Modern Physics Letters A

We present a scenario for strangelets seeding in galactic environments based on the ejection of strange matter from type II supernova events. The possibility that these aggregates act in turn as triggers of future explosions of the same type is discussed, together with the expected features of their distribution and abundance.

A method is given for evaluating the functional integrals of Chern-Simon field theories to first nontrivial order. The basis of this method is a background independent regularization which allows the factors associated with twists of the framing of loops to be computed. To first order, Witten’s result connecting the Jones polynomial to expectation values of the Chern-Simon theory is reproduced.

Additionally, a method for constructing solutions to the classical field equations of the theory is described, and it is shown that a static solution to Einstein’s equations (in Ashtekar’s form) may be associated with every such solution.

SU(2) breaking tadpole mechanism and QCD spectral sum rules are used for explaining the observed hadronic and two-photon widths of the a₀ (980) within the standard scheme. The corresponding widths of the f₀ (975) result from a maximal mixing |θ|≃45° between scalar gluonium and quarkonium states having masses around 1 GeV. Brief comments on the four-quark states assignment are given.

Two level parabosonic systems are the simplest systems in which the partition function exhibits intrinsic parastatistical behavior. We obtain the thermodynamic partition function for such systems and discuss its important features.

The invariant one-loop counter terms for a class of non-polynomial complex scalar field theories are found using the background field geodesic expansion together with heat kernel methods. These theories have dynamics invariant under a group G with fields that transform linearly only under a subgroup H of G. The fields are coordinates on a complex Kählerian manifold corresponding to the coset space G/H. The technique is applied to the CPⁿ model.

We obtain improved parton distributions from a structure function analysis which includes new data on deep inelastic scattering and on dilepton production. These lead to improved predictions for σ(W)/σ(Z), which when combined with the forthcoming data from colliders, will give tighter constraints on the values of m_t and N_y. We emphasize how new measurements of the W^± charge asymmetry may resolve the EMC — BCDMS F₂ discrepancy and hence sharpen the prediction for σ(W)/σ(Z) even further.

A covariant generalization of Berry’s phase is obtained from the proper time Schrödinger equation in which the role of Hamiltonian is played by the rest mass square operator. When this has degenerate eigenvalues, non-Abelian gauge fields arise in the manner shown by Wilczek and Zee for non-relativistic systems. The manifold of degenerate states corresponds to isotopic spin space.

The technique for finding correlation functions on homogeneous spaces of PGL(ℚ_p) groups (factorized Bruhat-Tits trees T_p/Γ_N with finite number of cycles) is presented. It was shown in Refs. 5 and 6 that the homogeneous spaces T_p/Γ_N are in fact the multiloop world sheets in p-adic string theory.

We consider the hypothesis that (i) m_v≃0 because the neutrino is SU(3)_c×U(1)_e.m. neutral, (ii) m_electron = 0 at the isospin limit where m_u=m_d, and (iii) all first-generation fer-mions turn massless as α_c, α_e.m.→0. This hypothesis is supported by the empirical Abraham-Lorentz-type mass formula m=(ζ₁Q+ζ₂B)², whose quadratic structure is attributed to a universal seesaw mechanism. We demonstrate how such a formula can stay exact even when switching on the inter-generational mixings. We present a complete model with the above features which gives quark and lepton masses and the K-M matrix, including CP violation.

We investigate how string vacua arise from N=2 superconformal models. In particular, we discuss how Landau-Ginzburg models with appropriate central charge can be orbifol-dized to construct string vacua. We develop techniques to compute the degeneracy and quantum numbers of the ground states of the LG models in the twisted sectors, even for the cases where the underlying LG model is not exactly solvable. This allows us to compute some interesting physical quantities such as the number of generations and anti-generations in the simplest compactification scenarios. The results agree with explicit computations in the cases where LG model is exactly solvable.

A model for cold fusion in condensed matter is proposed (cold fusion of deuterons in palladium). It is assumed that the palladium-deuterium system forms an alloy, i.e., it is assumed that Pd ions as well as d⁺ ions are embedded in an uniform background of negative charge (conduction electrons). The model is based on an interaction potential for deuterons in solid palladium which has been estimated by means of a theoretical picture well known in the physics of liquids. On the basis of this potential the essential experimental results of Fleischmann and Pons, and Jones et al. can be explained qualitatively. In particular, the following effects are possible:

1. Cold fusion in condensed matter can take place.

2. The observed energy should be larger than that given by the fusion reactions.

3. Hitherto unknown nuclear processes must not be postulated as reported by Fleischmann and Pons.

4. The deuterons are mobile.

5. The deuterons can form close-packed clusters, and in principle a fusion reaction can take place within such a cluster.

6. Not only ³He should be produced in Pd but possibly ⁴He too.

From our theoretical picture, it can be concluded that experimental results will be strongly dependent on the condition of the materials used in the experiments. This can possibly explain that only a part of experiments could show up cold fusion. A well defined condition (lattice defects, different phases, impurities, etc.) of the materials is probably the most critical point in connection with the observation of cold fusion in condensed matter. The effect should also be influenced by lattice dilatations. Experiments with other materials instead of palladium (e.g. vanadium, titanium, lanthanide metals, and different alloys) should be probably more informative.