title: Hints of new physics in bottomonium decays and spectroscopy

abstract:
  A non-standard light CP-odd Higgs boson could induce a slight (but
observable) lepton universality breakdown in Upsilon leptonic decays. Moreover,
the mixing between such a pseudoscalar Higgs and $\eta_b$ states might shift
the mass levels of the latter, thereby changing the values of the
$m_{\Upsilon(nS)}-m_{\eta_b(nS)}$ splittings predicted in the standard model.
Besides, also the $\eta_b$ width could be broader than expected, with
potentially negative consequences for its discovery in both $e^+e^-$ and hadron
colliders.


title: The Three-Loop Splitting Functions in QCD

abstract:
  We have computed the next-to-next-to-leading-order (NNLO) contributions to
the evolution of unpolarized parton distributions in perturbative QCD. In this
talk, we briefly recall why this huge computation was necessary and outline how
it was performed. We then illustrate the structure of the results and discuss
their end-point limits which include the three-loop cusp anomalous dimensions
of the Wilson lines. Finally the numerical impact of the new contributions is
illustrated.


title: Inclusive B-decay spectra and IR renormalons

abstract:
  I illustrate the role of infrared renormalons in computing inclusive B-decay
spectra. I explain the relation between the leading ambiguity in the definition
of Sudakov form factor \sim \exp(N\Lambda/M) and that of the pole mass, and
show how these ambiguities cancel out between the perturbative and
non-perturbative components of the b-quark distribution in the meson.


title:
QCD corrections to the Wilson coefficients C9 and C10 in two-Higgs
  doublet models

abstract:
  In this letter we present the analytic results for the two-loop corrections
to the Wilson coefficients C_9(mu_W) and C_10(mu_W) in type-I and type-II
two-Higgs-doublet models at the matching scale mu_W. These corrections are
important ingredients for next-to-next-to-leading logarithmic predictions of
various observables related to the decays B -> X_s l^+ l^- in these models. In
scenarios with moderate values of tan(beta) neutral Higgs boson contributions
can be safely neglected for e,mu. Therefore we concentrate on the contributions
mediated by charged Higgs bosons.


title: Thermal Production of Axinos in the Early Universe

abstract:
  We compute the thermal axino production rate in supersymmetric QCD to leading
order in the gauge coupling. Using hard thermal loop resummation and the
Braaten-Yuan prescription, we obtain a finite result in a gauge-invariant way,
which takes into account Debye screening in the hot quark-gluon-squark-gluino
plasma. The relic axino density from thermal reactions in the early Universe is
evaluated assuming the axino is the lightest supersymmetric particle and stable
due to R-parity conservation. From the comparison with the WMAP results, we
find that axinos could provide the dominant part of cold dark matter, for
example, for an axino mass of 100 keV and a reheating temperature of 10^6 GeV.


title: Massive Neutrinos and Flavour Violation

abstract:
  In spite of the large lepton flavour violation (LFV) observed in neutrino
oscillations, within the Standard Model, we do \textit{not} expect any visible
LFV in the charged lepton sector ($\mu \to e, \gamma$, $\tau \to \mu, \gamma$,
etc.). On the contrary, the presence of new physics close to the electroweak
scale can enhance the amplitudes of these processes. We discuss this in general
and focus on a particularly interesting case: the marriage of low-energy
supersymmetry (SUSY) and seesaw mechanism for neutrino masses (SUSY seesaw).
Several ideas presented in this context are reviewed both in the bottom-up and
top-down approaches. We show that there exist attractive models where the rate
for LFV processes can attain values to be probed in pre-LHC experiments.


title:
Reactor Measurement of theta_12; Principles, Accuracies and Physics
  Potentials

abstract:
  We discuss reactor measurement of \theta_{12} which has a potential of
reaching the ultimate sensitivity which surpasses all the methods so far
proposed. The key is to place a detector at an appropriate baseline distance
from the reactor neutrino source to have an oscillation maximum at around a
peak energy of the event spectrum in the absence of oscillation. By a detailed
statistical analysis the optimal distance is estimated to be \simeq (50-70) km
x [8 x 10^{-5} eV^2/\Delta m^2_{21}], which is determined by maximizing the
oscillation effect in the event number distribution and minimizing geo-neutrino
background contamination. To estimate possible uncertainty caused by
surrounding nuclear reactors in distance of \sim 100 km, we examine a concrete
example of a detector located at Mt. Komagatake, 54 km away from the
Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant in Japan, the most powerful reactor
complex in the world. The effect turns out to be small. Under a reasonable
assumption of systematic error of 4% in the experiment, we find that
sin^2{\theta_{12}} can be determined to the accuracy of \simeq 2% (\simeq 3%),
at 68.27% CL for 1 degree of freedom, for 60 GW_th kton yr (20 GW_th kton yr)
operation. We also discuss implications of such an accurate measurement of
\theta_{12}.


title: New Physics Signals through CP Violation in B -> rho,pi

abstract:
  We describe here a method for detecting physics beyond the standard model via
CP violation in B->rho,pi decays. Using a Dalitz-plot analysis to obtain alpha,
along with an analytical extraction of the various tree (T) and penguin (P)
amplitudes, we obtain a criterion for the absence of new physics (NP). This
criterion involves the comparison of the measured |P/T| ratio with its value as
predicted by QCD factorization. We show that the detection of NP via this
method has a good efficiency when compared with the corresponding technique
using B->pi,pi decays.


title: Diffractive photoproduction of vector mesons at large momentum transfer

abstract:
  Diffractive photoproduction of rho, phi and J/psi was studied in the BFKL
approach to hard colour singlet exchange. Differential cross sections, the
energy dependence and spin density matrix elements were calculated and compared
to data from HERA. The overall description of data is reasonably good, except
of the single flip amplitude which has the wrong sign. Importance of chiral odd
components of the photon is stressed.


title: An Effective Theory for Baryons in the CFL Phase

abstract:
  We study the effective field theory for fermions in the color-flavor locked
(CFL) phase of high density QCD. The effective theory contains a flavor nonet
of baryons interacting with a nonet of pseudoscalar Goldstone bosons as well as
a singlet scalar Goldstone boson. The theory is similar to chiral perturbation
theory in the one-baryon sector. We explain how to incorporate quark mass terms
and study the spectrum as a function of the strange quark mass. Without meson
condensation gapless baryon modes appears if the strange quark mass exceeds a
critical value m_s^2/(2p_F)=Delta, where p_F is the Fermi momentum and Delta is
the gap in the chiral limit. We show that kaon condensation leads to a
rearrangement of the baryon spectrum and shifts the critical strange quark mass
for the appearance of a gapless mode to higher values.


title: Extracting beta and the new D_{sJ} resonances

abstract:
  The three body decays $B \to D^{(*)} \bar{D}^{(*)} K_s$ may be used to
measure both $\sin{2\beta}$ and $\cos{2\beta}$. Crucial to the $\cos{2\beta}$
measurement is the resonant contribution to the three body decay from p-wave
excited $D_s$ states. If these p-wave states are the newly discovered
$D_s(2317)$ and $D_s(2460)$ then they are below the $D^{(*)} K$ threshold and
hence do not contribute to $B \to D^{(*)} \bar{D}^{(*)} K_s$. The three body
decays can then be used to measure $\sin{2\beta}$ without resonant dilution and
to look for new physics in $ b \to c \bar{c} s $ transition.


title: Remark on Natural Models of Neutrinos

abstract:
  We comment on what the naturalness argument of 't Hooft implies for a minimal
extension of the standard model which incorporates right-handed neutrinos with
generic mass terms. If this Lagrangian is taken as a low energy effective
theory, the idea of pseudo-Dirac neutrinos with very small masses is consistent
with the naturalness argument of 't Hooft. This argument is based on an
observation that the right-handed components of neutrinos in the massless limit
exhibit an extra enhanced symmetry which is absent in other charged fermions.
This enhanced symmetry is reminiscent of the Nambu-Goldstone fermions
associated with spontaneously broken supersymmetry. The conventional seesaw
scenario gives another natural solution if the ultra-heavy right-handed
neutrinos are integrated out in defining a low energy effective theory.


title: Semiperturbative construction for the quark-gluon vertex

abstract:
  We construct a model for the quark-gluon vertex of Landau gauge QCD. This is
of twofold interest: on the one hand the quark-gluon interaction is at the
heart of quark confinement, on the other hand it is a central element in hadron
phenomenology based on QCD Greens functions. We employ the non-Abelian one-loop
diagram in perturbation theory, which is of order Nc. As a novelty we replace
the tree-level quark and gluon propagators in this diagram by their dressed
counterparts solving the Dyson-Schwinger equations. The Nc-suppressed Abelian
diagram is an order of magnitude smaller in various kinematics. We also study
the effect of ghost dressing factors on the vertex obtaining a construction in
good agreement with recent low-momentum lattice calculations.


title: Simulation of long-baseline neutrino oscillation experiments with GLoBES

abstract:
  We present the GLoBES (``General Long Baseline Experiment Simulator'')
software package, which allows the simulation of long-baseline and reactor
neutrino oscillation experiments. One part of the software is the abstract
experiment definition language to define experiments with beam and full
detector descriptions as accurate as possible. Many systematics options are
provided, such as normalization and energy calibration errors, or the choice
between spectral or total rate information. For the definition of experiments,
a new transparent building block concept is introduced. In addition, an
additional program provides the possibility to develop and test new experiment
definitions quickly. Another part of GLoBES is the user's interface, which
provides probability, rate, and $\Delta \chi^2$ information for a given
experiment or any combination of up to 32 experiments in C. Especially, the
$\Delta \chi^2$ functions allow a simulation with statistics only, systematics,
correlations, and degeneracies. In particular, GLoBES can handle the full
multi-parameter correlation among the oscillation parameters, external input,
and matter density uncertainties.


title:
The Real Corrections to the Gamma* Impact Factor: First Numerical
  Results

abstract:
  We have performed analytically the transverse momentum integrations in the
real corrections to the longitudinal \gamma^*_L impact factor and carried out
numerically the remaining integrations. I outline the analytical integration
and present the numerical results: we have performed a numerical test and
computed those parts of the impact factor that depend upon the energy scale
s_0.


title:
Testing Scenarios of Lorentz Symmetry Violation Generated at the Planck
  Scale

abstract:
  Using new theoretical tools, which allow to better understand ultra-high
energy (UHE) dynamics, several patterns of Lorentz symmetry violation (LSV) are
studied and compared with experiment. It is claimed that quadratically deformed
relativistic kinematics (QDRK), where the parameter driving LSV varies like the
square of the energy scale, remains the best suited pattern to describe LSV
generated at the Planck scale. Implications of existing data are discussed and
prospects are presented having in mind next-generation experiments.


