The energy density of the universe today may be dominated by the vacuum energy of a slowly rolling scalar field. Making a quantum expansion around such a time dependent solution is found to break fundamental symmetries of quantum field theory. We call this mechanism cosmological symmetry breaking and argue that it is different from the standard phenomenon of spontaneous symmetry breaking. We illustrate this with a toy scalar field theory, whose action displays a U(1) symmetry. We identify a symmetry, called pseudo-scale invariance, which sets the cosmological constant exactly equal to zero, both in classical and quantum theory. This symmetry is also broken cosmologically and leads to a nonzero vacuum or dark energy. The slow roll condition along with the observed value of dark energy leads to a value of the background scalar field of the order of Planck mass. We also consider a U(1) gauge symmetry model. Cosmological symmetry breaking, in this case, leads to a non zero mass for the vector field. We also show that a cosmologically broken pseudo-scale invariance can generate a wide range of masses.
The first model of Foot, Kobakhidze and Volkas described in their work in arXiv:0704.1165 [hep-ph] is a tailored version of our model on broken scale invariance in the standard model presented in hep-th/0403039.
We describe how a stable effective theory in which particles of the same fermion number attract may spontaneously break Lorentz invariance by giving non-zero fermion number density to the vacuum (and therefore dynamically generating a chemical potential term). This mecanism yields a finite vacuum expectation value $<\barψγ^μψ>$ which we consider in the context of proposed models that require such a breaking of Lorentz invariance in order to yield composite degrees of freedom that act approximately like gauge bosons. We also make general remarks about how the background source provided by $<\ba…
It seems that new WMAP data requires a fit with a primordial spectrum containig small negative tilt index in addition to the featureless Harrison-Zeldovich- Peebles spectrum thus implying a broken scale invariance. We show that the data could be otherwise interpreted by a scale invariant primordial spectrum with the scale non-invariant evolution of density contrast using the Press-Schechter formalism. The estimate of the acceleration parameter, as a source of the inhomogeneity of spacetime, is made by searching for the minima of the deviation measure defined by the Press-Schechter mass functio…
We argue that classical scale invariance provides a technically natural solution to the problem of the radiative stability of the electroweak scale. Some realistic electroweak scale-invariant models are considered and their possible manifestations at the LHC are briefly discussed.
Spontaneous breaking of Lorentz invariance may take place in string theories, possibly endowing the photon with a mass. This leads to the breaking of the conformal symmetry of the electromagnetic action allowing for the generation within inflationary scenarios of magnetic fields over $Mpc$ scales. We show that the generated fields are consistent with amplification by the galactic dynamo processes and can be as large as to explain the observed galactic magnetic fields through the collapse of protogalactic clouds.
If general relativity is an emergent phenomenon, there may be small violations of diffeomorphism invariance. We propose a phenomenology of perturbatively small violations of general relativity by the inclusion of terms which break general covariance. These can be tested by matching to the Parametrized Post Newtonian (PPN) formalism. The most sensitive tests involve pulsar timing and provide an extremely strong bound, with a dimensionless constraint of order 10^{-20} relative to gravitational strength.
We point out that it is possible to associate the electroweak Higgs boson with the pseudo-Goldstone boson of broken scale invariance, thus resolving the hierarchy problem in a technically natural way. We illustrate this idea with two specific gauge models. Besides being consistent with all currently available experimental data, both models maintain the predictive power of the standard model, since the first model has only one additional parameter beyond the standard model, and the second has the same number of free parameters as the standard model.
When the electroweak action is rewritten in terms of SU(2) gauge invariant variables, the Higgs can be interpreted as a conformal metric factor. We show that asymptotic flatness of the metric is required to avoid a Gribov problem: without it, the new variables fail to be nonperturbatively gauge invariant. We also clarify the relations between this approach and unitary gauge fixing, and the existence of similar transformations in other gauge theories.
Generally speaking, the existence of a superluminal neutrino can be attributed either to re-entrant Lorentz violation at ultralow energy from intrinsic Lorentz violation at ultrahigh energy or to spontaneous breaking of fundamental Lorentz invariance (possibly by the formation of a fermionic condensate). Re-entrant Lorentz violation in the neutrino sector has been discussed elsewhere. Here, the focus is on mechanisms of spontaneous symmetry breaking.
