Simulations of Cold Electroweak Baryogenesis: hypercharge U(1) and the creation of helical magnetic fields

We perform numerical simulations of Cold Electroweak Baryogenesis, including for the first time in the Bosonic sector the full electroweak gauge group SU(2)×U(1) and CP-violation. We find that the maximum generated baryon asymmetry is reduced by a factor of three relative to the SU(2)-only model, but that the quench time dependence is very similar. In addition, we compute the magnitude of the helical magnetic fields, and find that it is proportional to the strength of CP-violation and dependent on quench time, but is not proportional to the magnitude of the baryon asymmetry as proposed in the literature. Astrophysical signatures of primordial magnetic helicity can therefore not in general be used as evidence that electroweak baryogenesis has taken place

Globular cluster systems in elliptical galaxies of Coma

Globular cluster systems of 17 elliptical galaxies have been studied in the Coma cluster of galaxies. Surface-brightness fluctuations have been used to determine total populations of globular clusters and specific frequency (S_N) has been evaluated for each individual galaxy. Enormous differences in S_N between similar galaxies are found. In particular, S_N results vary by an order of magnitude from galaxy to galaxy. Extreme cases are the following: a) at the lower end of the range, NGC 4673 has S_N = 1.0 +/- 0.4, a surprising value for an elliptical galaxy, but typical for spiral and irregular galaxies; b) at the upper extreme, MCG +5 -31 -063 has S_N = 13.0 +/- 4.2 and IC 4051 S_N = 12.7 +/- 3.2, and are more likely to belong to supergiant cD galaxies than to "normal" elliptical galaxies. Furthermore, NGC 4874, the central supergiant cD galaxy of the Coma cluster, also exhibits a relatively high specific frequency (S_N = 9.0 +/- 2.2). The other galaxies studied have S_N in the range [2, 7], the mean value being S_N = 5.1. No single scenario seems to account for the observed specific frequencies, so the history of each galaxy must be deduced individually by suitably combining the different models (in situ, mergers, and accretions). The possibility that Coma is formed by several subgroups is also considered. If only the galaxies of the main subgroup defined by Gurzadyan & Mazure (2001) are used, a trend in S_N arises in the sense of S_N being bigger in higher density regions. This result needs further confirmation.Comment: 43 pages including 12 .ps figures, accepted for publication in Ap

Simulations of cold electroweak baryogenesis: dependence on the source of CP-violation

We compute the baryon asymmetry created in a tachyonic electroweak symmetry breaking transition, focusing on the dependence on the source of effective CP-violation. Earlier simulations of Cold Electroweak Baryogenesis have almost exclusively considered a very specific CP-violating term explicitly biasing Chern-Simons number. We compare four different dimension six, scalar-gauge CP-violating terms, involving both the Higgs field and another dynamical scalar coupled to SU(2) or U(1) gauge fields. We find that for sensible values of parameters, all implementations can generate a baryon asymmetry consistent with observations, showing that baryogenesis is a generic outcome of a fast tachyonic electroweak transition

Structure of the Galaxies in the NGC 80 Group

BV-bands photometric data obtained at the 6-m telescope of the Special Astrophysical Observatory are used to analyze the structure of 13 large disk galaxies in the NGC 80 group. Nine of the 13 galaxies under consideration are classified by us as lenticular galaxies. The stellar populations in the galaxies are very different, from old ones with ages of T>10 Gyrs (IC 1541) to relatively young, with the ages of T<2-3 Gyr (IC 1548, NGC 85). In one case, current star formation is known (UCM 0018+2216). In most of the galaxies, more precisely in all of them more luminous than M(B) -18, two-tiered (`antitruncated') stellar disks are detected, whose radial surface brightness profiles can be fitted by two exponential segments with different scalelengths -- shorter near the center and longer at the periphery. All dwarf S0 galaxies with single-scalelength exponential disks are close companions to giant galaxies. Except for this fact, no dependence of the properties of S0 galaxies on distance from the center of the group is found. Morphological traces of minor merger are found in the lenticular galaxy NGC 85. Basing on the last two points, we conclude that the most probable mechanisms for the transformation of spirals into lenticular galaxies in groups are gravitational ones, namely, minor mergers and tidal interactions.Comment: 24 pages, 9 figures, slightly improved version of the paper published in the December, 2009, issue of the Astronomy Report

Determination of the Jet Energy Scale at the Collider Detector at Fermilab

A precise determination of the energy scale of jets at the Collider Detector at Fermilab at the Tevatron $p\bar{p}$ collider is described. Jets are used in many analyses to estimate the energies of partons resulting from the underlying physics process. Several correction factors are developed to estimate the original parton energy from the observed jet energy in the calorimeter. The jet energy response is compared between data and Monte Carlo simulation for various physics processes, and systematic uncertainties on the jet energy scale are determined. For jets with transverse momenta above 50 GeV the jet energy scale is determined with a 3% systematic uncertainty