title:
A question of hierarchy: matter effects with atmospheric neutrinos and
  anti-neutrinos

abstract:
  It is by now established that neutrinos mix, have (different) non-zero
masses, and therefore oscillate. The oscillation parameters themselves,
however, are not all well-known. An open problem is that of the neutrino mass
hierarchy. We study the possibility of determining the neutrino mass hierarchy
with atmospheric neutrinos using an iron calorimeter detector capable of charge
identification such as the proposed MONOLITH and ICAL/INO detectors. We find
that such detectors are sensitive to the sign of the mass-squared difference,
\delta_{32} = m_3^2 - m_2^2, provided the as-yet unknown mixing angle between
the first and third generations, \theta_{13}, is greater than 6 degrees (\sin^2
2\theta_{13} > 0.04). A result with a significance greater than 90% CL requires
large exposures (more than 500 kton-years) as well as good energy and angular
resolution of the detected muons (better than 15%), especially for small
\theta_{13}. Hence obtaining definitive results with such a detector is
difficult, unless \theta_{13} turns out to be large. In contrast, such
detectors can establish a clear oscillation pattern in atmospheric neutrinos in
about 150 kton-years, therefore determining the absolute value of \delta_{32}
and \sin^2 2 \theta_{23} to within 10%.


title: Tests of the Noncommutative Standard Model at a Future Photon Collider

abstract:
  Extensions of the Standard Model of elementary particle physics to
noncommutative geometries are proposed by string models. Independent of this
motivation, one may consider such a model as an effective field theory with
higher-dimensional operators containing an antisymmetric rank-2 background
field. We study the signals of such a Noncommutative Standard Model (NCSM) and
analyze the discovery potential of fermion pair production at a future photon
collider.


title: Amplitudes Fitted to Experimental Data and to Roy's Equations

abstract:
  The scalar-isoscalar, scalar-isotensor and vector-isovector pi-pi amplitudes
are fitted simultaneously to experimental data and to Roy's equations. The
resulting amplitudes are compared with those fitted only to experimental data.
No additional constraints for the pi-pi threshold behaviour of the amplitudes
are imposed. Threshold parameters are calculated for the amplitudes in the
three waves. Spectrum of scalar mesons below 1.8 GeV is found from the analysis
of the analytical structure of the fitted amplitudes.


title: A model of flavors

abstract:
  We argue in favor of dynamical mass generation in an SU(2)xU(1) electroweak
model with two complex scalar doublets with ordinary masses. The masses of
leptons and quarks are generated by ultraviolet-finite non-perturbative
solutions of the Schwinger-Dyson equations for full fermion propagators with
self-consistently modified scalar boson exchanges. The W and Z boson masses are
expressed in terms of spontaneously generated fermion proper self-energies in
the form of sum rules. The model predicts two charged and four real neutral
heavy scalars.


title:
Adaptive scanning - a proposal how to scan theoretical predictions over
  a multi-dimensional parameter space efficiently

abstract:
  A method is presented to exploit adaptive integration algorithms using
importance sampling, like VEGAS, for the task of scanning theoretical
predictions depending on a multi-dimensional parameter space. Usually, a
parameter scan is performed with emphasis on certain features of a theoretical
prediction. Adaptive integration algorithms are well-suited to perform this
task very efficiently. Predictions which depend on parameter spaces with many
dimensions call for such an adaptive scanning algorithm.


title: Eine untere Massenschranke fuer Neutralinos aus Supernova-Kuehlung

abstract:
  In my diploma thesis I calculate a lower mass bound of the lightest nutralino
assuming an additional supernova cooling mechanism. I consider
elektron-positron annihilation and nucleon-nucleon bremsstrahlung as cooling
processes. These cooling processes must not be too effective because they would
destroy the neutrino signal (SN 1987a). From this requirement I derive an upper
bound for the emitted energy and as a consequence I get a lower bound for the
mass of the lightest neutralino.


title:
Neutralino annihilation into gamma-rays in the Milky Way and in external
  galaxies

abstract:
  We discuss the gamma-ray signal from dark matter annihilation in our Galaxy
and in external objects, namely the Large Magellanic Cloud, the Andromeda
Galaxy (M31) and M87. We derive predictions for the fluxes in a low energy
realization of the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model and compare them with
current data from EGRET, CANGAROO-II and HEGRA and with the capabilities of
new-generation satellite-borne experiments, like GLAST, and ground-based
Cerenkov telescopes, like VERITAS. We find fluxes below the level required to
explain the possible indications of a gamma-ray excess shown by CANGAROO-II
(toward the Galactic Center) and HEGRA (from M87). As far as future experiments
are concerned, we show that only the signal from the galactic center could be
accessible to both satellite-borne experiments and to ACTs, even though this
requires very steep dark matter density profiles.


title:
Master Integrals For Massless Two-Loop Vertex Diagrams With Three
  Offshell Legs

abstract:
  We compute the master integrals for massless two-loop vertex graphs with
three off-shell legs. These master integrals are relevant for the QCD
corrections to H to V*V* (where V = W, Z) and for two-loop studies of the
triple gluon (and quark-gluon) vertex. We employ the differential equation
technique to provide series expansions in epsilon for the various master
integrals. The results are analytic and contain a new class of two-dimensional
harmonic polylogarithms.


title: Regge Amplitudes and Final State Phases in the Decays B to D Pi

abstract:
  The scattering amplitude of D Pi at the energy of the B mass can be
calculated using Regge theory. Recent papers have used this to calculate the
final state strong phases in the decays B to D Pi. It is argued that while the
Regge amplitude can yield an absorption correction to the decay rate, it is not
useful for determining the strong phase.


title: Single-spin asymmetries with two-hadron fragmentation functions

abstract:
  Using the formalism of two-hadron fragmentation functions, we discuss
single-spin asymmetries occurring in the production of two hadrons in the
current region of deep inelastic scattering, with a particular emphasis on
transversity measurements.


title:
Inclusive cross-sections for jet production in nucleus-nucleus
  collisions in perturbative QCD

abstract:
  Inclusive cross-sections for gluon jet production are studied numerically in
the perturbative QCD pomeron model for central collisions of identical nuclei
at high energies. Two forms for the inclusive cross-sections, with and without
emission from the triple pomeron vertex, are compared. The difference was found
to reduce to a numerical factor 0.8$\div$ 09 for momenta $k$ below the
saturation momentum $Q_s$. Above $Q_s$ no difference was found at all. The
gluon spectrum was found to be $\sim A$ for $k<Q_s$ and $\sim A^{1.1}$ for
$k>Q_s$. At large $k$ the spectrum falls as $1/k^{2.7\div 3.3}$ flattening with
energy. The multiplicities are proportional to $A$ with a good precision. Their
values are high amd grow rapidly with energy.


title: H/A Higgs Mixing in CP-Noninvariant Supersymmetric Theories

abstract:
  For large masses, the two heavy neutral Higgs bosons are nearly degenerate in
many 2--Higgs doublet models, and particularly in supersymmetric models. In
such a scenario the mixing between the states can be very large if the theory
is CP-noninvariant. We analyze the formalism describing this configuration, and
we point to some interesting experimental consequences.


title: Higgs-gauge unification without tadpoles

abstract:
  In orbifold gauge theories localized tadpoles can be radiatively generated at
the fixed points where U(1) subgroups are conserved. If the Standard Model
Higgs fields are identified with internal components of the bulk gauge fields
(Higgs-gauge unification) in the presence of these tadpoles the Higgs mass
becomes sensitive to the UV cutoff and electroweak symmetry breaking is
spoiled. We find the general conditions, based on symmetry arguments, for the
absence/presence of localized tadpoles in models with an arbitrary number of
dimensions D. We show that in the class of orbifold compactifications based on
T^{D-4}/Z_N (D even, N>2) tadpoles are always allowed, while on T^{D-4}/\mathbb
Z_2 (arbitrary D) with fermions in arbitrary representations of the bulk gauge
group tadpoles can only appear in D=6 dimensions. We explicitly check this with
one- and two-loops calculations


title: Invariant approach to flavour-dependent CP-violating phases in the MSSM

abstract:
  We use a new weak basis invariant approach to classify all the observable
phases in any extension of the Standard Model (SM). We apply this formalism to
determine the invariant CP phases in a simplified version of the Minimal
Supersymmetric SM with only three non-trivial flavour structures. We propose
four experimental measures to fix completely all the observable phases in the
model. After these phases have been determined from experiment, we are able to
make predictions on any other CP-violating observable in the theory, much in
the same way as in the Standard Model all CP-violation observables are
proportional to the Jarlskog invariant.


title: CFL Phase of High Density QCD at Non Zero Strange Quark Mass

abstract:
  We compute free energy of quark matter at asymptotically high baryon number
density in the presence of non zero strange quark mass including dynamics of
pseudo Nambu-Goldstone bosons due to chiral symmetry breaking, extending
previously existing analysis based on perturbative expansion in
$m_s^2/4\mu\Delta.$ We demonstrate that the CFL$K^0$ state has lower free
energy than the symmetric CFL state for $0<m_s^2/4\mu\Delta<2/3$. We also
calculate the spectrum of the fermionic quasiparticle excitations about the
kaon condensed ground state in the regime $m_s^2/4\mu\Delta \sim 1$ and find
that $(m_s^2/4\mu\Delta)_{crit}=2/3$ for the CFL-gCFL phase transition, the
leading order result reported in [1], is not modified.


title: High Scale Study of Possible B \to \phi K_S CP Physics

abstract:
  Some rare decay processes are particularly sensitive to physics beyond the
Standard Model (SM) because they have no SM tree contributions. We focus on one
of these, $B_{d}\to \phi K_{s}$. Our study is in terms of the high scale
effective theory, and high scale models for the underlying theory, while
previous studies have been focusing on the low scale effective Lagrangian. We
examine phenomenologically the high scale parameter space with full
calculations, but largely report the results in terms of mass insertion
techniques since they are then easily pictured. We also determine the ranges of
different mass insertions that could produce large non-SM CP effects. Then we
exhibit classes of high scale models that can or cannot provide large non-SM CP
effects, thus demonstrating that data on $B_{d}\to \phi K_{s}$ can probe both
supersymmetry breaking and the underlying high scale theory and even make
relatively direct contact with string-motivated models. We provide a novel and
systematic technique to understand the relations between high and low scale
parameters from RGE running. We include all constraints from other data,
particularly $b\to s\gamma$ and EDMs.


title: A comparison between direct and indirect dark matter search

abstract:
  We carry out a comparison between different kinds of experiments for the
detection of neutralino dark matter. In particular, we compare the theoretical
predictions for the direct detection of these particles, through their elastic
scattering on target nuclei through nuclear recoils, with those for their
indirect detection through the gamma rays produced by their annihilation in the
galactic center. For the comparison we pay special attention to points which
will be testable by very sensitive experiments, such as e.g. EDELWEISS II and
GENIUS for direct detection, and GLAST for indirect detection. We perform the
analysis in the framework of a general SUGRA theory, allowing the presence of
non-universal soft scalar and gaugino masses in the parameter space. As a
conclusion, we find that indirect detection experiments will be able to test
larger regions of the parameter space than direct detection ones.


