title: STAGES: the Space Telescope A901/2 Galaxy Evolution Survey

abstract:
  We present an overview of the Space Telescope A901/2 Galaxy Evolution Survey
(STAGES). STAGES is a multiwavelength project designed to probe physical
drivers of galaxy evolution across a wide range of environments and luminosity.
A complex multi-cluster system at z~0.165 has been the subject of an 80-orbit
F606W HST/ACS mosaic covering the full 0.5x0.5 (~5x5 Mpc^2) span of the
supercluster. Extensive multiwavelength observations with XMM-Newton, GALEX,
Spitzer, 2dF, GMRT, and the 17-band COMBO-17 photometric redshift survey
complement the HST imaging. Our survey goals include simultaneously linking
galaxy morphology with other observables such as age, star-formation rate,
nuclear activity, and stellar mass. In addition, with the multiwavelength
dataset and new high resolution mass maps from gravitational lensing, we are
able to disentangle the large-scale structure of the system. By examining all
aspects of environment we will be able to evaluate the relative importance of
the dark matter halos, the local galaxy density, and the hot X-ray gas in
driving galaxy transformation. This paper describes the HST imaging, data
reduction, and creation of a master catalogue. We perform Sersic fitting on the
HST images and conduct associated simulations to quantify completeness. In
addition, we present the COMBO-17 photometric redshift catalogue and estimates
of stellar masses and star-formation rates for this field. We define galaxy and
cluster sample selection criteria which will be the basis for forthcoming
science analyses, and present a compilation of notable objects in the field.
Finally, we describe the further multiwavelength observations and announce
public access to the data and catalogues.


title:
Suppression of complete fusion due to breakup in the reactions
  $^{10,11}$B + $^{209}$Bi

abstract:
  Above-barrier cross sections of $\alpha$-active heavy reaction products, as
well as fission, were measured for the reactions of $^{10,11}$B with
$^{209}$Bi. Detailed analysis showed that the heavy products include components
from incomplete fusion as well as complete fusion (CF), but fission originates
almost exclusively from CF. Compared with fusion calculations without breakup,
the CF cross sections are suppressed by 15% for $^{10}$B and 7% for $^{11}$B. A
consistent and systematic variation of the suppression of CF for reactions of
the weakly bound nuclei $^{6,7}$Li, $^{9}$Be, $^{10,11}$B on targets of
$^{208}$Pb and $^{209}$Bi is found as a function of the breakup threshold
energy.


title: Zhu's algebra, the C_2 algebra, and twisted modules

abstract:
  In his landmark paper, Zhu associated two associative algebras to a vertex
operator algebra: what are now called Zhu's algebra and the C_2-algebra. The
former has a nice interpretation in terms of the representation theory of the
VOA, while the latter only serves as a finiteness condition. In this paper we
undertake first steps to unravel the interpretation of the C_2 vector space. In
particular we suggest that it seems and controls the twisted representations of
the VOA.


title:
A forming disk at z~0.6: Collapse of a gaseous disk or major merger
  remnant?

abstract:
  [Abridged] We present and analyze observations of J033241.88-274853.9 at
z=0.6679, using multi-wavelength photometry and imaging with FLAMES/GIRAFFE 3D
spectroscopy. J033241.88-274853.9 is found to be a blue, young (~320Myr)
stellar disk embedded in a very gas-rich (fgas=73-82% with
log(Mstellar/Mo)=9.45) and turbulent phase that is found to be rotating on
large spatial scales. We identified two unusual properties of
J033241.88-274853.9. (1) The spatial distributions of the ionized gaseous and
young stars show a strong decoupling; while almost no stars can be detected in
the southern part down to the very deep detection limit of ACS/UDF images,
significant emission from the [OII] ionized gas is detected. (2) We detect an
excess of velocity dispersion in the southern part of J033241.88-274853.9 in
comparison to expectations from a rotating disk model. We considered two disk
formation scenarios, depending on the gaseous phase geometry. In the first one,
we examined whether J033241.88-274853.9 could be a young rotating disk that has
been recently collapsed from a pre-existing, very gas-rich rotating disk. This
scenario requires two (unknown) additional assumptions to explain the
decoupling between the distribution of stars and gas and the excess of velocity
dispersion in the same region. In a second scenario, we examine whether
J033241.88-274853.9 could be a merger remnant of two gas-rich disks. In this
case, the asymmetry observed between the gas and star distributions, as well as
the excess of velocity dispersion, find a common explanation. Shocks produced
during the merger in this region can be ionized easily and heat the gas while
preventing star formation. This makes this scenario more satisfactory than the
collapse of a pre-existing, gas-rich rotating disk.


title: The energy spectrum of cosmic-ray electrons at TeV energies

abstract:
  The very large collection area of ground-based gamma-ray telescopes gives
them a substantial advantage over balloon/satellite based instruments in the
detection of very-high-energy (>600 GeV) cosmic-ray electrons. Here we present
the electron spectrum derived from data taken with the H.E.S.S. system of
imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes. In this measurement, the first of
this type, we are able to extend the measurement of the electron spectrum
beyond the range accessible to direct measurements. We find evidence for a
substantial steepening in the energy spectrum above 600 GeV compared to lower
energies.


title: A possible fundamental explanation of electroweak unification

abstract:
  Electroweak unification is implied by the local structure theorem of
distribution theory applied to the causal interval R=X-Z between two space-time
points X and Z. Taking R as generating function, the potentials of the
electromagnetic and weak interactions are obtained by applying the causal
d'Alembertian operator on R, and both potentials can be given a proper physical
interpretation provided all calculations are made in the context of nonlinear
generalized functions.


title:
Distinct Difference Configurations: Multihop Paths and Key
  Predistribution in Sensor Networks

abstract:
  A distinct difference configuration is a set of points in $\mathbb{Z}^2$ with
the property that the vectors (\emph{difference vectors}) connecting any two of
the points are all distinct. Many specific examples of these configurations
have been previously studied: the class of distinct difference configurations
includes both Costas arrays and sonar sequences, for example.
  Motivated by an application of these structures in key predistribution for
wireless sensor networks, we define the $k$-hop coverage of a distinct
difference configuration to be the number of distinct vectors that can be
expressed as the sum of $k$ or fewer difference vectors. This is an important
parameter when distinct difference configurations are used in the wireless
sensor application, as this parameter describes the density of nodes that can
be reached by a short secure path in the network. We provide upper and lower
bounds for the $k$-hop coverage of a distinct difference configuration with $m$
points, and exploit a connection with $B_{h}$ sequences to construct
configurations with maximal $k$-hop coverage. We also construct distinct
difference configurations that enable all small vectors to be expressed as the
sum of two of the difference vectors of the configuration, an important task
for local secure connectivity in the application.


title: GRBs as Probes of Massive Stars Near and Far

abstract:
  Long-duration gamma-ray bursts are the manifestations of massive stellar
death. Due to the immense energy release they are detectable from most of the
observable universe. In this way they allow us to study the deaths of single
(or binary) massive stars possibly throughout the full timespan massive stars
have existed in the Universe. GRBs provide a means to infer information about
the environments and typical galaxies in which massive stars are formed. Two
main obstacles remain to be crossed before the full potential of GRBs as probes
of massive stars can be harvested: i) we need to build more complete and well
understood samples in order not to be fooled by biases, and ii) we need to
understand to which extent GRBs may be intrinsically biased in the sense that
they are only formed by a limited subset of massive stars defined by most
likely a restricted metallicity interval. We describe the status of an ongoing
effort to build a more complete sample of long-duration GRBs with measured
redshifts. Already now we can conclude that the environments of GRB progenitors
are very diverse with metallicities ranging from solar to a hundredth solar and
extinction ranging from none to A_V>5 mag. We have also identified a sightline
with significant escape of Lyman continuum photons and another with a clear
2175AA extinction bump.


title:
Study of shape transitions in $N\sim90$ isotopes with beyond mean field
  calculations

abstract:
  We study the spherical to prolate-deformed shape transition in $^{144-158}$Sm
and $^{146-160}$Gd isotopes with modern calculations beyond the mean field with
the Gogny D1S force. We compare the results with the shape-phase transition
predicted by the collective hamiltonian model and with the experimental data.
Our calculations do not support the existence of a first order phase transition
in these isotopic chains in the viewpoint of the Bohr hamiltonian neither the
interpretation of the nuclei N=90 as critical points.


title: Integral pinching results for manifolds with boundary

abstract:
  We prove that some Riemannian manifolds with boundary under an explicit
integral pinching are spherical space forms. Precisely, we show that
3-dimensional Riemannian manifolds with totally geodesic boundary, positive
scalar curvature and an explicit integral pinching between the $L^2$-norm of
their scalar curvature and the $L^2$-norm of their Ricci tensor are spherical
space forms with totally geodesic boundary. Moreover, we prove also that
4-dimensional Riemannian manifolds with umbilic boundary, positive Yamabe
invariant and an explicit integral pinching between the total integral of their
$(Q,T)$-curvature and the $L^2$-norm of their Weyl curvature are spherical
space forms with totally geodesic boundary. As a consequence of our work, we
show that a certain conformally invariant operator which plays an important
role in Conformal Geometry has a trivial kernel and is non-negative if the
Yamabe invariant is positive and verifies a pinching condition together with
the total integral of the $(Q,T)$-curvature. As an application of the latter
spectral analysis, we show the existence of conformal metrics with constant
$Q$-curvature, constant $T$-curvature, and zero mean curvature under the latter
assumptions.


title:
Comment on "Bubble nucleation and cooperativity in DNA melting" [Phys.
  Rev. Letters 94, 035504 (2005), arXiv:cond-mat/0412591]

abstract:
  The conclusions presented in this Letter arXiv:cond-mat/0412591 rely on not
converged calculations and should be considered with caution.


title:
Diffusion-limited reactions and mortal random walkers in confined
  geometries

abstract:
  Motivated by the diffusion-reaction kinetics on interstellar dust grains, we
study a first-passage problem of mortal random walkers in a confined
two-dimensional geometry. We provide an exact expression for the encounter
probability of two walkers, which is evaluated in limiting cases and checked
against extensive kinetic Monte Carlo simulations. We analyze the continuum
limit which is approached very slowly, with corrections that vanish
logarithmically with the lattice size. We then examine the influence of the
shape of the lattice on the first-passage probability, where we focus on the
aspect ratio dependence: Distorting the lattice always reduces the encounter
probability of two walkers and can exhibit a crossover to the behavior of a
genuinely one-dimensional random walk. The nature of this transition is also
explained qualitatively.


