14th International Symposium on Particles, Strings and Cosmology (PASCOS '08) http://pirsa.org/podcast/C08012 Science 2009 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss en-ca Thu, 08 Jan 2009 07:59:18 -0500 sbradwell@perimeterinstitute.ca Thu, 08 Jan 2009 07:59:18 -0500 G 180 pirsa-admin@perimeterinstitute.ca Steve Bradwell's - Podcast Generator The CERN Large Hadron Collider is nearing completion. Both the ATLAS and CMS experiments are being completed, and the accelerator is proceeding through cool-down to cryogenic temperatures in preparation for first beam. The timescales and prospects for first beam, collisions and physics will be discussed, and the early physics program of the LHC high PT experiments reviewed. Rob McPhearson http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/78563fc2-fbf3-4fc6-a17d-5fbfd2644371.mp3 Science http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/78563fc2-fbf3-4fc6-a17d-5fbfd2644371.mp3 Mon, 02 Jun 2008 09:00:00 -0400 Tilman Plehn http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/6f668f7f-75db-4eaf-80d4-5429a66aca8f.mp3 Science http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/6f668f7f-75db-4eaf-80d4-5429a66aca8f.mp3 Mon, 02 Jun 2008 09:35:00 -0400 Nima Arkani-Hamed http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/ca1708da-84cb-4c2c-bba0-c86bebb4e503.mp3 Science http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/ca1708da-84cb-4c2c-bba0-c86bebb4e503.mp3 Mon, 02 Jun 2008 10:10:00 -0400 Tsutomu Yanagida http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/56b89bed-663a-4672-88af-c08f38eb3709.mp3 Science http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/56b89bed-663a-4672-88af-c08f38eb3709.mp3 Mon, 02 Jun 2008 11:15:00 -0400 After a brief introduction, where I review the properties of the 'good Dark Matter candidate' and the status of accelerator, direct and indirect Dark Matter searches, I will show that a conclusive identification of DM particles can most likely be achieved only through a 'multidisciplinary' approach, that combines together different detection techniques. I will place special emphasis on the upcoming Large Hadron Collider, and on the gamma-ray satellite GLAST (scheduled for launch on June 3, i.e. the day after the talk...) Gianfranco Bertone http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/875f65e2-6b67-4687-b5f5-ec4ae3e68b12.mp3 Science http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/875f65e2-6b67-4687-b5f5-ec4ae3e68b12.mp3 Mon, 02 Jun 2008 11:50:00 -0400 Cumrun Vafa http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/9d113549-c0dc-48b7-9001-381f71438bf7.mp3 Science http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/9d113549-c0dc-48b7-9001-381f71438bf7.mp3 Mon, 02 Jun 2008 12:25:00 -0400 Joanna Dunkley http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/9031afac-d7e3-42f8-8734-ae02e9cb7135.mp3 Science http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/9031afac-d7e3-42f8-8734-ae02e9cb7135.mp3 Mon, 02 Jun 2008 14:30:00 -0400 Paul Steinhardt http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/b99c94c7-289d-4eda-bd7d-03f39d2c9dfe.mp3 Science http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/b99c94c7-289d-4eda-bd7d-03f39d2c9dfe.mp3 Mon, 02 Jun 2008 15:05:00 -0400 The atomic hydrogen gas left over from the Big Bang was affected by processes ranging from quantum fluctuations during the early epoch of inflation to irradiation by the first galaxies at late times. Mapping this gas through its resonant 21cm line serves a dual role as a powerful probe of both fundamental physics and astrophysics. Current cosmological data sets (such as galaxy surveys or the microwave background) cover only 0.1% of the comoving volume of the observable Universe. 21cm observations hold the potential of mapping matter through most of the remaining volume. Radio observatories are currently being designed and constructed with this goal in mind. The three-dimensional 21cm maps could potentially set unprecedented statistical constraints on the power spectrum of cosmic density fluctuations and its gravitational growth with cosmic time. The reduced uncertainties could allow for precise measurements of fundamental parameters, such as the mass of the neutrino or the equation of state of the dark energy (from acoustic oscillations in the 21cm power spectrum), and will test generic predictions of cosmic inflation for deviations of the density fluctuations from scale invariance and gaussianity. The measured gravitational growth of the fluctuations with cosmic time would constrain the nature of the dark matter or alternative theories of gravity. Avi Loeb http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/60eb5bd2-c707-4577-b588-4140e7edd6f2.mp3 Science http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/60eb5bd2-c707-4577-b588-4140e7edd6f2.mp3 Mon, 02 Jun 2008 15:40:00 -0400 The sensitivity of inflationary models to Planck-suppressed operators motivates modeling inflation in string theory. The case of high-scale inflation is particularly interesting both theoretically and observationally. Observationally it yields a gravity wave (B mode polarization) signature, and theoretically it requires a large field excursion which is particularly sensitive to UV physics. I'll present a simple mechanism derived recently in collaboration with A. Westphal for obtaining large-field inflation, and hence a gravitational wave signature, from string theory. The simplest version of this mechanism, arising on twisted torus compactifications of string theory, yields an observationally distinctive version of chaotic inflation with a potential proportional to the 2/3 power of the inflaton, falsifiable on the basis of upcoming CMB measurements. This mechanism for extending the field range arises widely in string compactifications, though in all cases it requires sufficient symmetry to control the corrections to the slow-roll parameters. I will finish by describing further developments in this direction. Eva Silverstein http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/bcbf8bef-b811-4e4f-a69f-6f0da6c8eb25.mp3 Science http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/bcbf8bef-b811-4e4f-a69f-6f0da6c8eb25.mp3 Mon, 02 Jun 2008 16:45:00 -0400 Fernando Quevedo http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/e259e670-0b1e-4ab3-9cf8-7f20abd76b73.mp3 Science http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/e259e670-0b1e-4ab3-9cf8-7f20abd76b73.mp3 Mon, 02 Jun 2008 17:20:00 -0400 We comment on several points concerning unparticles which have been overlooked in the literature. One regards Mack's unitarity constraint lower bounds on CFT operator dimensions,e.g,. d>= 3 for primary, gauge invariant, vector unparticle operators. We correct the results in the literature to account for this, and also for a needed correction in the form of the propagator for vector and tensor unparticles. We show that the unitarity constraints can be directly related to unitarity requirements on scattering amplitudes of particles, e.g., those of the standard model, coupled to the CFT operators. We also stress the existence of explicit standard model contact terms, which are generically induced by the coupling to the CFT (or any other hidden sector), and are subject to LEP bounds. Barring an unknown mechanism to tune away these contact interactions, they can swamp interference effects generated by the CFT. Benjamin Grinstein http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/d6ca1ed9-deec-4cf7-ae18-e9ec54ec4d42.mp3 Science http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/d6ca1ed9-deec-4cf7-ae18-e9ec54ec4d42.mp3 Mon, 02 Jun 2008 17:55:00 -0400 Concha Gonzalez-Garcia http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/9e39d61f-0b1c-4093-9a09-2990eaa8f274.mp3 Science http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/9e39d61f-0b1c-4093-9a09-2990eaa8f274.mp3 Tue, 03 Jun 2008 09:00:00 -0400 We present the results from the MiniBooNE neutrino oscillations search in which no significant excess of events is observed above background in the energy range from 475 MeV to 3000 MeV. For lower energies an excess of events that is not consistent with a two neutrino oscillation model is observed. We present recent advances in the understanding of this excess, including a study of muon and electron neutrinos from the nearby NuMI neutrino source. The techniques used in the first oscillation analysis are discussed as well as tose of a recent analysis that combines two different electron neutrino candidate samples with a high statistics muon neutrino sample in the oscillations fit to reduce systematic uncertainties. Alexis Aguilar-Arevalo http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/65cac07c-9538-4997-a8af-575440a3bfb2.mp3 Science http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/65cac07c-9538-4997-a8af-575440a3bfb2.mp3 Tue, 03 Jun 2008 09:35:00 -0400 I will discuss the possibilities for a post-standard-cosmological-model phenomenology based on the assumption that our universe was born in a tunneling event from an earlier 'Ancestor' vacuum Leonard Susskind http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/14bbfcc6-945f-45ad-a8f9-dec0bf8a78ac.mp3 Science http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/14bbfcc6-945f-45ad-a8f9-dec0bf8a78ac.mp3 Tue, 03 Jun 2008 10:10:00 -0400 Keith Olive http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/91405ef7-4e80-4942-b00f-559947542aaa.mp3 Science http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/91405ef7-4e80-4942-b00f-559947542aaa.mp3 Tue, 03 Jun 2008 11:15:00 -0400 Astrophysical evidence indicates that the universe consists to about 25% of non-baryonic, cold Dark Matter, compared to merely ~4% of 'regular' matter, composed of quarks and electrons. The existence of Dark Matter and Dark Energy is striking evidence for physics beyond the Standard Model, and understanding their nature ranks among the foremost questions in science today. If the bulk of matter in the universe consists of relic massive particles moving at non-relativistic speeds, we may be able to detect these particles in direct searches with low background experiments. This talk will focus on the search for weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs), predicted in particular by theories invoking supersymmetry. The recoils of target