Weakly interacting dark matter from the minimal walking technicolor

We study a superweakly interacting dark matter particle motivated by minimal walking technicolor theories. Our WIMP is a mixture of a sterile state and a state with the charges of a standard model fourth family neutrino. We show that the model can give the right amount of dark matter over a range of the WIMP mass and mixing angle. We compute bounds on the model parameters from the current accelerator data including the oblique corrections to the precision electroweak parameters, as well as from cryogenic experiments, Super-Kamiokande and from the IceCube experiment. We show that consistent dark matter solutions exist which satisfy all current constraints. However, almost the entire paramete…

Effective elastic properties of biocomposites using 3D computational homogenization and X-ray microcomputed tomography

A 3D computational homogenization method based on X-ray microcomputed tomography (μCT) was proposed and implemented to investigate how the fiber weight fraction, orthotropy and orientation distribution affect the effective elastic properties of regenerated cellulose fiber-polylactic acid (PLA) biocomposites. Three-dimensional microstructures reconstructed by means of the X-ray μCT were used as the representative volume elements (RVEs) and incorporated into the finite element solver within the computational homogenization framework. The present method used Euclidean bipartite matching technique so as to eliminate the generation of artificial periodic boundaries and use the in-situ solution d…

Weakly interacting dark matter particle of a minimal technicolor theory

We consider the possibility that a massive fourth family neutrino, predicted by a recently proposed minimal technicolor theory, could be the source of the dark matter in the Universe. The model has two techniflavors in the adjoint representation of a SU(2) techicolor gauge group and its consistency requires the existence of a fourth family of leptons. By a suitable hypercharge assignment the techniquarks together with the new leptons look like a conventional fourth standard model family. We show that the new (Majorana) neutrino N can be the dark matter particle if m{sub N}{approx}100-500 GeV and the expansion rate of the Universe at early times is dominated by an energy component scaling as…

First Order Electroweak Phase Transition from (Non)Conformal Extensions of the Standard Model

We analyse and compare the finite-temperature electroweak phase transition properties of classically (non)conformal extensions of the Standard Model. In the classically conformal scenarios the breaking of the electroweak symmetry is generated radiatively. The models feature new scalars coupled conformally to the Higgs sector as well as new fermions. We uncover the parameter space leading to a first order phase transition with(out) the Veltman conditions. We also discuss dark (matter) aspects of some of the models and compare with existing literature when appropriate. We observe that to accommodate both, a first order electroweak phase transition, and a phenomenologically viable dark matter …

Naturality, unification and dark matter

We consider a model where electroweak symmetry breaking is driven by technicolor dynamics with minimal particle content required for walking coupling and saturation of global anomalies. Furthermore, the model features three additional Weyl fermions singlet under technicolor interactions, two of which provide for a one-loop unification of the standard model gauge couplings. Among these extra matter fields exists a possible candidate for weakly interacting dark matter. We evaluate the relic densities and find that they are sufficient to explain the cosmological observations and avoid the experimental limits from earth-based searches. Hence, we establish a nonsupersymmetric framework where hie…

Mathematical modelling of sustainable bioresidual concrete

In the production of cement, which is the main component of concrete production, the process generates about 5% of the global carbon dioxide emissions. In addition, bioproduct and pulp mills produce signi_cant quantities of soda ash and bio-ash, which is still largely unused. In this paper we will introduce our study related to improving the environmental friendliness of concrete used in construction by utilizing pulp mill waste while its long-term durability and strength and porosity properties meet the goals set for construction. The project `sustainable bioresidual concrete' is on-going and only preliminary numerical results with measurements are presented here. peerReviewed

Weakly interacting dark matter in walking technicolor theories

Several lines of evidence support the existence of the dark matter in the Universe. In the light of the present observations the particle dark matter, and in particular the WIMP scenario is a very promising alternative to solve the dark matter problem. In this context recent minimal walking techicolor model motivated dark matter models have been studied. The minimal walking techinicolor and the minimal extension of it, which can successfully provide a dynamical origin for the electroweak symmetry breaking as well as the unification of the standard model coupling constants, gives rise to natural dark matter candidates such as fourth family heavy neutrinos and SU(2) adjoint matter. A general …

Preparation of Highly Porous Carbonous Electrodes by Selective Laser Sintering

Selective laser sintering (SLS) 3D printing was utilized to fabricate highly porous carbonous electrodes. The electrodes were prepared by using a mixture of fine graphite powder and either polyamide-12, polystyrene, or polyurethane polymer powder as SLS printing material. During the printing process the graphite powder was dispersed uniformly on the supporting polymer matrix. Graphite’s concentration in the mixture was varied between 5 and 40 wt % to find the correlation between the carbon content and conductivity. The graphite concentration, polymer matrix, and printing conditions all had an impact on the final conductivity. Due to the SLS printing technique, all the 3D printed electrodes …

A model for dark matter, naturalness and a complete gauge unification

We consider dark matter in a minimal extension of the Standard Model (SM) which breaks electroweak symmetry dynamically and leads to a complete unification of the SM and technicolor coupling constants. The unification scale is determined to be $M_{\rm U} \approx 2.2 \times 10^{15}$ GeV and the unified coupling $\alpha_{\rm U} \approx 0.0304$. Moreover, unification strongly suggest that the technicolor sector of the model must become strong at the scale of ${\cal O}$(TeV). The model also contains a tightly constrained sector of mixing neutral fields stabilized by a discrete symmetry. We find the lightest of these states can be DM with a mass in the range $m_{\rm DM} \approx 30-800$ GeV. We f…

Dark matter from unification

We consider a minimal extension of the Standard Model (SM), which leads to unification of the SM coupling constants, breaks electroweak symmetry dynamically by a new strongly coupled sector and leads to novel dark matter candidates. In this model, the coupling constant unification requires the existence of electroweak triplet and doublet fermions singlet under QCD and new strong dynamics underlying the Higgs sector. Among these new matter fields and a new right handed neutrino, we consider the mass and mixing patterns of the neutral states. We argue for a symmetry stabilizing the lightest mass eigenstates of this sector and determine the resulting relic density. The results are constrained …

Quasi-brittle porous material: Simulated effect of stochastic air void structure on compressive strength

Abstract The effect of porosity comprised of spherical air voids on the compressive strength of quasi-brittle material was studied via simulations. The simulated porous structures were based on pore size distributions of two mortar samples measured by X-ray microtomography. While the simulation method set practical limits on the size of sample, the base of the statistics was established by simulating 128 small structures generated by sampling from pore structures of two mortars. By studying the application of the classical strength-porosity formulas to the simulated data, a new simple model was formed. A linear relationship was achieved between the cubic root of air void fraction (porosity)…

Influence of pulp bleaching and compatibilizer selection on performance of pulp fiber reinforced PLA biocomposites