Alignment between the host and the nearest neighbor Groups
We measure four different types of alignment signals using the galaxy groups of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 4 to probe the impact of large scale environment on the distribution of satellite galaxies, on the the orientation of the central and satellite galaxies: (1) the alignment between the distributions of the satellites relative to the direction of the nearest neighbor group (NNG); (2) the alignment between the major axis direction of the central galaxy of the host group (HG) and the direction of the NNG; (3) the alignment between the two major axes of the central galaxies of the HG and NNG; and (4) the alignment between the major axes of the satellites of the HG and the direction of the NNG. We find strong alignment signals of satellite distribution and orientation of central galaxy relative to the direction of the NNG even when the NNG locates beyond $3r_{\rm vir}$ of the host group. The alignment signals are stronger for groups that are more massive and with early type central galaxies. For the orientation of satellite galaxies, however, we do not find any significant alignment signals relative to the direction of the NNG. From these four types of the alignment measures, we conclude that the large scale environment traced by the nearby group mainly impacts the shape of the host dark matter halo, hence impacts the distribution of satellite galaxies and the orientation of central galaxies. Apart from these, there is additional impacts by the large scale environment directly onto the distribution of satellite galaxies.

title: The Distribution of Two-dimensional Eccentricity of Sunyaev-Zel'dovich Effect and X-Ray Surface Brightness Profiles
abstract: With the triaxial density profile of dark matter halos and the corresponding equilibrium gas distribution, we derive two-dimensional Sunyaev-Zel'dovich (SZ) effect and X-ray surface brightness profiles for clusters of galaxies. It is found that the contour map of these observables can be well approximated by a series of concentric ellipses with scale-dependent eccentricities. The statistical distribution of their eccentricities (or, equivalently, axial ratios) is analyzed by taking into account the orientation of clusters with respect to the line of sight and the distribution of the axial ratios and the concentration parameters of dark matter halos. For clusters of mass 1013 h-1 M☉ at redshift z = 0, the axial ratio is peaked at η ~ 0.9 for both SZ and X-ray profiles. For larger clusters, the deviation from circular distributions is more apparent, with η peaked at η ~ 0.85 for M = 1015 h-1 M☉. To be closer to observations, we further study the axial-ratio distribution for mass-limited cluster samples with the number distribution of clusters at different redshifts described by a modified Press-Schechter model. For a mass limit of value Mlim = 1014 h-1 M☉, the average axial ratio is η ~ 0.84, with a tail extended to η ~ 0.6. With the fast advance of high-quality imaging observations of both SZ effect and X-ray emissions, our analyses provide a useful way to probe cluster halo profiles and therefore to test theoretical halo formation models.

title: BSG alignment of SDSS galaxy groups
abstract: We study the alignment signal between the distribution of brightest satellite galaxies (BSGs) and the major axis of their host groups using SDSS group catalog constructed by Yang et al. (2007). After correcting for the effect of group ellipticity, a statistically significant (∼ 5σ) major-axis alignment is detected and the alignment angle is found to be 43.0 ± 0.4. More massive and richer groups show stronger BSG alignment. The BSG alignment around blue BCGs is slightly stronger than that around red BCGs. And red BSGs have much stronger major-axis alignment than blue BSGs. Unlike BSGs, other satellites do not show very significant alignment with group major axis. We further explore the BSG alignment in semi-analytic model (SAM) constructed by Guo et al. (2011). We found general good agreement with observations: BSGs in SAM show strong major-axis alignment which depends on group mass and richness in the same way as observations; and none of other satellites exhibit prominent alignment. However, discrepancy also exists in that the SAM shows opposite BSG color dependence, which is most probably induced by the missing of large scale environment ingredient in SAM. The combination of two popular scenarios can explain the detected BSG alignment. The first one: satellites merged into the group preferentially along the surrounding filaments, which is strongly aligned with the major axis of the group. The second one: BSGs enter their host group more recently than other satellites, then will preserve more information about the assembling history and so the major-axis alignment. In SAM, we found positive evidence for the second scenario by the fact that BSGs merged into groups statistically more recently than other satellites. We also found that most of BSGs (80%) were BCGs before they merged into groups and earlier merged BSGs tend to be closer to their BCGs than other BSGs. On the other hand, although is opposite in SAM, the BSG color dependence in observation might indicate the first scenario as well.  BSG – alignment – group of galaxies – SAM – SDSS

title: Made-to-measure galaxy models – III. Modelling with Milky Way observations
abstract: We demonstrate how the Syer and Tremaine made-to-measure method of stellar dynamical modelling can be adapted to model a rotating galactic bar. We validate our made-to-measure changes using observations constructed from the existing Shen et al. N-body model of the Milky Way bar, together with kinematic observations of the Milky Way bulge and bar taken by the Bulge Radial Velocity Assay. Our results for a combined determination of the bar angle and bar pattern speed (approximate to 30 degrees and approximate to 40 km s(-1) kpc(-1)) are consistent with those determined by the N-body model. Whilst the made-to-measure techniques we have developed are applied using a particular N-body model and observational data set, they are in fact general and could be applied to other Milky Way modelling scenarios utilizing different N-body models and data sets. Additionally, we use the exercise as a vehicle for illustrating how N-body and made-to-measure methods might be combined into a more effective method.

