title:
Spin-locking effect in the nanoscale ordered perovskite cobaltite
  LaBaCo2O6

abstract:
  A new nanoscale ordered perovskite cobaltite, which consists of 90 degree
ordered domains of the layered-112 LaBaCo2O6 has been evidenced by high
resolution- transmission electron microscopy. This new form, like the
disordered La0.5Ba0.5CoO3 and ordered LaBaCo2O6, exhibits a ferromagnetic
transition at TC around 179 K. However, it differs from the two previous forms
by its strong magnetic anisotropy, and correlatively by its high value of
coercivity (0.42 Tesla) at low temperature. We suggest that this behaviour
originates from the locking of magnetic spins in the 90 degree oriented
nano-domain. Moreover, one observes a semi-metal/semi-metal transition at TC
with a maximum magnetoresistance of 6.5 % at this temperature.


title: 3D spectral synthesis and rotational line broadening

abstract:
  Spectral synthesis calculations based on three-dimensional stellar atmosphere
models are limited by the affordable angular resolution of the radiation field.
This hampers an accurate treatment of rotational line broadening. We aim to
find a treatment of rotational broadening of a spherical star when the
radiation field is only available at a modest number of limb-angles. We apply a
combination of analytical considerations of the line-broadening process and
numerical tests. We obtain a method which is closely related to classical flux
convolution and which performs noticeably better than a previously suggested
procedure. It can be applied to rigid as well as differential rotation.


title:
Spin gap and Luttinger liquid description of the NMR relaxation in
  carbon nanotubes

abstract:
  Recent NMR experiments by Singer et al. [Singer et al. Phys. Rev. Lett. 95,
236403 (2005).] showed a deviation from Fermi-liquid behavior in carbon
nanotubes with an energy gap evident at low temperatures. Here, a comprehensive
theory for the magnetic field and temperature dependent NMR 13C spin-lattice
relaxation is given in the framework of the Tomonaga-Luttinger liquid. The low
temperature properties are governed by a gapped relaxation due to a spin gap (~
30K), which crosses over smoothly to the Luttinger liquid behaviour with
increasing temperature.


title: A comment on the superconductivity of Sr2CuO3+delta

abstract:
  We have revisited data in the literature and find compelling reasons for
believing that enhanced superconductivity occurs in Sr2CuO3+delta when about
one third of the oxygen sites in the CuO2 layers are vacant, contrary to the
almost universally accepted assumption that superconducting interactions in the
high Tc cuprates occur in stoichiometric CuO2 layers.


title:
New developments on embedding inflation in gauge theory and particle
  physics

abstract:
  In this brief review we will discuss how a well motivated particle theory
beyond the eletroweak Standard Model provides ingredients and conditions for a
successful inflation. We will mainly focus on a low energy supersymmetric
Standard Model which provides plenty of scalars. In particular, these scalars
span a multidimensional moduli space of {\it gauge invariant} operators which
carry the Standard Model charges. The inflationary predictions which matches
the current observations are robust due to the fact that inflation occurs
within our own gauge sector where the couplings are well known. We further
argue that based on our current understandings if there exists a {\it string
landscape} of multiple vacua, then it is very natural that the last phase of
inflation would be driven by one of the many supersymmetric Standard Model
modulii. Only such a graceful exit from inflation would provide hot thermal
Standard Model baryons, cold dark matter, conditions for baryogenesis and
foremost the seed density perturbations for the cosmic microwave background
radiation in just {\it one package}. Furthermore we will also discuss how some
of the ingredients of inflation can be tested already by the LHC.


title: Reflections and Thoughts on Tired Light

abstract:
  The position of the various tired light theories is reviewed briefly and it
is noted that one of the biggest objections to them concerns the mechanism by
which light might lose energy as it travels through space. Here some new work
relating to the constancy of the speed of light is highlighted as providing a
possible solution to this conundrum, thus making more feasible explanation of
phenomena via theories involving the notion of tired light.


title: Wavepacket Solutions of the Klein-Gordon Equation

abstract:
  We find dispersion-free wavepacket solutions to the Klein-Gordon equation,
with the only free parameter being the wavepacket velocity $ {\bf v} $. These
wavefunctions are eigenvectors of a velocity operator with commuting components
which is symmetric in a certain scalar product space. We show that this
velocity operator corresponds to a classical generator which may be obtained by
a canonical tranformation from $ {\bf x}, {\bf k} $.


title: The multiple effects of gradient coupling on network synchronization

abstract:
  Recent studies have shown that synchronizability of complex networks can be
significantly improved by asymmetric couplings, and increase of coupling
gradient is always in favor of network synchronization. Here we argue and
demonstrate that, for typical complex networks, there usually exists an optimal
coupling gradient under which the maximum network synchronizability is
achieved. After this optimal value, increase of coupling gradient could
deteriorate synchronization. We attribute the suppression of network
synchronization at large gradient to the phenomenon of network breaking, and
find that, in comparing with sparsely connected homogeneous networks, densely
connected heterogeneous networks have the superiority of adopting large
gradient. The findings are supported by indirect simulations of eigenvalue
analysis and direct simulations of coupled nonidentical oscillator networks.


title:
Indications of a Four-Quark Structure for the X(3872) and X(3876)
  Particles from Recent Belle and BABAR Data

abstract:
  Recent results by BELLE and BaBar point to the existence of a second X
particle decaying in D^0 D^0bar pi^0, a few MeV above the X(3872). We identify
the two X states with the neutral particles predicted by the 4-quark model and
show that production and decays are consistent with this assignement. We
consider the yet-to-be-observed charged partners and give new hints on how to
look for them.


title: Three-Family Models from a Heterotic Orbifold on the E_6 Root Lattice

abstract:
  We classify N=1 orbifolds on the E_6 root lattice and investigate explicit
model constructions on the Z_3xZ_3 orbifold in heterotic string theory.
Interestingly some of the twisted sectors from the Z_3xZ_3 orbifold on the E_6
root lattice have just three fixed tori respectively, and generate three
degenerate massless states. We also found three point functions with flavor
mixing terms. We assume only non-standard gauge embeddings and find that they
lead to three-family SU(5) and SO(10) GUT-like models. These models also
include strongly coupled sectors in the low energy and messenger states charged
with both hidden and visible sectors.


title: Measuring the kinetic power of AGN in the radio mode

abstract:
  (Abridged) We have studied the relationship among nuclear radio and X-ray
power, Bondi rate and the kinetic luminosity of sub-Eddington active galactic
nuclear (AGN) jets. Besides the recently discovered correlation between jet
kinetic and Bondi power, we show that a clear correlation exists also between
Eddington-scaled kinetic power and bolometric luminosity, given by:
Log(L_kin/L_Edd)=0.49*Log(L_bol/L_Edd)-0.78. The measured slope suggests that
these objects are in a radiatively inefficient accretion mode, and has been
used to put stringent constraints on the properties of the accretion flow. We
found no statistically significant correlations between Bondi power and
bolometric AGN luminosity, apart from that induced by their common dependence
on L_kin. Analyzing the relation between kinetic power and radio core
luminosity, we are then able to determine, statistically, both the probability
distribution of the mean jets Lorentz factor, peaking at \Gamma~7, and the
intrinsic relation between kinetic and radio core luminosity, that we estimate
as: Log(L_kin)=0.81*Log(L_R)+11.9, in good agreement with theoretical
predictions of synchrotron jet models. With the aid of these findings,
quantitative assessments of kinetic feedback from supermassive black holes in
the radio mode will be possible based on accurate determinations of the central
engine properties alone. As an example, Sgr A* may follow the correlations of
radio mode AGN, based on its observed radiative output and on estimates of the
accretion rate both at the Bondi radius and in the inner flow. If this is the
case, the SMBH in the Galactic center is the source of ~ 5 times 10^38 ergs/s
of mechanical power, equivalent to about 1.5 supernovae every 10^5 years.


title: Quantum mechanics on manifolds and topological effects

abstract:
  A unique classification of the topological effects associated to quantum
mechanics on manifolds is obtained on the basis of the invariance under
diffeomorphisms and the realization of the Lie-Rinehart relations between the
generators of the diffeomorphism group and the algebra of infinitely
differentiable functions on the manifold. This leads to a unique
("Lie-Rinehart") C* algebra as observable algebra; its regular representations
are shown to be locally Schroedinger and in one to one correspondence with the
unitary representations of the fundamental group of the manifold. Therefore, in
the absence of spin degrees of freedom and external fields, the first homotopy
group of the manifold appears as the only source of topological effects.


title:
New Angle on the Strong CP and Chiral Symmetry Problems from a Rotating
  Mass Matrix

abstract:
  It is shown that when the mass matrix changes in orientation (rotates) in
generation space for changing energy scale, then the masses of the lower
generations are not given just by its eigenvalues. In particular, these masses
need not be zero even when the eigenvalues are zero. In that case, the strong
CP problem can be avoided by removing the unwanted $\theta$ term by a chiral
transformation in no contradiction with the nonvanishing quark masses
experimentally observed. Similarly, a rotating mass matrix may shed new light
on the problem of chiral symmetry breaking. That the fermion mass matrix may so
rotate with scale has been suggested before as a possible explanation for
up-down fermion mixing and fermion mass hierarchy, giving results in good
agreement with experiment.


title:
On the superstrings-induced four-dimensional gravity, and its
  applications to cosmology

abstract:
  We review the status of the fourth-order (quartic in the spacetime curvature)
terms induced by superstrings/M-theory (compactified on a warped torus) in the
leading order with respect to the Regge slope parameter, and study their
(non-perturbative) impact on the evolution of the Hubble scale in the context
of the four-dimensional FRW cosmology. After taking into account the quantum
ambiguities in the definition of the off-shell superstring effective action, we
propose the generalized Friedmann equations, find the existence of their (de
Sitter) exact inflationary solutions without a spacetime singularity, and
constrain the ambiguities by demanding stability and the scale factor duality
invariance of our solutions. The most naive (Bel-Robinson tensor squared)
quartic terms are ruled out, thus giving the evidence for the necessity of
extra quartic (Ricci tensor-dependent) terms in the off-shell gravitational
effective action for superstrings. Our methods are generalizable to the higher
orders in the spacetime curvature.


title:
Some constructions of almost para-hyperhermitian structures on manifolds
  and tangent bundles

abstract:
  In this paper we give some examples of almost para-hyperhermitian structures
on the tangent bundle of an almost product manifold, on the product manifold
$M\times\mathbb{R}$, where $M$ is a manifold endowed with a mixed 3-structure
and on the circle bundle over a manifold with a mixed 3-structure.


