title: Dephasing in quantum chaotic transport: a semiclassical approach

abstract:
  We investigate the effect of dephasing/decoherence on quantum transport
through open chaotic ballistic conductors in the semiclassical limit of small
Fermi wavelength to system size ratio, $\lambda_F/L << 1$. We use the
trajectory-based semiclassical theory to study a two-terminal chaotic dot with
decoherence originating from:
  (i) an external closed quantum chaotic environment,
  (ii) a classical source of noise,
  (iii) a voltage probe, i.e. an additional current-conserving terminal.
  We focus on the pure dephasing regime, where the coupling to the external
source of dephasing is so weak that it does not induce energy relaxation. In
addition to the universal algebraic suppression of weak localization, we find
an exponential suppression of weak-localization $\propto
\exp[-\tilde{\tau}/\tau_\phi]$, with the dephasing rate $\tau_\phi^{-1}$. The
parameter $\tilde{\tau}$ depends strongly on the source of dephasing. For a
voltage probe, $\tilde{\tau}$ is of order the Ehrenfest time $\propto \ln
[L/\lambda_F ]$. In contrast, for a chaotic environment or a classical source
of noise, it has the correlation length $\xi$ of the coupling/noise potential
replacing the Fermi wavelength $\lambda_F $. We explicitly show that the Fano
factor for shot noise is unaffected by decoherence. We connect these results to
earlier works on dephasing due to electron-electron interactions, and
numerically confirm our findings.


title:
Comment on: Direct space-time observation of pulse tunneling in an
  electromagnetic band gap, S.Doiron,A.Hache,H.Winful

abstract:
  The title of this article is misleading. The authors have investigated a
resonator but not a tunneling barrier see also Refs.\cite{Winful2} The measured
superluminal group velocity and discussed is that studied on a Lorentz-Lorenz
oscillator by Sommerfeld and Brillouin a hundred years ago \cite{Brillouin}. It
is similar to the faster than light experiment by Wang et al. based also on
anomalous dispersion with a complex refractive index of a resonator
  \cite{Wang}.
  Tunneling, however, is understood and performed by electromagnetic evanescent
modes or by tunneling solutions of the Schr\"odinger equation, which have
purely imaginary wave numbers. The latter includes a purely imaginary
refractive index. Signals with purely evanescent frequency components can
travel at a superluminal velocity \cite{NimtzH,Nimtz1}. Inside the barrier
tunneling proceeds even instantaneously, i.e.by a process described by virtual
photons \cite{Stahlhofen}.


title: $\bar{\psi} \psi$-condensate in constant magnetic fields

abstract:
  We solve Dirac equation in the presence of a constant magnetic field in
(3+1)- and (2+1)-dimensions. Quantizing the fermion field, we calculate
$\bar{\psi} \psi$-condensate from first principles for parity conserving and
violating Lagrangians for arbitrary field strength. We make comparison with the
results already known in the literature for some particular cases and point out
the relevance of our work for possible physical applications.


title: Study of the Correlations Between Stocks of Different Markets

abstract:
  We study correlations of a set of stocks selected from both the New York and
London stock exchanges. Results are displayed using both Random Matrix Theory
approach and the graphical visualisation of the Minimal Spanning Tree. For the
set of stocks we study, cross correlations between markets do not mix the
markets significantly. Geographical differences seem to dominate the output of
a Random Matrix analysis. Only at the level of the third highest eigenvector do
we see an effect of New York on the London data with the emergence of some
common sectors with the larger eigenvectors in London and New York. The Minimal
Spanning Trees show the broad separation of the markets as reflected in the
second eigenvector of the Random Matrix analysis. However more detail is
difficult to discern from the Minimal Spanning Trees analysis.


title: Search for Higgs decays to tau lepton pairs at the Tevatron

abstract:
  We present a search for neutral supersymmetric Higgs bosons decaying to
tau+tau- pairs produced in ppbar collisions at sqrt{s}=1.96 TeV. The data have
been collected with the CDF II and D0 detectors at the Tevatron collider at
Fermilab (1 fb^-1 of integrated luminosity per experiment). No significant
excess above the standard model backgrounds is observed. We set exclusion
limits on the Higgs production cross-section times the branching fraction of
its decay to tau+tau- pairs for Higgs masses in the range from 90 to 250
GeV/c^2. We also set exclusion limits on MSSM parameters m_A and tan_beta in
several benchmark scenarios.


title: On the optimality of the neighbor-joining algorithm

abstract:
  The popular neighbor-joining (NJ) algorithm used in phylogenetics is a greedy
algorithm for finding the balanced minimum evolution (BME) tree associated to a
dissimilarity map. From this point of view, NJ is ``optimal'' when the
algorithm outputs the tree which minimizes the balanced minimum evolution
criterion. We use the fact that the NJ tree topology and the BME tree topology
are determined by polyhedral subdivisions of the spaces of dissimilarity maps
${\R}_{+}^{n \choose 2}$ to study the optimality of the neighbor-joining
algorithm. In particular, we investigate and compare the polyhedral
subdivisions for $n \leq 8$. A key requirement is the measurement of volumes of
spherical polytopes in high dimension, which we obtain using a combination of
Monte Carlo methods and polyhedral algorithms. We show that highly unrelated
trees can be co-optimal in BME reconstruction, and that NJ regions are not
convex. We obtain the $l_2$ radius for neighbor-joining for $n=5$ and we
conjecture that the ability of the neighbor-joining algorithm to recover the
BME tree depends on the diameter of the BME tree.


title: Linearizable ordinary differential equations

abstract:
  Our purpose in this paper is to study when a planar differential system
polynomial in one variable linearizes in the sense that it has an inverse
integrating factor which can be constructed by means of the solutions of linear
differential equations. We give several families of differential systems which
illustrate how the integrability of the system passes through the solutions of
a linear differential equation. At the end of the work, we describe some
families of differential systems which are Darboux integrable and whose inverse
integrating factor is constructed using the solutions of a second--order linear
differential equation defining a family of orthogonal polynomials.


title: Forecasting for stationary binary time series

abstract:
  The forecasting problem for a stationary and ergodic binary time series
$\{X_n\}_{n=0}^{\infty}$ is to estimate the probability that $X_{n+1}=1$ based
on the observations $X_i$, $0\le i\le n$ without prior knowledge of the
distribution of the process $\{X_n\}$. It is known that this is not possible if
one estimates at all values of $n$. We present a simple procedure which will
attempt to make such a prediction infinitely often at carefully selected
stopping times chosen by the algorithm. We show that the proposed procedure is
consistent under certain conditions, and we estimate the growth rate of the
stopping times.


title: Mesoscopic Spin-Boson Models of Trapped Ions

abstract:
  Trapped ions arranged in Coulomb crystals provide us with the elements to
study the physics of a single spin coupled to a boson bath. In this work we
show that optical forces allow us to realize a variety of spin-boson models,
depending on the crystal geometry and the laser configuration. We study in
detail the Ohmic case, which can be implemented by illuminating a single ion
with a travelling wave. The mesoscopic character of the phonon bath in trapped
ions induces new effects like the appearance of quantum revivals in the spin
evolution.


title:
Reply to the Comment on "Passage Times for Unbiased Polymer
  Translocation through a Narrow Pore"

abstract:
  Theoretical derivation and numerical confirmation are provided for the
scaling of pore-blockade times as $N^{2+\nu}$ for unbiased translocation in two
and three dimensions, with $N$ as the polymer length and $\nu$ as the Flory
exponent of the polymer. The polymer performs Rouse dynamics.


title: Heavy quark free energies for three quark systems at finite temperature

abstract:
  We study the free energy of static three quark systems in singlet, octet,
decuplet and average color channels in the quenched approximation and in
2-flavor QCD at finite temperature. We show that in the high temperature phase
singlet and decuplet free energies of three quark systems are well described by
the sum of the free energies of three diquark systems plus self energy
contributions of the three quarks. In the confining low temperature phase we
find evidence for a Y-shaped flux tube in SU(3) pure gauge theory, which is
less evident in 2-flavor QCD due to the onset of string breaking. We also
compare the short distance behavior of octet and decuplet free energies to the
free energies of single static quarks in the corresponding color
representations.


title: The Bramble-Hilbert Lemma

abstract:
  This is an introductory document surveying several results in polynomial
approximation, known as the Bramble-Hilbert lemma.


title:
Classification of Finite Dimensional Modular Lie Superalgebras with
  Indecomposable Cartan Matrix

abstract:
  Finite dimensional modular Lie superalgebras over algebraically closed fields
with indecomposable Cartan matrices are classified under some technical, most
probably inessential, hypotheses. If the Cartan matrix is invertible, the
corresponding Lie superalgebra is simple otherwise the quotient of the derived
Lie superalgebra modulo center is simple (if its rank is greater than 1).
Eleven new exceptional simple modular Lie superalgebras are discovered. Several
features of classic notions, or notions themselves, are clarified or
introduced, e.g., Cartan matrix, several versions of restrictedness in
characteristic 2, Dynkin diagram, Chevalley generators, and even the notion of
Lie superalgebra if the characteristic is equal to 2. Interesting phenomena in
characteristic 2: (1) all simple Lie superalgebras with Cartan matrix are
obtained from simple Lie algebras with Cartan matrix by declaring several (any)
of its Chevalley generators odd; (2) there exist simple Lie superalgebras whose
even parts are solvable. The Lie superalgebras of fixed points of automorphisms
corresponding to the symmetries of Dynkin diagrams are also listed and their
simple subquotients described.


title:
Absorption Effects due to Spin in the Worldline Approach to Black Hole
  Dynamics

abstract:
  We generalize the effective point particle approach to black hole dynamics to
include spin. In this approach dissipative effects are captured by degrees of
freedom localized on the wordline. The absorptive properties of the black hole
are determined by correlation functions which can be matched with the graviton
absorption cross section in the long wavelength approximation. For rotating
black holes, superradiance is responsible for the leading contribution. The
effective theory is then used to predict the power loss due to spin in the
dynamics of non-relativistic binary systems. An enhancement of three powers of
the relative velocity is found with respect to the non-rotating case. Then we
generalize the results to other type of constituents in the binary system, such
as rotating neutron stars. Finally we compute the power loss absorbed by a test
spinning black hole in a given spacetime background.