title: Every braid admits a short sigma-definite representative

abstract:
  A result by Dehornoy (1992) says that every nontrivial braid admits a
sigma-definite word representative, defined as a braid word in which the
generator sigma_i with maximal index i appears with exponents that are all
positive, or all negative. This is the ground result for ordering braids. In
this paper, we enhance this result and prove that every braid admits a
sigma-definite word representative that, in addition, is quasi-geodesic. This
establishes a longstanding conjecture. Our proof uses the dual braid monoid and
a new normal form called the rotating normal form.


title: Evidence for Warped Disks of Young Stars in the Galactic Center

abstract:
  The central parsec around the super-massive black hole in the Galactic Center
hosts more than 100 young and massive stars. Outside the central cusp (R~1")
the majority of these O and Wolf-Rayet (WR) stars reside in a main clockwise
system, plus a second, less prominent disk or streamer system at large angles
with respect to the main system. Here we present the results from new
observations of the Galactic Center with the AO-assisted near-infrared imager
NACO and the integral field spectrograph SINFONI on the ESO/VLT. These include
the detection of 27 new reliably measured WR/O stars in the central 12" and
improved measurements of 63 previously detected stars, with proper motion
uncertainties reduced by a factor of four compared to our earlier work. We
develop a detailed statistical analysis of their orbital properties and
orientations. Half of the WR/O stars are compatible with being members of a
clockwise rotating system. The rotation axis of this system shows a strong
transition as a function of the projected distance from SgrA*. The main
clockwise system either is either a strongly warped single disk with a
thickness of about 10 degrees, or consists of a series of streamers with
significant radial variation in their orbital planes. 11 out of 61 clockwise
moving stars have an angular separation of more than 30 degrees from the
clockwise system. The mean eccentricity of the clockwise system is 0.36+/-0.06.
The distribution of the counter-clockwise WR/O star is not isotropic at the 98%
confidence level. It is compatible with a coherent structure such as stellar
filaments, streams, small clusters or possibly a disk in a dissolving state.
The observed disk warp and the steep surface density distribution favor in situ
star formation in gaseous accretion disks as the origin of the young stars.


title: ZVMST: a minimum spanning tree-based vertex finder

abstract:
  A new topological vertex finder is presented which combines ideas of the
well-established ZVTOP algorithm with a novel minimum spanning tree approach. A
preliminary performance study with simulated e+e- --> qqbar events at a centre
of mass energy of 92 GeV shows that the new approach is competitive with
existing vertex finder algorithms.


title:
Casimir dependence of transverse distribution of pairs produced from a
  strong constant chromo-electric background field

abstract:
  The transverse distribution of gluon and quark-antiquark pairs produced from
a strong constant chromo-electric field depends on two gauge invariant
quantities, $C_1=E^aE^a$ and $C_2=[d_{abc}E^aE^bE^c]^2$, as shown earlier in
[G.C. Nayak and P. van Nieuwenhuizen, Phys. Rev. D 71, 125001 (2005)] for
gluons and in [G.C. Nayak, Phys. Rev. D 72, 125010 (2005)] for quarks. Here, we
discuss the explicit dependence of the distribution on the second Casimir
invariant, C_2, and show the dependence is at most a 15% effect.


title:
Lie-Semigroup Structures for Reachability and Control of Open Quantum
  Systems: Viewing Markovian Quantum Channels as Lie Semigroups and
  GKS-Lindblad Generators as Lie Wedge

abstract:
  In view of controlling finite dimensional open quantum systems, we provide a
unified Lie-semigroup framework describing the structure of completely positive
trace-preserving maps. It allows (i) to identify the Kossakowski-Lindblad
generators as the Lie wedge of a subsemigroup, (ii) to link properties of Lie
semigroups such as divisibility with Markov properties of quantum channels, and
(iii) to characterise reachable sets and controllability in open systems. We
elucidate when time-optimal controls derived for the analogous closed system
already give good fidelities in open systems and when a more detailed knowledge
of the open system (e.g., in terms of the parameters of its
Kossakowski-Lindblad master equation) is actually required for state-of-the-art
optimal-control algorithms. -- As an outlook, we sketch the structure of a new,
potentially more efficient numerical approach explicitly making use of the
corresponding Lie wedge.


title:
Extraction of nucleus-nucleus potential and energy dissipation from
  dynamical mean-field theory

abstract:
  Nucleus-nucleus interaction potentials in heavy-ion fusion reactions are
extracted from the microscopic time-dependent Hartree-Fock theory. When the
center-of-mass energy is much higher than the Coulomb barrier energy, extracted
potentials identify with the frozen density approximation. As the
center-of-mass energy decreases to the Coulomb barrier energy, potentials
become energy dependent. This dependence indicates dynamical reorganization of
internal degrees of freedom and leads to a reduction of the "apparent" barrier.
Including this effect leads to the Coulomb barrier energy very close to
experimental one. Aspects of one-body energy dissipation extracted from the
mean-field theory are discussed.


title: Super Earth Explorer: A Coronagraphic Off-Axis Space Telescope

abstract:
  The Super-Earth Explorer is an Off-Axis Space Telescope (SEE-COAST) designed
for high contrast imaging. Its scientific objective is to make the
physico-chemical characterization of exoplanets possibly down to 2 Earth radii
>. For that purpose it will analyze the spectral and polarimetric properties of
the parent starlight reflected by the planets, in the wavelength range 400-1250
nm


title: Microwave Photon Detector in Circuit QED

abstract:
  Quantum optical photodetection has occupied a central role in understanding
radiation-matter interactions. It has also contributed to the development of
atomic physics and quantum optics, including applications to metrology,
spectroscopy, and quantum information processing. The quantum microwave regime,
originally explored using cavities and atoms, is seeing a novel boost with the
generation of nonclassical propagating fields in circuit quantum
electrodynamics (QED). This promising field, involving potential developments
in quantum information with microwave photons, suffers from the absence of
photodetectors. Here, we design a metamaterial composed of discrete
superconducting elements that implements a high-efficiency microwave photon
detector. Our design consists of a microwave guide coupled to an array of
metastable quantum circuits, whose internal states are irreversibly changed due
to the absorption of photons. This proposal can be widely applied to different
physical systems and can be generalized to implement a microwave photon
counter.


title: Rotating molecular outflows: the young T Tauri star in CB26

abstract:
  The disk-outflow connection is thought to play a key role in extracting
excess angular momentum from a forming proto-star. Though jet rotation has been
observed in a few objects, no rotation of molecular outflows has been
unambiguously reported so far. We report new millimeter-interferometric
observations of the edge-on T Tauri star - disk system in the isolated Bok
globule CB26. The aim of these observations was to study the disk-outflow
relation in this 1Myr old low-mass young stellar object. The IRAM PdBI array
was used to observe 12CO(2-1) at 1.3mm in two configurations, resulting in
spectral line maps with 1.5 arcsec resolution. We use an empirical
parameterized steady-state outflow model combined with 2-D line radiative
transfer calculations and chi^2-minimization in parameter space to derive a
best-fit model and constrain parameters of the outflow. The data reveal a
previously undiscovered collimated bipolar molecular outflow of total length
~2000 AU, escaping perpendicular to the plane of the disk. We find peculiar
kinematic signatures that suggest the outflow is rotating with the same
orientation as the disk. However, we could not ultimately exclude jet
precession or two misaligned flows as possible origin of the observed peculiar
velocity field. There is indirect indication that the embedded driving source
is a binary system, which, together with the youth of the source, could provide
the clue to the observed kinematic features of the outflow. CB26 is so far the
most promising source to study the rotation of a molecular outflow. Assuming
that the outflow is rotating, we compute and compare masses, mass flux, angular
momenta, and angular momentum flux of disk and outflow and derive disk
dispersal timescales of 0.5...1 Myr, comparable to the age of the system.


title: CMBPol Mission Concept Study: A Mission to Map our Origins

abstract:
  Quantum mechanical metric fluctuations during an early inflationary phase of
the universe leave a characteristic imprint in the polarization of the cosmic
microwave background (CMB). The amplitude of this signal depends on the energy
scale at which inflation occurred. Detailed observations by a dedicated
satellite mission (CMBPol) therefore provide information about energy scales as
high as $10^{15}$ GeV, twelve orders of magnitude greater than the highest
energies accessible to particle accelerators, and probe the earliest moments in
the history of the universe. This summary provides an overview of a set of
studies exploring the scientific payoff of CMBPol in diverse areas of modern
cosmology, such as the physics of inflation, gravitational lensing and cosmic
reionization, as well as foreground science and removal .


title: Another method to solve Dirac's one-electron equation numerically

abstract:
  One more mode developed to get eigen energies and states for the one-electron
Dirac's equation with spherically symmetric bound potential. For the particular
case of the Coulomb potential it was shown that the method is free of so called
spurious states. The procedure could be adapted to receive highly exited states
with great precision.


title: Axiomatizations of quasi-polynomial functions on bounded chains

abstract:
  Two emergent properties in aggregation theory are investigated, namely
horizontal maxitivity and comonotonic maxitivity (as well as their dual
counterparts) which are commonly defined by means of certain functional
equations. We completely describe the function classes axiomatized by each of
these properties, up to weak versions of monotonicity in the cases of
horizontal maxitivity and minitivity. While studying the classes axiomatized by
combinations of these properties, we introduce the concept of quasi-polynomial
function which appears as a natural extension of the well-established notion of
polynomial function. We give further axiomatizations for this class both in
terms of functional equations and natural relaxations of homogeneity and median
decomposability. As noteworthy particular cases, we investigate those
subclasses of quasi-term functions and quasi-weighted maximum and minimum
functions, and provide characterizations accordingly.


title: Integral Field Spectroscopy of two radio galaxies at z~2.3

abstract:
  In this article we study the morphology, kinematics and ionization properties
of the giant ionized gas nebulae surrounding two high redshift radio galaxies,
4C40.36 (z=2.27) and 4C48.48 (z=2.34).}{Integral Field Spectroscopy
observations were taken using the PPAK bundle of the PMAS spectrograph, mounted
on the 3.5m on the Calar Alto Observatory, in order to cover a field-of-view of
64" X 72" centered in each radio galaxy. The observations spanned over 5
nights, using two different spectral resolutions (with FWHM~4 AA and ~8 AA
respectively), covering the optical wavelength range from ~3700 AA to ~7100 AA,
which corresponds to the rest-frame ultraviolet range from ~1100 AA to ~2000 AA
>. Various emission lines are detected within this wavelength range, including
Lyalpha (1216 AA), NV (1240 AA), CIV (1549 AA), HeII (1640 AA), OIII] (1663 AA)
and CIII] (1909\AA). The dataset was used to derive the spatial distribution of
the flux intensity of each of these lines and the gas kinematics. The
properties of the emission lines in the nuclear regions were studied in
detail.In agreement with previous studies, we find that both objects are
embedded in a large ionized gas nebula, where Ly alpha emission is extended
across ~100 kpc or more. The CIV and HeII emission lines are also spatially
extended. The nebulae are generally aligned with the radio axis, although we
detect emission far from it. In 4C+48.48, there is a band of low Ly-alpha/CIV
running perpendicular to the radio axis, at the location of the active nucleus.
This feature might be the observational signature of an edge-on disk of neutral
gas. The kinematics of both nebulae are inconsistent with stable rotation,
although they are not inconsistent with infall or outflow.


