title:
The Elemental Composition of High-Energy Cosmic Rays: Measurements with
  TRACER

abstract:
  TRACER ('Transition Radiation Array for Cosmic Energetic Radiation') is a
balloon borne instrument that has been developed to directly measure the
composition and energy spectra of individual heavy elements up to 10^15 eV per
particle. TRACER achieves a large geometric factor (5 m^2 sr) through the use
of a Transition Radiation Detector utilizing arrays of single wire proportional
tubes. TRACER has measured the energy spectra of the elements O, Ne, Mg, Si, S,
Ar, Ca, and Fe. The energy spectra reach energies in excess of 10^14 eV per
particle and exhibit nearly the same spectral index (2.65 +/- 0.05) for all
elements.


title: Integrability and Chaos - algebraic and geometric approach

abstract:
  This thesis presents two descriptions of complexity in dynamical systems. The
algebraic approach deals with the differential Galois group theory and its
restrictions on integrability. The geometric part is a formulation of dynamics
in the language of differential geometry with particular application to
Lyapunov exponents and variational equations. The algorithm for calculating the
Lyapunov spectrum is illustrated with three examples.


title: Energy dependence of transverse particle production from SPS to RHIC

abstract:
  Transverse momentum spectra up to 4.5 GeV/c were measured around midrapidity
in Pb+Pb collisions at sqrt{s_{NN}}=17.3 GeV, for pi^{+/-}, p, pbar and
K^{+/-}, by the NA49 experiment. The nuclear modification factors R_{AA},
R_{AA/pA} and R_{CP} were extracted and are compared to RHIC results at
sqrt{s_{NN}}=200 GeV. The modification factor R_{AA} shows a rapid increase
with transverse momentum in the covered region. The modification factors
R_{AA/pA} and R_{CP} shows a saturation well below unity in the pi^{+/-}
channel. The extracted R_{CP} values follow the 200 GeV RHIC results closely in
the available transverse momentum range for all particle species, except for
pi^{+/-}. For pi^{+/-} above 2.5 GeV/c transverse momentum, the measured
suppression is smaller than that observed at RHIC. The K^{+}/pi^{+} and
K^{-}/pi^{-} ratios were also extracted from the data and are compared to the
200 GeV RHIC results. The values of the former ratio is above, whereas the
values of the latter ratio is slightly below the 200 GeV RHIC points.


title:
Large-time rescaling behaviors of some rational type solutions to the
  Polubarinova-Galin equation with injection

abstract:
  The main goal of this paper is to give a precise description of rescaling
behaviors of rational type global strong solutions to the Polubarinova-Galin
equation. The Polubarinova-Galin equation is the reformulation of the zero
surface tension Hele-Shaw problem with a single source at the origin by
considering the moving domain as the Riemann mapping of the unit disk centered
at the origin. The coefficients $\{a_{k}(t)\}_{k\geq 2}$ of the polynomial
strong solution $f_{k_{0}}(\xi,t)=\sum_{i=1}^{k_{0}}a_{i}(t)\xi^{i}$ decay to
zero algebraically as $t^{-\lambda_{k}}$ ($\lambda_{k}=k/2$) and the decay is
even faster if the low Richardson moments vanish. The dynamics for global
solutions are discussed as well.


title: Pair-Starved Pulsar Magnetospheres

abstract:
  We propose a simple analytic model for the innermost (within the light
cylinder of canonical radius) structure of open-magnetic-field lines of a
rotating neutron star (NS) with relativistic outflow of charged particles
(electrons/positrons) and arbitrary angle between the NS spin and magnetic
axes. We present the self-consistent solution of Maxwell's equations for the
magnetic field and electric current in the pair-starved regime where the
density of electron-positron plasma generated above the pulsar polar cap is not
sufficient to completely screen the accelerating electric field and thus
establish the E \cdot B = 0 condition above the pair-formation front up to very
high altitudes within the light cylinder. The proposed model may provide a
theoretical framework for developing a refined model of the global pair-starved
pulsar magnetosphere.


title:
Propagation and Source Energy Spectra of Cosmic-Ray Nuclei at High
  Energies

abstract: This paper has not yet been accepted for publication


title: CNO driven winds of hot first stars

abstract:
  During the evolution of first stars, the CNO elements may emerge on their
surfaces due to the mixing processes. Consequently, these stars may have winds
driven purely by CNO elements. We study the properties of such stellar winds
and discuss their influence on the surrounding environment. For this purpose,
we used our own NLTE models and tested which stellar parameters of the first
stars at different evolutionary stages result in CNO winds. If such winds are
possible, we calculate their hydrodynamic structure and predict their
parameters. We show that, while the studied stars do not have any wind driven
purely by hydrogen and helium, CNO driven winds exist in more luminous stars.
On the other hand, for very hot stars, CNO elements are too ionized to drive a
wind. In most cases the derived mass-loss rate is much less than calculated
with solar mixture of elements. This is because wind mass-loss rate in present
hot stars is dominated by elements heavier than CNO. We conclude that, until a
sufficient amount of these elements is created, the influence of line-driven
winds is relatively small on the evolution of hot stars (which are not close to
the Eddington limit).


title:
Nature of Ar bonding to small Co_n^+ clusters and its effect on the
  structure determination by far-infrared absorption spectroscopy

abstract:
  Far-infrared vibrational spectroscopy by multiple photon dissociation has
proven to be a very useful technique for the structural fingerprinting of small
metal clusters. Contrary to previous studies on cationic V, Nb and Ta clusters,
measured vibrational spectra of small cationic cobalt clusters show a strong
dependence on the number of adsorbed Ar probe atoms, which increases with
decreasing cluster size. Focusing on the series Co_4^+ to Co_8^+ we therefore
use density-functional theory to analyze the nature of the Ar-Co_n^+ bond and
its role for the vibrational spectra. In a first step, energetically low-lying
isomer structures are identified through first-principles basin-hopping
sampling runs and their vibrational spectra computed for a varying number of
adsorbed Ar atoms. A comparison of these fingerprints with the experimental
data enables in some cases a unique assignment of the cluster structure.
Independent of the specific low-lying isomer, we obtain a pronounced increase
of the Ar binding energy for the smallest cluster sizes, which correlates
nicely with the observed increased influence of the Ar probe atoms on the IR
spectra. Further analysis of the electronic structure motivates a simple
electrostatic picture that not only explains this binding energy trend, but
also why the influence of the rare-gas atom is much stronger than in the
previously studied systems.


title: Large-time rescaling behaviors for large data to the Hele-Shaw problem

abstract:
  This paper addresses a rescaling behavior of some classes of global solutions
to the zero surface tension Hele-Shaw problem with injection at the origin,
$\{\Omega(t)\}_{t\geq 0}$. Here $\Omega(0)$ is a small perturbation of
$f(B_{1}(0),0)$ if $f(\xi,t)$ is a global strong polynomial solution to the
Polubarinova-Galin equation with injection at the origin and we prove the
solution $\Omega(t)$ is global as well. We rescale the domain $\Omega(t)$ so
that the new domain $\Omega^{'}(t)$ always has area $\pi$ and we consider
$\partial\Omega^{'}(t)$ as the radial perturbation of the unit circle centered
at the origin for $t$ large enough. It is shown that the radial perturbation
decays algebraically as $t^{-\lambda}$. This decay also implies that the
curvature of $\partial\Omega^{'}(t)$ decays to 1 algebraically as
$t^{-\lambda}$. The decay is faster if the low Richardson moments vanish. We
also explain this work as the generalization of Vondenhoff's work which deals
with the case that $f(\xi,t)=a_{1}(t)\xi$.


title:
Experimental Interpretation of Interfacial Separation and Squeezing
  Pressure

abstract:
  The logarithmic relation between interfacial separation and squeezing
pressure between randomly rough surfaces, has been predicted by both theory and
experiment. However, the experimental slope between interfacial separation and
logarithmic squeezing pressure, is slightly bigger than that predicted by
theory. Here we present a detailed explanation on the slope difference between
theory and experiment.


title:
O- and H- induced surface core level shifts on Ru(0001): Prevalence of
  the additivity rule

abstract:
  In previous work on adsorbate-induced surface core level shifts (SCLSs), the
effects caused by O atom adsorption on Rh(111) and Ru(0001) were found to be
additive: the measured shifts for first layer Ru atoms depended linearly on the
number of directly coordinated O atoms. Density-functional theory calculations
quantitatively reproduced this effect, allowed separation of initial and final
state contributions, and provided an explanation in terms of a roughly constant
charge transfer per O atom. We have now conducted similar measurements and
calculations for three well-defined adsorbate and coadsorbate layers containing
O and H atoms: (1 x 1)-H, (2 x 2)-(O+H), and (2 x 2)-(O+3H) on Ru(0001). As H
is stabilized in fcc sites in the prior two structures and in hcp sites in the
latter, this enables us to not only study coverage and coadsorption effects on
the adsorbate-induced SCLSs, but also the sensitivity to similar adsorption
sites. Remarkably good agreement is obtained between experiment and
calculations for the energies and geometries of the layers, as well as for all
aspects of the SCLS values. The additivity of the next-neighbor
adsorbate-induced SCLSs is found to prevail even for the coadsorbate
structures. While this confirms the suggested use of SCLSs as fingerprints of
the adsorbate configuration, their sensitivity is further demonstrated by the
slightly different shifts unambiguously determined for H adsorption in either
fcc or hcp hollow sites.


title: Helicoidal graphs with prescribed mean curvature

abstract:
  We prove an existence result for helicoidal graphs with prescribed mean
curvature in a large class of warped product spaces which comprises space
forms.


title: Existence and uniqueness of the Hele-Shaw problem with injection

abstract:
  This paper gives a new and short proof of existence and uniqueness of the
Polubarinova-Galin equation. The existence proof is an application of the main
theorem in Lin's paper. Furthermore, we can conclude that every strong solution
can be approximated by many strong polynomial solutions locally in time.


title:
Global solutions for two-phase Hele-Shaw bubble for a near-circular
  initial shape

abstract:
  Using a vortex sheet method we prove global existence of a near circular
initial bubble in a Hele-Shaw cell with surface tension and generally finite
nonzero viscosity ratio between fluids inside and outside the bubble. The
circular shape is shown to be asymptotically stable for all sufficiently smooth
small perturbation. The initial condition in this case, while smooth, need not
be analytic.


