## Recent Postings from Galactic

### Mapping optically variable quasars towards the galactic plane

We present preliminary results of the CIDA Equatorial Variability Survey (CEVS), looking for quasar (hereafter QSO) candidates near the Galactic plane. The CEVS contains photometric data from extended and adjacent regions of the Milky Way disk ($\sim$ 500 sq. deg.). In this work 2.5 square degrees with moderately high temporal sampling in the CEVS were analyzed. The selection of QSO candidates was based on the study of intrinsic optical photometric variability of 14,719 light curves. We studied samples defined by cuts in the variability index (Vindex $>$ 66.5), periodicity index (Q $>$ 2), and the distribution of these sources in the plane (AT , ${\gamma}$), using a slight modification of the first-order of the structure function for the temporal sampling of the survey. Finally, 288 sources were selected as QSO candidates. The results shown in this work are a first attempt to develop a robust method to detect QSO towards the Galactic plane in the era of massive surveys such as VISTA and Gaia.

### The 31 Deg$^2$ Release of the Stripe 82 X-ray Survey: The Point Source Catalog

We release the next installment of the Stripe 82 X-ray survey point-source catalog, which currently covers 31.3 deg$^2$ of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) Stripe 82 Legacy field. In total, 6181 unique X-ray sources are significantly detected with {\it XMM-Newton} ($>5\sigma$) and {\it Chandra} ($>4.5\sigma$). This catalog release includes data from {\it XMM-Newton} cycle AO 13, which approximately doubled the Stripe 82X survey area. The flux limits of the Stripe 82X survey are $8.7\times10^{-16}$ erg s$^{-1}$ cm$^{-2}$, $4.7\times10^{-15}$ erg s$^{-1}$ cm$^{-2}$, and $2.1\times10^{-15}$ erg s$^{-1}$ cm$^{-2}$ in the soft (0.5-2 keV), hard (2-10 keV), and full bands (0.5-10 keV), respectively, with approximate half-area survey flux limits of $5.4\times10^{-15}$ erg s$^{-1}$ cm$^{-2}$, $2.9\times10^{-14}$ erg s$^{-1}$ cm$^{-2}$, and $1.7\times10^{-14}$ erg s$^{-1}$ cm$^{-2}$. We matched the X-ray source lists to available multi-wavelength catalogs, including updated matches to the previous release of the Stripe 82X survey; 88\% of the sample is matched to a multi-wavelength counterpart. Due to the wide area of Stripe 82X and rich ancillary multi-wavelength data, including coadded SDSS photometry, mid-infrared {\it WISE} coverage, near-infrared coverage from UKIDSS and VHS, ultraviolet coverage from {\it GALEX}, radio coverage from FIRST, and far-infrared coverage from {\it Herschel}, as well as existing $\sim$30\% optical spectroscopic completeness, we are beginning to uncover rare objects, such as obscured high-luminosity AGN at high-redshift. The Stripe 82X point source catalog is a valuable dataset for constraining how this population grows and evolves, as well as for studying how they interact with the galaxies in which they live.

### The Effective Gravitational Theory at Large Scale with Lorentz Violation [Cross-Listing]

The dipole anomaly in the power spectrum of CMB may indicate that the Lorentz boost invarianc is violated at cosmic scale. We assume that the Lorentz symmetry is violated partly from the scale of galaxy. We employ the symmetry of very special relativity as an example to illustrate the Lorentz violation effect by constructing the corresponding gauge theories as the effective gravitational theory at the large scale. We find the common feather of these gravitation models is the non-triviality of spacetime torsion and contorsion even if the matter source is of only scalar matter. The presence of non-trivial contorsion contributes an effective enenrgy-momentum distribution which may account for part of dark matter effect.

### Deep GALEX UV Survey of the Kepler Field I: Point Source Catalog

We report observations of a deep near-ultraviolet (NUV) survey of the Kepler field made in 2012 with the Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX) Complete All-Sky UV Survey Extension (CAUSE). The GALEX-CAUSE Kepler survey (GCK) covers 104 square degrees of the Kepler field and reaches limiting magnitude NUV=22.6 at 3{\sigma}. Analysis of the GCK survey has yielded a catalog of 669,928 NUV sources, of which 475,164 are cross-matched with stars in the Kepler Input Catalog (KIC). Approximately 327 of 451 confirmed exoplanet host stars and 2614 of 4696 candidate exoplanet host stars identified by Kepler have NUV photometry in the GCK survey. The GCK catalog should enable the identification and characterization of UV-excess stars in the Kepler field (young solar-type and low-mass stars, chromospherically active binaries, white dwarfs, horizontal branch stars, etc.), and elucidation of various astrophysics problems related to the stars and planetary systems in the Kepler field.