title: CMBPol Mission Concept Study: Prospects for polarized foreground removal

abstract:
  In this report we discuss the impact of polarized foregrounds on a future
CMBPol satellite mission. We review our current knowledge of Galactic polarized
emission at microwave frequencies, including synchrotron and thermal dust
emission. We use existing data and our understanding of the physical behavior
of the sources of foreground emission to generate sky templates, and start to
assess how well primordial gravitational wave signals can be separated from
foreground contaminants for a CMBPol mission. At the estimated foreground
minimum of ~100 GHz, the polarized foregrounds are expected to be lower than a
primordial polarization signal with tensor-to-scalar ratio r=0.01, in a small
patch (~1%) of the sky known to have low Galactic emission. Over 75% of the sky
we expect the foreground amplitude to exceed the primordial signal by about a
factor of eight at the foreground minimum and on scales of two degrees. Only on
the largest scales does the polarized foreground amplitude exceed the
primordial signal by a larger factor of about 20. The prospects for detecting
an r=0.01 signal including degree-scale measurements appear promising, with 5
sigma_r ~0.003 forecast from multiple methods. A mission that observes a range
of scales offers better prospects from the foregrounds perspective than one
targeting only the lowest few multipoles. We begin to explore how optimizing
the composition of frequency channels in the focal plane can maximize our
ability to perform component separation, with a range of typically 40 < nu <
300 GHz preferred for ten channels. Foreground cleaning methods are already in
place to tackle a CMBPol mission data set, and further investigation of the
optimization and detectability of the primordial signal will be useful for
mission design.


title: CMBPol Mission Concept Study: Gravitational Lensing

abstract:
  Gravitational lensing of the cosmic microwave background by large-scale
structure in the late universe is both a source of cosmological information and
a potential contaminant of primordial gravity waves. Because lensing imprints
growth of structure in the late universe on the CMB, measurements of CMB
lensing will constrain parameters to which the CMB would not otherwise be
sensitive, such as neutrino mass.
  If the instrumental noise is sufficiently small (<~ 5 uK-arcmin), the
gravitational lensing contribution to the large-scale B-mode will be the
limiting source of contamination when constraining a stochastic background of
gravity waves in the early universe, one of the most exciting prospects for
future CMB polarization experiments. High-sensitivity measurements of
small-scale B-modes can reduce this contamination through a lens reconstruction
technique that separates the lensing and primordial contributions to the B-mode
on large scales.
  A fundamental design decision for a future CMB polarization experiment such
as CMBpol is whether to have coarse angular resolution so that only the
large-scale B-mode (and the large-scale E-mode from reionization) is measured,
or high resolution to additionally measure CMB lensing. The purpose of this
white paper is to evaluate the science case for CMB lensing in polarization:
constraints on cosmological parameters, increased sensitivity to the gravity
wave B-mode via lens reconstruction, expected level of contamination from
non-CMB foregrounds, and required control of beam systematics.


title: Almost continuous orbit equivalence for non-singular homeomorphisms

abstract:
  Let $X$ and $Y$ be Polish spaces with non-atomic Borel measures $\mu$ and
$\nu$ of full support. Suppose that $T$ and $S$ are ergodic non-singular
homeomorphisms of $(X,\mu)$ and $(Y,\nu)$ with continuous Radon-Nikodym
derivatives. Suppose that either they are both of type $III_1$ or that they are
both of type $III_\lambda$, $0<\lambda<1$ and, in the $III_\lambda$ case,
suppose in addition that both `topological asymptotic ranges' (defined in the
article) are $\log\lambda\cdot\Bbb Z$. Then there exist invariant dense
$G_\delta$-subsets $X'\subset X$ and $Y'\subset Y$ of full measure and a
non-singular homeomorphism $\phi: X' \to Y'$ which is an orbit equivalence
between $T|_{X'}$ and $S|_{Y'}$, that is $\phi\{T^{i}x\} = \{S^{i}x\}$ for all
$x \in X'$. Moreover the Radon-Nikodym derivative $d\nu\circ\phi/d\mu$ is
continuous on $X'$ and, letting $S' = \phi^{-1}S \phi$ we have $Tx=
{S'}^{n(x)}x$ and $S' = T^{m(x)}x$ where $n$ and $m$ are continuous on $X'$.


title:
CMBPol Mission Concept Study: Reionization Science with the Cosmic
  Microwave Background

abstract:
  We summarize existing constraints on the epoch of reionization and discuss
the observational probes that are sensitive to the process. We focus on the
role large scale polarization can play. Polarization probes the integrated
optical depth across the entire epoch of reionization. Future missions such as
Planck and CMBPol will greatly enhance our knowledge of the reionization
history, allowing us to measure the time evolution of the ionization fraction.
As large scale polarization probes high redshift activity, it can best
constrain models where the Universe was fully or partially ionized at early
times. In fact, large scale polarization could be our only probe of the highest
redshifts.


title: CMBPol Mission Concept Study: Probing Inflation with CMB Polarization

abstract:
  We summarize the utility of precise cosmic microwave background (CMB)
polarization measurements as probes of the physics of inflation. We focus on
the prospects for using CMB measurements to differentiate various inflationary
mechanisms. In particular, a detection of primordial B-mode polarization would
demonstrate that inflation occurred at a very high energy scale, and that the
inflaton traversed a super-Planckian distance in field space. We explain how
such a detection or constraint would illuminate aspects of physics at the
Planck scale. Moreover, CMB measurements can constrain the scale-dependence and
non-Gaussianity of the primordial fluctuations and limit the possibility of a
significant isocurvature contribution. Each such limit provides crucial
information on the underlying inflationary dynamics. Finally, we quantify these
considerations by presenting forecasts for the sensitivities of a future
satellite experiment to the inflationary parameters.


title: CMBPol Mission Concept Study: Foreground Science Knowledge and Prospects

abstract:
  We report on our knowledge of Galactic foregrounds, as well as on how a CMB
satellite mission aiming at detecting a primordial B-mode signal (CMBPol) will
contribute to improving it. We review the observational and analysis techniques
used to constrain the structure of the Galactic magnetic field, whose presence
is responsible for the polarization of Galactic emissions. Although our current
understanding of the magnetized interstellar medium is somewhat limited,
dramatic improvements in our knowledge of its properties are expected by the
time CMBPol flies. Thanks to high resolution and high sensitivity instruments
observing the whole sky at frequencies between 30 GHz and 850 GHz, CMBPol will
not only improve this picture by observing the synchrotron emission from our
galaxy, but also help constrain dust models. Polarized emission from
interstellar dust indeed dominates over any other signal in CMBPol's highest
frequency channels. Observations at these wavelengths, combined with
ground-based studies of starlight polarization, will therefore enable us to
improve our understanding of dust properties and of the mechanism(s)
responsible for the alignment of dust grains with the Galactic magnetic field.
CMBPol will also shed new light on observations that are presently not well
understood. Morphological studies of anomalous dust and synchrotron emissions
will indeed constrain their natures and properties, while searching for
fluctuations in the emission from heliospheric dust will test our understanding
of the circumheliospheric interstellar medium. Finally, acquiring more
information on the properties of extra-Galactic sources will be necessary in
order to maximize the cosmological constraints extracted from CMBPol's
observations of CMB lensing. (abridged)


title: Can inhomogeneities solve the horizon problem ?

abstract:
  We show how inhomogeneous cosmological models can naturally explain the large
angle correlation we observe in the CMB (cosmological microwave background)
radiation without invoking any inflationary stage, but simply considering the
effects of inhomogeneities on the propagation of photons from the last
scattering surface.


title: Theta Correspondence for U(1,1) and U(2)

abstract:
  In this paper, we parametrize certain irreducible supercuspidal
representations of U(1,1) and U(2) via explicit induction data. The
parametrization depends on traceless elements of negative valuation in a
quadratic extension of base field. We use the lattice model of the Weil
representation to determine which traceless elements are involved in the theta
correspondence for reductive dual pair U(1,1) and U(2).


title: Stellar activity of planetary host star HD 189733

abstract:
  Extra-solar planet search programs require high-precision velocity
measurements. They need to study how to disentangle radial-velocity variations
due to Doppler motion from the noise induced by stellar activity. We monitored
the active K2V star HD 189733 and its transiting planetary companion that has a
2.2-day orbital period. We used the high-resolution spectograph SOPHIE mounted
on the 1.93-m telescope at the Observatoire de Haute-Provence to obtain 55
spectra of HD 189733 over nearly two months. We refined the HD 189733b orbit
parameters and put limits on the eccentricity and on a long-term velocity
gradient. After subtracting the orbital motion of the planet, we compared the
variability of spectroscopic activity indices to the evolution of the
radial-velocity residuals and the shape of spectral lines. The radial velocity,
the spectral-line profile and the activity indices measured in HeI (5875.62
\AA), Halpha (6562.81 \AA) and the CaII H&K lines (3968.47 \AA and 3933.66 \AA,
respectively) show a periodicity around the stellar rotation period and the
correlations between them are consistent with a spotted stellar surface in
rotation. We used such correlations to correct for the radial-velocity jitter
due to stellar activity. This results in achieving high precision on the orbit
parameters, with a semi-amplitude K = 200.56 \pm 0.88 m.s-1 and a derived
planet mass of M_{P}=1.13 \pm 0.03 M$_{Jup}$.


title:
The effect of general relativity on hyperbolic orbits and its
  application to the flyby anomaly

abstract:
  We investigate qualitatively and quantitatively the impact of the general
relativistic gravito-electromagnetic forces on hyperbolic orbits around a
massive spinning body. The gravito-magnetic field, which is the cause of the
well known Lense-Thirring precessions of elliptic orbits, is generated by the
spin S of the central body. It deflects and displaces the trajectories
differently according to the mutual orientation of S and the orbital angular
momentum L of the test particle. The gravito-electric force, which induces the
Einstein precession of the perihelion of the orbit of Mercury, always deflects
the trajectories inward irrespective of the L-S orientation. We numerically
compute their effect on the range r, radial and transverse components v_r and
v_\tau of the velocity and speed v of the NEAR spacecraft at its closest
approach with the Earth in January 1998 when it experienced an anomalous
increase of its asymptotic outgoing velocity v_\infty o of 13.46 +/- 0.01 mm
sec^-1; while the gravito-electric force was modeled in the software used to
process the NEAR data, this was not done for the gravito-magnetic one. The
range-rate and the speed are affected by general relativistic
gravito-electromagnetism at 10^-2 (gravito-electric)-10^-5 (gravito-magnetic)
mm sec^-1 level. The changes in the range are of the order of 10^-2
(gravito-magnetic)-10^1 (gravito-electric) mm.


