Generalized Killing equations and Taub-NUT spinning space

The generalized Killing equations for the configuration space of spinning particles (spinning space) are analysed. Simple solutions of the homogeneous part of these equations are expressed in terms of Killing-Yano tensors. The general results are applied to the case of the four-dimensional euclidean Taub-NUT manifold.Comment: 10 pages, late

Pion-Production in Heavy-Ion Collisions at SIS energies

We investigate the production of pions in heavy-ion collisions in the energy range of $1$ - $2$ GeV/A. The dynamics of the nucleus-nucleus collisions is described by a set of coupled transport equations of the Boltzmann-Uehling-Uhlenbeck type for baryons and mesons. Besides the $N(938)$ and the $\Delta(1232)$ we also take into account nucleon resonances up to masses of $1.9 GeV/c^2$ as well as $\pi$-, $\eta$- and $\rho$-mesons. We study in detail the influence of the higher baryonic resonances and the $2\pi$-production channels ($NN\to NN \pi\pi$) on the pion spectra in comparison to $\pi^-$ data from $Ar + KCl$ collisions at $1.8$ GeV/A and $\pi^0$-data for $Au+Au$ at 1.0 GeV/A. We, furthermore, present a detailed comparison of differential pion angular distributions with the BEVALAC data for Ar + KCl at 1.8 GeV/A. The general agreement obtained indicates that the overall reactions dynamics is well described by our novel transport approach.Comment: 31 pages, 18 figures (inlcuded), to appear in Z. Phys.

The Young, Massive, Star Cluster Sandage-96 After the Explosion of SN 2004dj in NGC 2403

The bright Type II-plateau supernova (SN) 2004dj occurred within the young, massive stellar cluster Sandage-96 in a spiral arm of NGC 2403. New multi-wavelength observations obtained with several ground-based and space-based telescopes are combined to study the radiation from Sandage-96 after SN 2004dj faded away. Sandage-96 started to dominate the flux in the optical bands starting September 2006 (~800 d after explosion). The optical fluxes are equal to the pre-explosion ones within the observational uncertainties. An optical Keck spectrum obtained ~900 d after explosion shows the dominant blue continuum from the cluster stars shortward of 6000 \AA as well as strong SN nebular emission lines redward. The integrated spectral energy distribution (SED) of the cluster has been extended into the ultraviolet region by archival XMM-Newton and new Swift observations, and compared with theoretical models. The outer parts of the cluster have been resolved by the Hubble Space Telescope, allowing the construction of a color-magnitude diagram. The fitting of the cluster SED with theoretical isochrones results in cluster ages between 10--40 Myr, depending on metallicity and the model family. The isochrone fitting indicates that the resolved part of the cluster has a bimodal age distribution: a younger population at ~10--16 Myr, and an older one at ~32--100 Myr which is similar to the age distribution of the nearby field stars. These stars may have been captured from the field during the cluster formation. The young age of Sandage-96 suggest 12 < M_prog < 20 M_\odot as the most probable mass range for the progenitor of SN 2004dj. This is consistent with, but perhaps slightly higher than, most of the other Type II-plateau SN progenitor masses determined so far.Comment: accepted in Ap

e^+e^- Pair Production from γ\gamma A Reactions

We present a calculation of e^+e^- production in $\gamma A$ reactions at MAMI and TJNAF energies within a semi-classical BUU transport model. Dilepton invariant mass spectra for $\gamma$C, $\gamma$Ca and $\gamma$Pb are calculated at 0.8, 1.5 and 2.2 GeV. We focus on observable effects of medium modifications of the $\rho$ and $\omega$ mesons. The in-medium widths of these mesons are taken into account in a dynamical, consistent way. We discuss the transport theoretical treatment of broad resonances.Comment: 42 pages including 16 figure

Medium Effects on Binary Collisions with the Delta Resonance

To facilitate the relativistic heavy-ion calculations based on transport equations, the binary collisions involving a $\Delta$ resonance in either the entrance channel or the exit channel are investigated within a Hamiltonian formulation of $\pi NN$ interactions. An averaging procedure is developed to define a quasi-particle $\Delta^*$ and to express the experimentally measured $NN\rightarrow \pi NN$ cross section in terms of an effective $NN\rightarrow N\Delta^\ast$ cross section. In contrast to previous works, the main feature of the present approach is that the mass and the momentum of the produced $\Delta^*$'s are calculated dynamically from the bare $\Delta \leftrightarrow \pi N$ vertex interaction of the model Hamiltonian and are constrained by the unitarity condition. The procedure is then extended to define the effective cross sections for the experimentally inaccessible $N\Delta^\ast \rightarrow NN$ and $N\Delta^\ast \rightarrow N\Delta^\ast$ reactions. The predicted cross sections are significantly different from what are commonly assumed in relativistic heavy-ion calculations. The $\Delta$ potential in nuclear matter has been calculated by using a Bruckner-Hartree-Fock approximation. By including the mean-field effects on the $\Delta$ propagation, the effective cross sections of the $NN\rightarrow N\Delta^\ast$, $N\Delta^\ast \rightarrow NN$ and $N\Delta^\ast \rightarrow N\Delta^\ast$ reactions in nuclear matter are predicted. It is demonstrated that the density dependence is most dramatic in the energy region close to the pion production threshold.Comment: 20 pages, RevTe

Inclusive Dielectron Cross Sections in p+p and p+d Interactions at Beam Energies from 1.04 to 4.88 GeV

Measurements of dielectron production in p+p and p+d collisions with beam kinetic energies from 1.04 to 4.88 GeV are presented. The differential cross section is presented as a function of invariant pair mass, transverse momentum, and rapidity. The shapes of the mass spectra and their evolution with beam energy provide information about the relative importance of the various dielectron production mechanisms in this energy regime. The p+d to p+p ratio of the dielectron yield is also presented as a function of invariant pair mass, transverse momentum, and rapidity. The shapes of the transverse momentum and rapidity spectra from the p+d and p+p systems are found to be similar to one another for each of the beam energies studied. The beam energy dependence of the integrated cross sections is also presented.Comment: 15 pages and 16 figure

On the critical pair theory in abelian groups : Beyond Chowla's Theorem

We obtain critical pair theorems for subsets S and T of an abelian group such that |S+T| < |S|+|T|+1. We generalize some results of Chowla, Vosper, Kemperman and a more recent result due to Rodseth and one of the authors.Comment: Submitted to Combinatorica, 23 pages, revised versio

The first CCD photometric study of the open cluster NGC 2126

We present the first CCD photometric observations of the northern open cluster NGC 2126. Data were taken on eight nights in February and December 2002 with a total time span of ~57 hours. Almost 1000 individual V-band frames were examined to find short-period variable stars. We discovered six new variable stars, of which one is a promising candidate for an eclipsing binary with a pulsating component. Two stars were classified as delta Scuti stars and one as Algol-type eclipsing binary. Two stars are slow variables with ambiguous classification. From absolute VRI photometry we have estimated the main characteristics of the cluster: m-M=11.0+/-0.5, E(V-I)=0.4+/-0.1, E(V-R)=0.08+/-0.06 (E(B-V)=0.2+/-0.15) and d=1.3+/-0.6 kpc. Cluster membership is suggested for three variable stars from their positions on the colour-magnitude diagram.Comment: 7 pages, 10 figures, accepted for publication in A&