Electric charge and color breaking minima along third generation squark directions do appear in t... more Electric charge and color breaking minima along third generation squark directions do appear in the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model for particular regions of the corresponding supersymmetric parameters At, µ, tanβ, m 2 Q and m 2 U. We have studied possible instabilities of electroweak sphalerons along non-trivial squark configurations. We have found that instabilities along the latter lie in the region of parameter space where the electroweak minimum is not the global one. Thus charge and color conservation imply that the standard electroweak sphaleron is not destabilized along squark directions.
The Bell inequality is thought to be a common constraint shared by all models of local hidden var... more The Bell inequality is thought to be a common constraint shared by all models of local hidden variables that aim to describe the entangled states of two qubits. Since the inequality is violated by the quantum mechanical description of these states, it purportedly allows distinguishing in an experimentally testable way the predictions of quantum mechanics from those of models of local hidden variables and, ultimately, ruling the latter out. In this paper, we show, however, that the models of local hidden variables constrained by the Bell inequality all share a subtle, though crucial, feature that is not required by fundamental physical principles and, hence, it might not be fulfilled in the actual experimental setup that tests the inequality. Indeed, the disputed feature neither can be properly implemented within the standard framework of quantum mechanics and it is even at odds with the fundamental principle of relativity. Namely, the proof of the inequality requires the existence o...
The most distinctive feature of the primordial density inhomogeneities that existed in the cosmic... more The most distinctive feature of the primordial density inhomogeneities that existed in the cosmic plasma at the instant of decoupling is their scale invariant power spectrum ${\cal P}(k) \sim k$ over the range $k \ll H_{eq}$ of modes with cosmologically large comoving wavelength. We characterize this feature in real space, in terms of their correlation function at two points. We
We revisit the {\it origin of structures problem} of standard Friedmann-Robertson-Walker cosmolog... more We revisit the {\it origin of structures problem} of standard Friedmann-Robertson-Walker cosmology to point out an unjustified approximation in the prevalent analysis. We follow common procedures in statistical mechanics to revise the issue without the disputed approximation. Our conclusions contradict the current wisdom and reveal and unexpected scenario for the origin of primordial cosmological structures. We show that standard physics
We present a novel homogeneous and geometrically flat exact solution of Einstein's General Re... more We present a novel homogeneous and geometrically flat exact solution of Einstein's General Relativity equations for an ideal fluid. The solution, which describes an expanding/contracting hypercylinder, fits well with the observational pillars upon which rely the standard FLRW cosmology and, furthermore, it can naturally solve some of its most outstanding problems. Comment: An algebraic error in the equations has been corrected. The general framework remains intact, but some conclusions needed to be changed
We propose a novel interpretation of Quantum Mechanics, which can resolve the outstanding conflic... more We propose a novel interpretation of Quantum Mechanics, which can resolve the outstanding conflict between the principles of locality and realism and offers new insight on the so-called weak values of physical observables. The discussion is presented in the context of Bohm's system of two photons in their singlet polarization state in which the Einstein-Podolski-Rosen paradox is commonly addressed. It is shown that quantum states can be understood as statistical mixtures of non-interfering pseudo-classical paths in a {\it hidden} phase space, in a way that overcomes the implicit assumptions of Bell's theorem and reproduces all expected values and correlations. The polarization properties of the photons along these paths are gauge-dependent magnitudes, whose actual values get fixed only after a reference direction is set by the observer of either photon A or B. Furthermore, these values are not constrained to fulfill standard classical algebraic relationships. These {\it hidd...
The pattern of acoustic peaks in the sub-horizon power spectrum of primordial density anisotropie... more The pattern of acoustic peaks in the sub-horizon power spectrum of primordial density anisotropies at recombination can be naturally understood in the framework of standard Friedmann-Robertson-Walker cosmology (without inflation) as a consequence of the boundary conditions imposed by the causal horizon on the statistical two-points correlation functions: the sub-horizon spectrum is discrete (harmonic), with comoving modes located at $k_n = n \frac{\pi}{H^{-1}_{eq}}$, $n = 1,2,...$, because the causally connected patch of the universe at recombination is compact, with comoving radius $H^{-1}_{eq}$. The results presented in this paper complement those presented in [1], where it was shown that the scale invariance of the primordial density anisotropies over comoving scales of cosmological size is also a consequence of the boundary conditions imposed by causality. Together these results lay an appealing theoretical alternative to the inflationary paradigm as the ultimate answer for the ...
Electric charge and color breaking minima along third generation squark directions do appear in t... more Electric charge and color breaking minima along third generation squark directions do appear in the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model for particular regions of the corresponding supersymmetric parameters At, µ, tanβ, m 2 Q and m 2 U. We have studied possible instabilities of electroweak sphalerons along non-trivial squark configurations. We have found that instabilities along the latter lie in the region of parameter space where the electroweak minimum is not the global one. Thus charge and color conservation imply that the standard electroweak sphaleron is not destabilized along squark directions.