title:
Reply to `Extended Rejoinder to "Extended Comment on "One-Range Addition
  Theorems for Coulomb Interaction Potential and Its Derivatives" by I. I.
  Guseinov (Chem. Phys. Vol. 309 (2005), pp. 209 - 211)", arXiv:0706.0975v2"

abstract:
  In the years from 2001 to 2006, Guseinov and his coworkers published 40
articles on the derivation and application of one-range addition theorems. In
E. J. Weniger, Extended Comment on ``One-Range Addition Theorems for Coulomb
Interaction Potential and Its Derivatives'' by I. I. Guseinov (Chem. Phys. Vol.
309 (2005), pp. 209 - 213), arXiv:0704.1088v2 [math-ph], it was argued that
Guseinov's treatment of one-range addition theorems is at best questionable and
in some cases fundamentally flawed. In I. I. Guseinov, Extended Rejoinder to
"Extended Comment on "One-Range Addition Theorems for Coulomb Interaction
Potential and Its Derivatives'' by I. I. Guseinov (Chem. Phys. and Vol. 309
(2005)'', pp. 209-213), arXiv:0706.0975v2 [physics.chem-ph], these claims were
disputed. To clarify the situation, the most serious mathematical flaws in
Guseinov's treatment of one-range addition theorems are discussed in more
depth.


title: Gibbs measures with double stochastic integrals on a path space

abstract:
  We investigate Gibbs measures relative to Brownian motion in the case when
the interaction energy is given by a double stochastic integral. In the case
when the double stochastic integral is originating from the Pauli-Fierz model
in nonrelativistic quantum electrodynamics, we prove the existence of its
infinite volume limit.


title: Very deep X-ray observations of the Anomalous X-ray Pulsar 4U 0142+614

abstract:
  We report on two new XMM-Newton observations of the Anomalous X-ray Pulsar
(AXP) 4U 0142+614 performed in March and July 2004, collecting the most
accurate spectrum for this source to date. Furthermore, we analyse two short
archival observations performed in February 2002 and January 2003 (the latter
already reported by Gohler et al. 2005) in order to study the long term
behaviour of this AXP. 4U 0142+614 appears to be relatively steady in flux
between 2002 and 2004, and the phase-averaged spectrum does not show any
significant variability between the four epochs. We derive the deepest upper
limits to date on the presence of lines in the 4U 0142+614 spectrum as a
function of energy: equivalent width in the 1-3 keV energy range < 4 eV and < 8
eV for narrow and broad lines, respectively. A remarkable energy dependence in
both the pulse profile and the pulsed fraction is detected, and consequently
pulse-phase spectroscopy shows spectral variability as a function of phase. By
making use of XMM-Newton and INTEGRAL data, we successfully model the 1-250 keV
spectrum of 4U 0142+614 with three models presented in Rea et al. (2007a),
namely the canonical absorbed blackbody plus two power-laws, a resonant
cyclotron scattering model plus one power-law and two log-parabolic functions.


title: On the base locus of the linear system of generalized theta functions

abstract:
  Let $\cM_r$ denote the moduli space of semi-stable rank-$r$ vector bundles
with trivial determinant over a smooth projective curve $C$ of genus $g$. In
this paper we study the base locus $\cB_r \subset \cM_r$ of the linear system
of the determinant line bundle $\cL$ over $\cM_r$, i.e., the set of semi-stable
rank-$r$ vector bundles without theta divisor. We construct base points in
$\cB_{g+2}$ over any curve $C$, and base points in $\cB_4$ over any
hyperelliptic curve.


title:
Generalized Wick's theorem for multiquasiparticle overlaps as a limit of
  Gaudin's theorem

abstract:
  We are able to rederive in a very simple way the standard generalized Wick's
theorem for overlaps of mean field wave functions by using the extension of the
statistical Wick's theorem (Gaudin's theorem) in the appropriate limits.


title:
The Pion-Photon Transition Distribution Amplitudes in the Nambu-Jona
  Lasinio Model

abstract:
  We define the pion-photon Transition Distribution Amplitudes (TDA) in a field
theoretic formalism from a covariant Bethe-Salpeter approach for the
determination of the bound state. We apply our formalism to the Nambu - Jona
Lasinio model, as a realistic theory of the pion. The obtained vector and axial
TDAs satisfy all features required by general considerations. In particular,
sum rules and polynomiality condition are explicitly verified. We have
numerically proved that the odd coefficients in the polynomiality expansion of
the vector TDA vanish in the chiral limit. The role of PCAC and the presence of
a pion pole are explicitly shown.


title: Magic Baseline Beta Beam

abstract:
  We study the physics reach of an experiment where neutrinos produced in a
beta-beam facility at CERN are observed in a large magnetized iron calorimeter
(ICAL) at the India-based Neutrino Observatory (INO). The CERN-INO distance is
close to the so-called "magic" baseline which helps evade some of the parameter
degeneracies and allows for a better measurement of the neutrino mass hierarchy
and $\theta_{13}$.


title:
30 GHz flux density measurements of the Caltech-Jodrell flat-spectrum
  sources with OCRA-p

abstract:
  To measure the 30-GHz flux densities of the 293 sources in the
Caltech-Jodrell Bank flat-spectrum (CJF) sample. The measurements are part of
an ongoing programme to measure the spectral energy distributions of flat
spectrum radio sources and to correlate them with the milliarcsecond structures
from VLBI and other measured astrophysical properties. The 30-GHz data were
obtained with a twin-beam differencing radiometer system mounted on the Torun
32-m telescope. The system has an angular resolution of 1.2 arcmin. Together
with radio spectral data obtained from the literature, the 30-GHz data have
enabled us to identify 42 of the CJF sources as Giga-hertz Peaked Spectrum
(GPS) sources. Seventeen percent of the sources have rising spectra (alpha > 0)
between 5 and 30 GHz.


title: Collisional Velocities and Rates in Resonant Planetesimal Belts

abstract:
  We consider a belt of small bodies around a star, captured in one of the
external or 1:1 mean-motion resonances with a massive perturber. The objects in
the belt collide with each other. Combining methods of celestial mechanics and
statistical physics, we calculate mean collisional velocities and collisional
rates, averaged over the belt. The results are compared to collisional
velocities and rates in a similar, but non-resonant belt, as predicted by the
particle-in-a-box method. It is found that the effect of the resonant lock on
the velocities is rather small, while on the rates more substantial. The
collisional rates between objects in an external resonance are by about a
factor of two higher than those in a similar belt of objects not locked in a
resonance. For Trojans under the same conditions, the collisional rates may be
enhanced by up to an order of magnitude. Our results imply, in particular,
shorter collisional lifetimes of resonant Kuiper belt objects in the solar
system and higher efficiency of dust production by resonant planetesimals in
debris disks around other stars.


title:
Weighted Strichartz estimates for radial Schr\"odinger equation on
  noncompact manifolds

abstract:
  We prove global weighted Strichartz estimates for radial solutions of linear
Schr\"odinger equation on a class of rotationally symmetric noncompact
manifolds, generalizing the known results on hyperbolic and Damek-Ricci spaces.
This yields classical Strichartz estimates with a larger class of exponents
than in the Euclidian case and improvements for the scattering theory. The
manifolds, whose volume element grows polynomially or exponentially at
infinity, are characterized essentially by negativity conditions on the
curvature, which shows in particular that the rich algebraic structure of the
Hyperbolic and Damek-Ricci spaces is not the cause of the improved dispersive
properties of the equation. The proofs are based on known dispersive results
for the equation with potential on the Euclidean space, and on a new one, valid
for C^1 potentials decaying like 1/r^2 at infinity.


title: Approximation by Several Rationals

abstract:
  Following T. H. Chan, we consider the problem of approximation of a given
rational fraction a/q by sums of several rational fractions a_1/q_1, ...,
a_n/q_n with smaller denominators. We show that in the special cases of n=3 and
n=4 and certain admissible ranges for the denominators q_1,..., q_n, one can
improve a result of T. H. Chan by using a different approach.


title: Collins fragmentation function for pions and kaons in a spectator model

abstract:
  We calculate the Collins fragmentation function in the framework of a
spectator model with pseudoscalar pion-quark coupling and a Gaussian form
factor at the vertex. We determine the model parameters by fitting the
unpolarized fragmentation function for pions and kaons. We show that the
Collins function for the pions in this model is in reasonable agreement with
recent parametrizations obtained by fits of the available data. In addition, we
compute for the first time the Collins function for the kaons.


title: How Much Work Does It Take To Straighten a Plane Graph Out?

abstract:
  We prove that if one wants to make a plane graph drawing straight-line then
in the worst case one has to move almost all vertices.


title:
Decomposition driven interface evolution for layers of binary mixtures:
  I. Model derivation and stratified base states

abstract:
  A dynamical model is proposed to describe the coupled decomposition and
profile evolution of a free surface film of a binary mixture. An example is a
thin film of a polymer blend on a solid substrate undergoing simultaneous phase
separation and dewetting. The model is based on model-H describing the coupled
transport of the mass of one component (convective Cahn-Hilliard equation) and
momentum (Navier-Stokes-Korteweg equations) supplemented by appropriate
boundary conditions at the solid substrate and the free surface.
  General transport equations are derived using phenomenological
non-equilibrium thermodynamics for a general non-isothermal setting taking into
account Soret and Dufour effects and interfacial viscosity for the internal
diffuse interface between the two components. Focusing on an isothermal setting
the resulting model is compared to literature results and its base states
corresponding to homogeneous or vertically stratified flat layers are analysed.


title: Towards a nonlinear Schwarz's list

abstract:
  This is basically the text of a survey talk (entitled 'Painleve, Klein and
the icosahedron') given at Hitchin's 60th birthday conference. It discusses the
search for and construction of algebraic solutions of the sixth Painleve
differential equation, which may be viewed as a nonlinear analogue of the Gauss
hypergeometric equation. Both algebraic and transcendental methods are used and
the story involves affine Weyl groups, braid groups and cubic surfaces. Some
emphasis is given to the interpretation of the sixth Painleve equation as the
explicit form of the simplest nonabelian Gauss-Manin connection, i.e. as a
nonlinear differential equation 'coming from geometry', much as Picard-Fuchs
equations arise in the case of cohomology with abelian coefficients.


