Abstract: We present a generalized theoretical framework for dealing with the important issue of dynamical mass generation in Yang-Mills theories, and, in particular, with the infrared finiteness of the gluon propagators, observed in a multitude of recent lattice simulations. Our analysis is manifestly gauge invariant, in the sense that it preserves the transversality of the gluon self-energy, and gauge independent, given that the conclusions do not depend on the choice of the gauge-fixing parameter within the linear covariant gauges. The central construction relies crucially on the subtle interplay between the Abelian Ward identities satisfied by the nonperturbative vertices and a special integral identity that enforces a vast number of “seagull cancellations” among the one-and two-loop dressed diagrams of the gluon Schwinger-Dyson equation. The key result of these considerations is that the gluon propagator remains rigorously massless, provided that the vertices do not contain (dynamical) massless poles. When such poles are incorporated into the vertices, under the pivotal requirement of respecting the gauge symmetry of the theory, the terms comprising the Ward identities conspire in such a way as to still enforce the total annihilation of all quadratic divergences, inducing, at the same time, residual contributions that account for the saturation of gluon propagators in the deep infrared.

Abstract: We investigate gravitational -wave backgrounds (GWBs) of primordial origin that would manifest only at ultrahigh frequencies, from kilohertz to 100 gigahertz, and leave no signal at LIGO, the Einstein Telescope, the Cosmic Explorer, LISA, or pulsar -timing arrays. We focus on GWBs produced by cosmic strings and make predictions for the GW spectra scanning over high-energy scale (beyond 10 10 GeV) particle physics parameters. Signals from local string networks can easily be as large as the big bang nucleosynthesis/ cosmic microwave background bounds, with a characteristic strain as high as 10 – 26 in the 10 kHz band, offering prospects to probe grand unification physics in the 10 14 -10 17 GeV energy range. In comparison, GWB from axionic strings is suppressed (with maximal characteristic strain similar to 10 – 31 ) due to the early matter era induced by the associated heavy axions. We estimate the needed reach of hypothetical futuristic GW detectors to probe such GWB and, therefore, the corresponding high-energy physics processes. Beyond the information of the symmetry -breaking scale, the high -frequency spectrum encodes the microscopic structure of the strings through the position of the UV cutoffs associated with cusps and kinks, as well as potential information about friction forces on the string. The IR slope, on the other hand, reflects the physics responsible for the decay of the string network. We discuss possible strategies for reconstructing the scalar potential, particularly the scalar self -coupling, from the measurement of the UV cutoff of the GW spectrum.

Abstract: We present a simple U(1)(B3-3L2) gauge standard model extension that can easily account for the anomalies in R(K) and R(K*) reported by LHCb. The model is economical in its setup and particle content. Among the standard model fermions, only the third generation quark family and the second generation leptons transform nontrivially under the new U(1)(B3-3L2) symmetry. This leads to lepton nonuniversality and flavor changing neutral currents involving the second and third quark families. We discuss the relevant experimental constraints and some implications.

Abstract: We calculate the radiative decay widths, two-photon (gamma gamma) and one-photon-one-vector meson (V gamma), of the dynamically generated resonances from vector-meson -vector-meson interaction in a unitary approach based on the hidden-gauge Lagrangians. In the present paper we consider the following dynamically generated resonances: f(0)(1370), f(0)(1710), f(2)(1270), f(2)'(1525) K-2*(1430), two strangeness 0 and isospin 1 states, and two strangeness 1 and isospin 1= 2 states. For the f(0)(1370) and f(2)(1270) we reproduce the previous results for the two-photon decay widths and further calculate their one-photon -one-vector decay widths. For the f(0)(1710) and f(2)'(1525) the calculated two-photon decay widths are found to be consistent with data. The rho 0 gamma, omega gamma and phi gamma decay widths of the f0(1370), f(2)'(1270) f(0)(1710), f(2)'(1525) are compared with the results predicted by other approaches. The K*(+)gamma and K*(0)gamma decay rates of the K-2*(1430) are also calculated and compared with the results obtained in the framework of the covariant oscillator quark model. The results for the two states with strangeness 0, isospin 1 and two states with strangeness 1, isospin 1/ 2 are predictions that need to be tested by future experiments.

Abstract: We study the semileptonic b -> c decays of the lowest-lying triply heavy baryons made from b and c quarks in the limit m(b), m(c) >> Lambda(QCD) and close to the zero-recoil point. The separate heavy-quark spin symmetries strongly constrain the matrix elements, leading to single form factors for ccb -> ccc, bbc -> ccb, and bbb -> bbc baryon decays. We also study the effects on these systems of using a Y-shaped confinement potential, as suggested by lattice QCD results for the interaction between three static quarks.