Search

Measurements and calculations have shown significant disagreement regarding the sign and variations of the thermal expansion coefficient (TEC) of graphene $\alpha(T)$. Here we report dedicated Raman scattering experiments conducted for graphene monolayers deposited on silicon nitride substrates and over the broad temperature range 150--900~K. The relation between those measurements for the G band and the graphene TEC, which involves correcting the measured signal for the mismatch contribution of the substrate, is analyzed based on various theoretical candidates for $\alpha(T)$. Contrary to calculations in the quasiharmonic approximation, a many-body potential reparametrized for graphene correctly reproduces experimental data. These results indicate that the TEC is more likely to be positive above room temperature.

Radiation fields emitted by O, B-type stars or young stellar populations (SPs) are generally considered as significant central ionizing sources (CISs) of classic H II regions. In our previous studies, we show that the inclusion of binary interactions in stellar population synthesis models can significantly increase the ultraviolet spectrum hardness and the number of ionizing photons of intermediate-age (IA, 7<~log(t/yr)<~8) SPs. In this work, we present photoionization models of H II regions ionized by radiation fields emitted by IA SPs, and show that radiation fields of IA SPs, including binary systems, are in theory possible candidates of significant CISs of classic H II regions. When radiation fields of IA SPs comprising binary systems are used as the CISs of classic H II regions, the theoretical strengths of a number of lines (such as [O III]4959', [S II]6716', etc.), weaker than observations, are raised; the border /selection-criterion lines, between star-forming galaxies and AGNs in the diagnostic diagrams (for example, [N II]6583/Ha~[O III]5007/Hb), move into the region occupied originally by AGNs; and He II 1640 line, observed in Lyman break and high-redshift gravitationally lensed galaxies, also can be produced., Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures, accepted by MNRAS Letter

Plasmonics has established itself as a branch of physics which promises to revolutionize data processing, improve photovoltaics, increase sensitivity of bio-detection. A widespread use of plasmonic devices is notably hindered (in addition to high losses) by the absence of stable and inexpensive metal films suitable for plasmonic applications. This may seem surprising given the number of metal compounds to choose from. Unfortunately, most of them either exhibit a strong damping of surface plasmons or easily oxidize and corrode. To this end, there has been continuous search for alternative plasmonic materials that are, unlike gold, the current metal of choice in plasmonics, compatible with complementary metal oxide semiconductor technology. Here we show that copper and silver protected by graphene are viable candidates. Copper films covered with one to a few graphene layers show excellent plasmonics characteristics surpassing those of gold films. They can be used to fabricate plasmonic devices and survive for at least a year, even in wet and corroding conditions. As a proof of concept, we use the graphene-protected copper to demonstrate dielectric loaded plasmonic waveguides and test sensitivity of surface plasmon resonances. Our results are likely to initiate a wide use of graphene-protected plasmonics., Comment: 22 pages, 5 figures

We report on the observation of strong backscattering of charge carriers in the quantum Hall regime of polycrystalline graphene grown by chemical vapor deposition, which alters the accuracy of the Hall resistance quantization. The temperature and magnetic field dependence of the longitudinal conductivity exhibits unexpectedly smooth power law behaviors, which are incompatible with a description in terms of variable range hopping or thermal activation, but rather suggest the existence of extended or poorly localized states at energies between Landau levels. Such states could be caused by the high density of line defects (grain boundaries and wrinkles) that cross the Hall bars, as revealed by structural characterizations. Numerical calculations confirm that quasi-one-dimensional extended non-chiral states can form along such line defects and short-circuit the Hall bar chiral edge states., Comment: 9 pages, 10 figures

We report a comprehensive study of the tuning with electric fields of the resonant magneto-exciton optical phonon coupling in gated graphene. For magnetic fields around $B \sim 25$ T which correspond to the range of the fundamental magneto-phonon resonance, the electron-phonon coupling can be switched on and off by tuning the position of the Fermi level in order to Pauli block the two fundamental inter Landau level excitations. The effects of such a profound change in the electronic excitation spectrum are traced through investigations of the optical phonon response in polarization resolved magneto-Raman scattering experiments. We report on the observation of a splitting of the phonon feature with satellite peaks developing, at particular values of the Landau level filling factor, on the low or on the high energy side of the phonon, depending on the relative energy of the discrete electronic excitation and of the optical phonon. Shifts of the phonon energy as large as $\pm60$ cm$^{-1}$ are observed close to the resonance. The intraband electronic excitation, the cyclotron resonance, is shown to play a relevant role in the observed spectral evolution of the phonon response., Comment: 5 Figures

This report of the BOOST2012 workshop presents the results of four working groups that studied key aspects of jet substructure. We discuss the potential of the description of jet substructure in first-principle QCD calculations and study the accuracy of state-of-the-art Monte Carlo tools. Experimental limitations of the ability to resolve substructure are evaluated, with a focus on the impact of additional proton proton collisions on jet substructure performance in future LHC operating scenarios. A final section summarizes the lessons learnt during the deployment of substructure analyses in searches for new physics in the production of boosted top quarks., Comment: Report of BOOST2012, held at IFIC Valencia, 23$^{rd}$-27$^{th}$ of July 2012

This report summarizes the work of the Energy Frontier Top Quark working group of the 2013 Community Summer Study (Snowmass).

