15039916
OPTICAL AND DYNAMICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF COMET-LIKE MAIN-BELT ASTEROID (596) SCHEILA ∗
We present observations and a dynamical analysis of the comet-like main-belt object, (596) Scheila. V-band photometry obtained on UT 2010 December 12 indicates that Scheila's dust cloud has a scattering cross-section ~1.4 times larger than that of the nucleus, corresponding to a dust mass of Md ~ 3 × 107 kg. V–R color measurements indicate that both the nucleus and dust are redder than the Sun, with no significant color differences between the dust cloud's northern and southern plumes. We also undertake an ultimately unsuccessful search for CN emission, where we find CN and H2O production rates of Q CN 100 Myr, suggesting that it is likely native to its current location. We also find that it does not belong to a dynamical asteroid family of any significance. We consider sublimation-driven scenarios that could produce the appearance of multiple plumes of dust emission, but reject them as being physically implausible. Instead, we concur with previous studies that the unusual morphology of Scheila's dust cloud is most simply explained by a single oblique impact, meaning that this object is likely not a main-belt comet but is instead the second disrupted asteroid after P/2010 A2 (LINEAR) to be discovered.
118435552
Near-infrared Observations of Comet-like Asteroid (596) Scheila
Asteroid (596) Scheila was reported to exhibit a cometary appearance and an increase in brightness on UT 2010 December 10.4. We used the IRCS spectrograph on the 8 m Subaru telescope to obtain medium-resolution spectra of Scheila in the HK band (1.4-2.5 μm) and low-resolution spectra in the KL band (2.0-4.0 μm) on UT 2010 December 13 and 14. In addition, we obtained low-resolution spectroscopy using the SpeX spectrograph on the 3 m NASA Infrared Telescope Facility on UT 2011 January 4 and 5. The spectrum of Scheila shows a consistent red slope from 0.8 to 4.0 μm with no apparent absorption features, resembling spectra of D-type asteroids. An intimate mixing model suggests that the amount of water ice that might be present on the surface of Scheila is no more than a few percent. The spectrum of the Tagish Lake chondrite matches the asteroid's spectrum at shorter wavelengths (λ < 2.5 μm), but no hydration features are observed at longer wavelengths on Scheila. Our analysis corroborates other studies suggesting that the comet-like activity of Scheila is likely not caused by the sublimation of water ice. The dust coma and tail may be results of a recent impact event.
118919469
A MODIFIED MODEL OF NONLOCALLY CORRECTED GRAVITY: COSMOLOGY AND THE NEWTONIAN LIMIT
A modified form of nonlocally corrected theory of gravity is investigated in the context of cosmology and the Newtonian limit. This form of nonlocal correction to classic Einstein–Hilbert action can be locally represented by a triple-scalar–tensor theory in which one of the scalar degrees of freedom is phantom-like and the other two are quintessence-like. We show that there exists a stable de Sitter solution for the cosmological dynamics if a suitable form of potential function V(ϕ) (or equivalently, f(R)) is selected. However, no matter what a potential function is selected, there is always an early time repeller solution corresponding to a radiation dominated universe. Besides, the equations for linear scalar perturbations are presented and it is shown that the form of potential function V(ϕ) is stringently constrained by the solar system test, although the post-Newtonian parameter γ is not directly affected by this function.
54058059
Infrared observations of the 2006 outburst of the recurrent nova RS Ophiuchi: The early phase
We present infrared spectroscopy of the recurrent nova RS Ophiuchi, obtained 11.81, 20.75 and 55.71 d following its 2006 eruption. The spectra are dominated by hydrogen recombination lines, together with He i, O i and O ii lines; the electron temperature of ∼104 K implied by the recombination spectrum suggests that we are seeing primarily the wind of the red giant, ionized by the ultraviolet flash when RS Oph erupted. However, strong coronal emission lines (i.e. emission from fine structure transitions in ions having high ionization potential) are present in the last spectrum. These imply a temperature of 930 000 K for the coronal gas; this is in line with X-ray observations of the 2006 eruption. The emission linewidths decrease with time in a way that is consistent with the shock model for the X-ray emission.
8560796
A NEAR-INFRARED SEARCH FOR SILICATES IN JOVIAN TROJAN ASTEROIDS
We obtained near-infrared (NIR; 0.8–2.5 μm) spectra of seven Jovian Trojan asteroids that have been formerly reported to show silicate-like absorption features near 1 μm. Our sample includes the Trojan (1172) Aneas, which is one of the three Trojans known to possess a comet-like 10 μm emission feature, indicative of fine-grained silicates. Our observations show that all seven Trojans appear featureless in high signal-to-noise ratio spectra. The simultaneous absence of the 1 μm band and the presence of the 10 μm emission can be understood if the silicates on (1172) Aneas are iron-poor. In addition, we present NIR observations of five optically gray Trojans, including three objects from the collisionally produced Eurybates family. The five gray Trojans appear featureless in the NIR with no diagnostic absorption features. The NIR spectrum of Eurybates can be best fitted with the spectrum of a CM2 carbonaceous chondrite, which hints that the C-type Eurybates family members may have experienced aqueous alteration.
