Oldmetal‐rich globular cluster populations: Peak color and peak metallicity trends with mass of host spheroids
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.

title: Massive Star Cluster Populations in Irregular Galaxies as Probable Younger Counterparts of Old Metal-rich Globular Cluster Populations in Spheroids
abstract: Peak metallicities of metal-rich populations of globular clusters (MRGCs) belonging to early-type galaxies and spheroidal subsystems of spiral galaxies (spheroids) of different mass fall within the somewhat conservative -0.7 ? [Fe/H] ? -0.3 range. Indeed, if possible age effects are taken into account, this metallicity range might become smaller. Irregular galaxies such as the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), with longer timescales of formation and lower star formation (SF) efficiency, do not contain old MRGCs with [Fe/H] > -1.0, but they are observed to form populations of young/intermediate-age massive star clusters (MSCs) with masses exceeding 104 M?. Their formation is widely believed to be an accidental process fully dependent on external factors. From the analysis of available data on the populations and their hosts, including intermediate-age populous star clusters in the LMC, we find that their most probable mean metallicities fall within -0.7 ? [Fe/H] ? -0.3, as the peak metallicities of MRGCs do, irrespective of signs of interaction. Moreover, both the disk giant metallicity distribution function (MDF) in the LMC and the MDFs for old giants in the halos of massive spheroids exhibit a significant increase toward [Fe/H] ? -0.5. That is in agreement with a correlation found between SF activity in galaxies and their metallicity. The formation of both the old MRGCs in spheroids and MSC populations in irregular galaxies probably occurs at approximately the same stage of the host galaxies' chemical evolution and is related to the essentially increased SF activity in the hosts around the same metallicity that is achieved very early in massive spheroids, later in lower mass spheroids, and much later in irregular galaxies. Changes in the interstellar dust, particularly in elemental abundances in dust grains and in the mass distribution function of the grains, may be among the factors regulating star and MSC formation activity in galaxies. Strong interactions and mergers affecting the MSC formation presumably play an additional role, although they can substantially intensify the internally regulated MSC formation process. Several implications of our suggestions are briefly discussed.

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: Metal-rich Globular Clusters: An Unaccounted Factor Responsible for Their Formation?
abstract: A presently unaccounted but quite probable “chemical factor” may be responsible for the formation of old metal-rich globular clusters (MRGCs) in spheroids, as well as of their conterparts, young (intermediate–age) massive star clusters (MSCs) in irregulars. Their formation presumably occurs ~ at the same stage of the host galaxies’ chemical evolution and is related to the essentially increased SF activity in the hosts around the same metallicity, ~Z⊙/3 ([Fe/H]~-0.5). It is achieved very soon in massive spheroids, later in lower-mass spheroids, and (much) more later in irregulars.

title: Self-Induced Formaton of Metal-Rich Globulars in Bulges?
abstract: Taken together, key latest observations assume that (i) old metal-rich globular cluster populations (MRGCPs) in bulges were able to form due to essentially increased, self(internally)-induced star formation rate (SFR) in the hosts, while galaxy merging played an additional role; (ii) massive star cluster populations (MSCPs) in irregulars may be young, less prominent counterparts of the old MRGCPs in spheroids.

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: 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: Search for heavy neutrinos at the IHEP-JINR Neutrino Detector
abstract: Data from a proton beam-dump experiment at the 70 GeV Serpukhov accelerator were analysed to search for heavy neutrino decays ν H → e + e − ν e at the IHEP-JINR Neutrino Detector. No signal over background was found. The upper limits on the elements if a mixing matrix | U eH | 2 in the mass range 5 m νH U eH || U μH | in the mass range 3 m νH

title: Incident Energy Dependence of pt Correlations at RHIC
abstract: We present results for two-particle transverse momentum correlations, ({Delta}p{sub t,i}{Delta}p{sub t,j}), as a function of event centrality for Au+Au collisions at {radical}s{sub NN} = 20, 62, 130, and 200 GeV at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider. We observe correlations decreasing with centrality that are similar at all four incident energies. The correlations multiplied by the multiplicity density increase with incident energy and the centrality dependence may show evidence of processes such as thermalization, jet production, or the saturation of transverse flow. The square root of the correlations divided by the event-wise average transverse momentum per event shows little or no beam energy dependence and generally agrees with previous measurements at the Super Proton Synchrotron.

title: The search for inclusive electron-neutrino oscillations on the Serpukhov 70 GeV accelerator with the IHEP-JINR neutrino detector
abstract: The experiment on the search for inclusive electron neutrino oscillations is being carried out at the special neutrino beam of the Serpukhov 70 GeV accelerator using the IHEP-JINR neutrino detector. The short decay cavity of the neutrino beam makes it possible to search for oscillations analyzing the shape of the distribution of events using the variable LE, where L is the distance from the point of origin to the point of interaction of neutrino, E is the neutrino energy. 
 
The data of the two runs are processed and analysed. The best fit is obtained with Δm2 = 300 eV2 and sin2 2Θ = 0.144, but the X2 does not differ much for the hypothesis of no oscillations (within one standard deviation). This gives the limits on the oscillation parameters of sin2 2Θ < 0.115 at Δm2 = 175 eV2 (90% C.L.). For reasons outlined in the text, we believe this limit to be better or more reliable than earlier limits published by other experiments.

title: The BTeV electromagnetic calorimeter
abstract: The electromagnetic calorimeter for a new Fermilab collider program named BTeV is based on lead tungstate scintillating crystals (PbWO 4 ). Various properties of crystals manufactured by Russian and Chinese companies were measured at the U70 accelerator in Protvino. A dedicated beam momentum tagging system was used to measure the energy and spatial resolution.