title: Quantum weights of monopoles and calorons with non-trivial holonomy

abstract:
  The functional determinant is computed exactly for quantum oscillations about
periodic instantons with non-trivial values of the Polyakov line at spatial
infinity (or holonomy). Such instantons can be viewed as composed of the
Bogomolnyi--Prasad--Sommerfeld (BPS) monopoles or dyons. We find the weight or
the probability with which dyons occur in the pure Yang--Mills partition
function. It turns out that dyons experience quantum interactions having the
familiar "linear plus Coulomb" form but with the "string tension'' depending on
the holonomy. We present an argument that at temperatures below the critical
one computed from Lambda_QCD, trivial holonomy becomes unstable, with
instantons ``ionizing'' into separate dyons. It may serve as a microscopic
mechanism of the confinement-deconfinement phase transition.


title: Statistical Mechanics and Lorentz Violation

abstract:
  The theory of statistical mechanics is studied in the presence of
Lorentz-violating background fields. The analysis is performed using the
Standard-Model Extension (SME) together with a Jaynesian formulation of
statistical inference. Conventional laws of thermodynamics are obtained in the
presence of a perturbed hamiltonian that contains the Lorentz violating terms.
As an example, properties of the nonrelativistic ideal gas are calculated in
detail. To lowest order in Lorentz violation, the scalar thermodynamic
variables are only corrected by a rotationally invariant combination of
parameters that mimics a (frame dependent) effective mass. Spin couplings can
induce a temperature independent polarization in the classical gas that is not
present in the conventional case. Precision measurements in the residual
expectation values of the magnetic moment of Fermi gases in the limit of high
temperature may provide interesting limits on these parameters.


title: Chiral Transition and Some Issues on the Scalar Mesons

abstract:
  Some issues on the low-mass scalar mesons are discussed in relation to the
chiral transition of QCD vacuum. The importance to explore the possible
collective nature of the $\sigma$ meson is emphasized in association with the
chiral properties of nuclear media.


title: Real and Virtual Photoproduction of Large-pt Particles at NLO

abstract:
  In the first part of this paper we assess the possibility of observing the
gluon distribution in a real photon by measuring the photoproduction cross
section of large-pt photons. In the second part we calculate the virtual
photoproduction of large-pt forward pi0. The theoretical results are compared
with data and with BFKL-inspired predictions. These studies are done at the NLO
approximation.


title:
A Remark on the Large Difference between the Glueball Mass and T(C) in
  Quenched QCD

abstract:
  The lattice QCD studies indicate that the critical temperature $T_c \simeq
260-280$ MeV of the deconfinement phase transition in quenched QCD is
considerably smaller than the lowest-lying glueball mass $m_{\rm G} \simeq
1500-1700$ MeV, i.e., $ T_c \ll m_{\rm G}$. As a consequence of this large
difference, the thermal excitation of the glueball in the confinement phase is
strongly suppressed by the statistical factor as $e^{-m_{\rm G}/T_c} \simeq
0.00207$ even near $T \simeq T_c$. We consider its physical implication, and
argue the abnormal feature of the deconfinement phase transition in quenched
QCD from the statistical viewpoint. To appreciate this, we demonstrate a
statistical argument of the QCD phase transition using the recent lattice QCD
data. From the phenomenological relation among $T_c$ and the glueball mass, the
deconfinement transition is found to take place in quenched QCD before a
reasonable amount of glueballs is thermally excited. In this way, quenched QCD
reveals a question ``what is the trigger of the deconfinement phase transition
?''


title:
A heavy Higgs boson from flavor and electroweak symmetry breaking
  unification

abstract:
  We present a unified picture of flavor and electroweak symmetry breaking
based on a nonlinear sigma model spontaneously broken at the TeV scale. Flavor
and Higgs bosons arise as pseudo-Goldstone modes. Explicit collective symmetry
breaking yields stable vacuum expectation values and masses protected at one
loop by the little-Higgs mechanism. The coupling to the fermions generates
well-definite mass textures--according to a U(1) global flavor symmetry--that
correctly reproduce the mass hierarchies and mixings of quarks and leptons. The
model is more constrained than usual little-Higgs models because of bounds on
weak and flavor physics. The main experimental signatures testable at the LHC
are a rather large mass m_{h^0} = 317\pm 80 GeV for the (lightest) Higgs boson
and a characteristic spectrum of new bosons and fermions at the TeV scale.


title:
On the strong-coupling effects in jet bremsstrahlung in the heavy flavor
  decays

abstract:
  We address the strong-coupling regime effects in the light-like quark jets
where the radiated gluons are hard but highly collinear. These may lead to
additional contributions in the invariant mass (or recoil energy) spectra, on
top of the Fermi motion of the initial heavy quark in decays like b->s+\gamma.
It is shown that the integer moments are nevertheless free from such effects;
perturbation theory corrections for the moments are driven by \alpha_s in the
small coupling regime. They are modified nonperturbatively by the soft modes
but not by the collinear modes.


title: Concepts of Heavy-Ion Physics

abstract:
  In these lectures I present the key ideas driving the field of relativistic
heavy-ion physics and develop some of the theoretical tools needed for the
description and interpretation of heavy-ion collision experiments.


title: Recent progress on the rare decay KL to pi0 mu+ mu-

abstract:
  The rare decay KL to pi0mu+mu- has a significant CP-conserving contribution.
The reliable theoretical estimation of this piece from the experimental pi0-two
photon branching ratio is shortly reviewed. Then, we discuss the exceptional
sensitivity of the combined set of decays, into pi0 nu nubar, pi0e+e- and
pi0mu+mu-, to New Physics signal, and also, interestingly, to New Physics
nature.


title: A Variational look at QCD

abstract:
  I discuss the applicability of variational methods to the study of
non-perturbative aspects of QCD. An illustration of the capabilities of the
method pioneered by Kogan and Kovner is given through the analysis of the
deconfinement phase transition in gluodynamics in 3+1 dimensions.


title:
Violation of Lorentz invariance and dynamical effects in high energy
  gamma rays

abstract:
  The relation between the violation of Lorentz invariance and the dynamical
effects in high energy gamma rays production is discussed. By using the
framework of noncommutative classical electrodynamics, it is shown that full
dynamical calculations are required to put bounds on the Lorentz violating
scale by the phenomenological analysis of these processes as, for example, the
synchrotron radiation from the CRAB nebula. It is observed that an improvement
of the present bound on the scale of noncommutativity can be obtained only by
astrophysical observations of gamma ray spectra in strong magnetic fields such
as pulsars.


title: Strange quark asymmetry in the nucleon and the NuTeV anomaly

abstract:
  The NuTeV anomaly of a non-universal value of the fundamental parameter
sin^2\theta_W in the electroweak theory has been interpreted as an indication
for new physics beyond the Standard Model. However, the observed quantity
depends on a possible asymmetry in the momentum distributions of strange quarks
and antiquarks in the nucleon. This asymmetry occurs naturally in a
phenomenologically successful physical model for such parton distributions,
which reduces the NuTeV result to only about two standard deviations from the
Standard Model.


title: Monte Carlo models at the LHC

abstract:
  In this contribution the new event generation framework SHERPA will be
presented, which aims at a full simulation of events at current and future
high-energy experiments. Some first results exemplify its capabilities.


title: New tools for automatic cross section calculation

abstract:
  In this contribution the matrix element generator AMEGIC++ will be presented.
It automatically generates Feynman diagrams, helicity amplitudes, and suitable
phase space mappings for processes involving multi-particle final states within
the Standard Model and some of its popular extensions.


title: CAESAR: Computer Automated Resummations

abstract:
  This talk gives a brief discussion of the motivations and principles behind
computer automated expert semi-analytical resummation (CAESAR) for QCD final
states.


title: Fall and rise of the gluon splitting function

abstract:
  This talk reviews some recent results on the NLL resummed small-x gluon
splitting function, as determined including renormalisation-group improvements.
It also discusses the observation that the LO, NLO, NNLO, etc. hierarchy for
the gluon splitting function breaks down not when (alpha_s log 1/x) is of order
one but rather for (alpha_s log^2 1/x) of order one.


title: Magnetic moments of octet baryons and sea antiquark polarizations

abstract:
  Using generalized Sehgal equations for magnetic moments of baryon octet and
taking into account $\Sigma^{0}-\Lambda$ mixing and two particle corrections to
independent quark contributions we obtain very good fit using experimental
values for errors of such moments. We present sum rules for quark magnetic
moments ratios and for integrated spin dendities ratios. Due to the SU(3)
structure of our equations the results for magnetic moments of quarks and their
densities depend on two additional parameters. Using information from deep
inelastic scattering and baryon $\beta$-decays we discuss the dependence of
antiquark polarizations on introduced parameters. For some plausible values of
these parameters we show that these polarizations are small if we neglect
angular momenta of quarks. Our very good fit to magnetic moments of baryon
octet can still be improved by using specific model for angular momentum of
quarks.


title: Astrophysical Bounds on Planck Suppressed Lorentz Violation

abstract:
  This article reviews many of the observational constraints on Lorentz
symmetry violation (LV). We first describe the GZK cutoff and other phenomena
that are sensitive to LV. After a brief historical sketch of research on LV, we
discuss the effective field theory description of LV and related questions of
principle, technical results, and observational constraints. We focus on
constraints from high energy astrophysics on mass dimension five operators that
contribute to LV electron and photon dispersion relations at order E/M_Planck.
We also briefly discuss constraints on renormalizable operators, and review the
current and future contraints on LV at order (E/M_Planck)^2.


title: Cross-section and polarization of neutrino-produced $\tau$'s made simple

abstract:
  Practical formulae are derived for the cross-section and polarization of the
$\tau$ lepton produced in deep-inelastic neutrino-nucleon scattering in the
frame of the simple quark-parton model.


title: Experimental Outlook for the Pentaquark

abstract:
  A critical look is taken at both positive and null evidence for the
$\Theta^+$ pentaquark. Potential problems with experiments will be discussed
and the question of what conclusion can be drawn from both the positive and the
null results is examined. First the question of existence of the $\Theta^+$
pentaquark is considered, followed by a discussion of new experiments that are
either planned or in progress to answer questions about its mass, width and
isospin. Finally, indirect evidence for the parity of the $\Theta^+$ is
examined, and suggestions for experiments to measure its parity directly are
given.


title: Global analysis of inclusive B decays

abstract:
  In light of the large amount of new experimental data, we revisit the
determination of V_{cb} and m_b from inclusive semileptonic and radiative B
decays. We study shape variables to order lqcd^3/m_b^3 and alpha_s^2\beta_0,
and include the order alpha_s, lqcd/m_b correction to the hadron mass spectrum
in semileptonic decay, which improves the agreement with the data. We focus on
the 1S and kinetic mass schemes for the b quark, with and without expanding
m_b-m_c in HQET. We perform fits to all available data from BABAR, BELLE, CDF,
CLEO, and DELPHI, discuss the theoretical uncertainties, and compare with
earlier results. We find V_{cb} = (41.4 +- 0.6 +- 0.1) x 10^{-3} and m_b^{1S} =
4.68 +- 0.03 GeV, including our estimate of the theoretical uncertainty in the
fit.