title: High variability in Vela X-1: giant flares and off states

abstract:
  We investigate the spectral and temporal behavior of the high mass X-ray
binary Vela X-1 during a phase of high activity, with special focus on the
observed giant flares and off states. INTEGRAL observed Vela X-1 in a long
almost uninterrupted observation for two weeks in 2003 Nov/Dec. The data were
analyzed with OSA 7.0 and FTOOLS 6.2. We derive the pulse period, light curves,
spectra, hardness ratios, and hardness intensity diagrams, and study the
eclipse. In addition to an already high activity level, Vela X-1 exhibited
several intense flares, the brightest ones reaching a maximum intensity of more
than 5 Crab in the 20-40 keV band and several off states where the source was
no longer detected by INTEGRAL. We determine the pulse period to be
283.5320+/-0.0002 s, which is stable throughout the entire observation.
Analyzing the eclipses provided an improvement in the ephemeris. Spectral
analysis of the flares indicates that there appear to be two types of flares:
relatively brief flares, which can be extremely intense and show spectral
softening, in contrast to high intensity states, which are longer and show no
softening. Both flares and off states are interpreted as being due to a
strongly structured wind of the optical companion. When Vela X-1 encounters a
cavity with strongly reduced density, the flux will drop triggering the onset
of the propeller effect, which inhibits further accretion, giving rise to off
states. The sudden decrease in the density of the material required to trigger
the propeller effect in Vela X-1 is of the same order as predicted by
theoretical papers about the densities in OB star winds. A similarly structured
wind can produce giant flares when Vela X-1 encounters a dense blob in the
wind.


title: On the Limiting Shape of Markovian Random Young Tableaux

abstract:
  Let $(X_n)_{n \ge 0}$ be an irreducible, aperiodic, homogeneous Markov chain,
with state space an ordered finite alphabet of size $m$. Using combinatorial
constructions and weak invariance principles, we obtain the limiting shape of
the associated Young tableau as a multidimensional Brownian functional. Since
the length of the top row of the Young tableau is also the length of the
longest (weakly) increasing subsequence of $(X_k)_{1\le k \le n}$, the
corresponding limiting law follows. We relate our results to a conjecture of
Kuperberg by showing that, under a cyclic condition, a spectral
characterization of the Markov transition matrix delineates precisely when the
limiting shape is the spectrum of the traceless GUE. For $m=3$, all cyclic
Markov chains have such a limiting shape, a fact previously known for $m=2$.
However, this is no longer true for $m \ge 4$.


title: Polyhedral Methods in Numerical Algebraic Geometry

abstract:
  In numerical algebraic geometry witness sets are numerical representations of
positive dimensional solution sets of polynomial systems. Considering the
asymptotics of witness sets we propose certificates for algebraic curves. These
certificates are the leading terms of a Puiseux series expansion of the curve
starting at infinity. The vector of powers of the first term in the series is a
tropism. For proper algebraic curves, we relate the computation of tropisms to
the calculation of mixed volumes. With this relationship, the computation of
tropisms and Puiseux series expansions could be used as a preprocessing stage
prior to a more expensive witness set computation. Systems with few monomials
have fewer isolated solutions and fewer data are needed to represent their
positive dimensional solution sets.


title:
Prospects for Studies of Stellar Evolution and Stellar Death in the JWST
  Era

abstract:
  I review the prospects for studies of the advanced evolutionary stages of
low-, intermediate- and high-mass stars by the JWST and concurrent facilities,
with particular emphasis on how they may help elucidate the dominant
contributors to the interstellar dust component of galaxies. Observations
extending from the mid-infrared to the submillimeter can help quantify the
heavy element and dust species inputs to galaxies from AGB stars. JWST's MIRI
mid-infrared instrument will be so sensitive that observations of the dust
emission from individual intergalactic AGB stars and planetary nebulae in the
Virgo Cluster will be feasible. The Herschel Space Observatory will enable the
last largely unexplored spectral region, the far-IR to the submillimeter, to be
surveyed for new lines and dust features, while SOFIA will cover the wavelength
gap between JWST and Herschel, a spectral region containing important fine
structure lines, together with key water-ice and crystalline silicate bands.
Spitzer has significantly increased the number of Type II supernovae that have
been surveyed for early-epoch dust formation but reliable quantification of the
dust contributions from massive star supernovae of Type II, Type Ib and Type Ic
to low- and high-redshift galaxies should come from JWST MIRI observations,
which will be able to probe a volume over 1000 times larger than Spitzer.


title:
Tradeoff between Efficiency and Melting for a High-Performance
  Electromagnetic Rail Gun

abstract:
  We estimate the temperature distribution in the rails of an electromagnetic
rail gun (EMG) due to the confinement of the current in a narrow surface layer
resulting from the skin effect. In order to obtain analytic results, we assume
a simple geometry for the rails, an electromagnetic skin effect boundary edge
that propagates with the accelerating armature, and a current carrying channel
controlled by magnetic field diffusion into the rails. We compute the
temperature distribution in the rails at the time that the armature leaves the
rails. For the range of exit velocities, from 1500 m/s to 5000 m/s, we find the
highest temperatures are near the gun breech. After a single gun firing, the
temperature reaches the melting temperature of the metal rails in a layer of
finite thickness near the surface of the rails, for rails made of copper or
tantalum. We plot the thickness of the melt layer as a function of position
along the rails. In all cases, the thickness of the melt layer increases with
gun velocity, making damage to the gun rails more likely at higher velocity. We
also calculate the efficiency of the EMG as a function of gun velocity and find
that the efficiency increases with increasing velocity, but only if the length
of the gun is sufficiently long. The thickness of the melted layer also
decreases with increasing rail length. Therefore, there is a tradeoff: for
rails of sufficient length, the gun efficiency increases with increasing
velocity but the melted layer thickness in the rails also increases.


title: $p$-Dirac Operators

abstract:
  We introduce non-linear Dirac operators in $\mathbb{R}^{n}$ associated to the
$p$-harmonic equation and we extend to other contexts including spin manifolds
and the sphere.


title: High-resolution molecular line observations of active galaxies

abstract:
  The study of the content, distribution and kinematics of interstellar gas is
a key to understand the origin and maintenance of both starburst and nuclear
(AGN) activity in galaxies. The processes involved in AGN fueling encompass a
wide range of scales, both spatial and temporal, which have to be studied.
Probing the gas flow from the outer disk down to the central engine of an AGN
host, requires the use of specific tracers of the interstellar medium adapted
to follow the change of phase of the gas as a function of radius. Current
mm-interferometers can provide a sharp view of the distribution and kinematics
of molecular gas in the circumnuclear disks of galaxies through extensive CO
line mapping. As such, CO maps are an essential tool to study AGN feeding
mechanisms in the local universe. This is the scientific driver of the NUclei
of GAlaxies (NUGA) survey, whose latest results are here reviewed. On the other
hand, the use of specific molecular tracers of the dense gas phase can probe
the feedback influence of activity on the chemistry and energy
balance/redistribution in the interstellar medium of nearby galaxies.
Millimeter interferometers are able to unveil the strong chemical
differentiation present in the molecular gas disks of nearby starbursts and
AGNs. Nearby active galaxies can be used as local templates to address the
study of more distant galaxies where both star formation and AGN activity are
deeply embedded.


title: Mathematical modeling of antigenicity for HIV dynamics

abstract:
  This contribution is devoted to a new model of HIV multiplication motivated
by the patent of one of the authors. We take into account the antigenic
diversity through what we define "antigenicity", whether of the virus or of the
adapted lymphocytes. We model the interaction of the immune system and the
viral strains by two processes. On the one hand, the presence of a given viral
quasi-species generates antigenically adapted lymphocytes. On the other hand,
the lymphocytes kill only viruses for which they have been designed. We
consider also the mutation and multiplication of the virus. An original
infection term is derived. So as to compare our system of differential
equations with well-known models, we study some of them and compare their
predictions to ours in the reduced case of only one antigenicity. In this
particular case, our model does not yield any major qualitative difference. We
prove mathematically that, in this case, our model is biologically consistent
(positive fields) and has a unique continuous solution for long time evolution.
In conclusion, this model improves the ability to simulate more advanced phases
of the disease.


title: Confining potential from interacting magnetic and torsion fields

abstract:
  Adopting the gauge-invariant but path-dependent variables formalism, we study
the coupling of torsion fields with photons in the presence of an external
background electromagnetic. We explicitly show that, in the case of a constant
electric field strength expectation value, the static potential remains
Coulombic, while in the case of a constant magnetic field strength expectation
value a confining potential is obtained. This result displays a marked
qualitative departure from the usual coupling of axionlike particles with
photons in the presence of an external magnetic field.


title:
Some local-global non-vanishing results of theta lifts for
  symplectic-orthogonal dual pairs

abstract:
  Following the approach of B. Roberts, we characterize the non-vanishing of
global theta lifts for symplectic-orthogonal dual pairs in terms of its local
counterpart. In particular, we replace the temperedness assumption present in
Robert's work by a certain weaker assumption, and apply our results to small
rank similitude groups. Among our applications is a certain instance of
Langlands functorial transfer of a (non-generic) cuspidal automorphic
representation of $GSp(4)$ to GL(4).


title:
Estimating the Redshift Distribution of Photometric Galaxy Samples II.
  Applications and Tests of a New Method

abstract:
  In Lima et al. 2008 we presented a new method for estimating the redshift
distribution, N(z), of a photometric galaxy sample, using photometric
observables and weighted sampling from a spectroscopic subsample of the data.
In this paper, we extend this method and explore various applications of it,
using both simulations of and real data from the SDSS. In addition to
estimating the redshift distribution for an entire sample, the weighting method
enables accurate estimates of the redshift probability distribution, p(z), for
each galaxy in a photometric sample. Use of p(z) in cosmological analyses can
substantially reduce biases associated with traditional photometric redshifts,
in which a single redshift estimate is associated with each galaxy. The
weighting procedure also naturally indicates which galaxies in the photometric
sample are expected to have accurate redshift estimates, namely those that lie
in regions of photometric-observable space that are well sampled by the
spectroscopic subsample. In addition to providing a method that has some
advantages over standard photo-z estimates, the weights method can also be used
in conjunction with photo-z estimates, e.g., by providing improved estimation
of N(z) via deconvolution of N(photo-z) and improved estimates of photo-z
scatter and bias. We present a publicly available p(z) catalog for ~78 million
SDSS DR7 galaxies.


title: Quantum group connections

abstract:
  The Ahtekar-Isham C*-algebra known from Loop Quantum Gravity is the algebra
of continuous functions on the space of (generalized) connections with a
compact structure Lie group. The algebra can be constructed by some inductive
techniques from the C*-algebra of continuous functions on the group and a
family of graphs embedded in the manifold underlying the connections. We
generalize the latter construction replacing the commutative C*-algebra of
continuous functions on the group by a non-commutative C*-algebra defining a
compact quantum group.


title: Charmed Strange mesons from Lattice QCD with Overlap Fermions

abstract:
  The charmed-strange meson masses are calculated on a quenched lattice QCD.
The charm and strange quark propagators are calculated on the same lattice with
the overlap fermion. $16^3\times 72$ lattice with Wilson gauge action at
$\beta=0.6345$ are used. The charm and strange quark masses are determined by
fitting the $J/\psi$ and $\phi$ masses respectively. The charmed strange meson
spectrum for the scalar, axial, pseudoscalar and vector channels are
calculated. They agree with experiments. In particular, we find the scalar
meson mass to be 2248(78)MeV which is in agreement with that of D_{s0}^*(2317).


