Search

In this work, we have described the mathematical modeling of COVID-19 transmission using fractional differential equations. The mathematical modeling of infectious disease goes back to the 1760s when the famous mathematician Daniel Bernoulli used an elementary version of compartmental modeling to find the effectiveness of deliberate smallpox inoculation on life expectancy. We have used the well-known SIR (Susceptible, Infected and Recovered) model of Kermack & McKendrick to extend the analysis further by including exposure, quarantining, insusceptibility and deaths in a SEIQRDP model. Further, we have generalized this model by using the solutions of Fractional Differential Equations to test the accuracy and validity of the mathematical modeling techniques against Canadian COVID-19 trends and spread of real-world disease. Our work also emphasizes the importance of Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) and impact of social distancing on controlling the spread of COVID-19., Comment: 14 Pages of Text, 24 Figures on 6 Pages

Disease transmission is studied through disciplines like epidemiology, applied mathematics, and statistics. Mathematical simulation models for transmission have implications in solving public and personal health challenges. The SIR model uses a compartmental approach including dynamic and nonlinear behavior of transmission through three factors: susceptible, infected, and removed (recovered and deceased) individuals. Using the Lambert W Function, we propose a framework to study solutions of the SIR model. This demonstrates the applications of COVID-19 transmission data to model the spread of a real-world disease. Different models of disease including the SIR, SIRmp and SEIRpqr model are compared with respect to their ability to predict disease spread. Physical distancing impacts and personal protection equipment use are discussed with relevance to the COVID-19 spread., Comment: 12 pages, NN20 Conference proceedings, published version

Precise and frequent photometric follow-up studies of transit light curves are indispensable when accurately characterizing extrasolar planets. We present new multi-wavelength photometry of three transiting "Hot Jupiters", TrES-3b, WASP-2b and HAT-P-30b (WASP-51b). Data were acquired from an 0.8 meter telescope at Tarleton State University. When combined with literature data, allowed us to redetermine system parameters in a corresponding way. We developed GCX reduction pipeline and TAP, modeling and light curve fitting package to analyze the extracted light curves. We then used weighted mean results to estimate the parameters from BVRI filters for three exoplanetary systems and compared them to previous results. We concluded our determined parameters are agreed with previous studies. From our study, TreS-3b with a mass of Mp = 1.773 Mjup and Rp = 1.305 Rjup appears slightly less massive, while HAT-P-30b, which has a mass of Mp = 0.7006Mjup and Rp = 1.5109Rjup appears to be a bloated "Hot Jupiter". Additionally, we compared the results of our broadband photmetric analysis with the previous studies to search for transit depth wavelength dependence. We found a flat spectrum across optical wavelengths (except WASP-2b in R-band) for TrES-3b and WASP-2b, indicating the presence of clouds in their atmospheres. ForWASP-2b, Rp/R* value was 0.14215 which was 0.14$\sigma$ higher than in the previous work. HAT-P-30b had a significantly larger radius in B filter with Rp = 0.161246Rjup, resulting from Rp/R* = 0.1334, which was secondarily confirmed by the atmospheric scale height value, H = 1450km, indicating that HAT-P-30b is an inflated "Hot Jupiter"., Comment: 16 pages, 8 figures, LaTeX

The direct detection of continuous gravitational waves from pulsars is a much anticipated discovery in the emerging field of multi-messenger gravitational wave (GW) astronomy. Because putative pulsar signals are exceedingly weak large amounts of data need to be integrated to achieve desired sensitivity. Contemporary searches use ingenious ad-hoc methods to reduce computational complexity. In this paper we provide analytical expressions for the Fourier transform of realistic pulsar signals. This provides description of the manifold of pulsar signals in the Fourier domain, used by many search methods. We analyze the shape of the Fourier transform and provide explicit formulas for location and size of peaks resulting from stationary frequencies. We apply our formulas to analysis of recently identified outlier at 1891.76 Hz.

We demonstrate that in the mass independent renormalization scheme. the renormalization group equations associated with the unphysical parameters that characterize the renormalization scheme and the mass scale leads to summation that results in a cancellation between the implicit and explicit dependence on these parameters. The resulting perturbative expansion is consequently independent of these arbitrary parameters. We illustrate this by considering R, the cross section for e+e- -> hadrons.