nuclei resulting from elastically scattering WIMPs should be detectable in principle with sensitive detectors. I will review the current status of direct Dark Matter searches, and then elaborate on the XENON suite of experiments. The XENON Dark Matter program was established in 2002, and reached a major milestone with the installation of its first Dark Matter detector, XENON10, at the Gran Sasso underground laboratory in Italy. XENON10 reported the world-best limits on spin-independent WIMP-nucleon cross-sections last year. (CDMS-II has recently improved their limits even further.) Meanwhile, we are building the next generation detector XENON100 at the same location. The new detector will feature ten-fold greater fiducial mass and 100 times improved background. We anticipate first results by the end of the year. I will report on the status of XENON100 and its projected sensitivity, and conclude with an outlook on the prospects of the field. Uwe Oberlack http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/f340d688-74bc-4c71-8dfa-442e2fdf9991.mp3 Science http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/f340d688-74bc-4c71-8dfa-442e2fdf9991.mp3 Tue, 03 Jun 2008 11:50:00 -0400 We study observables in a conformal field theory which are very closely related to the ones used to describe hadronic events at colliders. We focus on the correlation functions of the energies deposited on calorimeters placed at a large distance from the collision. We consider initial states produced by an operator insertion and we study some general properties of the energy correlation functions for conformal field theories. We argue that the small angle singularities of energy correlation functions are controlled by the twist of non-local light-ray operators with a definite spin. We relate the charge two point function to a particular moment of the parton distribution functions appearing in deep inelastic scattering. The one point energy correlation functions are characterized by a few numbers. For ${cal N}=1$ superconformal theories the one point function for states created by the R-current or the stress tensor are determined by the two parameters $a$ and $c$ charac terizing the conformal anomaly. Demanding that the measured energies are positive we get bounds on $a/c$. We also give a prescription for computing the energy and charge correlation functions in theories that have a gravity dual. The prescription amounts to probing the falling string state as it crosses the $AdS$ horizon with gravitational shock waves. In the leading, two derivative, gravity approximation the energy is uniformly distributed on the sphere at infinity, with no fluctuations. We compute the stringy corrections and we show that they lead to small, non-gaussian, fluctuations in the energy distribution. Corrections to the one point functions or antenna patterns are related to higher derivative corrections in the bulk. Diego Hofman http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/b8c02baf-a874-4a40-8f82-c9f9520b5887.mp3 Science http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/b8c02baf-a874-4a40-8f82-c9f9520b5887.mp3 Tue, 03 Jun 2008 12:25:00 -0400 In the last years, the NA48/2 experiment at the CERN SPS has recorded an unprecedented sample of charged kaon decays. From this, we report very precise measurements of fundamental parameters of Chiral Perturbation Theory (ChPT) and the study of low energy pi-pi scattering. Several rare and very rare decays have been studied. From more than 10^6 K+- -> pi+ pi0 gamma decays, a first measurement of the interference between Bremsstrahlung and Direct Emission amplitudes and a stringent limit on direct CP violation in this channel is presented. For K+- -> pi+ gamma gamma, about 1000 events have been selected, more than 30 times the existing statistics. Also, the first observation of K+- -> pi+ gamma e+ e- is reported with 120 events. For both decays, the branching fraction and the free parameter of O(p4) ChPT has been measured with high accuracy. Finally, we report on a new precise measurement of the branching fraction and form factors of K+- -> pi+- e+ e-, which is highly suppressed by the GIM mechanism. The measurement of the e+ e- spectrum is an important input for ChPT and probes the weak static interaction. The analyses of K+- -> pi+- pi0 pi0 (K3pi) and K+- -> pi+ pi- e+- nu (Ke4) decays give complementary approaches to the study of low energy pi-pi scattering. From data samples of ~90 Millions 3pi and ~1 Million Ke4 decays, precise values of a0 and a2, the Isospin 0 and 2 S-wave PI-PI scattering lengths, can be extracted with an unprecedented experimental precision, allowing accurate tests of Chiral Perturbation Theory predictions. The form factors of the Ke4 decays and their energy dependence are also measured with an improved precision, while the Dalitz plot parameters of the K3PI decays are determined including a new quadratic term. Simone Bifani http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/3e7be0f1-9e13-4ab2-907b-5f37b4038bd3.mp3 Science http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/3e7be0f1-9e13-4ab2-907b-5f37b4038bd3.mp3 Tue, 03 Jun 2008 14:30:00 -0400 We first discuss the possibility of getting a non-supersymmetric dS minimum with the inclusion of perturbative and non-perturbative alpha' corrections and instanton contributions in the large volume limit of certain Swiss Cheese Calabi Yau orientifold type IIB compactifications. We then discuss axionic slow roll inflation with the NS-NS axions providing a flat direction for slow-roll inflation to proceed from a saddle point to the nearest dS minimum. Aalok Misra http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/7e123c1d-34a5-4f33-841d-cf0074d370c1.mp3 Science http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/7e123c1d-34a5-4f33-841d-cf0074d370c1.mp3 Tue, 03 Jun 2008 14:30:00 -0400 We further advance the application of the Canny algorithm for detecting cosmic strings in CMB maps. Rebecca Danos http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/cf937400-d031-4fe3-8c8a-266d2807dd0d.mp3 Science http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/cf937400-d031-4fe3-8c8a-266d2807dd0d.mp3 Tue, 03 Jun 2008 14:30:00 -0400 I will present extensions of hybrid inflationary models in the context of supersymmetric D-term in- flation. I will show that there exists a large domain of parameters in which significant primordial non-Gaussianities can be produced while preserving a scale free power spectrum for the metric fluctuations. In particular I will explicitly present the expected bi- and trispectrum for such models and compared the results to the current and expected observational constraints. It is to be noticed that it is necessary to use both the bi- and tri-spectra of CMB anisotropies to efficiently reduce the parameter space of such models. Francis Bernardeau http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/018cd76b-56c9-4910-87f6-2c0ad4caf9c6.mp3 Science http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/018cd76b-56c9-4910-87f6-2c0ad4caf9c6.mp3 Tue, 03 Jun 2008 14:45:00 -0400 'BPS preons were conjectured (PRL 86, 4451 (2001), hep-th/0101113) as the basic constituents of M-theory; they are states preserving 31/32 supersymmetries. We discuss the absence of preonic solutions in D=10,11 supergravities and its possible implications. The AdS generalization of the BPS preons, the AdS preons defined over an AdS vacuum, will also be discussed. This leads to the {it AdS-M-algebra}, a deformation of the M-algebra which is identifed as $osp(1|32)$.' J. A. de Azcarraga http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/3dfc4866-d9f1-4166-9d4a-fe7f737ccc34.mp3 Science http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/3dfc4866-d9f1-4166-9d4a-fe7f737ccc34.mp3 Tue, 03 Jun 2008 14:45:00 -0400 In supersymmetric (SUSY) models with the gravitino being the lightest SUSY particle (LSP), the SUSY breaking scale (i.e., the gravitino mass) could be determined by measuring the lifetime of the next-to-lightest SUSY particle (NLSP). However, for an ultralight gravitino of mass of O(1) eV, which is favored cosmologically, the determination of the SUSY breaking scale, or the gravitino mass, is difficult because the NLSP decay length is too short to be measured directly. We propose a new determination of the gravitino mass by measuring a branching fraction of two decay modes of sleptons, and demonstrate that the gravitino mass may indeed be determined at the LHC with an accuracy of a few 10% for an integrated luminosity 10-100 fb^{-1}. I will also mention dark matter candidates for such a light gravitino LSP. Koichi Hamaguchi http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/73580a1e-a972-4b3a-8971-ad6f53e69cce.mp3 Science http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/73580a1e-a972-4b3a-8971-ad6f53e69cce.mp3 Tue, 03 Jun 2008 14:45:00 -0400 If inflation is to be considered in an unbiased way, as possibly originating from one of a wide range of underlying theories,then observations need not be simply applied to reconstructing the inflaton potential, V(phi), or a specific kinetic term, as in DBI inflation, but rather to reconstruct the inflationary action in its entirety. I will discuss the constraints that can be placed on a generalsingle field action from measurements of the primordial scalar and tensor fluctuation power spectra and non-Gaussianities. I will also briefly present the flow equation formalism for reconstructing a general inflationary Lagrangian, in a general gauge, that reduces to canonical and DBI inflation in a specific gauge. Ghazal Geshnizjani http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/043bf243-c810-47be-836d-e872f3be79e1.mp3 Science http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/043bf243-c810-47be-836d-e872f3be79e1.mp3 Tue, 03 Jun 2008 15:00:00 -0400 We study the effects of boundary terms in models with a flat 'Universal'' Extra Dimension in which all Standard Model fields propagate in the bulk. We show how non-minimal boundary terms change the mass spectrum and interactions of Kaluza-Klein modes, allow for new dark matter candidates from UED, and how they alter collider phenomenology. Thomas Flacke http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/51065b29-4891-47f3-aa06-3bbb5a96b1a0.mp3 Science