A Model-Independent Photometric Redshift Estimator
We derive a simple empirical photometric redshift estimator using a training set of galaxies with multiband photometry and measured redshifts in the Hubble Deep Field (HDF). This estimator is model-independent; it does not use spectral templates. The dispersion between the estimated redshifts and the spectroscopically measured ones is small; the dispersions range from $\sigma_z\simeq 0.03$ to 0.1 for $z\la 2$ galaxies, and from $\sigma_z\simeq 0.14$ to 0.25 for $z\ga 2$ galaxies. The predictions provided by our empirical redshift estimator agree well with recently measured galaxy redshifts. We illustrate how our empirical redshift estimator can be modified to include flat spectrum galaxies with $1.4\la z \la 2$.

title: Wavelets and WMAP non-Gaussianity
abstract: We study the statistical properties of the first-year Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) data on different scales using the spherical Mexican hat wavelet transform. Consistent with the 2004 results of Vielva et al., we find a deviation from Gaussianity in the form of kurtosis of wavelet coefficients on 3-4 scales in the southern Galactic hemisphere. This paper extends the work of Vielva et al. as follows: We find that the non-Gaussian signal shows up more strongly in the form of a larger than expected number of cold pixels and also in the form of scale-scale correlations among wavelet coefficients. We establish the robustness of the non-Gaussian signal under more wide-ranging assumptions regarding the Galactic mask applied to the data and the noise statistics. This signal is unlikely to be due to the usual quadratic term parameterized by the nonlinearity parameter fNL. We use the skewness of the spherical Mexican hat wavelet coefficients to constrain fNL with the first-year WMAP data. Our results constrain fNL to be 50+/-80 at 68% confidence and less than 280 at 99% confidence.

title: Constraints on generalized extended inflationary models.
abstract: We study the physical constraints on generalized extended inflationary theories, in which the Brans-Dicke field {Phi} couples to the inflaton sector in the form of two arbitrary power-law functions of {Phi}. We find that the most stringent constraints arise from the need to suppress large bubbles and from considerations of the density perturbations generated during extended inflation. We find that there are sizable portions of the parameter spaces in which all the constraints are satisfied.

title: A robust distance measurement and dark energy constraints from the spherically averaged correlation function of Sloan Digital Sky Survey luminous red Galaxies
abstract: We measure the effective distance to z = 0.26, DV (0.26), and mh 2 from the overall shape of the spherically-averaged two-point correlati on function of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) Data Release 7 (DR7) volume-limited luminous red galaxy (LRG) sample, without assuming a dark energy model or a flat Universe. We giv e the mean and covariance matrix of DV (0.26), mh 2 , bh 2 , and ns. We show that these provide an efficient and accurate summary of the volume-limited LRG data. With flat priors on bh 2 and ns (7σWMAP7), we find mh 2 = 0.131 ± 0.020, and rs/DV (0.26) = 0.1466 +0.0068 0.0073 (the ratio of the sound horizon at the drag epoch to the effective distance to z = 0.26). We find that measurements of mh 2 or m are biased low if flux-limited (instead of volume-limited) L RG sample is used. By scaling the spherically-averaged correlation fun ction, we find the Hubble parameter H(0.26) = 79 +12 13 km s 1 Mpc 1 and the angular diameter distance DA(0.26) = 848 +86 88 Mpc. Combining our results with the cosmic microwave background and supernova data, we obtain k = 0.0059 +0.0092 0.0093 andw = 1.023 +0.054 0.053 (assuming a constant dark energy equation of state). We use LasDamas SDSS mock catalogs to compute the covariance matrix of the correlation function, and investigate the use of lognormal catal ogs as an alternative. We find that the input correlation function can be accurately recovered from lognormal catalogs, although they give larger errors on all scales (especially on small sc ales) compared to the mock catalogs derived from cosmological N-body simulations.

title: Dark Energy Constraints from Baryon Acoustic Oscillations
abstract: Baryon acoustic oscillations (BAOs) in the galaxy power spectrum allow us to extract the scale of the comoving sound horizon at recombination, a cosmological standard ruler accurately determined by the cosmic microwave background anisotropy data. We examine various issues important in the use of BAOs to probe dark energy. We find that if we assume a flat universe and priors on ?m, ?mh2, and ?bh2 as expected from the Planck mission, the constraints on dark energy parameters (w0, w') scale much less steeply with survey area than (area)-1/2 for a given redshift range. The constraints on the dark energy density ?X(z), however, do scale roughly with (area)-1/2 due to the strong correlation between H(z) and ?m (which reduces the effect of priors on ?m). Dark energy constraints from BAOs are very sensitive to the assumed linear scale of matter clustering and the redshift accuracy of the survey. For a BAO survey with 0.5 ? z ? 2, ? (R) = 0.4 [corresponding to kmax (z = 0) = 0.086 h Mpc-1], and ?z/ (1 + z) = 0.001, we find = (0.115,0.183) and (0.069, 0.104) for survey areas of 1000 and 10,000 deg2, respectively. We find that it is critical to minimize the bias in the scale estimates in order to derive reliable dark energy constraints. For a 1000 (10,000) deg2 BAO survey, a 1 ? bias in ln H (z) leads to a 2 ? (3 ?) bias in w'. The bias in w' due to the same scale bias from ln DA (z) is slightly smaller and opposite in sign. The results from this paper will be useful in assessing different proposed BAO surveys and guiding the design of optimal dark energy detection strategies.