title:
From the Littlewood-Offord problem to the Circular Law: universality of
  the spectral distribution of random matrices

abstract:
  The famous \emph{circular law} asserts that if $M_n$ is an $n \times n$
matrix with iid complex entries of mean zero and unit variance, then the
empirical spectral distribution (ESD) of the normalized matrix
$\frac{1}{\sqrt{n}} M_n$ converges almost surely to the uniform distribution on
the unit disk $\{z \in \C: |z| \leq 1 \}$. After a long sequence of partial
results that verified this law under additional assumptions on the distribution
of the entries, the full circular law was recently established in
\cite{TVcir2}. In this survey we describe some of the key ingredients used in
the establishment of the circular law, in particular recent advances in
understanding the Littlewood-Offord problem and its inverse.


title: On Flare Driven Global Waves

abstract:
  We recently presented evidence of a strong correlation between the energy in
the high-frequency part of the acoustic spectrum of the Sun and the solar X-ray
flux Karoff & Kjeldsen (2008). The discovery indicates that flares drive global
oscillations in the Sun in the same way that the entire Earth is set ringing
for several weeks after a major earthquake, such as the 2004 December
Sumatra-Andaman one. If this indication turns out to be true we might be able
to use the relation between flares and the energy in the high-frequency part of
the acoustic spectrum to detect e.g. flares on the far side of the Sun and
flares on other solar-like stars. But, the discovery also opens many new
questions such as why is it only the high-frequency part of the acoustic
spectrum that is correlated with the X-ray flux? And, are there energy enough
in solar flares do drive global oscillations?


title:
Nuclear Structure of the even-even Argon isotopes with a focus on
  magnetic moments

abstract:
  We study the role of configuration mixing in the heavier even-even isotopes
of Argon. We begin by limiting the configurations of the even-even Ar isotopes
to $(d_{3/2}^2)_{\pi}$ $(f_{7/2}^n)_{\nu}$. There, due to the particular
location in this shell model space of $^{40}$Ar and $^{44}$Ar, we find that the
spectra, B(E2)'s and magnetic moments of these two nuclei are identical. Any
deviation from this equality is direct evidence of configuration mixing. In a
larger shell model space there are significant differences between these two
nuclei, with $^{44}$Ar being more collective. We also consider other even-even
isotopes of Argon and study how their nuclear structure effects evolve with N.
We compare in the full 0$\hbar \omega$ space $(sd)_{\pi}$ $(fp)_{\nu}$ the
results of calculations with the WBT interaction and with the newer SDPF,
denoted SDPF-U, interaction.


title:
The Effect of Quark Sector Minimal Flavor Violation on Neutrinoless
  Double Beta Decay

abstract:
  The question of whether neutrino masses are Dirac or Majorana is one of the
most important, and most difficult, questions remaining in the neutrino sector.
Searches for neutrinoless double beta-decay may help to resolve this question,
but are also sensitive to new, higher dimension Delta L=2 operators. In this
paper we place two phenomenological constraints on these operators at dimension
d<=11. First, we require that the operators obey the quark flavor symmetries of
the Standard Model, with any violation of the symmetries being due to Yukawa
interactions, a scheme known as Minimal Flavor Violation (MFV). Second, we
require that the operators which generate neutrinoless double beta-decay, and
any operators related by the flavor symmetries, do not induce neutrino masses
above 0.05 eV, the limit implied by the atmospheric neutrino data. We find that
these requirements severely constrain the operators which can violate lepton
number, such that most can no longer contribute to neutrinoless double
beta-decay at observable rates. It is noteworthy that quark flavor symmetries
can play such a strong role in constraining new leptonic physics, even when
that physics is not quark flavor changing. Those few operators that can mimic a
Majorana neutrino mass then appear with cutoffs below a TeV, and represent new
physics which could be directly probed at the LHC or a future linear collider.


title:
Magnetoelectric polarizability and axion electrodynamics in crystalline
  insulators

abstract:
  The orbital motion of electrons in a three-dimensional solid can generate a
pseudoscalar magnetoelectric coupling $\theta$, a fact we derive for the
single-particle case using a recent theory of polarization in weakly
inhomogeneous materials. This polarizability $\theta$ is the same parameter
that appears in the "axion electrodynamics" Lagrangian $\Delta{\cal L}_{EM} =
(\theta e^2 / 2 \pi h) {\bf E} \cdot {\bf B}$, which is known to describe the
unusual magnetoelectric properties of the three-dimensional topological
insulator ($\theta=\pi$). We compute $\theta$ for a simple model that accesses
the topological insulator and discuss its connection to the surface Hall
conductivity. The orbital magnetoelectric polarizability can be generalized to
the many-particle wavefunction and defines the 3D topological insulator, like
the IQHE, in terms of a topological ground-state response function.


title: The Sizes of Early-type Galaxies

abstract:
  In this letter we present a study of the size luminosity relation of 475
early-type galaxies in the Virgo Cluster with Sloan Digital Sky Survey imaging
data. The analysis of our homogeneous, model-independent data set reveals that
giant and dwarf early-type galaxies do not form one common sequence in this
relation. The dwarfs seem to show weak or no dependence on luminosity, and do
not fall on the extension of the rather steep relation of the giants. Under the
assumption that the light profile shape varies continuously with magnitude, a
curved relation of size and magnitude would be expected. While the galaxies do
roughly follow this trend overall, we find that the dwarf galaxies are
significantly larger and the low-luminosity giants are significantly smaller
than what is predicted. We come to the conclusion that in this scaling relation
there is not one common sequence from dwarfs to giants, but a dichotomy which
can not be resolved by varying profile shapes. The comparison of our data to a
semi-analytic model supports the idea of a physical origin of this dichotomy.


title:
Langevin approach for the dynamics of the contact process on annealed
  scale-free networks

abstract:
  We study the dynamics of the contact-process, one of the simplest
nonequilibrium stochastic processes, taking place on a scale-free network. We
consider the network topology as annealed, i.e. all links are rewired at each
microscopic time step, so that no dynamical correlation can build up. This is a
practical implementation of the absence of correlations assumed by mean-field
approaches. We present a detailed analysis of the contact process in terms of a
Langevin equation, including explicitly the effects of stochastic fluctuations
in the number of particles in finite networks. This allows us to determine
analytically the survival time for spreading experiments and the density of
active sites in surviving runs. The fluctuations in the topological structure
induce anomalous scaling effects with respect to the system size when the
degree distribution has an "hard" upper bound. When the upper bound is soft,
the presence of outliers with huge connectivity perturbs the picture even more,
inducing an apparent shift of the critical point. In light of these findings,
recent theoretical and numerical results in the literature are critically
reviewed.


title:
Testing Mass Loss in Large Magellanic Cloud Cepheids using Infrared and
  Optical Observations

abstract:
  It has been claimed that Period-Luminosity relations derived from infrared
observations of Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) Cepheids are less dependent on the
metallicity of the Cepheids. In this work, infrared observations of LMC
Cepheids from the SAGE survey are combined with OGLE II optical observation to
model and predict mass-loss rates. The mass-loss rates are fit to the data and
are predicted to range from about 10^{-12} to 10^{-7}M_\odot/yr; however, the
rates depend on the assumed value of the dust-to-gas ratio. By comparing the
relations derived from observations to the relations derived from predicted
infrared stellar luminosities from the mass-loss model, it is shown mass loss
affects the structure and scatter of the infrared Period-Luminosity relation.
Mass loss produces shallower slopes of the infrared relations and a lower zero
point. There is also evidence for non-linearity in the predicted
Period-Luminosity relations, and it is argued that mass loss produces larger
infrared excess at lower periods, which affects the slope and zero point,
making the PL relations more linear in the wavelength range of 3.6 to 5.8
micron. Because the dust-to-gas ratio is metallicity dependent and mass loss
may have a metallicity dependence, infrared Period-Luminosity relations have
additional uncertainty due to metallicity.


title:
Cosmic Analogues of the Stern-Gerlach Experiment and the Detection of
  Light Bosons

abstract:
  We show that, by studying the arrival times of radio pulses from
highly-magnetized pulsars, it may be possible to detect light spin-0 bosons
(such as axions and axion-like particles) with a much greater sensitivity, over
a broad particle mass range than is currently reachable by terrestrial
experiments and indirect astrophysical bounds. In particular, we study the
effect of splitting of photon-boson beams under intense magnetic field
gradients in magnetars and show that radio pulses (at meter wavelengths) may be
split and shift by a discernible phase down to a photon-boson coupling constant
of g ~ 1e-14 [1/GeV]; i.e., about four orders of magnitude lower than current
upper limits on g. The effect increases linearly with photon wavelength with
split pulses having equal fluxes and similar polarizations. These properties
make the identification of beam-splitting and beam deflection effects
straightforward with currently available data. Better understanding of radio
emission from magnetars is, however, required to confidently exclude regions in
the parameter space when such effects are not observed.


title: Vortex structure of a neutron star with CFL quark core

abstract:
  The Ginzburg-Landau equations for magnetic and gluomagnetic gauge fields of
the semi-superfluid strings in the color superconducting core of the neutron
star with diquark condensate in the color-flavor-locking (CFL) phase are
derived. The simultaneous coupling of the CFL diquark condensate to the
magnetic and gluomagnetic gauge fields is taken into account. The asymptotic
values of these string energies are defined from quantization conditions. It is
shown that a lattice of semi-superfluid strings with minimal quantum of
circulation emerges in the superconducting quark core during rotation of the
star. The magnetic field in the core of this string is of order of 10^18 G. The
cluster of proton vortices appeared in the hadronic phase around each
superfluid neutron vortex due to entrainment effect, creates in the
superconducting quark core new semi-superfluid strings with minimal quantum of
circulation.


title:
First Results from the Lick AGN Monitoring Project: The Mass of the
  Black Hole in Arp 151

abstract:
  We have recently completed a 64-night spectroscopic monitoring campaign at
the Lick Observatory 3-m Shane telescope with the aim of measuring the masses
of the black holes in 13 nearby (z < 0.05) Seyfert 1 galaxies with expected
masses in the range ~10^6-10^7 M_sun. We present here the first results from
this project -- the mass of the central black hole in Arp 151. Strong
variability throughout the campaign led to an exceptionally clean Hbeta lag
measurement in this object of 4.25(+0.68/-0.66) days in the observed frame.
Coupled with the width of the Hbeta emission line in the variable spectrum, we
determine a black hole mass of (7.1 +/- 1.2)x10^6 M_sun, assuming the Onken et
al. normalization for reverberation-based virial masses. We also find
velocity-resolved lag information within the Hbeta emission line which clearly
shows infalling gas in the Hbeta-emitting region. Further detailed analysis may
lead to a full model of the geometry and kinematics of broad line region gas
around the central black hole in Arp 151.