http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/51065b29-4891-47f3-aa06-3bbb5a96b1a0.mp3 Tue, 03 Jun 2008 15:00:00 -0400 Many string theorists and cosmologists have recently turned their attention to building and testing string theory models of inflation. One of the main goals is to find novel features that could distinguish stringy models from their field theoretic counterparts. This is difficult because, in most examples, string theory is used to derived an effective theory operating at energies well below the string scale. However, since string theory provides a complete description of dynamics also at higher energies, it may be interesting to construct inflationary models which take advantage of this distinctive feature. I will discuss recent progress in this direction using p-adic string theory - a toy model of the bosonic string for which the full series of higher dimensional operators is known explicitly - as a playground for studying string cosmology to all order in $alpha'$. The p-adic string is a nonlocal theory containing derivatives of all orders and this structure is also ubiquitous in string field theory. After discussing the difficulties (such as ghosts and classical instabilities) that arise in working with higher derivative theories I will show how to construct generic inflationary models with infinitely many derivatives. Novel features include the possibility of realizing slow roll inflation with a steep potential and large nongaussian signatures in the CMB. Neil Barnaby http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/774c08d3-2bd5-4ab0-af58-61c788c85559.mp3 Science http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/774c08d3-2bd5-4ab0-af58-61c788c85559.mp3 Tue, 03 Jun 2008 15:00:00 -0400 The phenomenology of TeV-scale physics can be modified by the existence of scale-invariant 'unparticle' fields that can couple to the standard model sector. In particular, it has been shown that unparticles can alter gravitational interactions in a similar fashion to extra dimensions. Observable results from this mechanism -- most notably mini-black hole formation -- will be discussed, and methods of differentiating unparticles from extra dimensional models will be addressed. Jonas Mureika http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/b2923f2f-bb64-41fa-83c9-72918820bcff.mp3 Science http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/b2923f2f-bb64-41fa-83c9-72918820bcff.mp3 Tue, 03 Jun 2008 15:15:00 -0400 We show the nature of sequestering hidden sector in five-dimensional supergravity models, where a negative vacuum energy of the nonperturbative modulus potential is canceled by a dynamically generated F-term in the hidden sector. Soft supersymmetry breaking terms are explicitly shown in the case that both the visible and the hidden sector is quasi-localized in the extra dimension. Hiroyuki Abe http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/4e901f20-45e7-4d6e-9e86-f7366e81caab.mp3 Science http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/4e901f20-45e7-4d6e-9e86-f7366e81caab.mp3 Tue, 03 Jun 2008 15:15:00 -0400 Parametric resonance, also known as preheating, is a plausible mechanism for bringing about the transition between the inflationary phase and a hot, radiation dominated universe. This epoch results in the rapid production of heavy particles far from thermal equilibrium and has the potential to source a significant stochastic background of gravitational radiation. Here, I present a numerical algorithm for computing the contemporary power spectrum of gravity waves generated in this post-inflationary phase transition for a large class of scalar-field driven inflationary models. I will present the results of this calculation for a number of inflationary models and discuss the (potential) observability of these models John Giblin http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/6c8582f6-d749-4987-a4e2-f9519316ac2f.mp3 Science http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/6c8582f6-d749-4987-a4e2-f9519316ac2f.mp3 Tue, 03 Jun 2008 15:15:00 -0400 WIMP dark matter candidates chi^0 have interesting signatures for direct and indirect detection in regimes where there is a near degeneracy with a heavier charged state chi^{pm}, as occurs for example along the boundary of the coannihilation strip in the CMSSM. For small splittings of O(10) MeV, the scattering of WIMPs off nuclei may be dominated by inelastic recombination processes mediated by the formation of (chi^- N) bound states, leading for example to a distinct signature for direct detection. I will discuss these and other resonant processes that distinguish the detection signatures of this class of WIMP scenarios. Adam Ritz http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/21e3aacb-c759-48a2-8adf-ca748327ff0e.mp3 Science http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/21e3aacb-c759-48a2-8adf-ca748327ff0e.mp3 Tue, 03 Jun 2008 15:30:00 -0400 Working in the weak tachyon region of a condensing tachyon background, we find the modified equations of motion for massless strings with conformal perturbation theory. We then estimate the backreaction on the background dilaton. In large (supercritical) dimensions, we find that the backreaction can be significant in a large region of spacetime. Andrew Frey http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/4b5e82cd-e4e1-4391-a840-f8bcf245872a.mp3 Science http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/4b5e82cd-e4e1-4391-a840-f8bcf245872a.mp3 Tue, 03 Jun 2008 15:30:00 -0400 The cosmological constant problem and the compatibility of gravity with quantum mechanics are the two most pressing problems in all of gravitational theory. While string theory nicely addresses the latter, it has so far failed to provide any compelling solution to the former. On the other hand, while conformal gravity nicely addresses the cosmological constant problem [by naturally quenching the amount by which the cosmological constant gravitates rather than by quenching the cosmological constant itself -- Mannheim, Prog. Part. Nuc. Phys. 56, 340 (2006)], the fourth order derivative conformal theory has long been thought to possess a ghost when quantized. However, it has recently been shown by Bender and Mannheim [Phys. Rev. Lett. 100, 110402 (2008)] that not only do theories based on fourth order derivative equations of motion not have ghosts, they actually never had any to begin with, with the apparent presence of ghosts being due entirely to treating operators which were not Hermitian on the real axis as though they were. When this is taken care of via an underlying PT symmetry that such theories are found to possess, there are then no ghosts at all and the theory is fully unitary. Conformal gravity is thus advanced as a fully consistent four-dimensional alternative to ten-dimensional string theory. Philip Mannheim http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/31157eed-7d82-4df7-925e-3d814e71d00c.mp3 Science http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/31157eed-7d82-4df7-925e-3d814e71d00c.mp3 Tue, 03 Jun 2008 16:45:00 -0400 In SUGRA flavour models, a total sequestering is not possible and an irreducible amount of flavour and CP violation is essentially unavoidable, which renders many flavour models testable in the near future experiments. Michal Malinsky http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/e097b985-86c3-411e-a4e6-96a5901a4379.mp3 Science http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/e097b985-86c3-411e-a4e6-96a5901a4379.mp3 Tue, 03 Jun 2008 16:45:00 -0400 We discuss a quantum corrected inflation scenario driven by a generic GUT or Standard Model type particle model, whose scalar field playing the role of an inflaton has a strong non-minimal curvature coupling. We show that currently widely accepted bounds on the Higgs mass falsify the suggestion of [arXiv:0710.3755] (the work underestimating the role of radiative corrections) that the Standard Model Higgs boson can serve as the inflaton. However, if the Higgs mass could be raised to 216 GeV, then the Standard Model could generate the inflationary scenario matching the CMB data with $n_ssimeq 0.93$ and a very low tensor to scalar perturbation ratio $rsimeq 0.0005$. Andrei Barvinski http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/183e386f-ae6f-48fa-9292-d408d2e2ebd5.mp3 Science http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/183e386f-ae6f-48fa-9292-d408d2e2ebd5.mp3 Tue, 03 Jun 2008 16:45:00 -0400 We study effects of the neutrino yukawa coupling on neutralino dark matter observables. We found that presence of the top-like neutrino yukawa coupling does significantly affect neutralino relic density in the regions. Azar Mustafayev http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/b3a5c4fa-a765-489f-acee-441a675e85e3.mp3 Science http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/b3a5c4fa-a765-489f-acee-441a675e85e3.mp3 Tue, 03 Jun 2008 17:00:00 -0400 We present a simple mechanism for obtaining large-field inflation, and hence a gravitational wave signature, from string theory compactified on twisted tori. For Nil manifolds, we obtain a leading inflationary potential proportional to phi^(2/3) in terms of the canonically normalized field phi, yielding predictions for the tilt of the power spectrum and the tensor-to-scalar ratio, $n_sapprox 0.98$ and $rapprox 0.04$ with 60 e-foldings of inflation; we note also the possibility of a variant with a candidate inflaton potential proportional to phi^(2/5). The basic mechanism involved in extending the field range -- monodromy in D-branes as they move in circles on the manifold -- arises in a more general class of compactifications, though our methods for controlling the corrections to the slow-roll parameters require additional symmetries. Alexander Westphal http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/a121ad77-e83a-448e-bcf8-e4685043f578.mp3 Science http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/a121ad77-e83a-448e-bcf8-e4685043f578.mp3 Tue, 03 Jun 2008 17:00:00 -0400 Niayesh Afshordi http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/aaab80af-57c5-4c07-a03b-e10ef8786ed8.mp3 Science http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/aaab80af-57c5-4c07-a03b-e10ef8786ed8.mp3 Tue, 03 Jun 2008 17:00:00 -0400 The Standard Model (SM) of particle physics provides an excellent