The pulsating sdB+M eclipsing system NY Virginis and its circumbinary planets
We searched for circumbinary planets orbiting NY Vir in historical eclipse times including our long-term CCD data. Sixty-eight times of minimum light with accuracies better than 10 s were used for the ephemeris computations. The best fit to those timings indicated that the orbital period of NY Vir has varied due to a combination of two sinusoids with periods of P3=8.2 yr and P4=27.0 yr and semi-amplitudes of K3=6.9 s and K4=27.3 s, respectively. The periodic variations most likely arise from a pair of light-time effects due to the presence of third and fourth bodies that are gravitationally bound to the eclipsing pair. We have derived the orbital parameters and the minimum masses, M3 sini3 = 2.8 MJup and M4 sini4 = 4.5 MJup, of both objects. A dynamical analysis suggests that the outer companion is less likely to orbit the binary on a circular orbit. Instead we show that future timing data might push its eccentricity to moderate values for which the system exhibits long-term stability. The results demonstrate that NY Vir is probably a star-planet system, which consists of a very close binary star and two giant planets. The period ratio P3/P4 suggests that a long-term gravitational interaction between them would result in capture into a nearly 3:10 mean motion resonance. When the presence of the circumbinary planets is verified and understood more comprehensively, the formation and evolution of this planetary system should be advanced greatly.

title: Expression of Interest and RD Proposal for the Study of Nucleon Decay and Neutrino Physics Using a Large Underground Water Cherenkov Detector: UNO

title: Bootes II: Not a Dwarf Galaxy but Possibly Shed by One
abstract: We present moderately deep V I C photometry of Boötes II, obtained using the SOAR Telescope. While identified initially as an old, metal-poor, dwarf galaxy, Boötes II appears to be a moderately metal-rich globular cluster with [Fe/H] ≈ −0.7. The slope of the red giant branch suggests that [α/Fe] ≈ 0.0, and the turn-off indicates an age of 7 to 9 Gyrs, considerably younger than most globular clusters, but similar to Palomar 12. Like that object, Boötes II lies in the direction of the Sagittarius dwarf galaxy tidal stream, and, with a distance of almost 50 kpc, is probably associated with the more distant portion of the stream, as defined by Belokurov et al. (2006a).

title: WZ CYGNI: A MARGINAL CONTACT BINARY IN A TRIPLE SYSTEM?
abstract: We present new multiband CCD photometry for WZ Cyg made on 22 nights in two observing seasons of 2007 and 2008. Our light-curve synthesis indicates that the system is in poor thermal contact with a fill-out factor of 4.8% and a temperature difference of 1447 K. Including our 40 timing measurements, a total of 371 times of minimum light spanning more than 112 yr were used for a period study. Detailed analysis of the O-C diagram showed that the orbital period has varied by a combination of an upward parabola and a sinusoid. The upward parabola means continuous period increase and indicates that some stellar masses are thermally transferred to the more massive primary star at a rate of about 5.80 x 10{sup -8} M{sub sun} yr{sup -1}. The sinusoidal variation with a period of 47.9 yr and a semi-amplitude of 0.008 days can most likely be interpreted as the light-travel-time effect due to the existence of a low-mass M-type tertiary companion with a projected mass of M{sub 3}sin i{sub 3} = 0.26 M{sub sun}. We examined the evolutionary status of WZ Cyg from the absolute dimensions of the eclipsing pair. It belongs to the marginal contact binary systems beforemore » the broken contact phase, consisting of a massive primary star with spectral type F4 and a secondary star with type K1.« less

title: A Chemical Abundance Study of three RHB and two RGB stars in NGC6637 (M69)
abstract: We present a detailed chemical abundance study of three red horizontal branch and two red giant branch stars in the metal-rich globular cluster NGC 6637 (M69). The value of [Fe/H] derived from LTE calculations is $-$0.77 $\pm$ 0.02 dex. We also discuss the anticorrelation between oxygen and sodium abundances in the program stars and compare the [Si/Ti] ratio of NGC 6637 with those of other globular clusters.

