Spectral Analyses of the Nearest Persistent Ultraluminous X-Ray Source M 33 X-8
National Basic Research Program of China [2009CB824800]; National Natural Science Foundation of China [10778711, 10833002]; Program for New Century Excellent Talents in University [06-0559]

title: Relation between Starlight and Nebular Emission Lines of Star-Forming Galaxies
abstract: We present an exercise that intends to establish a relationship between the strength of nebular emission lines and optical stellar features in the spectrum of a galaxy. After accurately subtracting the stellar continuum and the underlying stellar absorption, we made reliable measurements of the emission lines of all the galaxies in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 2 (SDSS DR2). More than 4000 star-forming galaxies with high S/N ratio of both the stellar spectrum and the emission lines are selected. These galaxy spectra are fitted with the 10 PCs of Yip et al., after all the emission line regions have been filtered out. We find that the flux of hydrogen Balmer emission lines, H α and H β can be well recovered from the PCs, while the metal lines are not well reproduced. The fluxes of H α and H β measured from the PC-reconstructed spectra and from the observed spectra agree well with an rms scatter of only ~0.1 dex. This result suggests that, with moderate spectral resolution and S/N ratio, the optical stellar spectrum of a galaxy can serve as an indicator of star formation rate.

title: Partially obscured quasars in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Early Data Release
abstract: We have compiled a sample of 21 low redshift (z . 0.3), luminous active galactic nuclei (AGN) with large Balmer decrements (Hα/Hβ > 7) using the galaxy and QSO catalogs of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Early Data Release. Using this sample we attempt to determine the fraction of quasars with large internal absorption. We find that these AGN have Strong [O III] λ5007 and broad Hα emission, and that starlight dominates the spectra in the blue band, suggesting that these objects are heavily reddened. Their narrow emission line ratios are similar to those of Seyfert 2 galaxies, yet the average [O III] λ5007 emission is ∼10 times more luminous. Applying the empirical relation between the optical continuum and the Balmer line luminosity for blue quasars, we find that the intrinsic luminosities of these 21 objects are in the range for quasars. We propose that they are obscured, intermediate type quasars analogous to type 1.8 and 1.9 Seyfert galaxies. The ratio of these optically selected, intermediate type quasars to type 1 quasars are found to be around 1, similar to that for local Seyfert galaxies. Preliminary study indicates that most of these quasars are hosted in early type galaxies.  quasars: general — galaxies: nuclei

title: Polarization of Quasars: Rotated and Funnel-shaped Outflow
abstract: Polarization is a useful probe to investigate the geometries and dynamics of outflow in BAL QSOs. We perform a Monte-Carlo simulation to calculate the polarization produced by resonant and electron scattering in BALR. We find: 1)A rotated and funnel-shaped outflow is preferred to explain many observed polarization features. 2)The resonant scattering can contribute a significant part of NV emission line in some QSOs.

title: Device Modeling of Superconductor Transition-Edge Sensors Based on the Two-Fluid Theory
abstract: In order to support the design and research of sophisticated large-scale transition-edge sensor (TES) circuits, we use basic SPICE elements to develop device models for TESs based on the superfluid-normal fluid theory. In contrast to previous studies, our device model is not limited to small-signal simulation, and it relies only on device parameters that have clear physical meaning and can be easily measured. We integrate the device models in design kits based on powerful electronic design automation tools such as CADENCE and OrCAD and use them for versatile simulations of TES circuits. Comparing our simulation results with published experimental data, we find good agreement which suggests that device models based on the two-fluid theory can be used to predict the behavior of TES circuits reliably. Hence, they are valuable for assisting the design of sophisticated TES circuits.

title: The 172 ks Chandra Exposure of the LALA Bootes Field: X-Ray Source Catalog
abstract: We present an analysis of a deep, 172 ks Chandra observation of the Large Area Lyman Alpha survey (LALA) Bootes field, obtained with the Advanced CCD Imaging Spectrometer (ACIS-I) on board the Chandra X-Ray Observatory. This is one of the deepest Chandra images of the extragalactic sky; only the 2 Ms Chandra Deep Field North (CDF-N) and 1 Ms Chandra Deep Field South (CDF-S) are substantially deeper. In this paper we present the X-ray source catalog obtained from this image, along with an analysis of source counts and optical identifications. The X-ray image is composed of two individual observations obtained in 2002 and reaches 0.5–2.0 and 2.0–10.0 keV flux limits of 1.5 × 10-16 and 1.0 × 10-15 ergs cm-2 s-1, respectively, for point sources near the aim point. A total of 168 X-ray sources were detected: 160 in the 0.5–7.0 keV band, 132 in the 0.5–2.0 keV band, and 111 in the 2.0–7.0 keV band. The X-ray source counts were derived and compared with those from other Chandra deep surveys; the hard X-ray source density of the LALA Bootes field is 33% higher than that of CDF-S at the flux level of 2.0 × 10-15 ergs cm-2 s-1, confirming the field-to-field variances of the hard-band source counts reported by previous studies. The deep exposure resolves 72% of the 2.0–10.0 keV X-ray background. Our primary optical data are R-band imaging from the NOAO Deep Wide-Field Survey (NDWFS), with a limiting magnitude of R = 25.7 (Vega, 3 σ, and 4'' diameter aperture). We have found optical counterparts for 152 of the 168 Chandra sources (90%); 144 of these are detected in the R-band image, and eight have optical counterparts in other bands (either BW, V, I, or z'). Among the R-band nondetected sources, not more than 11 of them can possibly be at z > 5, based on the hardness ratios of their X-ray emission and nondetections in bluer bands (BW, V). The majority (~76%) of the X-ray sources are found to have log(fX/fR) within 0.0 ± 1; these are believed to be AGNs. Most of the X-ray–faint/optically bright sources [log(fX/fR) 1.0], which are harder in X-ray and are probably obscured AGNs.

