Kernel Regression For Determining Photometric Redshifts From Sloan Broadband Photometry

We present a new approach, kernel regression, to determine photometric redshifts for 399,929 galaxies in the Fifth Data Release of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS). In our case, kernel regression is a weighted average of spectral redshifts of the neighbors for a query point, where higher weights are associated with points that are closer to the query point. One important design decision when using kernel regression is the choice of the bandwidth. We apply 10-fold cross-validation to choose the optimal bandwidth, which is obtained as the cross-validation error approaches the minimum. The experiments show that the optimal bandwidth is different for diverse input patterns, the least rms error of photometric redshift estimation arrives at 0.019 using color+eClass as the inputs, the less rms error amounts to 0.020 using ugriz+eClass as the inputs. Here eClass is a galaxy spectra type. Then the little rms scatter is 0.021 with color+r as the inputs.Comment: 6 pages,2 figures, accepted for publication in MNRA

The heavy-element abundances of AGB stars and the angular momentum conservation model of wind accretion for barium stars

Adpoting new s-process nucleosynthesis scenario and branch s-process path, we calculate the heavy-element abundances and C/O ratio of solar metallicity 3M_sun TP-AGB stars. The evolutionary sequence from M to S to C stars of AGB stars is explained naturally by the calculated results. Then combining the angular momentum conservation model of wind accretion with the heavy-element abundances on the surface of TP-AGB stars, we calculate the heavy-element overabundances of barium stars via successive pulsed accreting and mixing. Our results support that the barium stars with longer orbital period, P>1600 days, form through wind accretion scenario.Comment: 14 pages, LaTex, 17 PS figures included, accepted for publication in A &

Evolution of magnetic component in Yang-Mills condensate dark energy models

The evolution of the electric and magnetic components in an effective Yang-Mills condensate dark energy model is investigated. If the electric field is dominant, the magnetic component disappears with the expansion of the Universe. The total YM condensate tracks the radiation in the earlier Universe, and later it becomes $w_y\sim-1$ thus is similar to the cosmological constant. So the cosmic coincidence problem can be avoided in this model. However, if the magnetic field is dominant, $w_y>1/3$ holds for all time, suggesting that it cannot be a candidate for the dark energy in this case.Comment: 12 pages, 4 figures, minor typos correcte

NeIII/OII as an oxygen abundance indicator in the HII regions and HII galaxies

To calibrate the relationship between Ne3O2 (Ne3O2 = log(\neiii$\lambda3869$/\oii$\lambda3727$)) and oxygen abundances, we present a sample of $\sim$3000 \hii galaxies from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) data release four. They are associated with a sample from the literature intended to enlarge the oxygen abundance region. We calculated the electron temperatures ($T_e$) of 210 galaxies in the SDSS sample with the direct method, and $T_e$ of the other 2960 galaxies in SDSS sample calculated with an empirical method. Then, we use a linear least-square fitting to calibrate the Ne3O2 oxygen abundance indicator. It is found that the Ne3O2 estimator follows a linear relation with \zoh\ that holds for the whole abundance range covered by the sample, from approximately 7.0 to 9.0. The best linear relationship between the Ne3O2 and the oxygen abundance is calibrated. The dispersion between oxygen abundance and Ne3O2 index in the metal rich galaxies may come partly from the moderate depletion of oxygen onto grains. The $Ne3O2$ method has the virtue of being single-valued and not affected by internal reddening. As a result, the $Ne3O2$ method can be a good metallicity indicator in the \hii regions and \hii galaxies, especially in high-redshift galaxies.Comment: 7 pages, 6 figures. A&A accepte