title: T-duality, Gerbes and Loop Spaces

abstract:
  We revisit sigma models on target spaces given by a principal torus fibration
$X\to M$, and show how treating the 2-form B as a gerbe connection captures the
gauging obstructions and the global constraints on the T-duality. We show that
a gerbe connection on X, which is invariant with respect to the torus action,
yields an affine double torus fibration Y over the base space M - the
generalization of the correspondence space. We construct a symplectic form on
the cotangent bundle to the loop space LY and study the relation of its
symmetries to T-duality. We find that geometric T-duality is possible if and
only if the torus symmetry is generated by Hamiltonian vector fields. Put
differently, the obstruction to T-duality is the non-Hamiltonian action of the
symmetry group.


title: A random walk approach to anomalous particle and energy transport

abstract:
  The combined Continuous Time Random Walk (CTRW) in position and momentum
space is introduced, in the form of two coupled integral equations that
describe the evolution of the probability distribution for finding a particle
at a certain position and with a certain momentum as a function of time. The
integral equations are solved numerically with a pseudospectral method that is
based on the expansion of the unknown functions in terms of Chebyshev
polynomials. In parallel, Monte-Carlo simulation are performed. Through the
inclusion of momentum space, the combined CTRW is able to yield results on
density and temperature profile evolution, on particle and heat fluxes and
diffusivities, and on kinetic energy distributions. Depending on the choice of
the probability distributions of the particle displacements in position and
momentum space, the combined CTRW is able to model phenomena of anomalous
transport in position as well as in momentum (or energy or velocity) space. An
application is made to a toroidally confined plasma that undergoes off-center
injection of cold plasma (off-axis fueling), using two variants of the model,
the mixed model and the critical gradient model. The phenomenon of profile
stiffness is addressed, both for the density and for the temperature profile,
respectively, and the particle and energy confinement times are determined. The
analysis of the particle and heat fluxes shows that the dynamics realized in
the combined CTRW is incompatible with the classical approach of Fick's or
Fourier's law for particle and heat transport, respectively.


title:
Bounds on long-lived charged massive particles from Big Bang
  nucleosynthesis

abstract:
  The Big Bang nucleosynthesis (BBN) in the presence of charged massive
particles (CHAMPs) is studied in detail. All currently known effects due to the
existence of bound states between CHAMPs and nuclei, including possible
late-time destruction of Li6 and Li7 are included. The study sets conservative
bounds on CHAMP abundances in the decay time range 3x10^2 sec - 10^12 sec. It
is stressed that the production of Li6 at early times T ~ 10keV is
overestimated by a factor ~ 10 when the approximation of the Saha equation for
the He4 bound state fraction is utilised. To obtain conservative limits on the
abundance of CHAMPs, a Monte-Carlo analysis with ~ 3x10^6 independent BBN runs,
varying reaction rates of nineteen different reactions, is performed (see
attached erratum, however). The analysis yields the surprising result that
except for small areas in the particle parameter space conservative constraints
on the abundance of decaying charged particles are currently very close to
those of neutral particles. It is shown that, in case a number of heretofore
unconsidered reactions may be determined reliably in future, it is conceivable
that the limit on CHAMPs in the early Universe could be tightened by orders of
magnitude. An ERRATUM gives limits on primordial CHAMP densities when the by
Ref. Kamimura et al. recently more accurately determined CHAMP reaction rates
are employed.


title: One optional observation inflates $\alpha$ by $100/\sqrt{n}$ per cent

abstract:
  For one-sample level $\alpha$ tests $\psi_m$ based on independent
observations $X_1,...,X_m$, we prove an asymptotic formula for the actual level
of the test rejecting if at least one of the tests $\psi_{n},...,\psi_{n+k}$
would reject. For $k=1$ and usual tests at usual levels $\alpha$, the result is
approximately summarized by the title of this paper.
  Our method of proof, relying on some second order asymptotic statistics as
developed by Pfanzagl and Wefelmeyer, might also be useful for proper
sequential analysis. A simple and elementary alternative proof is given for
$k=1$ in the special case of the Gauss test.


title: Cosmological model with non-minimally coupled fermionic field

abstract:
  A model for the Universe is proposed whose constituents are: (a) a dark
energy field modeled by a fermionic field non-minimally coupled with the
gravitational field, (b) a matter field which consists of pressureless baryonic
and dark matter fields and (c) a field which represents the radiation and the
neutrinos. The coupled system of Dirac's equations and Einstein field equations
is solved numerically by considering a spatially flat homogeneous and isotropic
Universe. It is shown that the proposed model can reproduce the expected
red-shift behaviors of the deceleration parameter, of the density parameters of
each constituent and of the luminosity distance. Furthermore, for small values
of the red-shift the constant which couples the fermionic and gravitational
fields has a remarkable influence on the density and deceleration parameters.


title: Hermitian structures defined by linear electromagnetic constitutive laws

abstract:
  It is demonstrated that when the bundle of 2-forms on a four-dimensional
manifold M admits an almost-complex structure any choice of "real + imaginary"
subspace decomposition of the bundle defines a conjugation map, as well as a
Hermitian structure for the bundle. When the almost-complex structure comes
from a linear electromagnetic constitutive law, the real and imaginary parts of
the Hermitian structure are then shown to represent the Hamiltonian for an
anisotropic three-dimensional electromagnetic oscillator at each point of M and
a symplectic structure for each fiber. The complex form of the oscillator
equations is also definable in terms of the geometric structures that were
introduced.


title: A note on the logarithmic (p,p') fusion

abstract:
  The procedure in [Fuchs et al.] to obtain a fusion algebra from the modular
transformation of characters in logarithmic conformal field models is extended
to the (p,p') logarithmic models. The resulting fusion algebra coincides with
the Grothendieck ring of the quantum group of the (p,p') model.


title: Ramond-Ramond Fields, Cohomology and Non-Geometric Fluxes

abstract:
  We consider compactifications of type II string theory in which a
d-dimensional torus is fibered over a base X. In string theory, the transition
functions of this fibration need not be simply diffeomorphisms of T^d but can
involve elements of the T-duality group Spin(d,d,Z). We precisely define the
notion of a T-fold with NSNS flux. Given such a T-fold, we define the
Z_2-graded cohomology theory describing the unquantized RR field strengths and
discuss how the data of a T-fold can be interpreted in terms of generalized
NSNS fluxes and the twisted differential of Shelton-Taylor-Wecht.


title: The Calabi flow on K\"ahler surface with bounded Sobolev constant

abstract:
  We consider the formation of singularities along the Calabi flow with the
assumption of the uniform Sobolev constant. In particular, on K\"ahler surface
we show that any "maximal bubble" has to be a scalar flat ALE K\"ahler metric.
In some certain classes on toric Fano surface, the Sobolev constant is a priori
bounded along the Calabi flow with small Calabi energy. Also we can show in
certain case no maximal bubble can form along the flow, it follows that the
curvature tensor is uniformly bounded and the flow exists for all time and
converges to an extremal metric subsequently. To illustrate our results more
clearly, we focus on an example on CP^2 blown up three points at generic
position. Our result also implies existence of constant scalar curvature
metrics on CP^2 blown up three points at generic position in the K\"ahler
classes where the exceptional divisors have the same area.


title: Onset of mechanical stability in random packings of frictional spheres

abstract:
  Using sedimentation to obtain precisely controlled packings of noncohesive
spheres, we find that the volume fraction $\phi_{\rm RLP}$ of the loosest
mechanically stable packing is in an operational sense well defined by a limit
process. This random loose packing volume fraction decreases with decreasing
pressure $p$ and increasing interparticle friction coefficient $\mu$. Using
X-ray tomography to correct for a container boundary effect that depends on
particle size, we find for rough particles in the limit $p \to 0$ a new lower
bound, $\phi_{\rm RLP} = 0.550 \pm 0.001$.


title:
Decomposable Subspaces, Linear Sections of Grassmann Varieties, and
  Higher Weights of Grassmann Codes

abstract:
  Given a homogeneous component of an exterior algebra, we characterize those
subspaces in which every nonzero element is decomposable. In geometric terms,
this corresponds to characterizing the projective linear subvarieties of the
Grassmann variety with its Plucker embedding. When the base field is finite, we
consider the more general question of determining the maximum number of points
on sections of Grassmannians by linear subvarieties of a fixed (co)dimension.
This corresponds to a known open problem of determining the complete weight
hierarchy of linear error correcting codes associated to Grassmann varieties.
We recover most of the known results as well as prove some new results. In the
process we obtain, and utilize, a simple generalization of the Griesmer-Wei
bound for arbitrary linear codes.


title: Kinematics and Composition of the Galactic Bulge: Recent Progress

abstract:
  We present recent results from a Keck study of the composition of the
Galactic bulge, as well as results from the bulge Bulge Radial Velocity Assay
(BRAVA). Culminating a 10 year investigation, Fulbright, McWilliam, & Rich
(2006, 2007) solved the problem of deriving the iron abundance in the Galactic
bulge, and find enhanced alpha element abundances, consistent with the earlier
work of McWilliam & Rich (1994). We also report on a radial velocity survey of
{\sl 2MASS}-selected M giant stars in the Galactic bulge, observed with the
CTIO 4m Hydra multi-object spectrograph. This program is to test dynamical
models of the bulge and to search for and map any dynamically cold substructure
in the Galactic bulge. We show initial results on fields at $-10^{\circ} < l
<+10^{\circ}$ and $b=-4^{\circ}$. We construct a longitude-velocity plot for
the bulge stars and the model data, and find that contrary to previous studies,
the bulge does not rotate as a solid body; from $-5^{\circ}<l<+5^{\circ}$ the
rotation curve has a slope of $\approx 100 km s^{-1}$ and flattens considerably
at greater $l$ and reaches a maximum rotation of $45 {km s^{-1}}$
(heliocentric) or $\sim 70 {km s^{-1}}$ (Galactocentric). This rotation is
slower than that predicted by the dynamical model of Zhao (1996).


title:
Newly Discovered Cataclysmic Variables from the INT/WFC Photometric H
  alpha Survey of the Northern Galactic Plane

abstract:
  We report the discovery of 11 new cataclysmic variable (CV) candidates by the
Isaac Newton Telescope (INT) Photometric H alpha Survey of the northern
Galactic plane (IPHAS). Three of the systems have been the subject of further
follow-up observations. For the CV candidates IPHAS J013031.90+622132.4 and
IPHAS J051814.34+294113.2, time-resolved optical spectroscopy has been obtained
and radial-velocity measurements of the H alpha emission-line have been used to
estimate their orbital periods. A third CV candidate (IPHAS J062746.41+
014811.3) was observed photometrically and found to be eclipsing. All three
systems have orbital periods above the CV period-gap of 2-3 h. We also
highlight one other system, IPHAS J025827.88+635234.9, whose spectrum
distinguishes it as a likely high luminosity object with unusual C and N
abundances.


