We study the interplay between discrete quantum symmetries at certain points in the moduli space of Calabi-Yau compactifications, and the associated identities that the geometric realization of D-brane monodromies must satisfy. We show that in a wide class of examples, both local and compact, the monodromy identities in question always follow from a single mathematical statement. One of the simplest examples is the Z₅ symmetry at the Gepner point of the quintic, and the associated D-brane monodromy identity.

Several years ago we proposed a novel scheme to detect solar axions using geomagnetic conversion of solar axions into x-rays (GECOSAX). The idea is, to use the Earth magnetic field to allow axions to convert via the Primakoff process into photons. The Earth is a weak but very large magnet, hence the relevant product of magnetic field and the size of the conversion region is comparable to conventional solar axion experiments like CAST. The resulting x-rays would be detected using a x-ray telescope aboard a satellite in a low Earth orbit. Here, I will present a detailed feasibility study and general discussion of how an optimal satellite mission could look like.

After a brief review of the current neutrino oscillation status, I will present the newest neutrino oscillation results for MINOS experiment. We also foreshadow to prospects of future accelerator-based neutrino physics programs around the world. A by product of the vibrant oscillation program is a program of neutrino scattering scattering experiments. We will summarize the status of the MINERvA experiment and note its competition.

The notion of short distances is modified in stringy geometry. I will discuss various ways one might probe the geometry at small distances. An interesting example concerns the "exoflop" where the naive target space of a field theory is not in agreement with the geometry probed by D-branes.

We present the high spectral resolution, high signal-to-noise Very Large Telescope (VLT) data of the QSO SDSS J0318-0600 (z=1.967), along with the measured quantities pertaining to the outflow absorption seen in both high and low ionization species. SDSS~J0318-0600 shows an array of 11 separable kinematic components in blueshifted absorption spanning a velocity range of -2800 to -7500 km/s. Our column density analysis provides ratios to determine electron densities, total hydrogen column densities, and distances for three of the components, the fastest (-7500 km/s), slowest (-2800 km/s) and strongest (-4200 km/s) components of the outflows. Provided these quantities for the absorber with the largest hydrogen column density (log N_h = 20.3, log n_e = 3.2, R = 16 kpc), we find kinetic luminosity (44.9 ergs/s), mass flux (130 Solar Masses/yr), and abundances (3 × Z_sun) . These results provide an example of an AGN wind that could account for enough energy to suppress cooling flows in clusters, supply enough metals to account for a small fraction of ICM metalicity, and affect the rate of super massive black hole growth.

This talk will highlight the important role played by the 1/N_c expansion in describing and understanding the physics of hadrons. A brief review of the 1/Nc expansion in the meson sector will be followed by a more extensive presentation of its application to the baryon sector, where it has lead to numerous new insights and results on the excited baryon spectrum, strong decays and electromagnetic transitions.

We show that any cosmological relic with small couplings to itself and baryons becomes a superfluid shortly after decoupling, due to the broadening of its wave packet, and lack of any elastic scattering. The dynamics of a superfluid are given by the excitation spectrum of bound state quasi-particles, rather than the center of mass motion of constituent particles. If this relic is a fermion with a repulsive interaction mediated by a heavy boson, such as the Z⁰ with neutrinos or dark matter, a theory of gravity emerges spontaneously. In this theory the vierbein is a Goldstone boson associated with the spontaneous breaking of Lorentz invariance due to the presence of a physical background superfluid.

This talk is an attempt to underscore in detail the physics reach of an experimental set-up where neutrinos produced in a beta-beam facility at CERN would be observed in the proposed large magnetized iron calorimeter detector (ICAL) at the India-based Neutrino Observatory (INO). The “magical” CERN-INO beta-beam set-up offers an excellent avenue to use the “Golden” channel (ν_e → ν_μ) oscillation probability for a simultaneous determination of the neutrino mass ordering and θ₁₃ avoiding the impact of the CP phase δ_CP on these measurements. With Lorentz boost γ=650 and irrespective of the true value of δ_CP, the neutrino mass hierarchy could be determined at 3σ C.L. if sin²2θ₁₃(true) > 5.6 × 10^-4 and we can expect an unambiguous signal for θ₁₃ at 3σ C.L. if sin²2θ₁₃(true) > 5.1 × 10^-4 independent of the true neutrino mass hierarchy.

Giant magnons play an important role in various aspects of the AdS/CFT correspondence. The role of magnons in the correspondence will be analysed and explicit new solutions will be presented via the dressing method.

