Fitting BOOMERANG and MAXIMA-1 data with a Einstein–Yang–Mills cosmological model
We analyse the implications of recent Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) data for a specific cosmological model, based on the higher-dimensional Einstein–Yang–Mills system compactified on a R × S 3 × S d topology and conclude that the model parameters are tightly constrained by CMB spectra. Moreover, the model predicts a relationship between the deceleration parameter at present, q 0 , and some characteristic features of CMB spectra, namely, the height of the first peak and the the location of the second peak, that is consistent with the observations and which can be further tested by future CMB and other experiments.

title: Gamma-ray Bursts as Dark Energy Probes
abstract: We discuss the prospects of using Gamma Ray Bursts (GRBs) as high-redshift distance estimators, and consider their use in the study of two dark energy models, the Generalized Chaplygin Gas (GCG), a model for the unification of dark energy and dark matter, and the XCDM model, a model where a generic dark energy fluid like component is described by the equation of state, $p= \omega \rho$. We find that this test yields rather disappointing results for the GCG model, being mainly sensitive to the total amount of matter present in the Universe in the case of the XCDM model. We also find that, within the framework of the XCDM model, a large sample of GRBs ($\geq 200$) may turn out to be quite useful to improve the forthcoming type Ia supernovae data.

title: Latest Supernova data in the framework of Generalized Chaplygin Gas model
abstract: We use the most recent Type-Ia Supernova data in order to study the dark energy - dark matter unification approach in the context of the Generalized Chaplygin Gas (GCG) model. Rather surprisingly, we find that data allow models with $\alpha>1$. We have studied how the GCG adjusts flat and non-flat models, and our results show that GCG is consistent with flat case upto 68% confidence level. Actually this holds even if one relaxes the flat prior assumption. We have also analysed what one should expect from a future experiment such as SNAP. We find that there is a degeneracy between the GCG model and a XCDM model with a phantom-like dark energy component.

title: Bounds on the simplest little Higgs model mass spectrum through Z leptonic decay
abstract: We derive the leptonic neutral current in the simplest little Higgs model and compute the contribution of the model to the decay width $Z\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{e}^{+}{e}^{\ensuremath{-}}$. Using the precision electroweak data we obtain a strong lower bound $f\ensuremath{\ge}5.6\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{TeV}$ at 95% C.L. on the characteristic energy scale of the model. It results in a lower bound for the new gauge bosons ${W}^{\ensuremath{'}\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}}$ and ${Z}^{\ensuremath{'}}$ as being ${M}_{{W}^{\ensuremath{'}\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}}}\ensuremath{\ge}2.6\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{TeV}$ and ${M}_{{Z}^{\ensuremath{'}}}\ensuremath{\ge}3.1\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{TeV}$, respectively. We also present the allowed values of the $k={f}_{1}/{f}_{2}$ which is the parameter relating the two vacuum expectation values of the scalar triplets in the model, and the $\ensuremath{\mu}$ parameter of a quadratic term, involving the triplets, necessary to provide an acceptable mass range for the standard Higgs boson.

title: The CMS experiment at the CERN LHC
abstract: The Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) detector is described. The detector operates at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN. It was conceived to study proton-proton (and lead-lead) collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 14 TeV (5.5 TeV nucleon-nucleon) and at luminosities up to 1034 cm-2 s-1 (1027 cm-2 s-1). At the core of the CMS detector sits a high-magnetic-field and large-bore superconducting solenoid surrounding an all-silicon pixel and strip tracker, a lead-tungstate scintillating-crystals electromagnetic calorimeter, and a brass-scintillator sampling hadron calorimeter. The iron yoke of the flux-return is instrumented with four stations of muon detectors covering most of the 4π solid angle. Forward sampling calorimeters extend the pseudorapidity coverage to high values (|η| ≤ 5) assuring very good hermeticity. The overall dimensions of the CMS detector are a length of 21.6 m, a diameter of 14.6 m and a total weight of 12500 t.

title: CMS expression of interest in the SLHC

title: Chiral parameters in a QCD-motivated model with confined and massive gluons
abstract: A one parameter model of a confined-gluon propagator has been formulated by Frank and Roberts recently, which has a great success explaining π − and ρ −meson observables. We show, computing few chiral parameters, that a small variation of this model considering an infrared finite gluon propagator with a dynamically generated gluon mass, can also fit data related to the chiral symmetry breaking. This allows a direct interpretation for the unique parameter involved in the model as the gluon mass scale.

title: WIMPs in a 3-3-1 model with heavy Sterile neutrinos
abstract: In this work we show that from the spectrum of particles of a 3-3-1 gauge model with heavy sterile neutrinos we can have up to three Cold Dark Matter candidates as WIMPs. We obtain their relic abundance and analyze their compatibility with recent direct detection experiments, exploring the possibility of explaining the two events reported by CDMS-II. An interesting outcome of this 3-3-1 model, concerning direct detection of two WIMPs in the model, is a strong bound on the symmetry breaking scale, which imposes it to be above 3 TeV.