title:
Spin-Dependent Scattering off Neutral Antimony Donors in 28-Si
  Field-Effect Transistors

abstract:
  We report measurements of spin-dependent scattering of conduction electrons
by neutral donors in an accumulation-mode field-effect transistor formed in
isotopically enriched silicon. Spin-dependent scattering was detected using
electrically detected magnetic resonance where the spectra show resonant
changes in the source-drain voltage for conduction electrons and electrons
bound to donors. We discuss the utilization of spin-dependent scattering as a
mechanism for the readout of donor spin-states in silicon based quantum
computers.


title:
Nuclear spin polarization following intermediate-energy heavy-ion
  reactions

abstract:
  Intermediate-energy heavy-ion collisions can produce a spin polarization of
the projectile-like species. Spin polarization has been observed for both
nucleon removal and nucleon pickup processes. Qualitative agreement with
measured spin polarization as a function of the momentum of the projectile-like
fragment is found in a kinematical model that considers conservation of linear
and angular momentum and assumes peripheral interactions between the fast
projectile and target. Better quantitative agreement was reached by including
more realistic angular distributions, de-orientation caused by gamma-ray
emission, and by correcting for the out-of-plane acceptance. The newly
introduced corrections were found to apply to both nucleon removal and nucleon
pickup processes.


title: Fields of CR meromorphic functions

abstract:
  Let $M$ be a smooth compact $CR$ manifold of $CR$ dimension $n$ and $CR$
codimension $k$, which has a certain local extension property $E$. In
particular, if $M$ is pseudoconcave, it has property $E$. Then the field $\Cal
K(M)$ of $CR$ meromorphic functions on $M$ has transcendence degree $d$, with
$d\leq n+k$. If $f_1, f_2, \hdots , f_d$ is a maximal set of algebraically
independent $CR$ meromorphic functions on $M$, then $\Cal K(M)$ is a simple
finite algebraic extension of the field $\Bbb C(f_1, f_2, \hdots, f_d)$ of
rational functions of the $f_1, f_2, \hdots , f_d$. When $M$ has a projective
embedding, there is an analogue of Chow's theorem, and $\Cal K(M)$ is
isomorphic to the field $\Cal R(Y)$ of rational functions on an irreducible
projective algebraic variety $Y$, and $M$ has a $CR$ embedding in $\roman{reg}
Y$. The equivalence between algebraic dependence and analytic dependence fails
when condition $E$ is dropped.


title: Circularization and Final Spin in Eccentric Binary Black Hole Inspirals

abstract:
  We present results from numerical relativity simulations of equal mass,
non-spinning binary black hole inspirals and mergers with initial
eccentricities e <= 0.8 and coordinate separations D >= 12 M of up to 9 orbits
(18 gravitational wave cycles). We extract the mass M_f and spin a_f of the
final black hole and find, for eccentricities e < 0.4, that a_f/M_f = 0.69 and
M_f/M_adm = 0.96 are independent of the initial eccentricity, suggesting that
the binary has circularized by the merger time. For e > 0.5, the black holes
plunge rather than orbit, and we obtain a maximum spin parameter a_f/M_f = 0.72
around e = 0.5.


title: The $X$-class and almost-increasing permutations

abstract:
  In this paper we give a bijection between the class of permutations that can
be drawn on an X-shape and a certain set of permutations that appears in
[Knuth] in connection to sorting algorithms. A natural generalization of this
set leads us to the definition of almost-increasing permutations, which is a
one-parameter family of permutations that can be characterized in terms of
forbidden patterns. We find generating functions for almost-increasing
permutations by using their cycle structure to map them to colored Motzkin
paths. We also give refined enumerations with respect to the number of cycles,
fixed points, excedances, and inversions.


title:
Relativistic black hole-neutron star binaries in quasiequilibrium:
  effects of the black hole excision boundary condition

abstract:
  We construct new models of black hole-neutron star binaries in
quasiequilibrium circular orbits by solving Einstein's constraint equations in
the conformal thin-sandwich decomposition together with the relativistic
equations of hydrostationary equilibrium. We adopt maximal slicing, assume
spatial conformal flatness, and impose equilibrium boundary conditions on an
excision surface (i.e., the apparent horizon) to model the black hole. In our
previous treatment we adopted a "leading-order" approximation for a parameter
related to the black-hole spin in these boundary conditions to construct
approximately nonspinning black holes. Here we improve on the models by
computing the black hole's quasilocal spin angular momentum and setting it to
zero. As before, we adopt a polytropic equation of state with adiabatic index
Gamma=2 and assume the neutron star to be irrotational. In addition to
recomputing several sequences for comparison with our earlier results, we study
a wider range of neutron star masses and binary mass ratios. To locate the
innermost stable circular orbit we search for turning points along both the
binding energy and total angular momentum curves for these sequences. Unlike
for our previous approximate boundary condition, these two minima now coincide.
We also identify the formation of cusps on the neutron star surface, indicating
the onset of tidal disruption. Comparing these two critical binary separations
for different mass ratios and neutron star compactions we distinguish those
regions that will lead to a tidal disruption of the neutron star from those
that will result in the plunge into the black hole of a neutron star more or
less intact, albeit distorted by tidal forces.


title: Holographic Gauge Theories in Background Fields and Surface Operators

abstract:
  We construct a new class of supersymmetric surface operators in N=4 SYM and
find the corresponding dual supergravity solutions. We show that the insertion
of the surface operator - which is given by a WZW model supported on the
surface - appears by integrating out the localized degrees of freedom along the
surface which arise microscopically from a D3/D7 brane intersection.
Consistency requires constructing N=4 SYM in the D7 supergravity background and
not in flat space. This enlarges the class of holographic gauge theories dual
to string theory backgrounds to gauge theories in non-trivial supergravity
backgrounds. The dual Type IIB supergravity solutions we find reveal - among
other features - that the holographic dual gauge theory does indeed live in the
D7-brane background.


title: Systematic Bias in Cosmic Shear: Beyond the Fisher Matrix

abstract:
  We describe a method for computing the biases that systematic signals
introduce in parameter estimation using a simple extension of the Fisher matrix
formalism. This allows us to calculate the offset of the best fit parameters
relative to the fiducial model, in addition to the usual statistical error
ellipse. As an application, we study the impact that residual systematics in
tomographic weak lensing measurements. In particular we explore three different
types of shape measurement systematics: (i) additive systematic with no
redshift evolution; (ii) additive systematic with redshift evolution; and (iii)
multiplicative systematic. In each case, we consider a wide range of scale
dependence and redshift evolution of the systematics signal. For a future
DUNE-like full sky survey, we find that, for cases with mild redshift
evolution, the variance of the additive systematic signal should be kept below
10^-7 to ensure biases on cosmological parameters that are sub-dominant to the
statistical errors. For the multiplicative systematics, which depends on the
lensing signal, we find the multiplicative calibration m0 needs to be
controlled to an accuracy better than 10^-3. We find that the impact of
systematics can be underestimated if their assumes redshift dependence is too
simplistic. We provide simple scaling relations to extend these requirements to
any survey geometry and discuss the impact of our results for current and
future weak lensing surveys.


title: Non-Gaussianities in New Ekpyrotic Cosmology

abstract:
  New Ekpyrotic Cosmology is an alternative scenario of the early universe
which relies on a phase of slow contraction before the big bang. We calculate
the 3-point and 4-point correlation functions of primordial density
perturbations and find a generically large non-Gaussian signal, just below the
current sensitivity level of CMB experiments. This is in contrast with
slow-roll inflation, which predicts negligible non-Gaussianity. The model is
also distinguishable from alternative inflationary scenarios that yield large
non-Gaussianity, such as DBI inflation and the simplest curvaton-like models,
through the shape dependence of the correlation functions. Non-Gaussianity
therefore provides a distinguishing and testable prediction of New Ekpyrotic
Cosmology.


title: The Broad-lined Type Ic SN 2003jd

abstract:
  The results of a world-wide coordinated observational campaign on the
broad-lined Type Ic SN 2003jd are presented. In total, 74 photometric data
points and 26 spectra were collected using 11 different telescopes. SN 2003jd
is one of the most luminous SN Ic ever observed. A comparison with other Type
Ic supernovae (SNe Ic) confirms that SN 2003jd represents an intermediate case
between broad-line events (2002ap, 2006aj), and highly energetic SNe (1997ef,
1998bw, 2003dh, 2003lw), with an ejected mass of M_{ej} = 3.0 +/- 1 Mo and a
kinetic energy of E_{k}(tot) = 7_{-2}^{+3} 10^{51} erg. SN 2003jd is similar to
SN 1998bw in terms of overall luminosity, but it is closer to SNe 2006aj and
2002ap in terms of light-curve shape and spectral evolution. The comparison
with other SNe Ic, suggests that the V-band light curves of SNe Ic can be
partially homogenized by introducing a time stretch factor. Finally, due to the
similarity of SN 2003jd to the SN 2006aj/XRF 060218 event, we discuss the
possible connection of SN 2003jd with a GRB.


title: Stein fillability and the realization of contact manifolds

abstract:
  There is an intrinsic notion of what it means for a contact manifold to be
the smooth boundary of a Stein manifold. The same concept has another more
extrinsic formulation, which is often used as a convenient working hypothesis.
We give a simple proof that the two are equivalent. Moreover it is shown that,
even though a border always exists, it's germ is not unique; nevertheless the
germ of the Dolbeault cohomology of any border is unique. We also point out
that any Stein fillable compact contact 3- manifold has a geometric realization
in C^4 via an embedding, or in C^3 via an immersion.


title: Unitarity constraints on MSSM trilinear couplings

abstract:
  For MSSM phenomenology, soft SUSY breaking dimension-three operators are
important, in particular the couplings between Higgs bosons and squarks. In
scattering processes, perturbative unitarity is violated at modest
center-of-mass energy if these couplings are much larger than the masses of the
scalar particles involved. Assuming perturbative unitarity, constraints on the
trilinear couplings can be determined using a computer program that we have
developed.


title: The sixth power moment of Dirichlet L-functions

abstract:
  We prove a formula, with power savings, for the sixth moment of Dirichlet
L-functions averaged over moduli $q$, over primitive characters $\chi$ modulo
$q$, and over the critical line. Our formula agrees precisely with predictions
motivated by random matrix theory. In particular, the constant 42 appears as a
factor in the leading order term, exactly as is predicted for the sixth moment
of the Riemann zeta-function.


