title: On the spin distributions of $\Lambda$CDM haloes

abstract:
  We used merger trees realizations, predicted by the extended Press-Schechter
theory, in order to study the growth of angular momentum of dark matter haloes.
Our results showed that: 1) The spin parameter $\lambda'$ resulting from the
above method, is an increasing function of the present day mass of the halo.
The mean value of $\lambda'$ varies from 0.0343 to 0.0484 for haloes with
present day masses in the range of $ 10^9\mathrm{h}^{-1}M_{\odot}$ to
$10^{14}\mathrm{h}^{-1}M_{\odot}$. 2)The distribution of $\lambda'$ is close to
a log-normal, but, as it is already found in the results of N-body simulations,
the match is not satisfactory at the tails of the distribution. A new
analytical formula that approximates the results much more satisfactorily is
presented. 3) The distribution of the values of $\lambda'$ depends only weakly
on the redshift. 4) The spin parameter of an halo depends on the number of
recent major mergers. Specifically the spin parameter is an increasing function
of this number.


title: The decay-time of non-commutative micro-black holes

abstract:
  Non-commutative black holes are characterised by a minimum mass which would
result in a remnant after the Hawking evaporation ends. We numerically study
the decay of neutral non-commutative black holes for up to ten spatial
dimensions and typical parameters that would make their production possible at
the LHC. Neglecting possible accretion mechanism, we find that decay-times are
extremely short.


title: Cherenkov Glue in Opaque Nuclear Medium

abstract:
  The spectrum of Cherenkov gluons is calculated within the framework of
in-medium QCD. It is compared with experimental data on the double-humped
structure around the away-side jet obtained at RHIC. The values of the real and
imaginary parts of the nuclear permittivity are obtained from these fits. It is
shown that accounting for an additional smearing due to resonance-like
production of final hadrons allows to achieve an agreement with experimental
data.


title: Transverse Spin Structure of the Nucleon from COMPASS

abstract:
  The measurement of transverse spin effects in semi-inclusive deep-inelastic
scattering is an important part of the COMPASS physics program. In the years
2002-2004 data were taken by scattering a 160 GeV muon beam on a transversely
polarized deuteron target. In 2007, additional data were collected on a
transversely polarized proton target. New results for the Collins and Sivers
asymmetries from the analysis of the proton data are presented.


title:
Discussion on some characteristics of the Charged Brane-world Black
  holes

abstract:
  Several physical natures of charged brane-world black holes have been
investigated. At first, time-like and null geodesics of the charged brane-world
black holes are presented. We also analyze all the possible motions by plotting
the effective potentials for various parameters for circular and radial
geodesics. Secondly, we investigate the motion of test particles in the
gravitational field of charged brane-world black holes using Hamilton-Jacobi
(H-J) formalism. We have considered charged and uncharged test particles and
examine its behavior both in static and non-static cases. Thirdly,
thermodynamics of the charged brane-world black holes are studied. Finally, it
has been also shown that there is no phenomenon of superradiance for an
incident massless scalar field for this black hole.


title: Obtaining sigma --> gamma gamma Width from Nucleon Polarizabilities

abstract:
  We propose a new method that fixes the coupling to two photons of the
recently found lightest QCD resonance, the sigma. This coupling provides
crucial information for discriminating the yet unknown nature of this special
state. Our method uses available data on the nucleon polarizabilities together
with analyticity and unitarity. Taking into account all the uncertainties, our
result is Gamma_{pole}= 1.2 +- 0.4 keV.


title: Commissioning of the ATLAS Inner Tracking Detector

abstract:
  In this contribution to ICHEP08 conference, we give the status of the
commissioning of the ATLAS Inner (Tracking) Detector.


title: Two new Probability inequalities and Concentration Results

abstract:
  Concentration results and probabilistic analysis for combinatorial problems
like the TSP, MWST, graph coloring have received much attention, but generally,
for i.i.d. samples (i.i.d. points in the unit square for the TSP, for example).
Here, we prove two probability inequalities which generalize and strengthen
Martingale inequalities. The inequalities provide the tools to deal with more
general heavy-tailed and inhomogeneous distributions for combinatorial
problems. We prove a wide range of applications - in addition to the TSP, MWST,
graph coloring, we also prove more general results than known previously for
concentration in bin-packing, sub-graph counts, Johnson-Lindenstrauss random
projection theorem. It is hoped that the strength of the inequalities will
serve many more purposes.


title: Dynamical Simulations of NGC 2523 and NGC 4245

abstract:
  We present dynamical simulations of NGC 2523 and NGC 4245, two barred
galaxies (types SB(r)b and SB(r)0/a, respectively) with prominent inner rings.
Our goal is to estimate the bar pattern speeds in these galaxies by matching a
sticky-particle simulation to the $B$-band morphology, using near-infrared
$K_s$-band images to define the gravitational potentials. We compare the
pattern speeds derived by this method with those derived in our previous paper
using the well-known Tremaine-Weinberg continuity equation method. The inner
rings in these galaxies, which are likely to be resonance features, help to
constrain the dynamical models. We find that both methods give the same pattern
speeds within the errors.


title:
Continuity of the radius of convergence of differential equations on
  $p$-adic analytic curves

abstract:
  This paper deals with connections on $p$-adic analytic curves, in the sense
of Berkovich. The curves must be compact but the connections are allowed to
have a finite number of meromorphic singularities on them. For any choice of a
semistable formal model of the curve, we define an intrinsic notion of
normalized radius of convergence as a function on the curve, with values in
$(0,1]$. For a sufficiently refined choice of the semistable model, we prove
continuity and logarithmic concavity of that function. We characterize
\emph{Robba connections}, that is connections whose sheaf of solutions is
constant on any open disk contained in the curve.


title:
Relativistic structure of one-meson and one-gluon exchange forces and
  the lower excitation spectrum of the Nucleon and the Delta

abstract:
  The lower excitation spectrum of the nucleon and $\Delta$ is calculated in a
relativistic chiral quark model. Corrections to the baryon mass spectrum from
the second order self-energy and exchange diagrams induced by pion and gluon
fields are estimated in the field -theoretical framework. Convergent results
for the self-energy terms are obtained when including the intermediate quark
and antiquark states with a total momentum up to $j=25/2$. Relativistic
one-meson and color-magnetic one-gluon exchange forces are shown to generate
spin 0, 1, 2, etc. operators, which couple the lower and the upper components
of the two interacting valence quarks and yield reasonable matrix elements for
the lower excitation spectrum of the Nucleon and Delta. The only contribution
to the ground state nucleon and $\Delta$ comes from the spin 1 operators, which
correspond to the exchanged pion or gluon in the l=1 orbit, thus indicating,
that the both pion exchange and color-magnetic gluon exchange forces can
contribute to the spin of baryons. Is is shown also that the contribution of
the color-electric component of the gluon fields to the baryon spectrum is
enormously large (more than 500 MeV with a value $\alpha_s=0.65$) and one needs
to restrict to very small values of the strong coupling constant or to exclude
completely the gluon-loop corrections to the baryon spectrum. With this
restriction, the calculated spectrum reproduces the main properties of the
data, however needs further contribution from the two-pion exchange and
instanton induced exchange (for the nucleon sector) forces in consistence with
the realistic NN-interaction models.


title: Pulsating B and Be stars in the Magellanic Clouds

abstract:
  Stellar pulsations in main-sequence B-type stars are driven by the
$\kappa$-mechanism due to the Fe-group opacity bump. The current models do not
predict the presence of instability strips in the B spectral domain at very low
metallicities. As the metallicity of the Magellanic Clouds has been measured to
be around $Z=0.002$ for the SMC and $Z=0.007$ for the LMC, they constitute a
very suitable objects to test these predictions.


title: Global Properties of Nucleus-Nucleus Collisions

abstract:
  In this lecture note, we discuss the global properties of nucleus-nucleus
collisions. After a brief introduction to heavy-ion collisions, we introduce
useful kinematics and then discuss the bulk hadron production in A+A
collisions. At the end we discuss the hadronization and hadronic freeze-out in
A+A collisions. We have tried to cover the topic from very fundamental
arguments especially for the beginners in the field. We also give very useful
formulae frequently used by experimentalists, from a first principle
derivation.


title: The Polya-Tchebotarov problem

abstract:
  We describe the solutions to the problem of identifying the continuum in the
complex plane that minimizes the logarithmic capacity among all the continuum
that contain a prefixed finite set of points. This description can be
implemented numerically and this can be used to improve the estimates on the
Bloch-Landau constant and other related problems as the maximal expected
lifetime of the Brownian motion on domains of inner radius one or the principal
eigenvalue for the Laplace operator on such domains.


title:
Magnetic Reconnection During the Two-Phase Evolution of a Solar Eruptive
  Flare

abstract:
  We present a detailed multi-wavelength analysis and interpretation of the
evolution of an M7.6 flare on October 24, 2003. The X-ray observations of the
flare taken from the RHESSI spacecraft reveal two phases of the flare
evolution. The first phase is characterized by the altitude decrease of the
X-ray looptop (LT) source for $\sim$11 minutes. Such a long duration of the
descending LT source motion is reported for the first time. The EUV loops,
located below the X-ray LT source, also undergo contraction with similar speed
($\sim$15 km s$^{-1}$) in this interval. During the second phase the two
distinct hard X-ray footpoints (FP) sources are observed which correlate well
with UV and H$\alpha$ flare ribbons. The X-ray LT source now exhibits upward
motion. The RHESSI spectra during the first phase are soft and indicative of
hot thermal emission from flaring loops with temperatures $T>25$ MK at the
early stage. On the other hand, the spectra at high energies ($\varepsilon
\gtrsim$25 keV) follow hard power laws during the second phase ($\gamma =
2.6-2.8$). We show that the observed motion of the LT and FP sources can be
understood as a consequence of three-dimensional magnetic reconnection at a
separator in the corona. During the first phase of the flare, the reconnection
releases an excess of magnetic energy related to the magnetic tensions
generated before a flare by the shear flows in the photosphere. The relaxation
of the associated magnetic shear in the corona by the reconnection process
explains the descending motion of the LT source. During the second phase, the
ordinary reconnection process dominates describing the energy release in terms
of the standard model of large eruptive flares.


title:
Improved analytical approximation to arbitrary l-state solutions of the
  Schrodinger equation for the hyperbolical potentials

abstract:
  A new approximation scheme to the centrifugal term is proposed to obtain the
$l\neq 0$ bound-state solutions of the Schr\"{o}dinger equation for an
exponential-type potential in the framework of the hypergeometric method. The
corresponding normalized wave functions are also found in terms of the Jacobi
polynomials. To show the accuracy of the new proposed approximation scheme, we
calculate the energy eigenvalues numerically for arbitrary quantum numbers $n$
and $l$ with two different values of the potential parameter
$\sigma_{\text{0}}.$ Our numerical results are of high accuracy like the other
numerical results obtained by using program based on a numerical integration
procedure for short-range and long-range potentials. The energy bound-state
solutions for the s-wave ($l=0$) and $\sigma_{0}=1$ cases are given.