title: Vector and Axial-Vector correlators in a instanton-like quark model

abstract:
  The behavior of the vector Adler function at spacelike momenta is studied in
the framework of a covariant chiral quark model with instanton-like quark-quark
interaction. The model reproduces the Adler function and $V-A$ correlator
extracted from the ALEPH and OPAL data on hadronic $\tau$ lepton decays,
transformed into the Euclidean domain via dispersion relations. The leading
order contribution from hadronic part of the photon vacuum polarization to the
anomalous magnetic moment of the muon, $a_{\mu}^{\mathrm{hvp}(1)} $, is
estimated.


title: Exclusive diffractive Higgs production at the LHC

abstract:
  We use a Monte Carlo implementation of recently developped models of double
diffractive Higgs production to assess the sensitivity of the LHC experiments.


title: High integer spins beyond the Fierz-Pauli Framework

abstract:
  We explicitly construct in the (1/2,1/2)X(1/2,1/2) representation space the
operator of the squared Pauli-Lubanski vector and derive from it that the
-6m^{2}eigensubspace (spin 2 in the rest frame), with well defined parity, is
pinned down by the one sole equation, [\epsilon_{\mu\alpha\beta\sigma}
\epsilon^{\mu}_{\nu\delta\rho}p^{\sigma}p^{\rho}-m^{2}g_{\alpha\beta}g_{\nu\del
ta}]h^{\beta\delta}=0$.


title: New methods of testing Lorentz violation in electrodynamics

abstract:
  We investigate experiments that are sensitive to the scalar and parity-odd
coefficients for Lorentz violation in the photon sector of the Standard Model
Extension (SME). We show that of the classic tests of special relativity,
Ives-Stilwell (IS) experiments are sensitive to the scalar coefficient, but at
only parts in 10^5 for the state-of-the-art experiment. We then propose
asymmetric Mach-Zehnder interferometers with different electromagnetic
properties in the two arms, including recycling techniques based on travelling
wave resonators to improve the sensitivity. With present technology we estimate
that the scalar and parity odd coefficients may be measured at sensitivity
better than parts in 10^11 and 10^15 respectively.


title: Resolving the B-> phi K^* Polarization Anomaly

abstract:
  The experimental observation of sizable transverse components for B-> phi K^*
decay is in strong contrast to all other VV modes, and poses a challenge to our
understanding of B decay dynamics. Observing that the gluon emitted from b->
sg^{(*)} chromodipole transition is transverse, we give a heuristic model where
the transverse phi descends from the emitted gluon, hence similar phenomena
should occur for B-> omega K^* but not for B-> rho^0 K^*. New physics in bsg
chromodipole coupling, perhaps needed for the \bar B -> phi K_S CP violation
anomaly, may lead to different patterns of CP and T violation in transverse
components of \bar B -> phi \bar K^*, omega \bar K^* decays.


title: The Gluon Green's Function at Small x

abstract:
  In this contribution a recently proposed iterative procedure is used to study
the BFKL gluon Green's function at next-to-leading order. This is done in QCD
and in N=4 supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory. The study includes an analysis of
the evolution with energy and of angular dependences. A discussion of a novel
resummation of running coupling terms in the QCD case is included.


title: Quark correlations and single-spin asymmetries

abstract:
  We illustrate, in a semi-classical picture, how the Wilson line phase factor
in gauge invariantly defined unintegrated parton density can lead to a nonzero
single-spin asymmetry (Sivers effect).


title: Unified Approach to Dense Matter

abstract:
  We apply the Skyrme model to dense hadronic matter, which provides a unified
approach to high density, valid in the large Nc limit. In our picture, dense
hadronic matter is described by the classical soliton configuration with
minimum energy for the given baryon number density. By incorporating the meson
fluctuations on such ground state we obtain an effective Lagrangian for meson
dynamics in a dense medium. Our starting point has been the Skyrme model
defined in terms of pions, thereafter we have extended and improved the model
by incorporating other degrees of freedom such as dilaton, kaons and vector
mesons.


title: Symmetries of Two Higgs Doublet Model and CP violation

abstract:
  We use the invariance of physical picture under a change of Lagrangian, the
reparametrization invariance in the space of Lagrangians and its particular
case -- the rephrasing invariance, for analysis of the two-Higgs-doublet
extension of the SM. We found that some parameters of theory like tan beta are
reparametrization dependent and therefore cannot be fundamental. We use the
Z2-symmetry of the Lagrangian, which prevents a phi_1 <-> phi_2 transitions,
and the different levels of its violation, soft and hard, to describe a
physical content of the model. In general, the broken Z2-symmetry allows for a
CP violation in the physical Higgs sector. We argue that the 2HDM with a soft
breaking of Z2-symmetry is a natural model in the description of EWSB. To
simplify an analysis we choose among different forms of Lagrangian describing
the same physical reality a specific one, in which the vacuum expectation
values of both Higgs fields are real. A possible CP violation in the Higgs
sector is described by using a two-step procedure with the first step identical
to a diagonalization of mass matrix for CP-even fields in the CP conserved
case. We find very simple necessary and sufficient condition for a CP violation
in the Higgs sector. We determine the range of parameters for which CP
violation and Flavor Changing Neutral Current effects are naturally small,what
corresponds to a small dimensionless mass parameter nu= Re m_{12}^2/(2v1v2). We
discuss how for small nu some Higgs bosons can be heavy, with mass up to about
0.6 TeV, without violating of the unitarity constraints. We discuss main
features of the large nu case, which corresponds for nu -> infty to a
decoupling of heavy Higgs bosons.


title: Dynamical Gauge-Higgs Unification

abstract:
  Gauge fields and both adjoint and fundamental Higgs fields are unified in
gauge theory defined on an orbifold. It is shown how the Hosotani mechanism at
the quantum level resolves the problem of the arbitrariness in boundary
conditions imposed at the fixed points of the orbifold. The role of adjoint
Higgs fields in the standard GUT, which are extra-dimensional components of
gauge fields in the current scheme, is taken by the Hosotani mechanism and
additional dynamics governing the selection of equivalence classes of boundary
conditions. The roles of fundamental Higgs fields, namely those of inducing the
electroweak symmetry breaking and giving masses to quarks and leptons, are
taken by the Hosotani mechanism and by extra twists in boundary conditions for
matter. SUSY scenario nicely fits this scheme. Explicit models are given for
the gauge groups U(3) x U(3), SU(5), and SU(6) on the orbifolds M^4 x (S^1/Z_2)
and M^4 x (T^2/Z_2).


title: A new method for a global fit of the CKM matrix

abstract:
  We report on a new method to a global fit of the CKM matrix by using the
necessary and sufficient condition the data have to satisfy in order to find a
unitary matrix compatible with them. This condition writes as $-1\le
\cos\phi\le 1$ where $\phi$ is the phase that accounts for CP violation. By
using it we get that the experimental data are to a high degree compatible to
unitarity and that $\phi$ takes values around $90^0$, in contrast to the
previous determinations. Numerical results are provided for the CKM matrix
entries, the mixing angles between generations and all the angles of the
standard unitarity triangle.


abstract:
  The evaluation of loop amplitudes via differential equations and harmonic
polylogarithms is discussed at an introductory level. The method is based on
evolution equations in the masses or in the external kinematical invariants and
on a proper choice of the basis of the trascendental functions. The
presentation is pedagogical and goes through specific one-loop and two-loop
examples in order to illustrate the general elements and ideas.


title: Low-scale standard supersymmetric leptogenesis

abstract:
  Strictly adhering to the standard supersymmetric seesaw mechanism, we present
a neutrino mass model which allows successful standard thermal leptogenesis
compatible with gravitino cosmology. At least some of the neutrino Yukawa
couplings must be much larger than the naive estimates following from the
seesaw formula. This leads to large BR(mu->e gamma), detectable in the next
round of experiments. Ratios of mu->e gamma, tau->e gamma and tau->mu gamma
branching ratios are predicted in terms of the measurable neutrino mass matrix.


title: Waiting for the Discovery of B^0_d -> K^0 \bar K^0

abstract:
  The CP asymmetries of the decay B_d^0 -> K^0 \bar K^0, which originates from
\bar b -> \bar d s \bar s flavour-changing neutral-current processes, and its
CP-averaged branching ratio BR(B_d -> K^0 \bar K^0) offer interesting avenues
to explore flavour physics. We show that we may characterize this channel,
within the Standard Model, in a theoretically clean manner through a surface in
observable space. In order to extract the relevant information from BR(B_d ->
K^0 \bar K^0), further information is required, which is provided by the B ->
pi pi system and the SU(3) flavour symmetry, where we include the leading
factorizable SU(3)-breaking corrections and discuss how experimental insights
into non-factorizable effects can be obtained. We point out that the Standard
Model implies a lower bound for BR(B_d -> K^0 \bar K^0), which is very close to
its current experimental upper bound, thereby suggesting that this decay should
soon be observed. Moreover, we explore the implications for ``colour
suppression'' in the B -> pi pi system, and convert the data for these modes
into a peculiar Standard-Model pattern for the CP-violating B_d^0 -> K^0 \bar
K^0 observables.


title:
Review of Methods of Power-Spectrum Analysis as Applied to
  Super-Kamiokande Solar Neutrino Data

abstract:
  To help understand why different published analyses of the Super-Kamiokande
solar neutrino data arrive at different conclusions, we have applied six
different methods to a standardized problem. The key difference between the
various methods rests in the amount of information that each processes. A
Lomb-Scargle analysis that uses the mid times of the time bins and ignores
experimental error estimates uses the least information. A likelihood analysis
that uses the start times, end times, and mean live times, and takes account of
the experimental error estimates, makes the greatest use of the available
information. We carry out power-spectrum analyses of the Super-Kamiokande 5-day
solar neutrino data, using each method in turn, for a standard search band (0
to 50 yr-1). For each method, we also carry out a fixed number (10,000) of
Monte-Carlo simulations for the purpose of estimating the significance of the
leading peak in each power spectrum. We find that, with one exception, the
results of these calculations are compatible with those of previously published
analyses. (We are unable to replicate Koshio's recent results.) We find that
the significance of the peaks at 9.43 yr-1 and at 43.72 yr-1 increases
progressively as one incorporates more information into the analysis procedure.


title: Local Duality and Charge Symmetry Violation in Quark Distributions

abstract:
  We use local quark-hadron duality to calculate the nucleon structure function
as seen by neutrino and muon beams. Our result indicates a possible signal of
charge symmetry violation at the parton level in the very large x region.