title: Speeding-up Thorium decay

abstract:
  We show that cavitation of a solution of thorium-228 in water induces its
transformation at a rate 10000 times faster than the natural radioactive decay
would do. This result agrees with the alteration of the secular equilibrium of
thorium-234 obtained by a Russian team via explosion of titanium foils in water
and solutions. These evidences further support some preliminary clues for the
possibility of piezonuclear reactions (namely nuclear reactions induced by
pressure waves) obtained in the last ten years.


title: Hamilton-Jacobi Mechanics from Pseudo-Supersymmetry

abstract:
  For a general mechanical system, it is shown that each solution of the
Hamilton-Jacobi equation defines an N=2 pseudo-supersymmetric extension of the
system, such that the usual relation of the momenta to Hamilton's principal
function is the `BPS' condition for preservation of 1/2 pseudo-supersymmetry.
The examples of the relativistic and non-relativistic particle, in a general
potential, are worked through in detail, and used to discuss the relation to
cosmology and to supersymmetric quantum mechanics.


title: Origin of volatiles in the Main Belt

abstract:
  We propose a scenario for the formation of the Main Belt in which asteroids
incorporated icy particles formed in the outer Solar Nebula. We calculate the
composition of icy planetesimals formed beyond a heliocentric distance of 5 AU
in the nebula by assuming that the abundances of all elements, in particular
that of oxygen, are solar. As a result, we show that ices formed in the outer
Solar Nebula are composed of a mix of clathrate hydrates, hydrates formed above
50 K and pure condensates produced at lower temperatures. We then consider the
inward migration of solids initially produced in the outer Solar Nebula and
show that a significant fraction may have drifted to the current position of
the Main Belt without encountering temperature and pressure conditions high
enough to vaporize the ices they contain. We propose that, through the
detection and identification of initially buried ices revealed by recent
impacts on the surfaces of asteroids, it could be possible to infer the
thermodynamic conditions that were present within the Solar Nebula during the
accretion of these bodies, and during the inward migration of icy
planetesimals. We also investigate the potential influence that the
incorporation of ices in asteroids may have on their porosities and densities.
In particular, we show how the presence of ices reduces the value of the bulk
density of a given body, and consequently modifies its macro-porosity from that
which would be expected from a given taxonomic type.


title:
Constraints on dark matter particles from theory, galaxy observations
  and N-body simulations

abstract:
  Mass bounds on dark matter (DM) candidates are obtained for particles
decoupling in or out of equilibrium with {\bf arbitrary} isotropic and
homogeneous distribution functions. A coarse grained Liouville invariant
primordial phase space density $ \mathcal D $ is introduced. Combining its
value with recent photometric and kinematic data on dwarf spheroidal satellite
galaxies in the Milky Way (dShps), the DM density today and $N$-body
simulations, yields upper and lower bounds on the mass, primordial phase space
densities and velocity dispersion of the DM candidates. The mass of the DM
particles is bound in the few keV range. If chemical freeze out occurs before
thermal decoupling, light bosonic particles can Bose-condense. Such
Bose-Einstein {\it condensate} is studied as a dark matter candidate. Depending
on the relation between the critical($T_c$)and decoupling($T_d$)temperatures, a
BEC light relic could act as CDM but the decoupling scale must be {\it higher}
than the electroweak scale. The condensate tightens the upper bound on the
particle's mass. Non-equilibrium scenarios that describe particle production
and partial thermalization, sterile neutrinos produced out of equilibrium and
other DM models are analyzed in detail obtaining bounds on their mass,
primordial phase space density and velocity dispersion. Light thermal relics
with $ m \sim \mathrm{few} \mathrm{keV}$ and sterile neutrinos lead to a
primordial phase space density compatible with {\bf cored} dShps and disfavor
cusped satellites. Light Bose condensed DM candidates yield phase space
densities consistent with {\bf cores} and if $ T_c\gg T_d $ also with cusps.
Phase space density bounds from N-body simulations suggest a potential tension
for WIMPS with $ m \sim 100 \mathrm{GeV},T_d \sim 10 \mathrm{MeV} $.


title: Persistence of stratification of normally expanded laminations

abstract:
  This manuscript complements the Hirsch-Pugh-Shub (HPS) theory on persistence
of normally hyperbolic laminations and the theorem of Robinson on the
structural stability of diffeomorphisms that satisfy Axiom A and the strong
transversality condition (SA). We generalize these results by introducing a
geometric object: the stratification of laminations. It is a stratification
whose strata are laminations. Our main theorem implies the persistence of some
stratifications whose strata are normally expanded. The dynamics is a
$C^r$-endomorphism of a manifold (which is possibly not invertible). The
persistence means that for any $C^r$-perturbation of the dynamics, there exists
a close $C^r$-stratification preserved by the perturbation. This theorem in its
elementary statement (the stratification is constituted by a unique stratum)
gives the persistence of normally expanded laminations by endomorphisms,
generalizing HPS theory. Another application of this theorem is the
persistence, as stratifications, of submanifolds with boundary or corners
normally expanded. Moreover, we remark that SA diffeomorphism gives a canonical
stratifications: the stratification whose strata are the stable sets of basic
pieces of the spectral decomposition. Our Main theorem then implies the
persistence of some ``normally SA'' laminations which are not normally
hyperbolic.


title: Rare Bc->Ds l^+ l^- decay beyond the standard model

abstract:
  The rare Bc->Ds l^+ l^- decay is investigated by using the most general model
independent effective Hamiltonian. The general expressions of longitudinal,
normal and transversal polarization asymmetries for l^- and l^+ and the
combined asymmetries of them are found. The dependencies of the branching
ratios and polarizations on the new Wilson coefficients are presented. The
analysis shows that the branching ratios and the lepton polarization
asymmetries are very sensitive to the scalar and tensor type interactions.
These results will be very useful in searching new physics beyond the standard
model.


title:
The Active Nucleus of IC4970: A Nearby Example of Merger-Induced
  Cold-Gas Accretion

abstract:
  We present results from Chandra X-ray and Spitzer mid-infrared observations
of the interacting galaxy pair NGC6872/IC4970 in the Pavo galaxy group and show
that the smaller companion galaxy IC4970 hosts a highly obscured active
galactic nucleus (AGN). The 0.5-10 keV X-ray luminosity of the nucleus is
variable, increasing by a factor 2.9 to 1.7 x 10^{42} erg/s (bright state) on
~100 ks timescales. The X-ray spectrum of the is heavily absorbed (N_H = 3 x
10^{23} cm^{-2}) for power law models with Gamma = 1.5-2.0 and shows a clear
6.4 keV Fe Kalpha line with equivalent width of 144-195 eV. Limits on the
diffuse emission in IC4970 from Chandra X-ray data suggest that the available
power from Bondi accretion of hot interstellar gas may be an order of magnitude
too small to power the AGN. Spitzer images show that 8 micron nonstellar
emission is concentrated in the central 1 kpc of IC4970, consistent with high
obscuration in this region. The mid-infrared colors of the nucleus are
consistent with those expected for a highly obscured AGN. Taken together these
data suggest that the nucleus of IC4970 is a Seyfert 2, triggered and fueled by
cold material supplied to the central supermassive black hole as a result of
the off-axis collision of IC4970 with the cold-gas rich spiral galaxy NGC6872.


title: Heat Kernel Coefficients for Two-Dimensional Schrodinger Operators

abstract:
  In this note, we compute the Hadamard coefficients of (algebraically)
integrable Schrodinger operators in two dimensions. These operators first
appeared in [BL] and [B] in connection with Huygens' principle, and our result
completes, in a sense, the investigation initiated in those papers.


title: Ergodicity and hydrodynamic limits for an epidemic model

abstract:
  We consider two approaches to study the spread of infectious diseases within
a spatially structured population distributed in social clusters. According
whether we consider only the population of infected individuals or both
populations of infected individuals and healthy ones, two models are given to
study an epidemic phenomenon. Our first approach is at a microscopic level, its
goal is to determine if an epidemic may occur for those models. The second one
is the derivation of hydrodynamics limits. By using the relative entropy method
we prove that the empirical measures of infected and healthy individuals
converge to a deterministic measure absolutely continuous with respect to the
Lebesgue measure, whose density is the solution of a system of
reaction-diffusion equations.


title:
General analysis of the rare Bc->D^*_s l^+ l^- decay beyond the standard
  model

abstract:
  The general analysis of the rare Bc->D^*_s l^+ l^- decay is presented by
using the most general, model independent effective Hamiltonian. The
dependencies of the branching ratios, longitudinal, normal and transversal
polarization asymmetries for l^- and the combined asymmetries for l^- and l^+
on the new Wilson coefficients are investigated. Our analysis shows that the
lepton polarization asymmetries are very sensitive to the scalar and tensor
type interactions, which will be very useful in looking for new physics beyond
the standard model.


title:
Phase Coherence and Superfluid-Insulator Transition in a Disordered
  Bose-Einstein Condensate

abstract:
  We have studied the effects of a disordered optical potential on the
transport and phase coherence of a Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) of 7Li atoms.
At moderate disorder strengths (V_D), we observe inhibited transport and
damping of dipole excitations, while in time-of-flight images, random but
reproducible interference patterns are observed. In-situ images reveal that the
appearance of interference is correlated with density modulation, without
complete fragmentation. At higher V_D, the interference contrast diminishes as
the BEC fragments into multiple pieces with little phase coherence.


title:
Cosmological redshift and nonlinear electrodynamics propagation of
  photons from distant sources

abstract:
  By-now photons are the unique universal messengers. Cosmological sources like
far-away galaxies or quasars are well-known light-emitters. Here we demonstrate
that the nonlinear electrodynamics (NLED) description of photon propagation
through the weak background intergalactic magnetic fields modifies in a
fundamental way the cosmological redshift that a direct computation within a
specific cosmological model can abscribe to a distant source. Independently of
the class of NLED Lagrangian, the effective redshift turns out to be $1 +
\tilde{z} = (1 + z) \Delta$, where $\Delta \equiv (1 + \Phi_e)/(1 + \Phi_o)$,
with $\Phi \equiv {8}/{3} ({L_{FF}}/{L_F}) B^2$, being $L_F = {dL}/{dF}$,
$L_{FF} = {d^2L}/{dF^2}$, the field $F\equiv F_{\alpha \beta} F^{\alpha
\beta}$, and $B$ the magnetic field strength. Thus the effective redshift is
always much higher then the standard redshift, but recovers such limit when the
NLED correction $\Delta(\Phi_e, \Phi_o) \longrightarrow 1$. This result may
provide a physical foundation for the current observation-inspired
interpretation that the universe undergoes an accelerate expansion. However,
under the situation analyzed here, for any NLED the actual (spatial) position
of the light-emitting far-away source remains untouched.