Recently, various concepts and methods of string theory have been applied to many burning problems of condensed matter physics, such as high temperature superconductivity, turbulence and non-equilibrium critical phenomena. I will briefly review our work on how string theory applies to these fascinating many-body systems and then concentrate on yet another intersection between the two fields: the problem of how to construct an interacting theory of membranes. What will emerge from this discussion are new concepts: the non-Abelian Wilson-Fisher fixed points and the related string theoretic epsilon expansion. I will also discuss possible real-world applications of this new theory.

A burst-like source of detectable gravitational wave radiation would release a great deal of energy, and originate relatively close to the earth. In such an astrophysical process, we could generically expect some release of energy in other channels, such as the EM spectrum and/or neutrinos. Gamma-ray, X-ray, optical, radio and neutrino observations of cataclysmic cosmic events with plausible gravitational wave emission can be used in combination with LIGO and Virgo data to search for gravitational wave (GW) signals. These multimessenger searches are sensitive to potential GW signals that would be buried in noise in interfermoter-only searches, and carry the promise of some day yielding information rich results. Even without GW detections, applying interferometer data to observed EM/neutrino events can (and has!) provided insights by placing limits on the GW energy emitted. This talk will discuss the status and future of searches that use GW data in concert with other astrophyical observations.

The antineutrino line from 2-body decay of tritium ³H → ³He+ν_e in crystals can be emitted with natural width because of motional averaging by lattice vibrations despite the very long lifetime of ³H (∼12.5y). It can induce resonant transitions ³H ↔ ³He with very high cross section σ ∼ 10^-17 cm². A specific experimental design applying modern technology of ³H and ³He storage in metals is proposed. Using the "time-filtering " effect on the resonance rate by the physical age of the tritium source, the absolute energy width Γ_τ ∼ 10^-24eV of ³H expected from its lifetime by the uncertainty principle can be measured. The achievable energy precision is extremely high, ΔE/E ∼ 10^-29. This can test if the measured width Γ_exp=Γ_τ in the untested energy regime probed by this experiment. A discrepancy Γ_exp > Γ_τ would imply a crisis - the breakdown of the key-stone of quantum mechanics - but interpretable as evidence for the presence of a fundamental or Planck length ∼ 10^-33cm in nature. That could presage the transition quantum mechanics → quantum gravity at ultra-small energies, reminiscent of the transition classical → quantum physics in the regime of atomic dimensions.

We will show that the Krabali-Kim-Nair calculation of the vacuum wave function for Yang-Mills theory in 2+1 dimensions is in the lowest order of a systematic expansion. Expectation values of observables can be calculated using an effective chiral boson theory, which also leads to a natural expansion as a double series in the coupling constant (to be interpreted within a resummed perturbation series) and a particular kinematical factor. The calculation of the first set of corrections in this expansion shows that the string tension is modified by about 3% compared to the lowest order KKN value. This is in reasonable agreement with lattice estimates.

This talk discusses my recent work with Djordje Minic on the duality between aging in systems far from equilibrium and gravity in a specific background. After a brief introduction into aging phenomena, I focus on the case of systems undergoing phase ordering where the dynamical exponent z=2. I explain in some detail the theoretical approach, called the theory of local scale invariance, that allows to compute two-time correlation and response function by exploiting the symmetries of the corresponding noiseless equation of motion for the order parameter. This equation of motion has the form of a diffusion or Schrödinger equation, and it is this property that allows to set up a dictionary between aging phenomena and gravity based on a recently proposed geometric realization of the Schrödinger group.

This talk will be an attempt to underscore in detail the physics reach of Long Baseline Neutrino Oscillation Experiments. I will also focus on the unsolved issues as far as the neutrino oscillations are concerned and the role of future Long Baseline neutrino oscillation experiments in addressing those issues.

The AdS/CFT correspondence provides a method for studying the properties of a strongly coupled plasma in terms of a dual gravitational description. I'll discuss time-dependent flow which is dual to a Schwrazschild black hole in two cases: (a) the quark-gluon plasma forming in heavy ion collisions and (b) the cosmological evolution.

I describe the adiabatic dynamics of heavy mesons forced through a quark-gluon plasma using their dual description as classical strings moving in a 5-dimensional anti-de Sitter space in the presence of a black hole.

Following a brief historical perspective and outline of the immense technological challenges, the current auspicious state of modern X-ray astrophysics will be reviewed. X-ray astronomical observations provide a unique window into the high-energy physical universe, constantly shedding new light on essentially any type of celestial objects, from small (solar system) to large (clusters of galaxies), and including the most exotic (black holes). The talk will highlight results from the two contemporary X-ray observatories Chandra and XMM-Newton with a special emphasis on high-precision laboratory-scale measurements recently enabled by high-resolution atomic spectroscopy. Finally, the prospect of future missions and instruments, such as the micro-calorimeter being developed at NASA/GSFC will also be described.