title: On the onset of galactic winds in quiescent star forming galaxies

abstract:
  We studied the effect of supernovae feedback on a disk galaxy, taking into
account the impact of infalling gas on both the star formation history and the
corresponding outflow structure, the apparition of a supernovae-driven wind
being highly sensitive to the halo mass, the galaxy spin and the star formation
efficiency. We model our galaxies as cooling and collapsing NFW spheres. The
dark matter component is modelled as a static external potential, while the
baryon component is described by the Euler equations using the AMR code RAMSES.
Metal-dependent cooling and supernovae-heating are also implemented using
state-of-the-art recipes coming from cosmological simulations. We allow for 3
parameters to vary: the halo circular velocity, the spin parameter and the star
formation efficiency. We found that the ram pressure of infalling material is
the key factor limiting the apparition of galactic winds. We obtain a very low
feedback efficiency, with supernovae to wind energy conversion factor around
one percent, so that only low cicrular velocity galaxies give rise to strong
winds. For massive galaxies, we obtain a galatic fountain, for which we discuss
the observational properties. We conclude that for quiescent isolated galaxies,
galactic winds appear only in very low mass systems. Although that can quite
efficiently enrich the IGM with metals, they don't carry away enough cold
material to solve the overcooling problem.


title: One-loop corrections to a scalar field during inflation

abstract:
  The leading quantum correction to the power spectrum of a
gravitationally-coupled light scalar field is calculated, assuming that it is
generated during a phase of single-field, slow-roll inflation.


title: One-loop corrections to the curvature perturbation from inflation

abstract:
  An estimate of the one-loop correction to the power spectrum of the
primordial curvature perturbation is given, assuming it is generated during a
phase of single-field, slow-roll inflation. The loop correction splits into two
parts, which can be calculated separately: a purely quantum-mechanical
contribution which is generated from the interference among quantized field
modes around the time when they cross the horizon, and a classical contribution
which comes from integrating the effect of field modes which have already
passed far beyond the horizon. The loop correction contains logarithms which
may invalidate the use of naive perturbation theory for cosmic microwave
background (CMB) predictions when the scale associated with the CMB is
exponentially different from the scale at which the fundamental theory which
governs inflation is formulated.


title: The ratio of sigma_L/sigma_T in DIS at low x

abstract:
  Assuming helicity independence for q-qbar scattering in the color-dipole
picture, or, equivalently proportionality of sea quark and gluon distributions,
we find R(W^2,Q^2) = 0.5 (approximately) at large Q^2, where R(W^2,Q^2) denotes
the ratio of the longitudinal and transverse photoabsorption cross sections.
The forthcoming direct measurements of R(W^2,Q^2) allow one to test the
underlying hypotheses.


title: The Fifth Data Release of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey

abstract:
  This paper describes the Fifth Data Release (DR5) of the Sloan Digital Sky
Survey (SDSS). DR5 includes all survey quality data taken through June 2005 and
represents the completion of the SDSS-I project (whose successor, SDSS-II will
continue through mid-2008). It includes five-band photometric data for 217
million objects selected over 8000 square degrees, and 1,048,960 spectra of
galaxies, quasars, and stars selected from 5713 square degrees of that imaging
data. These numbers represent a roughly 20% increment over those of the Fourth
Data Release; all the data from previous data releases are included in the
present release. In addition to "standard" SDSS observations, DR5 includes
repeat scans of the southern equatorial stripe, imaging scans across M31 and
the core of the Perseus cluster of galaxies, and the first spectroscopic data
from SEGUE, a survey to explore the kinematics and chemical evolution of the
Galaxy. The catalog database incorporates several new features, including
photometric redshifts of galaxies, tables of matched objects in overlap regions
of the imaging survey, and tools that allow precise computations of survey
geometry for statistical investigations.


title:
X-ray scattering from stepped and kinked surfaces: An approach with the
  paracrystal model

abstract:
  A general formalism of X-ray scattering from different kinds of surface
morphologies is described. Based on a description of the surface morphology at
the atomic scale through the use of the paracrystal model and discrete
distributions of distances, the scattered intensity by non-periodic surfaces is
calculated over the whole reciprocal space. In one dimension, the scattered
intensity by a vicinal surface, the two-level model, the N-level model, the
faceted surface and the rough surface are addressed. In two dimensions, the
previous results are generalized to the kinked vicinal surface, the two-level
vicinal surface and the step meandering on a vicinal surface. The concept of
crystal truncation rod is generalized considering also the truncation of a
terrace by a step (yielding a terrace truncation rod) and a step by a kink
(yielding a step truncation rod).


title: Generalized-Ensemble Algorithms for Protein Folding Simulations

abstract:
  Conventional simulations of complex systems in the canonical ensemble suffer
from the quasi-ergodicity problem. A simulation in generalized ensemble
overcomes this difficulty by performing a random walk in potential energy space
and other parameter space. From only one simulation run, one can obtain
canonical-ensemble averages of physical quantities as functions of temperature
by the single-histogram and/or multiple-histogram reweighting techniques. In
this article we review the generalized-ensemble algorithms. Three well-known
methods, namely, multicanonical algorithm, simulated tempering, and
replica-exchange method, are described first. Both Monte Carlo and molecular
dynamics versions of the algorithms are given. We then present further
extensions of the above three methods.


title:
Relaxation to equilibrium driven via indirect control in Markovian
  dynamics

abstract:
  We characterize to what extent it is possible to modify the stationary states
of a quantum dynamical semigroup, that describes the irreversible evolution of
a two-level system, by means of an auxiliary two-level system. We consider
systems that can be initially entangled or uncorrelated. We find that the
indirect control of the stationary states is possible, even if there are not
initial correlations, under suitable conditions on the dynamical parameters
characterizing the evolution of the joint system.


title: On the fusion matrix of the N=1 Neveu-Schwarz blocks

abstract:
  We propose an exact form of the fusion matrix of the Neveu-Schwarz blocks
that appear in a correlation function of four super-primary fields.
Orthogonality relation satisfied by this matrix is equivalent to the bootstrap
equation for the four-point super-primary correlator in the N=1 supersymmetric
Liouville theory.


title: DARWIN mission proposal to ESA

abstract:
  The discovery of extra-solar planets is one of the greatest achievements of
modern astronomy. There are now more than 200 such objects known, and the
recent detection of planets with masses approximately 5 times that of Earth
demonstrates that extra-solar planets of low mass exist. In addition to
providing a wealth of scientific information on the formation and structure of
planetary systems, these discoveries capture the interest of both scientists
and the wider public with the profound prospect of the search for life in the
Universe. We propose an L-type mission, called Darwin, whose primary goal is
the study of terrestrial extrasolar planets and the search for life on them. By
its very nature, Darwin advances the first Grand Theme of ESA Cosmic Vision.
Accomplishing the mission objectives will require collaborative science across
disciplines ranging from planet formation and atmospheres to chemistry and
biology, and these disciplines will reap profound rewards from their
contributions to the Darwin mission.


title: Galilei invariant theories. III. Wave equations for massless fields

abstract:
  Galilei invariant equations for massless fields are obtained via contractions
of relativistic wave equations. It is shown that the collection of
non-equivalent Galilei-invariant wave equations for massless fields with spin
equal 1 and 0 is very broad and describes many physically consistent systems.
In particular, there exist a huge number of such equations for massless fields
which correspond to various contractions of representations of the Lorentz
group to those of the Galilei one.


title: On the dynamics of the universe in $D$ spatial dimensions

abstract:
  In this paper we present the equations of the evolution of the universe in
$D$ spatial dimensions, as a generalization of the work of Lima \citep{lima}.
We discuss the Friedmann-Robertson-Walker cosmological equations in $D$ spatial
dimensions for a simple fluid with equation of state $p=\omega_{D}\rho$. It is
possible to reduce the multidimensional equations to the equation of a point
particle system subject to a linear force. This force can be expressed as an
oscillator equation, anti-oscillator or a free particle equation, depending on
the $k$ parameter of the spatial curvature. An interesting result is the
independence on the dimension $D$ in a de Sitter evolution. We also stress the
generality of this procedure with a cosmological $\Lambda$ term. A more
interesting result is that the reduction of the dimensionality leads naturally
to an accelerated expansion of the scale factor in the plane case.


title: Complex Networks in and beyond Physics

abstract:
  Physicists study a wide variety of phenomena creating new interdisciplinary
research fields by applying theories and methods originally developed in
physics in order to solve problems in economics, social science, biology,
medicine, technology, etc. In their turn, these different branches of science
inspire the invention of new concepts in physics. A basic tool of analysis, in
such a context, is the mathematical theory of complexity concerned with the
study of complex systems including human economies, climate, nervous systems,
cells and living things, including human beings, as well as modern energy or
communication infrastructures which are all networks of some kind. Recently,
complexity has become a natural domain of interest of the real world
socio-cognitive systems, linguistics, and emerging systemics research. The
phenomena to be studied and understood arise from neither the physical laws nor
the abstraction of mathematics. The challenge is to discern and formulate
plausible mathematical structures to describe problems that represent vague
human goals.


title: In-medium chiral SU(3) dynamics and hypernuclear structure

abstract:
  A previously introduced relativistic energy density functional, successfully
applied to ordinary nuclei, is extended to hypernuclei. The density-dependent
mean field and the spin-orbit potential are consistently calculated for a
$\Lambda$ hyperon in the nucleus using the SU(3) extension of in-medium chiral
perturbation theory. The leading long range $\Lambda N$ interaction arises from
kaon-exchange and $2\pi$-exchange with $\Sigma$ hyperon in the intermediate
state. Scalar and vector mean fields reflecting in-medium changes of the quark
condensates are constrained by QCD sum rules. The model, applied to oxygen as a
test case, describes spectroscopic data in good agreement with experiment. In
particular, the smallness of the $\Lambda$ spin-orbit interaction finds a
natural explanation in terms of an almost complete cancellation between
scalar-vector background contributions and long-range terms generated by
two-pion exchange.


title: Consistency of the group Lasso and multiple kernel learning

abstract:
  We consider the least-square regression problem with regularization by a
block 1-norm, i.e., a sum of Euclidean norms over spaces of dimensions larger
than one. This problem, referred to as the group Lasso, extends the usual
regularization by the 1-norm where all spaces have dimension one, where it is
commonly referred to as the Lasso. In this paper, we study the asymptotic model
consistency of the group Lasso. We derive necessary and sufficient conditions
for the consistency of group Lasso under practical assumptions, such as model
misspecification. When the linear predictors and Euclidean norms are replaced
by functions and reproducing kernel Hilbert norms, the problem is usually
referred to as multiple kernel learning and is commonly used for learning from
heterogeneous data sources and for non linear variable selection. Using tools
from functional analysis, and in particular covariance operators, we extend the
consistency results to this infinite dimensional case and also propose an
adaptive scheme to obtain a consistent model estimate, even when the necessary
condition required for the non adaptive scheme is not satisfied.


