Mass and Mean Velocity Dispersion Relations for Supermassive Black Holes in Galactic Bulges

Growing evidence indicate supermassive black holes (SMBHs) in the mass range of $M_{\rm BH}$$\sim 10^6-10^{10}M_{\odot}$ lurking in central bulges of many galaxies. Extensive observations reveal fairly tight power laws of $M_{\rm BH}$ versus the mean stellar velocity dispersion $\sigma$ of the host bulge. The dynamic evolution of a bulge and the formation of a central SMBH should be physically linked by various observational clues. In this contribution, we reproduce the empirical $M_{\rm BH}-\sigma$ power laws based on a self-similar general polytropic quasi-static bulge evolution and a sensible criterion of forming a SMBH surrounding the central density singularity of a general singular polytropic sphere (SPS) \cite{loujiang2008}. Other properties of host bulges and central SMBHs are also examined. Based on our model, we discuss the intrinsic scatter of the $M_{\rm BH}-\sigma$ relation and a scenario for the evolution of SMBHs in different host bulges.Comment: 8 pages, 2 figures, accepted for publication in the Proceedings of Science for VII Microquasar Workshop: Microquasars and Beyon

A General Analysis of Wtb anomalous Couplings

We investigate new physics effects on the Wtb effective couplings in a model-independent manner. The new physics effects are summarized as four independent couplings $f_1^L$, $f_1^R$, $f_2^L$ and $f_2^R$. Using single-top-quark productions and W-helicity fraction measurements at the LHC and Tevatron, we perform a global fit to impose constraints on top quark effective couplings. We introduce a set of parameters $x_0$, $x_m$, $x_p$ and $x_5$ to study the correlations among Wtb effective couplings. We show that (i) improving the measurements of $\sigma_t$ and $\sigma_{tW}$ is important in constraining the correlation of $(f_1^R,f_2^R)$ and $(f_2^L,f_2^R)$; (ii) $f_1^L$ and $f_2^R$ are anti-correlated, which is sensitive to all the experiments; (iii) $f_1^R$ and $f_2^L$ are also anti-correlated, which is sensitive to the W-helicity measurements; (iv) the correlation between $f_2^L$ and $f_2^R$ is sensitive to the precision of $\sigma_t$, $\sigma_{tW}$ and $F_0$ measurements. The effective Wtb couplings are studied in three kinds of new physics models: $SU(2)_1 \times SU(2)_2 \times U(1)_X$ models, vector-like quark models and Littlest Higgs model with and without T-parity. The Wtb couplings in the left-right model and the un-unified model are sensitive to the ratio of gauge couplings when the new heavy gauge boson's mass ($M_{W'}$) is less than several hundred GeV, but the constraint is loose if $M_{W'}>1$ TeV. The Wtb couplings in vector-like quark models and the Littlest Higgs models are sensitive to the mixing angles of new heavy particles and SM particles. We also include the constraints of the oblique T-parameter and Zbb couplings which impose much tighter constraints on the mixing angles. We show that the Wtb coupling constraints become relevant if the precision of single top production cross section measurements could be reduced to 1\% relative to the SM predictions in future.Comment: Chin. Phys. C in pres

Discovery and Identification of W' and Z' in SU(2) x SU(2) x U(1) Models at the LHC

We explore the discovery potential of W' and Z' boson searches for various SU(2) x SU(2) x U(1) models at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), after taking into account the constraints from low energy precision measurements and direct searches at both the Tevatron (1.96 TeV) and the LHC (7 TeV). In such models, the W' and Z' bosons emerge after the electroweak symmetry is spontaneously broken. Two patterns of the symmetry breaking are considered in this work: one is SU(2)_L x SU(2)_2 x U(1)_X to SU(2)_L x U(1)_Y (BP-I), another is SU(2)_1 x SU(2)_2 x U(1)_Y to SU(2)_L x U(1)_Y (BP-II). Examining the single production channel of W' and Z' with their subsequent leptonic decays, we find that the probability of detecting W' and Z' bosons in the considered models at the LHC (with 14 TeV) is highly limited by the low energy precision data constraints. We show that observing Z' alone, without seeing a W', does not rule out new physics models with non-Abelian gauge extension, such as the phobic models in BP-I. Models in BP-II would predict the discovery of degenerate W' and Z' bosons at the LHC.Comment: 29 pages, including 11 figures, 3 tables, added references for introductio