The most favored progenitor scenarios for Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) involve the single-degenerate (SD) scenario and the double-degenerate scenario. The absence of stripped hydrogen (H) in the nebular spectra of SNe Ia challenges the SD progenitor models. Recently, it was shown that pure deflagration explosion models of Chandrasekhar-mass white dwarfs ignited off-center reproduce the characteristic observational features of 2002cx-like SNe Ia very well. In this work we predict, for the first time, the amount of stripped H for the off-center pure deflagration explosions. We find that their low kinetic energies lead to inefficient H mass stripping (less than 0.01 M_sun), indicating that the stripped H may be hidden in (observed) late-time spectra of SN 2002cx-like SNe Ia., Comment: updated the citations and references

Evolutionary population synthesis (EPS) models play an important role in many studies on the formation and evolution of galaxies. Most EPS models are still poorly calibrated for certain stellar evolution stages, especially for the treatment of binary stars, which are very different from single stars. We aim to present color-magnitude (C-M) and color-color (C-C) relations for passive model galaxies in the redshift z$\sim0.0-3.0$ and to study the effect of binary interactions on these relations for high-redshift passive galaxies. Assuming exponentially declining star formation rate, we used a set of theoretical galaxy templates obtained from Yunnan EPS models (with and without binary interactions) to present the C-M and C-C relations for passive galaxies via Monte Carlo simulation. In Yunnan EPS models with binary interactions, various processes are included, such as mass transfer, mass accretion, common-envelope evolution, collisions, supernova kicks, tidal evolution, and all angular momentum loss mechanisms. In these models, approximately 50 per cent of the stellar systems are binary systems with orbital periods less than 100\,yr. This fraction is a typical value for the Milky Way. We find that the inclusion of binary interactions in the model galaxies' spectra can dramatically alter the predicted C-M and C-C relations and their evolution with redshift. For $z\sim 0.0$ and $1.0$, the binary interactions have a minor effect on the C-M and C-C relations, but at $z\sim 2.0$ and $3.0$ the binary interactions have a major effect on the C-M and C-C relations. Especially for the redshift $z\sim 2.0$, the $g-$band magnitude becomes smaller by $1.5$\,mag, the $g-r$ color becomes bluer by $1.0$\,mag, and the $u-g$ color becomes redder by $1.0$\,mag when binary interactions are included.

It is believed that, except for metallicity, some other parameters are needed to explain the horizontal branch (HB) morphology of globular clusters (GCs). Furthermore, these parameters are considered to be correlated with the mass loss of the red giant branch (RGB) stars. In our previous work, we proposed that tidally enhanced stellar wind during binary evolution may affect the HB morphology by enhancing the mass loss of the red giant primary. As a further study, we now investigate the effects of metallicity and age on HB morphology by considering tidally enhanced stellar winds during binary evolution. We incorporated the tidally enhanced-stellar-wind model into Eggleton's stellar evolution code to study the binary evolution. To study the effects of metallicity and age on our final results, we conducted two sets of model calculations: (i) for a fixed age, we used three metallicities, namely Z=0.0001, 0.001, and 0.02. (ii) For a fixed metallicity, Z=0.001, we used five ages in our model calculations: 14, 13, 12, 10, and 7 Gyr. We found that HB morphology of GCs becomes bluer with decreasing metallicity, and old GCs present bluer HB morphology than young ones. These results are consistent with previous work. Although the envelope-mass distributions of zero-age HB stars produced by tidally enhanced stellar wind are similar for different metallicities, the synthetic HB under tidally enhanced stellar wind for Z=0.02 presented a distinct gap between red and blue HB. However, this feature was not seen clearly in the synthetic HB for Z=0.001 and 0.0001. We also found that higher binary fractions may make HB morphology become bluer, and we discussed the results with recent observations., Comment: 16 pages, 6 figures, 3 tables, accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysics

Type Ia supernovae (SN Ia) are the most important standard candles for measuring the expansion history of the universe. The thermonuclear explosion of a white dwarf can explain their observed properties, but neither the progenitor systems nor any stellar remnants have been conclusively identified. Underluminous SN Ia have been proposed to originate from a so-called double-detonation of a white dwarf. After a critical amount of helium is deposited on the surface through accretion from a close companion, the helium is ignited causing a detonation wave that triggers the explosion of the white dwarf itself. We have discovered both shallow transits and eclipses in the tight binary system CD-30 11223 composed of a carbon/oxygen white dwarf and a hot helium star, allowing us to determine its component masses and fundamental parameters. In the future the system will transfer mass from the helium star to the white dwarf. Modelling this process we find that the detonation in the accreted helium layer is sufficiently strong to trigger the explosion of the core. The helium star will then be ejected at so large a velocity that it will escape the Galaxy. The predicted properties of this remnant are an excellent match to the so-called hypervelocity star US 708, a hot, helium-rich star moving at more than 750 km/s, sufficient to leave the Galaxy. The identification of both progenitor and remnant provides a consistent picture of the formation and evolution of underluminous type Ia supernovae., Comment: 10 pages, 10 figures, A&A accepted

