SN 1991T: Reflections of past glory
We have obtained photometry and spectra of SN 1991T which extend more than 1000 days past maximum light, by far the longest of SN Ia has been followed. Although SN 1991T exhibited nearly photometric behavior in the first 400 days following maximum, by 600 days its decline had slowed, and by 950 days the supernova brightness was consistent with a constant apparent magnitude of m(sub B) = 21.30. Spectra near maximum showed minor variations on the SN Ia theme which grew less conspicuous during the exponential decline. At 270 days the nebular spectrum was composed of Fe and Co lines common to SN Ia. However, by 750 days past maximum light, these lines had shifted in wavelength, and were superposed on a strong blue continuum. The luminosity of SN 1991T at 950 days is more than (9.0 x 10(exp 38)(D/13 Mpc)(2) ergs/s with a rate of decline of less than 0.04 mag per 100 days. We show that this emission is likely to be light that was emitted by SN 1991T near maximum light which has reflected from foreground dust, much like the light echos observed around SN 1987A.

title: HATS-1b: The First Transiting Planet Discovered by the HATSouth Survey
abstract: We report the discovery of HATS-1b, a transiting extrasolar planet orbiting the moderately bright V = 12.05 G dwarf star GSC 6652-00186, and the first planet discovered by HATSouth, a global network of autonomous wide-field telescopes. HATS-1b has a period of P 3.4465 days, mass of Mp 1.86 M J, and radius of Rp 1.30 R J. The host star has a mass of 0.99 M ☉ and radius of 1.04 R ☉. The discovery light curve of HATS-1b has near-continuous coverage over several multi-day timespans, demonstrating the power of using a global network of telescopes to discover transiting planets.

title: The Science Case for PILOT I: Summary and Overview
abstract: PILOT (the Pathfinder for an International Large Optical Telescope) is a proposed 2.5-m optical/infrared telescope to be located at Dome C on the Antarctic plateau. Conditions at Dome C are known to be exceptional for astronomy. The seeing (above ∼30 m height), coherence time, and isoplanatic angle are all twice as good as at typical mid-latitude sites, while the water-vapour column, and the atmosphere and telescope thermal emission are all an order of magnitude better. These conditions enable a unique scientific capability for PILOT, which is addressed in this series of papers. The current paper presents an overview of the optical and instrumentation suite for PILOT and its expected performance, a summary of the key science goals and observational approach for the facility, a discussion of the synergies between the science goals for PILOT and other telescopes, and a discussion of the future of Antarctic astronomy.

title: The Mount Stromlo A bell Cluster Supernova Search
abstract: We have initiated a 3 year project to find supernovae in a well-defined sample of high-density southern Abell clusters with redshifts z ≤ 0.08. These observations will provide a volume-limited sample of Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) to more than a magnitude below their peak brightness and will enable us to (1) measure the luminosity function of SNe, (2) further explore the correlation of light-curve shape with the absolute luminosity of SNe Ia to better understand SNe Ia as distance indicators, (3) measure SN rates, (4) measure the bulk motion of the Local Group using SNe Ia, and (5) directly compare SN Ia distances with brightest cluster galaxy distances. We use the MACHO wide-field two-color imager on the 1.3 m telescope at Mount Stromlo to routinely monitor ~12 clusters per week. We describe our technique for target selection and scheduling search observations, and for finding and identifying SN candidates. We also describe the results from the first year of our program, including the detection of 19 SNe, several RR Lyrae variables, and hundreds of asteroids.

title: A THEORETICAL COLOR-VELOCITY CORRELATION FOR SUPERNOVAE ASSOCIATED WITH GAMMA-RAY BURSTS
abstract: We carry out the first multi-dimensional radiative transfer calculations to simultaneously compute synthetic spectra and light curves for models of supernovae driven by fast bipolar outflows. These allow us to make self-consistent predictions for the orientation dependence of both color evolution and spectral features. We compare models with different degrees of asphericity and metallicity and find significant observable consequences of both. In aspherical models, we find spectral and light curve features that vary systematically with observer orientation. In particular, we find that the early-phase light curves are brighter and bluer when viewed close to the polar axis but that the peak flux is highest for equatorial (off-axis) inclinations. Spectral line features also depend systematically on observer orientation, including the velocity of the Si II 6355 A line. Consequently, our models predict a correlation between line velocity and color that could assist the identification of supernovae associated with off-axis jet-driven explosions. The amplitude and range of this correlation depends on the degree of asphericity, the metallicity, and the epoch of observation but we find that it is always present and acts in the same direction.