The Coleman-Weinberg (CW) renormalization scheme for renormalization-group improvement of the effective potential is particularly valuable for CW symmetry-breaking mechanisms (including the challenging case of models with multiple scalar fields). CW mechanism is typically studied using models with classical scale invariance which not only provide a possibility for an alternative symmetry breaking mechanism but also partially address the gauge hierarchies through dimensional transmutation. As outlined in our discussion section, when the couplings are not large, models with CW symmetry-breaking mechanisms have also been shown to naturally provide the strong first-order phase transition necessary for stochastic gravitational wave signals. A full understanding of the CW-MS scheme transformation of couplings thus becomes important in the era of gravitational wave detection and precision coupling measurements. A generalized Coleman-Weinberg (GCW) renormalization scheme is formulated and methods for transforming scalar self-couplings between the GCW and MS (minimal-subtraction) renormalization schemes are developed. Scalar $\lambda\Phi^4$ theory with global $O(4)$ symmetry is explicitly studied up to six-loop order to explore the magnitude of this scheme transformation effect on the couplings. The dynamical rescaling of renormalization scales between the GCW and MS schemes can lead to significant (order of 10\%) differences in the coupling at any order, and consequently GCW-MS scheme transformation effects must be considered within precision determinations of scalar couplings in extensions of the Standard Model., Comment: 12 pages, 5 figures. V2 has additional figures, extended discussion, and additional references

As an alternative to directly integrating their defining equations to find the running coupling $a(\mu)$ and the running mass $m(\mu)$, we expand these quantities in powers of $\ln\left(\frac{\mu}{\mu^\prime}\right)$ and their boundary values $a(\mu^\prime)$ and $m(\mu^\prime)$. Renormalization group summation is used to partially sum these logarithms. We consider this approach using both the $\overline{MS}$ and 't Hooft renormalization schemes. We also show how the couplings and masses in any two mass independent renormalization schemes are related., Comment: 16 pages, 3 figures, LaTeX; this version is accpeted publication at Modern Physics Letters A

In this work we develop an analytic approach to study pulsar spindown. We use the monopolar spindown model by Alvarez and Carrami\~{n}ana (2004), which assumes an inverse linear law of magnetic field decay of the pulsar, to extract an all-order formula for the spindown parameters which are expressed in terms of modified Bessel functions. We further extend the analytic model to incorporate the quadrupole term that accounts for the emission of gravitational radiation, and obtain expressions for the period $P$ and frequency $f$ in terms of transcendental equations. We derive the period of the pulsar evolution as an approximate first order solution in the small parameter present in the full solution. We find that the first three spindown parameters of the Crab, PSR B1509-58, PSR B0540-69 and Vela pulsars are within their known bounds providing a consistency check on our approach. After the four detections of gravitational waves from binary black hole coalescence and a binary neutron merger 170814, which was a novel joint gravitational and electromagnetic detection, a detection of gravitational waves from pulsars will be the next landmark in the field of multi-messenger gravitational wave astronomy.

We report that the pion radius, decay constant, EM and transition form factors can simultaneously and accurately be predicted in light-front holographic QCD with a universal AdS/QCD mass scale, provided dynamical spin effects are taken into account., Comment: 5 pages, 2 figures. Proceedings contribution to the 20th International Conference in Quantum Chromo- dynamics (QCD 17), 3 July - 7 July 2017, Montpellier, France

We examine the perturbative calculation of the inclusive semi-leptonic decay rate $\Gamma$ for the $b$-quark, using mass-independent renormalization. To finite order of perturbation theory the series for $\Gamma$ will depend on the unphysical renormalization scale parameter $\mu$ and on the particular choice of mass-independent renormalization scheme; these dependencies will only be removed after summing the series to all orders. In this paper we show that all explicit $\mu$-dependence of $\Gamma$, through powers of ln$(\mu)$, can be summed by using the renormalization group equation. We then find that this explicit $\mu$-dependence can be combined together with the implicit $\mu$-dependence of $\Gamma$ (through powers of both the running coupling $a(\mu)$ and the running $b$-quark mass $m(\mu)$) to yield a $\mu$-independent perturbative expansion for $\Gamma$ in terms of $a(\mu)$ and $m(\mu)$ both evaluated at a renormalization scheme independent mass scale $I\!\!M$ which is fixed in terms of either the "$\overline{MS}$ mass" $\overline{m}_b$ of the $b$ quark or its pole mass $m_{pole}$. At finite order the resulting perturbative expansion retains a degree of arbitrariness associated with the particular choice of mass-independent renormalization scheme. We use the coefficients $c_i$ and $g_i$ of the perturbative expansions of the renormalization group functions $\beta(a)$ and $\gamma(a)$, associated with $a(\mu)$ and $m(\mu)$ respectively, to characterize the remaining renormalization scheme arbitrariness of $\Gamma$. We further show that all terms in the expansion of $\Gamma$ can be written in terms of the $c_i$ and $g_i$ coefficients and a set of renormalization scheme independent parameters $\tau_i$., Comment: 26 pages, 4 figures, typo corrected