title:
The Metallicity Distribution of Distant F and G type stars in the CFHT
  Legacy Survey Deep Field

abstract:
  We study the metal abundances of F and G type stars in the Galactic disk and
halo using the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope Legacy Survey D4 field. For a
sample of stars within 7 kpc of the Galactic plane, we derive mean abundance
values of Fe/H=-0.77(+/-0.36) dex for the thick disk, and Fe/H=-1.42(+/-0.98)
dex for the stellar halo, respectively. These metallicites are consistent with
the metallicity estimates from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 6. We
do not find a vertical abundance gradient for the thick disk between 1 kpc and
4 kpc. However, stars within 1 kpc of the Galactic plane are saturated in our
dataset, and therefore we cannot rule out the observed vertical metallicity
gradient for the thick disk stars in the SDSS. Moreover, we find a negative
trend in the halo metallicity with increasing distance from the Galactic plane.
This trend could be due to a contribution from an increasing number of very
metal poor stars that belong to the outer halo. However, systematic effects in
photometric metallicities are largest for the most metal poor stars, and
therefore these effects cannot be ruled out.


title:
Morphology of galaxies in the Coma cluster region down to M_B=-14.25. I.
  A catalog of 473 members

abstract:
  This paper presents morphological type, membership, and U-V color for a
sample of galaxies in the Coma cluster direction, complete down to M_B=-15.00
mag and extending down to M_B=-14.25 mag. We have examined 1155 objects from
the GMP 1983 catalog on B and V images of the CFH12K camera, and obtained the
Hubble type in most cases. Coma cluster membership for 473 galaxies was derived
using morphology, apparent size, and surface brightness, and, afterward,
redshift. The comparison among morphology- and redshift- memberships and among
luminosity functions derived from this morphologically-selected sample, or by
using statistical members or spectroscopic members, all show that the
morphological membership provided here can be trusted. For the first time, the
morphological classification of Coma galaxies reaches magnitudes that are faint
enough to observe the whole magnitude range of the giant types, E, S0, and
spiral stages. The data presented in this paper makes our sample the richest
environment where membership and morphology for complete samples down to faint
magnitudes M_B~-15 mag are available, thereby enlarging the baseline of
environmental studies.


title: Fluid dynamics of R-charged black holes

abstract:
  We construct electrically charged AdS_5 black hole solutions whose charge,
mass and boost-parameters vary slowly with the space-time coordinates. From the
perspective of the dual theory, these are equivalent to hydrodynamic
configurations with varying chemical potential, temperature and velocity
fields. We compute the boundary theory transport coefficients associated with a
derivative expansion of the energy momentum tensor and R-charge current up to
second order. In particular, we find a first order transport coefficient
associated with the axial component of the current.


title: The fast intersection transform with applications to counting paths

abstract:
  We present an algorithm for evaluating a linear ``intersection transform'' of
a function defined on the lattice of subsets of an $n$-element set. In
particular, the algorithm constructs an arithmetic circuit for evaluating the
transform in ``down-closure time'' relative to the support of the function and
the evaluation domain. As an application, we develop an algorithm that, given
as input a digraph with $n$ vertices and bounded integer weights at the edges,
counts paths by weight and given length $0\leq\ell\leq n-1$ in time
$O^*(\exp(n\cdot H(\ell/(2n))))$, where $H(p)=-p\log p-(1-p)\log(1-p)$, and the
notation $O^*(\cdot)$ suppresses a factor polynomial in $n$.


title: Asymptotics of generalized Hadwiger numbers

abstract:
  We give asymptotic estimates for the number of non-overlapping homothetic
copies of some centrally symmetric oval $B$ which have a common point with a
2-dimensional domain $F$ having rectifiable boundary, extending previous work
of the L.Fejes-Toth, K.Borockzy Jr., D.G.Larman, S.Sezgin, C.Zong and the
authors. The asymptotics compute the length of the boundary $\partial F$ in the
Minkowski metric determined by $B$. The core of the proof consists of a method
for sliding convex beads along curves with positive reach in the Minkowski
plane. We also prove that level sets are rectifiable subsets, extending a
theorem of Erd\"os, Oleksiv and Pesin for the Euclidean space to the Minkowski
space.


title: On the 511 keV emission line of positron annihilation in the Milky Way

abstract:
  I review our current understanding of positron sources in the Galaxy, on the
basis of the reported properties of the observed 511 keV annihilation line. It
is argued here that most of the disk positrons propagate away from the disk and
the resulting low surface brightness annihilation emission is currently
undetectable by SPI/INTEGRAL. It is also argued that a large fraction of the
disk positrons may be transported via the regular magnetic field of the Galaxy
into the bulge and annihilate there. These ideas may alleviate current
difficulties in interepreting INTEGRAL results in a "conventional" framework.


title: The old Galactic open clusters FSR1716 and Czernik23

abstract:
  Open clusters older than $\sim4$ Gyr are rare in the Galaxy. Affected by a
series of mass-decreasing processes, the stellar content of most open clusters
dissolves into the field in a time-scale shorter than $\sim1$ Gyr. In this
sense, improving the statistics of old objects may provide constraints for a
better understanding of the dynamical dissolution of open clusters. Isochrone
fits indicate that FSR 1716 is more probably an old ($\sim7$ Gyr) and absorbed
($\aV=6.3\pm0.2$) open cluster, located $\approx0.6$ kpc inside the Solar
circle in a contaminated central field. However, we cannot rule out the
possibility of a low-mass, loose globular cluster. Czernik 23 is shown to be an
almost absorption-free open cluster, $\sim5$ Gyr old, located about 2.5 kpc
towards the anti-centre. In both cases, Solar and sub-Solar ($[Fe/H]\sim-0.5$)
metallicity isochrones represent equally well the stellar sequences. Both star
clusters have a low mass content ($\la200 \ms$) presently stored in stars.
Their relatively small core and cluster radii are comparable to those of other
open clusters of similar age. These structural parameters are probably
consequence of the several Gyrs of mass loss due to stellar evolution, tidal
interactions with the disk (and bulge in the case of FSR 1716), and possibly
giant molecular clouds. Czernik 23, and especially FSR 1716, are rare examples
of extreme dynamical survivors. The identification of both as such represents
an increase of $\approx10%$ to the known population of open clusters older than
$\sim4$ Gyr in the Galaxy.


title: Hardness and Algorithms for Rainbow Connection

abstract:
  An edge-colored graph $G$ is {\em rainbow connected} if any two vertices are
connected by a path whose edges have distinct colors. The {\em rainbow
connection} of a connected graph $G$, denoted $rc(G)$, is the smallest number
of colors that are needed in order to make $G$ rainbow connected. In the first
result of this paper we prove that computing $rc(G)$ is NP-Hard solving an open
problem from \cite{Ca-Yu}. In fact, we prove that it is already NP-Complete to
decide if $rc(G)=2$, and also that it is NP-Complete to decide whether a given
edge-colored (with an unbounded number of colors) graph is rainbow connected.
On the positive side, we prove that for every $\epsilon >0$, a connected graph
with minimum degree at least $\epsilon n$ has {\em bounded} rainbow connection,
where the bound depends only on $\epsilon$, and a corresponding coloring can be
constructed in polynomial time. Additional non-trivial upper bounds, as well as
open problems and conjectures are also presented.


title: Coherence for Modalities

abstract:
  Positive modalities in systems in the vicinity of S4 and S5 are investigated
in terms of categorial proof theory. Coherence and maximality results are
demonstrated, and connections with mixed distributive laws and Frobenius
algebras are exhibited.


title: Ordinals in Frobenius Monads

abstract:
  This paper provides geometrical descriptions of the Frobenius monad freely
generated by a single object. These descriptions are related to results
connecting Frobenius algebras and topological quantum field theories. In these
descriptions, which are based on coherence results for self-adjunctions
(adjunctions where an endofunctor is adjoint to itself), ordinals in epsilon
zero play a prominent role. The paper ends by considering how the notion of
Frobenius algebra induces the collapse of the hierarchy of ordinals in epsilon
zero, and by raising the question of the exact categorial abstraction of the
notion of Frobenius algebra.


title:
Impact of eight-quark interactions in chiral phase transitions I:
  Secondary magnetic catalysis

abstract:
  The influence of a constant magnetic field on the order parameter of the
four-dimensional Nambu and Jona-Lasinio model extended by the 't Hooft
six-quark term and eight-quark interactions is considered. It is shown that the
multi-quark interactions cause the order parameter to increase sharply
(secondary magnetic catalysis) with increasing strength of the field at the
characteristic scale $H\sim 10^{14}\Lambda^2$ G/MeV^2.


title: Observation of swell dissipation across oceans

abstract:
  Global observations of ocean swell, from satellite Synthetic Aperture Radar
data, are used to estimate the dissipation of swell energy for a number of
storms. Swells can be very persistent with energy e-folding scales exceeding
20,000 km. For increasing swell steepness this scale shrinks systematically,
down to 2800 km for the steepest observed swells, revealing a significant loss
of swell energy. This value corresponds to a normalized energy decay in time
{\ss} = 4.2 x 10-6 s -1 . Many processes may be responsible for this
dissipation. Because no particular trend is found with wind magnitude and
direction, the increase of dissipation rate in dissipation with swell steepness
is interpreted as a laminar to turbulent transition of the boundary layer, with
a threshold Reynolds number of the order of 100,000. These observations of
swell evolution open the way for more accurate wave forecasting models, and
provides a constraint on swell-induced air-sea fluxes of momentum and energy.


title: InAs-GaSb laser: Prospects for efficient THz emission

abstract:
  We suggest to use InAs/GaSb coupled quantum wells for THz lasing. In these
heterostructures THz lasing is based not on intersubband but on interband
transitions. Crucial advantages of this design in comparison with intersubband
lasers are (i) a large value of the interband dipole matrix element and (ii)
easier maintaining of population inversion. These advantages lead to a gain of
two orders of magnitude higher than for intersubband lasing. Even higher gain
can be obtained in special design InAs/GaSb W-structures where a hybridization
gap of 1-3THz is formed and optical density of states is singular.


title:
Apparent Violation of the Wiedemann-Franz law near a magnetic field
  tuned metal-antiferromagnetic quantum critical point

abstract:
  The temperature dependence of the interlayer electrical and thermal
resistivity in a layered metal are calculated for Fermi liquid quasiparticles
which are scattered inelastically by two-dimensional antiferromagnetic spin
fluctuations. Both resistivities have a linear temperature dependence over a
broad temperature range. Extrapolations to zero temperature made from this
linear-$T$ range give values that appear to violate the Wiedemann-Franz law.
However, below a low-temperature scale, which becomes small close to the
critical point, a recovery of this law occurs. Our results describe recent
measurements on CeCoIn$_5$ near a magnetic field-induced quantum phase
transition. Hence, the experiments do not necessarily imply a non-Fermi liquid
ground state.


