Ultraluminous supernovae as a new probe of the interstellar medium in distant galaxies
We present the Pan-STARRS1 discovery and light curves, and follow-up MMT and Gemini spectroscopy of an ultra-luminous supernova (ULSN; dubbed PS1-11bam) at a redshift of z = 1.566 with a peak brightness of MUV ≈ -22.3 mag. PS1-11bam is one of the highest redshift spectroscopically-confirmed SNe known to date. The spectrum is characterized by broad absorption features typical of previous ULSNe (e.g., C II, Si III), and by strong and narrow Mg II and Fe II absorption lines from the interstellar medium (ISM) of the host galaxy, confirmed by an [O II]�3727 emission line at the same redshift. The equivalent widths of the Fe II�2600 and Mg II�2803 lines are in the top quartile of the quasar intervening a bsorption system distribution, but are weaker than those of gamma-ray burst intrinsic absorbers (i.e., GR B host galaxies). We also detect the host galaxy in pre-explosion Pan-STARRS1 data and find that its UV spectral energy distribution is best fit with a young stellar population age of �∗ ≈ 15 - 45 Myr and a stellar mass of M∗ ≈ (1.1 - 2.6)× 10 9 M⊙ (for Z = 0.05 - 1 Z⊙). The star formation rate inferred from the UV continuum and [O II]�3727 emission line is ≈ 10 M⊙ yr -1 , higher than in any previous ULSN host. PS1-11bam provides the first direct demonstration that ULSNe can serve as probes of the interstellar medium in distant galaxi es. At the present, the depth and red sensitivity of PS1 are uniquely suited to finding such events at cosmologica lly interesting redshifts ( z ∼ 1 - 2); the future combination of LSST and 30-m class telescopes promises to extend this technique to z ∼ 4.

title: The Faint Sky Variability Survey — I. Goals and data reduction process
abstract: The Faint Sky Variability Survey is aimed at finding photometric and/or astrometric variable objects in the brightness range between ∼16th and ∼24th mag on time-scales between tens of minutes and years with photometric precisions ranging from 3 millimag for the brightest to 0.2 mag for the faintest objects. An area of ∼23 deg 2 , located at mid and high Galactic latitudes, has been covered using the Wide Field Camera on the 2.5-m Isaac Newton Telescope on La Palma. Here we describe the main goals of the Faint Sky Variability Survey and the data reduction process.

title: Light echoes from ancient supernovae in the Large Magellanic Cloud
abstract: The light from historical supernovae could in principle still be visible as scattered-light echoes centuries after the explosion. The detection of light echoes could allow us to pinpoint the supernova event both in position and age and, most importantly, permit the acquisition of spectra to determine the ‘type’ of the supernova centuries after the direct light from the explosion first reached Earth. Although echoes have been discovered around some nearby extragalactic supernovae, targeted searches have not found any echoes in the regions of historical Galactic supernovae. Here we report three faint variable-surface-brightness complexes with high apparent proper motions pointing back to three of the six smallest (and probably youngest) previously catalogued supernova remnants in the Large Magellanic Cloud, which are believed to have been thermonuclear (type Ia) supernovae. Using the distance and apparent proper motions of these echo arcs, we estimate ages of 610 and 410 years for two of them.

title: Searching for Variability in the Globular Cluster Messier 4
abstract: Time-series data taken with the Hubble Space Telescope of a field six core radii (~5') from the center of the globular cluster Messier 4, and covering a period of about 10 weeks in early 2001, have been analyzed in search of variable objects. Various criteria were employed to select candidate variable stars. Period searches were performed on the selected candidates using phase dispersion minimization (PDM). The reliability of the PDM search results was tested using synthetic light curves of eclipsing binary stars and sinusoidal light curves of different periods. Results from this analysis showed that there are probably no eclipsing binary stars or periodic variables in our field with periods on the order of a few hours to a few days, down to limiting magnitudes of V ~ 25 and I ~ 24, which is consistent with the absence of contact binaries such as W Ursae Majoris systems. However, one candidate variable star does show an increase in brightness of ~0.1 mag in both bandpasses, which seems to last for a few days. Possible explanations concerning the nature of this object include a binary system with a white dwarf primary and a low-mass main-sequence secondary or a BY Draconis variable star. We are able to set an upper limit to the observed fraction of photometric variability in this data set of 0.05%.

title: Discovery of two new faint cataclysmic variables
abstract: We report on the discovery of two new faint cataclysmic variables. The objects were selected as candidates from two different imaging surveys aimed at the discovery of such faint systems. One survey used color and variability while the other used color and Ha emission as selection criteria. We present our spectra of the two new variables and discuss their properties. A discussion of the implication of these discoveries on the space density of faint cataclysmic variables is presented.