title: Hadronic single inclusive kt distributions inside one jet beyond MLLA

abstract:
  The hadronic kt-spectrum inside one jet is determined including corrections
of relative magnitude sqrt{alpha_s} with respect to the Modified Leading
Logarithmic Approximation (MLLA), at and beyond the limiting spectrum (assuming
an infrared cut-off Q_0 = Lambda_QCD and Q_0 not = Lambda_QCD). The agreement
between our results and preliminary measurements by the CDF collaboration is
impressive, much better than at MLLA, pointing out very small overall
non-perturbative contributions.


title:
Neon Atoms Oscillating Inside Carbon and Boron-Nitride Nanotubes: A
  Fully Atomistic Molecular Dynamics Investigation

abstract:
  In the present work we discuss based on extensive fully atomistic molecular
dynamics simulations the dynamics of Neon atoms oscillating inside
(5,5)single-walled carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and boron-nitride (BNNT) ones. Our
results show that sustained high frequency oscillatory regimes are possible for
a large range of temperatures. Our results also show that the general features
of the oscillations are quite similar to CNT and BNNT, in contrast with some
speculations in previous work literature about the importance of broken
symmetry and chirality exhibited by BNNTs.


title:
Predicting C-H/$\pi$ interactions with nonlocal density functional
  theory

abstract:
  We examine the performance of a recently developed nonlocal density
functional in predicting a model noncovalent interaction, the weak bond between
an aromatic $\pi$ system and an aliphatic C-H group. The new functional is a
significant improvement over traditional density functionals, providing results
which compare favorably to high-level quantum-chemistry techniques but at
considerably lower computational cost. Interaction energies in several model
C-H/$\pi$ systems are in generally good agreement with coupled-cluster
calculations, though equilibrium distances are consistently overpredicted when
using the revPBE functional for exchange. The new functional correctly predicts
changes in energy upon addition of halogen substituents.


title: Turan's theorem inverted

abstract:
  Turan's theorem implies that every graph of order n with more edges than the
r-partite Turan graph contains a complete graph of order r+1. We show that the
same premise implies the existence of much larger graphs. We also prove
corresponding stability theorems. These results complete work started by Erdos
in 1963.


title: Classical Spinning Branes in Curved Backgrounds

abstract:
  The dynamics of a classical branelike object in a curved background is
derived from the covariant stress-energy conservation of the brane matter. The
world sheet equations and boundary conditions are obtained in the pole-dipole
approximation, where nontrivial brane thickness gives rise to its intrinsic
angular momentum. It is shown that intrinsic angular momentum couples to both,
the background curvature and the brane orbital degrees of freedom. The whole
procedure is manifestly covariant with respect to spacetime diffeomorphisms and
world sheet reparametrizations. In addition, two extra gauge symmetries are
discovered and utilized. The examples of the point particle and the string in 4
spacetime dimensions are analyzed in more detail. A particular attention is
paid to the Nambu-Goto string with massive spinning particles attached to its
ends.


title: Self-force of a point charge in the space-time of a symmetric wormhole

abstract:
  We consider the self-energy and the self-force for an electrically charged
particle at rest in the wormhole space-time. We develop general approach and
apply it to two specific profiles of the wormhole throat with singular and with
smooth curvature. The self-force for these two profiles is found in manifest
form; it is an attractive force. We also find an expression for the self-force
in the case of arbitrary symmetric throat profile. Far from the throat the
self-force is always attractive.


title: Mixing of 1/2^- Octets under SU(3) Symmetry

abstract:
  We investigate the J^p=1/2^- baryons in the octets based on flavor SU(3)
symmetry. Since baryons with same quantum numbers can mix with each other, we
consider the mixing between two octets before their mixing with the singlet.
Most predicted decay widths are consistent with the experimental data, and
meanwhile we predict two possible $\Xi$ mass ranges of the two octets.


title:
Efficient coupling of photons to a single molecule and the observation
  of its resonance fluorescence

abstract:
  Single dye molecules at cryogenic temperatures display many spectroscopic
phenomena known from free atoms and are thus promising candidates for
fundamental quantum optical studies. However, the existing techniques for the
detection of single molecules have either sacrificed the information on the
coherence of the excited state or have been inefficient. Here we show that
these problems can be addressed by focusing the excitation light near to the
absorption cross section of a molecule. Our detection scheme allows us to
explore resonance fluorescence over 9 orders of magnitude of excitation
intensity and to separate its coherent and incoherent parts. In the strong
excitation regime, we demonstrate the first observation of the Mollow triplet
from a single solid-state emitter. Under weak excitation we report the
detection of a single molecule with an incident power as faint as 150 attoWatt,
paving the way for studying nonlinear effects with only a few photons.


title:
Nonlinear analysis of a simple model of temperature evolution in a
  satellite

abstract:
  We analyse a simple model of the heat transfer to and from a small satellite
orbiting round a solar system planet. Our approach considers the satellite
isothermal, with external heat input from the environment and from internal
energy dissipation, and output to the environment as black-body radiation. The
resulting nonlinear ordinary differential equation for the satellite's
temperature is analysed by qualitative, perturbation and numerical methods,
which show that the temperature approaches a periodic pattern (attracting limit
cycle). This approach can occur in two ways, according to the values of the
parameters: (i) a slow decay towards the limit cycle over a time longer than
the period, or (ii) a fast decay towards the limit cycle over a time shorter
than the period. In the first case, an exactly soluble average equation is
valid. We discuss the consequences of our model for the thermal stability of
satellites.

categories: physics.space-ph math-ph math.MP nlin.CD


title: The Physics of Maxwell's demon and information

abstract:
  Maxwell's demon was born in 1867 and still thrives in modern physics. He
plays important roles in clarifying the connections between two theories:
thermodynamics and information. Here, we present the history of the demon and a
variety of interesting consequences of the second law of thermodynamics, mainly
in quantum mechanics, but also in the theory of gravity. We also highlight some
of the recent work that explores the role of information, illuminated by
Maxwell's demon, in the arena of quantum information theory.


title: Limit laws for boolean convolutions

abstract:
  We study the distributional behavior for products, and for sums of boolean
independent random variables in an infinitesimal triangular array. We show that
the limit laws of boolean convolutions are determined by the limit laws of free
convolutions, and vice versa. We further use these results to show several
connections between the limiting distributional behavior of classical
convolutions and that of boolean convolutions. The proof of our results is
based on the analytical apparatus developed for free convolutions.


title: Synchronized Collective Behavior via Low-cost Communication

abstract:
  An important natural phenomenon surfaces that satisfactory synchronization of
self-driven particles can be achieved via sharply reduced communication cost,
especially for high density particle groups with low external noise.
Statistical numerical evidence illustrates that a highly efficient manner is to
distribute the communication messages as evenly as possible along the whole
dynamic process, since it minimizes the communication redundancy. More
surprisingly, it is discovered that there exist some abnormal regions where
moderately decreasing the communication cost can even improve the
synchronization performance. A phase diagram on the noise-density parameter
space is given, where the dynamical behaviors can be divided into three
qualitatively different phases: normal phase where better synchronization
corresponds to higher communication cost, abnormal phase where moderately
decreasing communication cost could even improve the synchronization, and the
disordered phase where no coherence among individuals is observed.


title:
On the noncommutative spin geometry of the standard Podles sphere and
  index computations

abstract:
  The purpose of the paper is twofold: First, known results of the
noncommutative spin geometry of the standard Podles sphere are extended by
discussing Poincare duality and orientability. In the discussion of
orientability, Hochschild homology is replaced by a twisted version which
avoids the dimension drop. The twisted Hochschild cycle representing an
orientation is related to the volume form of the distinguished covariant
differential calculus. Integration over the volume form defines a twisted
cyclic 2-cocycle which computes the q-winding numbers of quantum line bundles.
Second, a "twisted" Chern character from equivariant K0-theory to even twisted
cyclic homology is introduced which gives rise to a Chern-Connes pairing
between equivariant K0-theory and twisted cyclic cohomology. The Chern-Connes
pairing between the equivariant K0-group of the standard Podles sphere and the
generators of twisted cyclic cohomology relative to the modular automorphism
and its inverse are computed. This includes the pairings with the twisted
cyclic 2-cocycle associated to the volume form, and the one corresponding to
the "no-dimension drop" case. From explicit index computations, it follows that
the pairings with these cocycles give the q-indices of the known equivariant
0-summable Dirac operator on the standard Podles sphere.


title: Kouchnirenko type formulas for local invariants of plane analytic curves

abstract:
  Let f(x,y)=0 be an equation of plane analytic curve defined in the
neighborhood of the origin and let $\pi:M\to(\Cn^2,0)$ be a local toric
modification. We give a formula which connects a number of double points
\delta_0(f)$ with a sum $\sum_p \delta_p(\tilde f)$ which runs over all
intersection points of the proper preimage of f=0 with the exceptional divisor.


title:
Large scale ab initio calculations based on three levels of
  parallelization

abstract:
  We suggest and implement a parallelization scheme based on an efficient
multiband eigenvalue solver, called the locally optimal block preconditioned
conjugate gradient LOBPCG method, and using an optimized three-dimensional (3D)
fast Fourier transform (FFT) in the ab initio}plane-wave code ABINIT. In
addition to the standard data partitioning over processors corresponding to
different k-points, we introduce data partitioning with respect to blocks of
bands as well as spatial partitioning in the Fourier space of coefficients over
the plane waves basis set used in ABINIT. This k-points-multiband-FFT
parallelization avoids any collective communications on the whole set of
processors relying instead on one-dimensional communications only. For a single
k-point, super-linear scaling is achieved for up to 100 processors due to an
extensive use of hardware optimized BLAS, LAPACK, and SCALAPACK routines,
mainly in the LOBPCG routine. We observe good performance up to 200 processors.
With 10 k-points our three-way data partitioning results in linear scaling up
to 1000 processors for a practical system used for testing.


title: On the gravitational stability of D1-D5-P black holes

abstract:
  We examine the stability of the nonextremal D1-D5-P black hole solutions. In
particular, we look for the appearance of a superradiant instability for the
spinning black holes but we find no evidence of such an instability. We compare
this situation with that for the smooth soliton geometries, which were recently
observed to suffer from an ergoregion instability, and consider the
implications for the fuzzball proposal.