Search for Narrow Diphoton Resonances and for gamma-gamma+W/Z Signatures in p\bar p Collisions at sqrt(s)=1.8 TeV

We present results of searches for diphoton resonances produced both inclusively and also in association with a vector boson (W or Z) using 100 pb^{-1} of p\bar p collisions using the CDF detector. We set upper limits on the product of cross section times branching ratio for both p\bar p\to\gamma\gamma + X and p\bar p\to\gamma\gamma + W/Z. Comparing the inclusive production to the expectations from heavy sgoldstinos we derive limits on the supersymmetry-breaking scale sqrt{F} in the TeV range, depending on the sgoldstino mass and the choice of other parameters. Also, using a NLO prediction for the associated production of a Higgs boson with a W or Z boson, we set an upper limit on the branching ratio for H\to\gamma\gamma. Finally, we set a lower limit on the mass of a `bosophilic' Higgs boson (e.g. one which couples only to \gamma, W, and Z$ bosons with standard model couplings) of 82 GeV/c^2 at 95% confidence level.Comment: 30 pages, 11 figure

The radial arrangement of the human chromosome 7 in the lymphocyte cell nucleus is associated with chromosomal band gene density

This is the author's accepted manuscript. The final published article is available from the link below. Copyright @ Springer-Verlag 2008.In the nuclei of human lymphocytes, chromosome territories are distributed according to the average gene density of each chromosome. However, chromosomes are very heterogeneous in size and base composition, and can contain both very gene-dense and very gene-poor regions. Thus, a precise analysis of chromosome organisation in the nuclei should consider also the distribution of DNA belonging to the chromosomal bands in each chromosome. To improve our understanding of the chromatin organisation, we localised chromosome 7 DNA regions, endowed with different gene densities, in the nuclei of human lymphocytes. Our results showed that this chromosome in cell nuclei is arranged radially with the gene-dense/GC-richest regions exposed towards the nuclear interior and the gene-poorest/GC-poorest ones located at the nuclear periphery. Moreover, we found that chromatin fibres from the 7p22.3 and the 7q22.1 bands are not confined to the territory of the bulk of this chromosome, protruding towards the inner part of the nucleus. Overall, our work demonstrates the radial arrangement of the territory of chromosome 7 in the lymphocyte nucleus and confirms that human genes occupy specific radial positions, presumably to enhance intra- and inter-chromosomal interaction among loci displaying a similar expression pattern, and/or similar replication timing

Inclusive Search for Anomalous Production of High-pT Like-Sign Lepton Pairs in Proton-Antiproton Collisions at sqrt{s}=1.8 TeV

We report on a search for anomalous production of events with at least two charged, isolated, like-sign leptons with pT > 11 GeV/c using a 107 pb^-1 sample of 1.8 TeV ppbar collisions collected by the CDF detector. We define a signal region containing low background from Standard Model processes. To avoid bias, we fix the final cuts before examining the event yield in the signal region using control regions to test the Monte Carlo predictions. We observe no events in the signal region, consistent with an expectation of 0.63^(+0.84)_(-0.07) events. We present 95% confidence level limits on new physics processes in both a signature-based context as well as within a representative minimal supergravity (tanbeta = 3) model.Comment: 15 pages, 4 figures. Minor textual changes, cosmetic improvements to figures and updated and expanded reference

Boxy/peanut/X bulges, barlenses and the thick part of galactic bars: What are they and how did they form?

Bars have a complex three-dimensional shape. In particular their inner part is vertically much thicker than the parts further out. Viewed edge-on, the thick part of the bar is what is commonly known as a boxy-, peanut- or X- bulge and viewed face-on it is referred to as a barlens. These components are due to disc and bar instabilities and are composed of disc material. I review here their formation, evolution and dynamics, using simulations, orbital structure theory and comparisons to observations.Comment: 21 pages, 7 figures, invited review to appear in "Galactic Bulges", E. Laurikainen, R. Peletier, D. Gadotti, (eds.), Springe

Measurement of the Helicity Fractions of W Bosons from Top Quark Decays Using Fully Reconstructed top-antitop Events with CDF II

We present a measurement of the fractions F_0 and F_+ of longitudinally polarized and right-handed W bosons in top quark decays using data collected with the CDF II detector. The data set used in the analysis corresponds to an integrated luminosity of approximately 318 pb -1. We select ttbar candidate events with one lepton, at least four jets, and missing transverse energy. Our helicity measurement uses the decay angle theta*, which is defined as the angle between the momentum of the charged lepton in the W boson rest frame and the W momentum in the top quark rest frame. The cos(theta*) distribution in the data is determined by full kinematic reconstruction of the ttbar candidates. We find F_0 = 0.85 +0.15 -0.22 (stat) +- 0.06 (syst) and F_+ = 0.05 +0.11 -0.05 (stat) +- 0.03 (syst), which is consistent with the standard model prediction. We set an upper limit on the fraction of right-handed W bosons of F_+ < 0.26 at the 95% confidence level.Comment: 11 pages, 2 figures, submitted to Phys. Rev.