We take into account dynamical spin effects in the holographic light-front pion wavefunction in order to predict the pion radius, decay constant, the pion electromagnetic and photon-to-pion transition form factors. We report a striking improvement in the description of all data., Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures. Proceedings Contribution for the 9th International Workshop on Diffraction in High Energy Physics (Diffraction 2016), Santa Tecla di Acireale, Catania, Italy, September 2-8, 2016

The renormalization that relates a coupling "a" associated with a distinct renormalization group beta function in a given theory is considered. Dimensional regularization and mass independent renormalization schemes are used in this discussion. It is shown how the renormalization $a^*=a+x_2a^2$ is related to a change in the mass scale $\mu$ that is induced by renormalization. It is argued that the infrared fixed point is to be a determined in a renormalization scheme in which the series expansion for a physical quantity $R$ terminates., Comment: 16 pages, 1 figure, minor typos fixed and additional comments made; accepted at Physical Review D

We consider logarithmic contributions to the free energy, instanton effective action and Laplace sum rules in QCD that are a consequence of radiative corrections. Upon summing these contributions by using the renormalization group, all dependence on the renormalization scale parameter $\mu$ cancels. The renormalization scheme dependence in these processes is examined, and a renormalization scheme is found in which the effect of higher order radiative corrections is absorbed by the behaviour of the running coupling., Comment: 16 pages, 3 figures, LaTeX format

By using the renormalization group (RG) equation it has proved possible to sum logarithmic corrections to quantities that arise due to quantum effects in field theories. In particular, the effective potential V in the Standard Model in the limit that there are no massive parameters in the classical action (the "conformal limit") has been subject to this analysis, as has the effective potential in a scalar theory with a quartic self coupling and in massless scalar electrodynamics. Having multiple coupling constants and/or mass parameters in the initial action complicates this analysis, as then several mass scales arise. We show how to address this problem by considering the effective potential in scalar electrodynamics when the scalar field has a tree level mass term. In addition to summing logarithmic corrections by using the RG equation, we also consider the consequences of the condition V'(v)=0 where v is the vacuum expectation value of the scalar. If V is expanded in powers of the logarithms that arise, then it proves possible to show that either v is zero or that V is independent of the scalar. (That is, either there is no spontaneous symmetry breaking or the vacuum expectation value is not determined by minimizing V as V is "flat".)

We consider the canonical structure of the Green-Schwarz superstring in $9 + 1$ dimensions using the Dirac constraint formalism; it is shown that its structure is similar to that of the superparticle in $2 + 1$ and $3 + 1$ dimensions. A key feature of this structure is that the primary Fermionic constraints can be divided into two groups using field-independent projection operators; if one of these groups is eliminated through use of a Dirac Bracket (DB) then the second group of primary Fermionic constraints becomes first class. (This is what also happens with the superparticle action.) These primary Fermionic first class constraints can be used to find the generator of a local Fermionic gauge symmetry of the action. We also consider the superstring action in other dimensions of space-time to see if the Fermionic gauge symmetry can be made simpler than it is in $2 + 1$, $3 + 1$ and $9 + 1$ dimensions. With a $3 + 3$ dimensional target space, we find that such a simplification occurs. We finally show how in five dimensions there is no first class Fermionic constraint., Comment: 24 pages, Latex2e; further comments and clarifications added

A system in which the free part of the action possesses a gauge symmetry that is not respected by the interacting part presents problems when quantized. We illustrate how the Dirac constraint formalism can be used to address this difficulty by considering an antisymmetric tensor field interacting with a spinor field., Comment: 10 pages, LaTeX2e, typos corrected

The introduction of a Lagrange multiplier field to ensure that the classical equations of motion are satisfied serves to restrict radiative corrections in a model to being only one loop. The consequences of this for a massive non-Abelian vector model are considered., Comment: 8 pages, LaTeX format; further comments added; accepted for publication at the Canadian Journal of Physics