title: PS1-10afx at z= 1.388: Pan-STARRS1 Discovery of a New Type of Superluminous Supernova
abstract: We present the Pan-STARRS1 discovery of PS1-10afx, a unique hydrogen-deficient superluminous supernova (SLSN) at redshift z = 1.388. The light curve peaked at z P1 = 21.7 mag, making PS1-10afx comparable to the most luminous known SNe, with Mu = –22.3 mag. Our extensive optical and near-infrared observations indicate that the bolometric light curve of PS1-10afx rose on the unusually fast timescale of ~12 days to the extraordinary peak luminosity of 4.1 × 1044 erg s–1 (M bol = –22.8 mag) and subsequently faded rapidly. Equally important, the spectral energy distribution is unusually red for an SLSN, with a color temperature of ~6800 K near maximum light, in contrast to previous hydrogen-poor SLSNe, which are bright in the ultraviolet (UV). The spectra more closely resemble those of a normal SN Ic than any known SLSN, with a photospheric velocity of ~11, 000 km s–1 and evidence for line blanketing in the rest-frame UV. Despite the fast rise, these parameters imply a very large emitting radius ( 5 × 1015 cm). We demonstrate that no existing theoretical model can satisfactorily explain this combination of properties: (1) a nickel-powered light curve cannot match the combination of high peak luminosity with the fast timescale; (2) models powered by the spindown energy of a rapidly rotating magnetar predict significantly hotter and faster ejecta; and (3) models invoking shock breakout through a dense circumstellar medium cannot explain the observed spectra or color evolution. The host galaxy is well detected in pre-explosion imaging with a luminosity near L*, a star formation rate of ~15 M ☉ yr–1, and is fairly massive (~2 × 1010 M ☉), with a stellar population age of ~108 yr, also in contrast to the young dwarf hosts of known hydrogen-poor SLSNe. PS1-10afx is distinct from known examples of SLSNe in its spectra, colors, light-curve shape, and host galaxy properties, suggesting that it resulted from a different channel than other hydrogen-poor SLSNe.

title: Measuring the neutron's mean square charge radius using neutron interferometry
abstract: The neutron is electrically neutral, but its substructure consists of charged quarks so it may have an internal charge distribution. In fact it is known to have a negative mean square charge radius (MSCR), the second moment of the radial charge density. In other words the neutron has a positive core and negative skin. In the first Born approximation the neutron MSCR can be simply related to the neutron–electron scattering length b ne . In the past this important quantity has been extracted from the energy dependence of the total transmission cross-section of neutrons on high-Z targets, a very difficult and complicated process. A few years ago S.A. Werner proposed a novel approach to measuring b ne from the neutron's dynamical phase shift in a perfect crystal close to the Bragg condition. We are conducting an experiment based on this method at the NIST neutron interferometer which may lead to a five-fold improvement in precision of b ne and hence the neutron MSCR.

title: Evidence for Nodal Superconductivity in LaFePO from Scanning SQUID Susceptometry
abstract: Clifford W. Hicks, Thomas M. Lippman, Martin E. Huber, James G. Analytis, Jiun-Haw Chu, Ann S. Erickson, Ian R. Fisher, and Kathryn A. Moler Geballe Laboratory for Advanced Materials, Stanford University, Stanford, California, 94305, USA and Stanford Institute for Materials and Energy Sciences,  Sand Hill Road, Menlo Park CA 94025 Departments of Physics and Electrical Engineering, University of Colorado Denver, Denver, Colorado, 80217, USA (Dated: 2 April 2009)

title: Pion-deuteron scattering in a D∗ model
abstract: Pion-deuteron scattering at medium energies is formulated in a model which treats the nucleon and the isolar Δ(1236) on equal footing. Following the absorption of the pion which excites (ΔN) states with different multipolarity these D∗ states of the excited deuteron are mixed and split up by the strong isobar-nucleon interaction. Those with low multipolarity dominate the differential cross section, which turns out to be in qualitative agreement with the data. As the characteristic features of the D∗ spectrum are closely related to the ΔN interaction, they should show up more or less directly in all medium energy scattering processes on the deuteron.

title: Quark structure of simple and complex hadrons
abstract: A realistic description of the meson and baryon spectra can be achieved within a non-relativistic quark model but the coupling of baryonic q 3 -states to meson-baryon decay channels is of vital importance for a proper description of the decay properties of baryon resonances which are interpreted as bound (q 3 )-configurations embedded in meson continua. This dressing of q 3 -states automatically leads to an energy- and state dependent baryon-baryon interaction that allows a formulation of a multibaryon Hamiltonian for complex hadrons. Within this framework the subnuclear dynamics of intermediate energy excitations of complex hadrons is discussed.

title: Report on Stanford Superconductive Monopole Detectors
abstract: Since January, 1983 we have been operating a three loop superconducting detector with a signal to noise ratio of 100 for the direct detection of Dirac magnetic  Its sensing area averaged over solid angle is nearly 500 cm2 for double coincidence events. To date, the data contain no candidate events and set an upper flux limit of 2 × 10−11 cm−2 s−1 sr−1 at 90% C.L., 70 times lower than that suggested by the single candidate event2 seen on the prototype single loop detector. If supermassive magnetic monopoles exist they are rare and the need for cost-efficient larger area superconductive detectors is evident if we are to push forward a definitive search in the cosmic rays. Superconducting loop detectors can be constructed with 1 to 10 m2 planar areas coupled to a single SQUID while achieving a signal to noise ratio of 10 for the detection of a Dirac magnetic charge. A 100 m2 sensing area array of such detectors, which would reach the Parker flux bound in one year of operation, can be built at a cost comparable to that of typical high energy experiments. It remains quite possible that a monopole particle flux significantly higher than the Parker bound exists within our galaxy. In this paper the most recent results from low noise operation of the three loop detector are presented. Also discussed are our plans to build a larger fixed loop detector with a sensing area of 1.5 m2. It is designed as a prototype for a future yet larger 100 m2 array.