Hybrid star structure with the Field Correlator Method

We explore the relevance of the color-flavor locking phase in the equation of state (EoS) built with the Field Correlator Method (FCM) for the description of the quark matter core of hybrid stars. For the hadronic phase, we use the microscopic Brueckner-Hartree-Fock (BHF) many-body theory, and its relativistic counterpart, i.e. the Dirac-Brueckner (DBHF). We find that the main features of the phase transition are directly related to the values of the quark-antiquark potential $V_1$, the gluon condensate $G_2$ and the color-flavor superconducting gap $\Delta$. We confirm that the mapping between the FCM and the CSS (constant speed of sound) parameterization holds true even in the case of paired quark matter. The inclusion of hyperons in the hadronic phase and its effect on the mass-radius relation of hybrid stars is also investigated.Comment: 15 pages, 8 figures ; revised version to be published in the EPJA Topical Issue on "Exotic Matter in Neutron Stars

The Emergence of the ‘Social Economy’: the Australian not-for-profit sector in transition

The Not-for-Profit (NFP) sector in Australia is currently in transition. There is a growing recognition, in Australia and worldwide, that government and philanthropic funds are insufficient to address the problems facing society; as well as demands for increased accountability and demonstration of improved outcomes from traditional funding to the non-profit sector. There is also a growing global interest in social enterprises, socially responsible investment, and, in particular, impact investing – where investors aim to achieve a blend between commercial value and social impact. These trends are contributing to the emergence of new organizational forms, partnerships and financial products, and as a consequence, NFP organizations are becoming just one form of organization within the broader spectrum of organizations and activity described as the ‘social economy’. This research project begins to explore this transition by analysing a sample of organizations in Australia that while having formal non-profit structures, identified themselves as social enterprises in a bid for funding from one of Australia’s leading corporate foundations, the Westpac Foundation. The research builds on previous studies, yet also enables more detailed data on the leadership, governance, human resources, financial challenges, and focus of activities of social enterprises and raises questions about the future of the sector and the social economy

Detection of Contact Binaries Using Sparse High Phase Angle Lightcurves

We show that candidate contact binary asteroids can be efficiently identified from sparsely sampled photometry taken at phase angles >60deg. At high phase angle, close/contact binary systems produce distinctive lightcurves that spend most of the time at maximum or minimum (typically >1mag apart) brightness with relatively fast transitions between the two. This means that a few (~5) sparse observations will suffice to measure the large range of variation and identify candidate contact binary systems. This finding can be used in the context of all-sky surveys to constrain the fraction of contact binary near-Earth objects. High phase angle lightcurve data can also reveal the absolute sense of the spin.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, 1 table. Accepted for publication in ApJ

SiPM and front-end electronics development for Cherenkov light detection

The Italian Institute of Nuclear Physics (INFN) is involved in the development of a demonstrator for a SiPM-based camera for the Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA) experiment, with a pixel size of 6$\times$6 mm$^2$. The camera houses about two thousands electronics channels and is both light and compact. In this framework, a R&D program for the development of SiPMs suitable for Cherenkov light detection (so called NUV SiPMs) is ongoing. Different photosensors have been produced at Fondazione Bruno Kessler (FBK), with different micro-cell dimensions and fill factors, in different geometrical arrangements. At the same time, INFN is developing front-end electronics based on the waveform sampling technique optimized for the new NUV SiPM. Measurements on 1$\times$1 mm$^2$, 3$\times$3 mm$^2$, and 6$\times$6 mm$^2$ NUV SiPMs coupled to the front-end electronics are presentedComment: In Proceedings of the 34th International Cosmic Ray Conference (ICRC2015), The Hague, The Netherlands. All CTA contributions at arXiv:1508.0589

Extreme Kuiper Belt Object 2001 QG298 and the Fraction of Contact Binaries

Extensive time-resolved observations of Kuiper Belt object 2001 QG298 show a lightcurve with a peak-to-peak variation of 1.14 +-0.04 magnitudes and single-peaked period of 6.8872 +- 0.0002 hr. The mean absolute magnitude is 6.85 magnitudes which corresponds to a mean effective radius of 122 (77) km if an albedo of 0.04 (0.10) is assumed. This is the first known Kuiper Belt object and only the third minor planet with a radius > 25 km to display a lightcurve with a range in excess of 1 magnitude. We find the colors to be typical for a Kuiper Belt object (B-V = 1.00 +- 0.04, V-R = 0.60 +- 0.02) with no variation in color between minimum and maximum light. The large light variation, relatively long double-peaked period and absence of rotational color change argue against explanations due to albedo markings or elongation due to high angular momentum. Instead, we suggest that 2001 QG298 may be a very close or contact binary similar in structure to what has been independently proposed for the Trojan asteroid 624 Hektor. If so, its rotational period would be twice the lightcurve period or 13.7744 +- 0.0004 hr. By correcting for the effects of projection, we estimate that the fraction of similar objects in the Kuiper Belt is at least 10% to 20% with the true fraction probably much higher. A high abundance of close and contact binaries is expected in some scenarios for the evolution of binary Kuiper Belt objects.Comment: 15 text pages,6 figures(Color),5 Tables, Accepted to AJ for May 200