Hierarchical Mass Matrices in a Minimal SO(10) Grand Unification I
We continue to investigate the minimal SO(10) × U(1)H model which we proposed recently. Renormalization group analysis of the model results in natural predictions of quark-lepton masses and Kobayashi-Maskawa matrix along with neutrino mixings adequate for solar neutrino oscillation. . JSPS Research Fellow. e-mail address: tomo@gauge.scphys.kyoto-u.ac.jp JSPS Research Fellow.

title: On the Generalized Gluing and Resmoothing Theorem
abstract: The generalized gluing and resmoothing theorem originally proved by LeClair, Peskin and Preitschopf, gives a powerful formula for the fused vertex obtained by contracting any two vertices in string field theories. Although the theorem is naturally expected to hold for the vertices at any loop level, the original proof was restricted to the vertices at tree level. Here we present a simplified proof for the tree level theorem and then prove explicitly the extended version at one-loop level. We also find that a non-trivial sign factor, which depends on the string states to be contracted, appears in the theorem. This sign factor turns out to be essential for reproducing correctly the conformal field theory correlation function on the torus.

title: Tachyon condensation and universal solutions in string field theory
abstract: We investigate a non-perturbative vacuum in open string field theory expanded around the analytic classical solution which has been found in the universal Fock space generated by matter Virasoro generators and ghost oscillators. We carry out level-truncation analyses up to level (6,18) in the theory around one-parameter families of the solution. We observe that the value of the vacuum energy cancels the D-brane tension as the approximation level is increased, but this non-perturbative vacuum disappears at the boundary of the parameter space. These results provide strong evidence for the conjecture that, although the universal solutions are pure gauge in almost all the parameter space, they are regarded as the tachyon vacuum solution at the boundary.

title: Level truncation analysis of exact solutions in open string field theory
abstract: We evaluate vacuum energy density of Schnabl's solution using the level truncation calculation and the total action including interaction terms. The level truncated solution provides vacuum energy density expected both for tachyon vacuum and trivial pure gauge. We discuss the role of the phantom term to reproduce correct vacuum energy.

title: Marginal deformations and closed string couplings in open string field theory
abstract: We investigate analytic classical solutions in open string field theory which are constructed in terms of marginal operators. In the classical background, we evaluate a coupling between an on-shell closed string state and the open string field. The resulting coupling exhibits periodic behavior as expected from the marginal boundary deformation of background Wilson lines or a marginal tachyon lump. We confirm that the solutions in open string field theory correspond to a class of marginal deformations in conformal field theory.

title: Closed string amplitudes in open string field theory
abstract: We investigate gauge invariant operators corresponding to on-shell closed string states in open string field theory. Using both oscillator representation and conformal mapping techniques, we calculate a two closed string tachyon amplitude that connects two gauge invariant operators by an open string propagator. We find that this amplitude is in a complete agreement with the usual disc amplitude.

title: Effects of Cosmic Strings on Free Streaming
abstract: We study the effect of free streaming in a universe with cosmic strings with time-varying tension as well as with constant tension. Although current cosmological observations suggest that fluctuation seeded by cosmic strings cannot be the primary source of cosmic density fluctuation, some contributions from them are still allowed. Since cosmic strings actively produce isocurvature fluctuation, the damping of small scale structure via free streaming by dark matter particles with large velocity dispersion at the epoch of radiation-matter equality is less efficient than that in models with conventional adiabatic fluctuation. We discuss its implications to the constraints on the properties of particles such as massive neutrinos and warm dark matter.

title: Constraints on Generalized Dark Energy from Recent Observations
abstract: Effects of a generalized dark energy fluid are investigated on cosmic density fluctuations such as a cosmic microwave background. As a general dark energy fluid, we take into consideration the possibility of the anisotropic stress for dark energy, which has not been discussed much in the literature. We comprehensively study its effects on the evolution of density fluctuations along with that of the nonadiabatic pressure fluctuation of dark energy, then give constraints on such a generalized dark energy from current observations. We show that, though we cannot find any stringent limits on the anisotropic stress or the nonadiabatic pressure fluctuation themselves, the constraints on the equation of state of dark energy can be affected in some cases by the nature of dark energy fluctuation characterized by these properties. This may have important implications in the strategy to study the nature of dark energy.

title: Differentiating CDM and Baryon Isocurvature Models with 21 cm Fluctuations
abstract: We discuss how one can discriminate models with cold dark matter (CDM) and baryon isocurvature fluctuations. Although current observations such as cosmic microwave background (CMB) can severely constrain the fraction of such isocurvature modes in the total density fluctuations, CMB cannot differentiate CDM and baryon ones by the shapes of their power spectra. However, the evolution of CDM and baryon density fluctuations are different for each model, thus it would be possible to discriminate those isocurvature modes by extracting information on the fluctuations of CDM/baryon itself. We discuss that observations of 21 cm fluctuations can in principle differentiate these modes and demonstrate to what extent we can distinguish them with future 21 cm surveys. We show that, when the isocurvature mode has a large blue-tilted initial spectrum, 21 cm surveys can clearly probe the difference.

title: Scale-dependence of non-Gaussianity in the curvaton model
abstract: We investigate the scale-dependence of fNL in the self-interacting curvaton model. We show that the scale-dependence, encoded in the spectral index nfNL, can be observable by future cosmic microwave background observations, such as CMBpol, in a significant part of the parameter space of the model. We point out that together with information about the trispectrum gNL, the self-interacting curvaton model parameters could be completely fixed by observations. We also discuss the scale-dependence of gNL and its implications for the curvaton model, arguing that it could provide a complementary probe in cases where the theoretical value of nfNL is below observational sensitivity.

title: Dark energy from inflation
abstract: We show that a very light scalar field experiencing quantum fluctuations during primordial inflation can explain the current cosmic acceleration. Provided its mass does not exceed the Hubble parameter today, this field has been frozen during the cosmological ages to start dominating the universe only recently. Assuming this scenario to be correct, and using supernovae data, the model predicts the energy scale of primordial inflation to be around a few TeV and suggests that it has lasted for an extremely long period. Dark energy could therefore be a natural consequence of cosmic inflation close to the electroweak energy scale.