9863216
OBSERVATIONAL AND DYNAMICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF MAIN-BELT COMET P/2010 R2 (La Sagra)
We present observations of the recently discovered comet-like main-belt object P/2010 R2 (La Sagra) obtained by Pan-STARRS1 and the Faulkes Telescope-North on Haleakala in Hawaii, the University of Hawaii 2.2 m, Gemini-North, and Keck I telescopes on Mauna Kea, the Danish 1.54 m telescope (operated by the MiNDSTEp consortium) at La Silla, and the Isaac Newton Telescope on La Palma. An antisolar dust tail is observed to be present from 2010 August through 2011 February, while a dust trail aligned with the object's orbit plane is also observed from 2010 December through 2011 August. Assuming typical phase darkening behavior, P/La Sagra is seen to increase in brightness by >1 mag between 2010 August and December, suggesting that dust production is ongoing over this period. These results strongly suggest that the observed activity is cometary in nature (i.e., driven by the sublimation of volatile material), and that P/La Sagra is therefore the most recent main-belt comet to be discovered. We find an approximate absolute magnitude for the nucleus of HR = 17.9 ± 0.2 mag, corresponding to a nucleus radius of ~0.7 km, assuming an albedo of p = 0.05. Comparing the observed scattering surface areas of the dust coma to that of the nucleus when P/La Sagra was active, we find dust-to-nucleus area ratios of Ad /AN = 30-60, comparable to those computed for fellow main-belt comets 238P/Read and P/2008 R1 (Garradd), and one to two orders of magnitude larger than for two other main-belt comets (133P/Elst-Pizarro and 176P/LINEAR). Using optical spectroscopy to search for CN emission, we do not detect any conclusive evidence of sublimation products (i.e., gas emission), finding an upper limit CN production rate of Q CN 100 Myr, suggesting that it is likely native to its current location and that its composition is likely representative of other objects in the same region of the main belt, though the relatively close proximity of the 13:6 mean-motion resonance with Jupiter and the (3,–2,–1) three-body mean-motion resonance with Jupiter and Saturn mean that dynamical instability on larger timescales cannot be ruled out.
116998495
Probing lepton flavor violation signal via e+ e- (gamma gamma) ---> l(i) anti-l(j) in the littlest Higgs model with T-parity at the ILC
In the littlest Higgs model with T-parity, the new interactions between the mirror leptons and the Standard Model leptons can induce some lepton flavor violation (LFV) processes at loop level. We study the possibility of the ILC to probe the LFV production processes $e^+e^-(\gamma\gamma)\rightarrow l_{i}\bar{l}_{j}$. Our results show that the rates of $\gamma\gamma\rightarrow l_{i}\bar{l}_{j}$ can reach 1 fb in optimal cases after reasonable kinematical cuts, which implies that these processes may be observed at the ILC.
64266626
Top quark pair production via $e^{+}e^{-}$ collision in the littlest Higgs model with T-parity at the ILC
In the framework of the littlest Higgs model with T parity, we studied the contributions of the new particles to the top-quark pair production via e{sup +}e{sup -} collision at the International Linear Collider. We calculated the top-quark pair production cross section and found this process can generate significantly relative correction. The result may be a sensitive probe of the littlest Higgs model with T parity.
55709355
Top quark pair production via (un)polarized photon collisions in the littlest Higgs model with T-parity at the ILC
We study the top-quark pair production via polarized and unpolarized photon collisions at the International Linear Collider in the context of the littlest Higgs model with T-parity. We calculate the production cross section of the process γγ → t and find the effects can be more significant in the (−−) polarized photon collision mode than in other collision modes, and the relative correction can be expected to reach about −1% in the favorable parameter space.
125376511
Contribution of the LHT model to Z c anti-c coupling
119297694
Flavor-Changing Bottom-Strange Associated in the Littlest Higgs Model with T-parity at the ILC
In the littlest Higgs model with T-parity (LHT) the mirror quarks induce the special flavor structures and some new flavor-changing couplings, which could greatly enhance the production rates of the flavor-changing processes. We in this paper study some bottom and anti-strange production processes in the LHT model at the International Linear Collider (ILC), i.e., e+e− → bs and γγ → bs. The results show that the production rates of these processes are sizeable for the favorable values of the parameters. Therefore, it is quite possible to test the LHT model or make some constraints on the relevant parameters of the LHT through the detection of these processes at the ILC.