14891588
The visible environment of galaxies with counterrotation
In this paper we present a statistical study of the environments of 49 galaxies in which there is gas- or stellar-counterrotation. The number of possible companions in the field (to apparent magnitude 22), their size and concentration were considered. All the statistical parameters were analysed by means of Kolgomorov-Smirnov tests, using a control sample of 43 galaxies without counterrotation. From our data, no significant differences between the counter-rotating and control samples appear. This is different to Seyfert or radio-loud galaxies which lie in environments with a higher density of companions. On the contrary, if a weak tendency exists, for galaxies with gas counterrotation only, it is discovered in regions of space where the large scale density of galaxies is smaller. Our results tend to disprove the hypothesis that counterrotation and polar rings derive from a recent interaction with a small satellite or a galaxy of similar size. To a first approximation, they seem to follow the idea that all galaxies are born through a merger process of smaller objects occurring very early in their life, or that they derive from a continuous, non-traumatic infall of gas that formed stars later. Whatever the special machinery is which produces counterrotation or polar rings instead of a co-planar, co-rotating distribution of gas and stars, it seems not to be connected to the present galaxy density of their environments.
14261932
The evolution of the galactic morphological types in clusters
The morphological types of galaxies in nine clusters in the redshift range 0.1 < ∼ z < ∼ 0.25 are derived from very good seeing images taken at the NOT and the La Silla–Danish telescopes, with all galaxies at MV < −20 and within the central ∼1 Mpc 2 area being classified. With the purpose of investigating the evolution of the fraction of different morphological types with redshift, we compare our results with the morphological content of nine distant clusters studied by the MORPHS group (Dressler et al. 1997), five clusters observed with HST-WFPC2 at redshift z = 0.2− 0.3 (Couch et al. 1998), and Dressler’s (1980) large sample of nearby clusters. After having checked the reliability of our morphological classification both in an absolute sense and relative to the MORPHS scheme (Smail et al. 1997), we analyze the relative occurrence of elliptical, S0 and spiral galaxies as a function of the cluster properties and redshift. We find a large intrinsic scatter in the S0/E ratio, mostly related to the cluster morphology. In particular, in our cluster sample, clusters with a high concentration of ellipticals display a low S0/E ratio and, vice-versa, low concentration clusters have a high S0/E. At the same time, the trend of the morphological fractions (%Es, %S0s, %Sp) and of the S0/E and S0/Sp ratios with redshift clearly points to a morphological evolution: as the redshift decreases, the S0 population tends to grow at the expense of the spiral population, whereas the frequency of Es remains almost constant. We also analyze the morphology-density (MD) relation in our clusters and find that – similarly to higher redshift clusters – a good MD relation exists in the high-concentration clusters, while it is absent in the less concentrated clusters. Finally, the comparison of the MD relation in our clusters with that of the D97 sample suggests that the transformation of spirals into S0 galaxies becomes more efficient with decreasing local density. Subject headings: galaxies: clusters – galaxies: evolution – galaxies: structure
1840
Cluster formation in the LMC
In this work we present preliminary results concerning the properties of about 50 clusters and associations located in a densely populated region at the Southern edge of the supershell LMC~4. The ages of the clusters and associations are derived. The cluster formation rate peaks at about 10-20 Myr ago corresponding to the age of the formation of LMC~4. Objects younger than 10 Myr are located close to CO clouds, indicating a possible trigger of the recent star formation by the interaction of the supershell with the interstellar medium. 
Isophotal analysis has been done for 50% of the clusters. A large number of objects present isophotal distortions commonly interpreted as sign of interaction. Cluster multiplets are coeval within 20 Myr, suggesting a common origin. This indicates that clusters possibly form in large groups. Our findings are in agreement with the unified view of multi-scale star formation, where a size-duration correlation is expected.
17610175
Are truncated stellar disks linked to the molecular gas density
We know that the slope of the radial, stellar light distribution in galaxies is well described by an exponential decline and this distribution is often truncated at a break radius ($R_{br}$). We don't have a clear understanding for the origin of these outer truncations and several hypotheses have been proposed to explain them. We want to test the various theories with direct observations of the cold molecular gas for a few truncated galaxies in comparison with the non-truncated ones. The answer to the existence of a possible link between truncated stellar disks and the molecular gas density cannot be obtained from CO maps in the literature, because so far there are no galaxies with a clear truncation observed in CO at high resolution.
16975153
The bright galaxy population of five medium redshift clusters II. Quantitative galaxy morphology
Aims. Following the study presented in our previous paper, based on the Nordic Optical Telescope (NOT) sample, which consists of five clusters of galaxies within the redshift range 0.18 ≤ z ≤ 0.25 imaged in the central 0.5–2 Mpc in very good seeing conditions, we have studied the quantitative morphology of their bright galaxy population Methods. We analyzed the surface brightness profiles of the galaxy population in those clusters, after performing simulations in order to check the reliability of the fits. We also derived a quantitative morphological classification. Results. The structural parameters derived from these analyses are presented. We obtained that the structural parameters of E/S0 galaxies are similar to those shown by galaxies in low redshift clusters. However, the disc scales are different. In particular, the scales of the discs of galaxies in medium redshift clusters are statistically different than those located in similar galaxies in the Coma cluster. However, the scales of the discs of galaxies in medium redshift clusters are similar to nearby field galaxies. Conclusions. Our results suggest that the evolution of the disc component of galaxies in clusters is faster than in field ones. Mechanisms like galaxy harassment showing timescales of ∼1 Gyr could be responsible for this disc scale evolution. This indicates that spiral galaxies in clusters have undergone a strong evolution in the last 2.5 Gyr or that Coma is in some way anomalous.
