SPECTRAL ENERGY DISTRIBUTIONS AND AGE ESTIMATES OF 104 M 31 GLOBULAR CLUSTERS
We present photometry of 104 M31 globular clusters (GCs) and GC candidates in 15 intermediate-band filters of the Beijing–Arizona–Taiwan–Connecticut photometric system. The GCs and GC candidates were selected from the Revised Bologna Catalog (v.3.5). We obtain the cluster ages by comparing the photometric data with up-to-date theoretical synthesis models. The photometric data used are Galaxy Evolution Explorer farand near-ultraviolet and Two Micron All Sky Survey near-infrared JHKs magnitudes, combined with optical photometry. The ages of our sample clusters cover a large range, although most clusters are younger than 10 Gyr. Combined with the ages obtained in our series of previous papers focusing on the M31 GC system, we present the full M31 GC age distribution. The M31 GC system contains populations of young and intermediate-age GCs, as well as the “usual” complement of well-known old GCs, i.e., GCs of similar age as the majority of the Galactic GCs. In addition, young GCs (and GC candidates) are distributed nearly uniformly in radial distance from the center of M31, while most old GCs (and GC candidates) are more strongly concentrated.

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: Determination of Fundamental Properties of an M31 Globular Cluster from Main-Sequence Photometry
abstract: ABSTRACT.M31 globular cluster B379 is the first extragalactic cluster whose age was determined by main-sequence photometry. In the main-sequence photometric method, the age of a cluster is obtained by fitting its color-magnitude diagram (CMD) with stellar evolutionary models. However, different stellar evolutionary models use different parameters of stellar evolution, such as range of stellar masses, different opacities and equations of state, and different recipes, and so on. So, it is interesting to check whether different stellar evolutionary models can give consistent results for the same cluster. Brown et al. constrained the age of B379 by comparing its CMD with isochrones of the 2006 VandenBerg models. Using SSP models of Bruzual & Charlot and its multiphotometry, ZMa et al. independently determined the age of B379, which is in good agreement with the determination of Brown et al. The models of Bruzual & Charlot are calculated based on the Padova evolutionary tracks. It is necessary to check whether...

title: STRUCTURAL PARAMETERS FOR GLOBULAR CLUSTERS IN THE OUTER HALO OF M31
abstract: In this paper, we present internal surface brightness profiles, using images in the F606W and F814W filter bands observed with the Advanced Camera for Surveys on the Hubble Space Telescope, for 10 globular clusters (GCs) in the outer halo of M31. Standard King models are fitted to the profiles to derive their structural and dynamical parameters. The results show that, in general, the properties of clusters in M31 and the Milky Way fall in the same regions of parameter spaces. The outer halo GCs of M31 have larger ellipticities than most of the GCs in M31 and the Milky Way. Their large ellipticities may be due to galaxy tides coming from satellite dwarf galaxies of M31 or may be related to the apparently more vigorous accretion or merger history that M31 has experienced. The tight correlation of cluster binding energy E{sub b} with mass M{sub mod} indicates that the 'fundamental plane' does exist for clusters, regardless of their host environments, which is consistent with previous studies.

title: AGE AND STRUCTURE PARAMETERS OF THE REMOTE M31 GLOBULAR CLUSTER B514 BASED ON HST, 2MASS, GALEX, AND BATC OBSERVATIONS
abstract: B514 is a remote M31 globular cluster (GC) which is located at a projected distance of Rp 55 kpc. Deep observations with the Advanced Camera for Surveys on the Hubble Space Telescope are used to provide accurate integrated light and star counts of B514. By coupling the analysis of the distribution of the integrated light with star counts, we are able to reliably follow the profile of the cluster out to ~40''. Based on the combined profile, we study in detail its surface brightness distribution in the F606W and F814W filters and determine its structural parameters by fitting a single-mass isotropic King model. The results showed that the surface brightness distribution departs from the best-fit King model for r > 10''. B514 is quite flat in the inner region and has a larger half-light radius than the majority of normal GCs of the same luminosity. It is interesting that, in the MV versus log Rh plane, B514 lies nearly on the threshold for ordinary GCs as defined by Mackey & van den Bergh. In addition, B514 was observed as part of the Beijing-Arizona-Taiwan-Connecticut (BATC) Multicolor Sky Survey, using 13 intermediate-band filters covering a wavelength range of 3000-8500 A. Based on aperture photometry, we obtain its spectral energy distributions (SEDs) as defined by the 13 BATC filters. We determine the cluster's age and mass by comparing its SEDs (from 2267 to 20000 A, comprised of photometric data from the near-ultraviolet band of the Galaxy Evolution Explorer, 5 Sloan Digital Sky Survey bands, 13 BATC intermediate-band filters, and Two Micron All Sky Survey near-infrared JHK s filters) with theoretical stellar population synthesis models, resulting in an age of 11.5 ± 3.5 Gyr. This age confirms the previous suggestion that B514 is an old GC in M31. B514 has a mass of 0.96-1.08 × 106 M ☉ and is a medium-mass GC in M31.

