56472211
A Model for the Challenging “Bi-drifting” Phenomenon in PSR J0815+09
A new drifting pulsar, PSR J0815+09, was discovered in the Arecibo drift-scan searches. An intriguing feature of this source is that within the four pulse components in the integrated pulse profile, the subpulse drifting direction in the two leading components is opposite from that in the two trailing components. In the view that the leading theoretical model for pulsar subpulse drifting can only interpret one-direction subpulse drifting, the observed bi-drifting phenomenon from PSR J0815+09 poses a great challenge to the pulsar theory. The inner annular gap (IAG), a new type of inner particle accelerator, was recently proposed to explain both γ-ray and radio emission from pulsars. Here we show that the coexistence of the IAG and the conventional inner core gap offers a natural interpretation to the bi-drifting phenomenon. In particular, the peculiar drifting behavior in PSR J0815+09 can be reproduced within the inverse Compton scattering model for pulsar radio emission.
118508611
The state of cold quark matter: a model-independent view
From a model-independent point of view, we address the possibility that quark clustering could occur in cold quark matter at realistic baryon densities because of the likely strong coupling between quarks in compact stars.
118541626
H-cluster stars
The study of dense matter at ultra-high density has a very long history, which is meaningful for us to understand not only cosmic events in extreme circumstances but also fundamental laws of physics. It is well known that the state of cold matter at supra-nuclear density depends on the non-perturbative nature of quantum chromo-dynamics (QCD) and is essential for modeling pulsars. A so-called H-cluster matter is proposed in this paper as the nature of dense matter in reality. 
In compact stars at only a few nuclear densities but low temperature, quarks could be interacting strongly with each other there. That might render quarks grouped in clusters, although the hypothetical quark-clusters in cold dense matter has not been confirmed due to the lack of both theoretical and experimental evidence. Motivated by recent lattice QCD simulations of the H-dibaryons (with structure uuddss), we are therefore considering here a possible kind of quark-clusters, H-clusters, that could emerge inside compact stars during their initial cooling, as the dominant components inside (the degree of freedom could then be H-clusters there).Taking into account the in-medium stiffening effect, we find that at baryon densities of compact stars $H$-cluster matter could be more stable than nuclear matter. We also find that for the H-cluster matter with lattice structure, the equation of state could be so stiff that it would seem to be "superluminal" in most dense region. However, the real sound speed for H-cluster matter is in fact hard to calculate, so at this stage we do not put constraints on our model from the usual requirment of causality.
118501168
The Extremely Long-period X-Ray Source in a Young Supernova Remnant: A Thorne-Żytkow Object Descendant?
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-Żytkow Object (TŻO). A TŻO 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. TŻOs are expected to have produced extraordinarily high abundances of lithium and rapid proton process elements that would remain in the remnants and could be used to test this scenario.
117033142
Are AXPs/SGRs magnetars?
Anomalous X-ray Pulsars and Soft Gamma-Ray Repeaters have been generally recognized as neutron stars with super strong magnetic fields, namely "magnetars". The "magnetars" manifest that the luminosity in X-ray band are larger than the rotational energy loss rate, i.e. $L_{X}>\dot {E}_{\rm rot}$, and then the radiation energy is coming from the energy of magnetic field. Here it is argued that magnetars may not really exist. Some X-ray and radio observational results are contradicted with the magnetar model. 
(1) The X-ray luminosity of PSR J1852+0040 is much larger than the rotational energy loss rate ($L_{X}/\dot {E}_{\rm rot}\simeq 18)$, but the magnetic field is just $3.1\times 10^{11}$ G. Does this X-ray radiation energy come from the magnetic field? 
(2) In contrast to the above, the magnetic fields of radio pulsars J1847-0130 and PSR J1718-3718 are higher than that of AXP 1E 2259+586, why is the radiation energy of those two radio pulsars still coming from rotational energy? Furthermore, the magnetic field of the newly discovered SGR 0418+5729 with the lowest magnetic field is 3.0 e13 G, lower than the critical magnetic field $B_{\rm C}=4.414$ e13 G) (Esposito et al. 2010). 
(3) Some "magnetars" also emit normal transient radio pulses, what is the essential difference between radio pulsars and the "magnetars"? 
The observational fact arguments will be presented at first, then we discuss in what situation the conventional method to obtain magnetic field could not be correct.
