Extrasolar transiting planet search with subaru suprime-cam
We report the results of a prototype photometric search for transiting extrasolar planets using Subaru Suprime-Cam. Out of about 100,000 stars monitored around the Galactic plane (l=90 degree,b=0 degree), we find that 7,700 (27,000) stars show the photometric precision below 1% (3%) for 60 second exposures which is required to detect extrasolar planets by the transit method. Thus Suprime-Cam has the photometric stability and accuracy required for a transiting planet survey. During this observing run, we detected three transiting planetary candidates (i'-band magnitude around 18.5) which exhibit a single full transit-like light curve with a fractional depth of <5%. While future photometric and/or spectroscopic follow-ups remain to be done, the estimated parameters for the three systems are consistent with planetary companions around main-sequence stars. We also found two eclipsing binary candidates and eleven variable stars exhibiting W UMa-like light curves.

title: The First Infrared Telescope in Tibet Plateau, China
abstract: We plan to install an infrared telescope at the new site of Tibet, China. The primary mirror diameter is 50cm, and the focal ratio F8. The Xenics  near infrared camera is employed, equipped with a dedicated high speed InGaAs detector array, working up to 1.7{\mu}m. The new site is located on 5100m mountain, near Gar town, Ali, where is an excellent site for both infrared and submillimeter observations. The telescope will be remotely controlled through internet. The goal of IRT is to make site testing, detect variable stars, and search for extrasolar planets.

title: Black hole energy release to the Gaseous Universe
abstract: We estimate the energy release of black hole formation to the intra-cluster medium of the Coma cluster and find that this is comparable to the present day energy content. Therefore an energetic and maybe hydrostatic influence is possible. Our calculations rely on the assumption of an universal black hole to galaxy mass ratio (more exactly: spheroidal mass component of the stellar population), for which there is growing evidence. On a cosmological scale, there is also an energy release of black hole formation comparable to what is expected to be present within the thermal gas, caused by the process of structure formation. This indicates an important dynamical influence, neglected by present day structure formation simulations. This estimate of cosmological black hole energy release is independent of the black hole to galaxy mass ratio, but consistent with its value.

title: LOCAL LUMINOUS INFRARED GALAXIES. III. CO-EVOLUTION OF BLACK HOLE GROWTH AND STAR FORMATION ACTIVITY?*
abstract: Local luminous infrared (IR) galaxies (LIRGs) have both high star formation rates (SFR) and a high AGN (Seyfert and AGN/starburst composite) incidence. Therefore, they are ideal candidates to explore the co-evolution of black hole (BH) growth and star formation (SF) activity, not necessarily associated with major mergers. Here, we use Spitzer/IRS spectroscopy of a complete volume-limited sample of local LIRGs (distances of <78 Mpc). We estimate typical BH masses of 3 × 10 7 Musing (Neiii) 15.56 μm and optical (Oiii) λ5007 gas velocity dispersions and literature stellar velocity dispersions. We find that in a large fraction of local LIRGs, the current SFR is taking place not only in the inner nuclear ∼1.5 kpc region, as estimated from the nuclear 11.3 μm PAH luminosities, but also in the host galaxy. We next use the ratios between the SFRs and BH accretion rates (BHAR) to study whether the SF activity and BH growth are contemporaneous in local LIRGs. On average, local LIRGs have SFR to BHAR ratios higher than those of optically selected Seyferts of similar active galactic nucleus (AGN) luminosities. However, the majority of the IR-bright galaxies in the revised-Shapley-Ames Seyfert sample behave like local LIRGs. Moreover, the AGN incidence tends to be higher in local LIRGs with the lowest SFRs. All of this suggests that in local LIRGs there is a distinct IR-bright star-forming phase taking place prior to the bulk of the current BH growth (i.e., AGN phase). The latter is reflected first as a composite and then as a Seyfert, and later as a non-LIRG optically identified Seyfert nucleus with moderate SF in its host galaxy.

