Azimuthal charged-particle correlations and possible local strong parity violation.
Parity-odd domains, corresponding to nontrivial topological solutions of the QCD vacuum, might be created during relativistic heavy-ion collisions. These domains are predicted to lead to charge separation of quarks along the system's orbital momentum axis. We investigate a three-particle azimuthal correlator which is a P even observable, but directly sensitive to the charge separation effect. We report measurements of charged hadrons near center-of-mass rapidity with this observable in Au + Au and Cu + Cu collisions at square root of s(NN) = 200 GeV using the STAR detector. A signal consistent with several expectations from the theory is detected. We discuss possible contributions from other effects that are not related to parity violation.

title: ATLAS: technical proposal for a general-purpose p p experiment at the large hadron collider at CERN

title: Measurements of the T2K neutrino beam properties using the INGRID on-axis near detector
abstract: Precise measurement of neutrino beam direction and intensity was achieved based on a new concept with modularized neutrino detectors. INGRID (Interactive Neutrino GRID) is an on-axis near detector for the T2K long baseline neutrino oscillation experiment. INGRID consists of 16 identical modules arranged in horizontal and vertical arrays around the beam center. The module has a sandwich structure of iron target plates and scintillator trackers. INGRID directly monitors the muon neutrino beam profile center and intensity using the number of observed neutrino events in each module. The neutrino beam direction is measured with accuracy better than 0.4 mrad from the measured profile center. The normalized event rate is measured with 4% precision.

title: Study of neutrino and anti-neutrino charged current interactions in U70 wide band beams

title: LED monitoring system for the BTeV lead tungstate crystal calorimeter prototype
abstract: We report on the performance of a monitoring system for a prototype calorimeter for the BTeV experiment that uses lead tungstate crystals coupled with photomultiplier tubes. The tests were carried out at the 70-GeV accelerator complex at Protvino, Russia.

title: Spin physics with light and heavy neutral mesons at Protvino
abstract: PROZA-M experiment results as well the proposal of a new spin program with the use of a polarized proton beam are presented. Significant asymmetries were observed in inclusive $\pi^0$ production. The new program proposes to study a wealth of single- and double-spin observables in various reactions using longitudinally and transversely polarized proton beams at U70. The main goal is to define gluon contribution to nucleon spin by measuring double-spin asymmetry in charmonium production.

title: Age Dating of Globular Clusters Using UBV(RI) Main-sequence Photometry in the Two-color Diagram: Age of NGC 6397
abstract: I propose and apply a method for deriving ages of the metal-poor globular clusters (GCs) in a distance-independent way, which is based on age indicator related to the main sequence in the two-color diagrams with U-B index. Age of the metal-poor GC NGC 6397 has been estimated, using Yale isochrones of Demarque et al. (1996), to be close to 16 Gyr provided the cluster metallicity is near [Fe/H]=-2.0.

title: Second parameter globulars and dwarf spheroidals around the Local Group massive galaxies: What can they evidence?
abstract: We suggest that the majority of the "young", so-called "second parameter" globular clusters (SPGCs) have origi- nated in the outer Galactic halo due to a process other than a tidal disruption of the dwarf spheroidal (dSph) galaxies. Basic observational evidence regarding both the dSphs and the SPGCs, coupled with the latest data about a rather large relative num- ber of such clusters among globulars in M 33 and their low portion in M 31, seems to be consistent with the suspected process. It might have taken place within the system of the most massive galaxies of the Local Group (LG) at the earliest stages of their formation and evolution. We argue that the origin and basic characteristics of the SPGCs can naturally be explained as a result of mass outflow from M 31, during and due to formation of its Pop. II stars, and subsequent accretion of gas onto its massive companions, the Galaxy and M 33. An amount of the gas accreted onto the Milky Way is expected to have been quite enough for the formation in the outer Galactic halo not only of the clusters under consideration but also a number of those dSph galaxies which are as young as the SPGCs. A less significant, but notable mass transfer from the starbursting protoGalaxy to the massive members of the LG might have occurred, too.

title: Optical monitoring of the central region of the globular cluster M 15 = NGC 7078: New variable stars
abstract: AbstractWe obtained a series of more than two hundred R-band CCD images for the crowded central (115″×77″) region of the metal-poor globular cluster M 15 with an angular resolution of 
$$0\mathop .\limits^{''} 5 - 0\mathop .\limits^{''} 9$$
 in most images. Optimal image subtraction was used to identify variable stars. Brightness variations were found in 83 stars, 55 of which were identified with known cluster variables and the remaining 28 are candidates for new variables. Two of them are most likely SX Phe variables. The variability type of two more stars is uncertain. The remaining stars were tentatively classified as RR Lyrae variables. A preliminary analysis of published data and our results shows that the characteristics of RR Lyrae variables in the densest part (r<35″) of the cluster probably change. More specifically, the maximum of the period distribution of first-and second-overtone (RR1, RR2) pulsating stars shifts toward shorter periods; i.e., there is an increase in the fraction of stars pulsating with periods 
$$ < 0\mathop .\limits^d 3$$
 and a deficiency of stars with 
$$0\mathop .\limits^d 35 - 0\mathop .\limits^d 40$$
. The ratio of the number of these short-period RR Lyrae variables to the number of fundamental-tone (RR0) pulsating variables changes appreciably. We found and corrected the error of transforming the coordinates of variables V128–155 in M 15 into the coordinate system used in the catalog of variable stars in globular clusters.

title: Study of Delta and Roper resonances excitation in light nuclei induced reactions
abstract: The excitation mechanisms and properties of broad hadronic resonances in nuclei, which are intimately related with nuclear medium response on high energy excitations, have attracted much attention during last decade.

title: Oldmetal‐rich globular cluster populations: Peak color and peak metallicity trends with mass of host spheroids
abstract: We address the problem of the factors contributing to a peak color trend of old metal-rich globular cluster (MRGC) populations with mass of their hosts, early-type galaxies and spheroidal subsystems of spiral ones (spheroids). The colormass trend is often converted to a metallicity-mass trend under the assumption that age effects are small or negligible. While direct estimates of the ages of MRGC populations neither can rule out nor reliably support the populations' age trend, key data on timing of the formation of spheroids and other indirect evidence imply it in the sense: the more massive spheroid the older on average its MRGC population. We show that the contribution of an allowable age trend of the MRGC populations to their peak color trend can achieve up to ∼50% or so. In this event the comparable value of the color trend, ∼30%, is due to alpha-element ratio systematic variations of the order of Δ[α /Fe] ≈ 0.1 to 0.2 dex because of a correlation between the [α /Fe] ratios and age. Hence a systematic variation of exactly [Fe/H] ratios may turn out to be less significant among the contributors, and its range many times lower, i.e. of the order of Δ[Fe/H]∼0.1 or even none, than the corresponding range deduced by assuming no age trend.