Photometric Properties of the Near-Contact Binary GW Geminorum
New multiband CCD photometry is presented for the eclipsing binary GW Gem; the RI light curves are the first ever compiled. Four new minimum timings have been determined. Our analysis of eclipse timings observed during the past 79 years indicates a continuous period increase at a fractional rate of +(1.2 ± 0.1) × 10-10, in excellent agreement with the value +1.1 × 10-10 calculated from the Wilson-Devinney binary code. The new light curves display an inverse O'Connell effect increasing toward longer wavelengths. Hot- and cool-spot models are developed to describe these variations but we prefer a cool spot on the secondary star. Our light-curve synthesis reveals that GW Gem is in a semidetached, but near-contact, configuration. It appears to consist of a near-main-sequence primary star with a spectral type of about A7 and an evolved early K-type secondary star that completely fills its inner Roche lobe. Mass transfer from the secondary to the primary component is responsible for the observed secular period change.

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: Enrichment by supernovae in globular clusters with multiple populations
abstract: The most massive globular cluster in the Milky Way, ω Centauri, is thought to be the remaining core of a disrupted dwarf galaxy, as expected within the model of hierarchical merging. It contains several stellar populations having different heavy elemental abundances supplied by supernovae—a process known as metal enrichment. Although M 22 appears to be similar to ω Cen, other peculiar globular clusters do not. Therefore ω Cen and M 22 are viewed as exceptional, and the presence of chemical inhomogeneities in other clusters is seen as ‘pollution’ from the intermediate-mass asymptotic-giant-branch stars expected in normal globular clusters. Here we report Ca abundances for seven globular clusters and compare them to ω Cen. Calcium and other heavy elements can only be supplied through numerous supernovae explosions of massive stars in these stellar systems, but the gravitational potentials of the present-day clusters cannot preserve most of the ejecta from such explosions. We conclude that these globular clusters, like ω Cen, are most probably the relics of more massive primeval dwarf galaxies that merged and disrupted to form the proto-Galaxy.

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: THE RR LYRAE VARIABLES AND HORIZONTAL BRANCH OF NGC 6656 (M22)
abstract: The first calibrated broadband UBVI time-series photometry is presented for the RR Lyrae variable stars in NGC 6656 (M22), with observations spanning a range of 22 years. We have also redetermined the variability types and periods for the RR Lyrae stars identified previously by photographic observations, revising the number of fundamental-mode RR Lyrae variables (RR0) to 10 and the number of first-overtone variables (RR1) to 16. The mean periods of the RR0 and RR1 variables are (P) {sub RR0} = 0.66 ± 0.02 days and (P) {sub RR1} = 0.33 ± 0.01 days, respectively, supporting an Oosterhoff II classification for the cluster. The number ratio of RR1-type to all RR-type variables is N {sub 1}/N{sub RR} = 0.61, also consistent with an Oosterhoff II designation. Both the RR Lyrae stars' minimum light colors and the blue edge of the RR Lyrae instability strip suggest E( B – – V) = 0.36 ± 0.02 mag toward M22. Regarding the HB morphology of M22, we find (B-R)/(B+V+R) = +0.97 ± 0.1 and at least one ''gap'' located in an unusual part of the blue HB, in the middle of the so-called hot HB stars.

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: The Hunt for New Physics at the Large Hadron Collider
abstract: The Large Hadron Collider presents an unprecedented opportunity to probe the realm of new physics in the TeV region and shed light on some of the core unresolved issues of particle physics. These include the nature of electroweak symmetry breaking, the origin of mass, the possible constituent of cold dark matter, new sources of CP violation needed to explain the baryon excess in the universe, the possible existence of extra gauge groups and extra matter, and importantly the path Nature chooses to resolve the hierarchy problem - is it supersymmetry or extra dimensions. Many models of new physics beyond the standard model contain a hidden sector which can be probed at the LHC. Additionally, the LHC will be a top factory and accurate measurements of the properties of the top and its rare decays will provide a window to new physics. Further, the LHC could shed light on the origin of neutralino masses if the new physics associated with their generation lies in the TeV region. Finally, the LHC is also a laboratory to test the hypothesis of TeV scale strings and D-brane models. An overview of these possibilities is presented in the spirit that it will serve as a companion to the Technical Design Reports (TDRs) by the particle detector groups ATLAS and CMS to facilitate the test of the new theoretical ideas at the LHC. Which of these ideas stands the test of the LHC data will govern the course of particle physics in the subsequent decades.

title: Measurements of the meson-photon transition form factors of light pseudoscalar mesons at large momentum transfer
abstract: Using the CLEO II detector, we have measured the differential cross sections for exclusive two-photon production of light pseudoscalar mesons {pi}{sup 0}, {eta}, and {eta}{prime}. From our measurements we have obtained the form factors associated with the electromagnetic transitions {gamma}*{gamma} {yields} meson. We have measured these form factors in the momentum transfer ranges from 1.5 to 9, 20, and 30 GeV2 for {pi}{sup 0}, {eta}, and {eta}{prime}, respectively, and have made comparisons to various theoretical predictions.

title: Listening to Noise
abstract: We show how sign problems in simulations of many-body systems can manifest themselves in the form of heavy-tailed correlator distributions, similar to what is seen in electron propagation through disordered media. We propose an alternative statistical approach for extracting ground state energies in such systems, illustrating the method with a toy model and with lattice data for unitary fermions and for baryons in QCD.

title: Mass dependent top forward backward asymmetry in the effective Lagrangian approach: Addendum to `Model independent analysis of the forward-backward asymmetry of top quark production at the Tevatron'
abstract: Recently the CDF and the D0 Collaborations presented the data on the top forward–backward (FB) asymmetry A FB as functions of M t t ¯ and Δ y ≡ y t − y t ¯ . We study these observables in the effective Lagrangian approach with dimension-6 q q ¯ t t ¯ contact interactions, and compare with the CDF and D0 data. When we stay within the validity region of the effective Lagrangian approach, the mass dependent top FB asymmetry turns out to be smaller than the CDF data, more than 2- σ away. If this discrepancy remains in the future data with better statistics, it would imply that the effective Lagrangian approach is not adequate for the top FB asymmetry, and a new physics scale around a few hundred GeV in the t - or u -channel may be responsible for the observed top FB asymmetry.

title: The Qweak: Precision Measurement of the Proton’s Weak Charge by Parity Violating Experiment
abstract: The Qweak experiment at the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility measures the parity violating asymmetry in longitudinally polarized electron scattering from the proton at very low momentum transfer, Q2 = 0.026 (GeV/c)2, at an incident electron beam energy of 1.16 GeV. With this measurement and the earlier results of the parity violating elastic scattering experiments, the Qweak experiment determines the weak charge of the proton, $${Q^p_{\rm W}}$$, with a 4% combined statistical and systematic error. This measurement will be used to determine the weak mixing angle, $${\sin^2\theta_{\rm W}}$$, that is predicted by the Standard Model from the Z0 pole down to lower energies. Qweak will determine $${\sin^2\theta_{\rm W}}$$ to a 0.3% relative precision, providing a competitive measurement of the running of this quantity. Moreover, if there is a significant deviation of the weak mixing angle from the Standard Model prediction, then the Qweak experiment will give a glimpse of possible extensions of the Standard Model.