Motivated by recent numerous works on the interplay among various measures of quantum correlations, we aim to investigate the relationship between the violation of Clauser-Horne-Shimony-Holt (CHSH) Bell inequality and geometric measure of quantum discord for two-qubit systems. Exact lower and upper bounds of Bell violation versus geometric discord are obtained for a specific and significant class of states, Bell diagonal states, and the respective states which suffice those bounds are also characterized. The dynamical behavior of these two quantifiers is carefully analyzed in the presence of decoherence, including Markovian, non-Markovian, and non-back-action quantum environments. The results suggest that Bell violation is closely related to geometric discord, like its relationship with other entanglement monotones., Comment: Published version. 9 pages, 16 figures

Metallicity is the first parameter to influence the horizontal branch (HB) morphology of globular clusters (GCs). It has been found, however, that some other parameters may also play an important role in affecting the morphology. While the nature of these important parameters remains unclear, they are believed to be likely correlated with wind mass-loss of red giants, since this mass loss determines their subsequent locations on the HB. Unfortunately, the mass loss during the red giant stages of the stellar evolution is poorly understood at present. The stellar winds of red giants may be tidally enhanced by companion stars if they are in binary systems. We investigate evolutionary consequences of red giants in binaries by including tidally enhanced stellar winds, and examine the effects on the HB morphology of GCs. We find that red, blue, and extreme horizontal branch stars are all produced under the effects of tidally enhanced stellar wind without any additional assumptions on the mass-loss dispersion. Furthermore, the horizontal branch morphology is found to be insensitive to the tidal enhancement parameter, Bw. We compare our theoretical results with the observed horizontal branch morphology of globular cluster NGC 2808, and find that the basic morphology of the horizontal branch can be well reproduced. The number of blue horizontal branch stars in our calculations, however, is lower than that of NGC 2808., Comment: 7 pages, 4 figures, 2 tables, accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysics

We build the Yunnan-III evolutionary population synthesis (EPS) models by using the MESA stellar evolution code, BaSeL stellar spectra library and the initial mass functions (IMFs) of Kroupa and Salpeter, and present colours and integrated spectral energy distributions (ISEDs) of solar-metallicity stellar populations (SPs) in the range of 1Myr-15 Gyr. The main characteristic of the Yunnan-III EPS models is the usage of a set of self-consistent solar-metallicity stellar evolutionary tracks (the masses of stars are from 0.1 to 100Msun). This set of tracks is obtained by using the state-of-the-art MESA code. MESA code can evolve stellar models through thermally pulsing asymptotic giant branch (TP-AGB) phase for low- and intermediate-mass stars. By comparisons, we confirm that the inclusion of TP-AGB stars make the V-K, V-J and V-R colours of SPs redder and the infrared flux larger at ages log(t/yr)>7.6 (the differences reach the maximum at log(t/yr)~8.6, ~0.5-0.2mag for colours, ~2 times for K-band flux). The stellar evolutionary tracks, isochrones, colours and ISEDs can be obtained on request from the first author or from our website (http://www1.ynao.ac.cn/~zhangfh/). Using the isochrones, you can build your EPS models. Now the format of stellar evolutionary tracks is the same as that in the STARBURST99 code, you can put them into the STARBURST99 code and get the SP's results. Moreover, the colours involving other passbands or on other systems (for example, HST $F439W-F555W$ colour on AB system) can also be obtained on request., Comment: 19 pages, 14 figures, accepted by MNRAS

The identity of the progenitor systems of SNe Ia is still uncertain. In the single-degenerate (SD) scenario, the interaction between the SN blast wave and the outer layers of a main sequence (MS) companion star strips off H-rich material which is then mixed into the ejecta. Strong contamination of the SN ejecta with stripped material could lead to a conflict with observations of SNe Ia. This constrains the SD progenitor model. In this work, our previous simulations based on simplified progenitor donor stars have been updated by adopting more realistic progenitor-system models that result from fully detailed, state-of-the-art binary evolution calculations. We use Eggleton's stellar evolution code including the optically thick accretion wind model and the possibility of the effects of accretion disk instabilities to obtain realistic models of companions for different progenitor systems. The impact of the SN blast wave on these companion stars is followed in three-dimensional hydrodynamic simulations employing the SPH code GADGET3. We find that the stripped masses range from 0.11 to 0.18 M_sun. The kick velocity is between 51 and 105 km/s. We find that the stripped mass and kick velocity depend on the ratio of the orbital separation to the radius of a companion. They can be fitted by a power law for a given companion model. However, the structure of the companion star is also important for the amount of stripped material. With more realistic companion star models than in previous studies, our simulations show that the H masses stripped from companions are inconsistent with the best observational limits (< 0.01 M_sun) derived from nebular spectra. However, a rigorous forward modeling based on impact simulations with radiation transfer is required to reliably predict observable signatures of the stripped H and to conclusively assess the viability of the considered SN Ia progenitor scenario., Comment: 14 pages, 13 figures, accepted for publication by A&A