title: The Magellanic system X-ray sources

abstract:
  Using archival X-ray data from the second XMM-Newton serendipitous source
catalogue, we present comparative analysis of the overall population of X-ray
sources in the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds. We see a difference between
the characteristics of the brighter sources in the two populations in the X-ray
band. Utilising flux measurements in different energy bands we are able to sort
the X-ray sources based on similarities to other previously identified and
classified objects. In this manner we are able to identify the probable nature
of some of the unknown objects, identifying a number of possible X-ray binaries
and Super Soft Sources.


title:
Irrationality proof of a $q$-extension of $\zeta(2)$ using little
  $q$-Jacobi polynomials

abstract:
  We show how one can use Hermite-Pad\'{e} approximation and little $q$-Jacobi
polynomials to construct rational approximants for $\zeta_q(2)$. These numbers
are $q$-analogues of the well known $\zeta(2)$. Here $q=\frac{1}{p}$, with $p$
an integer greater than one. These approximants are good enough to show the
irrationality of $\zeta_q(2)$ and they allow us to calculate an upper bound for
its measure of irrationality: $\mu(\zeta_q(2))\leq 10\pi^2/(5\pi^2-24) \approx
3.8936$. This is sharper than the upper bound given by Zudilin (\textit{On the
irrationality measure for a $q$-analogue of $\zeta(2)$}, Mat. Sb. \textbf{193}
(2002), no. 8, 49--70).


title: Statefinder Diagnosis for Ricci Dark Energy

abstract:
  Statefinder diagnostic is a useful method which can differ one dark energy
model from each others. In this letter, we apply this method to a holographic
dark energy model from Ricci scalar curvature, called the Ricci dark energy
model(RDE). We plot the evolutionary trajectories of this model in the
statefinder parameter-planes, and it is found that the parameter of this model
plays a significant role from the statefinder viewpoint. In a very special
case, the statefinder diagnostic fails to discriminate LCDM and RDE models,
thus we apply a new diagnostic called the Om diagnostic proposed recently to
this model in this case in Appendix A and it works well.


title:
Monte Carlo studies of the Ising square lattice with competing
  interactions

abstract:
  We use improved Monte-Carlo algorithms to study the antiferromagnetic
2D-Ising model with competing interactions $J_1$ on nearest neighbour and $J_2$
on next-nearest neighbour bonds. The finite-temperature phase diagram is
divided by a critical point at $J_2 = J_1/2$ where the groundstate is highly
degenerate. To analyse the phase boundaries we look at the specific heat and
the energy distribution for various ratios of $J_2/J_1$. We find a first order
transition for small $J_2 > J_1/2$ and the transition temperature suppressed to
$T_C=0$ at the critical point.


title:
A cosmic-ray precursor model for a Balmer-dominated shock in Tycho's
  supernova remnant

abstract:
  We present a time-dependent cosmic-ray modified shock model for which the
calculated H-alpha emissivity profile agrees well with the H-alpha flux
increase ahead of the Balmer-dominated shock at knot g in Tycho's supernova
remnant, observed by Lee et al (2007). The backreaction of the cosmic ray
component on the thermal component is treated in the two-fluid approximation,
and we include thermal particle injection and energy transfer due to the
acoustic instability in the precursor. The transient state of our model that
describes the current state of the shock at knot g, occurs during the evolution
from a thermal gas dominated shock to a smooth cosmic-ray dominated shock.
Assuming a distance of 2.3 kpc to Tycho's remnant we obtain values for the
cosmic ray diffusion coefficient, the injection parameter, and the time scale
for the energy transfer of 10^{24} cm^{2} s^{-1}, 4.2x10^{-3}, and 426 y,
respectively. We have also studied the parameter space for fast (300 km s^{-1}
- 3000 km s^{-1}), time-asymptotically steady shocks and have identified a
branch of solutions, for which the temperature in the cosmic ray precursor
typically reaches 2-6x10^{4} K and the bulk acceleration of the flow through
the precursor is less than 10 km s^{-1}. These solutions fall into the low
cosmic ray acceleration efficiency regime and are relatively insensitive to
shock parameters. This low cosmic ray acceleration efficiency branch of
solutions may provide a natural explanation for the line broadening of the
H-alpha narrow component observed in non-radiative shocks in many supernova
remnants.


title:
SPITZER survey of dust grain processing in stable discs around binary
  post-AGB stars

abstract:
  Aims: We investigate the mineralogy and dust processing in the circumbinary
discs of binary post-AGB stars using high-resolution TIMMI2 and SPITZER
infrared spectra. Methods: We perform a full spectral fitting to the infrared
spectra using the most recent opacities of amorphous and crystalline dust
species. This allows for the identification of the carriers of the different
emission bands. Our fits also constrain the physical properties of different
dust species and grain sizes responsible for the observed emission features.
Results: In all stars the dust is oxygen-rich: amorphous and crystalline
silicate dust species prevail and no features of a carbon-rich component can be
found, the exception being EPLyr, where a mixed chemistry of both oxygen- and
carbon-rich species is found. Our full spectral fitting indicates a high degree
of dust grain processing. The mineralogy of our sample stars shows that the
dust is constituted of irregularly shaped and relatively large grains, with
typical grain sizes larger than 2 micron. The spectra of nearly all stars show
a high degree of crystallinity, where magnesium-rich end members of olivine and
pyroxene silicates dominate. Other dust features of e.g. silica or alumina are
not present at detectable levels. Temperature estimates from our fitting
routine show that a significant fraction of grains must be cool, significantly
cooler than the glass temperature. This shows that radial mixing is very
efficient is these discs and/or indicates different thermal conditions at grain
formation. Our results show that strong grain processing is not limited to
young stellar objects and that the physical processes occurring in the discs
are very similar to those in protoplanetary discs.


title:
Exponential functionals of Brownian motion and class-one Whittaker
  functions

abstract:
  We consider exponential functionals of a multi-dimensional Brownian motion
with drift, defined via a collection of linear functionals. We give a
characterization of the Laplace transform of their joint law as the unique
bounded solution, up to a constant factor, to a Schrodinger-type partial
differential equation. We derive a similar equation for the probability
density. We then characterize all diffusion processes which can be interpreted
as having the law of the Brownian motion with drift conditioned on the law of
its exponential functionals. In the case where the family of linear functionals
is a set of simple roots, the Laplace transform of the joint law of the
corresponding exponential functionals can be expressed in terms of a
(class-one) Whittaker function associated with the corresponding root system.
In this setting, we establish some basic properties of the corresponding
diffusion processes.


title: On the chemical evolution of the Milky Way

abstract:
  I discuss three different topics concerning the chemical evolution of the
Milky Way (MW). 1) The metallicity distribution of the MW halo; it is shown
that this distribution can be analytically derived in the framework of the
hierarchical merging scenario for galaxy formation, assuming that the component
sub-haloes had chemical properties similar to those of the progenitors of
satellite galaxies of the MW. 2) The age-metallicity relationship (AMR) in the
solar neighborhood; I argue for caution in deriving from data with important
uncertainties (such as the age uncertainties in the Geneva-Kopenhaguen survey)
a relationship between average metallicity and age: derived relationships are
shown to be systematically flatter than the true ones and should not be
directly compared to models. 3) The radial mixing of stars in the disk, which
may have important effects on various observables (scatter in AMR, extension of
the tails of the metallicity distribution, flatenning of disk abundance
profiles). Recent SPH + N-body simulations find considerable radial mixing, but
only comparison to observations will ultimately determine the extent of that
mixing.


title:
A fast approach for overcomplete sparse decomposition based on smoothed
  L0 norm

abstract:
  In this paper, a fast algorithm for overcomplete sparse decomposition, called
SL0, is proposed. The algorithm is essentially a method for obtaining sparse
solutions of underdetermined systems of linear equations, and its applications
include underdetermined Sparse Component Analysis (SCA), atomic decomposition
on overcomplete dictionaries, compressed sensing, and decoding real field
codes. Contrary to previous methods, which usually solve this problem by
minimizing the L1 norm using Linear Programming (LP) techniques, our algorithm
tries to directly minimize the L0 norm. It is experimentally shown that the
proposed algorithm is about two to three orders of magnitude faster than the
state-of-the-art interior-point LP solvers, while providing the same (or
better) accuracy.


title:
Three-loop renormalization of the N=1, N=2, N=4 supersymmetric
  Yang-Mills theories

abstract:
  We calculate the renormalization constants of the N=1, N=2, N=4
supersymmetric Yang-Mills theories in an arbitrary covariant gauge in the
dimensional reduction scheme up to three loops. We have found, that the
beta-functions for N=1 and N=4 SYM theories are the same from the different
triple vertices. This means that the dimensional reduction scheme works
correctly in these models up to third order of perturbative theory.


title:
Probing optomechanical correlations between two optical beams down to
  the quantum level

abstract:
  Quantum effects of radiation pressure are expected to limit the sensitivity
of second-generation gravitational-wave interferometers. Though ubiquitous,
such effects are so weak that they haven't been experimentally demonstrated
yet. Using a high-finesse optical cavity and a classical intensity noise, we
have demonstrated radiation-pressure induced correlations between two optical
beams sent into the same moving mirror cavity. Our scheme can be extended down
to the quantum level and has applications both in high-sensitivity measurements
and in quantum optics.


title: Integral and isocapacitary inequalities

abstract:
  It is shown by a counterexample that isocapacitary and isoperimetric
constants of a multi-dimensional Euclidean domain starshaped with respect to a
ball are not equivalent. Sharp integral inequalities involving the harmonic
capacity which imply Faber-Krahn property of the fundamental Dirichlet-Laplace
eigenvalue are obtained. Necessary and sufficient conditions ensuring integral
inequalities between a difference seminorm and the $L_p$-norm of the gradient
are found.


title: The Parallelometer: a mechanical device to study curvature

abstract:
  A simple mechanical device is introduced, the parallelometer, that can be
used to measure curvatures of surfaces. The device can be used as a practical
illustration of parallel transport of a vector and to study Berry phase shift
when it is carried along a loop on the surface. Its connection to the Foucault
pendulum is discussed. The experimental results can be successfully compared
with the theoretical expectations. The experiment is inexpensive and
conceptually easy to perform and understand for a beginner.