The Bell inequality is thought to be a common constraint shared by all models of local hidden var... more The Bell inequality is thought to be a common constraint shared by all models of local hidden variables that aim to describe the entangled states of two qubits. Since the inequality is violated by the quantum mechanical description of these states, it purportedly allows distinguishing in an experimentally testable way the predictions of quantum mechanics from those of models of local hidden variables and, ultimately, ruling the latter out. In this paper, we show, however, that the models of local hidden variables constrained by the Bell inequality all share a subtle, though crucial, feature that is not required by fundamental physical principles and, hence, it might not be fulfilled in the actual experimental setup that tests the inequality. Indeed, the disputed feature neither can be properly implemented within the standard framework of quantum mechanics and it is even at odds with the fundamental principle of relativity. Namely, the proof of the inequality requires the existence o...
The most distinctive feature of the primordial density inhomogeneities that existed in the cosmic... more The most distinctive feature of the primordial density inhomogeneities that existed in the cosmic plasma at the instant of decoupling is their scale invariant power spectrum ${\cal P}(k) \sim k$ over the range $k \ll H_{eq}$ of modes with cosmologically large comoving wavelength. We characterize this feature in real space, in terms of their correlation function at two points. We
We revisit the {\it origin of structures problem} of standard Friedmann-Robertson-Walker cosmolog... more We revisit the {\it origin of structures problem} of standard Friedmann-Robertson-Walker cosmology to point out an unjustified approximation in the prevalent analysis. We follow common procedures in statistical mechanics to revise the issue without the disputed approximation. Our conclusions contradict the current wisdom and reveal and unexpected scenario for the origin of primordial cosmological structures. We show that standard physics
We present a novel homogeneous and geometrically flat exact solution of Einstein's General Re... more We present a novel homogeneous and geometrically flat exact solution of Einstein's General Relativity equations for an ideal fluid. The solution, which describes an expanding/contracting hypercylinder, fits well with the observational pillars upon which rely the standard FLRW cosmology and, furthermore, it can naturally solve some of its most outstanding problems. Comment: An algebraic error in the equations has been corrected. The general framework remains intact, but some conclusions needed to be changed
We propose a novel interpretation of Quantum Mechanics, which can resolve the outstanding conflic... more We propose a novel interpretation of Quantum Mechanics, which can resolve the outstanding conflict between the principles of locality and realism and offers new insight on the so-called weak values of physical observables. The discussion is presented in the context of Bohm's system of two photons in their singlet polarization state in which the Einstein-Podolski-Rosen paradox is commonly addressed. It is shown that quantum states can be understood as statistical mixtures of non-interfering pseudo-classical paths in a {\it hidden} phase space, in a way that overcomes the implicit assumptions of Bell's theorem and reproduces all expected values and correlations. The polarization properties of the photons along these paths are gauge-dependent magnitudes, whose actual values get fixed only after a reference direction is set by the observer of either photon A or B. Furthermore, these values are not constrained to fulfill standard classical algebraic relationships. These {\it hidd...
The pattern of acoustic peaks in the sub-horizon power spectrum of primordial density anisotropie... more The pattern of acoustic peaks in the sub-horizon power spectrum of primordial density anisotropies at recombination can be naturally understood in the framework of standard Friedmann-Robertson-Walker cosmology (without inflation) as a consequence of the boundary conditions imposed by the causal horizon on the statistical two-points correlation functions: the sub-horizon spectrum is discrete (harmonic), with comoving modes located at $k_n = n \frac{\pi}{H^{-1}_{eq}}$, $n = 1,2,...$, because the causally connected patch of the universe at recombination is compact, with comoving radius $H^{-1}_{eq}$. The results presented in this paper complement those presented in [1], where it was shown that the scale invariance of the primordial density anisotropies over comoving scales of cosmological size is also a consequence of the boundary conditions imposed by causality. Together these results lay an appealing theoretical alternative to the inflationary paradigm as the ultimate answer for the ...
