Related papers: A new scale in the sky
We calculate the shift in the atomic energy levels induced by the presence of a scalar field which couples to matter and photons. We find that a combination of atomic measurements can be used to probe both these couplings independently. A…
The concept of perturbative gauge invariance formulated exclusively by means of asymptotic fields is used to construct massive gauge theories. We consider the interactions of $r$ massive and $s$ massless gauge fields together with $(r+s)$…
We show that a longitudinal gauge degree of freedom for a vector field is equivalent to a Pais-Uhlenbeck scalar field. With the help of this equivalence, we can determine natural interactions of this field with scalars and fermions. Since…
A gravity theory is developed with the metric ${\hat g}_{\mu\nu}= {g}_{\mu\nu}+B\partial_\mu\phi\partial_\nu\phi$. In the present universe the additional contribution from the scalar field in the metric ${\hat g}_{\mu\nu}$ can generate an…
If scale invariance is exact, unparticles are unlikely to be probed in colliders since there are stringent constraints from astrophysics and cosmology. However these constraints are inapplicable if scale invariance is broken at a scale mu…
Our knowledge of the presence and the strength of magnetic fields in massive O and B-type stars remains very poor. Recent observations indicate that the presence of magnetic fields is responsible for a wide range of phenomena observed in…
A cosmic scalar field evolving very slowly in time can account for the observed dark energy of the Universe. Unlike a cosmological constant, an evolving scalar field also has local spatial gradients due to gravity. If the scalar field has a…
Completeness of the spectrum of charged branes in a quantum theory of gravity naturally motivates the question of whether consistency of what lives on the branes can be used to explain some of the Swampland conditions. In this paper we…
We present a novel string-derived $U(1)$ combination that satisfies necessary properties to survive to low scales. We discuss previous attempts at acquiring such an abelian gauge symmetry from two different string embeddings and the…
Starting from the previously constructed effective supergravity theory below the scale of U(1) breaking in orbifold compactifications of the weakly coupled heterotic string, we study the effective theory below the scale of supersymmetry…
We consider multiple scalar fields coupled to gravity, with special attention given to two-field theories. First, the conditions necessary for these theories to meet solar system tests are given. Next, we investigate the cosmological…
The recent robust and homogeneous analysis of the world's supernova distance-redshift data, together with cosmic microwave background and baryon acoustic oscillation data, provides a powerful tool for constraining cosmological models. Here…
In this paper we show that there exists a new symmetry in the relativistic wave equation for a scalar field in arbitrary dimensions. This symmetry is related to redefinitions of the metric tensor which implement a map between non-equivalent…
There is new experimental evidence which may be interpreted as a small departure from quark-lepton universality. We propose to understand this as the result of a hierarchy of mass scales in analogy to $m_u, m_d << \Lambda_{QCD}$ for strong…
The existence of scalar fields can be probed by observations of stochastic gravitational waves. Scalar fields mediate attractive forces, usually stronger than gravity, on the length scales shorter than their Compton wavelengths, which can…
We reconsider the problem of bounding higher derivative couplings in consistent weakly coupled gravitational theories, starting from general assumptions about analyticity and Regge growth of the S-matrix. Higher derivative couplings are…
The effect of static electromagnetic fields on the propagation of light is analyzed in the context of a particular class of scalar-tensor gravitational theories. It is found that for appropriate field configurations and light polarization,…
Recently, a new framework for solving the hierarchy problem has been proposed which does not rely on low energy supersymmetry or technicolor. The gravitational and gauge interactions unite at the electroweak scale, and the observed weakness…
I review the current state of determinations of the Hubble constant, which gives the length scale of the Universe by relating the expansion velocity of objects to their distance. There are two broad categories of measurements. The first…
In this paper we study a real scalar field as a possible candidate to explain the dark matter in the universe. In the context of a free scalar field with quadratic potential, we have used Union 2.1 SN Ia observational data jointly with a…