title: Faster subsequence recognition in compressed strings

abstract:
  Computation on compressed strings is one of the key approaches to processing
massive data sets. We consider local subsequence recognition problems on
strings compressed by straight-line programs (SLP), which is closely related to
Lempel--Ziv compression. For an SLP-compressed text of length $\bar m$, and an
uncompressed pattern of length $n$, C{\'e}gielski et al. gave an algorithm for
local subsequence recognition running in time $O(\bar mn^2 \log n)$. We improve
the running time to $O(\bar mn^{1.5})$. Our algorithm can also be used to
compute the longest common subsequence between a compressed text and an
uncompressed pattern in time $O(\bar mn^{1.5})$; the same problem with a
compressed pattern is known to be NP-hard.


title: On a Gibbs characterization of normalized generalized Gamma processes

abstract:
  We show that a Gibbs characterization of normalized generalized Gamma
processes, recently obtained in Lijoi, Pr\"unster and Walker (2007), can
alternatively be derived by exploiting a characterization of exponentially
tilted Poisson-Kingman models stated in Pitman (2003). We also provide a
completion of this result investigating the existence of normalized random
measures inducing exchangeable Gibbs partitions of type $\alpha \in (-\infty,
0]$.


title: Faster exon assembly by sparse spliced alignment

abstract:
  Assembling a gene from candidate exons is an important problem in
computational biology. Among the most successful approaches to this problem is
\emph{spliced alignment}, proposed by Gelfand et al., which scores different
candidate exon chains within a DNA sequence of length $m$ by comparing them to
a known related gene sequence of length n, $m = \Theta(n)$. Gelfand et al.\
gave an algorithm for spliced alignment running in time O(n^3). Kent et al.\
considered sparse spliced alignment, where the number of candidate exons is
O(n), and proposed an algorithm for this problem running in time O(n^{2.5}). We
improve on this result, by proposing an algorithm for sparse spliced alignment
running in time O(n^{2.25}). Our approach is based on a new framework of
\emph{quasi-local string comparison}.


title: Fubini-Griffiths-Harris rigidity and Lie algebra cohomology

abstract:
  We prove a general extrinsic rigidity theorem for homogeneous varieties in
$\mathbb{CP}^N$. The theorem is used to show that the adjoint variety of a
complex simple Lie algebra $\mathfrak{g}$ (the unique minimal G orbit in
$\mathbb{P}\mathfrak{g}$) is extrinsically rigid to third order.
  In contrast, we show that the adjoint variety of $SL_3\mathbb{C}$, and the
Segre product $\mathit{Seg}(\mathbb{P}^1\times \mathbb{P}^n)$, both varieties
with osculating sequences of length two, are flexible at order two. In the
$SL_3\mathbb{C}$ example we discuss the relationship between the extrinsic
projective geometry and the intrinsic path geometry.
  We extend machinery developed by Hwang and Yamaguchi, Se-ashi, Tanaka and
others to reduce the proof of the general theorem to a Lie algebra cohomology
calculation. The proofs of the flexibility statements use exterior differential
systems techniques.


title: Thermotropic Biaxial Nematics: Spontaneous or Field-Stabilized?

abstract:
  An intermediate nematic phase is proposed for the interpretation of recent
experimental results on phase biaxiality in bent-core nematics. The phase is
macroscopically uniaxial but consists of microscopic biaxial, and possibly
polar, domains. On applying an electric field the phase exhibits substantial
macroscopic biaxial ordering resulting from the collective alignment of the
domains. A phenomenological theory is developed for the molecular order in this
phase and for its transitions to purely uniaxial and to spontaneously biaxial
nematic phases.


title:
Spectrophotometric investigations of Blue Compact Dwarf Galaxies:
  Markarian 35

abstract:
  We present results from a detailed spectrophotometric analysis of the blue
compact dwarf galaxy Mrk 35 (Haro 3), based on deep optical (B,V,R,I) and
near-IR (J,H,K) imaging, Halpha narrow-band observations and long-slit
spectroscopy. The optical emission of the galaxy is dominated by a central
young starburst, with a bar-like shape, while an underlying component of stars,
with elliptical isophotes and red colors, extends more than 4 kpc from the
galaxy center. High resolution Halpha and color maps allow us to identify the
star-forming regions, to spatially discriminate them from the older stars, and
to recognize several dust patches. We derive colors and Halpha parameters for
all the identified star-forming knots. Observables derived for each knot are
corrected for the contribution of the underlying older stellar population, the
contribution by emission lines, and from interstellar extinction, and compared
with evolutionary synthesis models. We find that the contributions of these
three factors are by no means negligible and that they significantly vary
across the galaxy. Therefore, careful quantification and subtraction of
emission lines, galaxy host contribution, and interstellar reddening at every
galaxy position, are essential to derive the properties of the young stars in
BCDs. We find that we can reproduce the colors of all the knots with an
instantaneous burst of star formation and the Salpeter initial mass function
with an upper mass limit of 100 M_solar. In all cases the knots are just a few
Myr old. The underlying population of stars has colors consistent with being
several Gyr old.


title: The Sixth Data Release of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey

abstract:
  With the Sixth Data Release of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, the imaging of
the Northern Galactic Cap is now complete. The survey contains images and
parameters of roughly 287 million objects over 9583 deg^2, and 1.27 million
spectra of stars, galaxies, quasars and blank sky (for sky subtraction)
selected over 7425 deg^2. This release includes much more extensive stellar
spectroscopy than previously, and also includes detailed estimates of stellar
temperatures, gravities, and metallicities. The results of improved photometric
calibration are now available, with uncertainties of roughly 1% in g, r, i, and
z, and 2% in u, substantially better than the uncertainties in previous data
releases. The spectra in this data release have improved wavelength and flux
calibration, especially in the extreme blue and extreme red, leading to the
qualitatively better determination of stellar types and radial velocities. The
spectrophotometric fluxes are now tied to point spread function magnitudes of
stars rather than fiber magnitudes, giving a 0.35 mag change in the
spectrophotometric flux scale. Systematic errors in the velocity dispersions of
galaxies have been fixed, and the results of two independent codes for
determining spectral classifications and redshifts are made available.
(Abridged)


title: Probing the Two Greatest Mysteries of the Universe

abstract:
  The neutrinoless double beta decay and the direct dark matter detection
experiments probe the origins of the two greatest mysteries of the universe,
i.e. the baryon asymmetry and the invisible or dark matter. The underlying
theoretical ideas are briefly discussed along with the experimental prospects.


title:
UV to IR SEDs of UV selected galaxies in the ELAIS fields: evolution of
  dust attenuation and star formation activity from z=0.7 to z=0.2

abstract:
  We study the ultraviolet to far-infrared (hereafter UV-to-IR) SEDs of a
sample of intermediate redshift (0.2 < z < 0.7) UV-selected galaxies from the
ELAIS-N1 and ELAIS-N2 fields by fitting a multi-wavelength dataset to a library
of GRASIL templates. Star formation related properties of the galaxies are
derived from the library of models by using the Bayesian statistics. We find a
decreasing presence of galaxies with low attenuation and low total luminosity
as redshift decreases, which does not hold for high total luminosity galaxies.
In addition the dust attenuation of low mass galaxies increases as redshift
decreases, and this trend seems to disappear for galaxies with M* > 10^11
M_sun. This result is consistent with a mass dependent evolution of the dust to
gas ratio, which could be driven by a mass dependent efficiency of star
formation in star forming galaxies. The specific star formation rates (SSFR)
decrease with increasing stellar mass at all redshifts, and for a given stellar
mass the SSFR decreases with decreasing redshift. The differences in the slope
of the M*--SSFR relation found between this work and others at similar redshift
could be explained by the adopted selection criteria of the samples which, for
a UV selected sample, favours blue, star forming galaxies.


title:
Searching for statistical equilibrium in a dynamical multifragmentation
  path

abstract:
  A method for identifying statistical equilibrium stages in dynamical
multifragmentation paths as provided by transport models, already successfully
tested for for the reaction ^{129}Xe+^{119}Sn at 32 MeV/u is applied here to a
higher energy reaction, ^{129}Xe+^{119}Sn at 50 MeV/u. The method evaluates
equilibrium from the point of view of the microcanonical multifragmentation
model (MMM) and reactions are simulated by means of the stochastic mean field
model (SMF). A unique solution, corresponding to the maximum population of the
system phase space, was identified suggesting that a huge part of the available
phase space is occupied even in the case of the 50 MeV/u reaction, in presence
of a considerable amount of radial collective flow. The specific equilibration
time and volume are identified and differences between the two systems are
discussed.


title: When almost all sets are difference dominated

abstract:
  We investigate the relationship between the sizes of the sum and difference
sets attached to a subset of {0,1,...,N}, chosen randomly according to a
binomial model with parameter p(N), with N^{-1} = o(p(N)). We show that the
random subset is almost surely difference dominated, as N --> oo, for any
choice of p(N) tending to zero, thus confirming a conjecture of Martin and
O'Bryant. The proofs use recent strong concentration results.
  Furthermore, we exhibit a threshold phenomenon regarding the ratio of the
size of the difference- to the sumset. If p(N) = o(N^{-1/2}) then almost all
sums and differences in the random subset are almost surely distinct, and in
particular the difference set is almost surely about twice as large as the
sumset. If N^{-1/2} = o(p(N)) then both the sum and difference sets almost
surely have size (2N+1) - O(p(N)^{-2}), and so the ratio in question is almost
surely very close to one. If p(N) = c N^{-1/2} then as c increases from zero to
infinity (i.e., as the threshold is crossed), the same ratio almost surely
decreases continuously from two to one according to an explicitly given
function of c.
  We also extend our results to the comparison of the generalized difference
sets attached to an arbitrary pair of binary linear forms. For certain pairs of
forms f and g, we show that there in fact exists a sharp threshold at c_{f,g}
N^{-1/2}, for some computable constant c_{f,g}, such that one form almost
surely dominates below the threshold, and the other almost surely above it.
  The heart of our approach involves using different tools to obtain strong
concentration of the sizes of the sum and difference sets about their mean
values, for various ranges of the parameter p.


title: Radio Frequency Spectra of 388 Bright 74 MHz Sources

abstract:
  As a service to the community, we have compiled radio frequency spectra from
the literature for all sources within the VLA Low Frequency Sky Survey (VLSS)
that are brighter than 15 Jy at 74 MHz. Over 160 references were used to
maximize the amount of spectral data used in the compilation of the spectra,
while also taking care to determine the corrections needed to put the flux
densities from all reference on the same absolute flux density scale. With the
new VLSS data, we are able to vastly improve upon previous efforts to compile
spectra of bright radio sources to frequencies below 100 MHz because (1) the
VLSS flux densities are more reliable than those from some previous low
frequency surveys and (2) the VLSS covers a much larger area of the sky
(declination >-30 deg.) than many other low frequency surveys (e.g., the 8C
survey). In this paper, we discuss how the spectra were constructed and how
parameters quantifying the shapes of the spectra were derived. Both the spectra
and the shape parameters are made available here to assist in the calibration
of observations made with current and future low frequency radio facilities.