title: N-body simulations for testing the stability of triaxial galaxies in MOND
abstract: We perform a stability test of triaxial models in Modified Newtonian Dynamics (MOND) using N-body simulations. The triaxial models considered here have densities that vary with r −1 in the centre and r −4 at large radii. The total mass of the model varies from 10 8 to 10 10 M� , representing the mass scale of dwarfs to medium-mass elliptical galaxies, respectively, from deep MOND to quasi-Newtonian gravity. We build triaxial galaxy models using the Schwarzschild technique, and evolve the systems for 200 Keplerian dynamical times (at the typical length-scale of 1.0 kpc). We find that the systems are virial overheating, and in quasi-equilibrium with the relaxation taking approximately 5 Keplerian dynamical times (1.0 kpc). For all systems, the change of the inertial (kinetic) energy is less than 10 per cent (20 per cent) after relaxation. However, the central profile of the model is flattened during the relaxation and the (overall) axis ratios change by roughly 10 per cent within 200 Keplerian dynamical times (at 1.0 kpc) in our simulations. We further find that the systems are stable once they reach the equilibrium state.

title: Impedance Database II for the Advanced Photon Source storage ring
abstract: The first impedance database constructed at the advanced photon source was successfully used in reproducing the main characteristics of single-bunch instabilities observed in the storage ring. However, the finite bandwidth of the corresponding impedance model was limited to 40 GHz, which happens to be the resolution limit of the density modulation observed in the microwave instability simulation. In order to resolve simulation results never verified in the experiments, we decided to extend the calculated bandwidth of impedance to 100-200 GHz by recalculating the wake potentials excited by a shorter bunch. Since low-order electromagnetic code requires 20-40 grid points per wavelength, reducing the bunch length required a large number of grids for the 3D structure. We used bunch lengths of 1- and 2-mm in the Gaussian distribution in the impedance database II project. For the large-scale computation we used the 3D electromagnetic code GdfidL for wake potential calculation at the cluster equipped with 240 GB of memory. The resultant wake potential excited by the short bunch together with application to the storage ring for collective effects is presented in this paper.

title: ALICE technical design report: Photon multiplicity detector (PMD)

title: Preliminary results of the Moon shadow using ARGO-YBJ detector
abstract: ARGO-YBJ is a “full coverage” air shower detector consisting of Resistive Plate Chambers(RPCs) at the Yangbajing High Altitude Cosmic Ray Laboratory (Tibet, China) at 4300 m a.s.l. (lat=30.11° N, long=90.53° E). Using the data collected with a carpet of RPCs (1900 m 2 , about 1/3 of the whole ARGO-YBJ detector), the cosmic ray shadowing effect due to the Moon was studied. The 50% angular resolution is found to be ∼1.2° with the Chess-board method and the Moon shadow with a significance of 4.9 σ is found displaced by 0.7° westward and 0.5° northward with respect to the expected position by the equi-zenith angle Method.

title: A possible mechanism for the mass ratio limitation in early type galaxies
abstract: There is an interesting correlation between the central objects and their host galaxies in recent high resolution HST photometry of early type galaxies and Near-IR images of nearby quasar hosts. It has been shown that a) the hosts of these very luminous quasars are likely to be early type galaxies and that b) the mass ratio of central black holes (BHs) and their host spheroidal components (M-bh/M-spheroid) is similar to 0.002 within a factor of three. Using the hierarchical galaxy evolution scheme for the formation of early-type galaxies, we present here a general viscous accretion disk model to trace the star formation and central engine evolution before and after mergers. In our model, starbursts and AGN coexist; these two activities compete for the gas supply, interact with each other, probably feed back on each other and lock into a final status. They thus constrain the ratio of central black hole mass and its host spheroidal mass to a universal value of order 10(-3).

title: Measurements of H(z) and DA(z) from the two-dimensional two-point correlation function of Sloan Digital Sky Survey luminous red galaxies
abstract: We present a method for measuring the Hubble parameter, H(z), and angular diameter distance, DA(z), from the two-dimensional two-point correlation function and validate it using LasDamas mock galaxy catalogues. Applying our method to the sample of luminous red galaxies from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 7, we measure and Mpc without assuming a dark energy model or a flat universe. We find that the derived measurements of H(0.35) rs(zd)/c and DA(0.35)/rs(zd) [where rs(zd) is the sound horizon at the drag epoch] are nearly uncorrelated, have tighter constraints and are more robust with respect to possible systematic effects. Our galaxy clustering measurements of (with the correlation coefficient r = 0.0604) can be used to combine with cosmic microwave background and any other cosmological data sets to constrain dark energy. Our results represent the first measurements of H(z) and DA(z) (or H(z) rs(zd)/c and DA(0.35)/rs(zd)) from galaxy clustering data. Our work has significant implications for future surveys in establishing the feasibility of measuring both H(z) and DA(z) from galaxy clustering data.