This work aims to present our current best physical understanding of common-envelope evolution (CEE). We highlight areas of consensus and disagreement, and stress ideas which should point the way forward for progress in this important but long-standing and largely unconquered problem. Unusually for CEE-related work, we mostly try to avoid relying on results from population synthesis or observations, in order to avoid potentially being misled by previous misunderstandings. As far as possible we debate all the relevant issues starting from physics alone, all the way from the evolution of the binary system immediately before CEE begins to the processes which might occur just after the ejection of the envelope. In particular, we include extensive discussion about the energy sources and sinks operating in CEE, and hence examine the foundations of the standard energy formalism. Special attention is also given to comparing the results of hydrodynamic simulations from different groups and to discussing the potential effect of initial conditions on the differences in the outcomes. We compare current numerical techniques for the problem of CEE and also whether more appropriate tools could and should be produced (including new formulations of computational hydrodynamics, and attempts to include 3D processes within 1D codes). Finally we explore new ways to link CEE with observations. We compare previous simulations of CEE to the recent outburst from V1309 Sco, and discuss to what extent post-common-envelope binaries and nebulae can provide information, e.g. from binary eccentricities, which is not currently being fully exploited., Comment: 83 pages (11 chapters, 2 appendixes), 10 figures, Astronomy & Astrophysics Review format. This version contains revisions as a response to community comments

The origin of the 6.67 hr period X-ray source, 1E161348-5055, in the young supernova remnant RCW 103 is puzzling. We propose that it may be the descendant of a Thorne-Zytkow Object (TZO). A TZO may at its formation have a rapidly spinning neutron star as a core, and a slowly rotating envelope. We found that the core could be braked quickly to an extremely long spin period by the coupling between its magnetic field and the envelope, and that the envelope could be disrupted by some powerful bursts or exhausted via stellar wind. If the envelope is disrupted after the core has spun down, the core will become an extremely long-period compact object, with a slow proper motion speed, surrounded by a supernova-remnant-like shell. These features all agree with the observations of 1E161348-5055. TZOs are expected to have produced extraordinary high abundances of lithium and rapid proton process elements that would remain in the remnants and could be used to test this scenario., Comment: 6 pages

Using the evolutionary population synthesis (EPS) models with and without binary interactions (BIs), we present L_Ha, L_[OII], L_{i,UV} and L_FIR for Burst, S0, Sa-Sd and Irr galaxies, and present the calibrations of star formation rate (SFR) in terms of these diagnostics. By comparison, we find that BIs lower the SFR.vs.L_Ha and SFR.vs.L_[OII] conversion factors by ~0.2 dex. Moreover, BIs do not significantly vary the calibrations of SFR in terms of L_{i,UV}. In addition, BIs have little effect on the flux at 2800A. At last, the calibration of SFR from L_FIR is almost unaffected by BIs. This is caused by the fact that BIs almost do not affect the bolometric magnitudes of SPs. We also discuss the effects of initial mass function (IMF), gas-recycle assumption (GRA) and EPS models on these SFR calibrations. Comparing the results by using Salpeter (S55) IMF with those by using Miller & Scalo (MS79) IMF, we find that the SFR.vs.L_Ha and SFR.vs.L_[OII] conversion factors by using S55 IMF are greater by 0.4 and 0.2 dex than those by using MS79 IMF for the models with and without BIs, respectively. The SFR.vs.L_{i,UV} and SFR.vs.L_FIR conversion factors by using S55 IMF are larger by an amount of 0.2 dex than the corresponding ones by using MS79 IMF. The inclusion of GRA only lowers these SFR calibrations at faint SFR. Moreover, comparing the results when using different EPS models, we find that the differences in the SFR.vs.L_Ha and SFR.vs.L_[OII] conversion factors reach ~ 0.7 and 0.9 dex, the difference in the SFR.vs.L_FIR conversion factor reaches 0.4 and 0.8 dex, and the differences in the SFR.vs.L_{i,UV} conversion factors reach 0.3 and 0.2 dex when using S55 and NON-S55 IMF (including Cha03, K01, K93' and MS79 IMFs, partly caused by the difference in the IMF), respectively. At last, we give the conversion coefficients between SFR and these diagnostics for all models., Comment: 17 pages, 21 figures, 5 tables, accepted by MNRAS; 2011

We present high quality long slit spectra along the major and minor axes out to 1.5 effective radius ($R_e$) of the massive galaxy NGC4636 taken by Hobby-Eberly Telescope (HET). Using Fourier Correlation Quotient (FCQ) method, we measured the stellar line-of-sight velocity distribution along the axes. Furthermore, six Lick/IDS indices ($H\beta,Mgb,Fe_{5015},Fe_{5270},Fe_{5335},Fe_{5406}$) are derived from the clean spectrum. By comparing the measured absorption line strengths with the predictions of Simple Stellar Populations (SSP) models, we derived ages, total metallicity and $\alpha$ abundance profiles of the galaxy. This galaxy presents old and $[\alpha/Fe]$ over abundant stellar populations. Indeed, using the SSP model, we obtained the broadband color profiles. The theoretical colors match well with the measured colors and present red sharp peaks at the galaxy center. The sharp peaks of the colors are mainly shaped by the high metallicity in the galaxy center. Interestingly, the galaxy has steep negative metallicity gradients, but trend flattens outwards. This result likly suggests that the center and outer regions of the galaxy formed through different formation process., Comment: 14 pages, 7 figures, accepted by RAA