title: Subaru high resolution spectroscopy of complex metal absorption lines of QSO HS1603+38201
abstract: We present a high resolution spectrum of the quasar, HS1603+3820 (zem=2.542), observed with the High Dispersion Spectrograph (HDS) on Subaru Telescope. This quasar, first discovered in the Hamburg/CfA Quasar Survey, has 11 C iv lines at 1.96 < zabs< 2.55. Our spectrum covers 8 of the 11 C iv lines at zabs > 2.29 and resolves some of them into multiple narrow components with b < 25 km s−1 because of the high spectral resolution R=45000, while other lines show broad profiles (b > 65 km s−1). We use three properties of C iv lines, specifically, time variability, covering factor, and absorption line profile, to classify them into quasar intrinsic absorption lines (QIALs) and spatially intervening absorption lines (SIALs). The C iv lines at 2.42 < zabs< 2.45 are classified as QIALs in spite of their large velocity shifts from the quasar. Perhaps they are produced by gas clouds ejected from the quasar with the velocity of vej = 8000 km s−1− 10000 km s−1. On the other hand, three C iv lines at 2.48 < zabs< 2.55 are classified as SIALs, which suggests there exist intervening absorbers near the quasar. We, however, cannot rule out QIALs for the two lines at zabs ∼ 2.54 and 2.55, because their velocity shifts, 430 km s−1 blueward and 950 km s−1 redward of the quasar, are very small. The C iv line at zabs ∼ 2.48 consists of many narrow components, and has also corresponding low-ionization metal lines (Al ii, Si ii, and Fe ii). The velocity distribution of these low-ionization ions is concentrated at the center of the system compared to that of high-ionization C iv ion. Therefore we ascribe this system of absorption lines to an intervening galaxy.  quasars: absorption lines — quasars: individual (HS1603+3820)

title: Effects of galaxy mergers on the faint IRAS source counts and the background
abstract: Binary merging constitutes a complementary mode of galaxy evolution to the canonical hierarchical clustering theory. This merger-driven evolution not only influences the galaxy mass distribution function, but may drive the main galactic activity cycles, such as starbursts and the activity in the nuclei (AGNs). In this paper, we use galaxy aggregation dynamics together with a possible merger-driven starburst and AGN phenomena, to study the effects of evolution of these consequential activities for the faint IRAS source counts and the infra-red background. We find that the strong evolution of IRAS 60 mu m source count at flux range of 10 mJy similar to 1 Jy is difficult to be explained only by the merger rate decrease with cosmic time. We need to assume a redshift dependent infrared burst phase of ultraluminous infrared galaxies (ULIGs) from the gas rich mergers at high redshift and the gas poor mergers at low redshift. The background intensity at 60 mu m which we get from this aggregation evolution is a lower Limit of only 1.9 nW m(-2) sr(-1), about half of those estimated by some previous models, but close to the lower end of the range derived by Malkan & Stecker (1998).

title: The Young Exoplanet Transit Initiative (YETI)
abstract: We present the Young Exoplanet Transit Initiative (YETI), in which we use several 0.2 to 2.6-m telescopes around the world to monitor continuously young (≤100 Myr), nearby (≤1 kpc) stellar clusters mainly to detect young transiting planets (and to study other variability phenomena on time-scales from minutes to years). The telescope network enables us to observe the targets continuously for several days in order not to miss any transit. The runs are typically one to two weeks long, about three runs per year per cluster in two or three subsequent years for about ten clusters. There are thousands of stars detectable in each field with several hundred known cluster members, e.g. in the first cluster observed, Tr-37, a typical cluster for the YETI survey, there are at least 469 known young stars detected in YETI data down to R = 16.5 mag with sufficient precision of 50 millimag rms (5 mmag rms down to R = 14.5 mag) to detect transits, so that we can expect at least about one young transiting object in this cluster. If we observe ∼10 similar clusters, we can expect to detect ∼10 young transiting planets with radius determinations. The precision given above is for a typical telescope of the YETI network, namely the 60/90-cm Jena telescope (similar brightness limit, namely within ±1 mag, for the others) so that planetary transits can be detected. For targets with a periodic transit-like light curve, we obtain spectroscopy to ensure that the star is young and that the transiting object can be sub-stellar; then, we obtain Adaptive Optics infrared images and spectra, to exclude other bright eclipsing stars in the (larger) optical PSF; we carry out other observations as needed to rule out other false positive scenarios; finally, we also perform spectroscopy to determine the mass of the transiting companion. For planets with mass and radius determinations, we can calculate the mean density and probe the internal structure. We aim to constrain planet formation models and their time-scales by discovering planets younger than ∼100 Myr and determining not only their orbital parameters, but also measuring their true masses and radii, which is possible so far only by the transit method. Here, we present an overview and first results (