### Magnetic and gaseous spiral arms in M83

Isotropic and anisotropic wavelet transforms are used to decompose the images of the spiral galaxy M83 in various tracers to quantify structures in a range of scales from 0.2 to 10 kpc. We use ATCA radio polarization observations at {\lambda}6 cm and 13 cm and APEX sub-mm observations at 870 {\mu}m, which are first published here, together with maps of the emission of warm dust, ionized gas, molecular gas and atomic gas. The spatial power spectra are similar for the tracers of dust, gas and total magnetic field, while the spectra of the ordered magnetic field are significantly different. The wavelet cross-correlation between all material tracers and total magnetic field are high, while the structures of the ordered magnetic field are poorly correlated with those of other tracers. -- The magnetic field configuration in M83 contains pronounced magnetic arms. Some of them are displaced from the corresponding material arms, while others overlap with the material arms. The magnetic field vectors at {\lambda}6 cm are aligned with the outer material arms, while significant deviations occur in the inner arms and in particular in the bar region, possibly due to non-axisymmetric gas flows. Outside the bar region, the typical pitch angles of the material and magnetic spiral arms are very close to each other at about 10{\deg}. The typical pitch angle of the magnetic field vectors is about 20{\deg} larger than that of the material spiral arms. One of the main magnetic arms in M83 is displaced from the gaseous arms, while the other main arm overlaps a gaseous arm. We propose that a regular spiral magnetic field generated by a mean-field dynamo is compressed in material arms and partly aligned with them. The interaction of galactic dynamo action with a transient spiral pattern is a promising mechanism of producing such complicated spiral patterns as in M83.

### Determination of Central Engine Position and Accretion Disk Structure in NGC 4261 by Core Shift Measurements

We report multifrequency phase-referenced observations of the nearby radio galaxy NGC 4261, which has prominent two-sided jets, using the Very Long Baseline Array at 1.4-43 GHz. We measured radio core positions showing observing frequency dependences (known as "core shift") in both approaching jets and counter jets. The limit of the core position as the frequency approaches infinity, which suggests a jet base, is separated by 82$\pm$16 ${\mu}$as upstream in projection, corresponding to (310$\pm$60)Rs (Rs: Schwarzschild radius) as a deprojected distance, from the 43 GHz core in the approaching jet. In addition, the innermost component at the counter jet side appeared to approach the same position at infinity of the frequency, indicating that cores on both sides are approaching the same position, suggesting a spatial coincidence with the central engine. Applying a phase referencing technique, we also obtained spectral index maps, which indicate that emission from the counter jet is affected by free-free absorption (FFA). The result of the core shift profile on the counter jet also requires FFA because the core positions at 5-15GHz cannot be explained by a simple core shift model based on synchrotron self-absorption (SSA). Our result is apparently consistent with the SSA core shift with an additional disk-like absorber over the counterjet side. Core shift and opacity profiles at the counter jet side suggest a two-component accretion: a radiatively inefficient accretion flow at the inner region and a truncated thin disk in the outer region. We proposed a possible solution about density and temperature profiles in the outer disk on the basis of the radio observation.

### The MASSIVE Survey - III. Molecular gas and a broken Tully-Fisher relation in the most massive early-type galaxies

In this work we present CO(1-0) and CO(2-1) observations of a pilot sample of 15 early-type galaxies (ETGs) drawn from the MASSIVE galaxy survey, a volume-limited integral-field spectroscopic study of the most massive ETGs ($M_* >10^{11.5}M_\odot$) within 108 Mpc. These objects were selected because they showed signs of an interstellar medium and/or star formation. A large amount of gas ($>$2$\times$10$^8$ M$_{\odot}$) is present in 10 out of 15 objects, and these galaxies have gas fractions higher than expected based on extrapolation from lower mass samples. We tentatively interpret this as evidence that stellar mass loss and hot halo cooling may be starting to play a role in fuelling the most massive galaxies. These MASSIVE ETGs seem to have lower star-formation efficiencies (SFE=SFR/M$_{\rm H2}$) than spiral galaxies, but the SFEs derived are consistent with being drawn from the same distribution found in other lower mass ETG samples. This suggests that the SFE is not simply a function of stellar mass, but that local, internal processes are more important for regulating star formation. Finally we used the CO line profiles to investigate the high-mass end of the Tully-Fisher relation (TFR). We find that there is a break in the slope of the TFR for ETGs at high masses (consistent with previous studies). The strength of this break correlates with the stellar velocity dispersion of the host galaxies, suggesting it is caused by additional baryonic mass being present in the centre of massive ETGs. We speculate on the root cause of this change and its implications for galaxy formation theories.

