Anomaly (physics)

Abstract: We discuss the cosmological constant problem in the light of dilatation symmetry and its possible anomaly. For dilatation symmetric quantum theories realistic asymptotic cosmology is obtained provided the effective potential has a nontrivial minimum. For theories with dilatation anomaly one needs as a nontrivial “cosmon condition” that the energy-momentum tensor in the vacuum is purely anomalous. Such a condition is related to the short distance renormalization group behaviour of the fundamental theory. Observable deviations from the standard hot big bang cosmology are possible.

Abstract: We discuss the cosmological constant problem in the light of dilatation symmetry and its possible anomaly. For dilatation symmetric quantum theories realistic asymptotic cosmology is obtained provided the effective potential has a non-trivial minimum. For theories with dilatation anomaly one needs as a non-trivial "cosmon condition" that the energy-momentum tensor in the vacuum is purely anomalous. Such a condition is related to the short-distance renormalization group behavior of the fundamental theory. Observable deviations from the standard hot big bang cosmology are possible.

Abstract: Topological charge changing transitions can induce chirality in the quark-gluon plasma by the axial anomaly. We study the equilibrium response of the quark-gluon plasma in such a situation to an external magnetic field. To mimic the effect of the topological charge changing transitions we will introduce a chiral chemical potential. We will show that an electromagnetic current is generated along the magnetic field. This is the chiral magnetic effect. We compute the magnitude of this current as a function of magnetic field, chirality, temperature, and baryon chemical potential.

Abstract: A condensed-matter analog of (2+1)-dimensional electrodynamics is constructed, and the consequences of a recently discovered anomaly in such systems are discussed.

Abstract: In models with dynamical supersymmetry breaking in the hidden sector, the gaugino masses in the observable sector have been believed to be extremely suppressed (below 1 keV), unless there is a gauge singlet in the hidden sector with specific couplings to the observable sector gauge multiplets. We point out that there is a pure supergravity contribution to gaugino masses at the quantum level arising from the superconformal anomaly. Our results are valid to all orders in perturbation theory and are related to the ‘exact’ beta functions for soft terms. There is also an anomaly contribution to the A terms proportional to the beta function of the corresponding Yukawa coupling. The gaugino masses are proportional to the corresponding gauge beta functions, and so do not satisfy the usual GUT relations.