305. First two weeks of March on NEQNET

Here is a comprehensive list of physics questions and problems we have discussed here on NEQNET during previous two weeks:

1. String theory, field theory, quantum gravity

1.1. Chiral symmetry breaking in soft wall AdS/QCD model, where Tom Kelley (U. of Minnesota) shows how explicit and spontaneous chiral symmetry breaking takes place in a particular AdS/CFT-inspired model.

1.2. Global aspects of the scalar meson puzzle. Renata Jora (INFN) modifies non-linear sigma model describing low energy QCD in order to solve scalar meson puzzle.

1.3. Relating field theories via stochastic quantization. Domenico Orlando (IPMU) discusses the basics of stochastic quantization and explains how it can be used to relate different quantum field theories (such as WZNW and Yang-Mills, for example).

1.4. Dynamical black holes & expanding plasmas. Pau Figueras (Durham) discusses holographic duals to Bjorken flow.

2. Cosmology

2.1. Power counting semi-classical inflation models and Higgs-Inflation. Michael Trott (Perimeter Institute) explains how to perform effective field theory analysis of inflationary models (with focus on Higgsflation).

2.2. The leptonic Higgs as a messenger of dark matter, where Piyush Kumar (LBNL) proposes that PAMELA and ATIC cosmic ray signals is result of decay of dark matter particles via states of leptonic Higgs dublet.

2.3. Weak lensing signal in Unified Dark Matter models. Stefano Camera (U. of Torino) discusses weak lensing effects in Lambda CDM and unified dark matter models.

3. Astrophysics

3.1. Event horizon of Sgr A*. Sgr A* is most certainly black hole, as can be concluded from the analysis of radiative efficiencies by Broderick, Loeb and Narayan.

4. Physics: other (including fun)

4.1. Universal properties of the U(1) current at deconfined quantum critical points. Flavio Nagueira (Berlin) is trying to find universal relations between finite temperature and QFTs describing physics in the vicinity of quantum critical points of certain condensed matter systems (in particular, he discusses quantum critical point between Neel state and valence-bond solid state).

4.2. Exact gravity dual of a gapless superconductor, where George Koutsoumbas (Athens) explicitly demonstrates an model, whose field theory dual seems to describe gapless superconductor.

4.3. Do all spherical viruses have icosahedral symmetry? Eric Altshuler (UMDNJ, Newark) and Antonio Perez-Garrido (U. of Cartagena) discuss the structure of spherical viruses. The latter turns out to be defined by old electrostatic Thomson problem.

4.4. Science in Watchmen. How Ozymandias prevented Dr. Manhattan from seeing the future. I explain how Ozymandias prevented Dr. Manhattan from foreseeing the future in “Watchmen”, in other words – how tachyons work

Stay tuned!