A perturbative determination of O(a) boundary improvement coefficients for the Schr\"odinger Functional coupling at 1-loop with improved gauge actions

We determine O($a$) boundary improvement coefficients up to 1-loop level for the Schr\"odinger Functional coupling with improved gauge actions including plaquette and rectangle loops. These coefficients are required to implement 1-loop O($a$) improvement in full QCD simulations for the coupling with the improved gauge actions. To this order, lattice artifacts of step scaling function for each improved gauge action are also investigated. In addition, passing through the SF scheme, we estimate the ratio of $\Lambda$-parameters between the improved gauge actions and the plaquette action more accurately.Comment: 17 pages, 2 figures, 6 table

Cluster Ellipticities as a Cosmological Probe

We investigate the dependence of ellipticities of clusters of galaxies on cosmological parameters using large-scale cosmological simulations. We determine cluster ellipticities out to redshift unity for LCDM models with different mean densities $\Omega_m$ and amplitudes of mass fluctuation $\sigma_{8,0}$. The mean ellipticity increases monotonically with redshift for all models. Larger values of $\sigma_{8,0}$, i.e., earlier cluster formation time, produce lower ellipticities. The dependence of ellipticity on $\Omega_m$ is relatively weak in the range $0.2 \leq \Omega_m \leq 0.5$ for high mass clusters. The mean ellipticity $\bar{e}(z)$ decreases linearly with the amplitude of fluctuations at the cluster redshift $z$, nearly independent of $\Omega_m$; on average, older clusters are more relaxed and are thus less elliptical. The distribution of ellipticities about the mean is approximated by a Gaussian, allowing a simple characterization of the evolution of ellipticity with redshift as a function of cosmological parameters. At $z=0$, the mean ellipticity of high mass clusters is approximated by $\bar{e}(z=0) = 0.248-0.069 \sigma_{8,0} + 0.013 \Omega_{m,0}$. This relation opens up the possibility that, when compared with future observations of large cluster samples, the mean cluster ellipticity and its evolution could be used as a new, independent tool to constrain cosmological parameters, especially the amplitude of mass fluctuations, $\sigma_{8,0}$.Comment: 16 pages, 4 figure

Cluster Alignments and Ellipticities in LCDM Cosmology

The ellipticities and alignments of clusters of galaxies, and their evolution with redshift, are examined in the context of a Lambda-dominated cold dark matter cosmology. We use a large-scale, high-resolution N-body simulation to model the matter distribution in a light cone containing ~10^6 clusters out to redshifts of z=3. Cluster ellipticities are determined as a function of mass, radius, and redshift, both in 3D and in projection. We find strong cluster ellipticities: the mean ellipticity increases with redshift from 0.3 at z=0 to 0.5 at z=3, for both 3D and 2D ellipticities; the evolution is well-fit by e=0.33+0.05z. The ellipticities increase with cluster mass and with cluster radius; the main cluster body is more elliptical than the cluster cores, but the increase of ellipticities with redshift is preserved. Using the fitted cluster ellipsoids, we determine the alignment of clusters as a function of their separation. We find strong alignment of clusters for separations <100 Mpc/h; the alignment increases with decreasing separation and with increasing redshift. The evolution of clusters from highly aligned and elongated systems at early times to lower alignment and elongation at present reflects the hierarchical and filamentary nature of structure formation. These measures of cluster ellipticity and alignment will provide a new test of the current cosmological model when compared with upcoming cluster surveys.Comment: 29 pages including 13 figures, to appear in ApJ Jan. 2005 (corrected typos, added reference

Statistical kinetic treatment of relativistic binary collisions

In particle-based algorithms, the effect of binary collisions is commonly described in a statistical way, using Monte Carlo techniques. It is shown that, in the relativistic regime, stringent constraints should be considered on the sampling of particle pairs for collision, which are critical to ensure physically meaningful results, and that nonrelativistic sampling criteria (e.g., uniform random pairing) yield qualitatively wrong results, including equilibrium distributions that differ from the theoretical J\"uttner distribution. A general procedure for relativistically consistent algorithms is provided, and verified with three-dimensional Monte Carlo simulations, thus opening the way to the numerical exploration of the statistical properties of collisional relativistic systems.Comment: Accepted for publication as a Rapid Communication in Phys. Rev.

Heavy quark masses in the continuum limit of quenched Lattice QCD

We compute charm and bottom quark masses in the quenched approximation and in the continuum limit of lattice QCD. We make use of a step scaling method, previously introduced to deal with two scale problems, that allows to take the continuum limit of the lattice data. We determine the RGI quark masses and make the connection to the MSbar scheme. The continuum extrapolation gives us a value m_b^{RGI} = 6.73(16) GeV for the b-quark and m_c^{RGI} = 1.681(36) GeV for the c-quark, corresponding respectively to m_b^{MSbar}(m_b^{MSbar}) = 4.33(10) GeV and m_c^{MSbar}(m_c^{MSbar}) = 1.319(28) GeV. The latter result, in agreement with current estimates, is for us a check of the method. Using our results on the heavy quark masses we compute the mass of the Bc meson, M_{Bc} = 6.46(15) GeV.Comment: 29 pages, 9 figures, version accepted for publication in Nucl. Phys.