title: Deeply Virtual Compton Scattering in the Saturation Approach

abstract:
  We summarize here our investigations on the deeply virtual Compton scattering
(DVCS) in the color dipole approach, implementing the dipole cross section
through the saturation model. The role played by its QCD evolution and the
skewedness effects in the DVCS cross section are discussed. The
phenomenological results are compared to the recent H1 and ZEUS experimental
data.


title: Heavy Quarkonia in Quark-Gluon Plasma

abstract:
  Using the color-singlet free energy F_1 and total internal energy U_1
obtained by Kaczmarek et al. for a static quark Q and an antiquark Qbar in
quenched QCD, we study the binding energies and wave functions of heavy
quarkonia in a quark-gluon plasma. By minimizing the grand potential in a
simplified schematic model, we find that the proper color-singlet Q-Qbar
potential can be obtained from the total internal energy U_1 by subtracting the
gluon internal energy contributions. We carry out this subtraction in the local
energy-density approximation in which the gluon energy density can be related
to the local gluon pressure by the quark-gluon plasma equation of state. We
find in this approximation that the proper color-singlet Q-Qbar potential is
approximately F_1 for T ~ T_c and it changes to (3/4)F_1+(1/4)U_1 at high
temperatures. In this potential model, the J/psi is weakly bound above the
phase transition temperature T_c, and it dissociates spontaneously above 1.62
T_c, while chi_c and psi' are unbound in the quark-gluon plasma. The bottomium
states Upsilon, chi_b and Upsilon' are bound in the quark-gluon plasma and they
dissociate at 4.10 T_c, 1.18 T_c, and 1.38 T_c respectively. For comparison, we
evaluate the heavy quarkonium binding energies also in other models using the
free energy F_1 or the total internal energy U_1 as the Q-Qbar potential. The
comparison shows that the model with the new Q-Qbar potential proposed in this
manuscript gives dissociation temperatures that agree best with those from
spectral function analyses. We evaluate the cross section for
sigma(g+J/psi->c+cbar) and its inverse process, in order to determine the J/psi
dissociation width and the rate of J/psi production by recombining c and cbar
in the quark gluon plasma.


title: Three-loop QCD corrections and b-quark decays

abstract:
  We present three-loop (NNNLO) corrections to the heavy-to-heavy quark
transitions in the limit of equal initial and final quark masses. In analogy
with the previously found NNLO corrections, the bulk of the result is due to
the beta_0^2 alpha_s^3 corrections. The remaining genuine three-loop effects
for the semileptonic b --> c decays are estimated to increase the decay
amplitude by 0.2(2)%. The perturbative series for the heavy-heavy axial current
converges very well.


title:
Particle-Antiparticle Asymmetries of $\Lambda$ Production in
  Hadron-Nucleon Collisions

abstract:
  The particle-antiparticle asymmetries of $\Lambda$ production in 250 GeV/c
$\pi^{\pm}$, $K^{\pm}$, and $p$ --nucleon collisions are studied with two model
parametrizations of quark to $\Lambda$ fragmentation functions. It is shown
that the available data can be qualitatively explained by the calculated
results in both the quark-diquark model and a pQCD based analysis of
fragmentation functions. The differences in the two model predictions are
significant for $K^{\pm}$ beams, and high precision measurements of the
asymmetries with detailed $x_F$ and $P_T$ information can discriminate between
different predictions.


title:
Nuclear parton distribution functions and their effects on sin^2 theta_W
  anomaly

abstract:
  Nuclear parton distribution functions (NPDFs) are investigated by analyzing
the data on structure functions F_2^A and Drell-Yan cross sections
sigma_{DY}^{pA}. An important point of this analysis is to show uncertainties
of the NPDFs by the Hessian method. The analysis indicates that the
uncertainties are large for antiquark distributions at x>0.2 and gluon
distributions in the whole x region. We also discuss a nuclear effect on the
NuTeV sin^2 theta_W anomaly as an application.


title: AAC analysis of polarized parton distributions with uncertainties

abstract:
  We report recent studies of the Asymmetry Analysis Collaboration (AAC) on
polarized parton distribution functions (PDFs). Using the data on the spin
symmetry A_1 in deep inelastic lepton scattering, we investigate optimum
polarized PDFs. Their uncertainties are estimated by the Hessian method. The
uncertainties are large for the polarized antiquark and gluon distributions. We
discuss the role of accurate SLAC-E155 proton data on the determination of the
PDFs. The obtained distributions are compared with other parametrization
results.


title: Universal energy spectrum of tight knots and links in physics

abstract:
  We argue that a systems of tightly knotted, linked, or braided flux tubes
will have a universal mass-energy spectrum, since the length of fixed radius
flux tubes depend only on the topology of the configuration. We motivate the
discussion with plasma physics examples, then concentrate on the model of
glueballs as knotted QCD flux tubes. Other applications will also be discussed.


title: Eccentric inflation and WMAP

abstract:
  For uniform arrangements of magnetic fields, strings, or domain walls
(together with the cosmological constant and non-relativistic matter), exact
solutions to the Einstein equations are shown to lead to a universe with
ellipsoidal expansion. We argue the results can be used to explain some
features in the WMAP data. The magnetic field case is the easiest to motivate
and has the highest possibility of yielding reliable constraints on
observational cosmology.


title: Glueballs and the universal energy spectrum of tight knots and links

abstract:
  Systems of tightly knotted, linked, or braided flux tubes will have a
universal mass-energy spectrum if the flux is quantized. We focus on a model of
glueballs as knotted QCD flux tubes.


title:
An Attempt to Solve the Hierarchy Problem Based on Gravity-Gauge-Higgs
  Unification Scenario

abstract:
  We discuss a possible scenario to solve the hierarchy problem, in which
4-dimensional bosonic fields with all possible integer spins, graviton, gauge
boson and Higgs are unified in a framework of a gravity theory with extra
dimensions. The Higgs is identified with the extra space component of the
metric tensor. One-loop quantum effect on the Higgs mass-squared is explicitly
calculated in a five dimensional gravity theory compactified on $S^1$. We
obtain a finite calculable Higgs mass-squared without suffering from quadratic
divergence, by virtue of general coordinate transformation invariance, which is
argued to be guaranteed by the summation over all Kaluza-Klein modes running in
the loop diagrams.


title: Challenges in Hadron Physics

abstract:
  In this talk, I address some open problems in hadron physics and stress their
importance for a better understanding of QCD in the confinement regime.


title:
The polarization tensor of neutral gluons in external fields at high
  temperature

abstract:
  The one-loop polarization operator of neutral gluons in the background
constant Abelian isotopic, $H_{3}$, and hypercharge, $H_{8}$, chromomagnetic
fields combined with $A_0$ electrostatic potential at high temperature is
calculated. The case when $A_0=0$ is investigated separately. The proper time
method is applied. It is found that neutral gluons do not acquire magnetic
masses in the background fields, in contrast to the charged ones. The
application of the results are discussed.


title: Supernova Relic Neutrinos in Liquid Argon detectors

abstract:
  We study the possibility of detecting the background of Supernova Relic
Neutrinos (SRN) with liquid Argon Time Projection Chamber (TPC) detectors. As
far as this study is concerned, these experimental devices are mainly sensitive
to electron neutrino signals, and could provide further information on both
Supernova explosion mechanism and on star formation rate at redshifts z <2. We
study in details the main contributions to background in the relevant energy
range from 8B and hep solar neutrinos as well as from low energy atmospheric
neutrino fluxes. Depending on the theoretical prediction for the SRN flux we
find that for a 3 kton and a 100 kton liquid Argon TPC detectors the signal may
be observed at the 1 sigma and 4 sigma level, respectively, with 5 years of
data taking.


title: Pentaquark from QCD sum rules: consequences of the diquark approach

abstract:
  In this work we investigate the consequences of the Jaffe and Wilczek diquark
model in the framework of QCD sum rules. An analysis of the Theta^+(1540) as
(ud)^2\bar{s} state shows that the mass of the pentaquark is compatible with
the experimentally measured value. The mass difference between the Theta^+ and
the pentaquark with the quantum numbers of the nucleon amounts to 70 MeV and is
consistent with the interpretation of the N(1440) as a pentaquark.


title: Thermodynamics of O(N) sigma models: 1/N corrections

abstract:
  The thermodynamics of the O(N) linear and nonlinear sigma models in 3+1
dimensions is studied. We calculate the pressure to next-to-leading order in
the 1/N expansion and show that at this order, temperature-independent
renormalization is only possible at the minimum of the effective potential. The
1/N expansion is found to be a good expansion for N as low as 4, which is the
case relevant for low-energy QCD phenomenology. We consider the cases with and
without explicit symmetry breaking. We show that previous next-to-leading order
calculations of the pressure are either breaking down in the temperatures of
interest, or based on unjustifiable high-energy approximations.


title: The new Monte Carlo Event Generator Herwig++

abstract:
  We present results obtained with the new Monte Carlo event generator
Herwig++. In its first version (1.0), Herwig++ is capable of simulating e+e-
Annihilation events. We compare results for different distributions with a vast
amount of available data from e+e- annihilation.


title: Herwig++ for e+e- collisions

abstract:
  Some results obtained with the new Monte Carlo event generator Herwig++ are
presented. In its first version (1.0), Herwig++ is capable of simulating e+e-
Annihilation events. We discuss its relevance for future e+e- colliders and
show results on the multiplicity of minijets.


title: Inclusive $D^*$ hadroproduction with massive quarks

abstract:
  A calculation of the next-to-leading order cross section for the inclusive
hadroproduction of charm quarks including heavy quark mass effects in the hard
scattering cross sections is presented. It is described how the massive hard
scattering cross sections are constructed from the corresponding cross sections
in a fixed order calculation where collinear pieces associated with the heavy
quark are not yet subtracted. By adjusting suitable subtraction terms a massive
theory with MSbar subtraction is established which approaches the massless
theory with increasing transverse momentum. These results will allow to have a
more solid comparison with recent data for the inclusive $D^{\star\pm}$ cross
section in $p\pbar$ collisions from the CDF collaboration at the Tevatron at
$\sqrt{S} = 1.96 \tev$.


title: Three-Quark Wave Function of Nucleon in the Quasipotential Approach

abstract:
  The structure of the nucleon wave function as a bound system of the
constituent quarks was considered in framework of the quasipotential method of
description of the bound states with a fixed number of particles.
  In the impulse approximation the wave function is reduced to the three-quark
component of the vector state in the Fock-momentum space.
  Spin structure of the wave function was studied by the decomposition method
of the irreducible representations product of inhomogeneous Lorentz group.
  Physical distinction of SU(6) symmetric solution is determined by uniqueness
of this solution in the nonrelativistic limit.
  The effective mass approximation for the relativistic theory was numerically
studied, in which dispersion of the average quark momentum is small as compare
to a big average quark momentum.
  Relativistic generalization of the nonrelativistic three-particle oscillator
was proposed.


title: Diffractive photon dissociation in the saturation regime

abstract:
  Using the Good and Walker picture, we derive a simple formula for diffractive
dissociation that can apply to recent data collected at HERA in the low Q2
regime.


