Sudden variations in the speed of sound during inflation: features in the power spectrum and bispectrum
We employ the formalism of the effective field theory of inflation to study the effects of a sudden change in the speed of sound of the inflationary perturbations. Such an event generates a feature with high frequency oscillations both in the two- and in the three-point functions of the curvature fluctuations. We study, at first order in the magnitude of the change of the speed of sound, the dependence of the power spectrum and of the bispectrum on the duration of the change. In the limit of a very short duration, the oscillations in the power spectrum persist up to very large momenta and the amplitude of the feature in the bispectrum diverges while its location moves to increasing momenta.

title: Quantum aspects of massive gravity II: non-Pauli-Fierz theory
abstract: We investigate the non-Pauli-Fierz (nPF) theory, a linearized massive gravity with a generic graviton mass term, which has been ignored due to a ghost in its spectrum and the resultant loss of unitarity. We first show that it is possible to use the Lee-Wick mechanism, a unitarization through the decay of a ghost, in order to handle the sixth mode ghost of nPF, and then check for the quantum consistency. Once proven to be consistent, nPF could become a viable candidate for a large distance modification of gravity, because it naturally solves the intrinsic problems that most darkenergy/modified gravity models suffer from: It smoothly converges to general relativity at short distances, and the small graviton mass necessary to modify gravity at large scales can be stable under the radiative corrections from the minimal gravity-to-matter coupling.

title: How (Not) to Palatini
abstract: We revisit the problem of defining non-minimal gravity in the first order formalism. Specializing to scalar-tensor theories, which may be disguised as ‘higher-derivative’ models with the gravitational Lagrangians that depend only on the Ricci scalar, we show how to recast these theories as Palatini-like gravities. The correct formulation utilizes the Lagrange multiplier method, which preserves the canonical structure of the theory, and yields the conventional metric scalar-tensor gravity. We explain the discrepancies between the näıve Palatini and the Lagrange multiplier approach, showing that the näıve Palatini approach really swaps the theory for another. The differences disappear only in the limit of ordinary General Relativity, where an accidental redundancy ensures that the näıve Palatini works there. We outline the correct decoupling limits and the strong coupling regimes. As a corollary we find that the so-called ‘Modified Source Gravity’ models suffer from strong coupling problems at very low scales, and hence cannot be a realistic approximation of our universe. We also comment on a method to decouple the extra scalar using the chameleon mechanism. iglesias@physics.ucdavis.edu kaloper@physics.ucdavis.edu antonio.padilla@nottingham.ac.uk park@physics.ucdavis.edu

title: Revamped braneworld gravity
abstract: Gravity in five-dimensional braneworld backgrounds often exhibits problematic features, including kinetic ghosts, strong coupling, and the vDVZ discontinuity. These problems are an obstacle to producing and analyzing braneworld models with interesting and potentially observable modifications of 4d gravity. We examine these problems in a general AdS{sub 5}/AdS{sub 4} setup with two branes and localized curvature from arbitrary brane kinetic terms. We use the interval approach and an explicit ''straight'' gauge-fixing. We compute the complete quadratic gauge-fixed effective 4d action, as well as the leading cubic order corrections. We compute the exact Green's function for gravity as seen on the brane. In the full parameter space, we exhibit the regions which avoid kinetic ghosts and tachyons. We give a general formula for the strong coupling scale, i.e. the energy scale at which the linearized treatment of gravity breaks down, for relevant regions of the parameter space. We show how the vDVZ discontinuity can be naturally but nontrivially avoided by ultralight graviton modes. We present a direct comparison of warping versus localized curvature in terms of their effects on graviton mode couplings. We exhibit the first example of DGP-like crossover behavior in a general warped setup.

title: Dark energy or modified gravity? An effective field theory approach
abstract: We take an Effective Field Theory (EFT) approach to unifying existing proposals for the origin of cosmic acceleration and its connection to cosmological observations. Building on earlier work where EFT methods were used with observations to constrain the background evolution, we extend this program to the level of the EFT of the cosmological perturbations — following the example from the EFT of Inflation. Within this framework, we construct the general theory around an assumed background which will typically be chosen to mimic ΛCDM, and identify the parameters of interest for constraining dark energy and modified gravity models with observations. We discuss the similarities to the EFT of Inflation, but we also identify a number of subtleties including the relationship between the scalar perturbations and the Goldstone boson of the spontaneously broken time translations. We present formulae that relate the parameters of the fundamental Lagrangian to the speed of sound, anisotropic shear stress, effective Newtonian constant, and Caldwell's parameter, emphasizing the connection to observations. It is anticipated that this framework will be of use in constraining individual models, as well as for placing model-independent constraints on dark energy and modified gravity model building.