Spin superconductor in ferromagnetic graphene

We show a spin superconductor (SSC) in ferromagnetic graphene as the counterpart to the charge superconductor, in which a spin-polarized electron-hole pair plays the role of the spin $2 (\hbar/2)$ `Cooper pair' with a neutral charge. We present a BCS-type theory for the SSC. With the `London-type equations' of the super-spin-current density, we show the existence of an electric `Meissner effect' against a spatial varying electric field. We further study a SSC/normal conductor/SSC junction and predict a spin-current Josephson effect.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figure

Bulk induced phase transition in driven diffusive systems

This Letter studies a weakly and asymmetrically coupled three-lane driven diffusive system. A non-monotonically changing density profile in the middle lane has been observed. When the extreme value of the density profile reaches $\rho=0.5$, a bulk induced phase transition occurs which exhibits a shock and a continuously and smoothly decreasing density profile which crosses $\rho=0.5$ upstream or downstream of the shock. The existence of double shocks has also been observed. A mean-field approach has been used to interpret the numerical results obtained by Monte Carlo simulations. The current minimization principle has excluded the occurrence of two or more bulk induced shocks in the general case of nonzero lane changing rates

Genome-wide comparative analysis of metacaspases in unicellular and filamentous cyanobacteria

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Cyanobacteria are an ancient group of photoautotrophic prokaryotes with wide variations in genome size and ecological habitat. Metacaspases (MCAs) are cysteine proteinases that have sequence homology to caspases and play essential roles in programmed cell death (PCD). MCAs have been identified in several prokaryotes, fungi and plants; however, knowledge about cyanobacterial metacaspases still remains obscure. With the availability of sequenced genomes of 33 cyanobacteria, we perform a comparative analysis of metacaspases and explore their distribution, domain structure and evolution.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>A total of 58 putative MCAs were identified, which are abundant in filamentous diazotrophic cyanobacteria and <it>Acaryochloris marina </it>MBIC 11017 and absent in all <it>Prochlorococcus </it>and marine <it>Synechococcus </it>strains, except <it>Synechococcus </it>sp. PCC 7002. The Cys-His dyad of caspase superfamily is conserved, while mutations (Tyr in place of His and Ser/Asn/Gln/Gly instead of Cys) are also detected in some cyanobacteria. MCAs can be classified into two major families (α and β) based on the additional domain structure. Ten types and a total of 276 additional domains were identified, most of which involves in signal transduction. Apoptotic related NACHT domain was also found in two cyanobacterial MCAs. Phylogenetic tree of MCA catalytic P20 domains coincides well with the domain structure and the phylogenies based on 16s rRNA.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The existence and quantity of MCA genes in unicellular and filamentous cyanobacteria are a function of the genome size and ecological habitat. MCAs of family α and β seem to evolve separately and the recruitment of WD40 additional domain occurs later than the divergence of the two families. In this study, a general framework of sequence-structure-function connections for the metacaspases has been revealed, which may provide new targets for function investigation.</p

The Top Quark Production Asymmetries AFBtA_{FB}^t and AFBℓA_{FB}^{\ell}

A large forward-backward asymmetry is seen in both the top quark rapidity distribution $A_{FB}^t$ and in the rapidity distribution of charged leptons $A_{FB}^\ell$ from top quarks produced at the Tevatron. We study the kinematic and dynamic aspects of the relationship of the two observables arising from the spin correlation between the charged lepton and the top quark with different polarization states. We emphasize the value of both measurements, and we conclude that a new physics model which produces more right-handed than left-handed top quarks is favored by the present data.Comment: accepted for publication in Physical Review Letter