The bright optical companion to the eclipsing millisecond pulsar in NGC 6397

We report the possible optical identification of the companion to the eclipsing millisecond pulsar PSR J1740-5340 in the globular cluster NGC 6397. A bright variable star with an anomalous red colour and optical variability which nicely correlates to the orbital period of the pulsar has been found close to the pulsar position. If confirmed, the optical light curve, reminiscent of tidal distorsions similar to those observed in detached and contact binaries, support the idea that this is the first case of a Roche lobe filling companion to a millisecond pulsar.Comment: 9 pages, 4 embedded figures, submitted to ApJ Letter

A spacetime realization of kappa-Poincare algebra

We study a Hamiltonian realization of the phase space of kappa-Poincare algebra that yields a definition of velocity consistent with the deformed Lorentz symmetry. We are also able to determine the laws of transformation of spacetime coordinates and to define an invariant spacetime metric, and discuss some possible experimental consequences.Comment: 5 pages, plain TeX. Some misprints corrected. A discussion on the possibility of experimental verifications adde

General helicity formalism for Single and Double Spin Asymmetries in p p --> pion + X

We consider within a generalized QCD factorization approach, the high energy inclusive polarized process p p --> pion + X, including all intrinsic partonic motions. Several new spin and k_T-dependent soft functions appear and contribute to cross sections and spin asymmetries. We present here formal expressions for transverse single spin asymmetries and double longitudinal ones. The transverse single spin asymmetry, A_N, is considered in detail, and all contributions are evaluated numerically. It is shown that the azimuthal phase integrations strongly suppress most contributions, leaving at work mainly the Sivers effect.Comment: LaTeX, 5 pages, 1 eps figure, uses epsfig, wrapfig. Talk delivered by S. Melis at the ``XI Workshop on High Energy Spin Physics'', SPIN 05, September 27 - October 1, 2005, Dubna, Russi

The Parkes Multibeam Pulsar Survey: PSR J1811-1736 - a pulsar in a highly eccentric binary system

We are undertaking a high-frequency survey of the Galactic plane for radio pulsars, using the 13-element multibeam receiver on the 64-m Parkes radio telescope. We describe briefly the survey system and some of the initial results. PSR J1811-1736, one of the first pulsars discovered with this system, has a rotation period of 104 ms. Subsequent timing observations using the 76-m radio telescope at Jodrell Bank show that it is in an 18.8-day, highly-eccentric binary orbit. We have measured the rate of advance of periastron which indicates a total system mass of 2.6 +- 0.9 Msun, and the minimum companion mass is about 0.7 Msun. This, the high orbital eccentricity and the recycled nature of the pulsar suggests that this system is composed of two neutron stars, only the fourth or fifth such system known in the disk of the Galaxy.Comment: 6 pages, 3 embedded EPS figures, to be published in MNRA

First minimum bias physics results at LHCb

We report on the first measurements of the LHCb experiment, as obtained from $pp$ collisions at $\sqrt{s} = 0.9$ TeV and 7 TeV recorded using a minimum bias trigger. In particular measurements of the absolute $K^0_S$ production cross section at $\sqrt{s} = 0.9$ TeV and of the $\bar{\Lambda}/\Lambda$ ratio both at $\sqrt{s} = 0.9$ TeV and 7 TeV are discussed and preliminary results are presented.Comment: To appear in the Proceedings of the 15th International QCD Conference (QCD10) submitted to Nuc. Phys. (Proc. Suppl.

Lattice Boltzmann models for non-ideal fluids with arrested phase-separation

The effects of mid-range repulsion in Lattice Boltzmann models on the coalescence/breakup behaviour of single-component, non-ideal fluids are investigated. It is found that mid-range repulsive interactions allow the formation of spray-like, multi-droplet configurations, with droplet size directly related to the strength of the repulsive interaction. The simulations show that just a tiny ten-percent of mid-range repulsive pseudo-energy can boost the surface/volume ratio of the phase- separated fluid by nearly two orders of magnitude. Drawing upon a formal analogy with magnetic Ising systems, a pseudo-potential energy is defined, which is found to behave like a quasi-conserved quantity for most of the time-evolution. This offers a useful quantitative indicator of the stability of the various configurations, thus helping the task of their interpretation and classification. The present approach appears to be a promising tool for the computational modelling of complex flow phenomena, such as atomization, spray formation and micro-emulsions, break-up phenomena and possibly glassy-like systems as well.Comment: 12 pages, 9 figure

The geometry of symplectic pairs

We study the geometry of manifolds carrying symplectic pairs consisting of two closed 2-forms of constant ranks, whose kernel foliations are complementary. Using a variation of the construction of Boothby and Wang we build contact-symplectic and contact pairs from symplectic pairs.Comment: to appear in Transactions of the American Mathematical Societ

Differential branching fraction and angular analysis of the decay B0→K∗0μ+μ−

The angular distribution and differential branching fraction of the decay B 0→ K ∗0 μ + μ − are studied using a data sample, collected by the LHCb experiment in pp collisions at s√=7 TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 1.0 fb−1. Several angular observables are measured in bins of the dimuon invariant mass squared, q 2. A first measurement of the zero-crossing point of the forward-backward asymmetry of the dimuon system is also presented. The zero-crossing point is measured to be q20=4.9±0.9GeV2/c4 , where the uncertainty is the sum of statistical and systematic uncertainties. The results are consistent with the Standard Model predictions

Microscopic unitary description of tidal excitations in high-energy string-brane collisions

The eikonal operator was originally introduced to describe the effect of tidal excitations on higher-genus elastic string amplitudes at high energy. In this paper we provide a precise interpretation for this operator through the explicit tree-level calculation of generic inelastic transitions between closed strings as they scatter off a stack of parallel Dp-branes. We perform this analysis both in the light-cone gauge, using the Green-Schwarz vertex, and in the covariant formalism, using the Reggeon vertex operator. We also present a detailed discussion of the high energy behaviour of the covariant string amplitudes, showing how to take into account the energy factors that enhance the contribution of the longitudinally polarized massive states in a simple way.Comment: 58 page

Black hole solutions of gravity theories with nonminimal coupling between matter and curvature

We study black hole solutions in an extension of General Relativity (GR) with an explicit non-minimal coupling between matter and curvature. General black hole solutions satisfying the known energy conditions are derived including the ones with anti-de Sitter background. These solutions differ from those of GR just by a coupling function dependent rescaling of the mass and charge of the black hole and by a "dressing" of the cosmological constant. The existence of black hole solutions of the nonminimally coupled theory as well as the conditions for a suitable weak field limit are considered as a constraint on the coupling function responsible for the nonminimal coupling between matter and curvature. The "dressing" of the cosmological constant is then used to address the cosmological constant problem.Comment: 24 pages, no figure