LED monitoring system for the BTeV lead tungstate crystal calorimeter prototype
We report on the performance of a monitoring system for a prototype calorimeter for the BTeV experiment that uses lead tungstate crystals coupled with photomultiplier tubes. The tests were carried out at the 70-GeV accelerator complex at Protvino, Russia.

title: Spin physics with light and heavy neutral mesons at Protvino
abstract: PROZA-M experiment results as well the proposal of a new spin program with the use of a polarized proton beam are presented. Significant asymmetries were observed in inclusive $\pi^0$ production. The new program proposes to study a wealth of single- and double-spin observables in various reactions using longitudinally and transversely polarized proton beams at U70. The main goal is to define gluon contribution to nucleon spin by measuring double-spin asymmetry in charmonium production.

title: Study of neutrino and anti-neutrino charged current interactions in U70 wide band beams

title: Three-particle coincidence of the long range pseudorapidity correlation in high energy nucleus-nucleus collisions.
abstract: We report the first three-particle coincidence measurement in pseudorapidity (Δη) between a high transverse momentum (p⊥) trigger particle and two lower p⊥ associated particles within azimuth |Δϕ|<0.7 in square root of s(NN)=200 GeV d+Au and Au+Au collisions. Charge ordering properties are exploited to separate the jetlike component and the ridge (long range Δη correlation). The results indicate that the correlation of ridge particles are uniform not only with respect to the trigger particle but also between themselves event by event in our measured Δη. In addition, the production of the ridge appears to be uncorrelated to the presence of the narrow jetlike component.

title: Letter of Intent to Write a Proposal for an experiment to be performed at the SSC by EMPACT/TEXAS

title: New Polarization Program at U70 (SPASCHARM Project)
abstract: The new polarization program SPASCHARM is being prepared in Protvino. The program has two stages. The first stage is dedicated to single-spin asymmetries in the production of miscellaneous light resonances with the use of 34 GeV $\pi^-$-beam. Inclusive and exclusive reactions will be studied simultaneously. The second stage is dedicated to single-spin and double-spin asymmetries in charmonium production with the use of 70 GeV polarized proton beam which will allow us to understand charmonium hadronic production mechanism and make gluon polarization $\Delta g(x)$ extraction at large $x$.

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