description of nearly every collider physics experiment performed to date. However, the SM is unable to explain the observed cosmology. Among its cosmological shortcomings, the SM cannot account for the dark matter or explain why there is more matter than anti-matter. A well-motivated way to extend the SM is supersymmetry. In the minimal supersymmetric extension of the the SM, the MSSM, new superpartner particles can make up the dark matter and generate the matter-antimatter asymmetry. These two requirements place strong constraints on the mass spectrum of superpartners in the MSSM. In this talk, we will describe this cosmologically motivated spectrum, and discuss some of the interesting signatures it could create at the upcoming LHC experiments. David Morrissey http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/6419f1d3-322f-4e4f-a303-94340a6c7abe.mp3 Science http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/6419f1d3-322f-4e4f-a303-94340a6c7abe.mp3 Tue, 03 Jun 2008 17:15:00 -0400 We consider a Born-Infeld like action for gravity coupled to an external connection field. We show that the equation of state of this fluid interpolates between dark matter and dark energy. We also show that on galactic scales this system predicts asymptotically flat rotation curves. This action is motivated by looking at a regime where the metric vanishes, and replacing the big bang by a smooth transition between a topological manifold to a Riemannian manifold. Maximo Banados http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/eef97c4d-b270-4023-8284-88c3e091c870.mp3 Science http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/eef97c4d-b270-4023-8284-88c3e091c870.mp3 Tue, 03 Jun 2008 17:15:00 -0400 The process of reheating in warped brane world models was initially thought to be quite efficient. However, the identification of long-lived Kaluza-Klein (KK) relics associated with isometries along the internal directions suggests that reheating may not be efficient, and may conflict with BBN and baryogenesis constraints. This talk discusses processes which may accommodate their decay and quantifies their expectant lifetimes, resulting in strong constraints on the parameters of the underlying theory. We also point out several shortcomings of other, recent investigations into the decay mechanisms of the KK relics. Aaron Berndsen http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/4ec0a8bc-5fb6-4930-9d63-2bf814b73477.mp3 Science http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/4ec0a8bc-5fb6-4930-9d63-2bf814b73477.mp3 Tue, 03 Jun 2008 17:30:00 -0400 If light scalar fields are present at the end of inflation, their nonequilibrium dynamics can produce non-Gaussian density perturbations. Lattice field theory simulations show that this effect can be very strong in the massless preheating model. It is therefore an important factor in assessing the viability of inflationary models. I present a phenomenological model that can be used to calculate the perturbations analytically. Arttu Rajantie http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/549427f8-d180-4911-9786-2926358f4f59.mp3 Science http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/549427f8-d180-4911-9786-2926358f4f59.mp3 Tue, 03 Jun 2008 17:30:00 -0400 Within the context of F-theory compactified on Calabi-Yau fourfolds, we describe a class of string theory vacua which contain several features necessary in supersymmetric grand unified models of particle physics. Focussing on a simple class of local Calabi-Yau fourfolds, we explain how the matter content and superpotential in four dimensions are determined by a topological gauge theory. Along these lines, we present some minimal examples of GUT models. Jonothan Heckman http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/4d0bcbd6-46a0-4cbd-87d7-71542a5e0a67.mp3 Science http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/4d0bcbd6-46a0-4cbd-87d7-71542a5e0a67.mp3 Tue, 03 Jun 2008 17:30:00 -0400 Manoj Kaplinghat http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/31d438f5-048e-47a3-8e7b-b651f85e907b.mp3 Science http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/31d438f5-048e-47a3-8e7b-b651f85e907b.mp3 Tue, 03 Jun 2008 17:45:00 -0400 With LHC commissioned in just a few month ahead, all sorts of ideas about physics beyond the standard model are being explored intensively. A strong-coupling chiral theory appearing at TeV scale remains a possibility but also a very hard scenario to study. When it comes to strongly coupled theories, lattice regularization is by far the most reliable method. But defining exact chiral gauge theory on the lattice remains a difficult problem on its own. We show that the idea to use additional non-gauge, high-scale mirror-sector dynamics to decouple the mirror fermions without breaking the gauge symmetry might lead to a practically manageable solution. We demonstrate, using the exact lattice chirality, that partition functions of lattice gauge theories with vector like fermion representations can be split into 'light' and 'mirror' parts, and each contains a chiral representation. Such a splitting is only well defined when both sectors are separately anomaly free. We also prove that, the generating function and therefore the spectrum of an arbitrary chiral gauge theory is a smooth function of the background gauge field, if and only if the anomaly free condition is satisfied. We reached this conclusion by proving some very general properties of an arbitrary chiral gauge theory on lattice, and the results should be of importance for further studies in this field. Yanwen Shang http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/bb11bea2-6219-4e70-932b-0d8f3326a1a0.mp3 Science http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/bb11bea2-6219-4e70-932b-0d8f3326a1a0.mp3 Tue, 03 Jun 2008 17:45:00 -0400 Viatcheslav Mukhanov http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/4737b237-97be-4e82-9f6a-d1625ef40f82.mp3 Science http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/4737b237-97be-4e82-9f6a-d1625ef40f82.mp3 Tue, 03 Jun 2008 17:45:00 -0400 Bill Zajc http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/8d8014ab-f6f5-4cbb-a189-52e46732c5eb.mp3 Science http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/8d8014ab-f6f5-4cbb-a189-52e46732c5eb.mp3 Wed, 04 Jun 2008 09:00:00 -0400 Krishna Rajagopal http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/3086f455-d6d5-4f77-8ee9-06d8143eacad.mp3 Science http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/3086f455-d6d5-4f77-8ee9-06d8143eacad.mp3 Wed, 04 Jun 2008 09:35:00 -0400 Andrew Lange http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/071806c0-999b-4c54-ae20-5ef960179879.mp3 Science http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/071806c0-999b-4c54-ae20-5ef960179879.mp3 Wed, 04 Jun 2008 10:10:00 -0400 Alex Conley http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/f910bc7f-2b2c-4d74-9453-73dcf14adfd8.mp3 Science http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/f910bc7f-2b2c-4d74-9453-73dcf14adfd8.mp3 Wed, 04 Jun 2008 11:15:00 -0400 Alessandra Buonanno http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/b0555907-b09a-4fbb-93fe-fe57f7338553.mp3 Science http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/b0555907-b09a-4fbb-93fe-fe57f7338553.mp3 Wed, 04 Jun 2008 11:50:00 -0400 Inflation is generically a never ending process, with new 'pocket universes' constantly being formed. All possible events will happen an infinite number of times in such an eternally inflating universe. Unless we learn how to compare these infinities, we will not be able to make any predictions at all. I will discuss some proposed approaches to this 'measure problem'. Alex Vilenkin http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/f29f58cf-d6c9-4b97-a891-12fb368ac9c0.mp3 Science http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/f29f58cf-d6c9-4b97-a891-12fb368ac9c0.mp3 Thu, 05 Jun 2008 09:00:00 -0400 Hans Peter Nilles http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/b0bf1c51-1206-4d2c-8c89-96b26d6af11c.mp3 Science http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/b0bf1c51-1206-4d2c-8c89-96b26d6af11c.mp3 Thu, 05 Jun 2008 09:35:00 -0400 The Fermilab Tevatron is currently the highest energy particle collider in the world and is host of the CDF and DZero experiments. Measurements performed by these two international collaborations have significantly improved our knowledge of subatomic physics and helped further constrain different scenarios of physics beyond the Standard Model. A summary of some of the latest results and future experimental goals of the Tevatron's experiments will be presented. Brigitte Vachon http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/01934b8d-68a7-4d89-a59e-e2b2292a9372.mp3 Science http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/01934b8d-68a7-4d89-a59e-e2b2292a9372.mp3 Thu, 05 Jun 2008 10:10:00 -0400 François Bouchet http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/b8932576-f7db-48f8-9944-a1d34946cc14.mp3 Science http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/b8932576-f7db-48f8-9944-a1d34946cc14.mp3 Thu, 05 Jun 2008 11:15:00 -0400 Tony Tyson http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/e6026bc2-d654-47ca-8ffc-06f2d160c6e8.mp3 Science http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/e6026bc2-d654-47ca-8ffc-06f2d160c6e8.mp3 Thu, 05 Jun 2008 11:50:00 -0400 Nathan Seiberg http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/cd09cced-fa9f-4e6e-9611-98ebbce26145.mp3 Science http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/cd09cced-fa9f-4e6e-9611-98ebbce26145.mp3 Thu, 05 Jun 2008 12:25:00 -0400 Theories unifying gravity with other interactions suggest temporal and spatial variation of the fundamental 'constants' in expanding Universe. The spatial variation can explain fine tuning of the fundamental constants which allows humans (and any life) to appear. We appeared in the area of the Universe where the values of the fundamental constants are consistent with our existence. I present a review of works devoted to the variation of the fine structure constant alpha, strong interaction and fundamental masses (Higgs vacuum). There are some hints for the variation in quasar absorption spectra and Big Bang nucleosynthesis data. A very promising method