title:
Superconductivity in LaFeAs$_{1-x}$P$_{x}$O: effect of chemical
  pressures and bond covalency

abstract:
  We report the realization of superconductivity by an isovalent doping with
phosphorus in LaFeAsO. X-ray diffraction shows that, with the partial
substitution of P for As, the Fe$_2$As$_2$ layers are squeezed while the
La$_2$O$_2$ layers are stretched along the c-axis. Electrical resistance and
magnetization measurements show emergence of bulk superconductivity at $\sim$10
K for the optimally-doped LaFeAs$_{1-x}$P$_{x}$O ($x=0.25\sim0.3$). The upper
critical fields at zero temperature is estimated to be 27 T, much higher than
that of the LaFePO superconductor. The occurrence of superconductivity is
discussed in terms of chemical pressures and bond covalency.


title: Geophysical test of the universality of free-fall

abstract:
  We point out that the universality of free-fall can be tested by observing
surface-gravity changes of the Earth. The Earth's inner core is weakly coupled
to the rest part of the Earth by mainly gravitational forces. If there were a
violation of the universality of free-fall, because of their different chemical
compositions and/or of different mass fractions of binding energies, the inner
core and the rest part of the Earth would fall at different rates towards the
Sun and other sources of gravitational fields. The differential acceleration
could be observed as surface-gravity effects. By assuming a simple Earth model,
we discuss the expected surface-gravity effects of violations of the
universality and experiments to search for such effects by using
superconducting gravimeters. It is shown that the universality can be tested to
a level of 10$^{-9}$ using currently operating superconducting gravimeters.
Some improvements can be expected from combinations of global measurements and
applications of advanced data analyses.


title: Error accounting in electron counting experiments

abstract:
  Electron counting experiments attempt to provide a current of a known number
of electrons per unit time. We propose architectures utilizing a few readily
available electron-pumps or turnstiles with the typical error rates of 100 ppm
with common sensitive electrometers to achieve the desirable accuracy of 1 part
in 10 ppb. This is achieved not by counting all transferred electrons but by
counting only the errors of individual devices; these are less frequent and
therefore readily recognized and accounted for. We thereby ease the route
towards quantum based standards for current and capacitance.


title: Non-oriented solutions of the eikonal equation

abstract:
  We study a new formulation for the eikonal equation |grad u| =1 on a bounded
subset of R^2. Instead of a vector field grad u, we consider a field P of
orthogonal projections on 1-dimensional subspaces, with div P in L^2. We prove
existence and uniqueness for solutions of the equation P div P=0. We give a
geometric description, comparable with the classical case, and we prove that
such solutions exist only if the domain is a tubular neighbourhood of a regular
closed curve. The idea of the proof is to apply a generalized method of
characteristics introduced in Jabin, Otto, Perthame, "Line-energy
Ginzburg-Landau models: zero-energy states", Ann. Sc. Norm. Super. Pisa Cl.
Sci. (5) 1 (2002), to a suitable vector field m satisfying P = m \otimes m.
  This formulation provides a useful approach to the analysis of stripe
patterns. It is specifically suited to systems where the physical properties of
the pattern are invariant under rotation over 180 degrees, such as systems of
block copolymers or liquid crystals.


title: SN 2008S: A Cool Super-Eddington Wind in a Supernova Impostor

abstract:
  We present visual-wavelength photometry and spectroscopy of supernova
SN2008S. Based on the low peak luminosity for a SN of M_R = -13.9 mag,
photometric and spectral evolution unlike that of low-luminosity SNe, a
late-time decline rate slower than 56Co decay, and slow outflow speeds of
600-1000 km/s, we conclude that SN2008S is not a true core-collapse SN and is
probably not an electron-capture SN. Instead, we show that SN2008S more closely
resembles a "SN impostor" event like SN1997bs, analogous to the giant eruptions
of LBVs. Its total radiated energy was 1e47.8 ergs, and it may have ejected
0.05-0.2 Msun in the event. We discover an uncanny similarity between the
spectrum of SN 2008S and that of the Galactic hypergiant IRC+10420, which is
dominated by narrow H-alpha, [Ca II], and Ca II emission lines formed in an
opaque wind. We propose a scenario where the vastly super-Eddington wind of
SN2008S partly fails because of reduced opacity due to recombination, as
suggested for IRC+10420. The range of initial masses susceptible to eruptive
LBV-like mass loss was known to extend down to 20-25 Msun, but estimates for
the progenitor of SN2008S (and the similar NGC300 transient) may extend this
range to around 15 Msun. As such, SN2008S may have implications for the
progenitor of SN1987A.


title:
A two-parameter family of complex Hadamard matrices of order 6 induced
  by hypocycloids

abstract:
  Constructions of Hadamard matrices from smaller blocks is a well-known
technique in the theory of real Hadamard matrices: tensoring Hadamard matrices
and the classical arrays of Williamson, Ito are all procedures involving
smaller order building blocks. We apply a new block-construction for order 6 to
obtain a previously unknown 2-dimensional family of complex Hadamard matrices.
Our results extend the families D_6(t) and B_6(t) found by various authors
recently. As a direct application the existence of a 2-parameter family of
MUB-triplets of order 6 is shown.


title:
Magnetoresistance and Hall effect in e-doped superconducting SrLaCuO
  thin films

abstract:
  We have epitaxially grown c-axis oriented SrxLa1-xCuO2 thin films by rf
sputtering on KTaO3 substrates with x = 0.12. The as-grown deposits are
insulating and a series of superconducting films with various Tc(R=0) up to 26
K have been obtained by in-situ oxygen reduction. Transport measurements in the
ab plane of these samples have been undertaken. We report original results on
the temperature dependence of the Hall effect and on the anisotropic
magnetoresistance (T > Tc). We discuss the magnitude of upper critical fields
and anisotropy, the Hall effect, which presents changes of sign indicative of
the existence of two types of carriers, the normal state magnetoresistance,
negative in parallel magnetic field, a possible signature of spin scattering.
These properties are compared to those of hole-doped cuprates, such as
BiSr(La)CuO with comparable Tc.


title: Random gap model for graphene and graphene bilayers

abstract:
  The effect of a randomly fluctuating gap, created by a random staggered
potential, is studied in a monolayer and a bilayer of graphene. The density of
states, the one-particle scattering rate and transport properties (diffusion
coefficient and conductivity) are calculated at the neutrality point. All these
quantities vanish at a critical value of the average staggered potential,
signaling a continuous transition to an insulating behavior. The calculations
are based on the self-consistent Born approximation for the one-particle
scattering rate and a massless mode of the two-particle Green's function which
is created by spontaneous symmetry breaking. Transport quantities are directly
linked to the one-particle scattering rate. Moreover, the effect of disorder is
very weak in the case of a monolayer but much stronger in bilayer graphene.


title:
Artificial contradiction between cosmology and particle physics: the
  lambda problem

abstract:
  It is shown that the usual choice of units obtained by taking G = c = Planck
constant = 1, giving the Planck units of mass, length and time, introduces an
artificial contradiction between cosmology and particle physics: the lambda
problem that we associate with Planck constant. We note that the choice of
Planck constant = 1 does not correspond to the scale of quantum physics. For
this scale we prove that the correct value is Planck constant \hbar; 1/10^122,
while the choice of Planck constant = 1 corresponds to the cosmological scale.
This is due to the scale factor of 10^61 that converts the Planck scale to the
cosmological scale. By choosing the ratio G/c^3 = constant = 1, which includes
the choice G = c = 1, and the momentum conservation mc = constant, we preserve
the derivation of the Einstein field equations from the action principle. Then
the product Gm/c^2 = rg, the gravitational radius of m, is constant. For a
quantum black hole we prove that Planck constant \hbar; rg^2 \hbar; (mc)^2. We
also prove that the product lambda x Planck constant is a general constant of
order one, for any scale. The cosmological scale implies lambda \hbar; Planck
constant \hbar; 1, while the Planck scale gives lambda \hbar; 1/Planck constant
\hbar; 10^122. This explains the lambda problem. We get two scales: the
cosmological quantum black hole (QBH), size \Lambda; 10^28 cm, and the quantum
black hole (qbh) that includes the fundamental particles scale, size \Lambda;
10^-13 cm, as well as the Planck scale, size \Lambda; 10^-33 cm.


title: Inflationary trispectrum from graviton exchange

abstract:
  We compute the connected four-point correlation function of the primordial
curvature perturbation generated during inflation with standard kinetic terms,
where the correlation is established via exchange of a graviton between two
pairs of scalar fluctuations. Any such correlation yields a contribution to the
scalar trispectrum of the order of the tensor to scalar ratio r. This
contribution is numerically one order of magnitude larger than the one
previously calculated on the basis of scalar perturbations interacting at a
point and satisfies a simple relation in the limit where the momentum of the
graviton which is exchanged becomes much smaller than the external momenta. We
conclude that the total non-linearity parameter generated by single-field
models of slow-roll inflation is at maximum tauNL ~ r.


title: Simple Waves in Ideal Radiation Hydrodynamics

abstract:
  In the dynamic diffusion limit of radiation hydrodynamics, advection
dominates diffusion; the latter primarily affects small scales and has
negligible impact on the large scale flow. The radiation can thus be accurately
regarded as an ideal fluid, i.e., radiative diffusion can be neglected along
with other forms of dissipation. This viewpoint is applied here to an analysis
of simple waves in an ideal radiating fluid. It is shown that much of the
hydrodynamic analysis carries over by simply replacing the material sound
speed, pressure and index with the values appropriate for a radiating fluid. A
complete analysis is performed for a centered rarefaction wave, and expressions
are provided for the Riemann invariants and characteristic curves of the
one-dimensional system of equations. The analytical solution is checked for
consistency against a finite difference numerical integration, and the validity
of neglecting the diffusion operator is demonstrated. An interesting physical
result is that for a material component with a large number of internal degrees
of freedom and an internal energy greater than that of the radiation, the sound
speed increases as the fluid is rarefied. These solutions are an excellent test
for radiation hydrodynamic codes operating in the dynamic diffusion regime. The
general approach may be useful in the development of Godunov numerical schemes
for radiation hydrodynamics.