The Bell's theorem stands as an insuperable roadblock in the path to a very desired intuitive sol... more The Bell's theorem stands as an insuperable roadblock in the path to a very desired intuitive solution of the Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen paradox and, hence, it lies at the core of the current lack of a clear interpretation of the quantum formalism. The theorem states through an experimentally testable inequality that the predictions of quantum mechanics for the Bell's polarization states of two entangled particles cannot be reproduced by any statistical model of hidden variables that shares certain intuitive features. In this paper we show, however, that the proof of the Bell's inequality involves a subtle, though crucial, assumption that is not required by fundamental physical principles and, moreover, it might not be fulfilled in the experimental setup that tests the inequality. In fact, this assumption can neither be properly implemented within the framework of quantum mechanics. Namely, the proof of the Bell's theorem assumes that there exists an absolute preferred frame of reference, supposedly provided by the lab, which enables to compare the orientation of the polarization measurement devices for successive realizations of the experiment. The need for this assumption can be readily checked by noticing that the theorem does not hold when the orientation of one of the detectors is taken as a reference frame to define the relative orientation of the second detector, in spite that this frame is an absolutely legitimate choice according to Galileo's principle of relativity. We further notice that the absolute frame of reference required by the proof of the Bell's theorem cannot exist in models in which the hidden configuration of the pair of entangled particles has a randomly set preferred direction that spontaneously breaks the global rotational symmetry. In fact, following this observation we build an explicit local model of hidden variables that reproduces the predictions of quantum mechanics for the Bell's states. 2
We present an explicit non-contextual model of hidden variables for the qutrit. The model consist... more We present an explicit non-contextual model of hidden variables for the qutrit. The model consists of an infinite set of possible hidden configurations uniformly distributed over a sphere, each one having a well-defined probability density to happen and a well-defined non-contextual binary outcome, either +1 or −1, for every properly formulated test. The model reproduces the predictions of quantum mechanics and, thus, it bypasses the constraints imposed by the Kochen-Specker theorem and its subsequent reformulations. The crux of the model is the observation that all these theorems crucially rely on an implicit assumption that is not actually required by fundamental physical principles, namely, the existence of an absolute frame of reference with respect to which the polarization properties of the qutrit as well as the orientation of the tests performed on it can be defined. We notice, on the other hand, that pairs of compatible tests defined in such an hypothetical absolute frame of reference that can be obtained from each other through a global rotation that leaves the state of the qutrit unchanged would by physically undistinguishable and, hence, equivalent under a gauge symmetry transformation. This spurious gauge degree of freedom must be properly fixed in order to build the statistical model for the qutrit. In two previous papers we have shown that the same implicit assumption is also required in order to prove both Bell's theorem and the Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger theorem.
The Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger (GHZ) version of the Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen (EPR) paradox is wid... more The Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger (GHZ) version of the Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen (EPR) paradox is widely regarded as a conclusive logical argument that rules out the possibility of describing quantum phenomena within the framework of a local and realistic model of hidden variables in which the observers are free to choose their own experimental settings. In this paper we show, however, that the GHZ argument implicitly relies on an additional crucial assumption, which is not required by fundamental physical principles and had gone unnoticed. Namely, we note that the argument implicitly assumes the existence of an absolute angular frame of reference with respect to which the polarization properties of the hypothetical hidden configurations of the entangled particles as well as the orientation of the measurement apparatus that test the system can be defined. We further note that such an absolute frame of reference would not exist if the hidden configurations of the entangled particles spontaneously break the gauge rotational symmetry. Indeed, by skipping this unnecessary additional assumption we are able to build an explicitly local and realistic model of hidden variables for the GHZ state, which complies with the 'free-will' hypothesis and reproduces the quantum mechanical predictions, and thus completes the description of the system in the EPR sense.
The solid experimental evidence for the violation of Bell's inequalities is widely interpreted as... more The solid experimental evidence for the violation of Bell's inequalities is widely interpreted as a definitive proof of the impossibility to describe quantum phenomena in terms of a local and realistic statistical model of hidden variables in which the observers are free to choose the settings of their measurements. In this paper we note, however, that Bell's theorem for the singlet polarization state of two entangled particles relies crucially on a fourth implicit theoretical assumption, in addition to the explicit hypotheses of locality, physical realism and 'free will'. Namely, we note that the proof of Bell's inequalities for generic models of hidden variables implicitly assumes that there exists an absolute reference frame of angular coordinates, with respect to which we can define the polarization properties of the hidden configurations of the pair of entangled particles as well as the orientation of the measurement apparatus that test them. This implicit additional assumption, however, is not required by any fundamental physical principle and, indeed, it might be incorrect if the hidden configuration of the pair of entangled particles breaks the global rotational symmetry along an otherwise arbitrary direction. We explicitly show that by giving up to this additional implicit assumption it is possible to build a local and realistic model of hidden variables for Bell's polarization states of two particles, which complies with the demands of 'free-will' and fully reproduces the quantum mechanical predictions. The model presented here offers a new insight into the notion of quantum entanglement and the role of measurements in the dynamics of quantum systems. It may help also to develop new tools for performing numerical simulations of quantum systems.
The Bell's theorem stands as an insuperable roadblock in the path to a very desired intuitive sol... more The Bell's theorem stands as an insuperable roadblock in the path to a very desired intuitive solution of the Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen paradox and, hence, it lies at the core of the current lack of a clear interpretation of the quantum formalism. The theorem states through an experimentally testable inequality that the predictions of quantum mechanics for the Bell's polarization states of two entangled particles cannot be reproduced by any statistical model of hidden variables that shares certain intuitive features. In this paper we show, however, that the proof of the Bell's inequality involves a subtle, though crucial, assumption that is not required by fundamental physical principles and, in fact, it is not fulfilled in the experimental setup that tests the inequality. Indeed, this assumption is at odds with the principle of relativity and, thus, it cannot be properly implemented within the framework of quantum mechanics either. Furthermore, we show that local models of hidden variables that do not comply with this unjustified assumption are not necessarily constrained by the Bell's inequality and can reproduce the predictions of quantum mechanics for the Bell's states.
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Papers by David Oaknin