The energy dependence of the cross sections for electromagnetic diffractive processes can be well described by a single power, $W^delta$. For $J/psi$ photoproduction this holds in the range from 20 GeV to 2 TeV. This feature is most easily explained
by a single pole in the angular momentum plane which depends on the scale of the process, at least in a certain range of values of the momentum transfer. It is shown that this assumption allows a unified description of all electromagnetic elastic diffractive processes. We also discuss an alternative model with an energy dependent dipole cross section, which is compatible with the data up to 2 TeV and which shows an energy behaviour typical for a cut in the angular momentum plane.
We test the hypothesis that diffractive scattering in the perturbative and non-perturbative domain is determined by the exchange of a single pomeron with a scale dependent trajectory. Present data on diffractive vector meson production are well compa
tible with this model and recent results for $J/psi$ photoproduction at LHC strongly support it. The model is inspired by concepts of gauge/string duality applied to the pomeron.
Stellar variability in the near-infrared (NIR) remains largely unexplored. The exploitation of public science archives with data-mining methods offers a perspective for the time-domain exploration of the NIR sky. We perform a comprehensive search for
stellar variability using the optical-NIR multi-band photometric data in the public Calibration Database of the WFCAM Science Archive (WSA), with the aim of contributing to the general census of variable stars, and to extend the current scarce inventory of accurate NIR light curves for a number of variable star classes. We introduce new variability indices designed for multi-band data with correlated sampling, and apply them for pre-selecting variable star candidates, i.e., light curves that are dominated by correlated variations, from noise-dominated ones. Pre-selection criteria are established by robust numerical tests for evaluating the response of variability indices to colored noise characteristic to the data. We find 275 periodic variable stars and an additional 44 objects with suspected variability with uncertain periods or apparently aperiodic variation. Only 44 of these objects had been previously known, including 11 RR~Lyrae stars in the outskirts of the globular cluster M3 (NGC~5272). We provide a preliminary classification of the new variable stars that have well-measured light curves, but the variability types of a large number of objects remain ambiguous. We classify most of the new variables as contact binary stars, but we also find several pulsating stars, among which 34 are probably new field RR~Lyrae and 3 are likely Cepheids. We also identify 32 highly reddened variable objects close to previously known dark nebulae, suggesting that these are embedded young stellar objects. We publish our results and all light-curve data as the WFCAM Variable Star Catalog.
We propose analytical forms, in both momentum transfer and impact parameter spaces, for the amplitudes of elastic pp scattering, giving coherent and accurate description of the observables at all energies $sqrt{s}geq 20$ GeV. The real and imaginary p
arts are separately identified through their roles at small and large t values. The study of the differential cross sections in b-space leads to the understanding of the effective interaction ranges contributing to elastic and inelastic processes.
Symbiotic stars are long-orbital-period interacting-binaries characterized by extended emission over the whole electromagnetic range and by complex photometric and spectroscopic variability. In this paper, the first of a series, we present OGLE light
curves of all the confirmed symbiotic stars in the Large Magellanic Cloud, with one exception. By careful visual inspection and combined time-series analysis techniques, we investigate for the first time in a systematic way the photometric properties of these astrophysical objects, trying in particular to distinguish the nature of the cool component (e.g., Semi-Regular Variable vs. OGLE Small-Amplitude Red Giant), to provide its first-order pulsational ephemerides, and to link all this information with the physical parameters of the binary system as a whole. Among the most interesting results, there is the discovery of a 20-year-long steady fading of Sanduleaks star, a peculiar symbiotic star known to produce the largest stellar jet ever discovered. We discuss by means of direct examples the crucial need for long-term multi-band observations to get a real understanding of symbiotic and other interacting binary stars. We eventually introduce BOMBOLO, a multi-band simultaneous imager for the SOAR 4m Telescope, whose design and construction we are currently leading.
To date, the CoRoT space mission has produced more than 124,471 light curves. Classifying these curves in terms of unambiguous variability behavior is mandatory for obtaining an unbiased statistical view on their controlling root-causes. The present
study provides an overview of semi-sinusoidal light curves observed by the CoRoT exo-field CCDs. We selected a sample of 4,206 light curves presenting well-defined semi-sinusoidal signatures. The variability periods were computed based on Lomb-Scargle periodograms, harmonic fits, and visual inspection. Color-period diagrams for the present sample show the trend of an increase of the variability periods as long as the stars evolve. This evolutionary behavior is also noticed when comparing the period distribution in the Galactic center and anti-center directions. These aspects indicate a compatibility with stellar rotation, although more information is needed to confirm their root-causes. Considering this possibility, we identified a subset of three Sun-like candidates by their photometric period. Finally, the variability period versus color diagram behavior was found to be highly dependent on the reddening correction.
The data on p$mathrm{bar p}$ elastic scattering at 1.8 and 1.96 TeV are analysed in terms of real and imaginary amplitudes, in a treatment with high accuracy, covering the whole t-range and satisfying the expectation of dispersion relation for amplit
udes and for slopes. A method is introduced for determination of the total cross section and the other forward scattering parameters and to check compatibility of E-710, CDF and the recent D0 data. Slopes $B_R$ and $ B_I$ of the real and imaginary amplitudes, treated as independent quantities, influence the amplitudes in the whole t-range and are important for the determination of the total cross section. The amplitudes are fully constructed, and a prediction is made of a marked dip in $ dsigma/dt$ in the $|t|$ range 3 - 5 GeV$^2$ due to the universal contribution of the process of three gluon exchange.