title:
The optical/X-ray connection: ICM iron content and galaxy optical
  luminosity in 20 galaxy clusters

abstract:
  X-ray observations of galaxy clusters have shown that the intra-cluster gas
has iron abundances of about one third of the solar value. These observations
also show that part (if not all) of the intra-cluster gas metals were produced
within the member galaxies. We present a systematic analysis of 20 galaxy
clusters to explore the connection between the iron mass and the total
luminosity of early-type and late-type galaxies, and of the brightest cluster
galaxies (BCGs). From our results, the intra-cluster medium (ICM) iron mass
seems to correlate better with the luminosity of the BCGs than with that of the
red and blue galaxy populations. As the BCGs cannot produce alone the observed
amount of iron, we suggest that ram-pressure plus tidal stripping act together
to enhance, at the same time, the BCG luminosities and the iron mass in the
ICM. Through the analysis of the iron yield, we have also estimated that SN Ia
are responsible for more than 50% of the total iron in the ICM. This result
corroborates the fact that ram-pressure contributes to the gas removal from
galaxies to the inta-cluster medium, being very efficient for clusters in the
temperature range 2 < kT (keV)< 10


title:
Zonal Flows and Long-Lived Axisymmetric Pressure Bumps in
  Magnetorotational Turbulence

abstract:
  We study the behavior of magnetorotational turbulence in shearing box
simulations with a radial and azimuthal extent up to ten scale heights. Maxwell
and Reynolds stresses are found to increase by more than a factor two when
increasing the box size beyond two scale heights in the radial direction.
Further increase of the box size has little or no effect on the statistical
properties of the turbulence. An inverse cascade excites magnetic field
structures at the largest scales of the box. The corresponding 10% variation in
the Maxwell stress launches a zonal flow of alternating sub- and
super-Keplerian velocity. This in turn generates a banded density structure in
geostrophic balance between pressure and Coriolis forces. We present a
simplified model for the appearance of zonal flows, in which stochastic forcing
by the magnetic tension on short time-scales creates zonal flow structures with
life-times of several tens of orbits. We experiment with various improved
shearing box algorithms to reduce the numerical diffusivity introduced by the
supersonic shear flow. While a standard finite difference advection scheme
shows signs of a suppression of turbulent activity near the edges of the box,
this problem is eliminated by a new method where the Keplerian shear advection
is advanced in time by interpolation in Fourier space.


title:
A note on the theory of transverse diffusion in shock particle
  acceleration

abstract:
  We investigate the role of the form of the spatial diffusion coefficient in
shock acceleration of fast particles. Referring to non-classical diffusion and
using the results of numerical (hybrid) simulations tailored for the downstream
shock population in quasi-perpendicualr high-Mach number collisionless shocks
to which we apply the theory, we demonstrate that the inferred diffusion
coefficients are in excellent agreement with the requirements of the theory and
its predictions. Diffusion in the collisionless regime turns out to be
non-classical Gibbsian (L\'evy flight), time-dependent though weak.


title:
The Composition of Dust in Jupiter-Family Comets as Inferred from
  Infrared Spectroscopy

abstract:
  We review the composition of Jupiter-family comet dust as inferred from
infrared spectroscopy. We find that Jupiter-family comets have 10 micron
silicate emission features with fluxes roughly 20-25% over the dust continuum
(emission strength 1.20-1.25), similar to the weakest silicate features in Oort
Cloud comets. We discuss the grain properties that change the silicate emission
feature strength (composition, size, and structure/shape), and emphasize that
thermal emission from the comet nucleus can have significant influence on the
derived silicate emission strength. Recent evidence suggests that porosity is
the dominant parameter, although more observations and models of silicates in
Jupiter-family comets are needed to determine if a consistent set of grain
parameters can explain their weak silicate emission features. Models of 8 m
telescope and Spitzer Space Telescope observations have shown that
Jupiter-family comets have crystalline silicates with abundances similar to or
less than those found in Oort Cloud comets, although the crystalline silicate
mineralogy of comets 9P/Tempel and C/1995 O1 (Hale-Bopp) differ from each other
in Mg and Fe content. The heterogeneity of comet nuclei can also be assessed
with mid-infrared spectroscopy, and we review the evidence for heterogeneous
dust properties in the nucleus of comet 9P/Tempel. Models of dust formation,
mixing in the solar nebula, and comet formation must be able to explain the
observed range of Mg and Fe content and the heterogeneity of comet 9P/Tempel,
although more work is needed in order to understand to what extent do comets
9P/Tempel and Hale-Bopp represent comets as a whole.


title:
Superconducting and ferromagnetic phases induced by lattice distortions
  in SrFe2As2

abstract:
  Single crystals of SrFe2As2 grown using a self-flux solution method were
characterized via x-ray, transport and magnetization studies, revealing a
superconducting phase below T_c = 21 K characterized by a full electrical
resistivity transition and partial diamagnetic screening. The reversible
destruction and reinstatement of this phase by heat treatment and mechanical
deformation studies, along with single-crystal X-ray diffraction measurements,
indicate that internal crystallographic strain originating from c-axis-oriented
planar defects plays a central role in promoting the appearance of
superconductivity under ambient pressure conditions in ~90% of as-grown
crystals. The appearance of a ferromagnetic moment with magnitude proportional
to the tunable superconducting volume fraction suggests that these phenomena
are both stabilized by lattice distortion.


title:
Three-dimensional modeling of the asymmetric blast wave from the 2006
  outburst of RS Ophiuchi: Early X-ray emission

abstract:
  Chandra/HETG observations of the recurrent nova RS Ophiuchi at day 13.9 of
its 2006 outburst reveal a spectrum covering a large range in plasma
temperature and characterized by asymmetric and blue-shifted emission lines. We
investigate the origin of these asymmetries and broadening of emission lines.
We perform 3-D hydrodynamic simulations of the blast wave from the 2006
outburst, propagating through the inhomogeneous CSM. The model takes into
account the thermal conduction (including the effects of heat flux saturation)
and the radiative cooling. From the simulations, we synthesize the X-ray
emission and derive the spectra as they would be observed with Chandra/HETG.
Our model reproduces the observed X-ray emission in a natural way if the CSM in
which the outburst occurred is characterized by an equatorial density
enhancement. Our ``best-fit'' model predicts that most of the early X-ray
emission originates from a small region propagating in the direction
perpendicular to the line-of-sight and localized just behind the interaction
front between the blast wave and the equatorial density enhancement. The model
predicts asymmetric and blue-shifted line profiles remarkably similar to those
observed. These asymmetries are due to substantial X-ray absorption of
red-shifted emission by ejecta material. The comparison of high quality data of
Chandra/HETG with detailed hydrodynamic modeling has allowed us to unveil, for
the first time, the details of the structure emitting in the X-ray band in
early phases of the outburst evolution, contributing to a better understanding
of the physics of interactions between nova blasts and CSM in recurrent novae.
This may have implications for whether or not RS Ophiuchi is a Type Ia SN
progenitor system.


title: FIRST "Winged" and X-shaped Radio Source Candidates: II. New Redshifts

abstract:
  We report optical spectroscopic observations of X-shaped radio sources with
the Hobby-Eberly Telescope and Multiple-Mirror Telescope, focused on the sample
of candidates from the FIRST survey presented in Paper I (Cheung 2007). A total
of 27 redshifts were successfully obtained, 21 of which are new, including that
of a newly identified candidate source of this type which is presented here.
With these observations, the sample of candidates from Paper I is over 50%
spectroscopically identified. Two new broad emission-lined X-shaped radio
sources are revealed, while no emission lines were detected in about one third
of the observed sources; a detailed study of the line properties is deferred to
a future paper. Finally, to explore their relation to the Fanaroff-Riley
division, the radio luminosities and host galaxy absolute magnitudes of a
spectroscopically identified sample of 50 X-shaped radio galaxies are
calculated to determine their placement in the Owen-Ledlow plane.


title:
Doubly-Charged Boson Production in $p \bar{p}$ Collisions at $\sqrt{s} =
  1.96$ TeV

abstract:
  It is suggested that the observed excess of muons in studies of $p \bar{p}$
collisions at $\sqrt{s} = 1.96$ TeV arises from the decay of doubly-charged
bosons. Such particles are predicted in the 3-3-1 model where the electroweak
gauge group is extended to $SU(3) \times U(1)$.


title: Detection of CI in absorption towards PKS 1830-211 with the eSMA

abstract:
  We report the first science observations and results obtained with the
"extended" SMA (eSMA), which is composed of the SMA (Submillimeter Array), JCMT
(James Clerk Maxwell Telescope) and CSO (Caltech Submillimeter Observatory).
Redshifted absorptions at z=0.886 of CI (^3P_1 - ^3P_0) were observed with the
eSMA with an angular resolution of 0.55"x0.22" at 1.1 mm toward the
southwestern image of the remarkable lensed quasar PKS 1830-211, but not toward
the northeastern component at a separation of ~1". Additionally, SMA
observations of CO, 13CO and C18O (all J=4-3) were obtained toward this object:
CO was also detected toward the SW component, but none of the isotopologues
were. This is the first time [CI] is detected in this object, allowing the
first direct determination of relative abundances of neutral atomic carbon to
CO in the molecular clouds of a spiral galaxy at z>0.1. The [CI] and CO
profiles can be decomposed into two and three velocity components respectively.
We derive C/CO column density ratios ranging from <0.5 (representative of dense
cores) to ~2.5 (close to translucent clouds values). This could indicate that
we are seeing environments with different physical conditions or that we are
witnessing chemical evolution of regions where C has not completely been
converted into CO.


title: Selections, Extensions and Collectionwise Normality

abstract:
  We demonstrate that the classical Michael selection theorem for l.s.c.
mappings with a collectionwise normal domain can be reduced only to
compact-valued mappings modulo Dowker's extension theorem for such spaces. The
idea used to achieve this reduction is also applied to get a simple direct
proof of that selection theorem of Michael's. Some other possible applications
are demonstrated as well.


title:
Effective medium approach for stiff polymer networks with flexible
  cross-links

abstract:
  Recent experiments have demonstrated that the nonlinear elasticity of in
vitro networks of the biopolymer actin is dramatically altered in the presence
of a flexible cross-linker such as the abundant cytoskeletal protein filamin.
The basic principles of such networks remain poorly understood. Here we
describe an effective medium theory of flexibly cross-linked stiff polymer
networks. We argue that the response of the cross-links can be fully attributed
to entropic stiffening, while softening due to domain unfolding can be ignored.
The network is modeled as a collection of randomly oriented rods connected by
flexible cross-links to an elastic continuum. This effective medium is treated
in a linear elastic limit as well as in a more general framework, in which the
medium self-consistently represents the nonlinear network behavior. This model
predicts that the nonlinear elastic response sets in at strains proportional to
cross-linker length and inversely proportional to filament length. Furthermore,
we find that the differential modulus scales linearly with the stress in the
stiffening regime. These results are in excellent agreement with bulk rheology
data.