119279262
PSR B1257+12: a quark star with planets?
A recent observation has shown that PSR B1257+12 could have quite small X‐ray emitting area, only about 2000 m2, which is more than three orders smaller than the canonical polar cap size. We suggest here that PSR B1257+12 could be a low‐mass quark star with radius of R≃0.6 km and mass of M≃3×10−4 M⊙. Such a low‐mass quark star system may form in an accretion induced collapse process or a collision process of two quark stars.
204182130
Leptonic decays of the D(s) meson
The purely leptonic decays Ds→τν and Ds→μν are studied in a sample of four million hadronic Z decays collected with the ALEPH detector at the LEP e+e− collider from 1991 to 1995. The branching fractions are extracted from a combination of two analyses, one optimized to select Ds→τν decays with or , and the other optimized for Ds→μν decays. The results are used to evaluate the Ds decay constant, within the Standard Model: fDs=[285±19(stat)±40(syst)] MeV.
121018557
Measurement of triple gauge-boson couplings at 172 GeV
The triple gauge-boson couplings, αWΦ, αW and αBΦ, have been measured using 34 semileptonically and 54 hadronically decaying W+W− candidate events. The events were selected in the data recorded during 1996 with the ALEPH detector at 172 GeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 10.65 pb−1. The triple gauge-boson couplings have been measured using optimal observables constructed from kinematic information of W+W− events. The results are in agreement with the Standard Model expectation.
16317400
Test of colour reconnection models using three-jet events in hadronic Z decays
Hadronic Z decays into three jets are used to test QCD models of colour reconnection (CR). A sensitive quantity is the rate of gluon jets with a gap in the particle rapidity distribution and zero jet charge. Gluon jets are identified by either energy-ordering or by tagging two b-jets. The rates predicted by two string-based tunable CR models, one implemented in JETSET (the GAL model), the other in ARIADNE, are too high and disfavoured by the data, whereas the rates from the corresponding non-CR standard versions of these generators are too low. The data can be described by the GAL model assuming a small value for the R0 parameter in the range 0.01-0.02.
122027905
Production of charmed mesons inZ decays
AbstractThe production of charmed mesons
$$\mathop {D^0 }\limits^{( - )} $$
,D±, andD*± is studied in a sample of 478,000 hadronicZ decays. The production rates are measured to be
$$\begin{gathered} \frac{{\Gamma ({\rm Z} \to D^{* \pm } X)}}{{\Gamma _{had} }} = 0.187 \pm 0.015(\exp .) \pm 0.013(BR), \hfill \\ \frac{{\Gamma ({\rm Z} \to D^ \pm X)}}{{\Gamma _{had} }} = 0.251 \pm 0.026(\exp .) \pm 0.025(BR), \hfill \\ \frac{{\Gamma ({\rm Z} \to \mathop {D^0 }\limits^{( - )} X)}}{{\Gamma _{had} }} = 0.518 \pm 0.052(\exp .) \pm 0.035(BR), \hfill \\ \end{gathered} $$
 where the errors from this analysis are separated from those coming from theD branching ratios (BR). TheD*± momentum distribution is extracted separately for
$$Z \to c\bar c$$
 and
$$Z \to b\bar b$$
 events with the help of event shape variables. It is consistent with the prediction of the JETSET Monte Carlo program after adjustment of the charm fragmentation function. Constraining the shape of the
$$Z \to b\bar b$$
 contribution, the average fraction of the beam energy taken by aD* meson produced in the fragmentation of a charm quark is extracted by a parametric fit to be c=0.495±0.011±0.007. Evidence forD**0 (D1(2420)0 and/orD2*(2460)0) production is found in the
$$D^{* \pm } \pi ^ \mp $$
 channel, accounting for a fraction (18±5±2)% of allD*± production. The relative production of vector and pseudoscalar mesons is dicussed, together with the possible effects ofD** production. Thec-quark forward-backwardZ-pole asymmetry is detrmined from that of high momentumD*± to beAFB0,c=(7.7±4.4)%.
122748414
Analysis of transverse momentum correlations in hadronic Z decays
In a recent paper, evidence was presented for a significant, positive correlation between the total transverse momenta of particles on opposite hemispheres of hadronic events. A new, model independent analysis of the data has been made. Two components can be distinguished in the correlation, and quantitative estimates of each are given. The results form a significant test of Monte Carlo models and some of the physics behind them.