title: Dark Energy Search with Supernovae
abstract: To determine the nature of dark energy from observational data, it is important that we use model-independent and optimal methods. We should probe dark energy using its density (allowed to be a free function of cosmic time) instead of its equation of state. We should minimize gravitational lensing effect on supernovae by flux-averaging. We need to include complementary data (for example, from the cosmic microwave background (CMB) and large scale structure (LSS)) in a consistent manner to help break the degeneracy between the dark energy density and the matter density fraction. We should push for ambitious future supernova surveys that can observe a large number of supernovae at the highest possible redshifts. I discuss these and other issues that will be important in our quest to unravel the mystery of the nature of dark energy. Current supernova, CMB, and LSS data already rule out dark energy models with dark energy densities that vary greatly with time; with the cosmological constant model providing an excellent fit to the data. A precise measurement of dark energy density as a free function of cosmic time will have a fundamental impact on particle physics and cosmology.

title: The Bulge Radial Velocity Assay (BRAVA). II. Complete Sample And Data Release
abstract: We present new radial velocity measurements from the Bulge Radial Velocity Assay, a large-scale spectroscopic survey of M-type giants in the Galactic bulge/bar region. The sample of ~4500 new radial velocities, mostly in the region –10° < l < +10° and b ≈ –6°, more than doubles the existent published data set. Our new data extend our rotation curve and velocity dispersion profile to +20°, which is ~2.8 kpc from the Galactic center. The new data confirm the cylindrical rotation observed at –6° and –8° and are an excellent fit to the Shen et al. N-body bar model. We measure the strength of the TiOe molecular band as a first step toward a metallicity ranking of the stellar sample, from which we confirm the presence of a vertical abundance gradient. Our survey finds no strong evidence of previously unknown kinematic streams. We also publish our complete catalog of radial velocities, photometry, TiO band strengths, and spectra, which is available at the Infrared Science Archive as well as at UCLA.

title: The preliminary explanation of a new working model on 10GHz ECR2 source
abstract: A new working model and a new magnetic field configuration were employed on the 10GHz ECR2 source of the heavy ion research facility in Lanzhou(HIRFL). That resulted in an obvious enhancement of beam currents of ECR2 ion source, the beam current of Ar9+ increase from 125 e mu A to 320 e mu A, for Ar11+ ion beam increase from 40 e mu A to 80 e mu A. In this paper, primary analysis and explanation of this working model is presented, we will also discuss the action of low energy electrons in ECR plasma and get an important conclusion, which the low energy electrons injection is more effective in the extraction region of ECR ion sources.

title: Cosmic constraint to DGP brane model: Geometrical and dynamical perspectives
abstract: In this paper, the Dvali-Gabadadze-Porrati (DGP) brane model is confronted by current cosmic observational data sets from geometrical and dynamical perspectives. On the geometrical side, the recently released Union2 557 of type Ia supernovae (SN Ia), the baryon acoustic oscillation from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey and the Two Degree Galaxy Redshift Survey (transverse and radial to line-of-sight data points), the cosmic microwave background measurement given by the seven-year Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe observations [shift parameters R, l{sub a}(z{sub *}) and redshift at the last scatter surface z{sub *}], ages of high redshifts galaxies, i.e., the lookback time and the high redshift gamma ray bursts are used. On the dynamical side, data points about the growth function of matter linear perturbations are used. Using the same data set combination, we also constrain the flat {Lambda}CDM model as a comparison. The results show that current geometrical and dynamical observational data sets much favor the flat {Lambda}CDM model and the departure from it is above 4{sigma}(6{sigma}) for the spatially flat DGP model with (without) SN systematic errors. The consistence of growth function data points is checked in terms of a relative departure of redshift-distance relation.

title: SELF-CONSISTENT MODELS OF TRIAXIAL GALAXIES IN MOND GRAVITY
abstract: The Bekenstein-Milgrom gravity theory with a modified Poisson equation is tested here for the existence of triaxial equilibrium solutions. Using the nonnegative least-square method, we show that self-consistent triaxial galaxies exist for baryonic models with a mild density cusp, -->ρ ~ Σ/r. Self-consistency is achieved for a wide range of central concentrations, -->Σ ~ 10-1000 M☉ pc−2, representing low to high surface brightness galaxies. Our results demonstrate for the first time that the orbit superposition technique is fruitful for constructing galaxy models beyond Newtonian gravity, and triaxial cuspy galaxies might exist without the help of cold dark matter.

title: The measure for the multiverse and the probability for inflation
abstract: We investigate the measure problem in the framework of inflationary cosmology. The measure of the history space is constructed and applied to inflation models. Using this measure, it is shown that the probability for the generalized single-field slow roll inflation to last for N e-folds is suppressed by a factor exp(−3N), and the probability for the generalized n-field slow roll inflation is suppressed by a much larger factor, exp(−3nN). Some non-inflationary models such as the cyclic model do not suffer from this difficulty.