title: Hadronic Physics

abstract:
  A selection of studies highlighting different manifestations of the strong
interaction are presented. Many new results have become available this summer
in the regimes of discovery, systematic survey, and precision measurements of
bound quark states.


title:
Identifying statistical dependence in genomic sequences via mutual
  information estimates

abstract:
  Questions of understanding and quantifying the representation and amount of
information in organisms have become a central part of biological research, as
they potentially hold the key to fundamental advances. In this paper, we
demonstrate the use of information-theoretic tools for the task of identifying
segments of biomolecules (DNA or RNA) that are statistically correlated. We
develop a precise and reliable methodology, based on the notion of mutual
information, for finding and extracting statistical as well as structural
dependencies. A simple threshold function is defined, and its use in
quantifying the level of significance of dependencies between biological
segments is explored. These tools are used in two specific applications. First,
for the identification of correlations between different parts of the maize
zmSRp32 gene. There, we find significant dependencies between the 5'
untranslated region in zmSRp32 and its alternatively spliced exons. This
observation may indicate the presence of as-yet unknown alternative splicing
mechanisms or structural scaffolds. Second, using data from the FBI's Combined
DNA Index System (CODIS), we demonstrate that our approach is particularly well
suited for the problem of discovering short tandem repeats, an application of
importance in genetic profiling.


title:
A Simple Explanation for the X(3872) Mass Shift Observed for Decay to
  D^{*0} {D^0}bar

abstract:
  We propose a simple explanation for the increase of approximately
  3 MeV/c^2 in the mass value of the X(3872) obtained from
  D^{*0} {D^0}bar decay relative to that obtained from decay to J/psi pi+ pi-.
  If the total width of the X(3872) is 2-3 MeV, the peak position in the
  D^{*0} {D^0}bar invariant mass distribution is sensitive to the final state
orbital angular momentum because of the proximity of the X(3872) to D^{*0}
{D^0}bar threshold. We show that for total width 3 MeV and one unit of orbital
angular momentum, a mass shift ~3 MeV/c^2 is obtained; experimental mass
resolution should slightly increase this value. A consequence is that
spin-parity 2^- is favored for the X(3872).


title:
Searching for new thermally emitting isolated neutron stars in the 2XMMp
  catalogue - Discovery of a promising candidate

abstract:
  The group of 7 thermally emitting and radio-quiet isolated neutron stars
(INSs) discovered by ROSAT constitutes a nearby population which locally
appears to be as numerous as that of the classical radio pulsars. So far,
attempts to enlarge this particular group of INSs finding more remote objects
failed to confirm any candidate. We found in the 2XMMp catalogue a handful of
sources with no catalogued counterparts and with X-ray spectra similar to those
of the ROSAT discovered INSs, but seen at larger distances and thus undergoing
higher interstellar absorptions. In order to rule out alternative
identifications such as an AGN or a CV, we obtained deep ESO-VLT and SOAR
optical imaging for the X-ray brightest candidates. We report here on the
current status of our search and discuss the possible nature of our candidates.
We focus particularly on the X-ray brightest source of our sample, 2XMM
J104608.7-594306, observed serendipitously over more than four years by the
XMM-Newton Observatory. A lower limit on the X-ray to optical flux ratio of ~
300 together with a stable flux and soft X-ray spectrum make it the most
promising thermally emitting INS candidate. Beyond the finding of new members,
our study aims at constraining the space density of this population at large
distances and at determining whether their apparently high local density is an
anomaly or not.


title: Electron Transport Driven by Nonequilibrium Magnetic Textures

abstract:
  Spin-polarized electron transport driven by inhomogeneous magnetic dynamics
is discussed in the limit of a large exchange coupling. Electron spins rigidly
following the time-dependent magnetic profile experience spin-dependent
fictitious electric and magnetic fields. We show that the electric field
acquires important corrections due to spin dephasing, when one relaxes the
spin-projection approximation. Furthermore, spin-flip scattering between the
spin bands needs to be taken into account in order to calculate voltages and
spin accumulations induced by the magnetic dynamics. A phenomenological
approach based on the Onsager reciprocity principle is developed, which allows
us to capture the effect of spin dephasing and make a connection to the well
studied problem of current-driven magnetic dynamics. A number of results that
recently appeared in the literature are related and generalized.


title:
Rate-Constrained Wireless Networks with Fading Channels:
  Interference-Limited and Noise-Limited Regimes

abstract:
  A network of $n$ wireless communication links is considered in a Rayleigh
fading environment. It is assumed that each link can be active and transmit
with a constant power $P$ or remain silent. The objective is to maximize the
number of active links such that each active link can transmit with a constant
rate $\lambda$. An upper bound is derived that shows the number of active links
scales at most like $\frac{1}{\lambda} \log n$. To obtain a lower bound, a
decentralized link activation strategy is described and analyzed. It is shown
that for small values of $\lambda$, the number of supported links by this
strategy meets the upper bound; however, as $\lambda$ grows, this number
becomes far below the upper bound. To shrink the gap between the upper bound
and the achievability result, a modified link activation strategy is proposed
and analyzed based on some results from random graph theory. It is shown that
this modified strategy performs very close to the optimum. Specifically, this
strategy is \emph{asymptotically almost surely} optimum when $\lambda$
approaches $\infty$ or 0. It turns out the optimality results are obtained in
an interference-limited regime. It is demonstrated that, by proper selection of
the algorithm parameters, the proposed scheme also allows the network to
operate in a noise-limited regime in which the transmission rates can be
adjusted by the transmission powers. The price for this flexibility is a
decrease in the throughput scaling law by a multiplicative factor of $\log \log
n$.


title: MAPK Cascades as Feedback Amplifiers

abstract:
  Interconvertible enzyme cascades, exemplified by the mitogen activated
protein kinase (MAPK) cascade, are a frequent mechanism in signal transduction
pathways. There has been much speculation as to the role of these pathways, and
how their structure is related to their function. A common conclusion is that
the cascades serve to amplify biochemical signals so that a single bound ligand
molecule might produce a multitude of second messengers. Some recent work has
focused on a particular feature present in some MAPK pathways -- a negative
feedback loop which spans the length of the cascade. This is a feature that is
shared by a man-made engineering device, the feedback amplifier. We propose a
novel interpretation: that by wrapping a feedback loop around an amplifier,
these cascades may be acting as biochemical feedback amplifiers which imparts
i) increased robustness with respect to internal perturbations; ii) a linear
graded response over an extended operating range; iii) insulation from external
perturbation, resulting in functional modularization. We also report on the
growing list of experimental evidence which supports a graded response of MAPK
with respect to Epidermal Growth Factor. This evidence supports our hypothesis
that in these circumstances MAPK cascade, may be acting as a feedback
amplifier.


title: Quantitative Calculation of the Spatial Extension of the Kondo Cloud

abstract:
  The internal s-electron polarization in the ground state of a
Friedel-Anderson and a Kondo impurity is calculated. The Wilson basis with
exponentially fine energies close to the Fermi level is used and expressed in
terms of free electron waves with linear energy-momentum dispersion. It is
found that in the singlet state the magnetic moment of the d-electron is
screened by an s-electron cloud. The linear extension of the cloud is inversely
proportional to the Kondo energy. When the singlet state is destroyed the
polarization cloud is absent.


title:
Search for the second forbidden beta decay of 8B to the ground state of
  8Be

abstract:
  A significant decay branch of 8B to the ground state of 8Be would extend the
solar neutrino spectrum to higher energies than anticipated in the standard
solar models. These high-energy neutrinos would affect current neutrino
oscillation results and also would be a background to measurements of the hep
process. We have measured the delayed alpha particles from the decay of 8B,
with the goal of observing the two 46-keV alpha particles arising from the
ground-state decay. The 8B was produced using an in-flight radioactive beam
technique. It was implanted in a silicon PIN-diode detector that was capable of
identifying the alpha-particles from the 8Be ground state. From this
measurement we find an upper limit (at 90% confidence level) of 7.3 x 10^{-5}
for the branching ratio to the ground state. In addition to describing this
measurement, we present a theoretical calculation for this branching ratio.


title: Strings Inside Walls in N=1 Super Yang-Mills

abstract:
  We conjecture the existence of strings bounded inside walls in SU$(n)$ $\N=1$
Super Yang-Mills theory. These strings carry $\Z_{[k,n]}$ quantum number, where
$[k,n]$ is the greatest common divisor between $k$, the charge of the wall, and
$n$. We provide field-theoretical arguments and string-theoretical evidences,
both from MQCD and from gauge-gravity correspondence. We interpret this result
from the point of view of the low-energy effective action living on the
$k$-wall.


title:
Coherent manipulation of electron spins up to ambient temperatures in
  Cr$^{5+}$(S=1/2) doped K$_3$NbO$_8$

abstract:
  We report coherent spin manipulation on Cr$^{5+}$ (\emph{S} = 1/2, \emph{I} =
0) doped K$_3$NbO$_8$, which constitutes a dilute two-level model relevant for
use as a spin qubit. Rabi oscillations are observed for the first time in a
spin system based on transition metal oxides up to room temperature. At liquid
helium temperature the phase coherence relaxation time \emph{$T_2$} reaches
$\sim 10$ $\mu$s and, with a Rabi frequency of 20 MHz, yields a single qubit
figure of merit \emph{$Q_M$} of about 500. This shows that a diluted ensemble
of Cr$^{5+}$ (\emph{S} = 1/2) doped K$_3$NbO$_8$ is a potential candidate for
solid-state quantum information processing.


title: Overview of nucleon structure studies

abstract:
  A brief overview of the recent activity in the measurement of the elastic
electromagnetic proton and neutron form factors is presented. It is discussed
how the quality of the data has been greatly improved by performing double
polarization experiments, and the role of two-photon exchange processes will be
highlighted. The spatial information on the quark charge distribibutions in the
nucleon resulting from the form factors measurements will be discussed, as well
as the steady rate of improvements made in the lattice QCD calculations. It is
discussed how generalized parton distributions have emerged as a unifying theme
in hadron physics linking the spatial densities extracted from form factors
with the quark momentum distribution information residing in quark structure
functions. The recent progress in the electromagnetic excitation of the
$\Delta(1232)$ resonance will also briefly be discussed.


title: A regularity criterion for the dissipative quasi-geostrophic equations

abstract:
  We establish a regularity criterion for weak solutions of the dissipative
quasi-geostrophic equations in mixed time-space Besov spaces.


title: The category of 3-computads is not cartesian closed

abstract:
  We show, using Eckmann-Hilton argument, that the category of 3-computads is
not cartesian closed. As a corollary we get that neither the category of all
computads nor the category of n-computads, for n>2, do form locally cartesian
closed categories, and hence elementary toposes.