title:
High redshift quasars in the COSMOS survey: the space density of z>3
  X-ray selected QSOs

abstract:
  We present a new measurement of the space density of high redshift
(3.0<z<4.5), X-ray selected QSOs obtained by exploiting the deep and uniform
multiwavelength coverage of the COSMOS survey. We have assembled a
statistically large (40 objects), X-ray selected (F_{0.5-2 keV} >10^{-15} cgs),
homogeneous sample of z>3 QSOs for which spectroscopic (22) or photometric (18)
redshifts are available. We present the optical (color-color diagrams) and
X-ray properties, the number counts and space densities of the z>3 X-ray
selected quasars population and compare our findings with previous works and
model predictions. We find that the optical properties of X-ray selected
quasars are not significantly different from those of optically selected
samples. There is evidence for substantial X-ray absorption (logN_H>23 cm^{-2})
in about 20% of the sources in the sample. The comoving space density of
luminous (L_X >10^{44} erg s^-1) QSOs declines exponentially (by an e--folding
per unit redshift) in the z=3.0-4.5 range, with a behavior similar to that
observed for optically bright unobscured QSOs selected in large area optical
surveys. Prospects for future, large and deep X-ray surveys are also discussed.


title:
Boundedness of the gradient of a solution to the Neumann-Laplace problem
  in a convex domain

abstract:
  It is shown that solutions of the Neumann problem for the Poisson equation in
an arbitrary convex $n$-dimensional domain are uniformly Lipschitz.
Applications of this result to some aspects of regularity of solutions to the
Neumann problem on convex polyhedra are given.


title:
Impact of eight quark interactions on chiral phase transitions II:
  Thermal effects

abstract:
  In this talk attention is drawn to thermal properties due to the addition of
eight quark interactions in the standard $SU(3)\times SU(3)$ chiral
Nambu-Jona-Lasinio model (NJL) with 't Hooft interaction (NJLH). The schematic
SU(3) flavor limit with massless current quarks as well as the realistic case
$m_u=m_d\ne m_s$ are discussed.


title:
Discriminating properties of compactification in discrete uniform
  isotropic space-time

abstract:
  Compactification of the 5-dimensional Kaluza-Klein space-time geometry is
considered. The space-time geometry is supposed to be discrete, uniform and
isotropic. It is shown, that consideration of the space-time geometry as a
physical geometry, i.e. as a geometry described completely by the single-valued
world function, leads to a discrimination of some values of the particle
charge. At the conventional approach, when the world function becomes to be
many-valued after compactification, the value of the elementary particle
electric charge remains to be unrestricted, and this fact does not agree with
experimental data. It is important, that the discrete geometry is given on the
continual set of points. This circumstance makes admissible a compatibility of
discreteness with the uniformity and isotropy of the geometry.


title:
A sequence to compute the Brauer group of certain quasi-triangular Hopf
  algebras

abstract:
  A deeper understanding of recent computations of the Brauer group of Hopf
algebras is attained by explaining why a direct product decomposition for this
group holds and describing the non-interpreted factor occurring in it. For a
Hopf algebra $B$ in a braided monoidal category $\C$, and under certain
assumptions on the braiding (fulfilled if $\C$ is symmetric), we construct a
sequence for the Brauer group $\BM(\C;B)$ of $B$-module algebras, generalizing
Beattie's one. It allows one to prove that $\BM(\C;B) \cong \Br(\C) \times
\Gal(\C;B),$ where $\Br(\C)$ is the Brauer group of $\C$ and $\Gal(\C;B)$ the
group of $B$-Galois objects. We also show that $\BM(\C;B)$ contains a subgroup
isomorphic to $\Br(\C) \times \Hc(\C;B,I),$ where $\Hc(\C;B,I)$ is the second
Sweedler cohomology group of $B$ with values in the unit object $I$ of $\C$.
These results are applied to the Brauer group of a quasi-triangular Hopf
algebra that is a Radford biproduct $B \times H$, where $H$ is a usual Hopf
algebra over a field $K$, the Hopf subalgebra generated by the quasi-triangular
structure $\R$ is contained in $H$ and $B$ is a Hopf algebra in the category
${}_H\M$ of left $H$-modules. The Hopf algebras whose Brauer group was recently
computed fit this framework. We finally show that $\BM(K,H,\R) \times
\Hc({}_H\M;B,K)$ is a subgroup of the Brauer group $\BM(K,B \times H,\R),$
confirming the suspicion that a certain cohomology group of $B \times H$
(second lazy cohomology group was conjectured) embeds into $\BM(K,B \times
H,\R).$ New examples of Brauer groups of quasi-triangular Hopf algebras are
computed using this sequence.


title: Extragalactic Constraints on the Initial Mass Function

abstract:
  The local stellar mass density is observed to be significantly lower than the
value obtained from integrating the cosmic star formation history (SFH),
assuming that all the stars formed with a Salpeter initial mass function (IMF).
Even other favoured IMFs, more successful in reconciling the observed $z=0$
stellar mass density with that inferred from the SFH, have difficulties in
reproducing the stellar mass density observed at higher redshift. In this study
we investigate to what extent this discrepancy can be alleviated for any
universal power-law IMF. We find that an IMF with a high-mass slope shallower
(2.15) than the Salpeter slope (2.35) reconciles the observed stellar mass
density with the cosmic star formation history, but only at low redshifts. At
higher redshifts $z>0.5$ we find that observed stellar mass densities are
systematically lower than predicted from the cosmic star formation history, for
any universal power-law IMF.


title:
Action spectroscopy of gas-phase carboxylate anions by multiple photon
  IR electron detachment/attachment

abstract:
  We report on a form of gas-phase anion action spectroscopy based on infrared
multiple photon electron detachment and subsequent capture of the free
electrons by a neutral electron scavenger in a Fourier Transform Ion Cyclotron
Resonance (FTICR) mass spectrometer. This method allows one to obtain
background-free spectra of strongly bound anions, for which no dissociation
channels are observed. The first gas-phase spectra of acetate and propionate
are presented using SF6 as electron scavenger and a free electron laser as
source of intense and tunable infrared radiation. To validate the method, we
compare infrared spectra obtained through multiple photon electron
detachment/attachment and multiple photon dissociation for the benzoate anion.
In addition, different electron acceptors are used, comparing both associative
and dissociative electron capture. The relative energies of dissociation (by
CO2 loss) and electron detachment are investigated for all three anions by DFT
and CCSD(T) methods. DFT calculations are also employed to predict vibrational
frequencies, which provide a good fit to the infrared spectra observed. The
frequencies of the symmetric and antisymmetric carboxylate stretching modes for
the aliphatic carboxylates are compared to those previously observed in
condensed-phase IR spectra and to those reported for gas-phase benzoate,
showing a strong influence of the solution environment and a slight substituent
effect on the antisymmetric stretch.


title: To the Theory of Unstable States

abstract:
  Deviations of the decay law from exponents are discussing for a long time,
however, experimental proofs of such deviations are absent. Here in the general
form is shown that the conclusions about non-exponential contributions are due
to the disregarding of advanced interactions, i.e. at principally
non-relativistic considerations. We consider decay processes in the frame of
interactions duration of the quantum field theory. We show that at this basis
the usual exponential decay has place.


title: Quartic double solids with ordinary singularities

abstract:
  We study the mixed Hodge structure on the third homology group of a threefold
which is the double cover of projective three-space ramified over a quartic
surface with a double conic. We deal with the Torelli problem for such
threefolds.


title:
Determination of characteristic muon precession and relaxation signals
  in FeAs and FeAs2, possible impurity phases in pnictide superconductors

abstract:
  We report muon-spin relaxation measurements of highly homogeneous samples of
FeAs and FeAs2, both previously found as impurity phases in some samples of
recently synthesized pnictide superconductors. We observe well defined muon
precession in the FeAs sample with two precession frequencies of 38.2(3) and
22.7(9) MHz at 7.5 K, with the majority of the amplitude corresponding to the
lower frequency component. In FeAs2 we confirm previous measurements showing
that no long-ranged magnetic order occurs above 2 K and measure the muon spin
relaxation rate, which increases on cooling. Our results exclude the
possibility that previous muon-spin relaxation measurements of pnictide
superconductors have been measuring the effect of these possible impurities.


title:
Growth conditions and uniqueness of the Cauchy problem for the
  evolutionary infinity Laplacian

abstract:
  We study the Cauchy problem for the parabolic infinity Laplace equation. We
prove a new comparison principle and obtain uniqueness of viscosity solutions
in the class of functions with a polinomial growth at infinity, improving
previous results obtained assuming a linear growth.


title: Lattice approach to high-energy hadron-hadron scattering

abstract:
  We discuss the non perturbative approach to the problem of high-energy
hadron-hadron (dipole-dipole) scattering at low momentum transfer by means of
numerical simulations in Lattice Gauge Theory.


title: On the vertices of the k-addiive core

abstract:
  The core of a game $v$ on $N$, which is the set of additive games $\phi$
dominating $v$ such that $\phi(N)=v(N)$, is a central notion in cooperative
game theory, decision making and in combinatorics, where it is related to
submodular functions, matroids and the greedy algorithm. In many cases however,
the core is empty, and alternative solutions have to be found. We define the
$k$-additive core by replacing additive games by $k$-additive games in the
definition of the core, where $k$-additive games are those games whose M\"obius
transform vanishes for subsets of more than $k$ elements. For a sufficiently
high value of $k$, the $k$-additive core is nonempty, and is a convex closed
polyhedron. Our aim is to establish results similar to the classical results of
Shapley and Ichiishi on the core of convex games (corresponds to Edmonds'
theorem for the greedy algorithm), which characterize the vertices of the core.


title:
Measurement of the Decay B_s^0 -> D_s^- pi^+ and Evidence for B_s^0 ->
  D_s^{+/-} K^{-/+} in e+e- Annihilation at sqrt(s)~10.87 GeV

abstract:
  We have studied Bs0 -> Ds- pi+ and Bs0 -> Ds^(-/+) K^(+/-) decays using 23.6
/fb of data collected at the Upsilon(5S) resonance with the Belle detector at
the KEKB e+e- collider.
  This highly pure Bs0 -> Ds- pi+ sample is used to measure the branching
fraction, BR(Bs0 -> Ds- pi+)=[3.67 +0.35,-0.33}(stat.) +0.43,-0.42(syst.)
+-0.49(f_s)] x 10^{-3} (f_s=N(Bs(*) Bs(*)bar)/N(b\bar b)) and the fractions of
Bs0 event types at the Upsilon(5S) energy, {in particular N(Bs*
Bs*bar}/N(N(Bs(*) Bs(*)bar)=(90.1 +3.8,-4.0 +-0.2)%. We also determine the
masses M(Bs0)=(5364.4 +-1.3 +-0.7) MeV/c^2 and M(Bs*)=(5416.4 +-0.4 +-0.5)
MeV/c^2. In addition, we observe Bs0 -> Ds^(-/+) K^(+/-) decays with a
significance of 3.5\sigma and measure BR(Bs0 -> Ds^(-/+) K^(+/-))=[2.4
+1.2,-1.0(stat.) +-0.3(syst.) +-0.3(f_s)] x 10^{-4}.


