Abstract: We show that families of nonlinear gravity theories formulated in a metric-affine approach and coupled to a nonlinear theory of electrodynamics can be mapped into general relativity (GR) coupled to another nonlinear theory of electrodynamics. This allows to generate solutions of the former from those of the latter using purely algebraic transformations. This correspondence is explicitly illustrated with the Eddington-inspired Born-Infeld theory of gravity, for which we consider a family of nonlinear electrodynamics and show that, under the map, preserve their algebraic structure. For the particular case of Maxwell electrodynamics coupled to Born-Infeld gravity we find, via this correspondence, a Born-Infeld-type nonlinear electrodynamics on the GR side. Solving the spherically symmetric electrovacuum case for the latter, we show how the map provides directly the right solutions for the former. This procedure opens a new door to explore astrophysical and cosmological scenarios in nonlinear gravity theories by exploiting the full power of the analytical and numerical methods developed within the framework of GR.

Abstract: The measurement of the internal Rn-222 activity in the NEXT-White detector during the so-called Run-II period with Xe-136-depleted xenon is discussed in detail, together with its implications for double beta decay searches in NEXT. The activity is measured through the alpha production rate induced in the fiducial volume by Rn-222 and its alpha-emitting progeny. The specific activity is measured to be (38.1 +/- 2.2 (stat.) +/- 5.9 (syst.)) mBq/m(3). Radon-induced electrons have also been characterized from the decay of the Bi-214 daughter ions plating out on the cathode of the time projection chamber. From our studies, we conclude that radon-induced backgrounds are sufficiently low to enable a successful NEXT-100 physics program, as the projected rate contribution should not exceed 0.1 counts/yr in the neutrinoless double beta decay sample.

Abstract: We calculate the one-, two- and three-particle energy levels for different lattice volumes in the complex phi(4) theory on the lattice. We argue that the exponentially suppressed finite-volume corrections for the two- and three-particle energy shifts can be reduced significantly by using the single particle mass, which includes the finite-size effects. We show numerically that, for a set of bare parameters, corresponding to the weak repulsive interaction, one can reliably extract the two- and three-particle energy shifts. From those, we extract the scattering length, the effective range and the effective three-body coupling. We show that the parameters, extracted from the two- and three-particle energy shifts, are consistent. Moreover, the effective three-body coupling is significantly different from zero.

Abstract: A search is presented for the four-body decay B-0 -> pp (p) over bar (p) over bar in a sample of 471 million B (B) over bar pairs collected with the BABAR detector, operated at the SLAC PEP-II asymmetric-energy e(+) e(-) collider. The center-of-mass energy is 10.58 GeV. From a fit to the distribution of the energy-substituted mass m(ES), the branching fraction B(B-0 -> pp (p) over bar (p) over bar) = (1.1 +/- 0.5 +/- 0.2) x 10(-7) is extracted, where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second is systematic. The significance of the signal, including the systematic uncertainty, is 2.9 standard deviations. The upper limit on the branching fraction is determined to be 2.0 x 10(-7) at 90% confidence level.

Abstract: Motivated by the apparent discrepancy between cosmic microwave background measurements of the Hubble constant and measurements from Type-la supernovae, we construct a model for dark energy with equation of state w = p/rho < -1, violating the null energy condition. Naive canonical models of so-called “phantom” dark energy require a negative scalar kinetic term, resulting in a Hamiltonian unbounded from below and associated vacuum instability. We construct a scalar field model for dark energy with w < -1, which nonetheless has a Hamiltonian bounded from below in the comoving reference frame, i.e., in the rest frame of the fluid. We demonstrate that the solution is a cosmological attractor, and find that early-time cosmological boundary conditions consist of a “frozen” scalar field, which relaxes to the attractor solution once the dark energy component dominates the cosmological energy density. We consider the model in an arbitrary choice of gauge, and find that, unlike the case of comoving gauge, the fluid Hamiltonian is in fact unbounded from below in the reference frame of a highly boosted observer, corresponding to a nonlinear gradient instability. We discuss this in the context of general NEC-violating perfect fluids, for which this instability is a general property.