title: Quantum criticality and black holes

abstract:
  Many condensed matter experiments explore the finite temperature dynamics of
systems near quantum critical points. Often, there are no well-defined
quasiparticle excitations, and so quantum kinetic equations do not describe the
transport properties completely. The theory shows that the transport
co-efficients are not proportional to a mean free scattering time (as is the
case in the Boltzmann theory of quasiparticles), but are completely determined
by the absolute temperature and by equilibrium thermodynamic observables.
Recently, explicit solutions of this quantum critical dynamics have become
possible via the AdS/CFT duality discovered in string theory. This shows that
the quantum critical theory provides a holographic description of the quantum
theory of black holes in a negatively curved anti-de Sitter space, and relates
its transport co-efficients to properties of the Hawking radiation from the
black hole. We review how insights from this connection have led to new results
for experimental systems: (i) the vicinity of the superfluid-insulator
transition in the presence of an applied magnetic field, and its possible
application to measurements of the Nernst effect in the cuprates, (ii) the
magnetohydrodynamics of the plasma of Dirac electrons in graphene and the
prediction of a hydrodynamic cyclotron resonance.


title: Spectral Lags Explained as Scattering from Accelerated Scatterers

abstract:
  A quantitative theory of spectral lags for $\gamma$-ray bursts (GRBs) is
given. The underlying hypothesis is that GRB subpulses are photons that are
scattered into our line of sight by local concentrations of baryons that are
accelerated by radiation pressure. For primary spectra that are power laws with
exponential cutoffs, the width of the pulse and its fast rise, slow decay
asymmetry is found to increase with decreasing photon energy, and the width
near the exponential cutoff scales approximately as $E_{ph}^{-\eta}$, with
$\eta\sim 0.4$, as observed. The spectral lag time is naturally inversely
proportional to luminosity, all else being equal, also as observed.


title: Super-horizon cosmic string correlations

abstract:
  When gauged cosmic strings form in a symmetry-breaking phase transition, the
gauge field configuration at the time becomes imprinted in the spatial string
distribution by the flux trapping mechanism. It is shown that quantum and
thermal gauge field fluctuations give rise to long-range superhorizon
correlations in the string network. Numerical simulations in the Abelian Higgs
model confirm this finding. In contrast, the Kibble-Zurek mechanism, which most
cosmic string studies are based on, only gives rise to short-distance
subhorizon correlations. The potential observable effects of the correlations
are discussed.


title:
Compact groups in theory and practice - II. Comparing the observed and
  predicted nature of galaxies in compact groups

abstract:
  We examine the properties of galaxies in compact groups identified in a mock
galaxy catalogue based upon the Millennium Run simulation. The overall
properties of groups identified in projection are in general agreement with the
best available observational constraints. However, only ~30% of these simulated
groups are found to be truly compact in 3 dimensions, suggesting that
interlopers strongly affect our observed understanding of the properties of
galaxies in compact groups. These simulations predict that genuine compact
group galaxies are an extremely homogeneous population, confined nearly
exclusively to the red sequence: they are best described as `red and dead'
ellipticals. When interlopers are included, the population becomes much more
heterogeneous, due to bluer, star-forming, gas-rich, late-type galaxies
incorrectly identified as compact group members. These models suggest that
selection of members by redshift, such that the line-of-sight velocity
dispersion of the group is less than 1000 km/s, significantly reduces
contamination to the 30% level. Selection of members by galaxy colour, a
technique used frequently for galaxy clusters, is also predicted to
dramatically reduce contamination rates for compact group studies.


title:
Spectroscopic Constraints on (pseudo-)Scalar Particles from Compact
  Astrophysical Objects

abstract:
  We propose a new method to search for light (pseudo-)scalar particles in the
spectra of compact astrophysical objects such as magnetars, pulsars, and
quasars. On accounts of compact astrophysical objects having intense magnetic
fields extending over large volumes, they provide good conditions for efficient
photon-particle oscillations via the Primakoff process. In particular, we show
that if the coupling constant for light (<1e-2 eV) axions, g>1e-13 [1/GeV] then
it is likely that absorption-like features would be detectable in the spectrum
of compact astrophysical sources.


title:
Electrical control of spontaneous emission and strong coupling for a
  single quantum dot

abstract:
  We report the design, fabrication and optical investigation of electrically
tunable single quantum dot - photonic crystal defect nanocavities operating in
both the weak and strong coupling regimes of the light matter interaction.
Unlike previous studies where the dot-cavity spectral detuning was varied by
changing the lattice temperature, or by the adsorption of inert-gases at low
temperatures, we demonstrate that the quantum confined Stark effect can be
employed to quickly and reversibly switch the dot-cavity coupling simply by
varying a gate voltage. Our results show that exciton transitions from
individual dots can be tuned by ~4 meV relative to the nanocavity mode before
the emission quenches due to carrier tunneling escape. This range is much
larger than the typical linewidth of the high-Q cavity modes (~0.10 meV)
allowing us to explore and contrast regimes where the dots couple to the cavity
or decay by spontaneous emission into the 2D photonic bandgap. In the weak
coupling regime, we show that the dot spontaneous emission rate can be tuned
using a gate voltage, with Purcell factors >=7. New information is obtained on
the nature of the dot-cavity coupling in the weak coupling regime and
electrical control of zero dimensional polaritons is demonstrated for the
highest-Q cavities (Q>=12000). Vacuum Rabi splittings up to ~0.13 meV are
observed, much larger than the linewidths of either the decoupled exciton or
cavity mode. These observations represent a voltage switchable optical
non-linearity at the single photon level, paving the way towards on-chip dot
based nano-photonic devices that can be integrated with passive optical
components.


title:
Kerr-AdS black holes and non-relativistic conformal QM theories in
  diverse dimensions

abstract:
  We study the discrete light cone quantization of Kerr-AdS_{d+3} black holes
with a plane wave boundary. The resulting backgrounds are conjectured to be
dual of non-relativist conformal quantum mechanical theories in d spatial
dimensions at finite temperature and finite chemical potential. This includes
the discrete light cone quantization of Kerr-AdS_4 and Kerr-AdS_6 black holes.
These are conjectured to be dual of non-relativistic conformal quantum
mechanical theories in one and three spatial dimensions, respectively, which
are defined on plane wave backgrounds. We also consider the case of the BTZ
black hole. We calculate thermodynamic properties of these systems by using the
gravity dual models. We discuss the embedding of these backgrounds in string
theory and M-theory. We give general formulas for the discrete light cone
quantization of Kerr-AdS black holes in higher dimensions and their
thermodynamic properties.


title: Supersymmetric superheavy dark matter

abstract:
  We propose the lightest supersymmetric particle (LSP) as a well-suited
candidate for superheavy dark matter (SHDM). Various production mechanisms at
the end of inflation can produce SHDM with the correct abundance, $\Omega_{LSP}
h^2 \sim 0.1$, if its mass is sufficiently high. In particular, gravitational
production requires that the mass $m_{LSP}$ of the LSP is above $3\times
10^{11} GeV$. Weak interactions remain perturbative despite the large mass
hierarchy, $m_{LSP}\gg m_Z$, because of the special decoupling properties of
supersymmetry. As a result the model is predictive and we discuss the relevant
cosmological processes for the case of a superheavy neutralino within this
scheme.


title: A Universal Central Engine Hypothesis for Short and Long GRBs

abstract:
  It is noted that X-ray tails (XRTs) of short, hard $\gamma$-ray bursts (SHBs)
are similar to X-ray flashes (XRFs). We suggest a universal central engine
hypothesis, as a way of accounting for this curiosity, in which SHBs differ
from long $\gamma$-ray bursts (GRBs) in prompt emission because of the
differences in the host star and attendant differences in the environment they
present to the compact central engine (as opposed to differences in the central
engine itself). Observational constraints and implications are discussed,
especially for confirming putative detections of gravitational waves from
merging compact objects.


title: Spitzer Spectral Mapping of Supernova Remnant Cassiopeia A

abstract:
  We present the global distribution of fine structure infrared line emission
in the Cassiopeia A supernova remnant using data from the Spitzer Space
Telescope's Infrared Spectrograph. We identify emission from ejecta materials
in the interior, prior to their encounter with the reverse shock, as well as
from the post-shock bright ring. The global electron density increases by >~100
at the shock to ~10^4 cm^-3, providing evidence for strong radiative cooling.
There is also a dramatic change in ionization state at the shock, with the
fading of emission from low ionization interior species like [SiII], giving way
to [SIV] and, at even further distances, high-energy X-rays from hydrogenic
silicon. Two compact, crescent-shaped clumps with highly enhanced neon
abundance are arranged symmetrically around the central neutron star. These
neon crescents are very closely aligned with the "kick" direction of the
compact object from the remnant's expansion center, tracing a new axis of
explosion asymmetry. They indicate that much of the apparent macroscopic
elemental mixing may arise from different compositional layers of ejecta now
passing through the reverse shock along different directions.


title: Leptogenesis with an almost conserved lepton number

abstract:
  Seesaw models with a slightly broken lepton number symmetry can explain small
neutrino masses, and allow for low-scale leptogenesis. We make a thorough
analysis of leptogenesis within the simplest model with two right-handed (RH)
neutrinos (or with N_3 decoupled). We obtain a semi-analytical formula for the
final asymmetry in both supersymmetric and non-supersymmetric cases with a
simple dependence on each parameter. The low-energy parameters factorize from
the high-energy ones, and the high-energy phase must be non-zero. The role of
the PMNS phases is carefully studied. Moreover, we find that the breaking
parameter in the Yukawa coupling matrix must be relatively large, \epsilon_h >
10^{-3} for normal and 10^{-2} for inverted hierarchy. Therefore, leptogenesis
in our simple model is incompatible with RH neutrino signals at future
colliders or sizable lepton-flavor violation. The other breaking parameter,
\epsilon_M, which appears in the RH neutrino mass matrix, can be much smaller,
and actually needs to be so in order to have low-scale leptogenesis.


title: Nilpotent quantum mechanics, qubits, and flavors of entanglement

abstract:
  We address the question of description of qubit system in a formalism based
on the nilpotent commuting variables. In this formalism qubits exhibit
properties of composite objects being subject of the Pauli exclusion principle,
but otherwise behaving boson-like. They are not fundamental particles. In such
an approach the classical limit yields the nilpotent mechanics.
  Using the space of $\eta$-wavefunctions, generalized Schr\"{o}dinger equation
etc. we study properties of pure qubit systems and also properties of some
composed, hybrid models: fermion-qubit, boson-qubit. The fermion-qubit system
can be truly supersymmetric, with both SUSY partners having identical spectra.
It is new and very interesting that SUSY transformations relate here only
nilpotent object. The $\eta$-eigenfunctions for the qubit-qubit system give the
set of Bloch vectors as a natural basis.
  Then the $\eta$-formalism is applied to the description of the pure state
entanglement. Nilpotent commuting variables were firstly used in this context
in [A. Mandilara, et. al., Phys. Rev. A \textbf{74}, 022331 (2006)], we
generalize and extend approach presented there. Our main tool for study the
entanglement or separability of states are Wronskians of $\eta$-functions. The
known invariants and entanglement monotones for systems of $n=2,3,4$ qubits are
expressed in terms of the Wronskians. This approach gives criteria for
separability of states and insight into the flavor of entanglement of the
system and simplifies description.