We consider the effective potential $V$ in the standard model with a single Higgs doublet in the limit that the only mass scale $\mu$ present is radiatively generated. Using a technique that has been shown to determine $V$ completely in terms of the renormalization group (RG) functions when using the Coleman-Weinberg (CW) renormalization scheme, we first sum leading-log (LL) contributions to $V$ using the one loop RG functions, associated with five couplings (the top quark Yukawa coupling $x$, the quartic coupling of the Higgs field $y$, the SU(3) gauge coupling $z$, and the $SU(2) \times U(1)$ couplings $r$ and $s$). We then employ the two loop RG functions with the three couplings $x$, $y$, $z$ to sum the next-to-leading-log (NLL) contributions to $V$ and then the three to five loop RG functions with one coupling $y$ to sum all the $N^2LL...N^4LL$ contributions to $V$. In order to compute these sums, it is necessary to convert those RG functions that have been originally computed explicitly in the minimal subtraction (MS) scheme to their form in the CW scheme. The Higgs mass can then be determined from the effective potential: the $LL$ result is $m_{H}=219\;GeV/c^2$ decreases to $m_{H}=188\;GeV/c^2$ at $N^{2}LL$ order and $m_{H}=163\;GeV/c^2$ at $N^{4}LL$ order. No reasonable estimate of $m_H$ can be made at orders $V_{NLL}$ or $V_{N^3LL}$. This is taken to be an indication that this mechanism for spontaneous symmetry breaking is in fact viable, though one in which there is slow convergence towards the actual value of $m_H$. The mass $163\;GeV/c^2$ is argued to be an upper bound on $m_H$., Comment: 24 pages, 5 figures. Updated version contains new discussion, references, figures, and corrects errors in references

When one uses the Coleman-Weinberg renormalization condition, the effective potential $V$ in the massless $\phi_4^4$ theory with O(N) symmetry is completely determined by the renormalization group functions. It has been shown how the $(p+1)$ order renormalization group function determine the sum of all the N$^{\mbox{\scriptsize p}}$LL order contribution to $V$ to all orders in the loop expansion. We discuss here how, in addition to fixing the N$^{\mbox{\scriptsize p}}$LL contribution to $V$, the $(p+1)$ order renormalization group functions also can be used to determine portions of the N$^{\mbox{\scriptsize p+n}}$LL contributions to $V$. When these contributions are summed to all orders, the singularity structure of \mcv is altered. An alternate rearrangement of the contributions to $V$ in powers of $\ln \phi$, when the extremum condition $V^\prime (\phi = v) = 0$ is combined with the renormalization group equation, show that either $v = 0$ or $V$ is independent of $\phi$. This conclusion is supported by showing the LL, $\cdots$, N$^4$LL contributions to $V$ become progressively less dependent on $\phi$., Comment: 16 pages; added 2 figures and 2 tables; references revised

We consider a two-form antisymmetric tensor field \phi minimally coupled to a non-abelian vector field with a field strength F. Canonical analysis suggests that a pseudoscalar mass term \frac{\mu^2}{2} \tr (\phi\wedge \phi) for the tensor field eliminates degrees of freedom associated with this field. Explicit one loop calculations show that an additional coupling m\tr(\phi\wedge F) (which can be eliminated classically by a tensor field shift) reintroduces tensor field degrees of freedom. We attribute this to the lack of the renormalizability in our vector-tensor model. We also explore a vector-tensor model with a tensor field scalar mass term \frac {\mu^2}{2} \tr (\phi\wedge\star \phi) and coupling m\tr(\phi\wedge \star F). We comment on the Stueckelberg mechanism for mass generation in the Abelian version of the latter model., Comment: 8 pages

The five-loop effective potential and the associated summation of subleading logarithms for O(4) globally-symmetric massless $\lambda\phi^4$ field theory in the Coleman-Weinberg renormalization scheme $\frac{d^4V}{d\phi^4}|_{\phi = \mu} = \lambda$ (where $\mu$ is the renormalization scale) is calculated via renormalization-group methods. An important aspect of this analysis is conversion of the known five-loop renormalization-group functions in the minimal-subtraction (MS) scheme to the Coleman-Weinberg scheme., Comment: 5 pages. Write-up of talk given at Theory Canada III, June 2007, University of Alberta

It has been demonstrated that the effective potential V(\phi) in a massless O(N) \lambda \phi^4_4 model is determined completely by the renormalization group functions provided the renormalization condition \frac{d^4V}{d \phi^4}|_{\phi=\mu}=\lambda is used. This is shown to also hold in massless scalar electrodynamics. By employing a variant of the method of characteristics, the sums contributing to the leading-log, next-to-leading-log etc. contributions to V(\phi) can be evaluated., Comment: Results of this work are now combined with findings in arXiv:0706.1760. These results will appear in Phys. Rev. D 77, 065007 (2008). As a result, this manuscript is being withdrawn

