPoisson manifoldStar productInstantonSymplectic manifoldGeneral relativityManifoldExponential mapQuantum mechanicsPoisson algebra...
• #### Highly Effective Action from Large N Gauge Fieldsver. 4

Recently John H. Schwarz put forward a conjecture that the world-volume action of a probe D3-brane in an AdS5 x S5 background of type IIB superstring theory can be reinterpreted as the highly effective action (HEA) of four-dimensional N=4 superconformal field theory on the Coulomb branch. We argue that the HEA can be derived from the noncommutative (NC) field theory representation of the AdS/CFT correspondence and the Seiberg-Witten (SW) map defining a spacetime field redefinition between ordinary and NC gauge fields. It is based only on the well-known facts that the master fields of large N matrices are higher-dimensional NC U(1) gauge fields and the SW map is a local coordinate transformation eliminating U(1) gauge fields known as the Darboux theorem in symplectic geometry.
Field theoryD3 braneSymplectizationGauge fieldEffective actionType IIB string theoryAdS/CFT correspondenceSuperstring theoryFieldU(1)...
• #### Emergent Spacetime and Cosmic Inflationver. 2

We propose a background-independent formulation of cosmic inflation. The inflation in this picture corresponds to a dynamical process to generate space and time while the conventional inflation is simply an (exponential) expansion of a preexisting spacetime owing to the vacuum energy carried by an inflaton field. We observe that the cosmic inflation is triggered by the condensate of Planck energy into vacuum responsible for the generation of spacetime and must be a single event according to the exclusion principle of noncommutative spacetime caused by the Planck energy condensate in vacuum. The emergent spacetime picture admits a background-independent formulation so that the inflation can be described by a conformal Hamiltonian system characterized by an exponential phase space expansion without introducing any inflaton field as well as an ad hoc inflation potential. This implies that the emergent spacetime may incapacitate all the rationales to introduce the multiverse hypothesis.
Planck energyCondensationInflatonHamiltonianVacuum energyInflationMultiversePhase spacePictureVacuum...
• #### On The Gamma-Ray Emission From Reticulum II and Other Dwarf Galaxies

The recent discovery of ten new dwarf galaxy candidates by the Dark Energy Survey (DES) and the Panoramic Survey Telescope and Rapid Response System (Pan-STARRS) could increase the Fermi Gamma-Ray Space Telescope's sensitivity to annihilating dark matter particles, potentially enabling a definitive test of the dark matter interpretation of the long-standing Galactic Center gamma-ray excess. In this paper, we compare the previous analyses of Fermi data from the directions of the new dwarf candidates (including the relatively nearby Reticulum II) and perform our own analysis, with the goal of establishing the statistical significance of any gamma-ray signal from these sources. We confirm the presence of an excess from Reticulum II, with a spectral shape that is compatible with the Galactic Center signal. The significance of this emission is greater than that observed from 99.84% of randomly chosen high-latitude blank-sky locations, corresponding to a local detection significance of 3.2 sigma. We improve upon the standard blank-sky calibration approach through the use of multi-wavelength catalogs, which allow us to avoid regions that are likely to contain unresolved gamma-ray sources.
Test statisticUrsa Major II DwarfFERMI/LAT 4-year Point Source CatalogUltra-faint dwarf spheroidal galaxyWillman 1Segue 1BlazarFERMI telescopeDwarf spheroidal galaxyDark Matter Density Profile...
• #### Review of asymmetric dark matterver. 3

Asymmetric dark matter models are based on the hypothesis that the present-day abundance of dark matter has the same origin as the abundance of ordinary or visible matter: an asymmetry in the number densities of particles and antiparticles. They are largely motivated by the observed similarity in the mass densities of dark and visible matter, with the former observed to be about five times the latter. This review discusses the construction of asymmetric dark matter models, summarizes cosmological and astrophysical implications and bounds, and touches on direct detection prospects and collider signatures.
Asymmetric dark matterCosmologyAntiparticleDark matterParticlesMass...
• #### Neutralino annihilation to q qbar gver. 3

