(Non)Thermal Aspects of Charmonium Production and a New Look at J/ψ\psi Suppression

To investigate a recent proposal that J/$\psi$ production in ultra-relativistic nuclear collisions is of thermal origin we have reanalyzed the data from the NA38/50 collaboration within a thermal model including charm. Comparison of the calculated with measured yields demonstrates the non-thermal origin of hidden charm production at SPS energy. However, the ratio $\psi^{'}$/(J/$\psi)$ exhibits, in central nucleus-nucleus collisions, thermal features which lead us to a new interpretation of open charm and charmonium production at SPS energy. Implications for RHIC and LHC energy measurements will be discussed.Comment: 12 pages, 3 eps figures, final version with slight corrections, Phys. Lett. B (in print

Visible Airglow Experiment data analysis

The Visible Airglow Experiment (VAE) was designed to provide detailed profiles of the distribution of excited states of atoms and molecules in the upper atmosphere. The studies supported during the funding period (1983 - 1989) have made significant contributions in the area of thermospheric aeronomy, and the progress during the first four years of this period has been reviewed by Hays et al. (1988). The investigations carried out have resulted in more than 20 publications, and these are summarized

Battery simulation program

Computer program calculates spacecraft battery energy at specific times dictated by input sequence of recharge, discharge, and no activity phases. Recharge phases are assumed during times not specified, unless batteries are fully charged. Warnings are printed when energy falls below specified level. Program assumes two identical batteries

Even Orientations and Pfaffian graphs

We give a characterization of Pfaffian graphs in terms of even orientations, extending the characterization of near bipartite non--pfaffian graphs by Fischer and Little \cite{FL}. Our graph theoretical characterization is equivalent to the one proved by Little in \cite{L73} (cf. \cite{LR}) using linear algebra arguments

On the lack of stellar bars in Coma dwarf galaxies

We present a study of the bar fraction in the Coma cluster galaxies based on a sample of ~190 galaxies selected from the SDSS-DR6 and observed with the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Advanced Camera for Survey (ACS). The unprecedented resolution of the HST-ACS images allows us to explore the presence of bars, detected by visual classification, throughout a luminosity range of 9 mag (-23 < M_r < -14), permitting us to study the poor known region of dwarf galaxies. We find that bars are hosted by galaxies in a tight range of both luminosities (-22 < M_r < -17) and masses (10^9 < M*/Msun < 10^11). In addition, we find that the bar fraction does not vary significantly when going from the center to the cluster outskirts, implying that cluster environment plays a second-order role in bar formation/evolution. The shape of the bar fraction distribution with respect to both luminosity and mass is well matched by the luminosity distribution of disk galaxies in Coma, indicating that bars are good tracers of cold stellar disks.Comment: 2 pages, 1 figure, to appear in the proceedings of the conference "A Universe of Dwarf Galaxies" (Lyon, June 14-18, 2010