The perturbative evaluation of the effective action can be expanded in powers of derivatives of the external field. We apply the renormalization group equation to the term in the effective action that is second order in the derivatives of the external field and all orders in a constant external field, considering both massless scalar $\phi_4^4$ model and massless scalar electrodynamics. A so-called ``on shell'' renormalization scheme permits one to express this ``kinetic term'' for the scalar field entirely in terms of the renormalization group functions appropriate for this scheme. These renormalization group functions can be related to those associated with minimal subtraction., Comment: Latex; 12 pages; no figure; typos corrected; references revised; journal version

The perturbative effective potential V in the massless $\lambda\phi^4$ model with a global O(N) symmetry is uniquely determined to all orders by the renormalization group functions alone when the Coleman-Weinberg renormalization condition $\frac{d^4V}{d\phi^4}|_{\phi = \mu} = \lambda$ is used, where $\mu$ represents the renormalization scale. Systematic methods are developed to express the n-loop effective potential in the Coleman-Weinberg scheme in terms of the known n-loop minimal subtraction (MS) renormalization-group functions. Moreover, it also proves possible to sum the leading- and subsequent-to-leading-logarithm contributions to V. An essential element of this analysis is a conversion of the renormalization group functions in the Coleman-Weinberg scheme to the renormalization group functions in the MS scheme. As an example, the explicit five-loop effective potential is obtained from the known five-loop MS renormalization group functions and we explicitly sum the leading logarithm (LL), next-to-leading (NLL), and further subleading-logarithm contributions to V. Extensions of these results to massless scalar QED are also presented. Because massless scalar QED has two couplings, conversion of the RG functions from the MS scheme to the CW scheme requires the use of multi-scale renormalization group methods., Comment: latex, 9 pages. v3 has been restructured to incorporate an analysis of massless scalae QED

Taking the dominant couplings in the standard model to be the quartic scalar coupling, the Yukawa coupling of the top quark, and the SU(3) gauge coupling, we consider their associated running couplings to one loop order. Despite the non-linear nature of the differential equations governing these functions, we show that they can be solved exactly. The nature of these solutions is discussed and their singularity structure is examined. It is shown that for a sufficiently small Higgs mass, the quartic scalar coupling decreases with increasing energy scale and becomes negative, indicative of vacuum instability. This behavior changes for a Higgs mass greater than 168 GeV, beyond which this couplant increases with increasing energy scales and becomes singular prior to the ultraviolet (UV) pole of the Yukawa coupling. Upper and lower bounds on the Higgs mass corresponding to new physics at the TeV scale are obtained and compare favourably with the numerical results of the one-loop and two-loop analyses with inclusion of electroweak couplings., Comment: 5 pages, LaTeX, additional references and further discussion in this version. Accepted for publication in Canadian Journal of Physics

The tensor self energy is computed at one loop order in a model in which a vector and tensor interact in a way that eliminates all tensor degrees of freedom. Divergencies arise which cannot be eliminated without introducing a kinetic term for the tensor field which does not appear in the classical action. We comment on a possible resolution of this puzzle., Comment: 7 pages, LaTeX, additional analysis and comments

In this work, we extend the analytic treatment of Bessel functions of large order and/or argument. We examine uniform asymptotic Bessel function expansions and show their accuracy and range of validity. Such situations arise in a variety of applications, in particular the Fourier transform of the gravitational wave signal from a pulsar. The uniform expansion we consider here is found to be valid in the entire range of the argument.

Two approaches to renormalization-group improvement are examined: the substitution of the solutions of running couplings, masses and fields into perturbatively computed quantities is compared with the systematic sum of all the leading log (LL), next-to-leading log (NLL) etc. contributions to radiatively corrected processes, with n-loop expressions for the running quantities being responsible for summing N^{n}LL contributions. A detailed comparison of these procedures is made in the context of the effective potential V in the 4-dimensional O(4) massless $\lambda \phi^{4}$ model, showing the distinction between these procedures at two-loop order when considering the NLL contributions to the effective potential V., Comment: 6 pages

By applying the renormalization group equation, it has been shown that the effective potential $V$ in the massless $\phi_4^4$ model and in massless scalar quantum electrodynamics is independent of the scalar field. This analysis is extended here to the massive $\phi_4^4$ model, showing that the effective potential is independent of $\phi$ here as well., Comment: To be published in International Journal of Modern Physics A