title: Differential invariants of generic parabolic Monge-Ampere equations

abstract:
  Some new results on geometry of classical parabolic Monge-Amp\`ere equations
(PMA) are presented. PMAs are either \emph{integrable}, or \emph{nonintegrable}
according to integrability of its characteristic distribution. All integrable
PMAs are locally equivalent to the equation $u_{xx}=0$. We study nonintegrable
PMAs by associating with each of them a 1-dimensional distribution on the
corresponding first order jet manifold, called the \emph{directing
distribution}. According to some property of this distribution, nonintegrable
PMAs are subdivided into three classes, one \emph{generic} and two
\emph{special} ones. Generic PMAs are completely characterized by their
directing distributions, and we study canonical models of the latters,
\emph{projective curve bundles} (PCB). A PCB is a 1-dimensional subbundle of
the projectivized cotangent bundle of a 4-dimensional manifold. Differential
invariants of projective curves composing such a bundle are used to construct a
series of contact differential invariants for corresponding PMAs. These give a
solution of the equivalence problem for generic PMAs with respect to contact
transformations. The introduced invariants measure in an exact manner
nonlinearity of PMAs.


title:
Note on Rotating Charged Black Holes in Einstein-Maxwell-Chern-Simons
  Theory

abstract:
  We show that the general solution of Chong, Cvetic, Lu and Pope for
nonextremal rotating charged black holes in five-dimensional minimal gauged
supergravity, or equivalently in the Einstein-Maxwell-Chern-Simons theory with
a negative cosmological constant and with the Chern-Simons coefficient $ \nu=1
$, admits a simple description in a Kerr-Schild type framework with two scalar
functions. Next, assuming this framework as an ansatz, we obtain new analytic
solutions for slowly rotating charged black holes in the
Einstein-Maxwell-Chern-Simons theory with $ \nu\neq 1 .$ Using a covariant
superpotential derived from Noether identities within the
Katz-Bicak-Lynden-Bell approach, we calculate the mass and angular momenta for
the general supergravity solution as well as for the slowly rotating solution
with two independent rotation parameters. For the latter case, we also
calculate the gyromagnetic ratios and obtain simple analytic formulas,
involving both the parameters of the black holes and the Chern-Simons
coefficient.


title: Conductance of a single-atom carbon chain with graphene leads

abstract:
  We study the conductance of an interconnect between two graphene leads formed
by a single-atom carbon chain. Its dependence on the chemical potential and the
number of atoms in the chain is qualitatively different from that in the case
of normal metal leads. Electron transport proceeds via narrow resonant states
in the wire. The latter arise due to strong reflection at the junctions between
the chain and the leads, which is caused by the small density of states in the
leads at low energy. The energy dependence of the transmission coefficient near
resonance is asymmetric and acquires a universal form at small energies. We
find that in the case of leads with the zigzag edges the dispersion of the edge
states has a significant effect on the device conductance.


title:
Quantitative transcription factor binding kinetics at the
  single-molecule level

abstract:
  We have investigated the binding interaction between the bacteriophage lambda
repressor CI and its target DNA using total internal reflection fluorescence
microscopy. Large, step-wise changes in the intensity of the red fluorescent
protein fused to CI were observed as it associated and dissociated from
individually labeled single molecule DNA targets. The stochastic association
and dissociation were characterized by Poisson statistics. Dark and bright
intervals were measured for thousands of individual events. The exponential
distribution of the intervals allowed direct determination of the association
and dissociation rate constants, ka and kd respectively. We resolved in detail
how ka and kd varied as a function of 3 control parameters, the DNA length L,
the CI dimer concentration, and the binding affinity. Our results show that
although interaction with non-operator DNA sequences are observable, CI binding
to the operator site is not dependent on the length of flanking non-operator
DNA.


title:
Analysis of music: controlled random music and probability distribution
  function of recurrence time of amplitude peaks

abstract:
  Correlations in music that exist within its waveform are studied. Monophonic
wave files of random music are generated and the probability distribution
function of time interval between large signal values is analyzed. A power law
behavior for the distribution function in the range from 0.1 millisecond to 20
milliseconds is observed. An attempt is made to investigate the origin of these
correlations by randomizing each of the factors (frequencies, intensities and
durations of notes of the random music files) separately.


title: Black-hole binary simulations: the mass ratio 10:1

abstract:
  We present the first numerical simulations of an initially non-spinning
black-hole binary with mass ratio as large as 10:1 in full general relativity.
The binary completes approximately 3 orbits prior to merger and radiates about
0.415% of the total energy and 12.48% of the initial angular momentum in the
form of gravitational waves. The single black hole resulting from the merger
acquires a kick of about 66.7 km/s relative to the original center of mass
frame. The resulting gravitational waveforms are used to validate existing
formulas for the recoil, final spin and radiated energy over a wider range of
the symmetric mass ratio parameter eta=M1*M2/(M1+M2)^2 than previously
possible. The contributions of l > 2 multipoles are found to visibly influence
the gravitational wave signal obtained at fixed inclination angles.


title:
Convergence of multiple ergodic averages along cubes for several
  commuting transformations

abstract:
  We prove the norm convergence of multiple ergodic averages along cubes for
several commuting transformations, and derive corresponding combinatorial
results. The method we use relies primarily on the "magic extension"
established recently by B. ~Host.


title:
Piezoacoustic wave spectra using improved surface impedance matrix:
  Application to high impedance-contrast layered plates

abstract:
  Starting from the general modal solutions for a homogeneous layer of
arbitrary material and crystalline symmetry, a matrix formalism is developed to
establish the semi analytical expressions of the surface impedance matrices
(SIM) for a single piezo-electric layer. By applying the electrical boundary
conditions, the layer impedance matrix is reduced to a unified elastic form
whether the material is piezoelectric or not. The characteristic equation for
the dispersion curves is derived in both forms of a 3-dimentional acoustic SIM
and of an electrical scalar function. The same approach is extended to
multilayered structures such as a piezoelectric layer sandwiched in between two
metallic electrodes, a Bragg coupler, and a semi-infinite substrate as well.
The effectiveness of the approach is numerically demonstrated by its ability to
determine the full spectra of guided modes, even at extremely high frequencies,
in layered plates comprising of up to four layers and three materials. Negative
slope in f-k curve for some modes, asymptotic behavior at short wavelength
regime, as well as wave confinement phenomena made evident by the numerical
results are analyzed and interpreted in terms of the surface acoustic waves and
of the interfacial waves in connection with the bulk waves in massive
materials.


title:
Mechanics of Stabbing: Biaxial Measurement of Knife Stab Penetration of
  Skin Simulant

abstract:
  In medicolegal situations, the consequences of a stabbing incident are
described in terms that are qualitative without being quantitative. Here, the
mechanical variables involved in knife-tissue penetration events are used to
determine the parameters needed to be controlled in a measurement device. They
include knife geometry, in-plane mechanical stress state of skin, angle and
speed of knife penetration, and underlying fascia. Four household knives with
different geometries were used. Synthetic materials were used to simulate the
response of skin, fat and cartilage: polyurethane, foam, and ballistic soap,
respectively. The force and energy applied by the blade and the skin
displacement were used to identify skin penetration. The skin tension is shown
to have a direct effect on the force and energy for knife penetration and on
the depth of displacement of the simulant prior to penetration: larger levels
of in-plane tension in the skin are associated with lower penetration forces,
energies and displacements. Less force and energy are required for puncture
when the blade is parallel to a direction of greater skin tension than when
perpendicular. Surprisingly, evidence suggests that the quality control
processes used to manufacture knives fail to produce consistently uniform blade
points in nominally identical knives, leading to penetration forces which can
vary widely.


title: A wave near the edge of a circular disk

abstract:
  It is shown that in the Love-Kirchhoff plate theory, an edge wave can travel
in a circular thin disk made of an isotropic elastic material. This disk edge
wave turns out to be faster than the classic flexural acoustic wave in a
straight-edged, semi-infinite, thin plate, a wave which it mimics when the
curvature radius becomes very large compared to the wavelength.


title: Triplet Scalars and Dark Matter at the LHC

abstract:
  We investigate the predictions of a simple extension of the Standard Model
where the Higgs sector is composed of one $SU(2)_L$ doublet and one real
triplet. We discuss the general features of the model, including its vacuum
structure, theoretical and phenomenological constraints, and expectations for
Higgs collider studies. The model predicts the existence of a pair of light
charged scalars and, for vanishing triplet vacuum expectation value, contains a
cold dark matter candidate. When the latter possibility occurs, the charged
scalars are long-lived, leading to a prediction of distinctive single charged
track with missing transverse energy or double charged track events at the LHC.
The model predicts a significant excess of two-photon events compared to SM
expectations due to the presence of a light charged scalar.


title: Extractors and an efficient variant of Muchnik's theorem

abstract:
  Muchnik's theorem about simple conditional descriprion states that for all
words $a$ and $b$ there exists a short program $p$ transforming $a$ to $b$ that
has the least possible length and is simple conditional on $b$. This paper
presents a new proof of this theorem, based on extractors. Employing the
extractor technique, two new versions of Muchnik's theorem for space- and
time-bounded Kolmogorov complexity are proven.


title:
A polytime proof of correctness of the Rabin-Miller algorithm from
  Fermat's little theorem

abstract:
  Although a deterministic polytime algorithm for primality testing is now
known, the Rabin-Miller randomized test of primality continues being the most
efficient and widely used algorithm.
  We prove the correctness of the Rabin-Miller algorithm in the theory V1 for
polynomial time reasoning, from Fermat's little theorem. This is interesting
because the Rabin-Miller algorithm is a polytime randomized algorithm, which
runs in the class RP (i.e., the class of polytime Monte-Carlo algorithms), with
a sampling space exponential in the length of the binary encoding of the input
number. (The class RP contains polytime P.) However, we show how to express the
correctness in the language of V1, and we also show that we can prove the
formula expressing correctness with polytime reasoning from Fermat's Little
theorem, which is generally expected to be independent of V1.
  Our proof is also conceptually very basic in the sense that we use the
extended Euclid's algorithm, for computing greatest common divisors, as the
main workhorse of the proof. For example, we make do without proving the
Chinese Reminder theorem, which is used in the standard proofs.