title: The rise and fall of top-down models as main UHECR sources

abstract:
  The motivation and the current status of top-down models as sources of
ultrahigh energy cosmic rays (UHECR) are reviewed. Stimulated by the AGASA
excess, they were proposed as the main source of UHECRs beyond the GZK cutoff.
Meanwhile searches for their signatures have limited their contribution to the
UHECR flux to be subdominant, while the theoretical motivation for these
searches remained strong: Topological defects are a generic consequence of
Grand Unified Theories and superheavy particles are a creditable dark matter
candidate. While Fermi/GLAST results should help to improve soon bounds on
topological defects from the diffuse gamma-ray background, the most promising
detection method are UHE neutrino searches. Superheavy dark matter can be
restricted or detected by its characteristic galactic anisotropy combined with
searches for UHE photons.


title: Microscopic theory for the incommensurate transition in TiOCl

abstract:
  We propose a microscopic mechanism for the incommensurate phase in TiOX
compounds. The model includes the antiferromagnetic chains of Ti ions immersed
in the phonon bath of the bilayer structure. Making use of the Cross-Fisher
theory, we show that the geometrically frustrated character of the lattice is
responsible for the structural instability which leads the chains to an
incommensurate phase without an applied magnetic field. In the case of TiOCl,
we show that our model is consistent with the measured phonon frequencies at
$T=300K$ and the value of the incommensuration vector at the transition
temperature. Moreover, we find that the dynamical structure factor shows a
progressive softening of an incommensurate phonon near the zone boundary as the
temperature decreases. This softening is accompanied by a broadening of the
peak which gets asymmetrical as well when going towards the transition
temperature. These features are in agreement with the experimental inelastic
X-ray measurements.


title: Monochromatic boxes in colored grids

abstract:
  A $d$-dimensional grid is a set of the form $R = [a_1] \times ... \times
[a_d]$. A $d$-dimensional box is a set of the form $\{b_1,c_1\} \times ...
\times \{b_d,c_d\}$. When a grid is $c$-colored, must it admit a monochromatic
box? If so, we say that $R$ is $c$-guaranteed. This question is a relaxation of
one attack on bounding the van der Waerden numbers, and also arises as a
natural hypergraph Ramsey problem (viz. the Ramsey numbers of hyperoctahedra).
We give conditions on the $a_i$ for $R$ to be $c$-guaranteed that are
asymptotically tight, and analyze the set of minimally $c$-guaranteed grids.


title: Correlation functions in conformal Toda field theory II

abstract:
  This is the second part of the paper 0709.3806v2. Here we show that
three-point correlation function with one semi-degenerate field in Toda field
theory as well as four-point correlation function with one completely
degenerate and one semi-degenerate field can be represented by the finite
dimensional integrals.


title: $k^*$-Metrizable Spaces and their Applications

abstract:
  In this paper we introduce and study so-called $k^*$-metrizable spaces
forming a new class of generalized metric spaces, and display various
applications of such spaces in topological algebra, functional analysis, and
measure theory.
  By definition, a Hausdorff topological space $X$ is $k^*$-metrizable if $X$
is the image of a metrizable space $M$ under a continuous map $f:M\to X$ having
a section $s:X\to M$ that preserves precompact sets in the sense that the image
$s(K)$ of any compact set $K\subset X$ has compact closure in $X$.


title: Cosmological Inflation: Theory and Observations

abstract:
  In this article we review the theory of cosmological inflation with a
particular focus on the beautiful connection it provides between the physics of
the very small and observations of the very large. We explain how quantum
mechanical fluctuations during the inflationary era become macroscopic density
fluctuations which leave distinct imprints in the cosmic microwave background
(CMB). We describe the physics of anisotropies in the CMB temperature and
polarization and discuss how CMB observations can be used to probe the
primordial universe.


title: Iterated Regret Minimization: A More Realistic Solution Concept

abstract:
  For some well-known games, such as the Traveler's Dilemma or the Centipede
Game, traditional game-theoretic solution concepts--and most notably Nash
equilibrium--predict outcomes that are not consistent with empirical
observations. In this paper, we introduce a new solution concept, iterated
regret minimization, which exhibits the same qualitative behavior as that
observed in experiments in many games of interest, including Traveler's
Dilemma, the Centipede Game, Nash bargaining, and Bertrand competition. As the
name suggests, iterated regret minimization involves the iterated deletion of
strategies that do not minimize regret.


title:
(Metrically) quarter-stratifiable spaces and their applications in the
  theory of separately continuous functions

abstract:
  We introduce and study (metrically) quarter-stratifiable spaces and then
apply them to generalize Rudin and Kuratowski-Montgomery theorems about the
Baire and Borel complexity of separately continuous functions.


title: Kinematic modeling of disk galaxies III. The warped "Spindle" NGC 2685

abstract:
  This is the third of a series of papers in which the structure and kinematics
of disk galaxies is studied. Employing direct tilted-ring fits to the data cube
as introduced in Paper I, we perform an analysis of the "Spindle" galaxy NGC
2685, previously regarded as two-ringed polar ring galaxy.
  Deep HI and optical (i'-band) observations are presented. The HI observations
strongly suggest that the gaseous structure of NGC 2685 does not consist of two
separate mutually inclined regions, but forms a coherent, extremely warped
disk, the appearance of two rings being due to projection effects. By comparing
the HI total-intensity maps with the optical image we demonstrate that at large
radii a faint stellar disk is well aligned with the outer HI disk. The shape of
the dust-lanes obscuring the NE part of the inner stellar body indicates that
also at smaller radii NGC 2685 possesses a disk containing gas, dust, and stars
in which the various constituents are aligned. At smaller radii, this disk is
kinematically decoupled from the central stellar body. Hence, in the region of
the bright, central stellar body, NGC 2685 appears to consist of two disks that
share a common centre, but have different orientation: a bright stellar
lenticular body apparently devoid of dust and gas, and a heavily warped
low-surface brightness disk containing stars, gas and dust. The
low-surface-brightness disk changes its orientation gradually and at large
radii assumes the orientation of the central stellar S0 disk. Since, according
to our analysis, the intrinsic orientation of the low-surface-brightness disk
changes through 70 degrees, the gaseous disk is coherent, and is at no radius
orientated perpendicularly with respect to the central stellar body, NGC 2685
is likely not a classical polar-ring galaxy.


title: Free topological inverse semigroups as infinite-dimensional manifolds

abstract:
  Let $K$ be a complete quasivariety of topological inverse Clifford
semigroups, containing all topological semilattices. It is shown that the free
topological inverse semigroup $F(X,K)$ of $X$ in the class $K$ is an
$R^\infty$-manifold if and only if $X$ has no isolated points and $F(X,K)$ is a
retract of an $R^\infty$-manifold. We derive from this that for any retract $X$
of an $R^\infty$-manifold the free topological inverse semigroup $F(X,K)$ is an
$R^\infty$-manifold if and only if the space $X$ has no isolated points. Also
we show that for any homotopically equivalent retracts $X,Y$ of
$R^\infty$-manifolds with no isolated points the free topological inverse
semigroups $F(X,K)$ and $F(Y,K)$ are homeomorphic. This allows us to construct
non-homeomorphic spaces whose free topological inverse semigroups are
homeomorphic.


title: Behavior of lacunary series at the natural boundary

abstract:
  We develop a local theory of lacunary Dirichlet series of the form
  $\sum\limits_{k=1}^{\infty}c_k\exp(-zg(k)), \Re(z)>0$ as $z$ approaches the
boundary $i\RR$, under the assumption $g'\to\infty$ and further assumptions on
$c_k$. These series occur in many applications in Fourier analysis, infinite
order differential operators, number theory and holomorphic dynamics among
others. For relatively general series with $c_k=1$, the case we primarily focus
on, we obtain blow up rates in measure along the imaginary line and asymptotic
information at $z=0$. When sufficient analyticity information on $g$ exists, we
obtain Borel summable expansions at points on the boundary, giving exact local
description. Borel summability of the expansions provides property-preserving
extensions beyond the barrier. The singular behavior has remarkable
universality and self-similarity features. If $g(k)=k^b$, $c_k=1$, $b=n$ or
$b=(n+1)/n$, $n\in\NN$, behavior near the boundary is roughly of the standard
form $\Re(z)^{-b'}Q(x)$ where $Q(x)=1/q$ if $x=p/q\in\QQ$ and zero otherwise.
The B\"otcher map at infinity of polynomial iterations of the form
$x_{n+1}=\lambda P(x_n)$, $|\lambda|<\lambda_0(P)$, turns out to have uniformly
convergent Fourier expansions in terms of simple lacunary series. For the
quadratic map $P(x) =x-x^2$, $\lambda_0=1$, and the Julia set is the graph of
this Fourier expansion in the main cardioid of the Mandelbrot set.


title:
Oscillator topologies on a paratopological group and related number
  invariants

abstract:
  We introduce and study oscillator topologies on paratopological groups and
define certain related number invariants. As an application we prove that a
Hausdorff paratopological group $G$ admits a weaker Hausdorff group topology
provided $G$ is 3-oscillating. A paratopological group $G$ is 3-oscillating
(resp. 2-oscillating) provided for any neighborhood $U$ of the unity $e$ of $G$
there is a neighborhood $V\subset G$ of $e$ such that $V^{-1}VV^{-1}\subset
UU^{-1}U$ (resp. $V^{-1}V\subset UU^{-1}$). The class of 2-oscillating
paratopological groups includes all collapsing, all nilpotent paratopological
groups, all paratopological groups satisfying a positive law, all
paratopological SIN-group and all saturated paratopological groups (the latter
means that for any nonempty open set $U\subset G$ the set $U^{-1}$ has nonempty
interior). We prove that each totally bounded paratopological group $G$ is
countably cellular; moreover, every cardinal of uncountable cofinality is a
precaliber of $G$. Also we give an example of a saturated paratopological group
which is not isomorphic to its mirror paratopological group as well as an
example of a 2-oscillating paratopological group whose mirror paratopological
group is not 2-oscillating.