### RHAPSODY-G simulations II - Baryonic growth and metal enrichment in massive galaxy clusters

We study the evolution of the stellar component and the metallicity of both the intracluster medium and of stars in massive ($M_{\rm vir}\approx 6\times 10^{14}$ M$_{\odot}$) simulated galaxy clusters from the RHAPSODY-G suite in detail and compare them to observational results. The simulations were performed with the AMR code RAMSES and include the effect of AGN feedback at the sub-grid level. AGN feedback is required to produce realistic galaxy and cluster properties and plays a role in mixing material in the central regions and regulating star formation in the central galaxy. In our low resolution runs with fiducial stellar yields, we find that stellar and ICM metallicities are a factor of two lower than in observations, however they tend to converge to the observed values $\sim 0.3$ Z$_{\odot}$ as the resolution is increased. We find that cool core clusters exhibit steeper metallicity gradients than non-cool core clusters, in qualitative agreement with observations. We verify that the ICM metallicities measured in the simulation can be explained by a simple "regulator" model in which the metallicity is set by a balance of stellar yield and gas accretion. The analytical model also predicts that the metallicities are proportional to the stellar yield. Our results thus indicate that a combination of higher resolution and higher metal yield in AMR simulation would allow the metallicity of simulated clusters to match observed values. Comparison to recent literature highlights that results concerning the metallicity of clusters and cluster galaxies might depend severely on the scheme chosen to solve the hydrodynamics.

### Characterizing Blue Straggler Star Populations in Globular Clusters using HST Photometric Survey Data

We present early results from a detailed analysis of the BSS population in Galactic GCs based on HST data.Using proper motion cleaning of the color-magnitude diagrams we construct a large catalog of BSSs and study some population properties.Stellar evolutionary models are used to find stellar mass and age estimates for the BSS populations in order to establish constraints related to the dynamical interactions in which they may have formed.

### Panchromatic star formation rate indicators and their uncertainties

The star formation rate (SFR) is a fundamental property of galaxies and it is crucial to understand the build-up of their stellar content, their chemical evolution, and energetic feedback. The SFR of galaxies is typically obtained by observing the emission by young stellar populations directly in the ultraviolet, the optical nebular line emission from gas ionized by newly-formed massive stars, the reprocessed emission by dust in the infrared range, or by combining observations at different wavelengths and fitting the full spectral energy distributions of galaxies. In this brief review we describe the assumptions, advantages and limitations of different SFR indicators, and we discuss the most promising SFR indicators for high-redshift studies.

### Wide-field LOFAR imaging of the field around the double-double radio galaxy B1834+620: A fresh view on a restarted AGN and doubeltjes

The existence of double-double radio galaxies (DDRGs) is evidence for recurrent jet activity in AGN, as expected from standard accretion models. A detailed study of these rare sources provides new perspectives for investigating the AGN duty cycle, AGN-galaxy feedback, and accretion mechanisms. Large catalogues of radio sources provide statistical information about the evolution of the radio-loud AGN population out to high redshifts. Using wide-field imaging with the LOFAR telescope, we study both a well-known DDRG as well as a large number of radio sources in the field of view. We present a high resolution image of the DDRG B1834+620 obtained at 144 MHz using LOFAR commissioning data. Our image covers about 100 square degrees and contains over 1000 sources. The four components of the DDRG B1834+620 have been resolved for the first time at 144 MHz. Inner lobes were found to point towards the direction of the outer lobes, unlike standard FR~II sources. Polarized emission was detected in the northern outer lobe. The high spatial resolution allows the identification of a large number of small double-lobed radio sources; roughly 10% of all sources in the field are doubles with a separation smaller than 1 arcmin. The spectral fit of the four components is consistent with a scenario in which the outer lobes are still active or the jets recently switched off, while emission of the inner lobes is the result of a mix-up of new and old jet activity. From the presence of the newly extended features in the inner lobes of the DDRG, we can infer that the mechanism responsible for their formation is the bow shock that is driven by the newly launched jet. We find that the density of the small doubles exceeds the density of FR-II sources with similar properties at 1.4 GHz, but this difference becomes smaller for low flux densities.

### The Subaru COSMOS 20: Subaru Optical Imaging of the HST COSMOS Field with 20 Filters

We present both the observations and the data reduction procedures of the Subaru COSMOS 20 project that is an optical imaging survey of the HST COSMOS field, carried out by using Suprime-Cam on the Subaru Telescope with the following 20 optical filters: 6 broad-band (B, g', V, r', i', and z'), 2 narrow-band (NB711 and NB816), and 12 intermediate-band filters (IA427, IA464, IA484, IA505, IA527, IA574, IA624, IA679, IA709, IA738, IA767, and IA827). A part of this project is described in Taniguchi et al. (2007) and Capak et al. (2007) for the six broad-band and one narrow-band (NB816) filter data. In this paper, we present details of the observations and data reduction for remaining 13 filters (the 12 IA filters and NB711). In particular, we describe the accuracy of both photometry and astrometry in all the filter bands. We also present optical properties of the Suprime-Cam IA filter system in Appendix.