We demonstrate the stability under subsequent-to-leading logarithm corrections of the quartic scalar-field coupling constant $\lambda$ and the running Higgs boson mass obtained from the (initially massless) effective potential for radiatively broken electroweak symmetry in the single-Higgs-Doublet Standard Model. Such subsequent-to-leading logarithm contributions are systematically extracted from the renormalization group equation considered beyond one-loop order. We show $\lambda$ to be the dominant coupling constant of the effective potential for the radiatively broken case of electroweak symmetry. We demonstrate the stability of $\lambda$ and the running Higgs boson mass through five orders of successively subleading logarithmic corrections to the scalar-field-theory projection of the effective potential for which all coupling constants except the dominant coupling constant $\lambda$ are disregarded. We present a full next-to-leading logarithm potential in the three dominant Standard Model coupling constants ($t$-quark-Yukawa, $\alpha_s$, and $\lambda$) from these coupling constants' contribution to two loop $\beta$- and $\gamma$-functions. Finally, we demonstrate the manifest order-by-order stability of the physical Higgs boson mass in the 220-231 GeV range. In particular, we obtain a 231 GeV physical Higgs boson mass inclusive of the $t$-quark-Yukawa and $\alpha_s$ coupling constants to next-to-leading logarithm order, and inclusive of the smaller $SU(2)\times U(1)$ gauge coupling constants to leading logarithm order., Comment: 21 pages, latex2e, 2 eps figures embedded in latex file. Updated version contains expanded analysis in Section 4

In this work we present analytic and numerical treatments of the gravitational wave signal from a pulsar which includes spindown. We consider phase corrections to a received monochromatic signal due to rotational and elliptical orbital motion of the Earth, as well as perturbations due to Jupiter and the Moon. We discuss the Fourier transform of such a signal, which is expressed in terms of well known special functions and lends itself to a tractable numerical analysis., Comment: 8 pages, 8 figures. Write-up of talk given at Theory Canada I, June 2005, University of British Columbia

In a recently proposed model in which a vector non-Abelian gauge field interacts with an antisymmetric tensor field, it has been shown that the tensor field possesses no physical degrees of freedom. This formal demonstration is tested by computing the one-loop contributions of the tensor field to the self-energy of the vector field. It is shown that despite the large number of Feynman diagrams in which the tensor field contributes, the sum of these diagrams vanishes, confirming that it is not physical. Furthermore, if the tensor field were to couple with a spinor field, it is shown at one-loop order that the spinor self-energy is not renormalizable, and hence this coupling must be excluded. In principle though, this tensor field does couple to the gravitational field.

In this work, we present the analytic treatment of the large order Bessel functions that arise in the Fourier Transform (FT) of the Gravitational Wave (GW) signal from a pulsar. We outline several strategies which employ asymptotic expansions in evaluation of such Bessel functions which also happen to have large argument. Large order Bessel functions also arise in the Peters-Mathews model of binary inspiralling stars emitting GW and several problems in potential scattering theory. Other applications also arise in a variety of problems in Applied Mathematics as well as in the Natural Sciences and present a challenge for High Performance Computing(HPC)., Comment: 8 pages, Uses IEEE style files: Ieee.cls, Ieee.clo and floatsty.sty. Accepted for publication in High Performance Computing Symposium, May 15-18 (HPCS 2005) Guelph, Ontario, Canada

For the Higgs boson mass of $\sim 220$ GeV expected to arise from radiative electroweak symmetry breaking, we find the same lowest-order expressions as would be obtained from conventional electroweak symmetry breaking, given the same Higgs boson mass, for Higgs-Goldstone sector scattering processes identified with $W_L^ + W_L^- \to W_L^+ W_L^-$, $W_L^+ W_L^- \to Z_L Z_L$, as well as for Higgs boson decay widths $H \to W_L^+ W_L^-$, $H \to Z_L Z_L$. The radiatively broken case, however, leads to an order of magnitude enhancement over lowest-order conventional symmetry breaking for scattering processes $W_L^+ W_L^+ \to H H$, $Z_L Z_L \to H H$, as well as a factor of $\sim 30$ enhancement for $H H \to H H$., Comment: 6 pages, uses ws-ijmpa.cls written in Latex2E. Major revision in text and conclusions--different enhanced scattering processes found than the earlier version. To appear in the IJMPA proceedings issue for MRST 2005, Utica, NY

In this work, we present the analytic treatment of the Fourier Transform (FT) of the Gravitational Wave (GW) signal from a pulsar including spin down corrections in a parametrized model discussed by Brady et. al. The formalism lends itself to a development of the FT in terms of well known special functions and integrals defining the spin down moments., Comment: 9 pages, added acknowledgements

The Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe microwave background data suggest that the primordial spectrum of scalar curvature fluctuations is suppressed at small wavenumbers. We propose a UV/IR mixing effect in small-field inflationary models that can explain the observable deviation in WMAP data from the concordance model. Specifically, in inflationary models where the inflaton couples to an asymptotically free gauge theory, the radiative corrections to the effective inflaton potential can be anomalously large. This occurs for small values of the inflaton field which are of the order of the gauge theory strong coupling scale. Radiative corrections cause the inflaton potential to blow up at small values of the inflaton field. As a result, these corrections can violate the slow-roll condition at the initial stage of the inflation and suppress the production of scalar density perturbations., Comment: 20 pages, 2 figures, v2: refs added, v3: JCAP version

The effective potential $V$ is considered in massless $\lambda\phi^4_4$ theory. The expansion of $V$ in powers of the coupling $\lambda$ and of the logarithm of the background field $\phi$ is reorganized in two ways; first as a series in $\lambda$ alone, then as a series in $\ln\phi$ alone. By applying the renormalization group (RG) equation to $V$, these expansions can be summed. Using the condition $V^\prime(v) = 0$ (where $v$ is the vacuum expectation value of $\phi$) in conjunction with the expansion of $V$ in powers of $\ln\phi$ fixes $V$ provided $v\neq 0$. In this case, the dependence of $V$ on $\phi$ drops out and $V$ is not analytic in $\lambda$. Massless scalar electrodynamics is considered using the same approach., Comment: 9 pages, considerably expanded form. To be published in Mod. Phys. Lett. A

Renormalization Group (RG) and optimized Pade-approximant methods are used to estimate the three-loop perturbative contributions to the inclusive semileptonic b \to u and b \to c decay rates. It is noted that the \bar{MS} scheme works favorably in the b \to u case whereas the pole mass scheme shows better convergence in the b \to c case. Upon the inclusion of the estimated three-loop contribution, we find the full perturbative decay rate to be 192\pi^3\Gamma(b\to u\bar\nu_\ell\ell^-)/(G_F^2| V_{ub}|^2) = 2065 \pm 290{\rm GeV^5} and 192\pi^3\Gamma(b\to c\ell^-\bar\nu_\ell)/(G_F^2|V_{cb}|^2)= 992 \pm 198 {\rm GeV^5}, respectively. The errors are inclusive of theoretical uncertainties and non-perturbative effects. Ultimately, these perturbative contributions reduce the theoretical uncertainty in the extraction of the CKM matrix elements |V_{ub}| and |V_{cb}| from their respective measured inclusive semileptonic branching ratio(s)., Comment: 3 pages, latex using espcrc2.sty. Write-up of talk given at BEACH 2002, UBC, Vancouver

QCD contributions to the $b \to u \ell^- \bar{\nu}_\ell$ decay rate, which are known to two-loop order in the $\bar{MS}$ scheme, exhibit sufficient dependence on the renormalization mass $\mu$ to compromise phenomenological predictions for inclusive semileptonic $B \to X_u$ processes. Such scale dependence is ameliorated by the renormalization-group (RG) extraction and summation of all leading and RG-accessible subleading logarithms occurring subsequent to two-loop order in the perturbative series. This optimal RG-improvement of the known portion of the perturbative series virtually eliminates $\mu$-dependence as a source of theoretical uncertainty in the predicted semileptonic $B \to X_u$ inclusive rate., Comment: 4 pages, latex using espcrc2.sty. Write-up of talk given at BEACH 2002, Vancouver

Using renormalization-group methods, we derive differential equations for the all-orders summation of logarithmic corrections to the QCD series for R(s) = sigma(e^+ e^- --> hadrons)/sigma(e^+ e^- --> mu^+ mu^-), as obtained from the imaginary part of the purely-perturbative vector-current correlation function. We present explicit solutions for the summation of leading and up to three subsequent subleading orders of logarithms. The summations accessible from the four-loop vector-correlator not only lead to a substantial reduction in sensitivity to the renormalization scale, but necessarily impose a common infrared bound on perturbative approximations to R(s), regardless of the infrared behaviour of the true QCD couplant., Comment: 7 pages, revtex, 3 eps figures embedded in manuscript. Revised version includes additional references and corrects equation (16)

For any perturbative series that is known to $k$-subleading orders of perturbation theory, we utilise the process-appropriate renormalization-group (RG) equation in order to obtain all-orders summation of series terms proportional to $\alpha^n \log^{n-k}(\mu^2)$ with $k = {0,1,2,3}$, corresponding to the summation to all orders of the leading and subsequent-three-subleading logarithmic contributions to the full perturbative series. These methods are applied to the perturbative series for semileptonic $b$-decays in both MS-bar and pole-mass schemes, and they result in RG-summed series for the decay rates which exhibit greatly reduced sensitivity to the renormalization scale $\mu$. Such summation via RG-methods of all logarithms accessible from known series terms is also applied to perturbative QCD series for vector- and scalar-current correlation functions, the perturbative static potential function, the (single-doublet standard-model) Higgs decay amplitude into two gluons, as well as the Higgs-mediated high-energy cross-section for $W^+W^-\to ZZ$ scattering. The resulting RG-summed expressions are also found to be much less sensitive to the renormalization scale than the original series for these processes., Comment: latex2e using amsmath. 45 pages with 15 eps figures embedded in manuscript. Revised version contains updated analysis in Section 3 and additional references