title:
CGC, QCD Saturation and RHIC data (Kharzeev-Levin-McLerran-Nardi point
  of view)

abstract:
  This is the talk given at the Workshop:"Focus on Multiplicitioes", Bari,
Italy, 17-19 June,2004.. In this talk, we are going to discuss ion-ion and
deuteron - nucleus RHIC data and show that they support, if not more, the idea
of the new QCD phase: colour glass condensate with saturated parton density. .


title: Nucleon Magnetic Moments in the Quasipotential Quark Model

abstract:
  Calculation of the nucleon magnetic moments was performed in the
quasipotential quark model.
  The main contribution into the nucleon magnetic moments is determined by the
SU(6) symmetrical spin-isospin part of the wave function and is equal to 3 and
-2 (in the units of nuclear magnetons) for proton and neutron, respectively.
  Corrections are explained by relative quark motion and are equal to $-4a/3$
and $+a$ for proton and neutron, respectively, where the dimensionless value
$a$ depends on the dimensionless ratio of the oscillator parameter and quark
mass in case of the oscillator interaction.
  It is shown that the independence of the nucleon magnetic moments on nucleon
mass is a consequence of relativistic kinematics.
  The invariant dimensionless parameter is introduced to estimate the violation
of current conservation.
  By means of this parameter it is shown that the current leakage is neglegibly
small in the model.


title:
Axial and Vector Coupling Constants of Nucleons and Constituent Quarks
  in the Quasipotential Model

abstract:
  Calculation of ratio of the nucleon axial and vector coupling constants
$G_A/G_V$ in the framework of the quasipotential quark model has been
performed.
  It was shown that in this model $G_A/G_V$ is defined by the ratio of the
corresponding quark axial and and vector coupling constants $g_A/g_V$ and by
the dimensionless parameter describing the relativistic relative quark motion
and vanishing in the nonrelativistic limit.
  This relativistic parameter also defines nucleon magnetic moments.
  Thus we obtain relations independent of the form of the wave function:
$G_A/G_V=(g_A/g_V)5(\mu^p-1)/6$, $\mu^p=(1-4\mu^n)/3$.
  Proton magnetic moment $\mu^p$ from the second relation reproduces the
experimental value with the error of 3 %.
  Then the first relation allows us to find $(g_A/g_V)$ with 5% uncertainty:
$(g_A/g_V)\in[0.809,0.850]$.


title: The discovery and properties of pentaquarks

abstract:
  The pentaquarks are exotic baryons formed of four quarks and an antiquarks.
Their existence has been discussed in the literature over the last 30 years or
more, first in connection with kaon nucleon scattering data. The subject has
been revived by the end of 2002 when experimental evidence of a narrow baryon
of strangeness $S$ = + 1, and mass $M \simeq$ 1530 MeV has been found. This is
interpreted as the lightest member of an SU(3)-flavor antidecuplet. Here we
shall mainly review the predictions of pentaquark properties as e.g. mass, spin
and parity, within constituent quark models.
  Both light and heavy pentaquarks will be presented.


title: Renormalization Group Invariants in the MSSM and Its Extensions

abstract:
  We derive one-loop renormalization group (RG) invariant observables and
analyze their phenomenological implications in the MSSM and its \mu problem
solving extensions, U(1)' model and NMSSM. We show that there exist several RG
invariants in the gauge, Yukawa and soft-breaking sectors of each model. In
general, RG invariants are highly useful for projecting experimental data to
messenger scale, for revealing correlations among the model parameters, and for
probing the mechanism that breaks supersymmetry. The Yukawa couplings and
trilinear soft terms in U(1)' model and NMSSM do not form RG invariants though
there exist approximate invariants in low tan(beta). In the NMSSM, there are no
invariants that contain the Higgs mass-squareds. We provide a comparative
analysis of RG invariants in all three models and analyze their model-building
and phenomenological implications by a number of case studies.


title: V_us and m_s from hadronic tau decays

abstract:
  Recent experimental results on hadronic tau decays into strange particles by
the OPAL collaboration are employed to determine V_us and m_s from moments of
the invariant mass distribution. Our results are V_us = 0.2208+-0.0034 and
m_s(2 GeV) = 81+-22 MeV. The error on V_us is dominated by experiment, and
should be improvable in the future. Nevertheless, already now our result is
competitive to the standard extraction of V_us from K_e3 decays, and it is
compatible with unitarity.


title:
Observables sensitive to absolute neutrino masses: Constraints and
  correlations from world neutrino data

abstract:
  In the context of three-flavor neutrino mixing, we present a thorough study
of the phenomenological constraints applicable to three observables sensitive
to absolute neutrino masses: The effective neutrino mass in Tritium beta decay
(m_beta); the effective Majorana neutrino mass in neutrinoless double beta
decay (m_2beta); and the sum of neutrino masses in cosmology (Sigma). We
discuss the correlations among these variables which arise from the combination
of all the available neutrino oscillation data, in both normal and inverse
neutrino mass hierarchy. We set upper limits on m_beta by combining updated
results from the Mainz and Troitsk experiments. We also consider the latest
results on m_2beta from the Heidelberg-Moscow experiment, both with and without
the lower bound claimed by such experiment. We derive upper limits on Sigma
from an updated combination of data from the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy
Probe (WMAP) satellite and the 2 degrees Fields (2dF) Galaxy Redshifts Survey,
with and without Lyman-alpha forest data from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey
(SDSS), in models with a non-zero running of the spectral index of primordial
inflationary perturbations. The results are discussed in terms of
two-dimensional projections of the globally allowed region in the
(m_beta,m_2beta,Sigma) parameter space, which neatly show the relative impact
of each data set. In particular, the (in)compatibility between Sigma and
m_2beta constraints is highlighted for various combinations of data. We also
briefly discuss how future neutrino data (both oscillatory and non-oscillatory)
can further probe the currently allowed regions.


title: Implications of the Present Bound on the Width of the Theta(1540)

abstract:
  The recently reported Theta(1540) exotic baryon seems to be very narrow:
Gamma(Theta)< 1 MeV according to some analyses. Using methods of low energy
scattering theory, we develop expectations for the width of the Theta, an
elastic resonance in KN scattering in a theory where the characteristic range
of interactions is ~1 Fermi. If the Theta is a potential scattering resonance,
generated by the forces in the KN channel, its width is hard to account for
unless the KN-channel orbital angular momentum, l, is two or greater. If the
Theta is a CDD pole, its coupling to the scattering channel is at least an
order of magnitude less than the coupling of the Lambda(1520) unless l is two
or greater. Either way, if the Theta proves to be in the KN s- or p-wave, new
physics must be responsible for its narrow width.


title: Searches for Higgs Bosons Beyond the Standard Model

abstract:
  Latest results from the combined data of the four LEP experiments ALEPH,
DELPHI, L3 and OPAL on Higgs boson searches in extensions of the Standard Model
(SM) are presented.


title: Hadronic interactions of the J/psi and Adler's theorem

abstract:
  Effective Lagrangian models of charmonium have recently been used to estimate
dissociation cross sections with light hadrons. Detailed study of the symmetry
properties reveals possible shortcomings relative to chiral symmetry. We
therefore propose a new Lagrangian and point out distinguishing features
amongst the different approaches. Moreover, we test the models against Adler's
theorem, which requires, in the appropriate limit, the decoupling of pions from
the theory for the normal parity sector. Using the newly proposed Lagrangian,
which exhibits SU_L(N_f) x SU_R(N_f) symmetry and complies with Adler's
theorem, we find dissociation cross sections with pions that are reduced in an
energy dependent way, with respect to cases where the theorem is not fulfilled.


title: Understanding single-top-quark production and jets at hadron colliders

abstract:
  I present an analysis of fully differential single-top-quark production plus
jets at next-to-leading order. I describe the effects of jet definitions,
top-quark mass, and higher orders on the shapes and normalizations of the
kinematic distributions, and quantify all theoretical uncertainties. I explain
how to interpret next-to-leading-order jet calculations, and compare them to
showering event generators. Using the program ZTOP, I show that HERWIG and
PYTHIA significantly underestimate both s-channel and t-channel
single-top-quark production, and propose a scheme to match the relevant samples
to the next-to-leading-order predictions.


title:
Color Glass Condensate at the LHC: hadron multiplicities in $pp$, $pA$
  and $AA$ collisions

abstract:
  We make quantitative predictions for the rapidity and centrality dependencies
of hadron multiplicities in $AA$, $pA$ and $pp$ collisions at the LHC energies
basing on the ideas of parton saturation in the Color Glass Condensate.


title: Infrared Behavior of the Pressure in $g \phi^3$ Theory Reexamined

abstract:
  We reinvestigate the infrared behavior of the pressure in the $g \phi^3$
scalar theory in six dimensions. This problem was first studied by Almeida and
Frenkel and more recently by Carrington et al., that certified their results
under certain approximations. We employ an alternative technique, instead of
the approximation methods necessary to truncate the Schwinger-Dyson equations,
often considered to calculate the pressure nonperturbatively. A daisy-type sum,
implemented through the modified self-consistent resummation (MSCR), is enough
to take care of the infrared divergences ensuring the finiteness of the
pressure.


title: The Abelianization of QCD Plasma Instabilities

abstract:
  QCD plasma instabilities appear to play an important role in the
equilibration of quark-gluon plasmas in heavy-ion collisions in the theoretical
limit of weak coupling (i.e. asymptotically high energy). It is important to
understand what non-linear physics eventually stops the exponential growth of
unstable modes. It is already known that the initial growth of plasma
instabilities in QCD closely parallels that in QED. However, once the unstable
modes of the gauge-fields grow large enough for non-Abelian interactions
between them to become important, one might guess that the dynamics of QCD
plasma instabilities and QED plasma instabilities become very different. In
this paper, we give suggestive arguments that non-Abelian self-interactions
between the unstable modes are ineffective at stopping instability growth, and
that the growing non-Abelian gauge fields become approximately Abelian after a
certain stage in their growth. This in turn suggests that understanding the
development of QCD plasma instabilities in the non-linear regime may have close
parallels to similar processes in traditional plasma physics. We conjecture
that the physics of collisionless plasma instabilities in SU(2) and SU(3) gauge
theory becomes equivalent, respectively, to (i) traditional plasma physics,
which is U(1) gauge theory, and (ii) plasma physics of U(1)x U(1) gauge theory.


title: Dijet rates with symmetric cuts

abstract:
  We show that a resummation of infrared logarithms is needed to obtain a
sensible theoretical description of dijet rates when symmetric cuts are applied
to the transverse energies of both jets. We also present the next-to-leading
logarithmic (NLL) resummation we carried out for DIS production of two jets
selected with the cone algorithm.


title: Color dipoles and k_t factorization for nuclei

abstract:
  We discuss applications of the color dipole approach to hard processes on
nuclei. We focus on the relation to k_t--factorisation and the role of a
nuclear unintegrated gluon distribution in single-- and two-- particle
inclusive spectra in \gamma^*A and pA collisions. Linear k_t factorisation is
broken for a wide class of observables, which we exemplify on the case of heavy
quark p_t--spectra.