### Globular clusters and their contribution to the formation of the Galactic halo

This is a "biased" review because I will show recent evidence on the contribution of globular clusters (GCs) to the halo of our Galaxy seen through the lens of the new paradigm of multiple populations in GCs. I will show a few examples where the chemistry of multiple populations helps to answer hot questions including whether and how much GCs did contribute to the halo population, if we have evidence of the GCs-halo link, what are the strengths and weak points concerning this contribution.

### Multivariate analysis of the globular clusters in M87

An objective classification of 147 globular clusters in the inner region of the giant elliptical galaxy M87 is carried out with the help of two methods of multivariate analysis. First independent component analysis is used to determine a set of independent variables that are linear combinations of various observed parameters (mostly Lick indices) of the globular clusters. Next K-means cluster analysis is applied on the independent components, to find the optimum number of homogeneous groups having an underlying structure. The properties of the four groups of globular clusters thus uncovered are used to explain the formation mechanism of the host galaxy. It is suggested that M87 formed in two successive phases. First a monolithic collapse, which gave rise to an inner group of metal-rich clusters with little systematic rotation and an outer group of metal-poor clusters in eccentric orbits. In a second phase, the galaxy accreted low-mass satellites in a dissipationless fashion, from the gas of which the two other groups of globular clusters formed. Evidence is given {\bf for a blue stellar population in the more metal rich clusters, which we interpret by Helium enrichment.} Finally, it is found that the clusters of M87 differ in some of their chemical properties (NaD, TiO1, light element abundances) from globular clusters in our Galaxy and M31.

### Searching for Dark Matter Constituents with Many Solar Masses [Replacement]

Searches for dark matter (DM) constituents are presently mainly focused on axions and WIMPs despite the fact that far higher mass constituents are viable. We dispute whether axions exist and query arguments for WIMPs which arise from electroweak supersymmetry. We focus on the highest possible masses and argue that, since if they constitute all DM they cannot be baryonic, they must uniquely be primordial black holes. Observational constraints require them to be of intermediate masses mostly between a hundred and a hundred thousand solar masses. Known search strategies include wide binaries, CMB distortion and, most promisingly, extended microlensing experiments.

### Searching for Dark Matter Constituents with Many Solar Masses [Cross-Listing]

Searches for dark matter (DM) constituents are presently mainly focused on axions and WIMPs despite the fact that far higher mass constituents are viable. We dispute whether axions exist and query arguments for WIMPs which arise from electroweak supersymmetry. We focus on the highest possible masses and argue that, since if they constitute all DM they cannot be baryonic, they must uniquely be primordial black holes. Observational constraints require them to be of intermediate masses mostly between a hundred and a hundred thousand solar masses. Known search strategies include wide binaries, CMB distortion and, most promisingly, extended microlensing experiments.

### Searching for Dark Matter Constituents with Many Solar Masses [Replacement]

Searches for dark matter (DM) constituents are presently mainly focused on axions and WIMPs despite the fact that far higher mass constituents are viable. We dispute whether axions exist and query arguments for WIMPs which arise from electroweak supersymmetry. We focus on the highest possible masses and argue that, since if they constitute all DM they cannot be baryonic, they must uniquely be primordial black holes. Observational constraints require them to be of intermediate masses mostly between a hundred and a hundred thousand solar masses. Known search strategies include wide binaries, CMB distortion and, most promisingly, extended microlensing experiments.

### Searching for Dark Matter Constituents with Many Solar Masses [Replacement]

Searches for dark matter (DM) constituents are presently mainly focused on axions and WIMPs despite the fact that far higher mass constituents are viable. We dispute whether axions exist and query arguments for WIMPs which arise from electroweak supersymmetry. We focus on the highest possible masses and argue that, since if they constitute all DM they cannot be baryonic, they must uniquely be primordial black holes. Observational constraints require them to be of intermediate masses mostly between a hundred and a hundred thousand solar masses. Known search strategies include wide binaries, CMB distortion and, most promisingly, extended microlensing experiments.

### Searching for Dark Matter Constituents with Many Solar Masses [Replacement]

Searches for dark matter (DM) constituents are presently mainly focused on axions and WIMPs despite the fact that far higher mass constituents are viable. We dispute whether axions exist and query arguments for WIMPs which arise from electroweak supersymmetry. We focus on the highest possible masses and argue that, since if they constitute all DM they cannot be baryonic, they must uniquely be primordial black holes. Observational constraints require them to be of intermediate masses mostly between a hundred and a hundred thousand solar masses. Known search strategies include wide binaries, CMB distortion and, most promisingly, extended microlensing experiments.