to search for the variation consists in comparison of different atomic clocks. Huge enhancement of the variation effects happens in transitions between very close atomic, nuclear and molecular energy levels. Large enhancement also happens in nuclear, atomic and molecular collisions near resonances. How changing physical constants may occur? Light scalar fields very naturally appear in modern cosmological models, affecting parameters of the Standard Model (e.g. alpha). Cosmological variations of these scalar fields should occur because of drastic changes of matter composition in Universe: the latest such event is rather recent (about 5 billion years ago), from matter to dark energy domination. Massive bodies can also affect physical constants. The strongest limits are obtained from the measurements of dependence of atomic frequencies on the distance from Sun (the distance varies due to the ellipticity of the Earth's orbit). Victor Flambaum http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/5044f1d2-28d0-431a-a9b6-ca1ac9b2e392.mp3 Science http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/5044f1d2-28d0-431a-a9b6-ca1ac9b2e392.mp3 Thu, 05 Jun 2008 13:00:00 -0400 It was proposed recently that type IIB orientifold compactifications on CY(3) in the presence of fluxes exhibit an attractor mechanism similar to the one in black hole physics, in other words that minimizing the relevant scalar potential is equivalent to solving a system of attractor equations. So far this conjecture has been verified only numerically. We show by analytical means that the conjectured susy attractor equations do indeed give supersymmetric minima of the relevant scalar potential. Furthermore, we obtain attractor equations for the most general N=1 flux compactifications of type IIA/B string theory, namely compactifications on SU(3)xSU(3) structure spaces. Lilia Anguelova http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/79f9f62e-0407-47b8-8c52-61358147c7bf.mp3 Science http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/79f9f62e-0407-47b8-8c52-61358147c7bf.mp3 Thu, 05 Jun 2008 14:45:00 -0400 We briefly discuss the potential cosmological implications of our results. Jim Cline http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/0d4986ea-0876-4be7-b1b1-3e74384006b6.mp3 Science http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/0d4986ea-0876-4be7-b1b1-3e74384006b6.mp3 Thu, 05 Jun 2008 14:45:00 -0400 Proton structure measurements at high $Q^{2}$ performed by the H1 and ZEUS collaborations at the HERA collider, are reviewed. Neutral and charged current deep inelastic scattering cross sections and structure functions are presented. The review also discusses improvements to the parton density measurements using jet cross section data and recent high $Q^{2}$ inclusive cross section measurements. Umer Noor http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/f17baee8-2da6-46ad-86f6-f211571c6478.mp3 Science http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/f17baee8-2da6-46ad-86f6-f211571c6478.mp3 Thu, 05 Jun 2008 14:45:00 -0400 We study the necessary and sufficient topological conditions for general Calabi-Yaus to get a non-supersymmetric AdS exponentially large volume minimum of the scalar potential in flux compactifications of IIB string theory. It turns out that string loop corrections play a crucial role to realise exponentially large volume minima for fibration Calabi-Yaus and to stabilise 4-cycles which support chiral matter. The robustness of these results is due to the 'extended no-scale structure': for arbitrary Calabi-Yaus, the leading contribution of these corrections to the scalar potential is always vanishing. We use the Coleman-Weinberg potential to motivate this cancellation from the viewpoint of low-energy field theory. Michele Cicoli http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/5638e3da-1784-4a6e-ac3e-fbb8fc9d32aa.mp3 Science http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/5638e3da-1784-4a6e-ac3e-fbb8fc9d32aa.mp3 Thu, 05 Jun 2008 15:00:00 -0400 An electroweak singlet coupling through the Higgs portal has a natural mass scale $m_Ssim m_h$. In this mass range its annihilation cross section is dominated by proximity to the $W$, $Z$ and Higgs peaks. Analysis of the $gamma$ ray signal from electroweak singlet annihilation in the mass range $80,mathrm{GeV} Robert Mann http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/1bcc17d1-e666-4cf2-b05c-1ea9902b8620.mp3 Science http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/1bcc17d1-e666-4cf2-b05c-1ea9902b8620.mp3 Thu, 05 Jun 2008 15:00:00 -0400 Mark Wyman http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/da804cd9-96bd-4e69-9368-37a44c0c4eb4.mp3 Science http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/da804cd9-96bd-4e69-9368-37a44c0c4eb4.mp3 Thu, 05 Jun 2008 15:00:00 -0400 Moduli stabilization, SUSY breaking and flavor structure are discussed in 5D gauged supergravity models with two vector-multiplet moduli fields. One modulus field makes the fermion mass hierarchy while the other is relevant to the SUSY breaking mediation. We analyse the potential for the moduli from the viewpoint of the 4D effective theory to obtain the stabilized values of the moduli and their F-terms. Yutaka Sakamura http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/afb293f5-dc22-4515-8fd7-24de802bb1d5.mp3 Science http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/afb293f5-dc22-4515-8fd7-24de802bb1d5.mp3 Thu, 05 Jun 2008 15:15:00 -0400 I will discuss recent results from the Cosmic Shear component of the CFHT Legacy Survey. These results reach very large scales, allowing a measurement of poper spectrum of matter fluctuations in the linear regime, and of cosmological parameters. Mike Hudson http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/eec9015b-80ae-417e-a30f-7ed09072476a.mp3 Science http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/eec9015b-80ae-417e-a30f-7ed09072476a.mp3 Thu, 05 Jun 2008 15:15:00 -0400 Matthias Wapler http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/c69f7b34-f7d5-4290-b283-e6484e7756bd.mp3 Science http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/c69f7b34-f7d5-4290-b283-e6484e7756bd.mp3 Thu, 05 Jun 2008 15:15:00 -0400 'In this talk we will focus on the supergravity duals of BPS states in N=4 Super Yang-Mills. In particular, we will describe how one can obtain a universal AdS bubbling picture for 1/4 and 1/8 BPS geometries, in analogy with the well-established 1/2 BPS droplet picture of LLM. In addition, we will show how interactions of two-matrix (1/4 BPS) states can be understood in terms of those of the much simpler single matrix (1/2 BPS) states.' Sera Cremonini http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/11a93d4c-a128-4698-a114-d126cadbdb46.mp3 Science http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/11a93d4c-a128-4698-a114-d126cadbdb46.mp3 Thu, 05 Jun 2008 15:30:00 -0400 Many modified gravity schemes predict a non-zero difference (``gravitational slip'') between the Newtonian and longitudinal perturbed metric potentials. Such a slip would affect the growth of large scale structure without altering the expansion history of the universe. We quantify the slip with a new parameter varpi, show the effect of non-zero varpi on the growth of cosmic overdensities, and constrain its value using CMB and weak lensing data. Scott Daniel http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/59f15d60-dedd-40a0-9102-3cfd5a4868a5.mp3 Science http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/59f15d60-dedd-40a0-9102-3cfd5a4868a5.mp3 Thu, 05 Jun 2008 15:30:00 -0400 We point out that the strong CP problem can be resolved by the anthropic principle. The key ideas are to allow explicit breaking(s) of the Peccei-Quinn symmetry which connects the problem to the cosmological constant problem, and to conjecture that the probability distribution of the vacuum energy in the landscape is hierarchical. The axion acquires a large mass from the explicit breaking, and does not contribute to the dark matter abundance. The axion may dominate the energy density of the universe after inflation and reheat the universe by the decay, possibly generating the density perturbations. On the other hand, the axion can be integrated out during inflation, if the explicit breaking is strong enough. All the cosmological problems of the (s)axion with a large Peccei-Quinn scale can be solved. Fuminobu Takahashi http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/ae1c466a-2bb3-4dba-8191-0ab190ca260f.mp3 Science http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/ae1c466a-2bb3-4dba-8191-0ab190ca260f.mp3 Thu, 05 Jun 2008 15:30:00 -0400 Using the general structure of the vacuum polarization tensor at non-zero temperature T and finite magnetic field B, the ring contribution to QED effective potential is determined beyond the static (zero momentum) limit. In the limit of weak magnetic field and at high temperature, the improved ring potential consists of a term proportional to T4®5=2, in ad-dition to the well-known T4®3=2 term. In the limit of strong magnetic field, where QED dynamics is dominated by the lowest Landau level (LLL), the ring potential consists of a novel term proportional to 2¼eB m2 ln ¡2®¼ eB m2 ¢. Using the full effective potential including both the one-loop effective and the improved ring potentials, QED gap equation is determined and the dynamical fermion mass generation is studied in the regime of LLL dominance at non-zero temperature. It is shown that at high temperature limit, where the thermal fluctuations dominate the magnetic catalysis of dynamical chiral symmetry breaking in LLL, a chiral symmetry restoration occurs at certain critical temperature Tc. But, comparing to Tc in the static limit, the critical temperature arising from the improved ring potential is lower.The improved ring contribution is also relevant in studying the electroweak phase transition in the presence of external (strong) magnetic fields [1]. PACS numbers: 11.10.Wx, 11.15.Ex, 12.38.Gc Neda Sadooghi http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/394d38d8-a356-4e48-b448-fdbd5db7dca1.mp3 Science http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/394d38d8-a356-4e48-b448-fdbd5db7dca1.mp3 Thu, 05 Jun 2008 15:45:00 -0400 We study the possibility of detecting