The constraint of a progressive decrease in residual renormalization scale dependence with increasing loop order is developed as a method for obtaining bounds on unknown higher-order perturbative corrections to renormalization-group invariant quantities. This technique is applied to the inclusive semileptonic process $b\to u \bar\nu_\ell\ell^-$ (explicitly known to two-loop order) to obtain bounds on the three- and four-loop perturbative coefficients that are not accessible via the renormalization group. Using the principle of minimal sensitivity, an estimate is obtained for the perturbative contributions to $\Gamma(b\to u \bar\nu_\ell\ell^-)$ that incorporates theoretical uncertainty from as-yet-undetermined higher order QCD corrections., Comment: latex2e using amsmath, 8 pages, 4 embedded eps figures. Revised version contains an additional figure and accompanying revisions

We present analytical and numerical studies of the Fourier transform (FT) of the gravitational wave (GW) signal from a pulsar, taking into account the rotation and orbital motion of the Earth. We also briefly discuss the Zak-Gelfand Integral Transform. The Zak-Gelfand Integral Transform that arises in our analytic approach has also been useful for Schrodinger operators in periodic potentials in condensed matter physics (Bloch wave functions)., Comment: 6 pages, Sparkler talk given at the Amaldi Conference on Gravitational waves, July 10th, 2001. Submitted to Classical and Quantum Gravity

The renormalization-scale ($\mu$) dependence of the two-loop inclusive semileptonic $b\to c\ell^-\bar\nu_\ell$ decay rate is shown to be significant in the pole mass scheme, and the decay rate is shown to be poorly convergent in the MS-bar scheme. Three-loop contributions to the decay rate are estimated by developing Pade approximant techniques particularly suited to perturbative calculations in the pole mass scheme. An optimized Pade estimate of the three-loop contributions is obtained by comparison of the Pade estimates with the three-loop terms determined by renormalization-group invariance. The resulting three-loop estimate in the pole-mass scheme exhibits minimal sensitivity to the renormalization scale near $\mu=1.0 GeV$, leading to an estimated decay rate of $192\pi^3\Gamma(b\to c\ell^-\bar\nu_\ell)/(G_F^2|V_{cb}|^2)=992\pm 217 GeV^5$ inclusive of theoretical uncertainties and non-perturbative effects., Comment: latex2e using amsmath. 17 pages with 5 eps figures embedded in mansucript. Corrections made to eqns (47), (57) and Reference [1]

The three renormalization-group-accessible three-loop coefficients of powers of logarithms within the \bar{MS} series momentum-space for the QCD static potential are calculated and compared to values obtained via asymptotic Pad\'e-approximant methods. The leading and next-to-leading logarithmic coefficients are both found to be in exact agreement with their asymptotic Pad\'e-predictions. The predicted value for the third RG-accessible coefficient is found to be within 7% relative |error| of its true value for n_f leq 6, and is shown to be in exact agreement with its true value in the n_f \to \infty limit. Asymptotic Pad\'e estimates are also obtained for the remaining (RG-inaccessible) three-loop coefficient. Comparison is also made with recent estimates of the three-loop contribution to the configuration-space static-potential function., Comment: 13 pages, LaTeX, additional discussion on the results

A mass scale $\mu_c$ representing the boundary between effective theories of strong interactions and perturbative QCD (infrared and ultraviolet regimes) exists when the $\beta$-function is characterized by a simple pole. This behaviour, which is known to occur in N=1 supersymmetric Yang-Mills theories, leads to an infrared attractor in the evolution of the coupling constant, with the mass scale $\mu_c$ of the attractor providing a natural boundary between the infrared and ultraviolet regimes. It is demonstrated that [2|2], [3|1] and [1|3] Pade-approximant versions of the three-flavour QCD $\beta$-function each contain a simple pole corresponding to such an infrared attractor. All three approximants, separately considered, are seen to lead to nearly equivalent estimates for the mass scale $\mu_c$., Comment: latex2e, 6 pages, 2 eps figures. Revised versions contain a new table,extended analysis, and an extended discussion