Plasmon mode in a silver nanowire is theoretically studied when the nanowire is placed on or near a silica substrate. It is found that the substrate has much influence on the plasmon mode. For the nanowire on the substrate, the plasmon (hybrid) mode possesses not only a long propagation length but also an ultrasmall mode area. From the experimental point of view, this cavity-free structure holds a great potential to study a strong coherent interaction between the plasmon mode and single quantum system (for example, quantum dots) embedded in the substrate., Comment: 3 pages, 3 figures

Recent discovery of several overluminous type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) indicates that the explosive masses of white dwarfs may significantly exceed the canonical Chandrasekhar mass limit. Rapid differential rotation may support these massive white dwarfs. Based on the single-degenerate scenario, and assuming that the white dwarfs would differentially rotate when the accretion rate $\dot{M}>3\times 10^{-7}M_{\odot}\rm yr^{-1}$, employing Eggleton's stellar evolution code we have performed the numerical calculations for $\sim$ 1000 binary systems consisting of a He star and a CO white dwarf (WD). We present the initial parameters in the orbital period - helium star mass plane (for WD masses of $1.0 M_{\odot}$ and $1.2 M_{\odot}$, respectively), which lead to super-Chandrasekhar mass SNe Ia. Our results indicate that, for an initial massive WD of $1.2 M_{\odot}$, a large number of SNe Ia may result from super-Chandrasekhar mass WDs, and the highest mass of the WD at the moment of SNe Ia explosion is 1.81 $M_\odot$, but very massive ($>1.85M_{\odot}$) WDs cannot be formed. However, when the initial mass of WDs is $1.0 M_{\odot}$, the explosive masses of SNe Ia are nearly uniform, which is consistent with the rareness of super-Chandrasekhar mass SNe Ia in observations., Comment: 6 pages, 7 figures, accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysics

Using the Hyperz code and a template spectral library which consists of 4 observed galaxy spectra from Coleman, Wu & Weedman (CWW, 1980) and 8 spectral families built with evolutionary population synthesis models, we present photometric redshift estimates (photo-z) for a spectroscopic sample of 6,531 galaxies, and morphologies for a morphological sample of 1,502 bright galaxies. All galaxies are matched with the SDSS DR7 and GALEX DR4. The inclusion of Fuv or Nuv or both photometry decreases the number of catastrophic identifications (CIs, |z_phot -z_spec| > 1.0). If CIs are removed, the inclusion of both Fuv and Nuv photometry mainly increases the number of non-CIs in the low redshift, g-r < 0.8 and fainter r-magnitude regions. The inclusion of binary interactions (BIs) mainly increases the number of non-CIs and decreases the deviations in the 0.3 < g-r < 0.8 region in the case of only using optical photometry. The inclusion of UV photometry would decrease and increase the probability that early types are classified as Burst and E types, respectively, and increase that late types are classified as CWW-Sbc and CWW-Scd types. If CIs are excluded, the inclusion of UV data mainly raises the identifications of late types in all redshift, bluer g-r and r > 14 regions. Moreover, BIs mainly affect the determinations of E and S0 types. Nuv -u = 1.94 and 5.77-1.47(u-r) = Fuv discriminators can be used as morphology selection indicators. These two criteria have comparable reliability and completeness for selecting early- and late-type galaxies to C=2.6 criterion and higher completeness for early-type selection than u-r=2.22 criterion., Comment: 23 pages, 33 figures, accepted by MNRAS

In our evolutionary population synthesis models, the samples of binaries are reproduced by the 'patched' Monte Carlo simulation and the stellar masses, integrated J, H, K, L, L2 and M magnitudes, mass-to-light ratios and broad colours involving infrared bands are presented, for an extensive set of instantaneous-burst binary stellar populations. In addition, the fluctuations in the integrated colours, which have been given by Zhang et al. (2005), are reduced. By comparing the results for binary stellar populations with (Model A) and without (Model B) binary interactions we show that the inclusion of binary interactions makes the stellar mass of a binary stellar population smaller (~3.6-4.5% during the past 15Gyr); magnitudes greater (except U, ~0.18mag at the most); colours smaller (~0.15mag for V-K at the most); the mass-to-light ratios greater (~0.06 for K-band) except those in the U and B passbands at higher metallicities. And, Binary interactions make the V magnitude less sensitive to age, R and I magnitudes more sensitive to metallicity. Given an age, the absolute values of the differences in the stellar mass, magnitudes, mass-to-light ratios (except those in the U and B bands) between Models A and B reach the maximum at Z=0.0001, i.e., the effects of binary interactions on these parameters reach the maximum, while the differences in some colours reach the maximum at Z ~0.01-0.0004. On the contrary, the absolute value of the difference in the stellar mass is minimal at Z=0.03, those in the U,B,V magnitudes and the mass-to-light ratios in the U and B bands reach the minimum at Z ~0.01-0.004., Comment: 15 pages, 15 figures