title: Survey Requirements for Accurate and Precise Photometric Redshifts for Type Ia Supernovae
abstract: In this paper we advance the simple analytic photometric redshift estimator for Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) proposed by Wang, and use it to study simulated SN Ia data. We find that better than 0.5 per cent accuracy in z phot {with σ[(z phot - Z spec )/(1+ Z spec )] < 0.005} is possible for SNe Ia with well-sampled light curves in three observed passbands (riz) with a signal-to-noise ratio of 25 at peak brightness, if the extinction by dust is negligible. The corresponding bias in Z phot (the mean of Z phot -Z spec ) is 5.4 x 10 -4 . If dust extinction is taken into consideration in the riz observer-frame light curves, the accuracy in Z phot deteriorates to 4.4 per cent, with a bias in Z phot of 8.0 x 10 -3 . Adding the g-band light curve improves the accuracy in Z phot to 2.5 per cent, and reduces the bias in Z phot to - 1.5 x 10 -3 . Our results have significant implications for the design of future photometric surveys of SNe Ia from both ground and space telescopes. Accurate and precise photometric redshifts boost the cosmological utility of such surveys.

title: The Palo Verde reactor neutrino oscillation experiment
abstract: Our collaboration is operating a segmented scintillation detector, containing 11.3 tons of 0.1% Gd loaded liquid scintillator, at 750, 888 and 889 m distance from three nuclear power reactors. Goal of the experiment is to search for neutrino oscillations in disappearance mode. The anti-neutrino capture on the proton serves as detection reaction. The experiment is expected to reach a sensitivity of Δm 2 > 1.3 · 10 −3 eV 2 and sin 2 2Θ > 0.1. Our range of sensitivity is tuned to test the ν μ ↔ ν e solution of the atmospheric neutrino anomaly as reported by the Kamiokande experiment. Assembly of the detector in an underground lab, with 32 mw.e. effective overburden, is completed. Since June 1998 we are taking data a full reactor power. Detector design and performance are discussed.

title: Unnatural parity resonances in the positron-excited hydrogen system
abstract: We present an investigation of resonances with unnatural parities in positron scattering by excited hydrogen. The momentum space coupled channels optical potential method has been used. Positronium formation channels have been included via a complex equivalent local potential. States with angular momenta L = 1 to L = 2 and parity (−1)L+1 are calculated.

title: Implications of LHCb measurements and future prospects
abstract: During 2011 the LHCb experiment at CERN collected 1.0 fb−1 of $\sqrt{s} = 7\mbox{~TeV}$pp collisions. Due to the large heavy quark production cross-sections, these data provide unprecedented samples of heavy flavoured hadrons. The first results from LHCb have made a significant impact on the flavour physics landscape and have definitively proved the concept of a dedicated experiment in the forward region at a hadron collider. This document discusses the implications of these first measurements on classes of extensions to the Standard Model, bearing in mind the interplay with the results of searches for on-shell production of new particles at ATLAS and CMS. The physics potential of an upgrade to the LHCb detector, which would allow an order of magnitude more data to be collected, is emphasised.