We compute the cross section for chi chi -> q qbar g at order alpha_s^2/M_{squark}^6 arising from interference between the tree-level and loop-induced processes. This interference term is the same order in alpha_s as chi chi -> gg; for mass degenerate squarks M_{squark_R} = M_{squark_L} = M_{squark} we find v_{rel} sigma_{int} = [-2 m_{chi}^2 / 3 M_{squark}^2] v_{rel} sigma(chi chi -> gg).
QuarkInterferenceNeutralinoLightest Supersymmetric ParticleNext-to-leading order computationNeutralino annihilationQuark massLight quarkCountingLoop integral...
• #### The ASTRO-H X-ray Astronomy Satellite

The joint JAXA/NASA ASTRO-H mission is the sixth in a series of highly successful X-ray missions developed by the Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS), with a planned launch in 2015. The ASTRO-H mission is equipped with a suite of sensitive instruments with the highest energy resolution ever achieved at E > 3 keV and a wide energy range spanning four decades in energy from soft X-rays to gamma-rays. The simultaneous broad band pass, coupled with the high spectral resolution of Delta E < 7 eV of the micro-calorimeter, will enable a wide variety of important science themes to be pursued. ASTRO-H is expected to provide breakthrough results in scientific areas as diverse as the large-scale structure of the Universe and its evolution, the behavior of matter in the gravitational strong field regime, the physical conditions in sites of cosmic-ray acceleration, and the distribution of dark matter in galaxy clusters at different redshifts.
Cluster of galaxiesTelescopesCharge coupled deviceThermalisationMultidimensional ArrayField of viewSuzakuCoolingSpectrometersMounting...
• #### Nonhelical inverse transfer of a decaying turbulent magnetic fieldver. 3

In the presence of magnetic helicity, inverse transfer from small to large scales is well known in magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) turbulence and has applications in astrophysics, cosmology, and fusion plasmas. Using high resolution direct numerical simulations of magnetically dominated self-similarly decaying MHD turbulence, we report a similar inverse transfer even in the absence of magnetic helicity. We compute for the first time spectral energy transfer rates to show that this inverse transfer is about half as strong as with helicity, but in both cases the magnetic gain at large scales results from velocity at similar scales interacting with smaller-scale magnetic fields. This suggests that both inverse transfers are a consequence of a universal mechanisms for magnetically dominated turbulence. Possible explanations include inverse cascading of the mean squared vector potential associated with local near two-dimensionality and the shallower $k^2$ subinertial range spectrum of kinetic energy forcing the magnetic field with a $k^4$ subinertial range to attain larger-scale coherence. The inertial range shows a clear $k^{-2}$ spectrum and is the first example of fully isotropic magnetically dominated MHD turbulence exhibiting weak turbulence scaling.
Direct numerical simulationMagnetohydrodynamic turbulenceMagnetic helicityMagnetohydrodynamicsMagnetic energySelf-similarityKinematicsInverse cascadeCosmologyHelicity...
• #### Efficient Density Estimation via Piecewise Polynomial Approximation

We give a highly efficient "semi-agnostic" algorithm for learning univariate probability distributions that are well approximated by piecewise polynomial density functions. Let $p$ be an arbitrary distribution over an interval $I$ which is $\tau$-close (in total variation distance) to an unknown probability distribution $q$ that is defined by an unknown partition of $I$ into $t$ intervals and $t$ unknown degree-$d$ polynomials specifying $q$ over each of the intervals. We give an algorithm that draws $\tilde{O}(t\new{(d+1)}/\eps^2)$ samples from $p$, runs in time $\poly(t,d,1/\eps)$, and with high probability outputs a piecewise polynomial hypothesis distribution $h$ that is $(O(\tau)+\eps)$-close (in total variation distance) to $p$. This sample complexity is essentially optimal; we show that even for $\tau=0$, any algorithm that learns an unknown $t$-piecewise degree-$d$ probability distribution over $I$ to accuracy $\eps$ must use $\Omega({\frac {t(d+1)} {\poly(1 + \log(d+1))}} \cdot {\frac 1 {\eps^2}})$ samples from the distribution, regardless of its running time. Our algorithm combines tools from approximation theory, uniform convergence, linear programming, and dynamic programming. We apply this general algorithm to obtain a wide range of results for many natural problems in density estimation over both continuous and discrete domains. These include state-of-the-art results for learning mixtures of log-concave distributions; mixtures of $t$-modal distributions; mixtures of Monotone Hazard Rate distributions; mixtures of Poisson Binomial Distributions; mixtures of Gaussians; and mixtures of $k$-monotone densities. Our general technique yields computationally efficient algorithms for all these problems, in many cases with provably optimal sample complexities (up to logarithmic factors) in all parameters.
StatisticsTriangle inequalityPoisson binomial distributionVC dimensionShatteringLinear functionalMaximum likelihoodHermite polynomialsUniform convergenceBernstein's inequality...
• #### Force-Free Electrodynamics around Extreme Kerr Black Holesver. 2