Dissecting accretion and outflows in accreting white dwarf binaries

This is a White Paper in support of the mission concept of the Large Observatory for X-ray Timing (LOFT), proposed as a medium-sized ESA mission. We discuss the potential of LOFT for the study of accreting white dwarfs. For a summary, we refer to the paper.Comment: White Paper in Support of the Mission Concept of the Large Observatory for X-ray Timin

On initial conditions for the Hot Big Bang

We analyse the process of reheating the Universe in the electroweak theory where the Higgs field plays a role of the inflaton. We estimate the maximal temperature of the Universe and fix the initial conditions for radiation-dominated phase of the Universe expansion in the framework of the Standard Model (SM) and of the nuMSM -- the minimal extension of the SM by three right-handed singlet fermions. We show that the inflationary epoch is followed by a matter dominated stage related to the Higgs field oscillations. We investigate the energy transfer from Higgs-inflaton to the SM particles and show that the radiation dominated phase of the Universe expansion starts at temperature T_r~(3-15)*10^{13} GeV, where the upper bound depends on the Higgs boson mass. We estimate the production rate of singlet fermions at preheating and find that their concentrations at T_r are negligibly small. This suggests that the sterile neutrino Dark Matter (DM) production and baryogenesis in the nuMSM with Higgs-driven inflation are low energy phenomena, having nothing to do with inflation. We study then a modification of the nuMSM, adding to its Lagrangian higher dimensional operators suppressed by the Planck scale. The role of these operators in Higgs-driven inflation is clarified. We find that these operators do not contribute to the production of Warm Dark Matter (WDM) and to baryogenesis. We also demonstrate that the sterile neutrino with mass exceeding 100 keV (a Cold Dark Matter (CDM) candidate) can be created during the reheating stage of the Universe in necessary amounts. We argue that the mass of DM sterile neutrino should not exceed few MeV in order not to overclose the Universe.Comment: 41 pages, 5 figures. Journal version accepted in JCA

Rotational velocities of the giants in symbiotic stars: III. Evidence of fast rotation in S-type symbiotics

We have measured the projected rotational velocities (vsini) in a number of symbiotic stars and M giants using high resolution spectroscopic observations. On the basis of our measurements and data from the literature, we compare the rotation of mass-donors in symbiotics with vsini of field giants and find that: (1) the K giants in S-type symbiotics rotate at vsini>4.5 km/s, which is 2-4 times faster than the field K giants; (2) the M giants in S-type symbiotics rotate on average 1.5 times faster than the field M giants. Statistical tests show that these differences are highly significant: p-value < 0.001 in the spectral type bins K2III-K5III, M0III-M6III, and M2III-M5III; (3) our new observations of D'-type symbiotics also confirm that they are fast rotators. As a result of the rapid rotation, the cool giants in symbiotics should have 3-30 times larger mass loss rates. Our results suggest also that bipolar ejections in symbiotics seem to happen in objects where the mass donors rotate faster than the orbital period. All spectra used in our series of papers can be obtained upon request from the authors.Comment: MNRAS (accepted), 7 pages, 5 figure

Classical novae from the POINT-AGAPE microlensing survey of M31 -- I. The nova catalogue

The POINT-AGAPE survey is an optical search for gravitational microlensing events towards the Andromeda Galaxy (M31). As well as microlensing, the survey is sensitive to many different classes of variable stars and transients. Here we describe the automated detection and selection pipeline used to identify M31 classical novae (CNe) and we present the resulting catalogue of 20 CN candidates observed over three seasons. CNe are observed both in the bulge region as well as over a wide area of the M31 disk. Nine of the CNe are caught during the final rise phase and all are well sampled in at least two colours. The excellent light-curve coverage has allowed us to detect and classify CNe over a wide range of speed class, from very fast to very slow. Among the light-curves is a moderately fast CN exhibiting entry into a deep transition minimum, followed by its final decline. We have also observed in detail a very slow CN which faded by only 0.01 mag day$^{-1}$ over a 150 day period. We detect other interesting variable objects, including one of the longest period and most luminous Mira variables. The CN catalogue constitutes a uniquely well-sampled and objectively-selected data set with which to study the statistical properties of classical novae in M31, such as the global nova rate, the reliability of novae as standard-candle distance indicators and the dependence of the nova population on stellar environment. The findings of this statistical study will be reported in a follow-up paper.Comment: 21 pages, 13 figures, re-submitted for publication in MNRAS, typos corrected, references updated, figures 5-9 made cleare