We study the effect of spontaneous breaking of Lorentz invariance on black hole thermodynamics. We consider a scenario where Lorentz symmetry breaking manifests itself by the difference of maximal velocities attainable by particles of different species in a preferred reference frame. The Lorentz breaking sector is represented by the ghost condensate. We find that the notions of black hole entropy and temperature loose their universal meaning. In particular, the standard derivation of the Hawking radiation yields that a black hole does emit thermal radiation in any given particle species, but w…
Weyl invariant theories of scalars and gravity can generate all mass scales spontaneously, initiated by a dynamical process of "inertial spontaneous symmetry breaking" that does not involve a potential. This is dictated by the structure of the Weyl current, $K_μ$, and a cosmological phase during which the universe expands and the Einstein-Hilbert effective action is formed. Maintaining exact Weyl invariance in the renormalised quantum theory is straightforward when renormalisation conditions are referred back to the VEV's of fields in the action of the theory, which implies a conserved Weyl cu…
In this paper we break the scale invariance of the primordial power spectrum of curvature perturbations of inflation. Introducing a singular behaviour due to spontaneous symmetry breaking in the inflaton potential, we obtain fully analytic expressions of scale dependent oscillation and a modulation in power on small scale in the primordial spectrum. And we give the associated cosmic microwave background and matter power spectra which we can observe now and discuss the signature of the scale dependence. We also address the possibility of whether some inflationary model with featured potential m…
Unbroken continuous translational invariance is often taken as a basic assumption in discussions of spontaneous symmetry breaking (SSB), which singles out SSB of translational invariance itself as an exceptional case. We present a framework which allows us to treat translational invariance on the same footing as other symmetries. It is shown that existing theorems on SSB can be straightforwardly extended to this general case. As a concrete application, we analyze the Nambu-Goldstone modes in a (ferromagnetic) supersolid. We prove on the ground of the general theorems that the Bogoliubov mode s…
We consider a model where the weak and the DM scale arise at one loop from the Coleman-Weinberg mechanism. We perform a precision computation of the model predictions for the production cross section of a new Higgs-like scalar and for the direct detection cross section of the DM particle candidate.
We analyze the theory of massive fermions in the fundamental representation coupled to a U(N) Chern-Simons gauge theory at level K. It is done in the large N, large K limits where λ=N/K is kept fixed. Following arXiv:1110.4386 we obtain the solution of a Schwinger-Dyson equation for the two point function, the exact expression for the fermion propagator and the partition function at finite temperature. We prove that in the large K limit there exists an infinite set of classically conserved high spin currents also when a mass is introduced, breaking the conformal invariance. In analogy to the s…
We consider candidates for dark matter in models of gauge mediated supersymmetry breaking, in which the supersymmetry breaking sector is weakly coupled and calculable. Such models typically contain classically flat directions, that receive one-loop masses of a few TeV. These pseudo-flat directions provide a new mechanism to account for the cold dark matter relic abundance. We discuss also the possibility of heavy gravitino dark matter in such models.
This article examines how a breakdown of a locally Lorentz invariant, point-like description of nature at tiny space-time intervals would translate into a distinctive set of signals in the primordial power spectrum generated by inflation. We examine the leading irrelevant operators that are consistent with the spatial translations and rotations of a preferred, isotropically expanding, background. A few of the resulting corrections to the primordial power spectrum do not have the usual oscillatory factor, which is sometimes taken to be characteristic of a "trans-Planckian" signal. Perhaps more …
Conceivable Lorentz-violating effects in the neutrino sector remain a research area of great general interest, as they touch upon the very foundations on which the Standard Model and our general understanding of fundamental interactions is laid. Here, we investigate the relation of Lorentz violation in the neutrino sector in light of the fact that neutrinos and corresponding left-handed charged leptons form SU(2)_L doublets under the electroweak gauge group. Lorentz-violating effects thus cannot be fully separated from questions related to gauge invariance. The model dependence of the effectiv…
The effect of spin-0 goldstino superpartners is considered on the nucleosynthesis bounds arising when a superlight gravitino appears as an effective massless neutrino species. When the scalar and pseudoscalar superpartners are relativistic they will decouple at much later times than the goldstino and consequently will be the dominant effect when obtaining a nucleosynthesis bound on the scale of supersymmetry breaking. Assuming that the scalar and pseudoscalar fields decouple at a temperature no later than O(100) MeV, then typically the scale of supersymmetry breaking \sqrt{F} > 60 TeV. This co…
We examine generalized O'Raifeartaigh models that feature multiple tree-level flat directions and only contain fields with R-charges 0 or 2. We show that spontaneous R-breaking at up to one-loop order is impossible in such theories. Specifically, we prove that the R-symmetric origin of field space is always a local minimum of the one-loop Coleman-Weinberg potential, generalizing an earlier result for the case of a single flat direction. This result has consequences for phenomenology and helps elucidate the behavior of various models of dynamical SUSY breaking.