Plasma-filled magnetospheres can extract energy from a spinning black hole and provide the power source for a variety of observed astrophysical phenomena. These magnetospheres are described by the highly nonlinear equations of force-free electrodynamics, or FFE. Typically these equations can only be solved numerically. In this paper we consider the FFE equations very near the horizon of a maximally spinning black hole, where the energy extraction takes place. Thanks to an enhanced conformal symmetry which appears in this near-horizon region, we are able to analytically obtain several infinite families of exact solutions of the full nonlinear equations.
Black holeEvent horizonForce-Free ElectrodynamicsLine elementIsometryHodge starKerr metricKerr black holeSpinning Black HoleMagnetosphere of a star...
• #### Making the Most of the Relic Density for Dark Matter Searches at the LHC 14 TeV Runver. 2

As the LHC continues to search for new weakly interacting particles, it is important to remember that the search is strongly motivated by the existence of dark matter. In view of a possible positive signal, it is essential to ask whether the newly discovered weakly interacting particle can be be assigned the label "dark matter". Within a given set of simplified models and modest working assumptions, we reinterpret the relic abundance bound as a relic abundance range, and compare the parameter space yielding the correct relic abundance with projections of the Run II exclusion regions. Assuming that dark matter is within the reach of the LHC, we also make the comparison with the potential 5$\sigma$ discovery regions. Reversing the logic, relic density calculations can be used to optimize dark matter searches by motivating choices of parameters where the LHC can probe most deeply into the dark matter parameter space. In the event that DM is seen outside of the region giving the correct relic abundance, we will learn that either thermal relic DM is ruled out in that model, or the DM-quark coupling is suppressed relative to the DM coupling strength to other SM particles.
QuarkDark matter particleEffective field theoryDark matter particle massDark sectorDark matter abundanceAbundanceRelic abundanceDark matter annihilationStandard Model...
• #### Relativistic hydrodynamics from quantum field theory on the basis of the generalized Gibbs ensemble method

We derive relativistic hydrodynamics from quantum field theories by assuming that the density operator is given by a local Gibbs distribution at initial time. We decompose the energy-momentum tensor and particle current into nondissipative and dissipative parts, and analyze their time-evolution in detail. Performing the path-integral formulation of the local Gibbs distribution, we microscopically derive the generating functional for the nondissipative hydrodynamics. We also construct a basis to study dissipative corrections. In particular, we derive the first-order dissipative hydrodynamic equations without choice of frame such as the Landau-Lifshitz or Eckart frame.
Derivative expansionConstitutive relationProjection operatorThermalisationExpectation ValueEntropy currentEntropyContinuity equationArnowitt-Deser-MisnerPerfect fluid...
• #### Very Deep Convolutional Networks for Large-Scale Image Recognitionver. 5

In this work we investigate the effect of the convolutional network depth on its accuracy in the large-scale image recognition setting. Our main contribution is a thorough evaluation of networks of increasing depth using an architecture with very small (3x3) convolution filters, which shows that a significant improvement on the prior-art configurations can be achieved by pushing the depth to 16-19 weight layers. These findings were the basis of our ImageNet Challenge 2014 submission, where our team secured the first and the second places in the localisation and classification tracks respectively. We also show that our representations generalise well to other datasets, where they achieve state-of-the-art results. We have made our two best-performing ConvNet models publicly available to facilitate further research on the use of deep visual representations in computer vision.
RegularizationTraining setStatisticsComplementarityHigh Performance ComputingArchitectureImage ProcessingSecurityClassification systemsSaturnian satellites...
• #### Neutralino annihilation beyond leading orderver. 3

