Revisit of cosmic age problem
We investigate the cosmic age problem associated with 9 extremely old globular clusters in M31 galaxy and 1 very old high-z quasar automatic plate-measuring machine 08279 + 5255 at z = 3.91. These 9 globular clusters have not been used to study the cosmic age problem in the previous literature. By evaluating the age of the Universe in the Lambda cold dark matter model with the observational constraints from the Type Ia supernovae, the baryon acoustic oscillations, the cosmic microwave background, and the independent H(0) measurements, we find that the existence of 5 globular clusters and 1 high-z quasar are in tension (over 2 sigma confidence level) with the current cosmological observations. So if the age estimates of these objects are correct, the cosmic age puzzle still remains in the standard cosmology. Moreover, we extend our investigations to the cases of the interacting dark energy models. It is found that although the introduction of the interaction between dark sectors can give a larger cosmic age, the interacting dark energy models still have difficulty to pass the cosmic age test.

title: Testing modified gravity models with recent cosmological observations
abstract: We explore the cosmological implications of five modified gravity (MG) models by using the recent cosmological observational data, including the recently released SNLS3 type Ia supernovae sample, the cosmic microwave background anisotropy data from the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe 7-yr observations, the baryon acoustic oscillation results from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey data release 7, and the latest Hubble constant measurement utilizing the Wide Field Camera 3 on the Hubble Space Telescope. The MG models considered include the Dvali-Gabadadze-Porrati (DGP) model, two f (R) models, and two f (T) models. We find that compared with the ΛCDM model, MG models can not lead to an appreciable reduction of the χmin2. The analysis of AIC and BIC shows that the simplest cosmological constant model (ΛCDM) is still the most preferred by the current data, and the DGP model is strongly disfavored. In addition, from the observational constraints, we also reconstruct the evolutions of the growth factor in these models. We find that the current available growth factor data are not enough to distinguish these MG models from the ΛCDM model.

title: Dark energy: A brief review
abstract: The problem of dark energy is briefly reviewed in both theoretical and observational aspects. In the theoretical aspect, dark energy scenarios are classified into symmetry, anthropic principle, tuning mechanism, modified gravity, quantum cosmology, holographic principle, back-reaction and phenomenological types. In the observational aspect, we introduce cosmic probes, dark energy related projects, observational constraints on theoretical models and model independent reconstructions.

title: Dark energy and fate of the Universe
abstract: AbstractWe explore the ultimate fate of the Universe by using a divergence-free parametrization for dark energy w(z)=w0+wa [ln(2 + z) / (1 + z) − ln 2]. Unlike the Chevallier-Polarski-Linder parametrization, this parametrization has well behaved, bounded behavior for both high redshifts and negative redshifts, and thus can genuinely cover many theoretical dark energy models. After constraining the parameter space of this parametrization by using the current cosmological observations, we find that, at the 95.4% confidence level, our Universe can still exist at least 16.7 Gyr before it ends in a big rip. Moreover, for the phantom energy dominated Universe, we find that a gravitationally bound system will be destroyed at a time $${{t \simeq P\sqrt {2\left| {1 + 3w( - 1)} \right|} } \mathord{\left/
 {\vphantom {{t \simeq P\sqrt {2\left| {1 + 3w( - 1)} \right|} } {\left[ {6\pi \left| {1 + w( - 1)} \right|} \right]}}} \right.
 \kern-\nulldelimiterspace} {\left[ {6\pi \left| {1 + w( - 1)} \right|} \right]}}$$, where P is the period of a circular orbit around this system, before the big rip.

title: Probing interaction and spatial curvature in the holographic dark energy model
abstract: In this paper we place observational constraints on the interaction and spatial curvature in the holographic dark energy model. We consider three kinds of phenomenological interactions between holographic dark energy and matter, i.e., the interaction term Q is proportional to the energy densities of dark energy (rho(A)), matter (p(m)), and matter plus dark energy (p(m) + p(A)). For probing the interaction and spatial curvature in the holographic dark energy model, we use the latest observational data including the type la supernovae (SNIa) Constitution data, the shift parameter of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) given by the five-year Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP5) observations, and the baryon acoustic oscillation (BAO) measurement, from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS). Our results show that, the interaction and spatial curvature in the holographic dark energy model are both rather small. Besides, it is interesting to find that there exists significant degeneracy between the phenomenological interaction and the spatial curvature in the holographic dark energy model.

title: Holographic dark energy models: a comparison from the latest observational data
abstract: The holographic principle of quantum gravity theory has been applied to the dark energy (DE) problem, and so far three holographic DE models have been proposed: the original holographic dark energy (HDE) model, the agegraphic dark energy (ADE) model, and the holographic Ricci dark energy (RDE) model. In this work, we perform the best-fit analysis on these three models, by using the latest observational data including the Union+CFA3 sample of 397 Type Ia supernovae (SNIa), the shift parameter of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) given by the five-year Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP5) observations, and the baryon acoustic oscillation (BAO) measurement from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS). The analysis shows that for HDE, chi(2)(min) = 465.912; for RDE, chi(2)(min) = 483.130; for ADE, chi(2)(min) = 481.694. Among these models, HDE model can give the smallest. chi(2)(min). Besides, we also use the Bayesian evidence (BE) as a model selection criterion to make a comparison. It is found that for HDE, ADE, and RDE, Delta ln BE = -0.86, -5.17, and -8.14, respectively. So, it seems that the HDE model is more favored by the observational data.