title: Parameter Evaluation of a Simple Mean-Field Model of Social Interaction

abstract:
  The aim of this work is to implement a statistical mechanics theory of social
interaction, generalizing econometric discrete choice models. A class of simple
mean field discrete models is introduced and discussed both from the
theoretical and phenomenological point of view. We propose a parameter
evaluation procedure and test it by fitting our model against three families of
data coming from different cases: the estimated interaction parameters are
found to have similar positive values establishing a quantitative confirmation
of the peer imitation behavior found in social psychology. Moreover all the
values of the interaction parameters belong to the phase transition regime
suggesting its possible role in the study of social systems.

categories: physics.soc-ph cond-mat.dis-nn math-ph math.MP


title:
Each second countable abelian group is a subgroup of a second countable
  divisible group

abstract:
  It is shown that each pseudonorm defined on a subgroup $H$ of an abelian
group $G$ can be extended to a pseudonorm on $G$ such that the densities of the
obtained pseudometrizable topological groups coincide. We derive from this that
any Hausdorff $\omega$-bounded group topology on $H$ can be extended to a
Hausdorff $\omega$-bounded group topology on $G$. In its turn this result
implies that each separable metrizable abelian group $H$ is a subgroup of a
separable metrizable divisible group $G$. This result essentially relies on the
Axiom of Choice and is not true under the Axiom of Determinacy (which
contradicts to the Axiom of Choice but implies the Countable Axiom of Choice).


title: From large N quantum mechanics to planar field theory

abstract:
  We review a performance of Fock space methods in calculating spectra of a
range of supersymmetric models with gauge symmetry. Examples include: a) SU(2)
Supersymmetric Yang Mills Quantum Mechanics in four euclidean dimensions, b)
Quantum Mechanics of one fermion and one boson with infinite number of colours,
and c) planar 1+1 dimensional Yang Mills theories with adjoint matter. Infrared
divergencies of the latter theories with scalars are briefly discussed and a
possible dynamical solution of the problem is suggested.


title: Putnam Physics Competition: a suggestion

abstract:
  I bring to the attention of the physics community the non-existence of a
Putnam Physics Competition in North America despite the fact that the Putnam
Mathematical Competition has been well known and highly successful for 70
years.


title: The $cl-core$ of an ideal

abstract:
  We expand the notion of core to $cl$-core for Nakayama closures $cl$. In the
characteristic $p>0$ setting, when $cl$ is the tight closure, denoted by *, we
give some examples of ideals when the core and the *-core differ. We note that
*-core$(I)=$ core$(I)$, if $I$ is an ideal in a one-dimensional domain with
infinite residue field or if $I$ is an ideal generated by a system of
parameters in any Noetherian ring. More generally, we show the same result in a
Cohen--Macaulay normal local domain with infinite perfect residue field, if the
analytic spread, $\ell$, is equal to the *-spread and $I$ is $G_{\ell}$ and
weakly-$(\ell-1)$-residually $S_2$. This last is dependent on our result that
generalizes the notion of general minimal reductions to general minimal
*-reductions. We also determine that the *-core of a tightly closed ideal in
certain one-dimensional semigroup rings is tightly closed and therefore
integrally closed.


title: Core Level and Valence Band Study of LaO$_{0.9}$F$_{0.1}$FeAs

abstract:
  Using angle-integrated photoemission spectroscopy we have probed the novel
LaO$_{0.9}$F$_{0.1}$FeAs superconductor over a wide range of photon energies
and temperatures. We have provided the first full characterization of the
orbital character of the VB DOS and of the magnitude of the d-p hybridization
energy. Finally, we have identified two characteristic temperatures: 90K where
a pseudogap-like feature appears to close and 120K where a sudden change in the
DOS near E$_F$ occurs. We associate these phenomena with the SDW magnetic
ordering and the structural transition seen in the parent compound,
respectively. These results suggest the important role of electron correlation,
spin physics and structural distortion in the physics of Fe-based
superconductors.


title: Rapid Sequencing of Individual DNA Molecules in Graphene Nanogaps

abstract:
  I propose a technique for reading the base sequence of a single DNA molecule
using a graphene nanogap.


title: Faddeev-Merkuriev integral equations for atomic three-body resonances

abstract:
  Three-body resonances in atomic systems are calculated as complex-energy
solutions of Faddeev-type integral equations. The homogeneous Faddeev-Merkuriev
integral equations are solved by approximating the potential terms in a
Coulomb-Sturmian basis. The Coulomb-Sturmian matrix elements of the three-body
Coulomb Green's operator has been calculated as a contour integral of two-body
Coulomb Green's matrices. This approximation casts the integral equation into a
matrix equation and the complex energies are located as the complex zeros of
the Fredholm determinant. We calculated resonances of the e-Ps system at higher
energies and for total angular momentum L=1 with natural and unnatural parity


title:
Atoms in the Surf: Molecular Dynamics Simulation of the Kelvin-Helmholtz
  Instability using 9 Billion Atoms

abstract:
  We present a fluid dynamics video showing the results of a 9-billion atom
molecular dynamics simulation of complex fluid flow in molten copper and
aluminum. Starting with an atomically flat interface, a shear is imposed along
the copper-aluminum interface and random atomic fluctuations seed the formation
of vortices. These vortices grow due to the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability. The
resulting vortical structures are beautifully intricate, decorated with
secondary instabilities and complex mixing phenomena. This work performed under
the auspices of the U.S. Department of Energy by Lawrence Livermore National
Laboratory under Contract DE-AC52-07NA27344.


title: Un metodo adaptativo para el modelo Bidominio en electrocardiologia

abstract:
  This paper presents a finite-volume method, together with fully adaptive
multi-resolution scheme to obtain spatial adaptation, and a
Runge-Kutta-Fehlberg scheme with a local time-varying step to obtain temporal
adaptation, to solve numerically the known "bidominio" equations that model the
electrical activity of the tissue in the myocardium. Two simple models are
considered for membrane flows and ionic currents. First we define an
approximate solution and we verify its convergence to the corresponding weak
solution of the continuum problem, obtaining in this way an alternative
demonstration that the continuum problem is well-posed. Next we introduce the
multiresolution technique and derive an optimal noise reduction threshold. The
efficiency and precision of our method is seen in the reduction of machine
time, memory usage, and errors in comparison to other methods.
  -----
  En este trabajo se presenta un metodo de volumenes finitos enriquecido con un
esquema de multiresolucion completamente adaptativo para obtener adaptatividad
espacial, y un esquema Runge-Kutta-Fehlberg con paso temporal de variacion
local para obtener adaptatividad temporal, para resolver numericamente las
conocidas ecuaciones "bidominio" que modelan la actividad electrica del tejido
en el miocardio. Se consideran dos modelos simples para las corrientes de
membrana y corrientes ionicas. En primer lugar definimos una solucion
aproximada y nos referimos a su convergencia a la correspondiente solucion
debil del problema continuo, obteniendo de este modo una demostracion
alternativa de que el problema continuo es bien puesto. Luego de introducir la
tecnica de multiresolucion, se deriva un umbral optimo para descartar la
informacion no significativa, y tanto la eficiencia como la precision de
nuestro metodo es vista en terminos de la aceleracion de tiempo de maquina,
compresion de memoria computacional y errores en diferentes normas.


title: Photoproduction at RHIC and the LHC

abstract:
  The strong electromagnetic fields carried by relativistic highly charged ions
make heavy-ion colliders attractive places to study photonuclear interactions
and two-photon interactions.
  At RHIC, three experiments have studied coherent photoproduction of $\rho^0$,
4$\pi$, $J/\psi$, $e^+e^-$ pairs, and $e^+e^-$ pairs where the electron is
bound to one of the incident nuclei. These results show that photoproduction
studies are possible, and demonstrate some of the unique possibilities due to
the symmetric final states and the ion targets. The LHC will reach
photon-nucleon energies many times higher than at HERA; these collisions can be
used to measure the gluon distributions in nuclei at very low Bjorken$-x$,
where shadowing and gluon saturation may become important; LHC $\gamma\gamma$
collisions may also be attractive places to search for some types of new
physics. ATLAS, CMS and ALICE are all planning to study photoproduction. After
introducing the principles of photoproduction at hadron colliders, I will
review recent results from RHIC on meson and $e^+e^-$ production, and then
discuss prospects for studies at the LHC.


title: Dilepton spectra in p+p and Au+Au collisions at RHIC

abstract:
  This work presents measurements of electron-positron pairs from p+p
collisions at sqrt(s) = 200 GeV collected during the 2005 RHIC run and compares
them to results from Au+Au collisions at sqrt(s_NN) = 200 GeV taken in 2004
with the PHENIX detector. The invariant mass distribution of e+e- pairs in p+p
is consistent with the expected contributions from Dalitz decays of light
hadrons, dielectron decays of vector mesons and correlated charm production,
which have been measured in the same experiment. The charm and bottom cross
section extracted from the measured dielectron yield are sigma_cc = 544 +/-
39(stat.) +/- 142(syst.) +/- 200(model) microbarns and sigma_bb = 3.9 +/-
2.4(stat.) +3/-2(syst.) microbarns, respectively.
  In min. bias Au+Au collisions the yield of dielectrons in the low mass region
is enhanced by a factor of 4.0 +/- 0.3(stat.) +/- 1.5(syst.) +/- 0.8(model)
compared to the known hadronic sources. The excess dominates the yield in the
transverse momentum region below 1 GeV/c and shows significantly lower average
p_T than the expected sources. The low p_T enhancement is currently not
understood by any theoretical model of heavy ion collisions. The enhancement
extends to larger transverse momenta where it is also observed in p+p and
explained by virtual direct photons. The p+p measurement serves as an important
test to pQCD calculations of direct photon production from hard scattering
processes in this momentum range. An excess with an inverse slope of T_eff =
221 +/- 23(stat.) +/- 18(syst.) MeV is observed in central Au+Au collisions
above the binary scaled direct photon yield in p+p. This can be qualitatively
explained by hydrodynamical models including thermal photon radiation with
initial temperatures of 300 - 600 MeV and formation times of 0.12 - 0.6 fm/c.


title: Chern-Simons foam

abstract:
  Chern-Simons theory can be defined on a cell complex, such as a network of
bubbles, which is not a (Hausdorff) manifold. Requiring gauge invariance
determines the action, including interaction terms at the intersections, and
imposes a relation between the coupling constants of the CS terms on adjacent
cell walls. We also find simple conservation laws for charges at the
intersections.


title: Single-domain protein folding: a multi-faceted problem

abstract:
  We review theoretical approaches, experiments and numerical simulations that
have been recently proposed to investigate the folding problem in single-domain
proteins. From a theoretical point of view, we emphasize the energy landscape
approach. As far as experiments are concerned, we focus on the recent
development of single-molecule techniques. In particular, we compare the
results obtained with two main techniques: single protein force measurements
with optical tweezers and single-molecule fluorescence in studies on the same
protein (RNase H). This allows us to point out some controversial issues such
as the nature of the denatured and intermediate states and possible folding
pathways. After reviewing the various numerical simulation techniques, we show
that on-lattice protein-like models can help to understand many controversial
issues.