title: Spectral relation between X-rays and gamma rays for blazar high-energy emission
abstract: We collect 10 active galactic nuclei with both X-ray and gamma-ray spectral data. A correlation is found between X-ray and gamma-ray spectral indices. Possible constraints on existing models for gamma-ray emission are discussed. A new model involving inverse-Compton scattering of beamed relativistic electrons in the full cross section is outlined to account for this spectral relation.

title: Measurement of branching fractions for B --> pipi, Kpi, and KK decays.
abstract: We report measurements of the branching fractions for B{sup 0}{yields}{pi}{sup +} , K{sup +} , K{sup +}K{sup -} , and K{sup 0}{pi}{sup 0} and B{sup +}{yields}{pi}{sup +} , K{sup +} , K{sup 0}{pi}{sup +} , and K{sup +} , based on 10.4 fb{sup -1} of data collected on the {Upsilon}(4S) resonance with the Belle detector. We find B(B{sup 0}{yields}{pi}{sup +}{pi}{sup -})=(0.56{sup +0.23+0.04}{sub -0.20-0.0 5}) x 10{sup -5} , B(B{sup 0}{yields}K{sup +}{pi}{sup -})=(1.93{sup +0.34 +0.15}{sub -0.32-0.06}) x 10{sup -5} , B(B{sup +}{yields}K{sup +}{pi}{sup 0})=(1.63{sup +0.35+0.16}{sub -0.33-0.1 8}) x 10{sup -5} , B(B{sup +}{yields}K{sup 0}{pi}{sup +})=(1.37{sup +0.57+0.19}{sub -0.48-0.1 8}) x 10{sup -5} , and B(B{sup 0}{yields}K{sup 0}{pi}{sup 0})=(1.60{sup +0.72+0.25}{sub -0.59-0.2 7}) x 10{sup -5} . We also set upper limits on the branching fractions for B{sup +}{yields}{pi}{sup +} , B{sup 0}{yields}K{sup +}K{sup -} , and B{sup +}{yields}K{sup +}{bar K}{sup 0} .

title: Confirming the 115.5-day periodicity in the X-ray light curve of ULX NGC 5408 X-1
abstract: The Swift/XRT light curve of the ultraluminous X-ray source NGC 5408 X-1 was re-analyzed with two new numerical approaches, the Weighted Wavelet Z-transform and CLEANest, and the results are different from previous studies. Both techniques detected a prominent periodicity with a time scale of 115.5 +/- 1.5 days, in excellent agreement with the detection of the same periodicity first reported by Strohmayer. Monte Carlo simulations were employed to test the statisitical confidence of the 115.5-day periodicity, yielding a statistical significance of >99.98% (or > 3.8 sigma). The robust detection of the 115.5-day quasi-periodic oscillations, if they are due to the orbital motion of the binary, would infer a mass of a few thousand M-circle dot for the central black hole, implying there is an intermediate-mass black hole in NGC 5408 X-1.

title: Two extreme double-peaked line emitters in the sloan digital sky survey
abstract: Double-peaked Balmer lines have been observed in about 150 active galactic nuclei and were interpreted preferentially as emission from relativistic accretion disks. We report the discovery of extreme double-peaked lines in SDSS J0942+0900 and SDSS J1417+6141. The FWHM of the Hα line, 40,600 km s-1, in the first object is almost twice as large as the broadest previously known. By comparing the line profile with accretion disk models, we find that most of the line flux is emitted from a narrow annulus around 100rg in SDSS J0942+0900, and from a disk with radii between 100rg and 400rg in SDSS J1417+6141. This is the first time that an accretion disk at radii below 100rg has been directly probed through optical emission lines. A certain asymmetry in the disk is required for both objects. Another, much weaker, broad Hα component (Wλ ~ 20 A and FWHM ~ 4000 km s-1) is also detected in both objects. Both objects show weak radio emission and strong high-ionization narrow lines.

title: Measurement of the Ds+ - Ds- production asymmetry in 7 TeV pp collisions
abstract: Article history: Received 4 May 2012 Received in revised form 30 May 2012  W.-D. Schlatter Heavy quark production in 7 TeV centre-of-mass energy pp collisions at the LHC is not necessarily flavour symmetric. The production asymmetry, AP, between D+s and D−s mesons is studied using the φπ± decay mode in a data sample of 1.0 fb−1 collected with the LHCb detector. The difference between π+ and π− detection efficiencies is determined using the ratios of fully reconstructed to partially reconstructed D∗± decays. The overall production asymmetry in the D±s rapidity region 2.0 to 4.5 with transverse momentum larger than 2 GeV is measured to be AP = (−0.33 ± 0.22 ± 0.10)%. This result can constrain models of heavy flavour production.