title: Optical Spectroscopy of Ultracold Atoms on an Atom Chip

abstract:
  We experimentally demonstrate optical spectroscopy of magnetically trapped
atoms on an atom chip. High resolution optical spectra of individual trapped
clouds are recorded within a few hundred milliseconds. Detection sensitivities
close to the single atom level are obtained by photoionization of the excited
atoms and subsequent ion detection with a channel electron multiplier.
Temperature and decay rates of the trapped atomic cloud can be monitored in
real time for several seconds with only little detection losses. The
spectrometer can be used for investigations of ultracold atomic mixtures and
for the development of interferometric quantum sensors on atom chips.


title: Newton Binomial Formulas in Schubert Calculus

abstract:
  We prove Newton's binomial formulas for Schubert Calculus to determine
numbers of base point free linear series on the projective line with prescribed
ramification divisor supported at given distinct points.


title:
Interlayer coupling in EuS/SrS, EuS/PbSe and EuS/PbTe magnetic
  semiconductor superlatices

abstract:
  Neutron reflectivity studies of EuS/SrS, EuS/PbSe, and EuS/PbTe
all-semiconductor superlattices were carried out in search for exchange
interlayer coupling. A relatively weak antiferromagnetic coupling was found in
EuS/SrS and in EuS/PbSe systems but no interlayer coupling was detected in
EuS/PbTe superlattices. In EuS/SrS, where the SrS spacer is an insulator
($E_g\approx 4$ eV), a very weak and short range interlayer coupling is in
agreement with the earlier theoretical predictions that the interlayer coupling
strength in EuS-based magnetic semiconductor superlattices depends strongly on
the energy gap of the nonmagnetic layer and should decrease with an increase of
the energy gap of the spacer material. A weak coupling in EuS/PbSe and no
coupling in EuS/PbTe, where both PbSe and PbTe are narrow-gap semiconductors
($E_g\approx 0.3$ eV), is in disagreement not only with the theoretical
expectations but also in a stark contrast with earlier results for another
narrow-gap spacer system -- EuS/PbS, where pronounced antiferromagnetic
coupling persists even in samples with PbS layer thickness as large as 200 \AA.
A possible influence of the increasing lattice mismatch between EuS and the
spacer materials (0.5%, 0.8%, 2.5%, and 8.2% for PbS, SrS, PbSe, and PbTe,
respectively) on the magnetic in-plane ordering of EuS layer and, consequently,
on the interlayer coupling was investigated by polarized neutron reflectometry
in the case of EuS/PbTe.


title: Jet substructure as a new Higgs search channel at the LHC

abstract:
  These proceedings discuss a possible new search strategy for a light Higgs
boson at the LHC, in high-pt WH and ZH production where the Higgs boson decays
to a single collimated b-bbar jet. Material is included that is complementary
to what was shown in the original article, arXiv:0802.2470.


title:
Quenched bond randomness in marginal and non-marginal Ising spin models
  in 2D

abstract:
  We investigate and contrast, via entropic sampling based on the Wang-Landau
algorithm, the effects of quenched bond randomness on the critical behavior of
two Ising spin models in 2D. The random bond version of the
superantiferromagnetic (SAF) square model with nearest- and
next-nearest-neighbor competing interactions and the corresponding version of
the simple Ising model are studied and their general universality aspects are
inspected by a detailed finite-size scaling (FSS) analysis. We find that, the
random bond SAF model obeys weak universality, hyperscaling, and exhibits a
strong saturating behavior of the specific heat due to the competing nature of
interactions. On the other hand, for the random Ising model we encounter some
difficulties for a definite discrimination between the two well-known scenarios
of the logarithmic corrections versus the weak universality. Yet, a careful FSS
analysis of our data favors the field-theoretically predicted logarithmic
corrections.


title: Multidimensional Visualization of Oracle Performance Using Barry007

abstract:
  Most generic performance tools display only system-level performance data
using 2-dimensional plots or diagrams and this limits the informational detail
that can be displayed. Moreover, a modern relational database system, like
Oracle, can concurrently serve thousands of client processes with different
workload characteristics, so that generic performance-data displays inevitably
hide important information. Drawing on our previous work, this paper
demonstrates the application of Barry007 multidimensional visualization to the
analysis of Oracle end-user, session-level, performance data, showing both
collective trends and individual performance anomalies.


title: Variational Monte-Carlo studies of Gossamer Superconductivity

abstract:
  We use a partially Gutzwiller projected BCS d-wave wavefunction with an
antiferromagentic weighting factor to study the ground state phase diagram of a
half filled Hubbard-Heisenberg model in a square lattice with nearest neighbor
hopping $t$ and a diagonal hopping $t'$. The calculations are carried out by
using variational Monte Carlo method which treats the Gutzwiller projection
explicitly. At large on-site Coulomb interaction $U$, the ground state is
antiferromagnetic. As $U$ decreases, the ground state becomes superconducting
and eventually metallic. The phase diagram is obtained by extensive
calculations. As compared to the strong effect of $U/t$, the phase boundaries
turn out to be less sensitive to $t'/t$. The result is consistent with the
phase diagram in layered organic conductors, and is compared to the earlier
mean field result based on the Gutzwiller approximation.


title: Shock heating in the group atmosphere of the radio galaxy B2 0838+32A

abstract:
  We present Chandra and radio observations, and analysis of Sloan Digital Sky
Survey data, of the radio galaxy B2 0838+32A (4C 32.26) and its environment.
The radio galaxy is at the centre of a nearby group that has often been
identified with the cluster Abell 695, but we argue that the original Abell
cluster is likely to be an unrelated and considerably more distant system. The
radio source is a restarting radio galaxy and, using our Chandra data, we argue
that the currently active lobes are expanding supersonically, driving a shock
with Mach number $2.4^{+1.0}_{-0.5}$ into the inter-stellar medium. This would
be only the third strong shock round a young radio source to be discovered,
after Centaurus A and NGC 3801. However, in contrast to both these systems, the
host galaxy of B2 0838+32A shows no evidence for a recent merger, while the AGN
spectrum shows no evidence for the dusty torus that would imply a large
reservoir of cold gas close to the central black hole. On the contrary, the AGN
spectrum is of a type that has been associated with the presence of a
radiativelyinefficient accretion flow that could be controlled by AGN heating
and subsequent cooling of the hot, X-ray emitting gas. If correct, this means
that B2 0838+32A is the first source in which we can directly see
entropy-increasing processes (shocks) driven by accretion from the hot phase of
the interstellar medium.


title:
Universal features and tail analysis of the order-parameter distribution
  of the two-dimensional Ising model: An entropic sampling Monte Carlo study

abstract:
  We present a numerical study of the order-parameter probability density
function (PDF) of the square Ising model for lattices with linear sizes
$L=80-140$. A recent efficient entropic sampling scheme, combining the
Wang-Landau and broad histogram methods and based on the high-levels of the
Wang-Landau process in dominant energy subspaces is employed. We find that for
large lattices there exists a stable window of the scaled order-parameter in
which the full ansatz including the pre-exponential factor for the tail regime
of the universal PDF is well obeyed. This window is used to estimate the
equation of state exponent and to observe the behavior of the universal
constants implicit in the functional form of the universal PDF. The probability
densities are used to estimate the universal Privman-Fisher coefficient and to
investigate whether one could obtain reliable estimates of the universal
constants controlling the asymptotic behavior of the tail regime.


title:
Locally semisimple and maximal subalgebras of the finitary Lie algebras
  $gl(\infty)$, $sl(\infty)$, $so(\infty)$, and $sp(\infty)$

abstract:
  We describe all locally semisimple subalgebras and all maximal subalgebras of
the finitary Lie algebras $\gl(\infty), \sl(\infty), \so(\infty)$, and
$\sp(\infty)$. For simple finite--dimensional Lie algebras these classes of
subalgebras have been described in the classical works of A. Malcev and E.
Dynkin.
  Key words (2000 MSC): 17B05 and 17B65.


title:
First-order transition features of the triangular Ising model with
  nearest- and next-nearest-neighbor antiferromagnetic interactions

abstract:
  We implement a new and accurate numerical entropic scheme to investigate the
first-order transition features of the triangular Ising model with
nearest-neighbor ($J_{nn}$) and next-nearest-neighbor ($J_{nnn}$)
antiferromagnetic interactions in ratio $R=J_{nn}/J_{nnn}=1$. Important aspects
of the existing theories of first-order transitions are briefly reviewed,
tested on this model, and compared with previous work on the Potts model. Using
lattices with linear sizes $L=30,40,...,100,120,140,160,200,240,360$ and 480 we
estimate the thermal characteristics of the present weak first-order
transition. Our results improve the original estimates of Rastelli et al. and
verify all the generally accepted predictions of the finite-size scaling theory
of first-order transitions, including transition point shifts, thermal, and
magnetic anomalies. However, two of our findings are not compatible with
current phenomenological expectations. The behavior of transition points,
derived from the number-of-phases parameter, is not in accordance with the
theoretically conjectured exponentially small shift behavior and the well-known
double Gaussian approximation does not correctly describe higher correction
terms of the energy cumulants. It is argued that this discrepancy has its
origin in the commonly neglected contributions from domain wall corrections.


title: Singular solutions of a modified two-component Camassa-Holm equation

abstract:
  The Camassa-Holm equation (CH) is a well known integrable equation describing
the velocity dynamics of shallow water waves. This equation exhibits
spontaneous emergence of singular solutions (peakons) from smooth initial
conditions. The CH equation has been recently extended to a two-component
integrable system (CH2), which includes both velocity and density variables in
the dynamics. Although possessing peakon solutions in the velocity, the CH2
equation does not admit singular solutions in the density profile. We modify
the CH2 system to allow dependence on average density as well as pointwise
density. The modified CH2 system (MCH2) does admit peakon solutions in velocity
and average density. We analytically identify the steepening mechanism that
allows the singular solutions to emerge from smooth spatially-confined initial
data. Numerical results for MCH2 are given and compared with the pure CH2 case.
These numerics show that the modification in MCH2 to introduce average density
has little short-time effect on the emergent dynamical properties. However, an
analytical and numerical study of pairwise peakon interactions for MCH2 shows a
new asymptotic feature. Namely, besides the expected soliton scattering
behavior seen in overtaking and head-on peakon collisions, MCH2 also allows the
phase shift of the peakon collision to diverge in certain parameter regimes.


