Initial results from the ANITA 2006-2007 Balloon Flight
We report initial results of the Antarctic Impulsive Transient Antenna (ANITA) 2006-2007 Long Duration Balloon flight, which searched for evidence of the flux of cosmogenic neutrinos. ANITA flew for 35 days looking for radio impulses that might be due to the Askaryan effect in neutrino-induced electromagnetic showers within the Antarctic ice sheets. In our initial high-threshold robust analysis, no neutrino candidates are seen, with no physics background. In a non-signal horizontal-polarization channel, we do detect 6 events consistent with radio impulses from extensive air showers, which helps to validate the effectiveness of our method. Upper limits derived from our analysis now begin to eliminate the highest cosmogenic neutrino models.

title: Ultra-Relativistic Magnetic Monopole Search with the ANITA-II Balloon-borne Radio Interferometer
abstract: We have conducted a search for extended energy deposition trails left by ultrarelativistic magnetic monopoles interacting in Antarctic ice. The nonobservation of any satisfactory candidates in the 31 days of accumulated ANITA-II (Antarctic Impulsive Transient Antenna) flight data results in an upper limit on the diffuse flux of relativistic monopoles. We obtain a 90% C.L. limit of order 10{sup -19} (cm{sup 2} s sr){sup -1} for values of Lorentz factor, {gamma}, 10{sup 10{<=}{gamma}} at the anticipated energy E{sub tot}=10{sup 16} GeV. This bound is stronger than all previously published experimental limits for this kinematic range.

title: Modeling realistic Earth matter density for CP violation in neutrino oscillation
abstract: We examine the effect of a more realistic Earth matter density model which takes into account of the local density variations along the baseline of a possible 2100 km very long baseline neutrino oscillation experiment. Its influence to the measurement of CP violation is investigated and a comparison with the commonly used global density models made. Significant differences are found in the comparison of the results of the different density models. PCAC 14.60.Pq , 11.30.Er

title: Recent Results from the Palo Verde Neutrino Oscillation Experiment
abstract: The flux and spectrum have been measured at a distance of about 800 m from the reactors of the Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station using a segmented Gd-loaded liquid scintillator detector. Results from the experiment show no evidence for neutrino oscillation. oscillation were excluded at 90% CL for Δm2>1.12×10-3eV2 for full mixing, and sin2 2θ>0.21 for large Δm2. These results support the conclusion that the observed atmospheric neutrino oscillation does not involve νe.

title: A coherent method for the detection and parameter estimation of continuous gravitational wave signals using a pulsar timing array
abstract: The use of a high precision pulsar timing array is a promising approach to detecting gravitational waves in the very low frequency regime (10{sup –6}-10{sup –9} Hz) that is complementary to ground-based efforts (e.g., LIGO, Virgo) at high frequencies (∼10-10{sup 3} Hz) and space-based ones (e.g., LISA) at low frequencies (10{sup –4}-10{sup –1} Hz). One of the target sources for pulsar timing arrays is individual supermassive black hole binaries which are expected to form in galactic mergers. In this paper, a likelihood-based method for detection and parameter estimation is presented for a monochromatic continuous gravitational wave signal emitted by such a source. The so-called pulsar terms in the signal that arise due to the breakdown of the long-wavelength approximation are explicitly taken into account in this method. In addition, the method accounts for equality and inequality constraints involved in the semi-analytical maximization of the likelihood over a subset of the parameters. The remaining parameters are maximized over numerically using Particle Swarm Optimization. Thus, the method presented here solves the monochromatic continuous wave detection and parameter estimation problem without invoking some of the approximations that have been used in earlier studies.

title: New determination of the 13C(a, n)16O reaction rate and its influence on the s-process nucleosynthesis in AGB stars
abstract: We present a new measurement of the $\alpha$-spectroscopic factor ($S_\alpha$) and the asymptotic normalization coefficient (ANC) for the 6.356 MeV 1/2$^+$ subthreshold state of $^{17}$O through the $^{13}$C($^{11}$B, $^{7}$Li)$^{17}$O transfer reaction and we determine the $\alpha$-width of this state. This is believed to have a strong effect on the rate of the $^{13}$C($\alpha$, $n$)$^{16}$O reaction, the main neutron source for {\it slow} neutron captures (the $s$-process) in asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars. Based on the new width we derive the astrophysical S-factor and the stellar rate of the $^{13}$C($\alpha$, $n$)$^{16}$O reaction. At a temperature of 100 MK our rate is roughly two times larger than that by \citet{cau88} and two times smaller than that recommended by the NACRE compilation. We use the new rate and different rates available in the literature as input in simulations of AGB stars to study their influence on the abundances of selected $s$-process elements and isotopic ratios. There are no changes in the final results using the different rates for the $^{13}$C($\alpha$, $n$)$^{16}$O reaction when the $^{13}$C burns completely in radiative conditions. When the $^{13}$C burns in convective conditions, as in stars of initial mass lower than $\sim$2 $M_\sun$ and in post-AGB stars, some changes are to be expected, e.g., of up to 25% for Pb in our models. These variations will have to be carefully analyzed when more accurate stellar mixing models and more precise observational constraints are available.

title: Study of a prototype detector for the Daya Bay neutrino experiment
abstract: The Daya Bay reactor neutrino experiment is designed to precisely measure the neutrino mixing angle y13. In order to study the details of the detector response and finalize the detector design, a prototype neutrino detector with a scale of 1/3 in diameter is constructed at the Institute of High Energy Physics (IHEP), Beijing. The detector is viewed by 45 8 00 photomultipliers, which are calibrated by LED light pulse. The energy response of the detector, including the resolution, linearity, spatial uniformity, etc., is studied by radioactive sources 133 Ba, 137 Cs, 60 Co, and 22 Na at various locations of the detector. The measurement shows that the detector, particularly the specially designed optical reflectors, works as expected. A Monte Carlo simulation based on the Geant4 package shows a good agreement with the experimental data.