Results and prospects on registration of reflected Cherenkov light of EAS from cosmic particles above 10^{15} eV

We give an overview of the SPHERE experiment based on detection of reflected Vavilov-Cherenkov radiation (Cherenkov light) from extensive air showers in the energy region E>10^{15} eV. A brief history of the reflected Cherenkov light technique is given; the observations carried out with the SPHERE-2 detector are summarized; the methods of the experimental datasample analysis are described. The first results on the primary cosmic ray all-nuclei energy spectrum and mass composition are presented. Finally, the prospects of the SPHERE experiment and the reflected Cherenkov light technique are given.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures, Proc. PANIC-201

Discovery of Pulsed X-ray Emission from the SMC Transient RX J0117.6-7330

We report on the detection of pulsed, broad-band, X-ray emission from the transient source RX J0117.6-7330. The pulse period of 22 seconds is detected by the ROSAT/PSPC instrument in a 1992 Sep 30 - Oct 2 observation and by the CGRO/BATSE instrument during the same epoch. Hard X-ray pulsations are detectable by BATSE for approximately 100 days surrounding the ROSAT observation (1992 Aug 28 - Dec 8). The total directly measured X-ray luminosity during the ROSAT observation is 1.0E38 (d/60 kpc)^2 ergs s-1. The pulse frequency increases rapidly during the outburst, with a peak spin-up rate of 1.2E-10 Hz s-1 and a total frequency change 1.8%. The pulsed percentage is 11.3% from 0.1-2.5 keV, increasing to at least 78% in the 20-70 keV band. These results establish RX J0117.6-7330 as a transient Be binary system.Comment: 17 pages, Latex, aasms, accepted for publication in ApJ Letter

Analysing powers for the reaction n⃗p→ppπ−\vec{\rm n} {\rm p} \to {\rm p} {\rm p} \pi^{-} and for np elastic scattering from 270 to 570 MeV

The analysing power of the reaction ${\rm n}{\rm p} \to {\rm p}{\rm p} \pi^{-}$ for neutron energies between threshold and 570 MeV has been determined using a transversely polarised neutron beam at PSI. The reaction has been studied in a kinematically complete measurement using a time-of-flight spectrometer with large acceptance. Analysing powers have been determined as a function of the c.m. pion angle in different regions of the proton-proton invariant mass. They are compared to other data from the reactions ${\rm n}{\rm p} \to {\rm p}{\rm p} \pi^{-}$ and ${{\rm p}{\rm p} \to {\rm p}{\rm p} \pi^{0}}$. The np elastic scattering analysing power was determined as a by-product of the measurements.Comment: 12 pages, 6 figures, subitted to EPJ-

4U 1626-67 as seen by Suzaku before and after the 2008 torque reversal

Aims. The accretion-powered pulsar 4U 1626-67 experienced a new torque reversal at the beginning of 2008, after about 18 years of steadily spinning down. The main goal of the present work is to study this recent torque reversal that occurred in 2008 February. Methods. We present a spectral analysis of this source using two pointed observations performed by Suzaku in 2006 March and in 2010 September. Results. We confirm with Suzaku the presence of a strong emission-line complex centered on 1 keV, with the strongest line being the hydrogen-like Ne Ly-alpha at 1.025(3) keV. We were able to resolve this complex with up to seven emission lines. A dramatic increase of the intensity of the Ne Ly-alpha line after the 2008 torque reversal occurred, with the equivalent width of this line reaching almost the same value measured by ASCA in 1993. We also report on the detection of a cyclotron line feature centered at ~37 keV. In spite of the fact that an increase of the X-ray luminosity (0.5-100 keV) of a factor of ~2.8 occurred between these two observations, no significant change in the energy of the cyclotron line feature was observed. However, the intensity of the ~1 keV line complex increased by an overall factor of ~8. Conclusions. Our results favor a scenario in which the neutron star in 4U 1626-67 accretes material from a geometrically thin disk during both the spin-up and spin-down phases.Comment: 7 pages, 5 figures and 2 tables. Accepted in A&

The reaction np→ppπ−{n} {p} \to {p} {p} \pi^{-} from threshold up to 570 MeV

The reaction ${n} {p} \to {p} {p} \pi^{-}$ has been studied in a kinematically complete measurement with a large acceptance time-of-flight spectrometer for incident neutron energies between threshold and 570 MeV. The proton-proton invariant mass distributions show a strong enhancement due to the pp($^{1}{S}_{0}$) final state interaction. A large anisotropy was found in the pion angular distributions in contrast to the reaction ${p}{p} \to {p}{p} \pi^{0}$. At small energies, a large forward/backward asymmetry has been observed. From the measured integrated cross section $\sigma({n}{p} \to {\rm p}{p} \pi^{-})$, the isoscalar cross section $\sigma_{01}$ has been extracted. Its energy dependence indicates that mainly partial waves with Sp final states contribute. Note: Due to a coding error, the differential cross sections ${d \sigma}/{d M_{pp}}$ as shown in Fig. 9 are too small by a factor of two, and inn Table 3 the differential cross sections ${d \sigma}/{d \Omega_{\pi}^{*}}$ are too large by a factor of $10/2\pi$. The integrated cross sections and all conclusions remain unchanged. A corresponding erratum has been submitted and accepted by European Physics Journal.Comment: 18 pages, 16 figure