18924153
Substructures in WINGS clusters
Aims. We search for and characterize substructures in the projected distribution of galaxies observed in the wide field CCD images of the 77 nearby clusters of the Wide-field Nearby Galaxy-cluster Survey (WINGS). This sample is complete in X-ray flux in the redshift range 0.04 < z < 0.07. Methods. We search for substructures in WINGS clusters with DEDICA, an adaptive-kernel procedure. We test the procedure on Monte-Carlo simulations of the observed frames and determine the reliability for the detected structures. Results. DEDICA identifies at least one reliable structure in the field of 55 clusters. 40 of these clusters have a total of 69 substructures at the same redshift of the cluster (redshift estimates of substructures are from color-magnitude diagrams). The fraction of clusters with subelusters (73%) is higher than in most studies. The presence of subclusters affects the relative luminosities of the brightest cluster galaxies (BCGs). Down to L ∼ 10 11 L ⊙ , our observed differential distribution of subeluster luminosities is consistent with the theoretical prediction of the differential mass function of substructures in cosmological simulations.
119456485
Measurement of the branching ratios psi-prime ---> e+ e-, psi-prime ---> J/psi pi pi and psi-prime ---> J/psi eta
The authors have measured several branching ratios for {psi}' decay using the data collected by FNAL E835 experiment during year 2000, obtaining {beta}({psi}' {yields} e{sup +}e{sup -}) = 0.0068 {+-} 0.0001 {+-} 0.0004, {beta}({psi}' {yields} J/{psi}{pi}{sup +}{pi}{sup -}) = 0.292 {+-} 0.005 {+-} 0.018, {beta}({psi}' {yields} J/{psi}{pi}{sup 0}{pi}{sup 0}) = 0.167 {+-} 0.005 {+-} 0.014 and {beta}({psi}' {yields} J/{psi}{eta}) = 0.028 {+-} 0.002 {+-} 0.002. They also present a measurement of the dipion mass distribution in the decays {psi}' {yields} J/{psi}{pi}{pi}.
118292440
Measurement of the angular distribution in anti-p p ---> psi(2S) ---> e+ e-
The authors present the first measurement of the angular distribution for the exclusive process {bar p}p {yields} {psi}(2S) {yields} e{sup +}e{sup -} based on a sample of 6844 events collected by the Fermilab E835 experiment. They find that the angular distribution is well described by the expected functional form dN/d cos {theta}* {proportional_to} 1 + {lambda} cos{sup 2} {theta}*, where {theta}* is the angle between the antiproton and the electron in the center of mass frame, with {lambda} = 0.67 {+-} 0.15(stat.) {+-} 0.04(sys.). The measured value for {lambda} implies a small but non zero {psi}(2S) helicity 0 formation amplitude in {bar p}p, comparable to what is observed in J/{psi} decays to baryon pairs.
118188413
Disformal invariance of second order scalar-tensor theories: Framing the Horndeski action
The Horndeski action is the most general one involving a metric and a scalar field that leads to second order field equations in four dimensions. Being the natural extension of the well known Scalar-Tensor theories, its structure and properties are worth analysing along the experience accumulated in the latter context. Here we argue that disformal transformations play, for the Horndeski theory, a similar role to that of conformal transformations for Scalar-Tensor theories a l`a Brans-Dicke. We identify the most general transformation preserving second order field equations and discuss the issue of viable frames for this kind of theories, in particular the possibility to cast the action in the so called Einstein frame. Finally, we investigate the physical equivalence of such frames and their reciprocal relationship.
6233855
A 50 Microns Granularity Monolithic Ge Target
overcome the technical limits of such kind of detectors, in the study of weak decays of particles with lifetime < 10 13 sec(i.e. DO) (ref.2), we substituted that target with a more powerful one, by using a single block of germanium followed by a silicon telescope. This is the present configuration of the NAl target (ref.3). Decays inside the live germanium target can be studied using the multiplicity of charged particles; this multiplicity is determined by measuring the ionization produced in the target by the decay products. The target granularity has to be compatible with the particle decay path. In the last Symposium we reported on the first monolithic germanium detector with 100 microns granularity (ref.4);
54846524
Development of DIRC counters for the PANDA Experiment at FAIR
The PANDA experiment at the planned FAIR facility at GSI, Darmstadt, aims at measuring hadronic final states with unprecedented precision and luminosity. Superior particle identification of charged and neutral particles is mandatory to fulfil PANDA's physics aims. DIRC (Detection of Internally Reflected Cherenkov light) counters are foreseen for charged particle identification. A barrel DIRC will cover the central region while a disc DIRC will provide particle identification in the forward region. 
 
Three DIRC concepts differing in the radiator geometry and method for dispersion correction are studied. The barrel DIRC uses a novel imaging system and aims at exploiting a 3D reconstruction to mitigate dispersion effects. Two concepts are investigated for the forward disc DIRC. One concept employs passive dispersion correction and focussing light guides for image reconstruction. Alternatively, time-of-propagation measurements and a wave-length dependent photon detection system are investigated. The three detector designs share common developments such as investigating radiator properties and photon detection systems, and use the same test beam facilities.