High-precision measurements of the relic dark matter density and the calculation of dark matter annihilation branching fractions in the sun or the galactic halo today motivate the computation of the neutralino annihilation cross section beyond leading order. We consider neutralino annihilation via squark exchange and parameterize the effective annihilation vertex as a dimension-six operator suppressed by two powers of the squark mass and related to the divergence of the axial vector current of the final-state quarks. Since the axial vector current is conserved at tree level in the limit of massless quarks, this dimension-six operator contains a suppression by the quark mass. The quark mass suppression can be lifted in two ways: (1) by corrections to the dimension-six operator involving the anomalous triangle diagram, and (2) by going to dimension-eight. We address the first of these possibilities by evaluating the anomalous triangle diagram, which contributes to neutralino annihilation to gluon pairs. We relate the triangle diagram via the anomaly equation to the decay of a pseudoscalar into two gluons and use the Adler-Bardeen theorem to extract the next-to-leading order (NLO) QCD corrections to chi chi --> gg from the known corrections to pseudoscalar decay. The strong dependence of the dominant chi chi --> q qbar cross section on the relative velocity of the neutralinos makes these NLO corrections unimportant at chi decoupling but significant today.
QuarkNeutralino annihilationNext-to-leading order computationDark matterNeutralinoQuark massPseudoscalarLightest Supersymmetric ParticleRelic abundanceHeavy quark...
• #### Exploring the BWCA (Bino-Wino Co-Annihilation) Scenario for Neutralino Dark Matter

In supersymmetric models with non-universal gaugino masses, it is possible to have opposite-sign SU(2) and U(1) gaugino mass terms. In these models, the gaugino eigenstates experience little mixing so that the lightest SUSY particle remains either pure bino or pure wino. The neutralino relic density can only be brought into accord with the WMAP measured value when bino-wino co-annihilation (BWCA) acts to enhance the dark matter annihilation rate. We map out parameter space regions and mass spectra which are characteristic of the BWCA scenario. Direct and indirect dark matter detection rates are shown to be typically very low. At collider experiments, the BWCA scenario is typified by a small mass gap m_{\tilde Z_2}-m_{\tilde Z_1} ~ 20-80 GeV, so that tree level two body decays of \tilde Z_2 are not allowed. However, in this case the second lightest neutralino has an enhanced loop decay branching fraction to photons. While the photonic neutralino decay signature looks difficult to extract at the Fermilab Tevatron, it should lead to distinctive events at the CERN LHC and at a linear e^+e^- collider.
NeutralinoGauginoWilkinson Microwave Anisotropy ProbeDark matterLightest Supersymmetric ParticleCharginoSupersymmetryMass gapBranching ratioRelic abundance...
• #### Quantum field theory in a magnetic field: From quantum chromodynamics to graphene and Dirac semimetals

A range of quantum field theoretical phenomena driven by external magnetic fields and their applications in relativistic systems and quasirelativistic condensed matter ones, such as graphene and Dirac/Weyl semimetals, are reviewed. We start by introducing the underlying physics of the magnetic catalysis. The dimensional reduction of the low-energy dynamics of relativistic fermions in an external magnetic field is explained and its role in catalyzing spontaneous symmetry breaking is emphasized. The general theoretical consideration is supplemented by the analysis of the magnetic catalysis in quantum electrodynamics, chromodynamics and quasirelativistic models relevant for condensed matter physics. By generalizing the ideas of the magnetic catalysis to the case of nonzero density and temperature, we argue that other interesting phenomena take place. The chiral magnetic and chiral separation effects are perhaps the most interesting among them. In addition to the general discussion of the physics underlying chiral magnetic and separation effects, we also review their possible phenomenological implications in heavy-ion collisions and compact stars. We also discuss the application of the magnetic catalysis ideas for the description of the quantum Hall effect in monolayer and bilayer graphene, and conclude that the generalized magnetic catalysis, including both the magnetic catalysis condensates and the quantum Hall ferromagnetic ones, lies at the basis of this phenomenon. We also consider how an external magnetic field affects the underlying physics in a class of three-dimensional quasirelativistic condensed matter systems, Dirac semimetals. While at sufficiently low temperatures and zero density of charge carriers, such semimetals are expected to reveal the regime of the magnetic catalysis, the regime of Weyl semimetals with chiral asymmetry is realized at nonzero density...
Lowest Landau LevelLandau levelQuantum chromodynamicsQuantum electrodynamicsFermion propagatorNambu-Jona-Lasinio modelCoupling constantSelf-energyStrong magnetic fieldQuark...
• #### The Role of the Electron Mass in Damping Chiral Magnetic Instability in Supernova and Neutron Stars

