J/Psi production in proton induced collisions at FAIR

We have examined the production of J/$\psi$ mesons in high energy proton-proton and proton-nucleus collisions at beam energies in the range from 158 GeV to 920 GeV, available from different fixed target experiments. In the employed model J/$\psi$ production in hadronic collisions is assumed to be a factorisable two step process: (i) production of a $c\bar{c}$ pair which can be reliably described by perturbative QCD, and (ii) formation of J/$\psi$ resonance from the $c\bar{c}$ pair, which can be conveniently parameterized incorporating different existing physical mechanisms of color neutralization. We show that, for lower collision energies, J/$\psi$ production through quark-anti-quark annihilation gives larger contribution at higher $x_F$, while gluon-gluon fusion dominates the production at smaller $x_F$. For proton-nucleus collisions the model takes into account both the initial state modification of parton distributions in nuclei and the final state interaction of the produced $c\bar{c}$ pairs with the target nucleons. The model is found to give reasonable description of data on J/$\psi$ production in protonic and proton-nucleus collisions, for different existing fixed target experiments. In case of proton-nucleus collisions, our calculations show a non-negligible dependence of the final state nuclear dissociation of J/$\psi$ mesons on the energy of the incident proton beam. The model has been applied to predict the J/$\psi$ production and suppression expected in proton-nucleus collisions at energies relevant to FAIR, the upcoming accelerator facility at Darmstadt, Germany. The amount of suppressions, for different mechanisms of J/$\psi$ hadronization has been found to be distinguishably different which might help an experimental settlement of the much controversial issue of color neutralization.Comment: 17 pages, 37 figures. To appear in Physical Review

Population of the lower part of the instability strip: Delta Scuti stars and dwarf Cepheids (or AI Velorum)

Some of the properties of the atmospheric variations in delta Scuti stars were investigated with emphasis on the amplitude and the shape of both light curves and radial velocity curves. It is shown that these curves are small and rapidly variable in the case of dwarf Scuti stars; for the evolved stars the situation is more complex. The relation between variables and nonvariables, and also the results on abundances in the atmospheres of these stars were surveyed with respect to the hydrodynamics of their envelopes. The abundance anomalies of Am stars were qualitatively examined. The coexistence of abundance anomalies and variability among giants were also studied. Attempts were made to relate the variability to the hydrogen ionization zone in an envelope deprived of helium. Specific results are reported

Charmonium Suppression by Comover Scattering in Pb+Pb Collisions

The first reports of $\psi$ and $\psi'$ production from experiment NA50 at the CERN SPS are compared to predictions based on a hadronic model of charmonium suppression. Data on centrality dependence and total cross sections are in good accord with these predictions.Comment: 9 pages, latex, 6 figures, epsf, figure added and text modified to clarify result

Asymptotic and measured large frequency separations

With the space-borne missions CoRoT and Kepler, a large amount of asteroseismic data is now available. So-called global oscillation parameters are inferred to characterize the large sets of stars, to perform ensemble asteroseismology, and to derive scaling relations. The mean large separation is such a key parameter. It is therefore crucial to measure it with the highest accuracy. As the conditions of measurement of the large separation do not coincide with its theoretical definition, we revisit the asymptotic expressions used for analysing the observed oscillation spectra. Then, we examine the consequence of the difference between the observed and asymptotic values of the mean large separation. The analysis is focused on radial modes. We use series of radial-mode frequencies to compare the asymptotic and observational values of the large separation. We propose a simple formulation to correct the observed value of the large separation and then derive its asymptotic counterpart. We prove that, apart from glitches due to stellar structure discontinuities, the asymptotic expansion is valid from main-sequence stars to red giants. Our model shows that the asymptotic offset is close to 1/4, as in the theoretical development. High-quality solar-like oscillation spectra derived from precise photometric measurements are definitely better described with the second-order asymptotic expansion. The second-order term is responsible for the curvature observed in the \'echelle diagrams used for analysing the oscillation spectra and this curvature is responsible for the difference between the observed and asymptotic values of the large separation. Taking it into account yields a revision of the scaling relations providing more accurate asteroseismic estimates of the stellar mass and radius.Comment: accepted in A&

HD 41641: A classical δ\delta Sct-type pulsator with chemical signatures of an Ap star

Among the known groups of pulsating stars, $\delta$ Sct stars are one of the least understood. Theoretical models do not predict the oscillation frequencies that observations reveal. Complete asteroseismic studies are necessary to improve these models and better understand the internal structure of these targets. We study the $\delta$ Sct star HD 41641 with the ultimate goal of understanding its oscillation pattern. The target was simultaneously observed by the CoRoT space telescope and the HARPS high-resolution spectrograph. The photometric data set was analyzed with the software package PERIOD04, while FAMIAS was used to analyze the line profile variations. The method of spectrum synthesis was used for spectroscopically determining the fundamental atmospheric parameters and individual chemical abundances. A total of 90 different frequencies was identified and analyzed. An unambiguous identification of the azimuthal order of the surface geometry could only be provided for the dominant p-mode, which was found to be a nonradial prograde mode with m = +1. Using $T_\mathrm{eff}$ and $\log g$, we estimated the mass, radius, and evolutionary stage of HD 41641. We find HD 41641 to be a moderately rotating, slightly evolved $\delta$ Sct star with subsolar overall atmospheric metal content and unexpected chemical peculiarities. HD 41641 is a pure $\delta$ Sct pulsator with p-mode frequencies in the range from 10 d$^{-1}$ to 20 d$^{-1}$. This pulsating star presents chemical signatures of an Ap star and rotational modulation due to surface inhomogeneities, which we consider indirect evidence of the presence of a magnetic field.Comment: 11 pages, 11 figures, accepted for publication in A&

Modelling J/psi production and absorption in a microscopic nonequilibrium approach

Charmonium production and absorption in heavy ion collisions is studied with the Ultrarelativisitic Quantum Molecular Dynamics model. We compare the scenario of universal and time independent color-octet dissociation cross sections with one of distinct color-singlet J/psi, psi' and chi_c states, evolving from small, color transparent configurations to their asymptotic sizes. The measured J/psi production cross sections in pA and AB collisions at SPS energies are consistent with both - purely hadronic - scenarios. The predicted rapidity dependence of J/psi suppression can be used to discriminate between the two experimentally. The importance of interactions with secondary hadrons and the applicability of thermal reaction kinetics to J/psi absorption are investigated. We discuss the effect of nuclear stopping and the role of leading hadrons. The dependence of the psi' to J/psi ratio on the model assumptions and the possible influence of refeeding processes is also studied.Comment: 35 pages, 16 figure

First Results from COLDEX Applicable to the LHC Cryogenic Vacuum System

A cold bore experiment (COLDEX) has been installed in the electron-positron accumulator (EPA) at CERN. The ~2 m long COLDEX cryostat, that may be cooled to below 3 K, is fitted with an actively cooled perforated beam screen to simulate the conditions in the cold arcs of the LHC. Initially, gas desorption yields were obtained using an external synchrotron radiation beam line by exposing the beam screen to grazing incident radiation with a critical energy of 194 eV. In an extended period of EPA operation and during a dedicated period for LHC studies, COLDEX was installed into the EPA ring to study more specifically the influence of the bunched positron and electron beams with the cold bore / beam screen vacuum system. The results from these experiments and some predictions applicable for the LHC will be presented