title: Metal abundance and kinematical properties of the M81 globular cluster system
abstract: We present metal abundance properties of 144 globular clusters associated with M81. These globulars represent the largest globular cluster sample in M81 till now. Our main results are: the distribution of metallicities is bimodal, with metallicity peaks at [Fe/H] ≈ −1.51 and −0.58, and the metal-poor globular clusters tend to be less spatially concentrated than the metal-rich ones; the metal-rich globular clusters in M81 do not demonstrate a centrally concentrated spatial distribution like the metal-rich ones in M31 do; like our Galaxy and M31, the globular clusters in M81 have a small radial metallicity gradient. These results are consistent with those obtained from a small sample of M81 globular clusters. In addition, this paper shows that there is evidence that a strong rotation of the M81 globular cluster system around the minor axis exists, and that rotation is present in the metal-rich globular cluster subsample, but the metal-poor globular cluster subsample shows no evidence of rotation. The most significant difference between the rotation of the metal-rich and metal-poor globular clusters occurs at intermediate projected galactocentric radii. Our results confirm the conclusion of Schroder et al. that M81’s metal-rich globular clusters at intermediate projected radii are associated with a thick disk of M81.

title: Measurement of the bottom-strange meson mixing phase in the full CDF data set.
abstract: We report a measurement of the bottom-strange meson mixing phase β(s) using the time evolution of B(s)(0)→J/ψ(→μ(+)μ(-))φ(→K(+)K(-)) decays in which the quark-flavor content of the bottom-strange meson is identified at production. This measurement uses the full data set of proton-antiproton collisions at √s=1.96 TeV collected by the Collider Detector experiment at the Fermilab Tevatron, corresponding to 9.6 fb(-1) of integrated luminosity. We report confidence regions in the two-dimensional space of β(s) and the B(s)(0) decay-width difference ΔΓ(s) and measure β(s)∈[-π/2,-1.51]∪[-0.06,0.30]∪[1.26,π/2] at the 68% confidence level, in agreement with the standard model expectation. Assuming the standard model value of β(s), we also determine ΔΓ(s)=0.068±0.026(stat)±0.009(syst) ps(-1) and the mean B(s)(0) lifetime τ(s)=1.528±0.019(stat)±0.009(syst) ps, which are consistent and competitive with determinations by other experiments.

title: Weighing neutrinos with galaxy cluster surveys.
abstract: Large future galaxy cluster surveys, combined with cosmic microwave background observations, can achieve a high sensitivity to the masses of cosmologically important neutrinos. We show that a weak lensing selected sample of > or approximately 100,000 clusters could tighten the current upper bound on the sum of masses of neutrino species by an order of magnitude, to a level of 0.03 eV. Since this statistical sensitivity is below the best existing lower limit on the mass of at least one neutrino species, a future detection is likely, provided that systematic errors can be controlled to a similar level.

title: Minimization of Primary Electron Beam Radius at the Positron Production Target
abstract: To have a high positron yield, it is extremely important to minimize the primary electron beam radius at the positron production target. Various effects on electron beam blow-up have been analyzed. By comparing the measured beam radius with simulation, result at current BEPC positron source,some concrete effects on beam blow-up have been described. A design study on minimizing the electron beam radius at BEPC-II positron source is given, and the ways to reach this goal have been summarized.

title: Source Region of the Decameter–Hectometric Type II Radio Burst: Shock–Streamer Interaction Region
abstract: D–H type II radio bursts are widely thought to be caused by coronal mass ejections (CMEs). However, it is still unclear where the exact source of the type IIs on the shock surface is. We identify the source regions of the decameter–hectometric (D–H) type IIs based on imaging observations from SOHO/LASCO and the radio dynamic spectrum from Wind/Waves. The analysis of two well-observed events suggests that the sources of these two events are located in the interaction regions between shocks and streamers, and that the shocks are enhanced significantly in these regions.

title: Revisit of cosmic age problem
abstract: 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.