Radio Observations of GRB Host Galaxies

We present 5.5 and 9.0 GHz observations of a sample of seventeen GRB host galaxies at 0.5<z<1.4, using the radio continuum to explore their star formation properties in the context of the small but growing sample of galaxies with similar observations. Four sources are detected, one of those (GRB 100418A) likely due to lingering afterglow emission. We suggest that the previously-reported radio afterglow of GRB 100621A may instead be due to host galaxy flux. We see no strong evidence for redshift evolution in the typical star formation rate of GRB hosts, but note that the fraction of `dark' bursts with detections is higher than would be expected given constraints on the more typical long GRB population. We also determine the average radio-derived star formation rates of core collapse supernovae at comparable redshift, and show that these are still well below the limits obtained for GRB hosts, and show evidence for a rise in typical star formation rate with redshift in supernova hosts.Comment: 15 pages, MNRAS accepte

Thermal entanglement and efficiency of the quantum Otto cycle for the su(1,1) Tavis-Cummings system

The influence of the dynamical Stark shift on the thermal entanglement and the efficiency of the quantum Otto cycle is studied for the su(1,1) Tavis-Cummings system. It is shown that the degree of the thermal entanglement becomes larger as the dynamical Stark shift increases. In contrast, the efficiency of the Otto cycle is degraded with an increase of the values of dynamical Stark shift. Expressions for the efficiency coefficient are derived. Using those expressions we identify the maximal efficiency of the quantum Otto cycle from the experimentally measured values of the dynamical Stark shiftComment: to appear in J.Phys.

Spin-flavor oscillations of ultrahigh-energy cosmic neutrinos in interstellar space: The role of neutrino magnetic moments

A theoretical analysis of possible influence of neutrino magnetic moments on the propagation of ultrahigh-energy cosmic neutrinos in the interstellar space is carried out under the assumption of two-neutrino mixing. The exact solution of the effective equation for neutrino evolution in the presence of a magnetic field and matter is obtained, which accounts for four neutrino species corresponding to two different flavor states with positive and negative helicities. Using most stringent astrophysical bounds on the putative neutrino magnetic moment, probabilities of neutrino flavor and spin oscillations are calculated on the basis of the obtained exact solution. Specific patterns of spin-flavor oscillations are determined for neutrino-energy values characteristic of, respectively, the cosmogenic neutrinos, the Greisen-Zatsepin-Kuz'min (GZK) cutoff, and well above the cutoff.Comment: 18 pages, 4 figures; fixed misprints in Eq. (7

A New Population of Ultra-long Duration Gamma-Ray Bursts

We present comprehensive multiwavelength observations of three gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) with durations of several thousand seconds. We demonstrate that these events are extragalactic transients; in particular, we resolve the long-standing conundrum of the distance of GRB 101225A (the "Christmas-day burst"), finding it to have a redshift z = 0.847 and showing that two apparently similar events (GRB 111209A and GRB 121027A) lie at z = 0.677 and z = 1.773, respectively. The systems show extremely unusual X-ray and optical light curves, very different from classical GRBs, with long-lasting, highly variable X-ray emission and optical light curves that exhibit little correlation with the behavior seen in the X-ray. Their host galaxies are faint, compact, and highly star-forming dwarf galaxies, typical of "blue compact galaxies." We propose that these bursts are the prototypes of a hitherto largely unrecognized population of ultra-long GRBs, which while observationally difficult to detect may be astrophysically relatively common. The long durations may naturally be explained by the engine-driven explosions of stars of much larger radii than normally considered for GRB progenitors, which are thought to have compact Wolf-Rayet progenitor stars. However, we cannot unambiguously identify supernova signatures within their light curves or spectra. We also consider the alternative possibility that they arise from the tidal disruption of stars by massive black holes and conclude that the associated timescales are only consistent with the disruption of compact stars (e.g., white dwarfs) by black holes of relatively low mass (<10^5 M_☉)

GRB 070714B - Discovery of the Highest Spectroscopically Confirmed Short Burst Redshift

Gemini Nod & Shuffle spectroscopy on the host of the short GRB 070714B shows a single emission line at 7167 angstroms which, based on a grizJHK photometric redshift, we conclude is the 3727 angstrom [O II] line. This places the host at a redshift of z=.923 exceeding the previous record for the highest spectroscopically confirmed short burst redshift of z=.546 held by GRB 051221. This dramatically moves back the time at which we know short bursts were being formed, and suggests that the present evidence for an old progenitor population may be observationally biased.Comment: Conference procedings for Gamma Ray Bursts 2007 November 5-9, 2007 Santa Fe, New Mexico (4 pages, 2 figures

Virtual Supersymmetric Corrections in e^+e^- Annihilation

Depending on their masses, Supersymmetric particles can affect various measurements in Z decay. Among these are the total width (or consequent extracted value of $\alpha_s$), enhancement or suppression of various flavors, and left-right and forward-backward asymmetries. The latter depend on squark mass splittings and are, therefore, a possible test of the Supergravity related predictions. We calculate leading order corrections for these quantities considering in particular the case of light photino and gluino where the SUSY effects are enhanced. In this limit the effect on $\alpha_s$ is appreciable, the effect on $R_b$ is small, and the effect on the asymmetries is extremely small.Comment: 11 pages, LaTeX, 3 figures, revised, a reference adde

Can constitutions improve democracy? Sometimes, but not always

Does adopting a constitution lead to better democracy? Not necessarily, write Todd A. Eisenstadt, A Carl LeVan, and Tofigh Maboudi, who studied 138 constitutions from a 37 year-period. They find that in many countries, the constitution-making processes did not incorporate broad public consultation, meaning that the drafters were often able to grab power by codifying benefits for themselves and for their supporters