departures from GR using the tomographic surveys as Pan-starrs and LSST (Will be updated). Gong-Bo Zhao http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/6a01ee0b-7b1e-4645-8cf4-062ea4e94f6a.mp3 Science http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/6a01ee0b-7b1e-4645-8cf4-062ea4e94f6a.mp3 Thu, 05 Jun 2008 15:45:00 -0400 The validity of the perturbative analysis during inflation imposes bounds on the inflationary parameters. For single field inflation, the current experimental bounds on non-Gaussianity necessarily imply that the physics is weakly coupled at CMB scales. In this talk, I will show that for models with a scale dependent sound speed, the system can become strongly coupled at lower scale. I will also discuss multiple field models which can produce non-Gaussianity at CMB scales. In these scenarios, the extra scalar fields are strongly coupled in a large part of the parameter space. Louis LeBlond http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/8549a12c-8d9e-4250-91b2-972e4ad03d4d.mp3 Science http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/8549a12c-8d9e-4250-91b2-972e4ad03d4d.mp3 Thu, 05 Jun 2008 15:45:00 -0400 A new test of the LCDM concordance cosmology is presented. Rob Caldwell http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/29b201fe-daa5-48ca-8106-19216ca6be97.mp3 Science http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/29b201fe-daa5-48ca-8106-19216ca6be97.mp3 Thu, 05 Jun 2008 16:00:00 -0400 We systematically explore the parameter space of the state-of-the-art brane-antibrane inflation model (Baumann et al.) which is most rigorously derived from string theory, applying the COBE normalization and constraints on the spectral index. We define an effective volume in parameter space consistent with the constraints, and show that the fine tuning problem is this model is alleviated by four orders of magnitude for the optimal parameter values, relative to a fiducial point which has previously been considered. We also discuss the overshooting problem in this model which restricts the allowed initial conditions on the brane-antibrane separation, showing that the allowed region is expanded (by a factor of 5) when optimal model parameters are chosen. We point out a subtlety for getting correct predictions in the approximation of effective single field inflation, where the Kahler modulus is integrated out. Loison Hoi http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/d092a1ce-1b6e-4c7e-99a6-fc325f96f02e.mp3 Science http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/d092a1ce-1b6e-4c7e-99a6-fc325f96f02e.mp3 Thu, 05 Jun 2008 16:00:00 -0400 The Pierre Auger Observatory in Malargue, Argentina, is the world's largest detector for the study of the origin of ultrahigh energy cosmic rays. The experiment stretches over 3000 km^2 and measures cosmic rays with energies above 10^18 eV using two complementary detector types: an array of 1600 particle detectors on the ground, and 4 fluorescence detectors overlooking the ground array from the periphery. The Observatory is now nearing completion, but scientific data taking started at the beginning of 2004. The analysis of the data shows first indications that the arrival direction distribution of the highest energy cosmic rays is not isotropic, but might be associated with the positions of nearby extragalactic objects. In this talk, I will review recent results from the first few years of data taking. Stefan Westerhoff http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/daa5c85b-51fd-45e2-99bb-d486e4082524.mp3 Science http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/daa5c85b-51fd-45e2-99bb-d486e4082524.mp3 Thu, 05 Jun 2008 16:00:00 -0400 Linear confinement in holographic QCD can be obtained with a soft-wall quadratic dilaton background. We present a dynamical five-dimensional model realizing this setup and discuss the implications for the hypothetical string theory dual to QCD. Brian Batell http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/3bbca043-924b-419c-809e-ae9df194a3a6.mp3 Science http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/3bbca043-924b-419c-809e-ae9df194a3a6.mp3 Fri, 06 Jun 2008 09:00:00 -0400 According to Doering and Isham the spectral topos corresponds to any quantum system. The descriptions of the systems become similar to these given by classical theories. Topoi can also modify local smooth spacetime structure. Supposing that a quantum system modifies the local spacetime structure and interacts with a gravitational field via the spectral topos, a natural pattern for non-gravitating quantum zero-point modes of the system, appears. A way how to add gravity into the spectral topos of a system is presented. A theory of gravity and systems should be symmetric with respect to some 2-group derived from the category of systems. Hence, a fundamental symmetry of gravity is rather 2-group of automorphisms of the category of systems. This higher symmetry is responsible for the vanishing of the cotributions to the cosmological constant derived from zero-point modes of energy of quantum systems in spacetime. A connection with strings (via the coefficients of the 2-connection of some 2-bundle, with this 2group as the structure group) is also shown. Institute of Physics, University of Silesia Jerzy Krol http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/5223bfda-1682-4c54-b354-833177e936c4.mp3 Science http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/5223bfda-1682-4c54-b354-833177e936c4.mp3 Fri, 06 Jun 2008 09:00:00 -0400 Searches for neutrinoless double beta decays could determine if neutrinos are Majorana particles and could measure their absolute mass scale. The initial stage of the Enriched Xenon Observatory project, EXO-200, will look for two-neutrino and neutrinoless double-beta decays of Xe-136 in a liquid-xenon time-projection chamber. By combining the ionization signal with detection of the scintillation light collected in Large Area Avalanche Photodiodes (LAAPDs), an energy resolution of about 1.4% at the decay energy can be achieved. All construction materials have been systematically selected to minimize naturally-occurring radioactive impurities. An active muon veto is presently under construction. Using these background reduction techniques and the available 200 kg of isotopically enriched xenon (80% in Xe-136), EXO-200 will be soon able to test present constraints on the effective Majorana-neutrino mass. It will also serve to demonstrate the potential performance of a larger-scale EXO experiment which will further reduce backgrounds by detecting the residual Ba ion produced in the decay. Installation of the EXO-200 detector is now in progress at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) in New Mexico. Douglas Leonard http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/e1331885-319b-4168-97fb-8152a40889a5.mp3 Science http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/e1331885-319b-4168-97fb-8152a40889a5.mp3 Fri, 06 Jun 2008 09:00:00 -0400 We argue that, within a broad class of extensions of the Standard Model, there is a tight corellation between the dynamics of the electroweak phase transition and the cubic self-coupling of the Higgs boson: Models which exhibit a strong first-order electroweak phase transition predict a large deviation of the Higgs self-coupling from the Standard Model prediction, as long as no accidental cancellations occur. Order-one deviations are typical. This shift would be observable at the Large Hadron Collider if the proposed luminosity or energy upgrades are realized, as well as at a future electron-positron collider such as the proposed International Linear Collider. These measurements would provide a laboratory test of the dynamics of the electroweak phase transition. Andrew Noble http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/32d21283-61bc-4219-bfcf-bf2f50f3630c.mp3 Science http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/32d21283-61bc-4219-bfcf-bf2f50f3630c.mp3 Fri, 06 Jun 2008 09:15:00 -0400 Loop quantum cosmology is a non-perturbative canonical quantization of simple cosmological models based on loop quantum gravity. In recent years, a greater control on the underlying quantum theory has revealed a picture where the big bang is replaced by a quantum bounce at Planck scale. The evolution across the bounce is unitary and non-singular without a need of choice of exotic potential or matter. By analysis of an exactly solvable model of a homogeneous and isotropic spacetime we will describe how the backward evolution of our universe with the quantum constraint leads to a pre big bang branch. We will also discuss the way it predicts modifications to Friedman dynamics at high curvatures, contrasts with the Wheeler-DeWitt scenario and semi-classicality across the bounce. Parampreet Singh http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/d320d9ac-8069-4a2b-bdd3-a6e2d061eb86.mp3 Science http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/d320d9ac-8069-4a2b-bdd3-a6e2d061eb86.mp3 Fri, 06 Jun 2008 09:15:00 -0400 I describe a variety of bubbles of nothing which do not require a Kaluza-Klein circle but instead may be found in asymptotically flat or AdS spaces without any identifications.  There are many such bubbles which expand outwards and threaten to destabilize spacetimes with more than four dimensions.   