### Searching for Dark Matter Constituents with Many Solar Masses

Searches for dark matter (DM) constituents are presently mainly focused on axions and WIMPs despite the fact that far higher mass constituents are viable. We dispute whether axions exist and query arguments for WIMPs which arise from electroweak supersymmetry. We focus on the highest possible masses and argue that, since if they constitute all DM they cannot be baryonic, they must uniquely be primordial black holes. Observational constraints require them to be of intermediate masses mostly between a hundred and a hundred thousand solar masses. Known search strategies include wide binaries, CMB distortion and, most promisingly, extended microlensing experiments.

### The [CII] Deficit in LIRGs and ULIRGs is Due to High-Temperature Saturation

Current predictions for the line ratios from photo-dissociative regions (PDRs) in galaxies adopt theoretical models that consider only individual parcels of PDR gas each characterized by the local density and far-UV radiation field. However, these quantities are not measured directly from unresolved galaxies, making the connection between theory and observation ambiguous. We develop a model that uses galaxy-averaged, observable inputs to explain and predict measurements of the [CII] fine structure line in luminous and ultra-luminous infrared galaxies. We find that the [CII] deficit observed in the highest IR surface-brightness systems is a natural consequence of saturating the upper fine-structure transition state at gas temperatures above 91 K. To reproduce the measured amplitude of the [CII]/FIR ratio in deficit galaxies, we require that [CII] trace approximately 10-17% of all gas in these systems, roughly independent of IR surface brightness and consistent with observed [CII] to CO(1--0) line ratios. Calculating the value of this fraction is a challenge for theoretical models. The difficulty may reside in properly treating the topology of molecular and dissociated gas, different descriptions for which may be observationally distinguished by the [OI]63 micron line in yet-to-be-probed regions of parameter space, allowing PDR emission lines from to probe not only the effects of star formation but also the state and configuration of interstellar gas.

### On the Clustering of Faint Red Galaxies

Faint red galaxies in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey show a puzzling clustering pattern in previous measurements. In the two-point correlation function (2PCF), they appear to be strongly clustered on small-scales, indicating a tendency to reside in massive haloes as satellite galaxies. However, their weak clustering on large scales suggests that they are more likely to be found in low mass haloes. The interpretation of the clustering pattern suffers from the large sample variance in the 2PCF measurements, given the small volume of the volume-limited sample of such faint galaxies. We introduce a method to improve the clustering measurements of faint galaxies by making a full use of a flux-limited sample to obtain volume-limited measurements with an increased effective volume. In the improved 2PCF measurements, the fractional uncertainties on large-scales drop by more than 40 per cent, and the strong contrast between small-scale and large-scale clustering amplitudes seen in previous work is no longer prominent. From halo occupation distribution modelling of the measurements, we find that a considerable fraction of faint red galaxies to be satellites in massive haloes, a senario supported by the strong covariance of small-scale 2PCF measurements and the relative spatial distribution of faint red galaxies and luminous galaxies. However, the satellite fraction is found to be degenerate with the slope of the distribution profile of satellites in inner haloes. We compare the modelling results with semi-analytic model predictions and discuss the implications.

### Galaxies infalling into groups: filaments vs. isotropic infall

We perform a comparative analysis of the properties of galaxies infalling into groups classifying them accordingly to whether they are: falling along filamentary structures; or they are falling isotropically. For this purpose, we identify filamentary structures connecting massive groups of galaxies in the SDSS. We perform a comparative analysis of some properties of galaxies in filaments, in the isotropic infall region, in the field, and in groups. We study the luminosity functions (LF) and the dependence of the specific star formation rate (SSFR) on stellar mass, galaxy type, and projected distance to the groups that define the filaments. We find that the LF of galaxies in filaments and in the isotropic infalling region are basically indistinguishable between them, with the possible exception of late-type galaxies. On the other hard, regardless of galaxy type, their LFs are clearly different from that of field or group galaxies. Both of them have characteristic absolute magnitudes and faint end slopes in between the field and group values. More significant differences between galaxies in filaments and in the isotropic infall region are observed when we analyse the SSFR. We find that galaxies in filaments have a systematically higher fraction of galaxies with low SSFR as a function of both, stellar mass and distance to the groups, indicating a stronger quenching of the star formation in the filaments compared to both, the isotropic infalling region, and the field. Our results suggest that some physical mechanisms that determine the differences observed between field galaxies and galaxies in systems, affect galaxies even when they are not yet within the systems.