title:
The Liouville equation for singular ergodic magnetic Schr\"odinger
  operators

abstract:
  We study the time evolution of a density matrix in a quantum mechanical
system described by an ergodic magnetic Schr\"odinger operator with singular
magnetic and electric potentials, the electric field being introduced
adiabatically. We construct a unitary propagator that solves weakly the
corresponding time-dependent Schr\"odinger equation, and solve a Liouville
equation in an appropriate Hilbert space.


title: Practical scheme for a light-induced gauge field in an atomic Bose gas

abstract:
  We propose a scheme to generate an Abelian gauge field in an atomic gas using
two crossed laser beams. If the internal atomic state follows adiabatically the
eigenstates of the atom-laser interaction, Berry's phase gives rise to a vector
potential that can nucleate vortices in a Bose gas. The present scheme operates
even for a large detuning with respect to the atomic resonance, making it
applicable to alkali-metal atoms without significant heating due to spontaneous
emission. We test the validity of the adiabatic approximation by integrating
the set of coupled Gross-Pitaevskii equations associated with the various
internal atomic states, and we show that the steady state of the interacting
gas indeed exhibits a vortex lattice, as expected from the adiabatic gauge
field.


title: DeWitt-Schwinger Renormalization and Vacuum Polarization in d Dimensions

abstract:
  Calculation of the vacuum polarization, $<\phi^2(x)>$, and expectation value
of the stress tensor, $<T_{\mu\nu}(x)>$, has seen a recent resurgence, notably
for black hole spacetimes. To date, most calculations of this type have been
done only in four dimensions. Extending these calculations to $d$ dimensions
includes $d$-dimensional renormalization. Typically, the renormalizing terms
are found from Christensen's covariant point splitting method for the
DeWitt-Schwinger expansion. However, some manipulation is required to put the
correct terms into a form that is compatible with problems of the vacuum
polarization type. Here, after a review of the current state of affairs for
$<\phi^2(x)>$ and $<T_{\mu\nu}(x)>$ calculations and a thorough introduction to
the method of calculating $<\phi^2(x)>$, a compact expression for the
DeWitt-Schwinger renormalization terms suitable for use in even-dimensional
spacetimes is derived. This formula should be useful for calculations of
$<\phi^2(x)>$ and $<T_{\mu\nu}(x)>$ in even dimensions, and the renormalization
terms are shown explicitly for four and six dimensions. Furthermore, use of the
finite terms of the DeWitt-Schwinger expansion as an approximation to
$<\phi^2(x)>$ for certain spacetimes is discussed, with application to four and
five dimensions.


title: New formulae for the Aharonov-Bohm wave operators

abstract:
  It is proved that the wave operators corresponding to Schroedinger operators
with Aharonov-Bohm type magnetic fields can be rewritten in terms of explicit
functions of the generator of dilations and of the Laplacian.


title: Trispectrum versus Bispectrum in Single-Field Inflation

abstract:
  In the standard slow-roll inflationary cosmology, quantum fluctuations in a
single field, the inflaton, generate approximately Gaussian primordial density
perturbations. At present, the bispectrum and trispectrum of the density
perturbations have not been observed and the probability distribution for these
perturbations is consistent with Gaussianity. However, Planck satellite data
will bring a new level of precision to bear on this issue, and it is possible
that evidence for non-Gaussian effects in the primordial distribution will be
discovered. One possibility is that a trispectrum will be observed without
evidence for a non-zero bispectrum. It is not difficult for this to occur in
inflationary models where quantum fluctuations in a field other than the
inflaton contribute to the density perturbations. A natural question to ask is
whether such an observation would rule out the standard scenarios. We explore
this issue and find that it is possible to construct single-field models in
which inflaton-generated primordial density perturbations have an observable
trispectrum, but a bispectrum that is too small to be observed by the Planck
satellite. However, an awkward fine tuning seems to be unavoidable.


title: Four New Stellar Debris Streams in the Galactic Halo

abstract:
  We report on the detection of four new stellar debris streams and a new dwarf
galaxy candidate in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. Three of the streams, ranging
between 3 and 15 kpc in distance and spanning between 37 and 84 degrees on the
sky, are very narrow and are most probably tidal streams originating in extant
or disrupted globular clusters. The fourth stream is much broader, roughly 45
kpc distant, at least 53 degrees in length, and is most likely the tidal debris
from a dwarf galaxy. As the streams each span multiple constellations, we
extend tradition and designate them the Acheron, Cocytos, Lethe, and Styx
streams. At the same distance and apparently embedded in the Styx stream is a
~1 kpc-wide concentration of stars with a similar color-magnitude distribution
which we designate Bootes III. Given its very low surface density, its location
within the stream, and its apparently disturbed morphology, we argue that
Bootes III may be the progenitor of Styx and in possibly the final throes of
tidal dissolution. While the current data do not permit strong constraints,
preliminary orbit estimates for the streams do not point to any likely
progenitors among the known globular clusters and dwarf galaxies.


title: Universality of global dynamics for the cubic wave equation

abstract:
  We consider the initial value problem for the spherically symmetric, focusing
cubic wave equation in three spatial dimensions. We give numerical and
analytical evidence for the existence of a universal attractor which
encompasses both global and blowup solutions. As a byproduct we get an explicit
description of the critical behavior at the threshold of blowup.


title:
Dynamical Coupling between a Bose-Einstein Condensate and a Cavity
  Optical Lattice

abstract:
  A Bose-Einstein condensate is dispersively coupled to a single mode of an
ultra-high finesse optical cavity. The system is governed by strong
interactions between the atomic motion and the light field even at the level of
single quanta. While coherently pumping the cavity mode the condensate is
subject to the cavity optical lattice potential whose depth depends nonlinearly
on the atomic density distribution. We observe bistability already below the
single photon level and strong back-action dynamics which tunes the system
periodically out of resonance.


title:
The origin of redshift asymmetries: How LambdaCDM explains anomalous
  redshift

abstract:
  Several authors have found a statistically significant excess of galaxies
with higher redshifts relative to the group centre, so-called discordant
redshifts, in particular in groups where the brightest galaxy, identified in
apparent magnitudes, is a spiral. Our aim is to explain the observed redshift
excess. We use a semi-analytical galaxy catalogue constructed from the
Millennium Simulation to study redshift asymmetries in spiral-dominated groups
in the Lambda cold dark matter (LambdaCDM) cosmology. We show that discordant
redshifts in small galaxy groups arise when these groups are gravitationally
unbound and the dominant galaxy of the group is misidentified. The redshift
excess is especially significant when the apparently brightest galaxy can be
identified as a spiral, in full agreement with observations. On the other hand,
the groups that are gravitationally bound do not show a significant redshift
asymmetry. When the dominant members of groups in mock catalogues are
identified by using the absolute B-band magnitudes, our results show a small
blueshift excess. This result is due to the magnitude limited observations that
miss the faint background galaxies in groups. When the group centre is not
correctly identified it may cause the major part of the observed redshift
excess. If the group is also gravitationally unbound, the level of the redshift
excess becomes as high as in observations. There is no need to introduce any
"anomalous" redshift mechanism to explain the observed redshift excess.
Further, as the Friends-of-Friends percolation algorithm picks out the
expanding parts of groups, in addition to the gravitationally bound group
cores, group catalogues constructed in this way cannot be used as if the groups
are purely bound systems.


title:
Critical formation of trapped surfaces in the collision of gravitational
  shock waves

abstract:
  We study the formation of marginally trapped surfaces in the head-on
collision of two shock waves both in anti-de Sitter and Minkowski space-time in
various dimensions as a function of the spread of the energy density in
transverse space. For D=4 and D=5 it is shown that there exists a critical
value of this spread above which no solution to the trapped surface equation is
found. In four dimensions the trapped surface at criticality has a finite size,
whereas in five the critical size vanishes. In both cases we find scaling
relations characterized by critical exponents. Finally, when D>5 there is
always a solution to the trapped surface equation for any transverse spread.


title:
Galaxy Zoo: Disentangling the Environmental Dependence of Morphology and
  Colour

abstract:
  We analyze the environmental dependence of galaxy morphology and colour with
two-point clustering statistics, using data from the Galaxy Zoo, the largest
sample of visually classified morphologies yet compiled, extracted from the
Sloan Digital Sky Survey. We present two-point correlation functions of spiral
and early-type galaxies, and we quantify the correlation between morphology and
environment with marked correlation functions. These yield clear and precise
environmental trends across a wide range of scales, analogous to similar
measurements with galaxy colours, indicating that the Galaxy Zoo
classifications themselves are very precise. We measure morphology marked
correlation functions at fixed colour and find that they are relatively weak,
with the only residual correlation being that of red galaxies at small scales,
indicating a morphology gradient within haloes for red galaxies. At fixed
morphology, we find that the environmental dependence of colour remains strong,
and these correlations remain for fixed morphology \textit{and} luminosity. An
implication of this is that much of the morphology--density relation is due to
the relation between colour and density. Our results also have implications for
galaxy evolution: the morphological transformation of galaxies is usually
accompanied by a colour transformation, but not necessarily vice versa. A
spiral galaxy may move onto the red sequence of the colour-magnitude diagram
without quickly becoming an early-type. We analyze the significant population
of red spiral galaxies, and present evidence that they tend to be located in
moderately dense environments and are often satellite galaxies in the outskirts
of haloes. Finally, we combine our results to argue that central and satellite
galaxies tend to follow different evolutionary paths.


title:
Prospects for application of ultracold Sr$_2$ molecules in precision
  measurements

abstract:
  Precision measurements with ultracold molecules require development of robust
and sensitive techniques to produce and interrogate the molecules. With this
goal, we theoretically analyze factors that affect frequency measurements
between rovibrational levels of the Sr$_2$ molecule in the electronic ground
state. This measurement can be used to constrain the possible time variation of
the proton-electron mass ratio. Sr$_2$ is expected to be a strong candidate for
achieving high precision due to the spinless nature and ease of cooling and
perturbation-free trapping of Sr \cite{Zelevinsky2008}. The analysis includes
calculations of two-photon transition dipole moments between deeply and weakly
bound vibrational levels, lifetimes of intermediate excited states, and Stark
shifts of the vibrational levels by the optical lattice field, including
possibilities of Stark-cancellation trapping.