In the AdS case, one can show there are both bubbles and topologically trivial smooth states which violate all of the energy bounds, both classical and quantum, in the corresponding gauge theory. Keith Copsey http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/ab67b2ef-611c-4229-9d49-da1fe32aad29.mp3 Science http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/ab67b2ef-611c-4229-9d49-da1fe32aad29.mp3 Fri, 06 Jun 2008 09:15:00 -0400 We compute the GW signature of a meta-stable cosmic string network. Such networks arise in a large class of brane inflation models. Ben Shlaer http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/5338d412-be15-41fd-a5d9-01c5fc6812b7.mp3 Science http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/5338d412-be15-41fd-a5d9-01c5fc6812b7.mp3 Fri, 06 Jun 2008 09:30:00 -0400 One of the most compelling hints for physics beyond the standard model is the cosmological observation that nearly a quarter of our universe consists of cold dark matter. In the next few years, LHC shows the promise of producing these elusive particles and possibly measuring their microscopic properties. This will be challenging, per se, and using LHC observations to reconstruct a complete theory of cosmological dark matter could prove quite challenging. In this talk I will discuss the prospects and many challenges facing such a program. In particular, we will consider complications that can arise rather generically from supersymmetry breaking or gravitational effects in the early universe. Although this will make synthesis much more difficult, many of these effects could lead to insights into the baryon asymmetry and its relation to the dark matter abundance. Scott Watson http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/4b3405de-4c3e-4422-b094-67021a1a2f19.mp3 Science http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/4b3405de-4c3e-4422-b094-67021a1a2f19.mp3 Fri, 06 Jun 2008 09:30:00 -0400 We formulate a general replica field-theoretic framework for stochastic inflation in which a manifestation of dimensional reduction is found. The scale above which the latter becomes dominant is explicitly calculated. It is found that for a wide class of stochastic systems considerable changes of the spectral index inevitably occur on super-horizon scales. We work out an explicit relation between the noise correlator and the non-Gaussianity parameter $f_{NL}$, which thus can effectively be generated entirely by quantum fluctuations. Florian Kuhnel http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/aff10a89-e243-4a54-bff4-5e3812805fa0.mp3 Science http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/aff10a89-e243-4a54-bff4-5e3812805fa0.mp3 Fri, 06 Jun 2008 09:30:00 -0400 After introduction and motivation, I will present a covariant entropy bound conjecture on dynamical horizon in a general sense. Then I will show its validity in black hole case and cosmological context. Especially its power in constraint on the cosmological constant is addressed. I will end up with the outlook of this conjecture. Hongbao Zhang http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/ca49aef6-710a-408a-8024-eb1a3064c541.mp3 Science http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/ca49aef6-710a-408a-8024-eb1a3064c541.mp3 Fri, 06 Jun 2008 09:45:00 -0400 A new class of particle physics models of inflation is presented which is based on the phase transition associated with the spontaneous breaking of family symmetry responsible for the generation of the effective quark and lepton Yukawa couplings. We show Stefan Antusch http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/f4b9b709-3d46-48d7-a0ed-73f691fbd523.mp3 Science http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/f4b9b709-3d46-48d7-a0ed-73f691fbd523.mp3 Fri, 06 Jun 2008 09:45:00 -0400 We point out that light scalar fields with symmetries generically generate non-Gaussianity in the density fluctuations. Our observation makes the presence of the non-Gaussianity ubiquitous. When the inflationary scale and the properties of the scalar fields satisfy a certain relation, the non-Gaussianity becomes large enough to be observed by the ongoing and planned observations. We name such a particle responsible for a large non-Gaussianity as an 'ungaussiton', and give explicit examples to realize the ungaussiton mechanism. We also derive a consistency relation between the bispectrum and the trispectrum, tau_NL = 10^3 f_NL^(4/3), which, if confirmed, will strongly support this mechanism. Toyoakazu Sekiguchi http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/f310befe-7b73-4851-a016-1ffd8aa3c496.mp3 Science http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/f310befe-7b73-4851-a016-1ffd8aa3c496.mp3 Fri, 06 Jun 2008 09:45:00 -0400 We study the cosmological evolution of an induced gravity model with a self-interacting scalar field $sigma$ and in the presence of matter and radiation. Such model leads to Einstein Gravity plus a cosmological constant as a stable attractor among homogeneous cosmologies and is therefore a viable dark-energy (DE) model for a wide range of scalar field initial conditions and values for its positive $gamma$ coupling to the Ricci curvature $gamma sigma^{2}R$. Alessandro Tronconi http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/e37f6f68-76bd-48ca-8cc4-304f6ab2233f.mp3 Science http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/e37f6f68-76bd-48ca-8cc4-304f6ab2233f.mp3 Fri, 06 Jun 2008 10:00:00 -0400 About 20-30 years ago, scientific community was interested in knowing whether dark matter can carry gauge charges. The answer was found to be no. Today, we can ask a similar question: Can dark energy carry gauge charges? The answer this time seems to be yes. We study the possibility that the current accelerated expansion of the universe is driven by the vacuum energy density of a colored scalar field which is responsible for a phase transition in which the gauge SU(3)_c symmetry breaks. If we are stuck in a SU(3)_c - preserving false vacuum, then SU(3)_c symmetry breaking can be accommodated without violating any experimental QCD bounds or bounds from cosmological observations. As a bonus, the model can likely be tested at the LHC. A possible consequence of the model is the existence of fractionally charged massive hadrons. The model can be embedded in supersymmetric theories where massive colored scalar fields appear naturally. Dejan Stojkovic http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/e3c57c60-f9d8-4c33-9794-02aea8bcf9b6.mp3 Science http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/e3c57c60-f9d8-4c33-9794-02aea8bcf9b6.mp3 Fri, 06 Jun 2008 10:00:00 -0400 The non-commutative kappa-Minkowski field theory, often tauted as a low-energy candidate for the quantum description of gravity, operates on a spacetime which possesses a modified Lorentz invariance, and as such can be probed in high-precision low-energy experiments. We study the first order corrections in kappa to the Standard Model, and show that they typically induce a coupling of nuclear spin to an external background at low energies. Strong limits on this type of interactions push the scale of non-commutativity to more than 10^7 Planck masses, thus exhibiting a severe naturalness problem for kappa-Minkowski Field Theory viewed as an effective description of quantum gravity. Pavel Bolokhov http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/06f4768a-ffba-460e-a6dd-737b208f7c76.mp3 Science http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/06f4768a-ffba-460e-a6dd-737b208f7c76.mp3 Fri, 06 Jun 2008 10:00:00 -0400 We construct a consistent supersymmetric action for chiral and vector multiplets living on codimension-two branes in a six-dimensional chiral gauged supergravity. A nonzero brane tension can be compatible with the bulk supersymmetry by introducing a brane-localized Fayet-Iliopoulos term proportional to the brane tension. Moreover, we show that a brane chiral multiplet with nonzero R charge has a nontrivial coupling to the extra component of the U(1)_R gauge field strength and a singular scalar self-interaction term. We find that a unwarped football solution with 4D Minkowski vacuum exists for arbitrary brane tension and it preserves 4D N=1 supersymmetry. Dimensionally reducing to 4D for the football solution, we obtain the low energy action for moduli and brane multiplets in 4D effective supergravity with gauged U(1)_R. By assuming the bulk gaugino condensates as well as nonzero brane F- and/or D-term for the uplifting potential, we have all the moduli stabilized with a vanishing cosmological constant. The brane scalar with nonzero R charge then gets a soft mass of order the gravitino mass, the sign of which depends on the sign of the R charge as well as whether the brane F- or D-term dominates. Hyun Min Lee http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/8dedd02e-8045-45c8-ab9b-42f0474020cb.mp3 Science http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/8dedd02e-8045-45c8-ab9b-42f0474020cb.mp3 Fri, 06 Jun 2008 11:15:00 -0400 We derive a simple consistency relation from the running of the tensor-to-scalar ratio. This new relation is first order in the slow-roll approximation. While for single field models we can obtain what can be found by using other observables, multi-field cases in general give non-trivial contributions dependent on the geometry of the field space and the inflationary dynamics, which can be probed observationally from this relation. Jinn-Ouk Gong http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/b08c50e9-e81e-4145-ad5c-77359ff43005.mp3 Science http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/b08c50e9-e81e-4145-ad5c-77359ff43005.mp3 Fri, 06 Jun 2008 11:15:00 -0400 I will present a model of inflation in string theory, where the inflaton field corresponds to a Wilson line in the worldvolume of a D-brane, and in the presence of magnetic flux. Inflation ends in a hybrid fashion, when the Wilson line achieves a critical value and an open string mode becomes tachyonic. This scenario predicts a nearly flat, or red tilted, spectrum of scalar perturbations, with negligible primordial gravitational waves. Interestingly, there is a simple compactification in which the eta-problem, appearing in models of brane inflation, is absent. Anastasios Avgoustidis http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/d50714ab-d804-476e-a30f-0849797cb899.mp3 Science http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/d50714ab-d804-476e-a30f-0849797cb899.mp3 Fri, 06 Jun 2008 11:15:00 -0400 We consider the most general treatment of primordial non-Gaussianities, arising from modifying the initial state. Besides considering non-Gaussian effects due to subhorizon particle production, we parameterize the initial non-Gaussian features in terms of a Boundary Effective Field Theory (BEFT). Both effects contribute to the final result for the bispectrum, and we use this to put constraints on the initial state. Daniel Meerburg http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/7cfa7c27-568b-48f6-acee-c67d4f730fac.mp3 Science http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/7cfa7c27-568b-48f6-acee-c67d4f730fac.mp3 Fri, 06 Jun 2008 11:30:00 -0400 I point out that there is a curvature singularity problem appearing on non-linear level that generally plagues