### Spectroscopically resolved far-IR observations of the massive star-forming region G5.89--0.39

The fine-structure line of [OI] at 63micron is an important diagnostic tool in different fields of astrophysics. However, our knowledge of this line relies on observations with low spectral resolution, and the real contribution of each component (PDR, jet) in complex environment of star-forming regions (SFRs) is poorly understood. We investigate the contribution of jet and PDR emission, and of absorption to the [OI]63micron line towards the ultra-compact H{\sc ii} region G5.89--0.39 and study its far-IR line luminosity in different velocity regimes through [OI], [CII], CO, OH, and H2O. We mapped G5.89--0.39 in [OI] and in CO(16--15) with the GREAT receiver onboard SOFIA. We observed the central position of the source in the OH^2\Pi_{3/2}, J=5/2\toJ=3/2 and ^2\Pi_{1/2}, J=3/2\toJ=1/2 lines. These data were complemented with APEX CO(6-5) and CO(7-6) and HIFI maps and single-pointing observations in [CII], H2O, and HF. The [OI] spectra in G5.89--0.39 are severely contaminated by absorptions from the envelope and from different clouds along the line of sight. Emission is detected only at HV, clearly associated with the compact north-south outflows traced by extremely HV low-J CO. The mass-loss rate and energetics of derived from [OI] agree well with estimates from CO, suggesting that the molecular outflows in G5.89--0.39 are driven by the jet system seen in [OI]. The far-IR line luminosity of G5.89--0.39 is dominated by [OI] at HV; the second coolant in this velocity regime is CO, while [CII], OH and H2O are minor contributors to the cooling in the outflow. Our study shows the importance of spectroscopically resolved data of [OI]63micron for using this line as diagnostic of SFRs. While this was not possible until now, the GREAT receiver onboard SOFIA has recently opened the possibility of detailed studies of this line to investigate its potential for probing different environments.

### Two Optical Counterpart Candidates of M82-X1 from HST Observations

Optical counterparts can provide significant constraints on the physical nature of ultraluminous X-ray sources (ULXs). In this letter, we identify six point sources in the error circle of a ULX in M82, namely M82 X-1, by registering Chandra positions onto Hubble Space Telescope images. Two objects are considered as optical counterpart candidates of M82 X-1, which show F658N flux excess compared to the optical continuum that may suggest the existence of an accretion disk. The spectral energy distributions of the two candidates match well with the spectra for supergiants, with stellar types as F5-G0 and B5-G0, respectively. Deep spatially resolved spectroscopic follow-up and detailed studies are needed to identify the true companion and confirm the properties of this BH system.

### The True origin of Wolf-Rayet stars

The Wolf-Rayet (WR) phenomenon is widespread in astronomy. It involves classical WRs, very massive stars (VMS), WR central stars of planetary nebula CSPN [WRs], and supernovae (SNe). But what is the root cause for a certain type of object to turn into an emission-line star? In this contribution, I discuss the basic aspects of radiation-driven winds that might reveal the ultimate difference between WR stars and canonical O-type stars. I discuss the aspects of (i) self-enrichment via CNO elements, (ii) high effective temperatures Teff, (iii) an increase in the helium abundance Y, and finally (iv) the Eddington factor Gamma. Over the last couple of years, we have made a breakthrough in our understanding of Gamma-dependent mass loss, which will have far-reaching consequences for the evolution and fate of the most massive stars in the Universe. Finally, I discuss the prospects for studies of the WR phenomenon in the highest redshift Ly-alpha and He II emitting galaxies.

### The Ha Velocity Fields and Galaxy Interaction in the Quartet of Galaxies NGC 7769, 7770, 7771 and 7771A

The quartet of galaxies NGC 7769, 7770, 7771 and 7771A is a system of interacting galaxies. Close interaction between galaxies caused characteristic morphological features: tidal arms and bars, as well as an induced star formation. In this study, we performed the Fabry-Perot scanning interferometry of the system in Ha line and studied the velocity fields of the galaxies. We found that the rotation curve of NGC 7769 is weakly distorted. The rotation curve of NGC 7771 is strongly distorted with the tidal arms caused by direct flyby of NGC 7769 and flyby of a smaller neighbor NGC 7770. The rotation curve of NGC 7770 is significantly skewed because of the interaction with much massive NGC 7771. The rotation curves and morphological disturbances suggest that the NGC 7769 and NGC 7771 have passed the first pericenter stage, however, probably the second encounter has not happened yet. Profiles of surface brightness of NGC 7769 have a characteristic break, and profiles of color indices have a minimum at a radius of intensive star formation induced by the interaction with NGC 7771.