Subdwarf B stars (sdBs) can significantly change the ultraviolet spectra of populations at age t~1Gyr, and have been even included in the volutionary population synthesis (EPS) models by Han et al. (2007). In this study we present the spectral energy distributions (SEDs) of binary stellar populations (BSPs) by combining the EPS models of Han et al. (2007) and those of the Yunnan group (Zhang et al. 2004, 005), which have included various binary interactions (except sdBs) in EPS models. This set of SEDs is vailable upon request from the authors. Using this set of SEDs of BSPs we build the spectra of Burst, E, S0-Sd and Irr types of galaxies by using the package of Bruzual & Charlot (2003, BC03). Combined with the photometric data (filters and magnitudes), we obtain the photometric redshifts and morphologies of 1502 galaxies by using the Hyperz code of Bolzonella et al. (2000). This sample of galaxies is obtained by removing those objects, mismatched with the SDSS/DR7 and GALEX/DR4, from the catalogue of Fukugita et al. (2007). By comparison the results with the SDSS spectroscopic redshifts and the morphological index of Fukugita et al. (2007), we find that the photo-zs fluctuate with the SDSS spectroscopic redshifts, while the Sa-Sc galaxies in the catalogue of Fukugita et al. (2007) are classified earlier as Burst-E galaxies., Comment: 5 pages, 5 figures, in press

Using the Hyperz code (Bolzonella et al. 2000) we present photometric redshift estimates for a random sample of galaxies selected from the SDSS/DR7 and GALEX/DR4, for which spectroscopic redshifts are also available. We confirm that the inclusion of ultraviolet photometry improves the accuracy of photo-zs for those galaxies with g*-r* < 0.7 and z_spec < 0.2. We also address the problem of how binary interactions can affect photo-z estimates, and find that their effect is negligible., Comment: 2 pages 1 figures

We present the integrated J, H, K, L, M and N magnitudes and the colours involving infrared bands, for an extensive set of instantaneous-burst binary stellar populations (BSPs) by using evolutionary population synthesis (EPS). By comparing the results for BSPs WITH and WITHOUT binary interactions we show that the inclusion of binary interactions makes the magnitudes of populations larger (fainter) and the integrated colours smaller (bluer) for t > 1Gyr. Also, we compare our model magnitudes and colours with those of Bruzual & Charlot (2003, hereafter BC03) and Maraston (2005, hereafter M05). At last, we compare these model broad colours with Magellanic Clouds globular clusters (GCs) and Milky Way GCs. In (V-R)-[Fe/H] and (V-I)-[Fe/H] diagrams it seems that our models match the observations better than those of BC03 and M05., Comment: 2 page 3 figures

Using Yunnan evolutionary population synthesis (EPS) models, we present integrated colours, integrated spectral energy distributions (ISEDs) and absorption-line indices defined by the Lick Observatory image dissector scanner (Lick/IDS) system, for an extensive set of instantaneous-burst binary stellar populations (BSPs) with interactions. By comparing the results for populations with and without interactions we show that the inclusion of binary interactions makes the appearance of the population substantially bluer. This effect raises the derived age and metallicity of the population. To be used in the studies of modern spectroscopic galaxy surveys at intermediate/high spectral resolution, we also present intermediate- (3A) and high-resolution (~0.3A) ISEDs and Lick/IDS absorption-line indices for BSPs. To directly compare with observations the Lick/IDS absorption indices are also presented by measuring them directly from the ISEDs., Comment: 2 pages 2 figures

We present high quality long slit spectra along the major and minor axes out to 1.5-2 Re (14-22 kpc) of three bright elliptical galaxies (NGC1600, NGC4125, NGC7619) obtained at the Hobby-Eberly Telescope (HET). We derive stellar kinematic profiles and Lick/IDS indices (Hbeta, Mgb, Fe5015, Fe5270, Fe5335, Fe5406). Moreover, for NGC4125 we derive gas kinematics and emission line strengths. We model the absorption line strengths using Simple Stellar Populations models that take into account the variation of [\alpha/Fe] and derive ages, total metallicity and element abundances. Overall, we find that the three galaxies have old and [\alpha/Fe] overabundant stellar populations with no significant gradients. The metallicity is supersolar at the center with a strong negative radial gradient. For NGC4125, several pieces of evidence point to a recent dissipational merger event. We calculate the broad band color profiles with the help of SSP models. All of the colors show sharp peaks at the center of the galaxies, mainly caused by the metallicity gradients, and agree well with the measured colors. Using the Schwarzschild's axisymmetric orbit superposition technique, we model the stellar kinematics to constrain the dark halos of the galaxies. We use the tight correlation between the Mgb strength and local escape velocity to set limits on the extent of the halos by testing different halo sizes. Logarithmic halos - cut at 60 kpc -minimize the overall scatter of the Mgb-Vesc relation. Larger cutoff radii are found if the dark matter density profile is decreasing more steeply at large radii., Comment: Accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysics

We identify 806 ultra-cool dwarfs from their SDSS riz photometry (of which 34 are newly discovered L dwarfs) and obtain proper motions through cross matching with UKIDSS and 2MASS. Proper motion and distance constraints show that nine of our ultra-cool dwarfs are members of widely separated binary systems; SDSS 0101 (K5V+M9.5V), SDSS 0207 (M1.5V+L3V), SDSS 0832 (K3III+L3.5V), SDSS 0858 (M4V+L0V), SDSS 0953 (M4V+M9.5V), SDSS 0956 (M2V+M9V), SDSS 1304 (M4.5V+L0V), SDSS 1631 (M5.5V+M8V), SDSS 1638 (M4V+L0V). One of these (SDSS 0832) is shown to be a companion to the bright K3 giant Eta Cancri. Such primaries can provide age and metallicity constraints for any companion objects, yielding excellent benchmark objects. Eta Cancri AB is the first wide ultra-cool dwarf + giant binary system identified. We present new observations and analysis that constrain the metallicity of Eta Cancri A to be near solar, and use recent evolutionary models to constrain the age of the giant to be 2.2-6.1 Gyr. If Eta Cancri B is a single object, we estimate its physical attributes to be; mass = 63-82 M_Jup, T_eff = 1800+/-150 K, log g = 5.3-5.5, [M/H] = 0.0+/-0.1. Its colours are non typical when compared to other ultra-cool dwarfs, and we also assess the possibility that Eta Cancri B is itself an unresolved binary, showing that the combined light of an L4 + T4 system could provide a reasonable explanation for its colours., Comment: 20 pages, 14 figures, accepted to MNRAS

Argues that successful intercultural counseling depends on how well the counselor understands the social contextual factors surrounding the interaction. Discusses how intercultural counseling is a collaborative process, the success of which depends on how well the counselor and clients coordinate their communication on process and content. (Contains 46 references.) (GCP)

Most stars are members of binaries, and the evolution of a star in a close binary system differs from that of an ioslated star due to the proximity of its companion star. The components in a binary system interact in many ways and binary evolution leads to the formation of many peculiar stars, including blue stragglers and hot subdwarfs. We will discuss binary evolution and the formation of blue stragglers and hot subdwarfs, and show that those hot objects are important in the study of evolutionary population synthesis (EPS), and conclude that binary interactions should be included in the study of EPS. Indeed, binary interactions make a stellar population younger (hotter), and the far-ultraviolet (UV) excess in elliptical galaxies is shown to be most likely resulted from binary interactions. This has major implications for understanding the evolution of the far-UV excess and elliptical galaxies in general. In particular, it implies that the far-UV excess is not a sign of age, as had been postulated prviously and predicts that it should not be strongly dependent on the metallicity of the population, but exists universally from dwarf ellipticals to giant ellipticals., Comment: Oral talk on IAUS 262, Brazil

Blue stragglers have been found in all populations. These objects are important in both stellar evolution and stellar population synthesis. Much evidence shows that blue stragglers are relevant to primordial binaries. Here, we summarize the links of binary evolution and blue stragglers, describe the characteristics of blue stragglers from different binary evolutionary channels, and show their consequences for binary population synthesis, such as for the integrated spectral energy distribution, the colour-magnitude diagram, the specific frequency, and the influences on colours etc.., Comment: Oral talk on IAUS 266

Masses are a fundamental parameter, but they are not well known for most hot subdwarfs. In general, the mass of a hot subdwarf is derived with asteroseismology or dynamical methods, for which it is often difficult to obtain the necessary data from observations. We intend to find an approach to deriving the masses of hot subdwarfs from observational data in the literature. We presented full evolutionary calculations for hot subdwarfs in a wide mass range (0.33 $M_\odot$ to 1.4 $M_\odot$) for a Population I metallicity of $Z$=0.02, and obtained a relation between $M_{\rm p}$ and $\log (\frac{T_{\rm eff}^4}{g})$, where $M_{\rm p}$, $T_{\rm eff}$, and $g$ are the most probable mass, effective temperature, and gravity. This relation is used to study the masses of some observed hot subdwarfs. We proposed a method of determining the masses of hot subdwarfs. Using this method, we studied the masses of hot subdwarfs from the ESO supernova Ia progenitor survey and Hamburg quasar survey. The study shows that most of subdwarf B stars have masses between 0.42 and 0.54 $M_\odot$, whilst most sdO stars are in the range 0.40 $\sim$ 0.55 $M_\odot$. Comparing our study to the theoretical mass distributions of Han et al. (2003), we found that sdO stars with mass less than $\sim$ 0.5 $M_\odot$ may evolve from sdB stars, whilst most high-mass($>$ 0.5 $M_\odot$) sdO stars result from mergers directly., Comment: 5 pages, 6 figures, accepted for publication in A&A Letters