title: The Seesaw with Many Right-Handed Neutrinos

abstract:
  There are no upper limits on the possible number of massive, singlet
(right--handed) neutrinos that may participate in the seesaw mechanism, and
some string constructions motivate seesaw models with up to O(100)
right--handed neutrinos. In this case, the seesaw mass scale can be
significantly higher than that in the traditional scheme with just 3
right--handed neutrinos. We consider the possible phenomenological implications
of such models, in particular, for lepton-flavour violation and electric dipole
moments. Since the neutrino masses depend on the Majorana mass scale linearly,
while supersymmetric loop corrections depend on it logarithmically, the
magnitude of lepton-flavour- and CP-violating transitions may increase with the
multiplicity of the right--handed neutrinos and may be enhanced by orders of
magnitude. We also point out that, in the context of leptogensis, the bounds on
the reheating temperature and the lightest neutrino mass get relaxed compared
to those in the case of 3 right--handed neutrinos.


title: Free motion in deformed (quantum) four-dimensional space

abstract:
  It is shown that trajectories of free motion of the particles in deformed
("quantum") four dimensional space-time are quadratic curves.


title: The nature of electromagnetic energy

abstract:
  The nature of the electromagnetic (EM) energy for general charge and current
distributions is analyzed. There are two well known forms for calculating EM
energy as the integral over all space of either the electromagnetic fields:
$u_{\bf EB}=({\bf E\bcdot D+B\bcdot H})/8\pi$, or the electromagnetic
potentials and charge-current densities: $u_{\rho{\bf A}}=1/2(\rho\phi+{\bf
j\bcdot A})$. We discuss the appropriate use of each of these forms in
calculating the total EM energy and the EM energy within a limited volume. We
conclude that only the form $u_{\bf EB}$ can be considered as a suitable EM
energy density, while either form can be integrated to find the total EM
energy. However, bounding surface integrals (if they don't vanish) must be
included when using the $u_{\bf EB}$ form. Including these surface integrals
resolves some seeming paradoxes in the energy of electric or magnetic dipoles
in uniform fields


title: CPT and Decoherence in Quantum Gravity

abstract:
  In this review, I first discuss briefly some theoretical motivations for
potential Lorentz Violation and deviation from ordinary quantum mechanical
behavior (decoherence) of field theoretic systems in the background of some
quantum gravity (QG) models. Both types of effects lead to CPT violation, but
they can be disentangled experimentally. I, then, proceed to a description of
precision tests of CPT symmetry using neutral and charged Kaons, which are of
direct relevance to the main theme of this conference. I emphasize the
potentially unique r\^ole of neutral meson factories in providing
``smoking-gun'' evidence of some QG-decoherence models in which the CPT quantum
mechanical operator is not well defined. This is achieved by means of potential
observations of QG-induced modifications of the pertinent
Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen (EPR) particle correlations.


title:
An improved Julia-Caratheodory theorem for Schur-Agler mappings of the
  unit ball

abstract:
  We adapt Sarason's proof of the Julia-Caratheodory theorem to the class of
Schur-Agler mappings of the unit ball, obtaining a strengthened form of this
theorem. In particular those quantities which appear in the classical theorem
and depend only on the component of the mapping in the complex normal direction
have K-limits (not just restricted K-limits) at the boundary.


title:
IR-Improved DGLAP Theory: Kernels, Parton Distributions, Reduced Cross
  Sections

abstract:
  It is shown that exact, amplitude-based resummation allows IR-improvement of
the usual DGLAP theory. This results in a new set of kernels, parton
distributions and attendant reduced cross sections, so that the QCD
perturbative result for the respective hadron-hadron or lepton-hadron cross
section is unchanged order-by-order in $\alpha_s$ at large squared-momentum
transfers. We compare these new objects with their usual counter-parts and
illustrate the effects of the IR-improvement in some phenomenological cases of
interest with an eye toward precision applications in LHC physics scenarios.


title:
Norms and spectral radii of linear fractional composition operators on
  the ball

abstract:
  We give a new proof that every linear fractional map of the unit ball induces
a bounded composition operator on the standard scale of Hilbert function spaces
on the ball, and obtain norm bounds analogous to the standard one-variable
estimates. We also show that Cowen's one-variable spectral radius formula
extends to these operators. The key observation underlying these results is
that every linear fractional map of the ball belongs to the Schur-Agler class.


title:
Reproducing kernels, de Branges-Rovnyak spaces, and norms of weighted
  composition operators

abstract:
  We prove that the norm of a weighted composition operator on the Hardy space
H^2 of the disk is controlled by the norm of the weight function in the de
Branges-Rovnyak space associated to the symbol of the composition operator. As
a corollary we obtain a new proof of the boundedness of composition operators
on H^2, and recover the standard upper bound for the norm. Similar arguments
apply to weighted Bergman spaces. We also show that the positivity of a
generalized de Branges-Rovnyak kernel is sufficient for the boundedness of a
given composition operator on the standard functions spaces on the unit ball.


title: Weak values and the Leggett-Garg inequality in solid-state qubits

abstract:
  An implementation of weak values is investigated in solid-state qubits. We
demonstrate that a weak value can be non-classical if and only if a
Leggett-Garg inequality can also be violated. Generalized weak values are
described, where post-selection on a range of weak measurement results.
Imposing classical weak values permits the derivation of Leggett-Garg
inequalities for bounded operators. Our analysis is presented in terms of
kicked quantum nondemolition measurements on a quantum double-dot charge qubit.


title:
Effects of noise and confidence thresholds in nominal and metric Axelrod
  dynamics of social influence

abstract:
  We study the effects of bounded confidence thresholds and of interaction and
external noise on Axelrod's model of social influence. Our study is based on a
combination of numerical simulations and an integration of the mean-field
Master equation describing the system in the thermodynamic limit. We find that
interaction thresholds affect the system only quantitatively, but that they do
not alter the basic phase structure. The known crossover between an ordered and
a disordered state in finite systems subject to external noise persists in
models with general confidence threshold. Interaction noise here facilitates
the dynamics and reduces relaxation times. We also study Axelrod systems with
metric features, and point out similarities and differences compared to models
with nominal features. Metric features are used to demonstrate that a small
group of extremists can have a significant impact on the opinion dynamics of a
population of Axelrod agents.


title: The Hot Inner Disk of FU Ori

abstract:
  We have constructed a detailed radiative transfer disk model which reproduces
the main features of the spectrum of the outbursting young stellar object FU
Orionis from ~ 4000 angstrom, to ~ 8 micron. Using an estimated visual
extinction Av~1.5, a steady disk model with a central star mass ~0.3 Msun and a
mass accretion rate ~ 2e-4 Msun/yr, we can reproduce the spectral energy
distribution of FU Ori quite well. With the mid-infrared spectrum obtained by
the Infrared Spectrograph (IRS) on board the Spitzer Space Telescope, we
estimate that the outer radius of the hot, rapidly accreting inner disk is ~ 1
AU using disk models truncated at this outer radius. Inclusion of radiation
from a cooler irradiated outer disk might reduce the outer limit of the hot
inner disk to ~ 0.5 AU. In either case, the radius is inconsistent with a pure
thermal instability model for the outburst. Our radiative transfer model
implies that the central disk temperature Tc > 1000 K out to ~ 0.5 - 1 AU,
suggesting that the magnetorotational instability (MRI) can be supported out to
that distance. Assuming that the ~ 100 yr decay timescale in brightness of FU
Ori represents the viscous timescale of the hot inner disk, we estimate the
viscosity parameter (alpha) to be ~ 0.2 - 0.02 in the outburst state,
consistent with numerical simulations of MRI in disks. The radial extent of the
high mass accretion region is inconsistent with the model of Bell & Lin, but
may be consistent with theories incorporating both gravitational instability
and MRI.


title: Commensurability of geometric subgroups of mapping class groups

abstract:
  Let M be a surface (possibly nonorientable) with punctures and/or boundary
components. The paper is a study of ``geometric subgroups'' of the mapping
class group of M, that is subgroups corresponding to inclusions of subsurfaces
(possibly disconnected). We characterise the subsurfaces which lead to
virtually abelian geometric subgroups. We provide algebraic and geometric
conditions under which two geometric subgroups are commensurable. We also
describe the commensurator of a geometric subgroup in terms of the stabiliser
of the underlying subsurface. Finally, we show some applications of our
analysis to the theory of irreducible unitary representations of mapping class
groups.


title: The nature of ZZ branes

abstract:
  In minimal non-critical string theory we show that the principal (r,s) ZZ
brane can be viewed as the basic (1,1) ZZ boundary state tensored with the
(r,s) Cardy boundary state. In this sense there exists only one ZZ boundary
state, the basic (1,1) boundary state.


title: Luminosity Functions of Gamma-Ray Burst Afterglows

abstract:
  Aims: Use the standard fireball model to create virtual populations of
gamma-ray burst afterglows and study their luminosity functions.
  Methods: We randomly vary the parameters of the standard fireball model to
create virtual populations of afterglows. We use the luminosity of each burst
at an observer's time of 1 day to create a luminosity function and compare our
results with available observational data to assess the internal consistency of
the standard fireball model.
  Results: We show that the luminosity functions can be described by a function
similar to a log normal distribution with an exponential cutoff. The function
parameters are frequency dependent but not very dependent on the model
parameter distributions used to create the virtual populations. Comparison with
observations shows that while there is good general agreement with the data, it
is difficult to explain simultaneously the X-ray and optical data. Possible
reasons for this are discussed and the most likely one is that the standard
fireball model is incomplete and that decoupling of the X-ray and optical
emission mechanism may be needed.


title: Integrable Lagrangians and modular forms

abstract:
  We investigate non-degenerate Lagrangians of the form
  $$
  \int f(u_x, u_y, u_t) dx dy dt
  $$ such that the corresponding Euler-Lagrange equations
  $
  (f_{u_x})_x+ (f_{u_y})_y+ (f_{u_t})_t=0
  $ are integrable by the method of hydrodynamic reductions. We demonstrate
that the integrability conditions, which constitute an involutive
over-determined system of fourth order PDEs for the Lagrangian density f, are
invariant under a 20-parameter group of Lie-point symmetries whose action on
the moduli space of integrable Lagrangians has an open orbit. The density of
the `master-Lagrangian' corresponding to this orbit is shown to be a modular
form in three variables defined on a complex hyperbolic ball. We demonstrate
how the knowledge of the symmetry group allows one to linearise the
integrability conditions.