### Direction dependence of cosmological parameters due to cosmic hemispherical asymmetry

Persistent evidence for a cosmic hemispherical asymmetry in the temperature field of cosmic microwave background (CMB) as observed by both WMAP as well as Planck increases the possibility of its cosmological origin. Presence of this signal may lead to different values for the standard model cosmological parameters in different directions, and that can have significant implications for other studies where they are used. We investigate the effect of this cosmic hemispherical asymmetry on cosmological parameters using non-isotropic Gaussian random simulations injected with both scale dependent and scale independent modulation strengths. Our analysis shows that the parameters $A_s$ and $n_s$ are the most susceptible to variation in the sky for the kind of isotropy breaking phenomena under study. As expected, we find maximum variation arises for the case of scale independent modulation of CMB anisotropies. A deviation of $2.25\sigma$ in $A_s$ is observed for scale dependent modulation case in comparison to its estimate from isotropic CMB sky.

### ALMA Imprint of Intergalactic Dark Structures in the Gravitational Lens SDP.81

We present an analysis of the ALMA long baseline science verification data of the gravitational lens system SDP.81. We fit the positions of the brightest clumps at redshift z=3.042 and a possible AGN component of the lensing galaxy at redshift z=0.2999 in the band 7 continuum image using a canonical lens model, a singular isothermal ellipsoid plus an external shear. Then, we measure the ratio of fluxes in some apertures at the source plane where the lensed images are inversely mapped. We find that the aperture flux ratios of band 7 continuum image are perturbed by 10-20 percent with a significance at 2 ~ 3 sigma level. Moreover, we measure the astrometric shifts of multiply lensed images near the caustic using the CO(8-7) line. Using a lens model best-fitted to the band 7 continuum image, we reconstruct the source image of the CO(8-7) line by taking linear combination of inverted quadruply lensed images. At the 50th channel (rest-frame velocity 28.6 km/s) of the CO(8-7) line, we find an imprint of astrometric shifts of the order of 0.01 arcsec in the source image. Based on a semi-analytic calculation, we find that the observed anomalous flux ratios and the astrometric shifts can be explained by intergalactic dark structures in the line of sight. A compensated homogeneous spherical clump with a mean surface mass density of the order of 10^8 solar mass h^-1 arcsec^-2 can explain the observed anomaly and astrometric shifts simultaneously.

### Shocks, Star Formation, and the JWST

The interstellar medium (ISM) is constantly evolving due to unremitting injection of energy in various forms. Energetic radiation transfers energy to the ISM: from the UV photons, emitted by the massive stars, to X- and $\gamma$-ray ones. Cosmic rays are another source of energy. Finally, mechanical energy is injected through shocks or turbulence. Shocks are ubiquitous in the interstellar medium of galaxies. They are associated to star formation (through jets and bipolar outflows), life (via stellar winds), and death (in AGB stellar winds or supernovae explosion). The dynamical processes leading to the formation of molecular clouds also generate shocks where flows of interstellar matter collide. Because of their ubiquity, the study of interstellar shocks is also a useful probe to the other mechanisms of energy injection in the ISM. This study must be conducted in order to understand the evolution of the ISM as a whole, and to address various questions: what is the peculiar chemistry associated to shocks, and what is their contribution to the cycle of matter in galaxies ? What is the energetic impact of shocks on their surroundings on various scales, and hence what is the feedback of stars on the galaxies ? What are the scenarios of star formation, whether this star formation leads to the propagation of shocks, or whether it is triggered by shock propagation ? What is the role of shocks in the acceleration of cosmic rays ? Can they shed light on their composition and diffusion processes ? In order to progress on these questions, it is paramount to interpret the most precise observations with the most precise models of shocks. From the observational point of view, the James Webb Space Telescope represents a powerful tool to better address the above questions, as it will allow to observe numerous shock tracers in the infrared range at an unprecedented spatial and spectral resolution.

### Deuterium enrichment of the interstellar grain mantle [Replacement]

We carry out Monte-Carlo simulation to study deuterium enrichment of interstellar grain mantles under various physical conditions. Based on the physical properties, various types of clouds are considered. We find that in diffuse cloud regions, very strong radiation fields persists and hardly a few layers of surface species are formed. In translucent cloud regions with a moderate radiation field, significant number of layers would be produced and surface coverage is mainly dominated by photo-dissociation products such as, C,CH_3,CH_2D,OH and OD. In the intermediate dense cloud regions (having number density of total hydrogen nuclei in all forms ~ 2 x 10^4 cm^-3), water and methanol along with their deuterated derivatives are efficiently formed. For much higher density regions (~ 10^6 cm^-3), water and methanol productions are suppressed but surface coverage of CO,CO_2,O_2,O_3 are dramatically increased. We find a very high degree of fractionation of water and methanol. Observational results support a high fractionation of methanol but surprisingly water fractionation is found to be low. This is in contradiction with our model results indicating alternative routes for de-fractionation of water. Effects of various types of energy barriers are also studied. Moreover, we allow grain mantles to interact with various charged particles (such as H^+, Fe^+,S^+ and C^+) to study the stopping power and projected range of these charged particles on various target ices.