title: Particle phenomenology on noncommutative spacetime

abstract:
  We introduce particle phenomenology on the noncommutative spacetime called
the Groenewold-Moyal plane. The length scale of spcetime noncommutativity is
constrained from the CPT violation measurements in $K^{0}-\bar{K}^{0}$ system
and $g-2$ difference of $\mu^+ - \mu^-$. The $K^{0}-\bar{K}^{0}$ system
provides an upper bound on the length scale of spacetime noncommutativity of
the order of $10^{-32} \textrm{m}$, corresponding to a lower energy bound $E$
of the order of $E \gtrsim 10^{16}\textrm{GeV}$. The $g-2$ difference of $\mu^+
- \mu^-$ constrains the noncommutativity length scale to be of the order of
$10^{-20} \textrm{m}$, corresponding to a lower energy bound $E$ of the order
of $E \gtrsim 10^{3}\textrm{GeV}$.
  We also present the phenomenology of the electromagnetic interaction of
electrons and nucleons at the tree level in the noncommutative spacetime. We
show that the distributions of charge and magnetization of nucleons are
affected by spacetime noncommutativity. The analytic properties of
electromagnetic form factors are also changed and it may give rise to
interesting experimental signals.


title: Fe-based superconductors: unity or diversity?

abstract:
  Does the high temperature superconductivity observed in the newly discovered
iron-pnictide materials represent another example of the same essential physics
responsible for superconductivity in the cuprates, or does it embody a new
mechanism?


title:
SDSS J080449.49+161624.8: A peculiar AM CVn star from a colour-selected
  sample of candidates

abstract:
  We describe a spectroscopic survey designed to uncover an estimated ~40 AM
CVn stars hiding in the photometric database of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey
(SDSS). We have constructed a relatively small sample of about 1500 candidates
based on a colour selection, which should contain the majority of all AM CVn
binaries while remaining small enough that spectroscopic identification of the
full sample is feasible.
  We present the first new AM CVn star discovered using this strategy, SDSS
J080449.49+161624.8, the ultracompact binary nature of which is demonstrated
using high-time-resolution spectroscopy obtained at the Magellan telescopes at
Las Campanas Observatory, Chile. A kinematic 'S-wave' feature is observed on a
period 44.5+/-0.1min, which we propose is the orbital period, although the
present data cannot yet exclude its nearest daily aliases.
  The new AM CVn star shows a peculiar spectrum of broad, single-peaked helium
emission lines with unusually strong series of ionised helium, reminiscent of
the (intermediate) polars among the hydrogen-rich Cataclysmic Variables. We
speculate that SDSS J0804+1616 may be the first magnetic AM CVn star. The
accreted material appears to be enriched in nitrogen, to N/O>~10 and N/C>10 by
number, indicating CNO-cycle hydrogen burning, but no helium burning, in the
prior evolution of the donor star.


title:
Determinacy and Decidability of Reachability Games with Partial
  Observation on Both Sides

abstract:
  We prove two determinacy and decidability results about two-players
stochastic reachability games with partial observation on both sides and
finitely many states, signals and actions.


title: The categorified Diassociative cooperad

abstract:
  Using representations of quivers of type A, we define an anticyclic cooperad
in the category of triangulated categories, which is a categorification of the
linear dual of the Diassociative operad.


title: The COSMOS AGN Spectroscopic Survey I: XMM Counterparts

abstract:
  We present optical spectroscopy for an X-ray and optical flux-limited sample
of 677 XMM-Newton selected targets covering the 2 deg^2 COSMOS field, with a
yield of 485 high-confidence redshifts. The majority of the spectra were
obtained over three seasons (2005-2007) with the IMACS instrument on the
Magellan (Baade) telescope. We also include in the sample previously published
Sloan Digital Sky Survey spectra and supplemental observations with
MMT/Hectospec. We detail the observations and classification analyses. The
survey is 90% complete to flux limits of f_{0.5-10 keV}>8 x 10^-16 erg cm^-2
s^-1 and i_AB+<22, where over 90% of targets have high-confidence redshifts.
Making simple corrections for incompleteness due to redshift and spectral type
allows for a description of the complete population to $i_AB+<23. The corrected
sample includes 57% broad emission line (Type 1, unobscured) AGN at
0.13<z<4.26, 25% narrow emission line (Type 2, obscured) AGN at 0.07<z<1.29,
and 18% absorption line (host-dominated, obscured) AGN at 0<z<1.22 (excluding
the stars that made up 4% of the X-ray targets). We show that the survey's
limits in X-ray and optical flux include nearly all X-ray AGN (defined by
L_{0.5-10 keV}>3 x 10^42 erg s^-1) to z<1, of both optically obscured and
unobscured types. We find statistically significant evidence that the obscured
to unobscured AGN ratio at z<1 increases with redshift and decreases with
luminosity.


title:
Optimal Strategies in Perfect-Information Stochastic Games with Tail
  Winning Conditions

abstract:
  We prove that optimal strategies exist in every perfect-information
stochastic game with finitely many states and actions and a tail winning
condition.


title: The Distance, Mass, and Radius of the Neutron Star in 4U 1608-52

abstract:
  Low mass X-ray binaries that show thermonuclear bursts are ideal sources for
constraining the equation of state of neutron star matter. The lack of
independent distance measurements for most of these sources, however, prevents
a systematic exploration of the masses and radii of the neutron stars, hence
limiting the equation of state studies. We present here a measurement of the
distance to the low mass X-ray binary 4U 1608-52 that is based on the study of
the interstellar extinction towards the source. We first model the individual
absorption edges of the elements Ne and Mg in the high resolution X-ray
spectrum obtained with XMM-Newton. We then combine this information with a
measurement of the run of reddening with distance using red clump stars and
determine a minimum distance to the source of 3.9 kpc, with a most probable
value of 5.8 kpc. Finally, we analyze time-resolved X-ray spectra of Type-I
X-ray bursts observed from this source to measure the mass and the radius of
the neutron star. We find a mass of M = 1.74 +/- 0.14 M_sun and a radius of R =
9.3 +/- 1.0 km, respectively. This mass and radius can be achieved by several
multi-nucleon equations of state.


title: Time-reversal frameness and superselection

abstract:
  We show that appropriate superpositions of motional states are a reference
frame resource that enables breaking of time -reversal superselection so that
two parties lacking knowledge about the other's direction of time can still
communicate. We identify the time-reversal reference frame resource states and
determine the corresponding frameness monotone, which connects time-reversal
frameness to entanglement. In contradistinction to other studies of reference
frame quantum resources, this is the first analysis that involves an
antiunitary rather than unitary representation.


title: Rotational mixing in tidally locked massive main-sequence binaries

abstract:
  One of the main uncertainties in evolutionary calculations of massive stars
is the efficiency of internal mixing. It changes the chemical profile inside
the star and can therefore affect the structure and further evolution.
  We demonstrate that eclipsing binaries, in which the tides synchronize the
rotation period of the stars and the orbital period, constitute a potentially
strong test for the efficiency of rotational mixing. We present detailed
stellar evolutionary models of massive binaries assuming the composition of the
Small Magellanic Cloud. In these models we find enhancements in the surface
nitrogen abundance of up to 0.6 dex.


title:
The Geneva-Copenhagen Survey of the Solar neighbourhood III. Improved
  distances, ages, and kinematics

abstract:
  Ages, chemical compositions, velocity vectors, and Galactic orbits for stars
in the solar neighbourhood are fundamental test data for models of Galactic
evolution. We aim to improve the accuracy of the Geneva-Copenhagen Survey data
by implementing the recent revision of the Hipparcos parallaxes. The new
parallaxes yield improved astrometric distances for 12,506 stars in the GCS. We
also check the GCS II scales of T_eff and [Fe/H] and find no need for change.
Introducing the new distances, we recompute M_V for 16,086 stars, and U, V, W,
and Galactic orbital parameters for the 13,520 stars that also have
radial-velocity measurements. We also recompute stellar ages from the Padova
stellar evolution models used in GCS I-II, using the new values of M_V, and
compare them with ages from the Yale-Yonsei and Victoria-Regina models.
Finally, we compare the observed age-velocity relation in W with three
simulated disk heating scenarios to show the potential of the data. With these
revisions, the basic data for the GCS stars should now be as reliable as is
possible with existing techniques. Further improvement must await consolidation
of the T_eff scale from angular diameters and fluxes, and the Gaia
trigonometric parallaxes. We discuss the conditions for improving computed
stellar ages from new input data, and for distinguishing different disk heating
scenarios from data sets of the size and precision of the GCS.


title: An observation concerning uniquely ergodic vector fields on 3-manifolds

abstract:
  This paper proves the following: A volume preserving vector field on a
compact 3-manifold whose dual 2-form is exact can not generate uniquely ergodic
dynamics unless its asymptotic linking number is zero.


title: On the equivalence between real and superfield 5d formalisms

abstract:
  We explicitly prove the equivalence and construct a dictionary between two
different supersymmetric formalisms for five-dimensional theories commonly used
in the literature. One is the real formalism, which consists in doubling the
number of degrees of freedom and then imposing reality constraints and the
other is the usual superfield formalism.


title: Embedded contact homology and Seiberg-Witten Floer cohomology I

abstract:
  This is the first of five papers that construct an isomorphism between the
embedded contact homology and Seiberg-Witten Floer cohomology of a compact
3-manifold with a given contact 1-form. This paper describes what is involved
in the construction.


title:
Number of Irreducible Polynomials and Pairs of Relatively Prime
  Polynomials in Several Variables over Finite Fields

abstract:
  We discuss several enumerative results for irreducible polynomials of a given
degree and pairs of relatively prime polynomials of given degrees in several
variables over finite fields. Two notions of degree, the {\em total degree} and
the {\em vector degree}, are considered. We show that the number of
irreducibles can be computed recursively by degree and that the number of
relatively prime pairs can be expressed in terms of the number of irreducibles.
We also obtain asymptotic formulas for the number of irreducibles and the
number of relatively prime pairs. The asymptotic formulas for the number of
irreducibles generalize and improve several previous results by Carlitz, Cohen
and Bodin.


title: Preduals of semigroup algebras

abstract:
  For a locally compact group $G$, the measure convolution algebra $M(G)$
carries a natural coproduct. In previous work, we showed that the canonical
predual $C_0(G)$ of $M(G)$ is the unique predual which makes both the product
and the coproduct on $M(G)$ weak$^*$-continuous. Given a discrete semigroup
$S$, the convolution algebra $\ell^1(S)$ also carries a coproduct. In this
paper we examine preduals for $\ell^1(S)$ making both the product and the
coproduct weak$^*$-continuous. Under certain conditions on $S$, we show that
$\ell^1(S)$ has a unique such predual. Such $S$ include the free semigroup on
finitely many generators. In general, however, this need not be the case even
for quite simple semigroups and we construct uncountably many such preduals on
$\ell^1(S)$ when $S$ is either $\mathbb Z_+\times\mathbb Z$ or $(\mathbb
N,\cdot)$.