title:
Probing the last scattering surface through the recent and future CMB
  observations

abstract:
  We have constrained the extended (delayed and accelerated) models of hydrogen
recombination, by investigating associated changes of the position and the
width of the last scattering surface. Using the recent CMB and SDSS data, we
find that the recent data constraints favor the accelerated recombination
model, though the other models (standard, delayed recombination) are not ruled
out at 1-$\sigma$ confidence level. If the accelerated recombination had
actually occurred in our early Universe, baryonic clustering on small-scales is
likely to be the cause of it. By comparing the ionization history of baryonic
cloud models with that of the best-fit accelerated recombination model, we find
that some portion of our early Universe has baryonic underdensity. We have made
the forecast on the PLANCK data constraint, which shows that we will be able to
rule out the standard or delayed recombination models, if the recombination in
our early Universe had proceeded with $\epsilon_\alpha\sim-0.01$ or lower, and
residual foregrounds and systematic effects are negligible.


title: Cosmological perturbations from multi-field inflation

abstract:
  We briefly review the standard derivation of the spectra of cosmological
perturbations in the simplest models of inflation. We then consider models with
several scalar fields, described by Lagrangians with an arbitrary dependence on
the kinetic terms. We illustrate our general formalism with the case of
multi-field DBI inflation.


title: Getting in the Zone for Successful Scalability

abstract:
  The universal scalability law (USL) is an analytic model used to quantify
application scaling. It is universal because it subsumes Amdahl's law and
Gustafson linearized scaling as special cases. Using simulation, we show: (i)
that the USL is equivalent to synchronous queueing in a load-dependent machine
repairman model and (ii) how USL, Amdahl's law, and Gustafson scaling can be
regarded as boundaries defining three scalability zones. Typical throughput
measurements lie across all three zones. Simulation scenarios provide deeper
insight into queueing effects and thus provide a clearer indication of which
application features should be tuned to get into the optimal performance zone.


title: Dynamic wetting with two competing adsorbates

abstract:
  We study the dynamic properties of a model for wetting with two competing
adsorbates on a planar substrate. The two species of particles have identical
properties and repel each other. Starting with a flat interface one observes
the formation of homogeneous droplets of the respective type separated by
nonwet regions where the interface remains pinned. The wet phase is
characterized by slow coarsening of competing droplets. Moreover, in 2+1
dimensions an additional line of continuous phase transition emerges in the
bound phase, which separates an unordered phase from an ordered one. The
symmetry under interchange of the particle types is spontaneously broken in
this region and finite systems exhibit two metastable states, each dominated by
one of the species. The critical properties of this transition are analyzed by
numeric simulations.


title:
Stacking Faults, Bound States, and Quantum Hall Plateaus in Crystalline
  Graphite

abstract:
  We analyze the electronic properties of a simple stacking defect in Bernal
graphite. We show that a bound state forms, which disperses as $|\bfk-\bfK|^3$
in the vicinity of either of the two inequivalent zone corners $\bfK$. In the
presence of a strong c-axis magnetic field, this bound state develops a Landau
level structure which for low energies behaves as $E\nd_n\propto |n B|^{3/2}$.
We show that buried stacking faults have observable consequences for surface
spectroscopy, and we discuss the implications for the three-dimensional quantum
Hall effect (3DQHE). We also analyze the Landau level structure and chiral
surface states of rhombohedral graphite, and show that, when doped, it should
exhibit multiple 3DQHE plateaus at modest fields.


title:
Polarization fine-structure and enhanced single-photon emission of
  self-assembled lateral InGaAs quantum dot molecules embedded in a planar
  micro-cavity

abstract:
  Single lateral InGaAs quantum dot molecules have been embedded in a planar
micro-cavity in order to increase the luminescence extraction efficiency. Using
a combination of metal-organic vapor phase and molecular beam epitaxy samples
could be produced that exhibit a 30 times enhanced single-photon emission rate.
We also show that the single-photon emission is fully switchable between two
different molecular excitonic recombination energies by applying a lateral
electric field. Furthermore, the presence of a polarization fine-structure
splitting of the molecular neutral excitonic states is reported which leads to
two polarization-split classically correlated biexciton exciton cascades. The
fine-structure splitting is found to be on the order of 10 micro-eV.


title:
Au-Ag template stripped pattern for scanning probe investigations of DNA
  arrays produced by Dip Pen Nanolithography

abstract:
  We report on DNA arrays produced by Dip Pen Nanolithography (DPN) on a novel
Au-Ag micro patterned template stripped surface. DNA arrays have been
investigated by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and scanning tunnelling
microscopy (STM) showing that the patterned template stripped substrate enables
easy retrieval of the DPN-functionalized zone with a standard optical
microscope permitting a multi-instrument and multi-technique local detection
and analysis. Moreover the smooth surface of the Au squares (abput 5-10
angstrom roughness) allows to be sensitive to the hybridization of the
oligonucleotide array with label-free target DNA. Our Au-Ag substrates,
combining the retrieving capabilities of the patterned surface with the
smoothness of the template stripped technique, are candidates for the
investigation of DPN nanostructures and for the development of label free
detection methods for DNA nanoarrays based on the use of scanning probes.


title: Depth as Randomness Deficiency

abstract:
  Depth of an object concerns a tradeoff between computation time and excess of
program length over the shortest program length required to obtain the object.
It gives an unconditional lower bound on the computation time from a given
program in absence of auxiliary information. Variants known as logical depth
and computational depth are expressed in Kolmogorov complexity theory.
  We derive quantitative relation between logical depth and computational depth
and unify the different depth notions by relating them to A. Kolmogorov and L.
Levin's fruitful notion of randomness deficiency. Subsequently, we revisit the
computational depth of infinite strings, introducing the notion of super deep
sequences and relate it with other approaches.


title: Inducing the cosmological constant from five-dimensional Weyl space

abstract:
  We investigate the possibility of inducing the cosmological constant from
extra dimensions by embedding our four-dimensional Riemannian space-time into a
five-dimensional Weyl integrable space. Following approach of the induced
matter theory we show that when we go down from five to four dimensions, the
Weyl field may contribute both to the induced energy-tensor as well as to the
cosmological constant, or more generally, it may generate a time-dependent
cosmological parameter. As an application, we construct a simple cosmological
model which has some interesting properties.


title: Multivariate side-band subtraction using probabilistic event weights

abstract:
  A common situation in experimental physics is to have a signal which can not
be separated from a non-interfering background through the use of any cut. In
this paper, we describe a procedure for determining, on an event-by-event
basis, a quality factor ($Q$-factor) that a given event originated from the
signal distribution. This procedure generalizes the "side-band" subtraction
method to higher dimensions without requiring the data to be divided into bins.
The $Q$-factors can then be used as event weights in subsequent analysis
procedures, allowing one to more directly access the true spectrum of the
signal.


title:
No isomorphism between the affine $\hat sl(2)$ algebra and the N=2
  superconformal algebras

abstract:
  Since 1999 it became obvious that the would be `isomorphism' between the
affine $\hat sl(2)$ algebra and the N=2 superconformal algebras, proposed by
some authors, simply does not work. However, this issue was never properly
discussed in the literature and, as a result, some confusion still remains. In
this article we finally settle down, clearly and unambiguously, the true facts:
there is no isomorphism between the affine $\hat sl(2)$ algebra and the N=2
superconformal algebras.


title:
Inclusive results for electron and photon scattering in the resonance
  region

abstract:
  We present a model for electron scattering off nuclei and photon absorption
in the resonance energy region (W <= 2 GeV). The elementary gamma/gamma*
N-vertex is described using in-medium kinematics and up-to-date form factors
for QE-scattering, pion-production form-factors and resonance helicity
amplitudes of the MAID analysis. We find good agreement with inclusive data on
electron scattering off Oxygen. For photon absorption in Carbon we find a large
impact of the momentum dependent mean-field acting on initial- and final-state
baryons.


title: Spanning Trees in Grid Graphs

abstract:
  Building on work by Desjarlais, Molina, Faase, and others, a general method
is obtained for counting the number of spanning trees of graphs that are a
product of an arbitrary graph and either a path or a cycle, of which grid
graphs are a subclass. Results are obtained pertaining to recurrences obtained
in this manner, and numerous new integer sequences are found.


title:
Strong magnetic coupling of an ultracold gas to a superconducting
  waveguide cavity

abstract:
  Placing an ensemble of $10^6$ ultracold atoms in the near field of a
superconducting coplanar waveguide resonator (CPWR) with $Q \sim 10^6$ one can
achieve strong coupling between a single microwave photon in the CPWR and a
collective hyperfine qubit state in the ensemble with $g_\textit{eff} / {2 \pi}
\sim 40$ kHz larger than the cavity line width of ${\kappa}/{2 \pi} \sim 7$
kHz. Integrated on an atomchip such a system constitutes a hybrid quantum
device, which also can be used to interconnect solid-state and atomic qubits,
to study and control atomic motion via the microwave field, observe microwave
super-radiance, build an integrated micro maser or even cool the resonator
field via the atoms.


title: Normalized Information Distance

abstract:
  The normalized information distance is a universal distance measure for
objects of all kinds. It is based on Kolmogorov complexity and thus
uncomputable, but there are ways to utilize it. First, compression algorithms
can be used to approximate the Kolmogorov complexity if the objects have a
string representation. Second, for names and abstract concepts, page count
statistics from the World Wide Web can be used. These practical realizations of
the normalized information distance can then be applied to machine learning
tasks, expecially clustering, to perform feature-free and parameter-free data
mining. This chapter discusses the theoretical foundations of the normalized
information distance and both practical realizations. It presents numerous
examples of successful real-world applications based on these distance
measures, ranging from bioinformatics to music clustering to machine
translation.


title: Simpler Analyses of Local Search Algorithms for Facility Location

abstract:
  We study local search algorithms for metric instances of facility location
problems: the uncapacitated facility location problem (UFL), as well as
uncapacitated versions of the $k$-median, $k$-center and $k$-means problems.
All these problems admit natural local search heuristics: for example, in the
UFL problem the natural moves are to open a new facility, close an existing
facility, and to swap a closed facility for an open one; in $k$-medians, we are
allowed only swap moves. The local-search algorithm for $k$-median was analyzed
by Arya et al. (SIAM J. Comput. 33(3):544-562, 2004), who used a clever
``coupling'' argument to show that local optima had cost at most constant times
the global optimum. They also used this argument to show that the local search
algorithm for UFL was 3-approximation; their techniques have since been applied
to other facility location problems.
  In this paper, we give a proof of the $k$-median result which avoids this
coupling argument. These arguments can be used in other settings where the Arya
et al. arguments have been used. We also show that for the problem of opening
$k$ facilities $F$ to minimize the objective function $\Phi_p(F) = \big(\sum_{j
\in V} d(j, F)^p\big)^{1/p}$, the natural swap-based local-search algorithm is
a $\Theta(p)$-approximation. This implies constant-factor approximations for
$k$-medians (when $p=1$), and $k$-means (when $p = 2$), and an $O(\log
n)$-approximation algorithm for the $k$-center problem (which is essentially $p
= \log n$).