title: S-matrix at spatial infinity

abstract:
  We provide a new method to construct the S-matrix in quantum field theory.
This method implements crossing symmetry manifestly by erasing the a priori
distinction between in- and out-states. It allows the description of processes
where the interaction weakens with distance in space, but remains strong in the
center at all times. It should also be applicable to certain spacetimes where
the conventional method fails due to lack of temporal asymptotic states.


title: K\"ahler Ricci flow on Fano surfaces (I)

abstract:
  We show the properties of the blowup limits of \KRf solutions on Fano
surfaces if Riemannian curvature is unbounded. As an application, on every
toric Fano surface, we prove that \KRf converges to a K\"ahler Ricci soliton
metric if the initial metric has toric symmetry. Therefore we give a new Ricci
flow proof of existence of K\"ahler Ricci soliton metrics on toric surfaces.


title: Quarkonium correlators at finite temperature and potential models

abstract:
  We discuss the calculations of quarkonium spectral functions in potential
models and their implications for the interpretation of the lattice data on
quarkonium correlators. In particular, we find that melting of different
quarkonium states does not lead to significant change in the Euclidean time
correlators. The large change of the quarkonium correlators above deconfinement
observed in the scalar and axial-vector channels appears to be due to the zero
mode contribution.


title: SUSY beyond minimal flavour violation

abstract:
  We review aspects of the phenomenology of the MSSM with non-minimal flavour
violation, including a discussion of important constraints and the sensitivity
to fundamental scales.


title: Birth of massive black hole binaries

abstract:
  If massive black holes (BHs) are ubiquitous in galaxies and galaxies
experience multiple mergers during their cosmic assembly, then BH binaries
should be common albeit temporary features of most galactic bulges.
Observationally, the paucity of active BH pairs points toward binary lifetimes
far shorter than the Hubble time, indicating rapid inspiral of the BHs down to
the domain where gravitational waves lead to their coalescence. Here, we review
a series of studies on the dynamics of massive BHs in gas-rich galaxy mergers
that underscore the vital role played by a cool, gaseous component in promoting
the rapid formation of the BH binary. The BH binary is found to reside at the
center of a massive self-gravitating nuclear disc resulting from the collision
of the two gaseous discs present in the mother galaxies. Hardening by
gravitational torques against gas in this grand disc is found to continue down
to sub-parsec scales. The eccentricity decreases with time to zero and when the
binary is circular, accretion sets in around the two BHs. When this occurs,
each BH is endowed with it own small-size (< 0.01 pc) accretion disc comprising
a few percent of the BH mass. Double AGN activity is expected to occur on an
estimated timescale of < 1 Myr. The double nuclear point-like sources that may
appear have typical separation of < 10 pc, and are likely to be embedded in the
still ongoing starburst. We note that a potential threat of binary stalling, in
a gaseous environment, may come from radiation and/or mechanical energy
injections by the BHs. Only short-lived or sub-Eddington accretion episodes can
guarantee the persistence of a dense cool gas structure around the binary
necessary for continuing BH inspiral.


title:
Effect of epitaxial strain on ferroelectric polarization in multiferroic
  BiFeO3 films

abstract:
  Multiferroic BiFeO3 epitaxial films with thickness ranging from 40 nm to 960
nm were grown by pulsed laser deposition on SrTiO3 (001) substrates with SrRuO3
bottom electrodes. X-ray characterization shows that the structure evolves from
angularly-distorted tetragonal with c/a ~ 1.04 to more bulk-like distorted
rhombohedral (c/a ~ 1.01) as the strain relaxes with increasing thickness.
Despite this significant structural evolution, the ferroelectric polarization
along the body diagonal of the distorted pseudo-cubic unit cells, as calculated
from measurements along the normal direction, barely changes.


title:
A nontrivial algebraic cycle in the Jacobian variety of the Fermat
  sextic

abstract:
  We compute some value of the harmonic volume for the Fermat sextic. Using
this computation, we prove that some special algebraic cycle in the Jacobian
variety of the Fermat sextic is not algebraically equivalent to zero.


title: Dynamical symmetry in spinor Bose-Einstein condensates

abstract:
  We demonstrate that dynamical symmetry plays a crucial role in determining
the structure of the eigenspectra of spinor Bose-Einstein condensates (BECs).
In particular, the eigenspectra of spin- 1 and spin-2 BECs in the single-mode
approximation are shown to be completely determined by dynamical symmetries,
where a spin-2 BEC corresponds to the U(5) limit of the interacting boson model
in nuclear physics. The eigenspectrum of a spin-3 BEC is solved analytically
for a specific class of coupling constants, while it is shown that dynamical
symmetry alone is not enough to determine the spectrum for arbitrary coupling
constants. We also study the low-lying eigenspectra of spin-1 and spin-2 BECs
in the absence of external magnetic field, and find, in particular, that the
quasidegenerate spectra emerge for antiferromagnetic and cyclic phases. This
implies that these systems are highly susceptible to external perturbations and
may undergo symmetry-breaking transitions to other states upon increasing the
size of system.


title: Anti-affine algebraic groups

abstract:
  We say that an algebraic group $G$ over a field is anti-affine if every
regular function on $G$ is constant. We obtain a classification of these
groups, with applications to the structure of algebraic groups in positive
characteristics, and to the construction of many counterexamples to Hilbert's
fourteenth problem.


title:
A note on singularity and non-proper value set of polynomial maps of
  $\mathbb{C}^2$

abstract:
  Some properties of the relation between the singular point set and the
non-proper value curve of polynomial maps of $\mathbb{C}^2$ are expressed in
terms of Newton-Puiseux expansions.


title:
CMV matrices with asymptotically constant coefficients. Szeg\"o over
  Blaschke class, Scattering Theory

abstract:
  We develop a modern extended scattering theory for CMV matrices with
asymptotically constant Verblunsky coefficients. We demonstrate that an
orthonormal system in a certain "weighted'' Hilbert space, which we call the
Fadeev-Marchenko (FM) space, behaves asymptotically as the system in the
standard (free) case. The duality between the two types of Hardy subspaces in
it plays the key role in the proof of all asymptotics involved. We show that
the traditional (Faddeev-Marchenko) condition is too restrictive to define the
class of CMV matrices for which there exists a unique scattering
representation. The main results are: 1) Szeg\"o-Blaschke class: the class of
twosided CMV matrices acting in $l^2$, whose spectral density satisfies the
Szeg\"o condition and whose point spectrum the Blaschke condition, corresponds
precisely to the class where the scattering problem can be posed and solved.
That is, to a given CMV matrix of this class, one can associate the scattering
data and related to them the FM space. The CMV matrix corresponds to the
multiplication operator in this space, and the orthonormal basis in it
(corresponding to the standard basis in $l^2$) behaves asymptotically as the
basis associated with the free system. 2) $A_2$-Carleson class: from the point
of view of the scattering problem, the most natural class of CMV matrices is
that one in which a) the scattering data determine the matrix uniquely and b)
the associated Gelfand- Levitan- Marchenko transformation operators are
bounded. Necessary and sufficient conditions for this class can be given in
terms of an $A_2$ kind condition for the density of the absolutely continuous
spectrum and a Carleson kind condition for the discrete spectrum. Similar close
to the optimal conditions are given directly in terms of the scattering data.


title:
Multifractal detrended fluctuation analysis of combustion flames in
  four-burner impinging entrained-flow gasifier

abstract:
  On a laboratory-scale testing platform of impinging entrained-flow gasifier
with four opposed burners, the flame images for diesel combustion and
gasification process were measured with a single charge coupled device (CCD)
camera. The two-dimensional multifractal detrended fluctuation analysis was
employed to investigate the multifractal nature of the flame images. Sound
power-law scaling in the annealed average of detrended fluctuations was
unveiled when the order $q>0$ and the multifractal feature of flame images were
confirmed. Further analyses identified two multifractal parameters, the minimum
and maximum singularity $\alpha_{\min}$ and $\alpha_{\max}$, serving as
characteristic parameters of the multifractal flames. These two characteristic
multifractal parameters vary with respect to different experimental conditions.


title: Tensor factorization and Spin construction for Kac-Moody algebras

abstract:
  In this paper we discuss the "Factorization phenomenon" which occurs when a
representation of a Lie algebra is restricted to a subalgebra, and the result
factors into a tensor product of smaller representations of the subalgebra. We
analyze this phenomenon for symmetrizable Kac-Moody algebras (including
finite-dimensional, semi-simple Lie algebras). We present a few factorization
results for a general embedding of a symmetrizable Kac-Moody algebra into
another and provide an algebraic explanation for such a phenomenon using Spin
construction. We also give some application of these results for semi-simple
finite dimensional Lie algebras.
  We extend the notion of Spin functor from finite-dimensional to symmetrizable
Kac-Moody algebras, which requires a very delicate treatment. We introduce a
certain category of orthogonal $\g$-representations for which, surprisingly,
the Spin functor gives a $\g$-representation in Bernstein-Gelfand-Gelfand
category $\O$. Also, for an integrable representation $\Spin$ produces an
integrable representation. We give the formula for the character of Spin
representation for the above category and work out the factorization results
for an embedding of a finite dimensional semi-simple Lie algebra into its
untwisted affine Lie algebra. Finally, we discuss classification of those
representations for which $\Spin$ is irreducible.


title:
NMR evidence for the persistence of spin-superlattice above the 1/8
  magnetization plateau in SrCu2(BO3)2

abstract:
  We present 11B NMR studies of the 2D frustrated dimer spin system SrCu2(BO3)2
in the field range 27-31 T covering the upper phase boundary of the 1/8
magnetization plateau, identified at 28.4 T. Our data provide a clear evidence
that above 28.4 T the spin-superlattice of the 1/8 plateau is modified but does
not melt even though the magnetization increases. Although this is precisely
what is expected for a supersolid phase, the microscopic nature of this new
phase is much more complex. We discuss the field-temperature phase diagram on
the basis of our NMR data.


title: Waiting and Residence Times of Brownian Interface Fluctuations

abstract:
  We report on the residence times of capillary waves above a given height $h$
and on the typical waiting time in between such fluctuations. The measurements
were made on phase separated colloid-polymer systems by laser scanning confocal
microscopy. Due to the Brownian character of the process, the stochastics vary
with the chosen measurement interval $\Delta t$. In experiments, the discrete
scanning times are a practical cutoff and we are able to measure the waiting
time as a function of this cutoff. The measurement interval dependence of the
observed waiting and residence times turns out to be solely determined by the
time dependent height-height correlation function $g(t)$. We find excellent
agreement with the theory presented here along with the experiments.


