Coordinated thermal and optical observations of Trans-Neptunian object (20000) Varuna from Sierra Nevada

We report on coordinated thermal and optical measurements of trans-Neptunian object (20000) Varuna obtained in January-February 2002, respectively from the IRAM 30-m and IAA 1.5 m telescopes. The optical data show a lightcurve with a period of 3.176+/-0.010 hr, a mean V magnitude of 20.37+/-0.08 and a 0.42+/-0.01 magnitude amplitude. They also tentatively indicate that the lightcurve is asymmetric and double-peaked. The thermal observations indicate a 1.12+/-0.41 mJy flux, averaged over the object's rotation. Combining the two datasets, we infer that Varuna has a mean 1060(+180/-220) km diameter and a mean 0.038(+0.022/-0.010) V geometric albedo, in general agreement with an earlier determination using the same technique.Comment: Accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysics (7 pages, including 3 figures

Lattice-Constrained Parametrizations of Form Factors for Semileptonic and Rare Radiative B Decays

We describe the form factors for semileptonic B to rho l nu and radiative B to K* gamma decays with just two parameters and the two form factors for semileptonic B to pi l nu decays with three parameters. The parametrizations are constrained by lattice results and are consistent with heavy quark symmetry, kinematic constraints and light cone sum rule scaling relations.Comment: 3 pages, latex, 2 eps files, uses epsf.sty and espcrc2.sty, poster presented at Lattice 97, Edinburgh, 22-26 July 199

Exploring Io's atmospheric composition with APEX: first measurement of 34SO2 and tentative detection of KCl

The composition of Io's tenuous atmosphere is poorly constrained. Only the major species SO2 and a handful of minor species have been positively identified, but a variety of other molecular species should be present, based on thermochemical equilibrium models of volcanic gas chemistry and the composition of Io's environment. This paper focuses on the spectral search for expected yet undetected molecular species (KCl, SiO, S2O) and isotopes (34SO2). We analyze a disk-averaged spectrum of a potentially line-rich spectral window around 345 GHz, obtained in 2010 at the APEX-12m antenna (Atacama Pathfinder EXperiment). Using different models assuming either extended atmospheric distributions or a purely volcanically-sustained atmosphere, we tentatively measure the KCl relative abundance with respect to SO2 and derive a range of 4x10^{-4}-8x10^{-3}. We do not detect SiO or S2O and present new upper limits on their abundances. We also present the first measurement of the 34S/32S isotopic ratio in gas phase on Io, which appears to be twice as high as the Earth and ISM reference values. Strong lines of SO2 and SO are also analyzed to check for longitudinal variations of column density and relative abundance. Our models show that, based on their predicted relative abundance with respect to SO2 in volcanic plumes, both the tentative KCl detection and SiO upper limit are compatible with a purely volcanic origin for these species.Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ. 11 pages, 4 figure

B\Bbar mixing with the bulk fields in the Randall-Sundrum model

We calculate the B\Bbar mixing in the Randall-Sundrum bulk model. In this model, all the Standard Model fields except the Higgs can reside in the bulk. Two suggestive models of "mixed" and "relaxed" scenarios are considered. We find that the enhancement of the loop function is 0.51% for the "relaxed" and 1.07% for the "mixed" scenario when the first 4th KK modes are included, for a bulk fermion mass parameter $\nu=-0.3$.Comment: REVTEX, 20 pages, 3 figure

Titan's atmosphere as observed by Cassini/VIMS solar occultations: CH4_4, CO and evidence for C2_2H6_6 absorption