title: Electromagnetic Processes in $\chi$EFT

abstract:
  Nuclear electromagnetic currents derived in a chiral-effective-field-theory
framework including explicit nucleons, $\Delta$ isobars, and pions up to
N$^2$LO, {\it i.e.} ignoring loop corrections, are used in a study of neutron
radiative captures on protons and deuterons at thermal energies, and of $A$=2
and 3 nuclei magnetic moments. With the strengths of the $\Delta$-excitation
currents determined to reproduce the $n$-$p$ cross section and isovector
combination of the trinucleon magnetic moments, we find that the cross section
and photon circular polarization parameter, measured respectively in $n$-$d$
and $\vec{n}$-$d$ processes, are significantly underpredicted by theory.


title:
The 15--43-GHz Parsec-scale Circular Polarization of 41 Active Galactic
  Nuclei

abstract:
  We present the results of parsec-scale circular polarization (CP)
measurements based on VLBA data for a number of radio-bright, core-dominated
AGN obtained simultaneously at 15, 22 and 43 GHz. The degrees of CP $m_c$ for
the VLBI core region at 15 GHz are similar to values reported earlier at this
wavelength, with typical values of a few tenths of a percent.We find that $m_c$
as often rises as falls with increasing frequency between 15 and 22 GHz, while
$m_c$ at 43 GHz is in all cases higher than at 22 and 15 GHz. This behaviour
seems contrary to expectations, since the degree of CP from both synchrotron
radiation and Faraday conversion of linear to circular polarization should {\em
decrease} towards higher frequencies if the source is homogeneous. The increase
in $m_c$ at 43 GHz may be due to the presence of regions of both positive and
negative CP with different frequency dependences on small scales within the
core region; alternatively, it may be associated with the intrinsic
inhomogeneity of a Blandford-K\"onigl-like jet. In several objects, the
detected CO appears to be near, but not coincident with the core, although
further observations are needed to confirm this. We find several cases of
changes in sign with frequency, most often between 22 and 43 GHz. We find
tentative evidence for transverse structure in the CP of 1055+018 and
1334$-$127 that is consistent with their being generated by either the
synchrotron mechanism or Faraday conversion in a helical magnetic field. Our
results confirm the earlier finding that the sign of the CP at a given
observing frequency is generally consistent across epochs separated by several
years or more, suggesting stability of the magnetic field orientation in the
innermost jets.


title:
A linear filter to reconstruct the ISW effect from CMB and LSS
  observations

abstract:
  The extraction of a signal from some observational data sets that contain
different contaminant emissions, often at a greater level than the signal
itself, is a common problem in Astrophysics and Cosmology. The signal can be
recovered, for instance, using a simple Wiener filter. However, in certain
cases, additional information may also be available, such as a second
observation which correlates to a certain level with the sought signal. In
order to improve the quality of the reconstruction, it would be useful to
include as well this additional information. Under these circumstances, we have
constructed a linear filter, the linear covariance-based filter, that extracts
the signal from the data but takes also into account the correlation with the
second observation. To illustrate the performance of the method, we present a
simple application to reconstruct the so-called Integrated Sachs-Wolfe effect
from simulated observations of the Cosmic Microwave Background and of
catalogues of galaxies.


title: On Effective Dimensional Reduction in Hyperbolic Spaces

abstract:
  It is shown that the classical motion of massive particles in hyperbolic
spaces $H^D$ has a bounded character in $D-1$ coordinates. Studying the Dirac
equation, it is found that a bounded character of the classical motion
corresponds to the effective dimensional reduction $D+1 \to 1+1$ for fermions
in the infrared region in the quantum problem. This effective dimensional
reduction leads to the zero critical value of coupling constant for dynamical
symmetry breaking in hyperbolic spaces.


title:
Tombaugh 2: The First Open Cluster with a Significant Abundance Spread
  or Embedded in a Cold Stellar Stream?

abstract:
  We present new abundances and radial velocities for stars in the field of the
open cluster Tombaugh 2, which has been suggested to be associated with the
Galactic Anticenter Stellar Structure (also known as the Monoceros stream).
Using VLT/FLAMES with the UVES and GIRAFFE spectrographs, we find a radial
velocity (RV) of <V_{r}> = 121 \pm 0.4 km/s using eighteen Tombaugh 2 cluster
stars. Our abundance analysis of RV-selected members finds that Tombaugh 2 is
more metal-rich than previous studies have found; moreover, unlike the previous
work, our larger sample also reveals that stars with the velocity of the
cluster show a relatively large spread in chemical properties (e.g.,
Delta[Fe/H] > 0.2). This is the first time a possible abundance spread has been
observed in an open cluster, though this is one of several possible
explanations for our observations. While there is an apparent trend of
[alpha/Fe] with [Fe/H], the distribution of abundances of these "RV cluster
members" also may hint at a possible division into two primary groups with
different mean chemical characteristics -- namely (<[Fe/H]>,<[Ti/Fe]>) ~
(-0.06, +0.02) and (-0.28, +0.36). Based on position and kinematics Tombaugh 2
is a likely member of the GASS/Monoceros stream, which makes Tombaugh 2 the
second star cluster within the originally proposed GASS/Monoceros family.
However, we explore other possible explanations for the observed spread in
abundances and two possible sub-populations, with the most likely explanation
being that the metal-poor ([Fe/H] = -0.28), more centrally-concentrated
population being the true Tombaugh 2 clusters stars and the metal-rich ([Fe/H]
= -0.06) population being an overlapping, and kinematically associated, but
"cold" (sigma_V < 2 km/s) stellar stream at R_{gc} >= 15 kpc.


title:
Minimizers for the Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov Theory of Neutron Stars and
  White Dwarfs

abstract:
  We prove the existence of minimizers for Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov (HFB) energy
functionals with attractive two-body interactions given by Newtonian gravity.
This class of HFB functionals serves as model problem for self-gravitating
relativistic Fermi systems, which are found in neutron stars and white dwarfs.
Furthermore, we derive some fundamental properties of HFB minimizers such as a
decay estimate for the minimizing density. A decisive feature of the HFB model
in gravitational physics is its failure of weak lower semicontinuity. This fact
essentially complicates the analysis compared to the well-studied Hartree-Fock
theories in atomic physics.


title: Lattice status of gluonia/glueballs

abstract:
  I briefly review lattice QCD calculations that study the 0++ glueball and
discuss implications for light flavour singlet 0++ mesons.


title: SCP06F6: A carbon-rich extragalactic transient at redshift z~0.14?

abstract:
  We show that the spectrum of the unusual transient SCP06F6 is consistent with
emission from a cool, optically thick and carbon-rich atmosphere if the
transient is located at a redshift of z~0.14. The implied extragalactic nature
of the transient rules out novae, shell flashes, and V838 Mon-like events as
cause of the observed brightening. The distance to SCP06F6 implies a peak
magnitude of M_I ~- 18, in the regime of supernovae. While the morphology of
the light curve of SCP06F6 around the peak in brightness resembles the slowly
evolving Type IIn supernovae SN1994Y and SN2006gy its spectroscopic appearence
differs from all previous observed supernovae. We further report the detection
of an X-ray source co-incident with SCP06F6 in a target of opportunity
XMM-Newton observation made during the declining phase of the transient. The
X-ray luminosity of L_X ~- (5+-1)e42 erg/s is two orders of magnitude higher
than observed to date from supernovae. If related to a supernova event, SCP06F6
may define a new class. An alternative, though less likely, scenario is the
tidal disruption of a carbon-rich star.


title: On the mean curvature of Nash isometric embeddings

abstract:
  J. Nash proved that the geometry of any Riemannian manifold M imposes no
restrictions to be embedded isometrically into a (fixed) ball
B_{\mathbb{R}^{N}}(1) of the Euclidean space R^N. However, the geometry of M
appears, to some extent, imposing restrictions on the mean curvature vector of
the embedding.


title: Recent Developments in the Casimir Effect

abstract:
  In this talk I review various developments in the past year concerning
quantum vacuum energy, the Casimir effect. In particular, there has been
continuing controversy surrounding the temperature correction to the Lifshitz
formula for the Casimir force between real materials, be they metals or
semiconductors. Consensus has emerged as to how Casimir energy accelerates in a
weak gravitational field; quantum vacuum energy, including the divergent parts
which renormalize the masses of the Casimir plates, accelerates indeed
according to the equivalence principle. Significant development has been
forthcoming in applying the multiple scattering formalism to describe the
interaction between nontrivial objects. In weak coupling, closed-form
expressions for the Casimir force between the bodies, which for example reveal
significant discrepancies from the naive proximity force approximation, can be
achieved in many cases.


title:
Extreme value statistics and the Pareto distribution in silicon
  photonics

abstract:
  L-shape probability distributions are extremely non-Gaussian distributions
that have been surprisingly successful in describing the frequency of
occurrence of extreme events, ranging from stock market crashes and natural
disasters, the structure of biological systems, fractals, and optical rogue
waves. In this paper, we show that fluctuations in stimulated Raman scattering
in silicon, as well as in coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering, can follow
extreme value statistics and provide mathematical insight into the origin of
this behavior. As an example of the experimental observations, we find that 16%
of the Stokes pulses account for 84% of the pump energy transfer, an uncanny
resemblance to the empirical Pareto principle or the 80/20 rule that describes
important observation in socioeconomics.


title: Resonance phenomena in ultracold dipole-dipole scattering

abstract:
  Elastic scattering resonances occurring in ultracold collisions of either
bosonic or fermionic polar molecules are investigated. The Born-Oppenheimer
adiabatic representation of the two-bodydynamics provides both a qualitative
classification scheme and a quantitative WKB quantization condition that
predicts several sequences of resonant states. It is found that the
near-threshold energy dependence of ultracold collision cross sections varies
significantly with the particle exchange symmetry, with bosonic systems showing
much smoother energy variations than their fermionic counterparts. Resonant
variations of the angular distributions in ultracold collisions are also
described.


title: Quasi-Local Energy Flux of Spacetime Perturbation

abstract:
  A general expression for quasi-local energy flux for spacetime perturbation
is derived from covariant Hamiltonian formulation using functional
differentiability and symplectic structure invariance, which is independent of
the choice of the canonical variables and the possible boundary terms one
initially puts into the Lagrangian in the diffeomorphism invariant theories.
The energy flux expression depends on a displacement vector field and the
2-surface under consideration. We apply and test the expression in Vaidya
spacetime. At null infinity the expression leads to the Bondi type energy flux
obtained by Lindquist, Schwartz and Misner. On dynamical horizons with a
particular choice of the displacement vector, it gives the area balance law
obtained by Ashtekar and Krishnan.


title: Are Copying and Innovation Enough?