title: Spectrum and decays of hadronic atoms

abstract:
  We describe the spectra and decays of pi pi and pi K atoms within a
non-relativistic effective field theory. The evaluations of the energy shifts
and widths are performed at next-to-leading order in isospin symmetry breaking.
The prediction for the lifetime of the pi K atom in its ground-state yields tau
= (3.7 \pm 0.4) * 10^{-15} sec.


title: Wandering in Color-Space -- why the life of pentaquark is so long ? --

abstract:
  The problem of the long life time of the pentaquark $\Theta^+$ is
investigated on the basis of the color molecular dynamics simulation. We find
that it takes a long time (typically of 50-100 fm/c) for the initial
pentaquark-state to rearrange its color and spatial positions to decay into the
nucleon + kaon final state. Structure of the potential surface in the color and
position spaces also supports this picture. Pentaquark wanders on the potential
surface to find a narrow channel to decay.


title: Magnetic moments of S-shell pentaquarks in the constituent quark model

abstract:
  We discuss the magnetic moments of the recently discovered exotic baryons
Theta(+) and Xi(--) and their multiplet partners in the framework of a naive
additive quark model. These baryons are set up as pentaquark states where four
quarks and a single antiquark are located in their ground state orbit. The
pentaquark states are classified as members of the flavor SU(3) octet and
antidecuplet with spin-parity J^P = (1/2)^- and (3/2)^-, where we determine the
magnetic moments of these pentaquark states.


title: NDA and perturbativity in Higgsless models

abstract:
  We analyze unitarity violation in 5D Higgsless theories using tree level
unitarity bounds on gauge vector bosons scatterings. Both elastic and inelastic
amplitudes are analytically computed and used to estimate the perturbativity
cutoff. The results are compared with 5D NDA estimates. The inelastic channels
are essential for a correct determination of the cutoff when light KK states
are present. In flat space Higgsless models the cutoff is always quite low, and
can be raised at 5 TeV only if one has the first KK state at around 500 GeV,
which is disfavored by Electroweak data.


title: Kwieci\'Nski-CCFM Unintegrated Parton Distributions - a Few Applications

abstract:
  A few applications of recent unintegrated parton distributions from the
solution of the recent equations formulated by Jan Kwieci\'nski are shown.


title:
Tracing Very High Energy Tau Neutrinos from Cosmological Distances in
  Ice

abstract:
  Astrophysical sources of ultrahigh energy neutrinos yield tau neutrino fluxes
due to neutrino oscillations. We study in detail the contribution of tau
neutrinos with energies above $10^6$ GeV relative to the contribution of the
other flavors. We consider several different initial neutrino fluxes and
include tau neutrino regeneration in transit through the Earth and energy loss
of charged leptons. We discuss signals of tau neutrinos in detectors such as
IceCube, RICE and ANITA.


title: QCD uncertainties at the LHC and the implications of HERA

abstract:
  Strong interaction physics will be ubiquitous at the Large Hadron Collider
since the colliding beams consist of confined quarks and gluons. Although the
main purpose of the LHC is to study the mechanism of electroweak symmetry
breaking and to search for physics beyond the Standard Model, to maximise the
precision and sensitivity of such anaylses it is necessary to understand in
detail various perturbative, semi-perturbative and non-perturbative QCD
effects. Many of these effects have been extensively studied at HERA and will
be studied further at HERA II. We discuss the impact of the knowledge thus
gained on physics at the LHC.


title: Charm-Anticharm Kinematical Correlations in Photon-Proton Scattering

abstract:
  $c-\bar c$ correlations are calculated in the $k_t$-factorization approach.
Different unintegrated gluon distributions (uGDF) from the literature are used.
The results are compared with recent results of the FOCUS collaboration. The
recently developed CCFM uGDF gives a good description of the data. Predictions
for the HERA energies are presented.


title: Hard Bremsstrahlung photons from graviton exchange

abstract:
  We review photon Bremsstrahlung in extra-dimensional models with massive
gravitons. The photon spectrum is harder than in the Standard Model. In the RS
scenario, radiative return to gravitons below the c.m. energy can lead to a
considerable increase of the cross section.


title: The Fluxed MSSM

abstract:
  Recent developemnts in string compactifications in the presence of
antisymmetric field backgrounds suggest a new simple and predictive structure
for soft terms in the MSSM depending only on two parameters. They give rise to
a positive definite scalar potential, a solution to the $\mu $-problem, flavor
universality and absence of a SUSY-CP problem.


title:
Study of the semileptonic decay \Lambda_b^0 \to \Lambda_c^+ l^-
  \bar{\nu}_l

abstract:
  Within the framework of a nonrelativistic quark model we evaluate the six
form factors associated to the \Lambda_b^0 \to \Lambda_c^+ l^- \bar{\nu}_l
semileptonic decay. The baryon wave functions were evaluated using a
variational approach applied to a family of trial functions constrained by
Heavy Quark Symmetry (HQS). We use a spectator model with only one-body current
operators. For these operators we keep up to first order terms on the internal
(small) heavy quark momentum, but all orders on the transferred (large)
momentum. Our result for the partially integrated decay width is in good
agreement with lattice calculations. Comparison of our total decay width to
experiment allows us to extract the V_{cb} Cabbibo-Kobayashi-Maskawa matrix
element for which we obtain a value of |V_{cb}|=0.047\pm 0.005 in agreement
with a recent determination by the DELPHI Collaboration. Furthermore, we obtain
the universal Isgur-Wise function with a slope parameter \rho^2=0.98 in
agreement with lattice results.


title: Stable Pentaquarks from Strange Chiral Multiplets

abstract:
  The assumption of strong diquark correlations in the QCD spectrum suggests
flavor multiplets of hadrons that are degenerate in the chiral limit. Generally
it would be unnatural for there to be degeneracy in the hadron spectrum that is
not protected by a QCD symmetry. Here we show --for pentaquarks constructed
from diquarks-- that these degeneracies can be naturally protected by the full
chiral symmetry of QCD. The resulting chiral multiplet structure recovers the
ideally-mixed pentaquark mass spectrum of the diquark model, and interestingly,
requires that the axial couplings of the pentaquarks to states outside the
degenerate multiplets vanish in the chiral limit. This result suggests that if
these hadrons exist, they are stable in the chiral limit and therefore have
widths that scale as the fourth power of the kaon mass over the chiral symmetry
breaking scale. Natural-size widths are of order a few MeV.


title: Fun with Higgsless Theories

abstract:
  Motivated by recent works on ``Higgsless theories,'' I discuss an
$SU(2)_0\times SU(2)^{N}\times U(1)$ gauge theory with arbitrary bifundamental
(or custodial SU(2) preserving) symmetry breaking between the gauge subgroups
and with ordinary matter transforming only under the U(1) and $SU(2)_0$. When
the couplings, $g_j$, of the other SU(2)s are very large, this reproduces the
standard model at the tree level. I calculate the $W$ and $Z$ masses and other
electroweak parameters in a perturbative expansion in $1/g_j^2$, and give
physical interpretations of the results in a mechanical analog built out of
masses and springs. In the mechanical analog, it is clear that even for
arbitrary patterns of symmetry breaking, it is not possible (in the
perturbative regime) to raise the Higgs mass by a large factor while keeping
the $S$ parameter small.


title:
An algorithm for the high-energy expansion of multi-loop diagrams to
  next-to-leading logarithmic accuracy

abstract:
  We present an algorithm to compute arbitrary multi-loop massive Feynman
diagrams in the region where the typical energy scale \sqrt{s} is much larger
than the typical mass scale M, i.e. s>>M^2, while various different energy and
mass parameters may be present. In this region we perform an asymptotic
expansion and, using sector decomposition, we extract the leading contributions
resulting from ultraviolet and mass singularities, which consist of large
logarithms log(s/M^2) and 1/\epsilon poles in D=4-2\epsilon dimensions. To
next-to-leading accuracy, at L loops all terms of the form \alpha^L
\epsilon^{-k} log^j(s/M^2) with j+k=2L and j+k=2L-1 are taken into account.
This algorithm permits, in particular, to compute higher-order next-to-leading
logarithmic electroweak corrections for processes involving various kinematical
invariants of the order of hundreds of GeV and masses M_W \sim M_Z \sim M_H
\sim M_t of the order of the electroweak scale, in the approximation where the
masses of the light fermions are neglected.


title: Conformal Symmetry as a Template for QCD

abstract:
  Conformal symmetry is broken in physical QCD; nevertheless, one can use
conformal symmetry as a template, systematically correcting for its nonzero
$\beta$ function as well as higher-twist effects. For example, commensurate
scale relations which relate QCD observables to each other, such as the
generalized Crewther relation, have no renormalization scale or scheme
ambiguity and retain a convergent perturbative structure which reflects the
underlying conformal symmetry of the classical theory. The ``conformal
correspondence principle" also dictates the form of the expansion basis for
hadronic distribution amplitudes. The AdS/CFT correspondence connecting
superstring theory to superconformal gauge theory has important implications
for hadron phenomenology in the conformal limit, including an all-orders
demonstration of counting rules for hard exclusive processes as well as
determining essential aspects of hadronic light-front wavefunctions.
Theoretical and phenomenological evidence is now accumulating that QCD
couplings based on physical observables such as tau decay become constant at
small virtuality; i.e., effective charges develop an infrared fixed point in
contradiction to the usual assumption of singular growth in the infrared. The
near-constant behavior of effective couplings also suggests that QCD can be
approximated as a conformal theory even at relatively small momentum transfer.
The importance of using an analytic effective charge such as the pinch scheme
for unifying the electroweak and strong couplings and forces is also
emphasized.


title:
Untangling CP Violation and the Mass Hierarchy in Long Baseline
  Experiments

abstract:
  In the overlap region, for the normal and inverted hierarchies, of the
neutrino-antineutrino bi-probability space for $\nu_\mu \to \nu_e$ appearance,
we derive a simple identity between the solutions in the ($\sin^2
2\theta_{13}$, $\sin \delta$) plane for the different hierarchies. The
parameter $\sin^2 2\theta_{13}$ sets the scale of the $\nu_\mu \to \nu_e$
appearance probabilities at the atmospheric $\delta m^2_{atm} \approx 2.4
\times 10^{-3}$ eV$^2$ whereas $\sin \delta $ controls the amount of CP
violation in the lepton sector. The identity between the solutions is that the
difference in the values of $\sin \delta$ for the two hierarchies equals twice
the value of $\sqrt{\sin^2 2\theta_{13}}$ divided by the {\it critical} value
of $\sqrt{\sin^2 2\theta_{13}}$. We apply this identity to the two proposed
long baseline experiments, T2K and NO$\nu$A, and we show how it can be used to
provide a simple understanding of when and why fake solutions are excluded when
two or more experiments are combined. The identity demonstrates the true
complimentarity of T2K and NO$\nu$A.