title: Valence-bond theory of highly disordered quantum antiferromagnets

abstract:
  We present a large-N variational approach to describe the magnetism of
insulating doped semiconductors based on a disorder-generalization of the
resonating-valence-bond theory for quantum antiferromagnets. This method
captures all the qualitative and even quantitative predictions of the
strong-disorder renormalization group approach over the entire experimentally
relevant temperature range. Finally, by mapping the problem on a hard-sphere
fluid, we could provide an essentially exact analytic solution without any
adjustable parameters.


title: Star Formation in the Multiverse

abstract:
  We develop a simple semi-analytic model of the star formation rate (SFR) as a
function of time. We estimate the SFR for a wide range of values of the
cosmological constant, spatial curvature, and primordial density contrast. Our
model can predict such parameters in the multiverse, if the underlying theory
landscape and the cosmological measure are known.


title: Light Hadron Spectroscopy and Charmonium

abstract:
  During the last few years there has been a renaissance in charm and
charmonium spectroscopy with higher precision measurements at the $\psi^{'}$
and $\psi(3770)$ coming from BESII and CLEOc and many new discoveries coming
from B-factories. In this paper, I review some new results on "classical"
charmonium and $e^+ e^- \to$ hadrons using B-factory Initial State Radiation
and two photon events.


title:
Constraints on the charged Higgs boson of the two Higgs doublet model
  type III

abstract:
  The D0 experiment has reported a direct search for a charged Higgs boson
produced by $q \bar q$ annihilation and decaying to $t \bar b$ final state, in
the $180 \leq M_{H^+} \leq 300$ GeV mass range. The analysis has lead to upper
limits on the production cross section in the framework of the two Higgs
doublet model types I, II and III. We compare the predictions of two different
scenarios in the framework of the two Higgs doublet type III to the cross
section limits reported by D0 collaboration, and we obtain constraints on the
charged Higgs mass, for the case when the charged Higgs mass is bigger than the
top quark mass. Also, searches for the charged Higgs boson with a mass smaller
than top quark mass are considered, we discuss the possible limits on the
charged Higgs boson mass obtained from measurements of the ratio
$R_\sigma=\sigma_{t \bar t}^{l+jets}/\sigma_{t \bar t}^{dileptons}$ within the
two Higgs doublet model type III.


title:
Band Structure and Fermi Surface of an Extremely Overdoped Iron-Based
  Superconductor KFe2As2

abstract:
  We have performed high-resolution angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy
on heavily overdoped KFe_2As_2 (transition temperature (Tc = 3 K). We observed
several renormalized bands near the Fermi level with a renormalization factor
of 2-4. While the Fermi surface (FS) around the Brillouin-zone center is
qualitatively similar to that of optimally-doped Ba_{1-x}K_xFe_2As_2 (x = 0.4;
Tc = 37 K), the FS topology around the zone corner (M point) is markedly
different: the two electron FS pockets are completely absent due to excess of
hole doping. This result indicates that the electronic states around the M
point play an important role in the high-Tc superconductivity of
Ba$_{1-x}$K$_x$Fe$_2$As$_2$ and suggests that the interband scattering via the
antiferromagnetic wave vector essentially controls the Tc value in the
overdoped region.


title: A Model for Conductive Percolation in Ordered Nanowire Arrays

abstract:
  The combined processes of anodization and electrodeposition lead to highly
ordered arrays of cylindrical nanowires. This template-based self-assembly
fabrication method yields nanowires embedded in alumina. Commonly, chemical
etching is used to remove the alumina and free the nanowires. However, it has
been experimentally observed during the etching process that the nanowires tend
to form clumps. In this work, the nanowires are modeled as elastic rods subject
to surface interaction forces. The dynamics of the model give rise to the
aforementioned clumping behavior which is studied via percolation theory. This
work finds that percolation takes place with probability $P \sim (t-t_c)^x$,
where the exponent $x = 2.8$ and $t_c$ is the time at which percolation takes
place. The critical exponents which entirely determine the system are found to
be for (dimension) $d = 2$, $\beta = 2.1, \gamma = 0.57, \Delta = 2.7, \alpha =
-2.8, \nu = 2.4,$ and $\delta = 1.3$.


title:
Tunable photonic Bloch oscillations in electrically modulated photonic
  crystals

abstract:
  We exploit theoretically the occurrence and tunability of photonic Bloch
oscillations (PBOs) in one-dimensional photonic crystals (PCs) containing
nonlinear composites. Because of the enhanced third-order nonlinearity (Kerr
type nonlinearity) of composites, photons undergo oscillations inside tilted
photonic bands, which are achieved by the application of graded external pump
electric fields on such PCs, varying along the direction perpendicular to the
surface of layers. The tunability of PBOs (including amplitude and period) is
readily achieved by changing the field gradient. With an appropriate graded
pump AC or DC electric field, terahertz PBOs can appear and cover a terahertz
band in electromagnetic spectrum.


title:
Entanglement evolution of two remote and non-identical Jaynes-Cummings
  atoms

abstract:
  A detailed treatment of the entanglement dynamics of two distant but
non-identical systems is presented. We study the entanglement evolution of two
remote atoms interacting independently with a cavity field, as in the double
Jaynes-Cummings (JC) model. The four-qubit pairwise concurrences are studied,
allowing for asymmetric atom-cavity couplings and off-resonant ineractions.
Counter to intuition, imperfect matching can prove advantageous to entanglement
creation and evolution. For two types of initial entanglement, corresponding to
spin correlated and anti-correlated Bell states \Phi and \Psi, a full, periodic
and directed transfer of entanglement into a specific qubit pair is possible,
for resonant interactions, depending on the choice of relative couplings.
Furthermore, entanglement transfer and sudden death (ESD) can be prevented
using off-resonant interactions, although for some initial states, detunings
will trigger an otherwise frozen entanglement, to allow a full entanglement
transfer. We confirm a conservation rule governing the pairwise entanglement
between the non-interacting systems, that for the initial state \Psi the sum of
the square of these concurrences (SSC) is conserved. For \Phi, the total SSC is
reduced periodically, even to zero in some cases, to reveal a complete and
abrupt loss of all non-local pairwise entanglement.


title:
Comments on "Thermally induced rotons in two-dimensional dilute Bose
  gases" [arXiv:cond-mat/0503523]

abstract:
  A mistake of the effective interaction between D-dimensional Bose atoms
[arXiv:cond-mat/0503523] that was published by Physical Review B in 2006 is
corrected.


title: The theory and phenomenology of jets in nuclear collisions

abstract:
  We review selected results from a recent in-depth study of jet shapes and jet
cross sections in ultra-relativistic reactions with heavy nuclei at the LHC
arXiv:0810.2807 [hep-ph]. We demonstrate that at the highest collider energies
these observables become feasible as a new, differential and accurate test of
the underlying QCD theory. Our approach allows for detailed simulations of the
experimental acceptance/cuts that help isolate jets emerging from a dense QGP.
We show for the first time that the pattern of stimulated gluon emission can be
correlated with a variable quenching of the jet rates and provide an
approximately model-independent approach to determining the characteristics of
the medium-induced bremsstrahlung spectrum. The connection between such cross
section attenuation and the in-medium jet shapes is elucidated.


title:
Efficient diagrammatic computation method for higher order correlation
  functions of local type primordial curvature perturbations

abstract:
  We present a new efficient method for computing the non-linearity parameters
of the higher order correlation functions of local type curvature perturbations
in inflation models having a $\cal N$-component scalar field, focusing on the
non-Gaussianity generated during the evolution on super-horizon scales. In
contrast to the naive expectation that the number of operations necessary to
compute the $n$-point functions is proportional to ${\cal N}^n$, it grows only
linearly in ${\cal N}$ in our formalism. Hence, our formalism is particularly
powerful for the inflation models composed of a multi-component scalar field.
Explicit formulas obtained by applying our method are provided for $n=2,3,4$
and 5, which correspond to power-, bi-, tri- and {\it quad}-spectra,
respectively. We also discuss how many parameters we need to parameterize the
amplitude and the shape of the higher order correlation functions of local
type.


title: Centralizers in Domains of Finite Gelfand-Kirillov Dimension

abstract:
  We study centralizers of elements in domains. We generalize a result of the
author and Small, showing that if $A$ is a finitely generated noetherian domain
and $a\in A$ is not algebraic over the extended centre of $A$, then the
centralizer of $a$ has Gelfand-Kirillov dimension at most one less than the
Gelfand-Kirillov dimension of $A$. In the case that $A$ is a finitely generated
noetherian domain of GK dimension 3 over the complex numbers, we show that the
centralizer of an element a $A$ that is not algebraic over the extended centre
of $A$ satisfies a polynomial identity.


title:
Regularity of solutions for the critical $N$-dimensional Burgers'
  equation

abstract:
  We consider the fractional Burgers' equation on $\R^N$ with the critical
dissipation term. We follow the parabolic De-Giorgi's method of Caffarelli and
Vasseur \cite{Driftdiffusion} and show existence of smooth solutions given any
initial datum in $L^2(\R^N)$.


title: Element enhancements along the entire AGB phase

abstract:
  The results of a study of the AGB phase of stellar evolution are presented.
Abundances have been determined for Fe, C, O, the light s-process elements, Y
and Zr, the heavy s-process elements, La and Nd, and the r-process element, Eu.
The expected relationship between enhanced C, increasing C/O ratio and enhanced
s-process elements has been quantified. Results are presented to provide
observational data with which to compare theoretical predictions. The results
in this paper confirm previously suggested relationships between C, C/O and
s-process element enhancements. It is seen that AGB stars show C/O ratios from
C/O around 0.4 to 1.0, while C enhancements lie between [C/Fe]=0.1 to 0.9 dex.
Enhancements of s-process elements are as much as [s/Fe] around 1.0 dex for the
stars in which C is also greatly enhanced.


title:
Transfer Characteristics in Graphene Field-Effect Transistors with Co
  Contacts

abstract:
  Graphene field-effect transistors with Co contacts as source and drain
electrodes show anomalous distorted transfer characteristics. The anomaly
appears only in short-channel devices (shorter than approximately 3
micrometers) and originates from a contact-induced effect. Band alteration of a
graphene channel by the contacts is discussed as a possible mechanism for the
anomalous characteristics observed.


title:
Watermarking Digital Images Based on a Content Based Image Retrieval
  Technique

abstract:
  The current work is focusing on the implementation of a robust watermarking
algorithm for digital images, which is based on an innovative spread spectrum
analysis algorithm for watermark embedding and on a content-based image
retrieval technique for watermark detection. The highly robust watermark
algorithms are applying "detectable watermarks" for which a detection mechanism
checks if the watermark exists or no (a Boolean decision) based on a
watermarking key. The problem is that the detection of a watermark in a digital
image library containing thousands of images means that the watermark detection
algorithm is necessary to apply all the keys to the digital images. This
application is non-efficient for very large image databases. On the other hand
"readable" watermarks may prove weaker but easier to detect as only the
detection mechanism is required. The proposed watermarking algorithm combine's
the advantages of both "detectable" and "readable" watermarks. The result is a
fast and robust watermarking algorithm.