title: Photons in polychromatic rotating modes

abstract:
  We propose a quantum theory of rotating light beams and study some of its
properties. Such beams are polychromatic and have either a slowly rotating
polarization or a slowly rotating transverse mode pattern. We show there are,
for both cases, three different natural types of modes that qualify as
rotating, one of which is a new type not previously considered. We discuss
differences between these three types of rotating modes on the one hand and
non-rotating modes as viewed from a rotating frame of reference on the other.
We present various examples illustrating the possible use of rotating photons,
mostly for quantum information processing purposes. We introduce in this
context a rotating version of the two-photon singlet state.


title: A Knowledge-Based Analysis of Global Function Computation

abstract:
  Consider a distributed system N in which each agent has an input value and
each communication link has a weight. Given a global function, that is, a
function f whose value depends on the whole network, the goal is for every
agent to eventually compute the value f(N). We call this problem global
function computation. Various solutions for instances of this problem, such as
Boolean function computation, leader election, (minimum) spanning tree
construction, and network determination, have been proposed, each under
particular assumptions about what processors know about the system and how this
knowledge can be acquired. We give a necessary and sufficient condition for the
problem to be solvable that generalizes a number of well-known results. We then
provide a knowledge-based (kb) program (like those of Fagin, Halpern, Moses,
and Vardi) that solves global function computation whenever possible. Finally,
we improve the message overhead inherent in our initial kb program by giving a
counterfactual belief-based program that also solves the global function
computation whenever possible, but where agents send messages only when they
believe it is necessary to do so. The latter program is shown to be implemented
by a number of well-known algorithms for solving leader election.


title:
The CO Tully-Fisher Relation and Implications for the Host Galaxies of
  High-Redshift Quasars

abstract:
  The integrated line width derived from CO spectroscopy provides a powerful
tool to study the internal kinematics of extragalactic objects, including
quasars at high redshift, provided that the observed line width can be properly
translated to more conventionally used kinematical parameters of galaxies. We
show, through construction of a K-band CO Tully-Fisher relation for nearby
galaxies spanning a wide range in infrared luminosity, that the CO line width
measured at 20% of the peak intensity, when corrected for inclination and other
effects, successfully recovers the maximum rotation velocity of the disk. The
line width at 50% of the peak intensity performs much more poorly, in large
part because CO lines have a wide range of profiles, which are shown to vary
systematically with infrared luminosity. We present a practical prescription
for converting observed CO line widths into the stellar velocity dispersion of
the bulge (sigma), and then apply it to a sample of low-redshift (z < 0.2) and
high-redshift (1.4 < z < 6.4) quasars to study their host galaxies. Nearby
quasars roughly fall on the correlation between black hole mass and bulge
stellar velocity dispersion established for inactive galaxies, but the host
galaxies of the high-z quasars systematically deviate from the local M_BH-sigma
relation. At a given sigma, high-z quasars have black hole masses larger by a
factor of 4 relative to local galaxies, suggesting that early in the life-cycle
of galaxies the development of the bulge lags behind the growth of the central
black hole. An alternative explanation for these observations, which currently
cannot be ruled out rigorously, is that high-redshift quasars are
preferentially viewed at face-on orientations.


title: Genus Two Partition Functions of Extremal Conformal Field Theories

abstract:
  Recently Witten conjectured the existence of a family of "extremal" conformal
field theories (ECFTs) of central charge c=24k, which are supposed to be dual
to three-dimensional pure quantum gravity in AdS3. Assuming their existence, we
determine explicitly the genus two partition functions of k=2 and k=3 ECFTs,
using modular invariance and the behavior of the partition function in
degenerating limits of the Riemann surface. The result passes highly nontrivial
tests and in particular provides a piece of evidence for the existence of the
k=3 ECFT. We also argue that the genus two partition function of ECFTs with
k<11 are uniquely fixed (if they exist).


title: KAM Theorem and Renormalization Group

abstract:
  We give an elementary proof of the analytic KAM theorem by reducing it to a
Picard iteration of a PDE with quadratic nonlinearity, the so called Polchinski
renormalization group equation studied in quantum field theory.


title: The Standard Model prediction for R_{e/mu}^{(pi,K)}

abstract:
  We study the ratios R_{e/mu}^{(P)} = Gamma(P -> e nu [gamma])/Gamma(P -> mu
nu [gamma]) (P=pi,K) in Chiral Perturbation Theory to order e^2 p^4. We
complement the two-loop effective theory results with a matching calculation of
the counterterm, finding R_{e/mu}^{(pi)} = (1.2352 \pm 0.0001)*10^(-4) and
R_{e/mu}^{(K)} = (2.477 \pm 0.001)*10^(-5).


title: Tracing PAHs and Warm Dust Emission in the Seyfert Galaxy NGC 1068

abstract:
  We present a study of the nearby Seyfert galaxy NGC 1068 using mid- and far-
infrared data acquired with the IRAC, IRS, and MIPS instruments aboard the
Spitzer Space Telescope. The images show extensive 8 um and 24 um emission
coinciding with star formation in the inner spiral approximately 15" (1 kpc)
from the nucleus, and a bright complex of star formation 47" (3 kpc) SW of the
nucleus. The brightest 8 um PAH emission regions coincide remarkably well with
knots observed in an Halpha image. Strong PAH features at 6.2, 7.7, 8.6, and
11.3 um are detected in IRS spectra measured at numerous locations inside,
within, and outside the inner spiral. The IRAC colors and IRS spectra of these
regions rule out dust heated by the AGN as the primary emission source; the
SEDs are dominated by starlight and PAH emission. The equivalent widths and
flux ratios of the PAH features in the inner spiral are generally consistent
with conditions in a typical spiral galaxy ISM. Interior to the inner spiral,
the influence of the AGN on the ISM is evident via PAH flux ratios indicative
of a higher ionization parameter and a significantly smaller mean equivalent
width than observed in the inner spiral. The brightest 8 and 24 um emission
peaks in the disk of the galaxy, even at distances beyond the inner spiral, are
located within the ionization cones traced by [O III]/Hbeta, and they are also
remarkably well aligned with the axis of the radio jets. Although it is
possible that radiation from the AGN may directly enhance PAH excitation or
trigger the formation of OB stars that subsequently excite PAH emission at
these locations in the inner spiral, the orientation of collimated radiation
from the AGN and star formation knots in the inner spiral could be
coincidental. (abridged)


title: CAL 87 - an evolved wind-driven supersoft X-ray binary

abstract:
  Compact binary supersoft X-ray sources (CBSS) are explained as being
associated with hydrostatic nuclear burning on the surface of a white dwarf
with high accretion rate. This high mass transfer rate has been suggested to be
caused by dynamical instability, expected when the donor star is more massive
than the accreting object. When the orbital period is smaller than ~6 hours,
this mechanism does not work and the CBSS with such periods are believed to be
fed by a distinct mechanism: the wind-driven accretion. Such a mechanism has
been proposed to explain the properties of objects like SMC 13, T Pyx and V617
Sgr. One observational property that offers a critical test for discriminating
between the above two possibilities is the orbital period change. As systems
with wind-driven accretion evolve with increasing periods, some of them may
reach quite long orbital periods. The above critical test may, therefore, also
be applied to orbital periods longer than 6 hours. CAL 87 is an eclipsing
system in the LMC with an orbital period of 10.6 hours that could provide the
opportunity for testing the hypothesis of the system being powered by
wind-driven accretion. We obtained eclipse timings for this system and show
that its orbital period increases with a rate of P/Pdot = +7.2(+/-1.3) X 10^{6}
years. Contrary to the common belief, we conclude that CAL 87 is the first
confirmed case of a wind-driven CBSS with an orbital period longer than 6
hours. The system is probably an evolved object that had an initial secondary
mass of M2i=0.63 solar masses but is currently reduced to about M2=0.34 solar
masses. We discuss evidence that other CBSS, like CAL 83 and V Sge stars, like
WX Cen, are probably also wind-driven systems. This may in fact be the rule,
and systems with inverted mass ratio, the exception.


title:
Combined Sum of Squares Penalties for Molecular Divergence Time
  Estimation

abstract:
  Estimates of molecular divergence times when rates of evolution vary require
the assumption of a model of rate change. Brownian motion is one such model,
and since rates cannot become negative, a log Brownian model seems appropriate.
Divergence time estimates can then be made using weighted least squares
penalties. As sequences become long, this approach effectively becomes
equivalent to penalized likelihood or Bayesian approaches. Different forms of
the least squares penalty are considered to take into account correlation due
to shared ancestors. It is shown that a scale parameter is also needed since
the sum of squares changes with the scale of time. Errors or uncertainty on
fossil calibrations, may be folded in with errors due to the stochastic nature
of Brownian motion and ancestral polymorphism, giving a total sum of squares to
be minimized. Applying these methods to placental mammal data the estimated age
of the root decreases from 125 to about 94 mybp. However, multiple fossil
calibration points and relative molecular divergence times inflate the sum of
squares more than expected. If fossil data are also bootstrapped, then the
confidence interval for the root of placental mammals varies widely from ~70 to
130 mybp. Such a wide interval suggests that more and better fossil calibration
data is needed and/or better models of rate evolution are needed and/or better
molecular data are needed. Until these issues are thoroughly investigated, it
is premature to declare either the old molecular dates frequently obtained
(e.g. > 110 mybp) or the lack of identified placental fossils in the
Cretaceous, more indicative of when crown-group placental mammals evolved.


title:
A New Technique for Galaxy Photometric Redshifts in the Sloan Digital
  Sky Survey

abstract:
  Traditional photometric redshift methods use only color information about the
objects in question to estimate their redshifts. This paper introduces a new
method utilizing colors, luminosity, surface brightness, and radial light
profile to measure the redshifts of galaxies in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey
(SDSS). We take a statistical approach: distributions of galaxies from the SDSS
Large-Scale Structure (LSS; spectroscopic) sample are constructed at a range of
redshifts, and target galaxies are compared to these distributions. An adaptive
mesh is implemented to increase the percentage of the parameter space populated
by the LSS galaxies. We test the method on a subset of galaxies from the LSS
sample, yielding rms Delta-z of 0.025 for red galaxies and 0.030 for blue
galaxies (all with z < 0.25). Possible future improvements to this promising
technique are described, as is our ongoing work to extend the method to
galaxies at higher redshift.


