Naturalness

About: Naturalness is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 1305 publications have been published within this topic receiving 31737 citations.

Solving the Naturalness Problem by Baby Universes in the Lorentzian Multiverse

Abstract: We propose a solution of the naturalness problem in the context of the multiverse wavefunction without the anthropic argument. If we include microscopic wormhole configurations in the path integral, the wave function becomes a superposition of universes with various values of the coupling constants such as the cosmological constant, the parameters in the Higgs potential, and so on. We analyze the quantum state of the multiverse, and evaluate the density matrix of one universe. We show that the coupling constants induced by the wormholes are fixed in such a way that the density matrix is maximized. In particular, the cosmological constant, which is in general time-dependent, is chosen such that it takes an extremely small value in the far future. We also discuss the gauge hierarchy problem and the strong CP problem in this context. Our study predicts that the Higgs mass is mh = 140 ± 20 GeV and θ =0 . Subject Index: 129

Optimizing color reproduction of natural images

Abstract: The paper elaborates on understanding, measuring and optimizing perceived color quality of natural images. We introduce a model for optimal color reproduction of natural scenes which is based on the assumption that color quality of natural images is constrained by perceived naturalness and colorfulness of these images. To verify the model, a few experiments were carried out where subjects estimated the perceived 'naturalness', 'colorfulness' and 'quality' of images of natural scenes. The judgments were related to statistical parameters of the color point distribution across the images in the CIELUV color space. It was found that the perceptually optimal color reproduction can be derived from this statistic within the framework of our model. We specify naturalness, colorfulness and quality indices, describing the observer's judgments. Finally, an algorithm for optimizing perceived quality of color reproduction of natural scenes is discussed.

Naturalness of Asymptotically Safe Higgs

Abstract: We extend the list of theories featuring a rigorous interacting ultraviolet fixed point by constructing the first theory featuring a Higgs-like scalar with gauge, Yukawa and quartic interactions. We show that the theory enters a perturbative asymptotically safe regime at energies above a physical scale $\Lambda$. We determine the salient properties of the theory and use it as a concrete example to test whether scalars masses unavoidably receive quantum correction of order $\Lambda$. Having at our dispose a calculable model allowing us to precisely relate the IR and UV of the theory we demonstrate that the scalars can be lighter than $\Lambda$. Although we do not have an answer to whether the Standard Model hypercharge coupling growth towards a Landau pole at around $\Lambda \sim 10^{40}\GeV$ can be tamed by non-perturbative asymptotic safety, our results indicate that such a possibility is worth exploring. In fact, if successful, it might also offer an explanation for the unbearable lightness of the Higgs.

Evolution and Media Naturalness: A Look at E-Communication Through a Darwinian Theoretical Lens

Abstract: Modern theories of human evolution converge on the belief that our brain has been designed to cope with problems that occurred intermittently in our evolutionary past. Evidence suggests that, during over 99 percent of the evolutionary process leading to the emergence of our species, our ancestors communicated in a synchronous and colocated manner, and employing facial expressions, body language, and oral speech (what we refer to here, generally, as “face-to-face” communication). Thus, it is plausible to assume that many of the evolutionary adaptations our brain has undergone in connection with communication have been directed at improving the efficiency and effectiveness of face-to-face communication, which begs the question: What happens when we selectively suppress face-to-face communication elements (e.g., colocation, the ability to employ/observe facial expressions) through e-communication technologies? This paper tries to provide an answer to this question by developing a hypothesis, called the media naturalness hypothesis, which builds on modern human evolution theory. The media naturalness hypothesis argues that, other things being equal, a decrease in the degree of naturalness of a communication medium (or its degree of similarity to the face-to-face medium) leads to the following effects in connection with a communication interaction: (1) increased cognitive effort, (2) increased communication ambiguity, and (3) decreased physiological arousal. It is argued that the media naturalness hypothesis has important implications for the selection, use, and deployment of e-communication tools in organizations, particularly in the context of business-to-consumer interactions.

Naturally Speaking: The Naturalness Criterion and Physics at the LHC

Abstract: A non-technical discussion of the naturalness criterion and its implications for new physics searches at the LHC. To be published in the book "LHC Perspectives", edited by G. Kane and A. Pierce.