We propose a new dynamics of the electroweak symmetry breaking in a classically scale invariant version of the standard model. The scale invariance is broken by the condensations of additional fermions under a strong coupling dynamics. The electroweak symmetry breaking is triggered by negative mass squared of the elementary Higgs doublet, which is dynamically generated through the bosonic seesaw mechanism. We introduce a real pseudo-scalar singlet field interacting with additional fermions and Higgs doublet in order to avoid massless Nambu-Goldstone bosons from the chiral symmetry breaking in …
We study the scalar and pseudoscalar sector in a five-dimenional model describing chiral symmetry breaking. We calculate the scalar and pseudoscalar two-point correlator, the mass spectrum and interactions. We also obtain the scalar and pseudoscalar contributions to the coefficients of the chiral lagrangian and determine the scalar form factor of the pseudo-Goldstone bosons. Most quantities show a good agreement with QCD.
Spontaneous breaking of Lorentz invariance compatible with observational limits may realistically take place in the context of string theories, possibly endowing the photon with a mass. In this process the conformal symmetry of the electromagnetic action is broken allowing for the possibility of generating large scale ($\sim Mpc$) magnetic fields within inflationary scenarios. We show that for reheating temperatures safe from the point of view of the gravitino and moduli problem, $T_{RH} \laq 10^{9} GeV$ for $m_{3/2} \approx 1 TeV$, the strength of the generated seed fields is, in our mechanis…
We show that estimates of the Lorentz symmetry violation extracted from ultra-high energy cosmic rays beyond the GZK cut-off set bounds on the parameters of a Lorentz-violating extension of the Standard Model. Moreover, we argue that correlated measurements of the difference in the arrival time of gamma-ray photons and neutrinos emitted from Active Galactic Nuclei or Gamma-Ray Bursts may provide a signature for a possible violation of the Lorentz symmetry. We find that this time delay is energy independent, but that it has a dependence on the chirality of the particles involved.
A mechanism of radiatively induced breaking of the conformal symmetry in the Standard Model is suggested. The system of one scalar (Higgs) and one fermion (top-quark) fields with Yukawa and $ϕ^4$ interactions is considered. The infrared instability of the Coleman-Weinberg effective potential for this system leads to the appearance of a finite renormalization scale and thus to breaking of the conformal symmetry. Finite condensates of both scalar and spinor fields appear. It is shown that the top quark condensate can supersede the tachyon mass of the Higgs field. The Higgs boson is treated as an…
Spontanous symmetry breaking usually gives spin 0 Goldstone bosons for the case of internal symmetries and spin 1/2 fermions for the supersymmetry. The spontaneous breaking of higher dimensional Lorentz symmetry can give vector Goldstone boson in 4-dimension.
Pseudo-goldstinos appear in the scenario of multi-sector SUSY breaking. Unlike the true goldstino which is massless and absorbed by the gravitino, pseudo-goldstinos could obtain mass from radiative effects. In this note, working in the scenario of two-sector SUSY breaking with gauge mediation, we explicitly calculate the pseudo-goldstino mass at the leading three-loop level and provide the analytical results. In our calculation we consider the general case of messenger masses (not necessarily equal) and include the higher order terms of SUSY breaking scales. Our results can reproduce the numer…
We study the effect of a refined electron-photon vertex on the dynamical breaking of chiral symmetry in reduced quantum electrodynamics. We construct an educated {\em ansatz} for this vertex which satisfies the required discrete symmetries under parity, time reversal and charge conjugation operations. Furthermore, it reproduces its asymptotic perturbative limit in the weak coupling regime and ensures the massless electron propagator is multiplicatively renormalizable in its leading logarithmic expansion. Employing this vertex {\em ansatz}, we solve the gap equation to compute dynamically gener…
Motivated from unified models with string origin, we analyse the constraints from duality invariance on effective supergravity models with an intermediate gauge symmetry. Requiring vanishing vacuum energy and invariance of the superpotential couplings, we find that modular weights of the matter and higgs fields are subject to various constraints. In addition, the vacuum expectation values of the higgs fields breaking the intermediate gauge group, are determined in terms of their modular weights and the moduli. We also examine the possibility of breaking the intermediate gauge symmetry radiativ…
We go beyond parameterizations of soft terms in superstring models and investigate the dynamical assumptions that lead to the relative strength of the dilaton {\it vs} the moduli contributions in the soft breaking. Specifically, we discuss in some simple heterotic orbifold models sufficient conditions to achieve dilaton dominance. Assuming self-dual points to be minima we find multiple solutions to the trilinear and bilinear soft parameters $A_0$ and $B_0$. We discuss the constraints on $μ$ and $\tanβ$ in superstring models in the context of radiative breaking of the electroweak symmetry. We s…
In a supersymmetric theory with global U(1) invariance, the spontaneous breaking of the latter without the breaking of supersymmetry is revisited in the case of the most general superpotential of 3 singlet superfields. The interesting possibility of having 2 hierarchical mass scales is pointed out, together with its consequences as applied to the axionic solution of the strong CP problem.