title: AGE AND MASS CONSTRAINTS FOR A YOUNG MASSIVE CLUSTER IN M31 BASED ON SPECTRAL ENERGY DISTRIBUTION FITTING
abstract: VDB0-B195D is a massive, blue star cluster in M31. It was observed as part of the Beijing-Arizona-Taiwan-Connecticut (BATC) Multicolor Sky Survey using 15 intermediate-band filters covering a wavelength range of 3000-10000 A. Based on aperture photometry, we obtain its spectral energy distribution (SED) as defined by the 15 BATC filters. We apply previously established relations between the BATC intermediate-band and the Johnson-Cousins UBVRI broadband systems to convert our BATC photometry to the standard system. A detailed comparison shows that our newly derived VRI magnitudes are fully consistent with previous results, while our new B magnitude agrees to within 2{sigma}. In addition, we determine the cluster's age and mass by comparing its SED (from 3000 to 20000 A, comprising photometric data in the 15 BATC intermediate bands, optical broadband BVRI, and Two Micron All Sky Survey near-infrared JHK{sub s} data) with theoretical stellar population synthesis models, resulting in age and mass determinations of 60.0 {+-} 8.0 Myr and (1.1-1.6) x 10{sup 5} M{sub sun}, respectively. This age and mass confirms previous suggestions that VDB0-B195D is a young massive cluster in M31.

title: CHIRAL SYMMETRY IN ATOMIC NUCLEI
abstract: The significant progresses of the chirality in atomic nuclei are briefly reviewed for both experimental and theoretical sides. Chiral doublet bands beyond one-particle and one-hole coupled with a triaxial rotor as well as the possibilities of new phenomenon MχD are discussed.

title: ATLAS measurements of the properties of jets for boosted particle searches
abstract: Measurements are presented of the properties of high transverse momentum jets, produced in proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of root s = 7 TeV. The data correspond to an integrated luminosity of 35 pb(-1) and were collected with the ATLAS detector in 2010. Jet mass, width, eccentricity, planar flow and angularity are measured for jets reconstructed using the anti-k(t) algorithm with distance parameters R 0: 6 and 1.0, with transverse momentum p(T) > 300 GeV and pseudorapidity vertical bar eta vertical bar < 2. The measurements are compared to the expectations of Monte Carlo generators that match leading-logarithmic parton showers to leading-order, or next-to-leading-order, matrix elements. The generators describe the general features of the jets, although discrepancies are observed in some distributions.

title: Challenges to the DGP model from horizon-scale growth and geometry
abstract: We conduct a Markov Chain Monte Carlo study of the Dvali-Gabadadze-Porrati (DGP) selfaccelerating braneworld scenario given the cosmic microwave background (CMB) anisotropy, supernovae and Hubble constant data by implementing an effective dark energy prescription for modified gravity into a standard Einstein-Boltzmann code. We find no way to alleviate the tension between distance measures and horizon scale growth in this model. Growth alterations due to perturbations propagating into the bulk appear as excess CMB anisotropy at the lowest multipoles. In a flat

title: Is modified gravity required by observations? An empirical consistency test of dark energy models
abstract: We apply the technique of parameter splitting to existing cosmological data sets, to check for a generic failure of dark energy models. Given a dark energy parameter, such as the energy density {omega}{sub {lambda}} or equation of state w, we split it into two meta-parameters with one controlling geometrical distances, and the other controlling the growth of structure. Observational data spanning Type Ia Supernovae, the cosmic microwave background (CMB), galaxy clustering, and weak gravitational lensing statistics are fit without requiring the two meta-parameters to be equal. This technique checks for inconsistency between different data sets, as well as for internal inconsistency within any one data set (e.g., CMB or lensing statistics) that is sensitive to both geometry and growth. We find that the cosmological constant model is consistent with current data. Theories of modified gravity generally predict a relation between growth and geometry that is different from that of general relativity. Parameter splitting can be viewed as a crude way to parametrize the space of such theories. Our analysis of current data already appears to put sharp limits on these theories: assuming a flat universe, current data constrain the difference {delta}{omega}{sub {lambda}}={omega}{sub {lambda}}(geom)-{omega}{sub {lambda}}(grow) to be -0.0044{sub -0.0057-0.0119}{sup +0.0058+0.0108} (68%more » and 95% C.L. respectively); allowing the equation of state w to vary, the difference {delta}w=w(geom)-w(grow) is constrained to be 0.37{sub -0.36-0.53}{sup +0.37+1.09}. Interestingly, the region w(grow)>w(geom), which should be generically favored by theories that slow structure formation relative to general relativity, is quite restricted by data already. We find w(grow)<-0.80 at 2{sigma}. As an example, the best-fit flat Dvali-Gabadadze-Porrati model approximated by our parametrization lies beyond the 3{sigma} contour for constraints from all the data sets.« less