title: Applications of Light-Front QCD

abstract:
  Light-front Fock state wavefunctions encode the bound state properties of
hadrons in terms of their quark and gluon degrees of freedom at the amplitude
level. The freedom to choose the light-like quantization four-vector provides
an explicitly covariant formulation of light-front quantization and can be used
to determine the analytic structure of light-front wave functions. The AdS/CFT
correspondence of large N_C supergravity theory in higher-dimensional anti-de
Sitter space with supersymmetric QCD in 4-dimensional space-time has
interesting implications for hadron phenomenology in the conformal limit,
including an all-orders demonstration of counting rules for exclusive
processes. String/gauge duality also predicts the QCD power-law behavior of
light-front Fock-state hadronic wavefunctions with arbitrary orbital angular
momentum at high momentum transfer. The form of these near-conformal
wavefunctions can be used as an initial ansatz for a variational treatment of
the light-front QCD Hamiltonian. I also briefly review recent work which shows
that some leading-twist phenomena such as the diffractive component of deep
inelastic scattering, single spin asymmetries, nuclear shadowing and
antishadowing cannot be computed from the LFWFs of hadrons in isolation.


title: Gauge-Assisted Technicolor?

abstract:
  It is well known that technicolor models in which the electroweak symmetry is
broken by QCD-like strong dynamics at the TeV scale generally predict
unacceptably large corrections to low-energy observables. We investigate the
models of electroweak symmetry breaking by strong dynamics in which the gauge
symmetry is extended to include an arbitrary number of additional SU(2) and
U(1) factors. This class of models includes the deconstructed version of the
recently proposed five-dimensional "Higgsless" scenario. We conclude that the
additional structure present in these theories does not suppress the effects of
strongly coupled short-distance physics on the precision electroweak
observables. In particular, the possibility that the symmetry breaking is due
to QCD-like dynamics is still strongly disfavored by data.


title: High-density QCD and Cosmic Ray Air Showers

abstract:
  We discuss particle production in the high-energy, small-x limit of QCD where
the gluon density of hadrons is expected to become nonperturbatively large.
Strong modifications of the phase-space distribution of produced particles as
compared to leading-twist models are predicted which reflect in the properties
of cosmic ray induced air showers in the atmosphere. Assuming hadronic
primaries, our results suggest a light composition near GZK cutoff energies. We
also show that cosmic ray data discriminate among various QCD evolution
scenarios for the rate of increase of the gluon density at small x, such as
fixed-coupling and running-coupling BFKL evolution. There are clear indications
for a slower growth of the gluon density as compared to RHIC and HERA, due e.g.
to running-coupling effects.


title: High-Temperature Limit of Landau-Gauge Yang-Mills Theory

abstract:
  The infrared properties of the high-temperature limit of Landau-gauge
Yang-Mills theory are investigated. In a first step the high-temperature limit
of the Dyson-Schwinger equations is taken. The resulting equations are
identical to the Dyson-Schwinger equations of the dimensionally reduced theory,
a three-dimensional Yang-Mills theory coupled to an effective adjoint Higgs
field. These equations are solved analytically in the infrared and ultraviolet,
and numerically for all Euclidean momenta. We find infrared enhancement for the
Faddeev-Popov ghosts, infrared suppression for transverse gluons and a mass for
the Higgs. These results imply long-range interactions and over-screening in
the chromomagnetic sector of high temperature Yang-Mills theory while in the
chromoelectric sector only screening is observed.


title: The QCD Splitting Functions at Three Loops: Methods and Results

abstract:
  We have computed the complete next-to-next-to-leading order (NNLO)
contributions to the splitting functions governing the evolution of unpolarized
parton densities in perturbative QCD. Our results agree with all partial
results available in the literature. We illustrate the methods used for this
calculation with some examples and display selected results to show the size of
the NNLO corrections and their effect on the evolution.


title: Model-independent search for the Abelian Z' boson in the Bhabha process

abstract:
  Model-independent observables to pick out the Abelian Z' signal in the Bhabha
process are introduced at energies >= 200 GeV. They measure separately the
Z'-induced vector and axial-vector four-fermion contact couplings. The analysis
of the LEP2 data constrains the value of the Z'-induced vector four-fermion
coupling at the 2-sigma confidence level that corresponds to the Abelian Z'
boson with the mass of order 1 TeV.


title: Higgs boson production with one bottom quark jet at hadron colliders

abstract:
  We present total rates and kinematic distributions for the associated
production of a single bottom quark and a Higgs boson at the Tevatron and the
LHC. We include next-to-leading order QCD corrections and compare the results
obtained in the four and five flavor number schemes for parton distribution
functions.


title: Scattering of Dirac and Majorana Fermions off Domain Walls

abstract:
  We investigate the interaction of fermions having both Dirac and left-handed
and right-handed Majorana mass terms with vacuum domain walls. By solving the
equations of motion in thin-wall approximation, we calculate the reflection and
transmission coefficients for the scattering of fermions off walls.


title: CKM-Triangle analysis: Updates and Novelties for Summer 2004

abstract:
  Using the most recent determinations of several theoretical and experimental
parameters, we update the Unitarity Triangle analysis in the Standard Model.
The basic experimental constraints come from the measurements of epsilon_k,
Vub/Vcb and Delta m_d, the limit on Delta m_s, and the measurement of the CP
asymmetry in the B sector through the J/psi K^0 channel. In addition we also
include in our analysis the direct determination of sin 2 alpha, gamma and
sin(2 beta + gamma) from the measurements of new CP-violating quantities,
recently coming from the B-Factories. We also discuss the opportunities offered
by improving the precision of the measurements of the various physical
quantities entering in the determination of the Unitarity Triangle parameters.
The results and the plots presented in this paper can be also found at
http://www.utfit.org, where they are continuously updated with the newest
experimental and theoretical results.


title: Pion and Kaon Decay Constants: Lattice vs. Resonance Chiral Theory

abstract:
  The Lattice results for the pion and kaon decay constants are analysed within
the Resonance Chiral Theory framework in the large NC limit. The approximately
linear behaviour of the observable at large light-quark mass is explained
through the interaction with the lightest multiplet of scalar resonances. The
analysis of the Lattice results allows to obtain the resonance mass MS=1049 +-
25 MeV and the Chiral Perturbation Theory parameters at leading order in 1/NC.


title: The Saga of $h_c$ and $h_b$ Search in Heavy Quarkonia

abstract:
  In this brief review, we examine carefully and critically the status of
search for the $h_c$ [$\psi(1^1P_1)$] charmonium state and the $h_b$
[$\Upsilon(1^1P_1)$] bottonium state, initiated by the E760 experiment. Recent
experimental studies at CLEO/BABAR/BELLE are examined in the light of new
theoretical and phenomenological understanding.


title:
Now You See It, Now You Don't--The Pattern of Production of Certain
  Resonances

abstract:
  We try to motivate from QCD a pattern of production in various reactions of
(non)exotic resonances. A higher penalty for extra q\bar{q} production in e^+
e^- collisions than in collisions with a nucleon target may explain the absence
of exotic multi-quark states in e^+ e^- . We also briefly address the
doubly-charmed baryons and the utilization of QCD inequalities in connection
with possible new hadronic states.


title:
Transverse beam polarization and limits on leptoquark couplings in e+e-
  --> t tbar

abstract:
  It is shown that if electron and positron beams at a linear collider are
transversely polarized, azimuthal asymmetries of the final-state top quark in
e+e- --> t tbar can be used to probe a combination of couplings of left and
right chiralities in a scalar leptoquark model. The CP-conserving azimuthal
asymmetry would be a sensitive test of the chirality violating couplings. A
linear collider operating at sqrt{s}=500 GeV and having transverse
polarizations of 80% and 60% respectively for the e- and e+ beams, can put a
limit of the order of 0.025 on the product of the left and right chirality
leptoquark couplings (in units of the electromagnetic coupling constant), with
a leptoquark mass of 1 TeV and for an integrated luminosity of 500 inverse fb.
The CP-violating azimuthal asymmetry, which would provide a direct test of
CP-violating phases in leptoquark couplings, can be constrained to the same
level of accuracy. However, this limit is uninteresting in view of the much
better indirect limit from the electric dipole moment of the electron.


title: Modular Hybrid Inflation without Flat Directions and the Curvaton

abstract:
  I study two-stage hybrid inflation driven by moduli fields, corresponding to
flat directions of supersymmetry, lifted by supergravity corrections. The first
stage corresponds to a period of either fast-roll or `locked' inflation,
induced by an oscillating inflaton. This is followed by a second stage of
fast-roll inflation. Enough total e-foldings to encompass the cosmological
scales are achieved. Structure in the Universe is generated due to a curvaton
field.


title:
A covariant constituent quark/gluon model for the glueball-quarkonia
  content of scalar-isoscalar mesons

abstract:
  We analyze the mixing of the scalar glueball with the scalar-isoscalar
quarkonia states above 1 GeV in a non-local covariant constituent approach.
Similarities and differences to the point-particle Klein-Gordon limit and to
the quantum mechanical case are elaborated. Model predictions for the
two-photon decay rates in the covariant mixing scheme are indicated.


title: P-P Total Cross Sections at VHE from Accelerator Data

abstract:
  Comparison of P-P total cross-sections estimations at very high energies -
from accelerators and cosmic rays - shows a disagreement amounting to more than
10 %, a discrepancy which is beyond statistical errors. Here we use a
phenomenological model based on the Multiple-Diffraction approach to
successfully describe data at accelerator energies. The predictions of the
model are compared with data On the basis of regression analysis we determine
confident error bands, analyzing the sensitivity of our predictions to the
employed data for extrapolation. : using data at 546 and 1.8 TeV, our
extrapolations for p-p total cross-sections are only compatible with the Akeno
cosmic ray data, predicting a slower rise with energy than other cosmic ray
results and other extrapolation methods. We discuss our results within the
context of constraints in the light of future accelerator and cosmic ray
experimental results.


title: Invisible Higgs in large extra dimension models

abstract:
  In large extra dimension models the presence of an interaction between the
Ricci scalar curvature and the Higgs doublet of the Standard Model can give
rise to an invisible decay of the Higgs to Kaluza Klein graviscalars. The
corresponding invisible width can cause a suppression of the LHC rates of a
light Higgs in the visible channels below 5 sigma in some regions of the
parameter space of the model. However in such regions the Higgs can be
discovered through its invisible decay. The combination of the measurements
done at the LHC and the LC can determine to some accuracy the parameters of the
model.


title: Split Supersymmetry at Colliders

abstract:
  We consider the collider phenomenology of split-supersymmetry models. We show
that despite the challenging nature of the signals in these models the
long-lived gluino can be discovered with masses in excess of 2 TeV at the LHC.
At a future linear collider we will be able to observe the renormalization
group effects from split supersymmetry, using measurements of the neutralino
and chargino masses and cross sections.