title: The Light and Period Variations of the Eclipsing Binary AA Ursae Majoris
abstract: We present new multiband CCD photometry for AA UMa made on eight nights between 2009 January and March; the R light curves are the first ever compiled. Historical light curves, as well as ours, display partial eclipses and inverse O'Connell effects, with Max I fainter than Max II. Among possible spot models, a cool spot on either of the component stars and its variability with time permit good light-curve representations for the system. A total of 194 eclipse timings over 81 yr, including our five timings, were used for ephemeris computations. We found that the orbital period of the system has varied due to a periodic oscillation overlaid on an upward parabolic variation. The continuous period increase at a fractional rate of +1.3 × 10-10 is consistent with that calculated from the Wilson & Devinney code and can be interpreted as a thermal mass transfer from the less massive to the more massive secondary star at a rate of 6.6 × 10-8 M⊙ yr-1. The periodic component is in satisfactory accord with a light-time effect due to an unseen companion with a period of 28.2 yr, a semiamplitude of 0.007 days, and a minimum mass of M3 sin i3 = 0.25 M⊙, but this period variation could also arise from magnetic activity.

title: Causality problem in a holographic-dark-energy model
abstract: In the model of holographic dark energy, there is a notorious problem of circular reasoning between the introduction of future event horizon and the accelerating expansion of the universe. We examine the problem after dividing it into two parts, the causality problem of the equation of motion and the circular logic on the use of the future event horizon. We specify and isolate the root of the two problems as a boundary condition from the causal equation of motion, which can be determined from the initial data of the universe. We show that the causality will be kept if we define it based on our recognizability and the circular-logic problem can be reduced to imposing an initial condition. We additionally find that the model constant of the holographic dark energy is close to unity from the present data of the universe.

title: Radion Phenomenology in the Randall Sundrum Scenario
abstract: Phenomenology of a radion (�) in the Randall-Sundrum scenario is discussed. The radion couples to the trace of energy momentum tensor of the standard model with a strength suppressed only by a new scale (��) which is an order of the electroweak scale. In particular, the effective coupling of a radion to two gluons is enhanced due to the trace anomaly of QCD. Therefore, its production cross section at hadron colliders could be enhanced, and the dominant decay mode of a relatively light radion is � → gg, unlike the SM Higgs boson case.

title: Cosmological Imprint of the Second Law of Thermodynamics
abstract: We study the evolution of the universe in the presence of inflaton, matter, radiation and holographic dark energy. The time evolution of the scale factor is obtained by solving the Friedmann equation of the universe with a good approximation. We present two independent ways which determine the value of the dark energy constant d~1 from the observational data. The two ways are measuring the deceleration parameter and measuring a universal constant depending only on d. The universal constant is given by a dimensionless combination of three scale factors at the equipartition times of radiation–matter, radiation–dark energy and matter–dark energy. We also discuss that the second law of thermodynamics determines the point of time when the dark-energy-dominated era begins in the universe.

title: Exclusive spin-2 glueball production associated with J/ψ from e +e- annihilation

title: Experimental tests of lepton universality in τ decay
abstract: J. P. Alexander, C. Bebek, B. E. Berger, K. Berkelman, K. Bloom, D. G. Cassel, H. A. Cho, D. M. Coffman, D. S. Crowcroft, M. Dickson, P. S. Drell, K. M. Ecklund, R. Ehrlich, R. Elia, A. D. Foland, P. Gaidarev, R. S. Galik, B. Gittelman, S. W. Gray, D. L. Hartill, B. K. Heltsley, P. I. Hopman,  Liu, G. S. Ludwig, J. Masui, J. Mevissen, N. B. Mistry, C. R. Ng, E. Nordberg, M. Ogg, J. R. Patterson, D. Peterson, D. Riley, A. Soffer, and C. Ward Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853