We show that the nonzero electron mass plays a critical role in determining the magnetic properties of neutron stars, making it impossible to generate the chiral charge density needed to trigger a strong chiral magnetic instability during the core collapse of supernovae. This instability has been proposed as a plausible mechanism for generating extremely large helical magnetic fields in neutron stars at their birth; the mechanism relies on the generation of a large non-equilibrium chiral charge density via electron capture reactions that selectively deplete left-handed electrons during core-collapse and the early evolution of the protoneutron star. Our calculation shows that the electron chirality violation rate induced by Rutherford scattering, despite being suppressed by the smallness of the electron mass relative to the electron chemical potential, is still fast compared to the weak interaction electron capture rate. The resulting asymmetry between right and left-handed electron densities is therefore never able to attain an astrophysically relevant magnitude.
HelicityQuantum anomalyLandau levelThermalisationLowest Landau LevelExpectation ValueMagnetarFermi energyHelicity flippingSteady state...
• #### Advanced Topics in Cosmology: A Pedagogical Introduction

These lecture notes provide a concise, rapid and pedagogical introduction to several advanced topics in contemporary cosmology. The discussion of thermal history of the universe, linear perturbation theory, theory of CMBR temperature anisotropies and the inflationary generation of perturbation are presented in a manner accessible to someone who has done a first course in cosmology. The discussion of dark energy is more research oriented and reflects the personal bias of the author. Contents: (I) The cosmological paradigm and Friedmann model (II) Thermal history of the universe (III) Structure formation and linear perturbation theories (IV) Perturbations in dark matter and radiation (V) Transfer function for matter perturbations (VI) Temperature anisotropies of CMBR (VII) Generation of initial perturbations from inflation (VIII) The dark energy.
Hubble radiusScalar fieldNeutrinoScale invarianceCosmological constantRecombinationAbundanceThe early UniverseDegree of freedomEinstein field equations...
• #### Generation of the magnetic helicity in a neutron star driven by the electroweak electron-nucleon interaction

We study the instability of magnetic fields in a neutron star core driven by the parity violating part of the electron-nucleon interaction in the Standard Model. Assuming a seed field of the order $10^{12}\thinspace\text{G}$, that is a common value for pulsars, one obtains its amplification due to such a novel mechanism by about five orders of magnitude, up to $10^{17}\thinspace\text{G}$, at time scales $\sim (10^3 - 10^5)\thinspace\text{yr}$. This effect is suggested to be a possible explanation of the origin of the strongest magnetic fields observed in magnetars. The growth of a seed magnetic field energy density is stipulated by the corresponding growth of the magnetic helicity density due to the presence of the anomalous electric current in the Maxwell equation. Such an anomaly is the sum of the two competitive effects: (i) the chiral magnetic effect driven by the difference of chemical potentials for the right and left handed massless electrons and (ii) constant chiral electroweak electron-nucleon interaction term, which has the polarization origin and depends on the constant neutron density in a neutron star core. The remarkable issue for the decisive role of the magnetic helicity evolution in the suggested mechanism is the arbitrariness of an initial magnetic helicity including the case of non-helical fields from the beginning. The tendency of the magnetic helicity density to the maximal helicity case at large evolution times provides the growth of a seed magnetic field to the strongest magnetic fields in astrophysics.
Neutron starCoolingMagnetic energyChiral magnetic effectChirality imbalanceStandard ModelAbundanceKinetic equationThermalisationNeutrino...
• #### Introduction to Hydrodynamics

