Unified emergence of energy scales and cosmic inflation

In the quest for unification of the Standard Model with gravity, classical scale invariance can be utilized to dynamically generate the Planck mass MPl. However, the relation of Planck scale physics to the scale of electroweak symmetry breaking μH requires further explanation. In this paper, we propose a model that uses the spontaneous breaking of scale invariance in the scalar sector as a unified origin for dynamical generation of both scales. Using the Gildener-Weinberg approximation, only one scalar acquires a vacuum expectation value of υS ∼ (1016−17) GeV, thus radiatively generating $$ {M}_{\mathrm{P}1}\approx {\beta}_S^{1/2}{\upsilon}_S $$ M P 1 ≈ β S 1 / 2 υ S and μH via the neutrino option with right handed neutrino masses mN = yMυS ∼ 107 GeV. Consequently, active SM neutrinos are given a mass with the inclusion of a type-I seesaw mechanism. Furthermore, we adopt an unbroken Z2 symmetry and a Z2-odd set of right-handed Majorana neutrinos χ that do not take part in the neutrino option and are able to produce the correct dark matter relic abundance (dominantly) via inflaton decay. The model also describes cosmic inflation and the inflationary CMB observables are predicted to interpolate between those of R2 and linear chaotic inflationary model and are thus well within the strongest experimental constraints.

A scalar potential from gauge condensation and its implications

We consider a scalar field $$\phi $$ ϕ whose coupling to the kinetic term of a non-abelian gauge field is set at an UV scale M. Then the confinement of the gauge sector will induce a $$\phi $$ ϕ -dependent vacuum energy which generates a dimensionful potential for the scalar. It provides a good example of dynamical generation of a new physics scale below M through the vacuum expectation value $$\langle \phi \rangle $$ ⟨ ϕ ⟩ . This mechanism may shed light on the origin of dark matter, or spontaneous symmetry breaking applicable to the electroweak symmetry.

On the connection between quark propagation and hadronization

We investigate the properties and structure of the recently discussed “fully inclusive jet correlator”, namely, the gauge-invariant field correlator characterizing the final state hadrons produced by a free quark as this propagates in the vacuum. Working at the operator level, we connect this object to the single-hadron fragmentation correlator of a quark, and exploit a novel gauge invariant spectral decomposition technique to derive a complete set of momentum sum rules for quark fragmentation functions up to twist-3 level; known results are recovered, and new sum rules proposed. We then show how one can explicitly connect quark hadronization and dynamical quark mass generation by studying the inclusive jet’s gauge-invariant mass term. This mass is, on the one hand, theoretically related to the integrated chiral-odd spectral function of the quark, and, on the other hand, is experimentally accessible through the E and $${\widetilde{E}}$$ E ~ twist-3 fragmentation function sum rules. Thus, measurements of these fragmentation functions in deep inelastic processes provide one with an experimental gateway into the dynamical generation of mass in Quantum Chromodynamics.