Spokes cluster: The search for the quiescent gas

Context. Understanding the role of fragmentation is one of the most important current questions of star formation. To better understand the process of star and cluster formation, we need to study in detail the physical structure and properties of the parental molecular cloud. The Spokes cluster, or NGC 2264 D, is a rich protostellar cluster where previous N2H+(1-0) observations of its dense cores presented linewidths consistent with supersonic turbulence. However, the fragmentation of the most massive of these cores appears to have a scale length consistent with that of the thermal Jeans length, suggesting that turbulence was not dominant. Aims. These two results probe different density regimes. Our aim is to determine if there is subsonic or less-turbulent gas (than previously reported) in the Spokes cluster at higher densities. Methods. We present APEX N2H+(3-2) and N2D+(3-2) observations of the NGC2264-D region to measure the linewidths and the deuteration fraction of the higher density gas. The critical densities of the selected transitions are more than an order of magnitude higher than that of N2H+(1-0). Results. We find that the N2H+(3-2) and N2D+(3-2) emission present significantly narrower linewidths than the emission from N2H+(1-0) for most cores. In two of the spectra, the nonthermal component is close (within 1-sigma) to the sound speed. In addition, we find that the three spatially segregated cores, for which no protostar had been confirmed show the highest levels of deuteration. Conclusions. These results show that the higher density gas, probed with N2H+ and N2D+(3-2), reveals more quiescent gas in the Spokes cluster than previously reported. More high-angular resolution interferometric observations using high-density tracers are needed to truly assess the kinematics and substructure within NGC2264-D. (Abridged)Comment: 8 pages, 4 figures. Accepted in A&

Improved Reference Genome Sequence of Coccidioides immitis Strain WA_211, Isolated in Washington State.

Coccidioides fungi are widely distributed in the American continents, with an expanding western range documented by a recently discovered cryptic population of Coccidioides immitis in Washington State. The assembled and annotated reference genome sequence of the soil-derived C. immitis strain WA_211 will support population and functional genomics studies

Sensitivity to SUSY Seesaw Parameters and Lepton Flavour Violation

We address the constraints on the SUSY seesaw parameters arising from Lepton Flavour Violation observables. Working in the Constrained Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model extended by three right-handed (s)neutrinos, we study the predictions for the branching ratios of $l_j \to l_i \gamma$ and $l_j \to 3 l_i$ channels. We impose compatibility with neutrino data, electric dipole moment bounds, and further require a successful baryon asymmetry of the Universe (via thermal leptogenesis). We emphasise the interesting interplay between $\theta_{13}$ and the LFV muon decays, pointing out the hints on the SUSY seesaw parameters that can arise from measurements of $\theta_{13}$ and LFV branching ratios. This is a brief summary of the work of Ref. \cite{Antusch:2006vw}.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures. Presented at 5th Flavor Physics and CP Violation Conference (FPCP 2007), Bled, Slovenia, 12-16 May 200

Scalar and Spinor Particles in the Spacetime of a Domain Wall in String Theory

We consider scalar and spinor particles in the spacetime of a domain wall in the context of low energy effective string theories, such as the generalized scalar-tensor gravity theories. This class of theories allows for an arbitrary coupling of the wall and the (gravitational) scalar field. First, we derive the metric of a wall in the weak-field approximation and we show that it depends on the wall's surface energy density and on two post-Newtonian parameters. Then, we solve the Klein-Gordon and the Dirac equations in this spacetime. We obtain the spectrum of energy eigenvalues and the current density in the scalar and spinor cases, respectively. We show that these quantities, except in the case of the energy spectrum for a massless spinor particle, depend on the parameters that characterize the scalar-tensor domain wall.Comment: LATEX file, 21 pages, revised version to appear in Phys. Rev.