title:
Tranverse magnetic field distribution in the vortex state of
  noncentrosymmetric superconductor with O symmetry

abstract:
  We investigate the magnetic field distribution inside a Type II
superconductor which has point group symmetry $O$ such as Li$_2$Pt$_3$B. The
absence of inversion symmetry as a departure from perfect cubic group $O_h$
causes a magnetization collinear with the phase gradient associated with the
order parameter, and a component of current collinear with the local magnetic
field. In the vortex state, we predict, by solving the Maxwell equation, a
local magnetic field transverse to the vortex lines. The probability
distribution of this transverse field is also obtained for the prospective
muon-spin-rotation measurements.


title: Cosmological particle creation: Fluctuations and an ensemble picture

abstract:
  We point out that in the context of quantum fields in time dependent
classical backgrounds, the number of created particles with a given momentum
largely deviates about its mean value. Since the corresponding Fourier modes
are nonlocal, this deviation shows that the expectation value of the number
operator can only make sense in an ensemble of spacetimes. Using a complete
orthonormal family of localized wave packets, we show how an ensemble
interpretation can be given to cosmological particle creation in local terms.
The reheating process following inflation is reexamined in the light of this
construction.


title:
Quantum Nucleation and Macroscopic Quantum Tunneling in Cold-Atom
  Boson-Fermion Mixtures

abstract:
  Kinetics of phase separation transition in boson-fermion cold atom mixtures
is investigated. We identify the parameters at which the transition is governed
by quantum nucleation mechanism, responsible for the formation of critical
nuclei of a stable phase. We demonstrate that for low fermion-boson mass ratio
the density dependence of quantum nucleation transition rate is experimentally
observable. The crossover to macroscopic quantum tunneling regime is analyzed.
Based on a microscopic description of interacting cold atom boson-fermion
mixtures we derive an effective action for the critical droplet and obtain an
asymptotic expression for the nucleation rate in the vicinity of the phase
transition and near the spinodal instability of the mixed phase. We show that
dissipation due to excitations in fermion subsystem play a dominant role close
to the transition point.


title: Non-local PT-symmetric potentials in the one-dimensional Dirac equation

abstract:
  The Dirac equation in (1+1) dimensions with a non-local PT-symmetric
potential of separable type is studied by means of the Green function method:
properties of bound and scattering states are derived in full detail and
numerical results are shown for a potential kernel of Yamaguchi type, inspired
by the treatment of low-energy nucleon-nucleon interaction.


title: On the homotopy type of a cofibred category

abstract:
  In this paper we describe two ways on which cofibred categories give rise to
bisimplicial sets. The "fibred nerve" is a natural extension of Segal's
classical nerve of a category, and it constitutes an alternative simplicial
description of the homotopy type of the total category. If the fibration is
splitting, then one can construct the "cleaved nerve", a smaller variant which
emerges from a distinguished closed cleavage. We interpret some classical
theorems by Thomason and Quillen in terms of our constructions, and use the
fibred and cleaved nerve to establish new results on homotopy and homology of
small categories.


title: Thermodynamics of a non-commutative fermion gas

abstract:
  Building on the recent solution for the spectrum of the non-commutative well
in two dimensions, the thermodynamics that follows from it is computed. In
particular the focus is put on an ideal fermion gas confined to such a well. At
low densities the thermodynamics is the same as for the commutative gas.
However, at high densities the thermodynamics deviate strongly from the
commutative gas due to the implied excluded area resulting from the
non-commutativity. In particular there are extremal macroscopic states,
characterized by area, number of particles and angular momentum, that
correspond to a single microscopic state and thus have vanishing entropy. When
the system size and excluded area are comparable, thermodynamic quantities,
such as entropy, exhibit non-extensive features.


title:
Stability of half quantum vortex in rotating superfluid 3He-A between
  parallel plates

abstract:
  We have found the precise stability region of the half quantum vortex (HQV)
for superfluid $^3$He A phase confined in parallel plates with a narrow gap
under rotation. Standard Ginzburg-Landau free energy, which is well
established, is solved to locate the stability region spanned by temperature
$T$ and rotation speed ($/Omega$). This $/Omega$-$T$ stability region is wide
enough to check it experimentally in available experimental setup. The detailed
order parameter structure of HQV characterized by A$_1$ core is given to
facilitate the physical reasons of its stability over other vortices or
textures.


title:
Search for the Charmonium Dissociation Temperature with Variational
  Analysis in Lattice QCD

abstract:
  Charmonium dissociation temperatures are studied in a quenched anisotropic
lattice QCD with standard plaquette gauge action and O(a) improved Wilson
fermion action. Simulations are carried out at temperatures in the range
0.88T_c to 2.3T_c. From the meson correlators, we first subtract the
contribution of constant mode, which was reported to mislead the analysis of,
in particular, P wave signals. We then calculate effective masses and
Bethe-Salpeter wave functions for ground (1S, 1P) and excited states (2S, 2P)
using the multi-state variational analysis. To distinguish between bound states
and scattering states, we apply two methods: First, we compare effective masses
for charmonium correlation functions with finite spatial momenta under
different spatial boundary conditions. Since the scattering state energies are
sensitive to the boundary conditions, we expect finite volume effects when the
charmonium dissociates. Second, we study the Bethe-Salpeter wave function,
which should become broad when the charmonium bound state turns into a
scattering state. With both methods, we have fond no clear evidences of
dissociation for the ground and exited charmonium states up to 2.3T_c so far.


title: D-mesons in asymmetric nuclear matter

abstract:
  We calculate the in-medium $D$ and $\bar D$-meson masses in isospin
asymmetric nuclear matter in an effective chiral model. The $D$ and $\bar D$ -
mass modifications arising from their interactions with the nucleons and the
scalar mesons in the effective hadronic model are seen to be appreciable at
high densities and have a strong isospin dependence. These mass modifications
can open the channels of the decay of the charmonium states ($\Psi^\prime$,
$\chi_c$, $J/\Psi$) to $D \bar D$ pairs in the dense hadronic matter. The
isospin asymmetry in the doublet $D=(D^0,D^+)$ is seen to be particularly
appreciable at high densities and should show in observables like their
production and flow in asymmetric heavy ion collisions in the compressed
baryonic matter experiments in the future facility of FAIR, GSI. The results of
the present work are compared to calculations of the $D(\bar D$) in-medium
masses in the literature using the QCD sum rule approach, quark meson coupling
model, coupled channel approach as well as from the studies of quarkonium
dissociation using heavy quark potentials from lattice QCD at finite
temperatures.


title:
Pnictides as frustrated quantum antiferromagnet close to a quantum phase
  transition

abstract:
  We present a detailed description of the dynamics of the magnetic modes in
the recently discovered superconducting pnictides using reliable
self-consistent spin-wave theory and series expansion. Contrary to linear
spin-wave theory, no gapless mode occurs at the N\'eel wave vector. We discuss
the scenario that the static magnetic moment is strongly reduced by magnetic
fluctuations arising from the vicinity to a quantum phase transition. Smoking
gun experiments to verify this scenario are proposed and possible results are
predicted. Intriguingly in this scenario, the structural transition at finite
temperature would be driven by an Ising transition in directional degrees of
freedom.


title: Radiative Penguin decays at Belle

abstract:
  We present recent progresses in radiative penguin decays of $B$ meson using a
large sample of $B\bar{B}$ pairs recorded at the $\Upsilon(4S)$ resonance with
the Belle detector at the KEKB asymmetric energy $e^+e^-$ collider. We report
precise measurement of inclusive $b\to s\gamma$ branching ratio with cut
$E_\gamma > 1.7$ GeV, first measurement of time-dependent CP-violation in
$B^0\to K_s\rho^0\gamma$, measurement of $B^+\to K^+\eta'\gamma$ branching
fraction, and improved branching fraction results for
$B^0\to(\rho,\omega)\gamma$ with new CP and isospin violation results in the
mode.


title:
alpha-Wiener bridges: singularity of induced measures and sample path
  properties

abstract:
  Let us consider the process $(X_t^{(\alpha)})_{t\in[0,T)}$ given by the SDE
$dX_t^{(\alpha)} = -\frac{\alpha}{T-t}X_t^{(\alpha)} dt+ dB_t$, $t\in[0,T)$,
where $\alpha\in R$, $T\in(0,\infty)$, and $(B_t)_{t\geq 0}$ is a standard
Wiener process. In case of $\alpha>0$ the process $X^{(\alpha)}$ is known as an
$\alpha$-Wiener bridge, in case of $\alpha=1$ as the usual Wiener bridge. We
prove that for all $\alpha,\beta\in R$, $\alpha\ne\beta$, the probability
measures induced by the processes $X^{(\alpha)}$ and $X^{(\beta)}$ are singular
on C[0,T). Further, we investigate regularity properties of $X_t^{(\alpha)}$ as
$t\uparrow T$.


title:
On a quadratic estimate related to the Kato conjecture and boundary
  value problems

abstract:
  We provide a direct proof of a quadratic estimate that plays a central role
in the determination of domains of square roots of elliptic operators and, as
shown more recently, in some boundary value problems with $L^2$ boundary data.
We develop the application to the Kato conjecture and to a Neumann problem.
This quadratic estimate enjoys some equivalent forms in various settings. This
gives new results in the functional calculus of Dirac type operators on forms.


title: Numerical Range and Quasi-Sectorial Contractions

abstract:
  We apply a method developed by one of the authors, see \cite{Arl1}, to
localize the numerical range of \textit{quasi-sectorial} contractions
semigroups. Our main theorem establishes a relation between the numerical range
of quasi-sectorial contraction semigroups $\{\exp(- t S)\}_{t\ge 0}$, and the
maximal {sectorial} generators $S$. We also give a new prove of the rate
$O(1/n)$ for the operator-norm Euler formula approximation: $\exp(- t
S)=\lim\limits_{n\to \infty}(I+tS/n)^{-n}$, $t\ge 0$, for this class of
semigroups.


title:
Weighted norm inequalities, off-diagonal estimates and elliptic
  operators

abstract:
  We give an overview of the generalized Calder\'on-Zygmund theory for
"non-integral" singular operators, that is, operators without kernels bounds
but appropriate off-diagonal estimates. This theory is powerful enough to
obtain weighted estimates for such operators and their commutators with $\BMO$
functions. $L^p-L^q$ off-diagonal estimates when $p\le q$ play an important
role and we present them. They are particularly well suited to the semigroups
generated by second order elliptic operators and the range of exponents $(p,q)$
rules the $L^p$ theory for many operators constructed from the semigroup and
its gradient. Such applications are summarized.