title: Local linear regression for functional data

abstract:
  We study a non linear regression model with functional data as inputs and
scalar response. We propose a pointwise estimate of the regression function
that maps a Hilbert space onto the real line by a local linear method. We
provide the asymptotic mean square error. Computations involve a linear inverse
problem as well as a representation of the small ball probability of the data
and are based on recent advances in this area. The rate of convergence of our
estimate outperforms those already obtained in the literature on this model.


title:
Near-IR internetwork spectro-polarimetry at different heliocentric
  angles

abstract:
  The analysis of near infrared spectropolarimetric data at the internetwork at
different regions on the solar surface could offer constraints to reject
current modeling of these quiet areas.
  We present spectro-polarimetric observations of very quiet regions for
different values of the heliocentric angle for the Fe I lines at 1.56 micron,
from disc centre to positions close to the limb. The spatial resolution of the
data is 0.7-1". We analyze direct observable properties of the Stokes profiles
as the amplitude of circular and linear polarization as well as the total
degree of polarization. Also the area and amplitude asymmetries are studied.
  We do not find any significant variation of the properties of the
polarimetric signals with the heliocentric angle. This means that the magnetism
of the solar internetwork remains the same regardless of the position on the
solar disc. This observational fact discards the possibility of modeling the
internetwork as a Network-like scenario. The magnetic elements of internetwork
areas seem to be isotropically distributed when observed at our spatial
resolution.


title: The X-ray emission of the most luminous 3CR radio sources

abstract:
  We investigate the X-ray properties of the most luminous radio sources in the
3CR catalogue, in order to assess if they are similar to the most luminous
radio quiet quasars, for instance in the X-ray normalization with respect to
the optical luminosity, or in the distribution of the absorption column
density. We have selected the (optically identified) 3CR radio sources whose
178-MHz monochromatic luminosity lies in the highest factor-of-three bin. The 4
most luminous objects had already been observed in X rays. Of the remaining 16,
we observed with XMM-Newton 4 randomly chosen, optical type 1s, and 4 type 2s.
All targets have been detected. The optical-to-Xray spectral index, alphaox,
can be computed only for the type 1s and, in agreement with previous studies,
is found to be flatter than in radio quiet quasars of similar luminosity.
However, the Compton thin type 2s have an absorption corrected X-ray luminosity
systematically lower than the type 1s, by a factor which makes them consistent
with the radio quiet alphaox. Within the limited statistics, the Compton thick
objects seem to have a reflected component more luminous than the Compton thin
ones. The extra X-ray component observed in type 1 radio loud quasars is beamed
for intrinsic causes, and is not collimated by the absorbing torus as is the
case for the (intrinsically isotropic) disk emission. The extra component can
be associated with a relativistic outflow, provided that the flow opening angle
and the Doppler beaming factor are 1/5 - 1/7 radians.


title: A recipe for making materials with negative refraction in acoustics

abstract:
  A recipe is given for making materials with negative refraction in acoustics,
i.e., materials in which the group velocity is directed opposite to the phase
velocity.
  The recipe consists of injecting many small particles into a bounded domain,
filled with a material whose refraction coefficient is known. The number of
small particles to be injected per unit volume around any point $x$ is
calculated as well as the boundary impedances of the embedded particles.


title:
Derivation of a Convection Process in a Steady Diffusion-Transfer
  Problem by Homogenization

abstract:
  We study the homogenization of a steady diffusion equation in a highly
heterogeneous medium made of two subregions separated by a periodic barrier
through which the flow is proportional to the jump of the temperature by a
layer conductance of the same order of magnitude of the materials in
consideration. The macroscopic governing equations and the effective
conductivity of the homogenized model are obtained by means of the two scale
convergence technique. We show that under some hypothesis the homogenized
systems contain convective terms of order one.


title: Phase space deformation of a trapped dipolar Fermi gas

abstract:
  We consider a system of quantum degenerate spin polarized fermions in a
harmonic trap at zero temperature, interacting via dipole-dipole forces. We
introduce a variational Wigner function to describe the deformation and
compression of the Fermi gas in phase space and use it to examine the stability
of the system. We emphasize the important roles played by the Fock exchange
term of the dipolar interaction which results in a non-spherical Fermi surface.


title: Ostwald Ripening on Nanoscale

abstract:
  Applicability of classical Lifshitz-Slyozov theory of Ostwald ripening is
analyzed and found limited by relatively large cluster sizes due to
restrictions imposed by theoretical assumptions. An assumption about the steady
state ripening regime poses an upper limit, while another, implicit assumption
of continuous description poses a cluster size-dependent lower limit on the
supersaturation level. These two limits mismatch for the clusters under certain
size in the nanometer scale making the theory inapplicable. We present a more
generic, molecular theory of Ostwald ripening, which reproduces classical
Lifshitz-Slyozov and Wagner theories in appropriate extreme cases. This theory
has a wider applicability than classical theories, especially at lower
supersaturation levels, and is more suitable for nanoscale systems.


title:
A multi-transition submillimeter water maser study of evolved stars -
  detection of a new line near 475 GHz

abstract:
  Context: Maser emission from the H2O molecule probes the warm, inner
circumstellar envelopes of oxygen-rich red giant and supergiant stars.
Multi-maser transition studies can be used to put constraints on the density
and temperature of the emission regions.
  Aims: A number of known H2O maser lines were observed toward the long period
variables R Leo and W Hya and the red supergiant VY CMa. A search for a new,
not yet detected line near 475 GHz was conducted toward these stars.
  Methods: The Atacama Pathfinder Experiment telescope was used for a
multi-transition observational study of submillimeter H2O lines.
  Results: The 5_33-4_40 transition near 475 GHz was clearly detected toward VY
CMa and W Hya. Many other H2O lines were detected toward all three target
stars. Relative line intensity ratios and velocity widths were found to vary
significantly from star to star.
  Conclusions: Maser action is observed in all but one line for which it was
theoretically predicted. In contrast, one of the strongest maser lines, in R
Leo by far the strongest, the 437 GHz 7_53-6_60 transition, is not predicted to
be inverted. Some other qualitative predictions of the model calculations are
at variance with our observations. Plausible reasons for this are discussed.
Based on our findings for W Hya and VY CMa, we find evidence that the H2O
masers in the AGB star W Hya arise from the regular circumstellar outflow,
while shock excitation in a high velocity flow seems to be required to excite
masers far from the red supergiant VY CMa.


title: Another View on the Hoelder Inequality

abstract:
  Every diagonalmatrix D yields an endomorphism on the n-dimensional complex
vectorspace. If one provides this space with Hoelder norms, we can compute the
operator norm of D. We define homogeneous weighted spaces as a generalization
of normed spaces. We generalize the Hoelder norms for negative values, this
leads to a proof of an extented version of the Hoelder inequality. Finally, we
formulate this version also for measurable functions.


title:
The collaboration between Korteweg and de Vries -- An enquiry into
  personalities

abstract:
  In the course of the years the names of Korteweg and de Vries have come to be
closely associated. The equation which is named after them plays a fundamental
role in the theory of non-linear partial differential equations. What are the
origins of the doctoral dissertation of De Vries and of the Korteweg-de Vries
paper? Bastiaan Willink, a distant relative of both of these mathematicians,
has sought to answer these questions. This article is based on a lecture
delivered by the author at the symposium dedicated to Korteweg and de Vries at
University of Amsterdam in September 2003.

categories: physics.hist-ph math.AP math.HO physics.flu-dyn


title:
Upper Bound of Relative Error of Random Ball Coverage for Calculating
  Fractal Network Dimension

abstract:
  Least box number coverage problem for calculating dimension of fractal
networks is a NP-hard problem. Meanwhile, the time complexity of random ball
coverage for calculating dimension is very low. In this paper we strictly
present the upper bound of relative error for random ball coverage algorithm.
We also propose twice-random ball coverage algorithm for calculating network
dimension. For many real-world fractal networks, when the network diameter is
sufficient large, the relative error upper bound of this method will tend to 0.
In this point of view, given a proper acceptable error range, the dimension
calculation is not a NP-hard problem, but P problem instead.


title: Strongly Coupled Plasma Liquids

abstract:
  This paper intends to review some of the prominent properties of strongly
coupled classical plasmas having in mind the possible link with the quark-gluon
plasma created in heavy-ion collisions. Thermodynamic and transport properties
of classical liquid-state one-component plasmas are described and features of
collective excitations are presented.


title: Generalized reliability-based syndrome decoding for LDPC codes

abstract:
  Aiming at bridging the gap between the maximum likelihood decoding (MLD) and
the suboptimal iterative decodings for short or medium length LDPC codes, we
present a generalized ordered statistic decoding (OSD) in the form of syndrome
decoding, to cascade with the belief propagation (BP) or enhanced min-sum
decoding. The OSD is invoked only when the decoding failures are obtained for
the preceded iterative decoding method. With respect to the existing OSD which
is based on the accumulated log-likelihood ratio (LLR) metric, we extend the
accumulative metric to the situation where the BP decoding is in the
probability domain. Moreover, after generalizing the accumulative metric to the
context of the normalized or offset min-sum decoding, the OSD shows appealing
tradeoff between performance and complexity. In the OSD implementation, when
deciding the true error pattern among many candidates, an alternative proposed
proves to be effective to reduce the number of real additions without
performance loss. Simulation results demonstrate that the cascade connection of
enhanced min-sum and OSD decodings outperforms the BP alone significantly, in
terms of either performance or complexity.


title:
Anomalous shell effect in the transition from a circular to a triangular
  billiard

abstract:
  We apply periodic orbit theory to a two-dimensional non-integrable billiard
system whose boundary is varied smoothly from a circular to an equilateral
triangular shape. Although the classical dynamics becomes chaotic with
increasing triangular deformation, it exhibits an astonishingly pronounced
shell effect on its way through the shape transition. A semiclassical analysis
reveals that this shell effect emerges from a codimension-two bifurcation of
the triangular periodic orbit. Gutzwiller's semiclassical trace formula, using
a global uniform approximation for the bifurcation of the triangular orbit and
including the contributions of the other isolated orbits, describes very well
the coarse-grained quantum-mechanical level density of this system. We also
discuss the role of discrete symmetry for the large shell effect obtained here.