We present an analysis of the VIMS solar occultations dataset, which allows us to extract vertically resolved information on the characteristics of Titan's atmosphere between 100-700 km with a characteristic vertical resolution of 10 km. After a series of data treatment procedures, 4 occultations out of 10 are retained. This sample covers different seasons and latitudes of Titan. The transmittances show clearly the evolution of the haze and detect the detached layer at 310 km in Sept. 2011 at mid-northern latitudes. Through the inversion of the transmission spectra with a line-by-line radiative transfer code we retrieve the vertical distribution of CH$_4$ and CO mixing ratio. The two methane bands at 1.4 and 1.7 {\mu}m are always in good agreement and yield an average stratospheric abundance of $1.28\pm0.08$%. This is significantly less than the value of 1.48% obtained by the GCMS/Huygens instrument. The analysis of the residual spectra after the inversion shows that there are additional absorptions which affect a great part of the VIMS wavelength range. We attribute many of these additional bands to gaseous ethane, whose near-infrared spectrum is not well modeled yet. Ethane contributes significantly to the strong absorption between 3.2-3.5 {\mu}m that was previously attributed only to C-H stretching bands from aerosols. Ethane bands may affect the surface windows too, especially at 2.7 {\mu}m. Other residual bands are generated by stretching modes of C-H, C-C and C-N bonds. In addition to the C-H stretch from aliphatic hydrocarbons at 3.4 {\mu}m, we detect a strong and narrow absorption at 3.28 {\mu}m which we tentatively attribute to the presence of PAHs in the stratosphere. C-C and C-N stretching bands are possibly present between 4.3-4.5 {\mu}m. Finally, we obtain the CO mixing ratio between 70-170 km. The average result of $46\pm16$ ppm is in good agreement with previous studies.Comment: 51 pages, 28 figure

Study of the leptonic decays of pseudoscalar B,DB, D and vector B∗,D∗B^*, D^* mesons and of the semileptonic B→DB\to D and B→D∗B\to D^* decays

We present results for different observables in weak decays of pseudoscalar and vector mesons with a heavy $c$ or $b$ quark. The calculations are done in a nonrelativistic constituent quark model improved at some instances by heavy quark effective theory constraints. We determine pseudoscalar and vector meson decay constants that within a few per cent satisfy $f_V M_V/f_P M_P=1$, a result expected in heavy quark symmetry when the heavy quark masses tend to infinity. We also analyze the semileptonic $B\to D$ and $B\to D^*$ decays for which we evaluate the different form factors. Here we impose heavy quark effective theory constraints among form factors that are not satisfied by a direct quark model calculation. The value of the form factors at zero recoil allows us to determine, by comparison with experimental data, the value of the $|V_{cb}|$ Cabbibo-Kobayashi-Maskawa matrix element. From the $B\to D$ semileptonic decay we get $|V_{cb}|=0.040\pm0.006$ in perfect agreement with our previous determination based on the study of the semileptonic $\Lambda_b\to \Lambda_c$ decay and also in excellent agreement with a recent experimental determination by the DELPHI Collaboration. We further make use of the partial conservation of axial current hypothesis to determine the strong coupling constants $g_{B^*B\pi}(0)=60.5\pm 1.1$ and $g_{D^*D\pi}(0)=22.1\pm0.4$. The ratio $R=(g_{B^*B\pi}(0) f_{B^*}\sqrt{M_D})/ (g_{D^*D\pi}(0) f_{D^*}\sqrt{M_B})=1.105\pm0.005$ agrees with the heavy quark symmetry prediction of 1.Comment: 19 Latex pages,6 figures, references added, corrected typos, content enlarge

Light hadron spectra and wave functions in quenched QCD with overlap quarks on a large lattice

A simulation of quenched QCD with the overlap Dirac operator has been completed using 100 Wilson gauge configurations at beta=6 on an 18^3x64 lattice. We present results for meson and baryon masses, meson final state "wave functions'' and other observables.Comment: 5 LaTeX pages (espcrc2.sty), 13 figures. Combined contributions by J.H., L.L. and C.R. at Lattice2004(spectrum), Fermilab, June 21-26, 200

An Investigation of the Soft Pion Relation in Quenched Lattice QCD

A lattice determination of the form factor and decay constants for the semileptonic decay of heavy pseudoscalar (PS) mesons at zero recoil is presented from which the soft pion relation is satisfied. Chiral extrapolation of the form factor is performed at constant $q^2$. Pole dominance is used to extrapolate the form factor in heavy quark mass. At the B mass, the form factor at zero recoil lies somewhat below the ratio of decay constants; the relation remains satisfied within error.Comment: 3 pages, 2 figure