f(R) models that modify Einstein gravity in the infrared. It is caused by the fact that for the effective scalar degree of freedom, the curvatur Andrei Frolov http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/40c034a9-dd54-4655-b564-ec1b7e241674.mp3 Science http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/40c034a9-dd54-4655-b564-ec1b7e241674.mp3 Fri, 06 Jun 2008 11:30:00 -0400 We consider the gravity in the system consisting of the BPS D3-brane embedded in the flat background geometry, produced by the solutions of the supergravity. The effective action for this system is represented by the sum of the Hilbert-Einstein and DBI actions. We derive the Wheeler-De Witt equation for this system and obtain analytical solutions in some special cases. We also calculate tunneling probability from Planckian size of D3-brane to the classical regime. This paper appeared in Phys. Rev. D 77, 066017 (2008) Pawel Gusin http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/95fd3e73-773a-4bcf-aa91-62e1f7dbe458.mp3 Science http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/95fd3e73-773a-4bcf-aa91-62e1f7dbe458.mp3 Fri, 06 Jun 2008 11:30:00 -0400 Considering gravitino dark matter scenarios, cosmological constraints on the sparticle masses and on the reheating temperature of inflation will be discussed. These constraints are relevant for prospects of phenomenology at the LHC and for our understanding of inflation and the baryon asymmetry of the Universe. Frank Steffen http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/ba8af974-2e38-4e6b-abb1-d778ee62d0ee.mp3 Science http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/ba8af974-2e38-4e6b-abb1-d778ee62d0ee.mp3 Fri, 06 Jun 2008 11:45:00 -0400 A class of non-canonical inflationary models is identified, where the leading-order contribution to the non-Gaussianity of the curvature perturbation is determined by the sound speed of the fluctuations in the inflaton field. Included in this class of models is the effective action for multiple coincident branes in the finite n limit. The action for this configuration is determined using a powerful iterative technique, based upon the fundamental representation of SU(2). In principle the upper bounds on the tensor-scalar ratio that arise in the standard, single-brane DBI inflationary scenario can be relaxed in such multi-brane configurations if a large and detectable non-Gaussianity is generated. Moreover models with a small number of coincident branes could generate a gravitational wave background that will be observable to future experiments. Ian Huston http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/1fdadbef-a432-40cf-acd2-55193b217427.mp3 Science http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/1fdadbef-a432-40cf-acd2-55193b217427.mp3 Fri, 06 Jun 2008 11:45:00 -0400 Directional detection of dark matter can provide unambiguous observation of dark matter (DM) interactions even in the presence of insidious backgrounds. The DM-TPC collaboration is developing a detector with the goal of measuring the direction and sense (''head-tail'') of nuclear recoils produced in spin-dependent DM interactions. The detector consists of a low pressure TPC with optical readout filled with CF4 gas at low pressure. A collision between a WIMP with a gas molecule results in a nucleus recoil of 1-2 mm. The measurement of the energy loss along the recoil allows us to determine the sense and the direction of the recoil. Results from a prototype detector operated in a low-energy neutron beam clearly demonstrate the suitability of this approach to measure directionality. In particular, the first observation of the ''head-tail'' effect for low-energy neutrons had been recently published by our Collaboration. A full-scale (1m^3) module is now being designed. This detector, which will be operated underground in 2009, will allow us to set limits on spin-dependent Dark Matter interactions using a directional detector. The sensitivity of this experiment will be discussed in this talk. Denis Dujmic http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/771deb4d-5612-4c08-b167-41c6a071bf0a.mp3 Science http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/771deb4d-5612-4c08-b167-41c6a071bf0a.mp3 Fri, 06 Jun 2008 11:45:00 -0400 If the spontaneous breaking of Peccei-Quinn symmetry comes from soft supersymmetry breaking, the fermionic partners of the symmetry-breaking fields have mass of order the gravitino mass, and are called flatinos. The lightest flatino, called here the flaxino, is a CDM candidate if it is the lightest supersymmetric particle. We here explore flaxino dark matter assuming that the lightest ordinary supersymmetric particle is the stau, with gravity-mediated supersymmetry breaking. The decay of the stau to the flaxino is fast enough not to spoil the standard predictions of Big Bang Nucleosynthesis, and its track and decay can be seen in future colliders. Kazunori Kohri http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/c61b87c0-ec21-4a8b-8bdb-d5047abc8a8d.mp3 Science http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/c61b87c0-ec21-4a8b-8bdb-d5047abc8a8d.mp3 Fri, 06 Jun 2008 12:00:00 -0400 It is an important task to embed inflation in a fundamental microphysical theory such as string theory. Since string theory possesses a vast landscape of 4-dimensional theories, we would like to know which portions contain inflation and which do not. I prove a no-go theorem that inflation and de Sitter vacua are forbidden in an exponentially large number of infinite families of simple and well understood compactifications of type IIA string theory. I also mention more complicated and less well understood compactifications, which may have the ingredients for our cosmology. Mark Hertzberg http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/e1576c1c-cdf6-4db0-9787-fca68a06921e.mp3 Science http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/e1576c1c-cdf6-4db0-9787-fca68a06921e.mp3 Fri, 06 Jun 2008 12:00:00 -0400 'Thermal history of the universe after big-bang nucleosynthesis (BBN) is well understood both theoretically and observationally, and recent cosmological observations also begin to reveal the inflationary dynamics. However, the epoch between inflation and BBN is scarcely known. In this work we show that the detection of the stochastic gravitational wave background around 1Hz provides useful information about thermal history well before BBN. In particular, the reheating temperature of the universe may be determined by future space-based laser interferometer experiments such as DECIGO and/or BBO if it is around $10^{6-9}$ GeV, depending on the tensor-to-scalar ratio $r$ and dilution factor $F$.' Kazunori Nakayama http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/89f46689-42b1-4d81-984f-95afc938cad5.mp3 Science http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/89f46689-42b1-4d81-984f-95afc938cad5.mp3 Fri, 06 Jun 2008 12:00:00 -0400 We formulate non-anticommutative supersymmetry in two dimensions using differential operators acting on the component fields. We then use these operators to give a compact expression for the one-loop divergences in the non-anticommutative Kahler sigma model. Ian Jack http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/d0f47899-06c8-43a7-996a-0f40c2c0b90f.mp3 Science http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/d0f47899-06c8-43a7-996a-0f40c2c0b90f.mp3 Fri, 06 Jun 2008 12:15:00 -0400 The smaller Dark Matter structures predicted in the CDM scenario have a mass in the range [10e-12;10e-4] Msun, depending on the underlying particle physics. It is however not clear what is the inner DM structure of such halos, nor which is the real survival probability during mergers. We show how these open questions result in a large uncertainty in the prediction of the observability of such halos with indirect detection tecniques. We show predictions for the observability of the dwarf galaxies using dark matter density profiles derived from the available data on velocity dispersion curves. Lidia Pieri http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/a596c8d7-806b-402d-857f-77d0f6235d7f.mp3 Science http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/a596c8d7-806b-402d-857f-77d0f6235d7f.mp3 Fri, 06 Jun 2008 12:15:00 -0400 Art McDonald http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/dfa1a7dd-f393-4bfb-81e5-f84ae70331d8.mp3 Science http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/dfa1a7dd-f393-4bfb-81e5-f84ae70331d8.mp3 Fri, 06 Jun 2008 14:30:00 -0400 The Higgs boson is the only scalar particle in the Standard Model. Precision electroweak analyses suggest that it should be light -- less than 200 GeV. These facts combined with the speculative nature of all electroweak symmetry breaking discussions imply significant uncertainty in discovering a Higgs boson. I discuss the unique aspects of a Higgs sector, highlight the New Physics origins of uncertainty for its phenomenology, and suggest a broader framework with which to approach Higgs boson phenomenology at the LHC. James Wells http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/8bb442b4-98a8-49f6-893c-0d592d94520f.mp3 Science http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/8bb442b4-98a8-49f6-893c-0d592d94520f.mp3 Fri, 06 Jun 2008 15:05:00 -0400 Jim Peebles http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/e5b6d6c1-eebd-4330-8f17-0079ec38ceb4.mp3 Science http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/e5b6d6c1-eebd-4330-8f17-0079ec38ceb4.mp3 Fri, 06 Jun 2008 16:10:00 -0400 Lattice QCD in this decade has succeeded in producing essential results for crucial components of Standard Model phenomenology such as constraints on the rho-eta plane. Much more will be required of lattice gauge theory in the LHC era: sub-per cent precision in QCD quantities and the ability to calculate in strongly interacting sectors of Beyond-the-Standard-Model theories such as SUSY or technicolor. I will review the status of current calculations and the prospects for accomplishing what needs to be done in the coming years. Paul Mackenzie http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/49d223e1-9a27-4ab0-be10-0cc0516f5f29.mp3 Science http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.ca/mp3/49d223e1-9a27-4ab0-be10-0cc0516f5f29.mp3 Fri, 06 Jun 2008 16:45:00 -0400