title: First Searches for Optical Counterparts to Gravitational-wave Candidate Events
abstract: During the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory and Virgo joint science runs in 2009-2010, gravitational wave (GW) data from three interferometer detectors were analyzed within minutes to select GW candidate events and infer their apparent sky positions. Target coordinates were transmitted to several telescopes for follow-up observations aimed at the detection of an associated optical transient. Images were obtained for eight such GW candidates. We present the methods used to analyze the image data as well as the transient search results. No optical transient was identified with a convincing association with any of these candidates, and none of the GW triggers showed strong evidence for being astrophysical in nature. We compare the sensitivities of these observations to several model light curves from possible sources of interest, and discuss prospects for future joint GW-optical observations of this type.

title: Observation of $B^+_c \rightarrow J/\psi D_s^+$ and $B^+_c \rightarrow J/\psi D_s^{*+}$ decays
abstract: The decays $B^+_c \rightarrow J/\psi D_s^+$ and $B^+_c \rightarrow J/\psi D_s^{*+}$ are observed for the first time using a dataset, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3$fb^{-1}$, collected by the LHCb experiment in proton-proton collisions at centre-of-mass energies of $\sqrt{s}$=7 and 8 TeV. The statistical significance for both signals is in excess of 9 standard deviations. The following ratios of branching fractions are measured to be $BR(B^+_c \rightarrow J/\psi D_s^+)/BR(B^+_c \rightarrow J/\psi \pi+) = 2.90 \pm 0.57 \pm 0.24$, $BR(B^+_c \rightarrow J/\psi D_s^{*+}) / BR (B^+_c \rightarrow J/\psi D_s^+) = 2.37 \pm 0.56 \pm 0.10$, where the first uncertainties are statistical and the second systematic. The mass of the \Bc meson is measured to be $m_{B^+_c} = 6276.28 \pm 1.44 (stat) \pm 0.36(syst) MeV/c^2$, using the $B^+_c \rightarrow J/\psi D_s^+$ decay mode.

title: Absolute luminosity measurements with the LHCb detector at the LHC
abstract: Absolute luminosity measurements are of general interest for colliding-beam experiments at storage rings. These measurements are necessary to determine the absolute cross-sections of reaction processes and are valuable to quantify the performance of the accelerator. LHCb has applied two methods to determine the absolute scale of its luminosity measurements for proton-proton collisions at the LHC with a centre-of-mass energy of 7 TeV. In addition to the classic "van der Meer scan" method a novel technique has been developed which makes use of direct imaging of the individual beams using beam-gas and beam-beam interactions. This beam imaging method is made possible by the high resolution of the LHCb vertex detector and the close proximity of the detector to the beams, and allows beam parameters such as positions, angles and widths to be determined. The results of the two methods have comparable precision and are in good agreement. Combining the two methods, an overal precision of 3.5% in the absolute luminosity determination is reached. The techniques used to transport the absolute luminosity calibration to the full data-taking period are presented.

title: The LHCb upgrade detector
abstract: The LHCb experiment has been designed to perform precision measurements of CP asymmetries and to investigate potential effects of physics beyond the Standard Model. Results obtained from data collected in 2010 and 2011 show that the detector is robust and functioning well. While LHCb will be able to measure a host of interesting channels in heavy flavour decays in the coming years, a limit of about 1-2 fb−1 of data per year can only be overcome by upgrading the detector. With a detector read out at 40 MHz, a much more flexible software-based triggering strategy will allow a large increase not only in the data rate, as the detector will collect 5 fb−1 per year, but also in the ability to increase trigger efficiencies especially in decays to hadronic final states. In addition, it will be possible to modify trigger algorithms in order to explore different physics as LHC discoveries point to the most interesting channels. Here a short description of the physics motivations and proposed detector changes for exploring new phenomena in proton-proton collisions near 14 TeV centre-of-mass energy are presented.

title: Final results of the EDELWEISS-II WIMP search using a 4-kg array of cryogenic germanium detectors with interleaved electrodes
abstract: The EDELWEISS-II Collaboration has completed a direct search for WIMP dark matter with an array of ten 400-g cryogenic germanium detectors in operation at the Laboratoire Souterrain de Modane. The combined use of thermal phonon sensors and charge collection electrodes with an interleaved geometry enables the efficient rejection of γ -induced radioactivity as well as near-surface interactions. A total effective exposure of 384 kg d has been achieved, mostly coming from fourteen months of continuous operation. Five nuclear recoil candidates are observed above 20 keV, while the estimated background is 3.0 events. The result is interpreted in terms of limits on the cross-section of spin-independent interactions of WIMPs and nucleons. A cross-section of 4.4 × 10 − 8 pb is excluded at 90%CL for a WIMP mass of 85 GeV. New constraints are also set on models where the WIMP-nucleon scattering is inelastic.

title: A WIRE TENSION METER FOR THE LHCb MUON CHAMBERS