title: Quark and Lepton Masses from Gaussian Landscapes

abstract:
  The flavor structure of the Standard Model might arise from random selection
on a landscape. We propose a class of simple models, ``Gaussian landscapes,''
where Yukawa couplings derive from overlap integrals of Gaussian wavefunctions
on extra-dimensions. Statistics of vacua are generated by scanning the peak
positions of these zero-modes, giving probability distributions for all flavor
observables. Gaussian landscapes can broadly account for all observed flavor
patterns with very few free parameters. For example, the generation structure
in the quark sector follows from the overlap integrals for both the up and down
type Yukawas sharing the localized wavefunctions of the quark doublets and the
Higgs boson. Although Gaussian landscapes predict broad probability
distributions, the flavor observables are correlated and we show that
accounting for measured flavor parameters creates sharper distributions for
future neutrino measurements.


title:
Void Statistics in Large Galaxy Redshift Surveys: Does Halo Occupation
  of Field Galaxies Depend on Environment?

abstract:
  We use measurements of the projected galaxy correlation function w_p and
galaxy void statistics to test whether the galaxy content of halos of fixed
mass is systematically different in low density environments. We present new
measurements of the void probability function (VPF) and underdensity
probability function (UPF) from Data Release Four of the Sloan Digital Sky
Survey, as well as new measurements of the VPF from the full data release of
the Two-Degree Field Galaxy Redshift Survey. We compare these measurements to
predictions calculated from models of the Halo Occupation Distribution (HOD)
that are constrained to match both w_p and the space density of galaxies. The
standard implementation of the HOD assumes that galaxy occupation depends on
halo mass only, and is independent of local environment. For luminosity-defined
samples, we find that the standard HOD prediction is a good match to the
observations, and the data exclude models in which galaxy formation efficiency
is reduced in low-density environments. More remarkably, we find that the void
statistics of red and blue galaxies (at L ~ 0.4L_*) are perfectly predicted by
standard HOD models matched to the correlation function of these samples,
ruling out "assembly bias" models in which galaxy color is correlated with
large-scale environment at fixed halo mass. We conclude that the luminosity and
color of field galaxies are determined predominantly by the mass of the halo in
which they reside and have little direct dependence on the environment in which
the host halo formed. In broader terms, our results show that the sizes and
emptiness of voids found in the distribution of L > 0.2L_* galaxies are in
excellent agreement with the predictions of a standard cosmological model with
a simple connection between galaxies and dark matter halos. (abridged)


title:
Statistical Understanding of Quark and Lepton Masses in Gaussian
  Landscapes

abstract:
  The fundamental theory of nature may allow a large landscape of vacua. Even
if the theory contains a unified gauge symmetry, the 22 flavor parameters of
the Standard Model, including neutrino masses, may be largely determined by the
statistics of this landscape, and not by any symmetry. Then the measured values
of the flavor parameters do not lead to any fundamental symmetries, but are
statistical accidents; their precise values do not provide any insights into
the fundamental theory, rather the overall pattern of flavor reflects the
underlying landscape. We investigate whether random selection from the
statistics of a simple landscape can explain the broad patterns of quark,
charged lepton, and neutrino masses and mixings. We propose Gaussian landscapes
as simplified models of landscapes where Yukawa couplings result from overlap
integrals of zero-mode wavefunctions in higher-dimensional supersymmetric gauge
theories. In terms of just five free parameters, such landscapes can account
for all gross features of flavor, including: the hierarchy of quark and charged
lepton masses; small quark mixing angles, with 13 mixing less than 12 and 23
mixing; very light Majorana neutrino masses, with the solar to atmospheric
neutrino mass ratio consistent with data; distributions for leptonic 12 and 23
mixings that are peaked at large values, while the distribution for 13 mixing
is peaked at low values; and order unity CP violating phases in both the quark
and lepton sectors. While the statistical distributions for flavor parameters
are broad, the distributions are robust to changes in the geometry of the extra
dimensions. Constraining the distributions by loose cuts about observed values
leads to narrower distributions for neutrino measurements of 13 mixing, CP
violation, and neutrinoless double beta decay.


title:
Prediction for the Lightest Higgs Boson Mass in the CMSSM using Indirect
  Experimental Constraints

abstract:
  Measurements at low energies provide interesting indirect information about
masses of particles that are (so far) too heavy to be produced directly.
Motivated by recent progress in consistently and rigorously calculating
electroweak precision observables and flavour related observables, we derive
the preferred value for m_h in the Constrained Minimal Supersymmetric Standard
Model (CMSSM), obtained from a fit taking into account electroweak precision
data, flavour physics observables and the abundance of Cold Dark Matter. No
restriction is imposed on m_h itself: the experimental bound from direct Higgs
boson search at LEP is not included in the fit. A multi-parameter chi^2 is
minimized with respect to the free parameters of the CMSSM, M_0, M_1/2, A_0,
tan(beta). A statistical comparison with the Standard Model fit to the
electroweak precision data is made. The preferred value for the lightest Higgs
boson mass in the CMSSM is found to be m_h^CMSSM = 110+8-10(exp.)+-3(theo.)
GeV/c^2, where the first uncertainty is experimental and the second uncertainty
is theoretical. This value is in agreement with the limit from direct Higgs
boson search at LEP.


title: Central limit theorems for multiple Skorohod integrals

abstract:
  In this paper, we prove a central limit theorem for a sequence of iterated
Shorohod integrals using the techniques of Malliavin calculus. The convergence
is stable, and the limit is a conditionally Gaussian random variable. Some
applications to sequences of multiple stochastic integrals, and renormalized
weighted Hermite variations of the fractional Brownian motion are discussed.


title: Zero-automatic queues and product form

abstract:
  We introduce and study a new model: 0-automatic queues. Roughly, 0-automatic
queues are characterized by a special buffering mechanism evolving like a
random walk on some infinite group or monoid. The salient result is that all
stable 0-automatic queues have a product form stationary distribution and a
Poisson output process. When considering the two simplest and extremal cases of
0-automatic queues, we recover the simple M/M/1 queue, and Gelenbe's G-queue
with positive and negative customers.


title:
Stability and intersection properties of solutions to the nonlinear
  biharmonic equation

abstract:
  We study the positive, regular, radially symmetric solutions to the nonlinear
biharmonic equation $\Delta^2 \phi = \phi^p$. First, we show that there exists
a critical value $p_c$, depending on the space dimension, such that the
solutions are linearly unstable if $p<p_c$ and linearly stable if $p\geq p_c$.
Then, we focus on the supercritical case $p\geq p_c$ and we show that the
graphs of no two solutions intersect one another.


title: Relative Oscillation Theory for Sturm-Liouville Operators Extended

abstract:
  We extend relative oscillation theory to the case of Sturm--Liouville
operators $H u = r^{-1}(-(pu')'+q u)$ with different $p$'s. We show that the
weighted number of zeros of Wronskians of certain solutions equals the value of
Krein's spectral shift function inside essential spectral gaps.


title: Vertical Dust Particle Chains-Mass and Charge Measurements

abstract:
  Dusty plasmas have generated a large amount of interest since the discovery
of ordered structure (crystal) formation in experimentally generated complex
plasmas in 1994. Dust particles within the plasma sheath generated in these
complex plasmas can form vertical chains due to the streaming ion wakefield.
For the simplest of these configurations (a two particle chain), the particle
closest to the lower electrode will generally remain in the shadow of the
particle farthest from the lower electrode. These results in the two particles
feeling differing ion drag forces: the top particle is acted on by the ion drag
force directed from the plasma to the lower electrode, while the bottom
particle is acted upon by the resulting wakefield produced by the interaction
of the upper particle with the ion drag force. This dynamic situation currently
provides the best known experimental environment for examining the physics
behind the ion drag force and its interaction with the plasma sheath. An
experimental method for investigating the interaction between pair-particle
chains based on modulating the bias on the lower electrode employing a DC bias
modulation technique will be presented.


title: Unification of twistors and Ramond vectors

abstract:
  We generalize the idea of supertwistors and introduce a new supersymmetric
object - the $\theta$-twistor which includes the composite Ramond vector [11]
well known from the spinning string dynamics. The symmetries of the chiral
$\theta$-twistor superspace are studied. It is shown that the chiral spin
structure introduced by the $\theta$-twistor breaks the superconformal boost
symmetry but preserves the scale symmetry and the super-Poincare symmetry. This
geometrical effect of breaking correlates with the Gross-Wess effect of the
conformal boost breaking for bosonic scattering amplitudes.


title:
Solving Linearized Equations of the $N$-body Problem Using the
  Lie-integration Method

abstract:
  Several integration schemes exits to solve the equations of motion of the
$N$-body problem. The Lie-integration method is based on the idea to solve
ordinary differential equations with Lie-series. In the 1980s this method was
applied for the $N$-body problem by giving the recurrence formula for the
calculation of the Lie-terms. The aim of this works is to present the
recurrence formulae for the linearized equations of motion of $N$-body systems.
We prove a lemma which greatly simplifies the derivation of the recurrence
formulae for the linearized equations if the recurrence formulae for the
equations of motions are known. The Lie-integrator is compared with other
well-known methods. The optimal step size and order of the Lie-integrator are
calculated. It is shown that a fine-tuned Lie-integrator can be 30%-40% faster
than other integration methods.


title:
Posture-Dependent Human 3He Lung Imaging in an Open Access MRI System:
  Initial Results

abstract:
  The human lung and its functions are extremely sensitive to orientation and
posture, and debate continues as to the role of gravity and the surrounding
anatomy in determining lung function and heterogeneity of perfusion and
ventilation. However, study of these effects is difficult. The conventional
high-field magnets used for most hyperpolarized 3He MRI of the human lung, and
most other common radiological imaging modalities including PET and CT,
restrict subjects to lying horizontally, minimizing most gravitational effects.
In this paper, we briefly review the motivation for posture-dependent studies
of human lung function, and present initial imaging results of human lungs in
the supine and vertical body orientations using inhaled hyperpolarized 3He gas
and an open-access MRI instrument. The open geometry of this MRI system
features a "walk-in" capability that permits subjects to be imaged in vertical
and horizontal positions, and potentially allows for complete rotation of the
orientation of the imaging subject in a two-dimensional plane. Initial results
include two-dimensional lung images acquired with ~ 4 mm in-plane resolution
and three-dimensional images with ~ 1.5 cm slice thickness. Effects of posture
variation are observed.