title: Interval approach to braneworld gravity
abstract: Gravity in five-dimensional braneworld backgrounds may exhibit extra scalar degrees of freedom with problematic features, including kinetic ghosts and strong coupling behavior. Analysis of such effects is hampered by the standard heuristic approaches to braneworld gravity, which use the equations of motion as the starting point, supplemented by orbifold projections and junction conditions. Here we develop the interval approach to braneworld gravity, which begins with an action principle. This shows how to implement general covariance, despite allowing metric fluctuations that do not vanish on the boundaries. We reproduce simple ${\mathbf{Z}}_{\mathbf{2}}$ orbifolds of gravity, even though in this approach we never perform a ${\mathbf{Z}}_{\mathbf{2}}$ projection. We introduce a family of ``straight gauges'', which are bulk coordinate systems in which both branes appear as straight slices in a single coordinate patch. Straight gauges are extremely useful for analyzing metric fluctuations in braneworld models. By explicit gauge-fixing, we show that a general $\mathrm{Ad}{\mathrm{S}}_{5}/\mathrm{Ad}{\mathrm{S}}_{4}$ setup with two branes has at most a radion, but no physical ``brane-bending'' modes.

title: A General Method for Model-Independent Measurements of Particle Spins, Couplings and Mixing Angles in Cascade Decays with Missing Energy at Hadron Colliders
abstract: We outline a general strategy for measuring spins, couplings and mixing angles in the case of a heavy partner decay chain terminating in an invisible particle. We consider the common example of a heavy scalar or fermion D decaying sequentially to other heavy particles C, B and A by emitting a quark jet j and two leptons l±n and lf. We derive analytic formulas for the dilepton ({l+l−}) and the two jet-lepton ({jln} and {jlf}) invariant mass distributions for the case of most general couplings and mixing angles of the heavy partners. We then consider various spin assignments for the heavy particles A, B, C and D, and for each case, derive the relevant functional basis for the invariant mass distributions which contains the intrinsic spin information and does not depend on the couplings and mixing angles. We propose a new method for determining the spins of the heavy partners, using the three experimentally observable distributions {l+l−}, {jl+}+{jl−} and {jl+}−{jl−}. We show that the former two only depend on a single model-dependent parameter α, while the latter may depend on two other parameters β and γ. By fitting these distributions to our set of basis functions, we are able to do a pure measurement of the spins per se. Our method is also applicable at a p collider such as the Tevatron, for which the previously proposed lepton charge asymmetry is identically zero and does not contain any spin information. In the process of determining the spins, we also end up with an independent measurement of the parameters α, β and γ, which represent certain combinations of the couplings and the mixing angles of the heavy partners A, B, C and D.

title: Probing Resonance Decays to Two Visible and Multiple Invisible Particles
abstract: We consider the decay of a generic resonance to two visible particles and any number of invisible particles. We show that the shape of the invariant mass distribution of the two visible particles is sensitive to both the mass spectrum of the new particles, as well as the decay topology. We provide the analytical formulas describing the invariant mass shapes for the nine simplest topologies (with up to two invisible particles in the final state). Any such distribution can be simply categorized by its endpoint, peak location and curvature, which are typically sufficient to discriminate among the competing topologies. In each case, we list the effective mass parameters which can be measured by experiment. In certain cases, the invariant mass shape is sufficient to completely determine the new particle mass spectrum, including the overall mass scale.

title: The role of interference in unraveling the ZZ-couplings of the newly discovered boson at the LHC
abstract: We present a general procedure for measuring the tensor structure of the coupling of the scalar Higgs-like boson recently discovered at the LHC to two Z bosons, including the effects of interference among different operators. To motivate our concern with this interference, we explore the parameter space of the couplings in the effective theory describing these interactions and illustrate the effects of interference on the differential dilepton mass distributions. Kinematic discriminants for performing coupling measurements that utilize the effects of interference are developed and described. We present projections for the sensitivity of coupling measurements that use these discriminants in future LHC operation in a variety of physics scenarios.

title: Backgrounds To Higgs Boson Searches from $W \gamma^* -> l \nu l (l)$ Asymmetric Internal Conversion

title: Fermi Gamma Ray Line at 130 GeV from Axion-Mediated Dark Matter
abstract: We consider a singlet Dirac fermion with Peccei-Quinn(PQ) symmetry as dark matter. A singlet complex scalar is introduced to mediate between dark matter and the SM through Higgs portal interaction and electroweak PQ anomalies. We show that a resonant annihilation of dark matter with axion mediation can explain the monochromatic photon line of the Fermi LAT data at 130GeV by anomaly interactions while the annihilation cross section with Higgs portal interaction is p-wave suppressed. We discuss the interplay between the direct detection of the fermion dark matter and the collider search of Higgs-like scalars. We also present a ultra-violet completion of the dark matter model into the NMSSM with PQ symmetry.