The mechanism of unidirectional emission of high Q Whispering Gallery mode in deformed circular micro- cavities is studied and firstly presented in this paper. In phase space, light in the chaotic sea leaks out the cavity through the refraction regions, whose positions are controlled by stable islands. Moreover, the positions of fixed points according to the critical line in unstable manifolds mainly determines the light leak out from which refraction region and the direction of the emission. By controlling the cavity shape, we can tune the leaky regions, as well as the positions of fixed points, to achieve unidirectional emission high Q cavities with narrow angular divergence both in high and low refractive index mater

Single Degenerate model is the most widely accepted progenitor model of type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia), in which a carbon-oxygen white dwarf (CO WD) accretes hydrogen-rich material from a main sequence or a slightly evolved star (WD +MS) to increase its mass, and explodes when its mass approaches the Chandrasekhar mass limit. During the mass transfer phase between the two components, an optically thick wind may occur and the material lost as the wind may exist as circumstellar material (CSM). Searching the CSM around progenitor star is helpful to discriminate different progenitor models of SNe Ia. Meanwhile, the CSM is a source of color excess.The purpose of this paper is to study the color excess produced from the single-degenerate progenitor model with optically thick wind, and reproduce the distribution of color excesses of SNe Ia. Meng et al. (2009) systemically carried out binary evolution calculation of the WD +MS systems for various metallicities and showed the parameters of the systems before Roche lobe overflow and at the moment of supernova explosion in Meng & Yang (2009). With the results of Meng et al. (2009), we calculate the color excesses of SNe Ia at maximum light via a simple analytic method.We reproduces the distribution of color excesses of SNe Ia by our binary population synthesis approach if the velocity of the optically thick wind is taken to be of order of magnitude of 10 km s$^{\rm -1}$. However, if the wind velocity is larger than 100 km s$^{\rm -1}$, the reproduction is bad., Comment: 11 pages, 4 figures, accepted for publication in RAA

Aims. We try to identify ultra-cool dwarfs from the seventh Data Release of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS DR7) with SDSS i-z and r-z colors. We also obtain proper motion data from SDSS, 2MASS, and UKIDSS and improve spectral typing from SDSS and 2MASS photometric colors. Methods. We selected ultra-cool dwarf candidates from the SDSS DR7 with new photometric selection criteria, which are based on a parameterization study of known L and T dwarfs. The objects are then cross-identified with the Two Micron All Sky Survey and the Fourth Data Release of the UKIRT Infrared Deep Sky Survey (UKIDSS DR4). We derive proper motion constraints by combining SDSS, 2MASS, and UKIDSS positional information. In this way we are able to assess, to some extent, the credence of our sample using a multi epoch approach, which complements spectroscopic confirmation. Some of the proper motions are affected by short baselines, but, as a general tool, this method offers great potential to confirm faint L dwarfs as UKIDSS coverage increases. In addition we derive updated color-spectral type relations for L and T dwarfs with SDSS and 2MASS magnitudes. Results. We present 59 new nearby M and L dwarfs selected from the imaging catalog of the SDSS DR7, including proper motions and spectral types calculated from the updated color-spectral type relations. and obtain proper motions from SDSS, 2MASS, and UKIDSS for all of our objects., Comment: 17 pages, 8 figures

We selected brown dwarf candidates from the seventh Data Release of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS DR7) with new photometric selectioncriteria based on a parameteriaztion of well-known L and T dwarfs. Then we confirmed their status with SDSS spectra. The candidates without SDSS spectra are cross matched in the Two Micron All Sky Survey (2MASS) and the Fourth Data Release of the UKIRT Infrared Deep Sky Survey (UKIDSS DR4). With the help of colors based on SDSS, 2MASS and UKIDSS, we are able to estimate spectral types of our candidates. We obtain reliable proper motions using positional and epoch information downloaded direct from the survey databases., Comment: 3 pages, 4 figures, Proceeding of 10th Asian-Pacific Regional IAU Meeting 2008, oral talk

Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) play an important role in astrophysics, especially in the study of cosmic evolution. There are several progenitor models for SNe Ia proposed in the past years. In this paper, we have carried out a detailed study of the He star donor channel, in which a carbon-oxygen white dwarf (CO WD) accretes material from a He main sequence star or a He subgiant to increase its mass to the Chandrasekhar mass. Employing Eggleton's stellar evolution code with an optically thick wind assumption, and adopting the prescription of Kato & Hachisu (2004) for the mass accumulation efficiency of the He-shell flashes onto the WDs, we performed binary evolution calculations for about 2600 close WD binary systems. According to these calculations, we mapped out the initial parameters for SNe Ia in the orbital period--secondary mass ($\log P^{\rm i}-M^{\rm i}_2$) plane for various WD masses from this channel. The study shows that the He star donor channel is noteworthy for producing SNe Ia (i.e. $\sim 1.2\times10^{-3} {\rm yr}^{-1}$ in the Galaxy), and that the progenitors from this channel may appear as supersoft X-ray sources. Importantly, this channel can explain SNe Ia with short delay times ($\la 10^{8}$ yr), which is consistent with recent observational implications of young populations of SN Ia progenitors., Comment: 9 pages, 8 figure, accepted by MNRAS