Abstract: Among the general class of metric-affine theories of gravity, there is a special class conformed by those endowed with a projective symmetry. Perhaps the simplest manner to realise this symmetry is by constructing the action in terms of the symmetric part of the Ricci tensor. In these theories, the connection can be solved algebraically in terms of a metric that relates to the spacetime metric by means of the so-called deformation matrix that is given in terms of the matter fields. In most phenomenological applications, this deformation matrix is assumed to inherit the symmetries of the matter sector so that in the presence of an isotropic energy-momentum tensor, it respects isotropy. In this work we discuss this condition and, in particular, we show how the deformation matrix can be anisotropic even in the presence of isotropic sources due to the non-linear nature of the equations. Remarkably, we find that Eddington-inspired-Born-Infeld (EiBI) theories do not admit anisotropic deformations, but more general theories do. However, we find that the anisotropic branches of solutions are generally prone to a pathological physical behaviour.

Abstract: Young neutron stars cool via the emission of neutrinos from their core. A precise understanding of all the different processes producing neutrinos in the hot and degenerate matter is essential for assessing the cooling rate of such stars. The main Standard Model processes contributing to this effect are nu bremsstrahlung, mURCA among others. In this paper, we investigate another Standard Model process initiated by the Wess-Zumino-Witten term, leading to the emission of neutrino pairs via N gamma -> N nu nu over bar . We find that for proto-neutron stars, such processes with degenerate neutrons can be comparable and even dominate over the typical and well-known cooling mechanisms.

Abstract: We provide three Fortran programs which evaluate the QCD analytic (holomorphic) couplings A(v)(Q(2)) for complex or real squared momenta Q(2). These couplings are holomorphic analogs of the powers a(Q(2))(v) of the underlying perturbative QCD (pQCD) coupling a(Q(2)) equivalent to alpha(s)(Q(2))/pi, in three analytic QCD models (anQCD): Fractional Analytic Perturbation Theory (FAPT), Two-delta analytic QCD (2 delta anQCD), and Massive Perturbation Theory (MPT). The index v can be noninteger. The provided programs do basically the same job as the Mathematica package anQCD.m published by us previously (Ayala and Cvetic, 2015), but are now written in Fortran. Program summary Program title: AanQCDext Catalogue identifier: AEYKv10 Program summary URL: http://cpc.cs.qub.ac.uk/summaries/AEYICv1_0.html Program obtainable from: CPC Program Library, Queen's University, Belfast, N. Ireland Licensing provisions: Standard CPC licence, http://cpc.cs.qub.ac.uk/licence/licence.html No. of lines in distributed program, including test data, etc.: 12105 No. of bytes in distributed program, including test data, etc.: 98822 Distribution format: tar.gz Programming language: Fortran. Computer: Any work-station or PC where Fortran 95/200312008 (gfortran) is running. Operating system: Operating system Linux (Ubuntu and Scientific Linux), Windows (in all cases using gfortran). Classification: 11.1, 11.5. Nature of problem: Calculation of values of the running analytic couplings A(v)(Q(2); N-f) for general complex squared momenta Q(2) equivalent to -q(2), in three analytic QCD models, where A(v)(Q(2); N-f) is the analytic (holomorphic) analog of the power (alpha(s)(Q(2); N-f)/pi)(v). Here, A(v)(Q(2); N-f) is a holomorphic function in the Q(2) complex plane, with the exception of the negative semiaxis (-infinity, -M-thr(2)], reflecting the analyticity properties of the spacelike renormalization invariant quantities D(Q(2)) in QCD. In contrast, the perturbative QCD power (alpha(s)(Q(2); N-f)/pi)(v) has singularities even outside the negative semiaxis (Landau ghosts). The three considered models are: Analytic Perturbation theory (APT); Two-delta analytic QCD (2 delta anQCD); Massive Perturbation Theory (MPT). We refer to Ref. [1] for more details and literature. Solution method: The Fortran programs for FAPT and 2 delta anQCD models contain routines and functions needed to perform two-dimensional numerical integrations involving the spectral function, in order to evaluate A(v)(Q(2)) couplings. In MPT model, one-dimensional numerical integration involving A(1)(Q(2)) is sufficient to evaluate any A(v)(Q(2)) coupling. Restrictions: For unphysical choices of the input parameters the results are meaningless. When Q(2) is close to the cut region of the couplings (Q(2) real negative), the calculations can take more time and can have less precision. Running time: For evaluation of a set of about 10 related couplings, the times vary in the range t similar to 10(1)-10(2) s. MPT requires less time, t similar to 1-10(1) s. References: [1] C. Ayala and G. Cvetic, anQCD: a Mathematica package for calculations in general analytic QCD models, Comput. Phys. Commun. 190 (2015) 182.