We study inflationary models that produce a nearly scale-invariant power spectrum while breaking scale invariance significantly in the bispectrum. Under most circumstances, such models are finely-tuned, as radiative corrections generically induce a larger signal in the power spectrum. However, when scale invariance is broken collectively (i.e., it requires more than one coupling to break the symmetry), these radiative corrections may be suppressed. We illustrate the features and limitations of collective symmetry breaking in the context of resonant non-gaussianity. We discuss two examples wher…
We simulate the 3+1 D classical Yang-Mills dynamics of the collisions of longitudinally extended nuclei, described by eikonal color charges in the Color Glass Condensate framework. By varying the longitudinal thickness of the colliding nuclei, we discuss the violations of boost invariance and explore how the boost invariant high-energy limit is approached. Subsequently, we develop a more realistic model of the three dimensional color charge distributions that connects longitudinal and transverse fluctuations to the $x$ and $k_\bot$ dependence of transverse momentum dependent parton distributio…
We propose the Supersymmetric Standard Models (SSMs) with a pseudo-Dirac gluino from hybrid $F-$ and $D-$term supersymmetry (SUSY) breakings. Similar to the SSMs before the LHC, all the supersymmetric particles in the Minimal SSM (MSSM) obtain the SUSY breaking soft terms from the traditional gravity mediation and have masses within about 1 TeV except gluino. To evade the LHC SUSY search constraints, the gluino also has a heavy Dirac mass above 3 TeV from $D-$term SUSY breaking. Interestingly, such a heavy Dirac gluino mass will not induce the electroweak fine-tuning problem. We realize such S…
We study gravity coupled to a cosmological constant and a scale but not conformally invariant sector. In Minkowski vacuum, scale invariance is spontaneously broken. We consider small fluctuations around the Minkowski vacuum. At the linearised level we find that the trace of metric perturbations receives a positive or negative mass squared contribution. However, only for the Fierz-Pauli combination the theory is free of ghosts. The mass term for the trace of metric perturbations can be cancelled by explicitly breaking scale invariance. This reintroduces fine-tuning. Models based on four form fi…
A scenario based on the scale invariance for explaining the vanishing cosmological constant (CC) is discussed. I begin with a notice on the miraculous fact of the CC problem that the vacuum energies totally vanish at each step of hierarchical and successive spontaneous symmetry breakings. I then argue that the classical scale invariance is a necessary condition for the calculability of the vacuum energy. Next, I discuss how sufficient the scale invariance is for solving the CC problem. First in the framework of classical field theory, the scale invariance is shown to give a natural mechanism f…
A popular framework for exploring Lorentz violation is the Standard Model Extension. This extension contains a large number of parameters that can be bounded in various experiments. Most studies, however, focus on the fermion or photon sector. Here, we consider Lorentz violation in the weak vector boson sector. The strongest bounds come from measurements of the asymmetry in Moller scattering. We study the bounds that can be obtained from future measurements of the parity violating asymmetry in deep inelastic electron-proton scattering at the EIC, the LHeC and the FCC-eh. For the FCC-eh, the bo…
Nonperturbative Wilson coefficients associated with the leading chiral-symmetry-breaking operators in the operator product expansion of the pseudoscalar QCD correlation function are derived. Implementation of the new, instanton-induced operators enables the corresponding spectral sum rule to reproduce the small pion mass scale, thereby reconciling it with Goldstone's theorem. The same operators suppress the contributions of pionic resonances. Several predictions and structural insights from the new sum rule are discussed.
Elitzur's theorem stating the impossibility of spontaneous breaking of local symmetries in a gauge theory is reexamined. The existing proofs of this theorem rely on gauge invariance as well as positivity of the weight in the Euclidean partition function. We examine the validity of Elitzur's theorem in gauge theories for which the Euclidean measure of the partition function is not positive definite. We find that Elitzur's theorem does not follow from gauge invariance alone. We formulate a general criterion under which spontaneous breaking of local symmetries in a gauge theory is excluded. Final…
In the framework of simple assumption on factorizing a mixing of vector state with isoscalar components in effective amplitudes of isospin breaking caused by the electromagnetic quark current, a branching fraction of radiative $J/ψ\to a_0$ transition is evaluated at the level of $3\cdot 10^{-3}$.