abstract:
  Exact analytic solutions and various numerical results for the rewiring of
bipartite networks are discussed. An interpretation in terms of copying and
innovation processes make this relevant in a wide variety of physical contexts.
These include Urn models and Voter models, and our results are also relevant to
some studies of Cultural Transmission, the Minority Game and some models of
ecology.


title: The edge spectrum of Chern insulators with rough boundaries

abstract:
  Chern insulators are periodic band insulators with the property that their
projector onto the occupied bands have non-zero Chern number. Chern insulator
with a homogeneous boundary display continuum spectrum that fills the entire
insulating gap. The local density of states corresponding to this part of the
spectrum is localized near the boundary, hence the terminology edge spectrum.
An interesting question arises, namely, if a rough boundary, which can be seen
as a strong random potential acting on these quasi 1-dimensional states, would
destroy the continuum edge spectrum. This paper shows how such question can be
answered via a newly formulated abstract framework in which the expectation
value of the current of a general observable is connected to the index of a
specific Fredholm operator. For the present application, we will connect the
expectation value of the charge edge current with the index of a Fredholm
operator that remains invariant under arbitrary deformations of the boundary.

categories: cond-mat.mes-hall cond-mat.mtrl-sci math-ph math.MP


title: Uniqueness and Non-uniqueness in inverse radiative transfer

abstract:
  We characterize the non-uniqueness in the inverse problem for the stationary
transport model, in which the absorption "a" and the scattering coefficient "k"
are to be recovered from the albedo operator. We show that "gauge equivalent"
pairs (a,k) yield the same albedo operator, and that we can recover uniquely
the class of gauge equivalent pairs. We apply this result to show unique
determination of the media when the absorption "a" depends on the line of
travel through each point while scattering "k" obeys a symmetry property.
Previously known results concerned directional independent absorption.


title: Black Holes at the LHC: Progress since 2002

abstract:
  We review the recent noticeable progresses in black hole physics focusing on
the up-coming super-collider, the LHC. We discuss the classical formation of
black holes by particle collision, the greybody factors for higher dimensional
rotating black holes, the deep implications of black hole physics to the
`energy-distance' relation, the security issues of the LHC associated with
black hole formation and the newly developed Monte-Carlo generators for black
hole events.


title: Analyticity of the Free Energy of a Closed 3-Manifold

abstract:
  The free energy of a closed 3-manifold is a 2-parameter formal power series
which encodes the perturbative Chern-Simons invariant (also known as the LMO
invariant) of a closed 3-manifold with gauge group U(N) for arbitrary $N$. We
prove that the free energy of an arbitrary closed 3-manifold is uniformly
Gevrey-1. As a corollary, it follows that the genus $g$ part of the free energy
is convergent in a neighborhood of zero, independent of the genus. Our results
follow from an estimate of the LMO invariant, in a particular gauge, and from
recent results of Bender-Gao-Richmond on the asymptotics of the number of
rooted maps for arbitrary genus. We illustrate our results with an explicit
formula for the free energy of a Lens space. In addition, using the Painlev\'e
differential equation, we obtain an asymptotic expansion for the number of
cubic graphs to all orders, stengthening the results of Bender-Gao-Richmond.


title:
Mechanics of Quark Exchange in High-Energy Hadron Reactions at Forward
  Angles

abstract:
  The 2-quark back-angle scattering mechanism is shown to reproduce main
features of high-energy $hh$ flavor-exchange reactions. Prospects for reduction
of the reaction matrix element to a form of convolution of hadron wave
functions with the hard scattering kernel are discussed. Wave function models
suitable for convolution with the kernel, which is singular at small $x$, and
the emerging form-factor types, are discussed.


title:
Elliptic Hypergeometric Laurent Biorthogonal Polynomials with a Dense
  Point Spectrum on the Unit Circle

abstract:
  Using the technique of the elliptic Frobenius determinant, we construct new
elliptic solutions of the $QD$-algorithm. These solutions can be interpreted as
elliptic solutions of the discrete-time Toda chain as well. As a by-product, we
obtain new explicit orthogonal and biorthogonal polynomials in terms of the
elliptic hypergeometric function ${_3}E_2(z)$. Their recurrence coefficients
are expressed in terms of the elliptic functions. In the degenerate case we
obtain the Krall-Jacobi polynomials and their biorthogonal analogs.


title:
Magnetic breakdown of cyclotron orbits in systems with Rashba and
  Dresselhaus spin-orbit coupling

abstract:
  We study the effect of the interplay between the Rashba and the Dresselhaus
spin-orbit couplings on the transverse electron focusing in two-dimensional
electron gases. Depending on their relative magnitude, the presence of both
couplings can result in the splitting of the first focusing peak into two or
three. This splitting has information about the relative value of spin-orbit
couplings and therefore about the shape of the Fermi surface. More interesting,
the presence of the third peak is directly related to the tunneling probability
("magnetic breakdown") between orbits corresponding to the different sheets of
the Fermi surface. In addition, destructive interference effects between paths
that involve tunneling and those that do not can be observed in the second
focusing condition. Such electron paths (orbits) could be experimentally
detected using current techniques for imaging the electron flow opening the
possibility to directly observe and characterize the magnetic breakdown effect
in this system.


title:
First-order quantum perturbation theory and Colombeau generalized
  functions

abstract:
  The electromagnetic scattering of a spin-0 charged particle off a fixed
center is calculated in first-order quantum perturbation theory.
  This implies evaluating the square of a `Dirac delta-function,' an operation
that is not defined in Schwartz distribution theory, and which in elementary
text-books is dealt with according to `Fermi's golden rule.'
  In this paper these conventional calculations are carefully reviewed, and
their crucial parts reformulated in a Colombeau algebra -- in which the product
of distributions is mathematically well defined.
  The conclusions are: (1) The Dirac delta-function insuring energy
conservation in first order perturbation theory belongs to a particular subset
of representatives of the Schwartz distribution defined by the Dirac measure.
These particular representatives have a well-defined square, and lead to a
physically meaningful result in agreement with the data. (2) A truly consistent
mathematical interpretation of these representatives is provided by their
redefinition as Colombeau generalized functions. This implies that their
square, and therefore the quantum mechanical rule leading from amplitudes to
probabilities, is rigorously defined.


title: Chiral control of electron transmission through molecules

abstract:
  Electron transmission through chiral molecules induced by circularly
polarized light can be very different for mirror-image structures, a peculiar
fact given that the electronic energy spectra of the systems are identical. We
propose that this asymmetry - as large as 10% for resonance transport- arises
from different dynamical responses of the mirrored structures to coherent
excitation. This behaviour is described in the context of a general novel
phenomenon, current transfer, transfer of charge with its momentum information,
that is outlined in terms of a simple tight binding model. This analysis makes
it possible to account for the observed asymmetry in and off resonance, to
characterize its dependence on the length of the molecular bridge and to
examine effects of dephasing processes.


title:
Conductivity of suspended and non-suspended graphene at finite gate
  voltage

abstract:
  We compute the DC and the optical conductivity of graphene for finite values
of the chemical potential by taking into account the effect of disorder, due to
mid-gap states (unitary scatterers) and charged impurities, and the effect of
both optical and acoustic phonons. The disorder due to mid-gap states is
treated in the coherent potential approximation (CPA, a self-consistent
approach based on the Dyson equation), whereas that due to charged impurities
is also treated via the Dyson equation, with the self-energy computed using
second order perturbation theory. The effect of the phonons is also included
via the Dyson equation, with the self energy computed using first order
perturbation theory. The self-energy due to phonons is computed both using the
bare electronic Green's function and the full electronic Green's function,
although we show that the effect of disorder on the phonon-propagator is
negligible. Our results are in qualitative agreement with recent experiments.
Quantitative agreement could be obtained if one assumes water molelcules under
the graphene substrate. We also comment on the electron-hole asymmetry observed
in the DC conductivity of suspended graphene.


title: Exercises in the birational geometry of algebraic varieties

abstract:
  This a collection of about 100 exercises. It could be used as a supplement to
the book Koll\'ar--Mori: Birational geometry of algebraic varieties.


title: A 600 minute near-infrared lightcurve of Sagittarius A*

abstract:
  We present the longest, by a factor of two, near-infrared lightcurve from Sgr
A* - the supermassive black hole in the Galactic center. Achieved by combining
Keck and VLT data from one common night, which fortuitously had simultaneous
Chandra and SMA data, this lightcurve is used to address two outstanding
problems. First, a putative quasi-periodicity of ~20 min reported by groups
using ESO's VLT is not confirmed by Keck observations. Second, while the
infrared and mm-regimes are thought to be related based on reported time lags
between lightcurves from the two wavelength domains, the reported time lag of
20 min inferred using the Keck data of this common VLT/Keck night only is at
odds with the lag of ~100 min reported earlier. With our long lightcurve, we
find that (i) the simultaneous 1.3 millimeter observations are in fact
consistent with a ~100 min time lag, (ii) the different methods of NIR
photometry used by the VLT and Keck groups lead to consistent results, (iii)
the Lomb-Scargle periodogram of the whole NIR lightcurve is featureless and
follows a power-law with slope -1.6, and (iv) scanning the lightcurve with a
sliding window to look for a transient QPO phenomenon reveals for a certain
part of the lightcurve a 25 min peak in the periodogram. Using Monte Carlo
simulations and taking the number of trials into account, we find it to be
insignificant.


title: Measurement of the Single Top Quark Production Cross Section at CDF

abstract:
  We report a measurement of the single top quark production cross section in
2.2 ~fb-1 of p-pbar collision data collected by the Collider Detector at
Fermilab at sqrt{s}=1.96 TeV. Candidate events are classified as signal-like by
three parallel analyses which use likelihood, matrix element, and neural
network discriminants. These results are combined in order to improve the
sensitivity. We observe a signal consistent with the standard model prediction,
but inconsistent with the background-only model by 3.7 standard deviations with
a median expected sensitivity of 4.9 standard deviations. We measure a cross
section of 2.2 +0.7 -0.6(stat+sys) pb, extract the CKM matrix element value
|V_{tb}|=0.88 +0.13 -0.12 (stat+sys) +- 0.07(theory), and set the limit
|V_{tb}|>0.66 at the 95% C.L.


title: Charmonium in lattice QCD and the non-relativistic quark-model

abstract:
  We compare the results of a numerical lattice QCD calculation of the
charmonium spectrum with the structure of a general non-relativistic potential
model. To achieve this we form the non-relativistic reduction of
derivative-based fermion bilinear interpolating fields used in lattice QCD
calculations and compute their overlap with c-cbar meson states at rest
constructed in the non-relativistic quark model, providing a bound-state model
interpretation for the lattice data. Essential gluonic components in the
bound-states, usually called hybrids, are identified by considering
interpolating fields that involve the gluonic field-strength tensor and which
have zero overlap onto simple c-cbar model states.