14299167
MAIN-BELT COMET P/2008 R1 (GARRADD)*
We present a study of the newly discovered main-belt comet P/2008 R1 (Garradd), an object with the dynamical characteristics of an asteroid and the physical characteristics of a comet. Photometry sets a limit to the effective radius of the nucleus at re < 0.7 km (red geometric albedo 0.05 assumed). The coma shows a secular fading in our data caused by the escape of dust particles from the near-nucleus environment. The optical reflection spectrum is a nearly neutral continuum devoid of gaseous emission lines, from which we derive a limit to the cyanide (CN) radical production rate of Q CN< 1.4  ×  1023 s–1 and infer a mass-loss rate <1.5 kg s–1 at the time of our observations. Unlike the first-reported main-belt comets, P/2008 R1 is not dynamically stable. The nearby 8:3 mean-motion resonance with Jupiter induces dynamical instability on timescales 20-30 Myr. Hence, we conclude that P/2008 R1 has recently arrived from a more stable source elsewhere. The high Tisserand parameter of the orbit (in fact, with TJ = 3.216 it is the highest of any comet) points to a source in the asteroid belt itself, instead of in the Kuiper belt (putative source of the Jupiter family comets). We infer that P/2008 R1 is an icy body from the outer asteroid belt in which sublimation has been triggered by rising temperatures resulting from a decreasing perihelion distance.
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.
118745903
Methane, ammonia, and their irradiation products at the surface of an intermediate-size KBO? - A portrait of Plutino (90482) Orcus
Orcus is an intermediate-size 1000 km-scale Kuiper belt object (KBO) in 3:2 mean-motion resonance with Neptune, in an orbit very similar to that of Pluto. It has a water-ice dominated surface with solar-like visible colors. We present visible and near-infrared photometry and spectroscopy obtained with the Keck 10 m-telescope (optical) and the Gemini 8 m-telescope (near-infrared). We confirm the unambiguous detection of crystalline water ice as well as absorption in the 2.2 μm region. These spectral properties are close to those observed for Pluto’s larger satellite Charon, and for Plutino (208996) 2003 AZ84. Both in the visible and near-infrared Orcus’ spectral properties appear to be homogeneous over time (and probably rotation) at the resolution available. From Hapke radiative transfer models involving intimate mixtures of various ices we find for the first time that ammonium (NH + ) and traces of ethane (C2H6), which are most probably solar irradiation products of ammonia and methane, and a mixture of methane and ammonia (diluted or not) are the best candidates to improve the description of the data with respect to a simple water ice mixture (Haumea type surface). The possible more subtle structure of the 2.2 μm band(s) should be investigated thoroughly in the future for Orcus and other intermediate size Plutinos to better understand the methane and ammonia chemistry at work, if any. We investigated the thermal history of Orcus with a new 3D thermal evolution model. Simulations over 4.5×10 9 yr with an input 10% porosity, bulk composition of 23% amorphous water ice and 77% dust (mass fraction), and cold accretion show that even with the action of long-lived radiogenic elements only, Orcus should have a melted core and most probably suffered a cryovolcanic event in its history which brought large amounts of crystalline ice to the surface. The presence of ammonia in the interior would strengthen the melting process. A surface layer of a few hundred meters to a few tens of kilometers of amorphous water ice survives, while most of the remaining volume underneath contains crystalline ice. The crystalline water ice possibly brought to the surface by a past cryovolcanic event should still be detectable after several billion years despite the irradiation effects, as demonstrated by recent laboratory experiments.
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.
125376511
Contribution of the LHT model to Z c anti-c coupling
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.
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.
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.
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.