The extrapolation of the decay amplitudes of the pseudoscalar mesons into two photons from the soft meson limit where it is obtained from the axial-anomaly to the mass shell involves the contribution of the 0^ - continuum. These chiral symmetry breaking corrections turn out to be large. The effects of these corrections on the calculated pi ^0 decay rate, on the values of the singlet-octet mixing angle and on the ratios f_8 / f_pi and f_0 / f_pi are discussed. The implications for the transition form factors gamma gamma* --> pseudoscalars are also evaluated and confronted with the available exp…
We study the breaking of supersymmetry in models with anomalous U(1). These models are simple to construct and contain natural candidates for being the messengers of gauge-mediated supersymmetry breaking. When some of the ordinary matter fields transform under the anomalous U(1), we find a hybrid scenario in which the U(1) and the gauge interactions mediate the breaking of supersymmetry. This leads to a hierarchy of soft masses between the charged and neutral fields and provides a solution to the $μ$-problem. Among these models, we present a scenario in which the Higgs arises as a pseudo-Golds…
A mechanism is discussed to obtain light scalar fields from a spontaneously broken continuous symmetry without explicitly breaking it. If there is a continuous manifold of classical vacua in orbit space, its tangent directions describe classically massless fields that may acquire mass from perturbations of the potential that do not break the symmetry. We consider the simplest possible example, involving a scalar field in the adjoint representation of SU(N). We study the scalar mass spectrum and its RG running at one-loop level including scalar and pseudoscalar Yukawa couplings to a massive Dir…
We propose a model of a confining dark sector, dark technicolor, that communicates with the Standard Model through the Higgs portal. In this model electroweak symmetry breaking and dark matter share a common origin, and the electroweak scale is generated dynamically. Our motivation to suggest this model is the absense of evidence for new physics from recent LHC data. Although the conclusion is far from certain at this point, this lack of evidence may suggest that no mechanism exists at the electroweak scale to stabilise the Higgs mass against radiative corrections from UV physics. The usual re…
The SU(3) flavour symmetry breaking expansion in up, down and strange quark masses is extended from hadron masses to meson decay constants. This allows a determination of the ratio of kaon to pion decay constants in QCD. Furthermore when using partially quenched valence quarks the expansion is such that SU(2) isospin breaking effects can also be determined. It is found that the lowest order SU(3) flavour symmetry breaking expansion (or Gell-Mann-Okubo expansion) works very well. Simulations are performed for 2+1 flavours of clover fermions at four lattice spacings.
We base our chiral symmetry approach on the quark-level linear sigma model Lagrangian. Then we review the Nambu--Goldstone theorem with vanishing pi, K, eta_8 masses. Next we dynamically generate the pi, K, eta_8 masses away from the chiral limit. Then we study pion and kaon Goldberger-Treiman relations. Finally we extend this qbarq scheme to scalar and vector mesons. We also show the above qbarq meson scheme fits the higher mass octet baryon qqq pattern as well.
We discuss phase transitions in relativistic systems as a function of both chemical potential and temperature. The presence of a chemical potential explicitly breaks Lorentz invariance and may additionally break other internal symmetries. This introduces new subtleties in the determination of the critical properties. We discuss separately three characteristic effects of a nonzero chemical potential. Firstly, we consider only the explicit breaking of Lorentz invariance using a scalar field theory with a global U(1) symmetry. Secondly, we study the explicit breaking of an internal symmetry in ad…
A pseudoscalar associated with dynamical symmetry breaking can mix with a heavier scalar when CP is violated. We study how such a mixed state that is mostly pseudoscalar can resemble the observed 125 GeV particle. The production rate from $gg$ is enhanced by the new heavy quarks and this compensates for the reduced $WW$, $ZZ$ and $γγ$ branching ratios. The particle can appear to be a scalar from angular distributions in $ZZ$ decay while its pseudoscalar couplings should become evident in other processes.
Flavor SU(3) symmetry, including $30\%$ first order SU(3) breaking, has been shown to describe adequately a vast amount of data for charmed meson decays to two pseudoscalar mesons and to a vector and a pseudoscalar meson. We review a recent dramatic progress achieved by applying a high order perturbation expansion in flavor SU(3) breaking and treating carefully isospin breaking. We identify a class of U-spin related $D^0$ decays to pairs involving charged pseudoscalar or vector mesons, for which high-precision nonlinear amplitude relations are predicted. Symmetry breaking terms affecting these…