We give a pedagogical review of relativistic hydrodynamics relevant to relativistic heavy ion collisions. Topics discussed include linear response theory derivation of 2nd order viscous hydrodynamics including the Kubo formulas, kinetic theory derivation of 2nd order viscous hydrodynamics, anisotropic hydrodynamics and a brief review of numerical algorithms. Emphasis is given to the theory of hydrodynamics rather than phenomenology.
Heavy ion collisionDissipationFreeze-outQuark-gluon plasmaRelaxationTwo-point correlation functionShear viscosityBoltzmann transport equationVolume viscosityFluid dynamics...
• #### Origin of Weyl Anomaly as Pair Production in Dirac Sea

Using Dirac sea picture for both left and right moving Weyl fermion (massless fermions) in $1+1$ dimensional world with a general relativity metric field we calculate the Weyl anomaly. That is to say we calculate the trace of the energy-momentum tensor $T_{\mu}^{\> \mu}$ arising from the fermions. With the gauge choice ansatz $g_{\mu \nu}=e^{2\Omega (\vec{x})}\eta_{\mu \nu}$ for the metric tensor formally the field $\Omega (\vec{x})$ drops out of the action. However, the cut-off for the ultraviolet divergence does depend on $\Omega$. At first we calculate the vacuum-to-vacuum transition amplitude in 2-dimensional Euclideanized theory and note that $\Omega$-dependence comes from the suppression (deviation from unity) of the a priori unit overlap (vacuum does not change) by pair production after all occurring (Schwinger mechanism analog).
Weyl transformationBosonizationCreation and annihilation operatorsInfinitesimalHamiltonianRegularizationFock spaceWeyl invarianceFermionic fieldHawking radiation...
• #### Spontaneous decay of periodic magnetostatic equilibriaver. 2

We study a prototypical class of magnetostatic equilibria where the magnetic field satisfies $\nabla \times\mathbf B = \alpha \mathbf B$, where $\alpha$ is spatially uniform, on a periodic domain. Using numerical solutions of the force-free electrodynamic and relativistic ideal magnetohydrodynamic evolution equations, we show that generic examples of such equilibria are unstable to ideal modes which are marked by exponential growth in the linear phase. We characterize the unstable mode, showing how it can be understood in terms of merging magnetic and current structures and explicitly demonstrate its instability using the energy principle. Following the nonlinear evolution of these solutions, we find that they exhibit dissipation of magnetic energy and eventually settle into a configuration with the largest allowable wavelength. Such examples of magnetic energy being liberated on dynamical time-scales may have implications for astrophysical sources.
VorticityForce-Free ElectrodynamicsMagnetic energyMagnetic helicityHelicityTurbulenceMagnetohydrodynamicsFinite differenceHigh Performance ComputingExcited state...
• #### An exact mapping between the Variational Renormalization Group and Deep Learning

Deep learning is a broad set of techniques that uses multiple layers of representation to automatically learn relevant features directly from structured data. Recently, such techniques have yielded record-breaking results on a diverse set of difficult machine learning tasks in computer vision, speech recognition, and natural language processing. Despite the enormous success of deep learning, relatively little is understood theoretically about why these techniques are so successful at feature learning and compression. Here, we show that deep learning is intimately related to one of the most important and successful techniques in theoretical physics, the renormalization group (RG). RG is an iterative coarse-graining scheme that allows for the extraction of relevant features (i.e. operators) as a physical system is examined at different length scales. We construct an exact mapping from the variational renormalization group, first introduced by Kadanoff, and deep learning architectures based on Restricted Boltzmann Machines (RBMs). We illustrate these ideas using the nearest-neighbor Ising Model in one and two-dimensions. Our results suggests that deep learning algorithms may be employing a generalized RG-like scheme to learn relevant features from data.
HamiltonianRenormalizationBinary starStatisticsDegree of freedomDeep Neural NetworksRegularizationUnsupervised learningReal spaceRenormalization group...