Related papers: Old Puzzles
After summarizing the status of the Standard Model, we focus on the Hierarchy Problem and why we believe this strongly suggests the need for new physics at the TeV scale. We then concentrate on theories with extra dimensions and their…
The Standard Model of Particle Physics has been verified to unprecedented precision in the last few decades. However there are still phenomena in nature which cannot be explained, and as such new theories will be required. Since terrestrial…
After a brief review of the axion solution of the strong CP problem, its supersymmetric extension and the superstring axion are discussed. I also present one interesting cosmological scenario, the axino-gravitino cosmology, for the large…
Particle physics models where there are large hidden extra dimensions are currently on the focus of an intense activity. The main reason is that these large extra dimensions may come with a TeV scale for quantum gravity (or string theory)…
The standard model of particle physics is marvelously successful. However, it is obviously not a complete or final theory. I shall argue here that the structure of the standard model gives some quite concrete, compelling hints regarding…
We note that in general there exist two basic aspects in any branch of physics, including cosmology - one dealing with the attributes of basic constituents and forces of nature, the other dealing with how structures arise from them and how…
The discovery of a Higgs boson at the electroweak scale appears to point toward supersymmetry, as the most likely mechanism for protecting a scalar boson mass from enormous radiative corrections. The earlier discovery of neutrino masses…
We construct superstring theories that obey the new supersymmetry algebra {Q_a , Q_b}=\gamma_{ab}^{mn} P_{1m} P_{2n}, in a Green-Schwarz formalism, with kappa supersymmetry also of the new type. The superstring is in a system with a…
In this letter, we will demonstrate that the breaking of supersymmetry by a non-anticommutative deformation can be used to generate the generalized uncertainty principle. We will analyse the physical reasons for this observation, in the…
Cosmic superstrings are introduced to non-experts. First D-branes and $(p,q)$ strings are discussed. Then we explain how tachyon condensation in the early universe may have produced F, D and $(p,q)$ strings. Warped geometries which can…
In these lecture notes presented at the 2015 Villa de Leyva Summer School, we give an introduction to superstring theory. We begin by studying the particle and superparticle in order to get a better understanding on the superstring side.…
We discuss the obstacles for defining a set of observable quantities analogous to an S-matrix which are needed to formulate string theory in an accelerating universe. We show that the quintessence models with the equations of state $-1 < w…
We demonstrate, by giving a specific example, that supersymmetry can be left unbroken without running into conflict with observation. The key idea is to employ a discrete form of supersymmetry. Amongst other interesting features, this…
A stability analysis is made in the context of the previously discovered non-singular cosmological solution from 1-loop corrected superstring effective action. We found that this solution has an instability in graviton mode, which is shown…
In these Lectures, we present a pedagogical introduction to weak scale supersymmetry phenomenology. A basic understanding of the Standard Model and of the ideas behind Grand Unification, but no prior knowledge of supersymmetry, is assumed.…
We review ideas relating the breaking of Supersymmetry in de Sitter (dS) space-time to amplitudes in which gravitinos are reflected from the dS horizon. A self consistent evaluation of such amplitudes leads to the estimate $m_{3/2} = K…
I quickly review the successes of quantum chromodynamics. Then I assess the current state of the electroweak theory, making brief comments about the search for the Higgs boson and some of the open issues for the theory. I sketch the…
The vanishing of the cosmological constant and absence of a massless dilaton might be explained by a duality between a supersymmetric string vacuum in three dimensions and a non-supersymmetric string vacuum in four dimensions.
The weakly coupled vacuum of $E_8\otimes E_8$ heterotic string theory remains an attractive scenario for phenomenolgy and cosmology. The particle spectrum is reviewed and the issues of gauge coupling unification, dilaton stabilization and…
Recent key observational results on the variation of fine structure constant, the proton to electron mass ratio and the gravitational constant are reviewed. The necessity to substantiate the dark sector of cosmology and to test gravity on…