title: From inflation to dark energy in the non-minimal modified gravity

abstract:
  We consider the modified gravity non-minimally coupled with matter Lagrangian
for the description of early-time and late-time universe. Such $F(R)$ ($F(G)$)
gravity in the absence of non-minimal coupling is viable theory which passes
the local tests and reproduces the $\Lambda$CDM era. For qualitatively similar
choice of non-minimal gravitational coupling function it is shown that the
unified description of early-time inflation and late-time cosmic acceleration
is possible. It is interesting that matter (scalar) which supports the
inflationary era is gravitationally screened at late times. Hence, it may be
effectively invisible at current universe.


title: Intersecting non-SUSY branes and closed string tachyon condensation

abstract:
  Following \cite{Bai:2006vv} we here consider the supergravity solutions
representing the charged non-supersymmetric $p$-brane (for $1\leq p \leq 6$)
intersecting with chargeless non-supersymmetric 1-brane and 0-brane of type II
string theories. We show how these solutions nicely interpolate between black
$p$-branes and the Kaluza-Klein "bubble of nothing" (BON) by continuously
varying some parameters characterizing the solutions from one set of values to
another. By performing a time symmetric general bubble initial data analysis,
we show that the interpolation implies a possible transition from black
$p$-branes to KK BON only for $p\leq 4$, as in these cases there exist locally
stable static bubbles under certain conditions. However, for $p>4$, black
branes always decay into dynamical bubbles. Contrary to what is known in the
literature, we argue that under certain conditions, the mechanism causing this
transition to stable static bubbles can be the closed string tachyon
condensation for all $p\leq 4$. We also show that the configurations indeed
contain (chargeless) F-strings required for the closed string tachyons to
appear causing the transitions to occur.


title: Abstract interpolation problem in Nevanlinna classes

abstract:
  The abstract interpolation problem (AIP) in the Schur class was posed V.
Katznelson, A. Kheifets and P. Yuditskii in 1987 as an extension of the V.P.
Potapov's approach to interpolation problems. In the present paper an analog of
the AIP for Nevanlinna classes is considered. The description of solutions of
the AIP is reduced to the description of L-resolvents of some model symmetric
operator associated with the AIP. The latter description is obtained by using
the M.G. Krein's theory of L-resolvent matrices. Both regular and singular
cases of the AIP are treated. The results are illustrated by the following
examples: bitangential interpolation problem, full and truncated moment
problems. It is shown that each of these problems can be included into the
general scheme of the AIP.


title:
Unsaturated Throughput Analysis of IEEE 802.11 in Presence of Non Ideal
  Transmission Channel and Capture Effects

abstract:
  In this paper, we provide a throughput analysis of the IEEE 802.11 protocol
at the data link layer in non-saturated traffic conditions taking into account
the impact of both transmission channel and capture effects in Rayleigh fading
environment. The impact of both non-ideal channel and capture become important
in terms of the actual observed throughput in typical network conditions
whereby traffic is mainly unsaturated, especially in an environment of high
interference.
  We extend the multi-dimensional Markovian state transition model
characterizing the behavior at the MAC layer by including transmission states
that account for packet transmission failures due to errors caused by
propagation through the channel, along with a state characterizing the system
when there are no packets to be transmitted in the buffer of a station.
Finally, we derive a linear model of the throughput along with its interval of
validity.
  Simulation results closely match the theoretical derivations confirming the
effectiveness of the proposed model.


title:
Saturation Throughput Analysis of IEEE 802.11 in Presence of Non Ideal
  Transmission Channel and Capture Effects

abstract:
  In this paper, we provide a saturation throughput analysis of the IEEE 802.11
protocol at the data link layer by including the impact of both transmission
channel and capture effects in Rayleigh fading environment. Impacts of both
non-ideal channel and capture effects, specially in an environment of high
interference, become important in terms of the actual observed throughput. As
far as the 4-way handshaking mechanism is concerned, we extend the
multi-dimensional Markovian state transition model characterizing the behavior
at the MAC layer by including transmission states that account for packet
transmission failures due to errors caused by propagation through the channel.
This way, any channel model characterizing the physical transmission medium can
be accommodated, including AWGN and fading channels. We also extend the Markov
model in order to consider the behavior of the contention window when employing
the basic 2-way handshaking mechanism.
  Under the usual assumptions regarding the traffic generated per node and
independence of packet collisions, we solve for the stationary probabilities of
the Markov chain and develop expressions for the saturation throughput as a
function of the number of terminals, packet sizes, raw channel error rates,
capture probability, and other key system parameters. The theoretical
derivations are then compared to simulation results confirming the
effectiveness of the proposed models.


title: Urban and Scientific Segregation: The Schelling-Ising Model

abstract:
  Urban segregation of different communities, like blacks and whites in the
USA, has been simulated by Ising-like models since Schelling 1971. This
research was accompanied by a scientific segregation, with sociologists and
physicists ignoring each other until 2000. We review recent progress and also
present some new two-temperature multi-cultural simulations.


title:
On The Linear Behaviour of the Throughput of IEEE 802.11 DCF in
  Non-Saturated Conditions

abstract:
  We propose a linear model of the throughput of the IEEE 802.11 Distributed
Coordination Function (DCF) protocol at the data link layer in non-saturated
traffic conditions. We show that the throughput is a linear function of the
packet arrival rate (PAR) $\lambda$ with a slope depending on both the number
of contending stations and the average payload length. We also derive the
interval of validity of the proposed model by showing the presence of a
critical $\lambda$, above which the station begins operating in saturated
traffic conditions.
  The analysis is based on the multi-dimensional Markovian state transition
model proposed by Liaw \textit{et al.} with the aim of describing the behaviour
of the MAC layer in unsaturated traffic conditions. Simulation results closely
match the theoretical derivations, confirming the effectiveness of the proposed
linear model.


title: Generalised quantum weakest preconditions

abstract:
  Generalisation of the quantum weakest precondition result of D'Hondt and
Panangaden is presented. In particular the most general notion of quantum
predicate as positive operator valued measure (POVM) is introduced. The
previously known quantum weakest precondition result has been extended to cover
the case of POVM playing the role of a quantum predicate. Additionally, our
result is valid in infinite dimension case and also holds for a quantum
programs defined as a positive but not necessary completely positive
transformations of a quantum states.


title:
Spintronics with NSN Junction of one-dimensional quantum wires : A study
  of Pure Spin Current and Magnetoresistance

abstract:
  We demonstrate possible scenarios for production of pure spin current and
large tunnelling magnetoresistance ratios from elastic co-tunnelling and
crossed Andreev reflection across a superconducting junction comprising of
normal metal-superconductor-normal metal, where, the normal metal is a
one-dimensional interacting quantum wire. We show that there are fixed points
in the theory which correspond to the case of pure spin current. We analyze the
influence of electron-electron interaction and see how it stabilizes or
de-stabilizes the production of pure spin current. These fixed points can be of
direct experimental relevance for spintronics application of normal
metal-superconductor-normal metal junctions of one-dimensional quantum wires.
We also calculate the power law temperature dependence of the crossed Andreev
reflection enhanced tunnelling magnetoresistance ratio for the normal
metal-superconductor-normal metal junction.


title:
Connection Between System Parameters and Localization Probability in
  Network of Randomly Distributed Nodes

abstract:
  This article deals with localization probability in a network of randomly
distributed communication nodes contained in a bounded domain. A fraction of
the nodes denoted as L-nodes are assumed to have localization information while
the rest of the nodes denoted as NL nodes do not. The basic model assumes each
node has a certain radio coverage within which it can make relative distance
measurements. We model both the case radio coverage is fixed and the case radio
coverage is determined by signal strength measurements in a Log-Normal
Shadowing environment. We apply the probabilistic method to determine the
probability of NL-node localization as a function of the coverage area to
domain area ratio and the density of L-nodes. We establish analytical
expressions for this probability and the transition thresholds with respect to
key parameters whereby marked change in the probability behavior is observed.
The theoretical results presented in the article are supported by simulations.


title:
A Model of the IEEE 802.11 DCF in Presence of Non Ideal Transmission
  Channel and Capture Effects

abstract:
  In this paper, we provide a throughput analysis of the IEEE 802.11 protocol
at the data link layer in non-saturated traffic conditions taking into account
the impact of both transmission channel and capture effects in Rayleigh fading
environment. Impacts of both non-ideal channel and capture become important in
terms of the actual observed throughput in typical network conditions whereby
traffic is mainly unsaturated, specially in an environment of high
interference.
  We extend the multi-dimensional Markovian state transition model
characterizing the behavior at the MAC layer by including transmission states
that account for packet transmission failures due to errors caused by
propagation through the channel, along with a state characterizing the system
when there are no packets to be transmitted in the buffer of a station.


title:
Neutrino emissivity and bulk viscosity of iso-CSL quark matter in
  neutron stars

abstract:
  We present results for neutrino emissivities and bulk viscosities of a
two-flavor color superconducting quark matter phase with isotropic
color-spin-locked (iso-CSL) single-flavor pairing which fulfill the constraints
on quark matter derived from cooling and rotational evolution of compact stars.
We compare with results for the phenomenologically successful, but yet
heuristic 2SC+X phase.


title: A deep i-selected multi-waveband galaxy catalogue in the COSMOS field

abstract:
  In this paper we present a deep and homogeneous i-band selected
multi-waveband catalogue in the COSMOS field covering an area of about 0.7
square-degree. Our catalogue with a formal 50 percent completeness limit for
point sources of i~26.7 comprises about 290.000 galaxies with information in 8
passbands. We combine publicly available u, B, V, r, i, z, and K data with
proprietary imaging in H band. We discuss in detail the observations, the data
reduction, and the photometric properties of the H-band data. We estimate
photometric redshifts for all the galaxies in the catalogue. A comparison with
162 spectroscopic redshifts in the redshift range 0 < z < 3 shows that the
achieved accuracy of the photometric redshifts is (Delta_z / (z_spec+1)) ~0.035
with only ~2 percent outliers. We derive absolute UV magnitudes and investigate
the evolution of the luminosity function evaluated in the rest-frame UV at 1500
Angstrom. There is a good agreement between the LFs derived here and the LFs
derived in the FORS Deep Field. We see a similar brightening of M_star and a
decrease of phi_star with redshift. The catalogue including the photometric
redshift information is made publicly available.


title: On the Matter of N=2 Matter

abstract:
  We introduce a variety of four-dimensional N = 2 matter multiplets which have
not previously appeared explicitly in the literature. Using these, we develop a
class of supersymmetric actions supplying a context for a systematic
exploration of N = 2 matter theories, some of which include Hypermultiplet
sectors in novel ways. We construct an N = 2 supersymmetric field theory in
which the propagating fields are realized off-shell exclusively as Lorentz
scalars and Weyl spinors and which involves a sector with precisely the
R-charge assignments characteristic of Hypermultiplets.