### Deuterium enrichment of the interstellar grain mantle

We carry out Monte-Carlo simulation to study deuterium enrichment of interstellar grain mantles under various physical conditions. Based on the physical properties, various types of clouds are considered. We find that in diffuse cloud regions, very strong radiation fields persists and hardly a few layers of surface species are formed. In translucent cloud regions with a moderate radiation field, significant number of layers would be produced and surface coverage is mainly dominated by photo-dissociation products such as, C,CH_3,CH_2D,OH and OD. In the intermediate dense cloud regions (having number density of total hydrogen nuclei in all forms ~ 2 x 10^4 cm^-3), water and methanol along with their deuterated derivatives are efficiently formed. For much higher density regions (~ 10^6 cm^-3), water and methanol productions are suppressed but surface coverage of CO,CO_2,O_2,O_3 are dramatically increased. We find a very high degree of fractionation of water and methanol. Observational results support a high fractionation of methanol but surprisingly water fractionation is found to be low. This is in contradiction with our model results indicating alternative routes for de-fractionation of water. Effects of various types of energy barriers are also studied. Moreover, we allow grain mantles to interact with various charged particles (such as H^+, Fe^+,S^+ and C^+) to study the stopping power and projected range of these charged particles on various target ices.

### Stellar parametrization from Gaia RVS spectra

Among the myriad of data collected by the ESA Gaia satellite, about 150 million spectra will be delivered by the Radial Velocity Spectrometer (RVS) for stars as faint as G_RVS~16. A specific stellar parametrization will be performed for most of these RVS spectra. Some individual chemical abundances will also be estimated for the brightest targets. We describe the different parametrization codes that have been specifically developed or adapted for RVS spectra within the GSP-spec working group of the analysis consortium. The tested codes are based on optimization (FERRE and GAUGUIN), projection (MATISSE) or pattern recognition methods (Artificial Neural Networks). We present and discuss their expected performances in the recovered stellar atmospheric parameters (Teff, log(g), [M/H]) for B- to K- type stars. The performances for the determinations of [alpha/Fe] ratios are also presented for cool stars. For all the considered stellar types, stars brighter than G_RVS~12.5 will be very efficiently parametrized by the GSP-spec pipeline, including solid estimations of [alpha/Fe]. Typical internal errors for FGK metal-rich and metal-intermediate stars are around 40K in Teff , 0.1dex in log(g), 0.04dex in [M/H], and 0.03dex in [alpha/Fe] at G_RVS=10.3. Similar accuracies in Teff and [M/H] are found for A-type stars, while the log(g) derivation is more accurate. For the faintest stars, with G_RVS>13-14, a spectrophotometric Teff input will allow the improvement of the final GSP-spec parametrization. The reported results show that the contribution of the RVS based stellar parameters will be unique in the brighter part of the Gaia survey allowing crucial age estimations, and accurate chemical abundances. This will constitute a unique and precious sample for which many pieces of the Milky Way history puzzle will be available, with unprecedented precision and statistical relevance.

### Evidence for the Universality of Properties of Red-Sequence Galaxies in X-ray- and Red-Sequence-Selected Clusters at z ~ 1 [Replacement]

We study the slope, intercept, and scatter of the color-magnitude and color-mass relations for a sample of ten infrared red-sequence-selected clusters at z ~ 1. The quiescent galaxies in these clusters formed the bulk of their stars above z ~ 3 with an age spread {\Delta}t ~ 1 Gyr. We compare UVJ color-color and spectroscopic-based galaxy selection techniques, and find a 15% difference in the galaxy populations classified as quiescent by these methods. We compare the color-magnitude relations from our red-sequence selected sample with X-ray- and photometric- redshift-selected cluster samples of similar mass and redshift. Within uncertainties, we are unable to detect any difference in the ages and star formation histories of quiescent cluster members in clusters selected by different methods, suggesting that the dominant quenching mechanism is insensitive to cluster baryon partitioning at z ~ 1.

### Evidence for the Universality of Properties of Red-Sequence Galaxies in X-ray- and Red-Sequence-Selected Clusters at z ~ 1

We study the slope, intercept, and scatter of the color-magnitude and color-mass relations for a sample of ten infrared red-sequence-selected clusters at z ~ 1. The quiescent galaxies in these clusters formed the bulk of their stars above z ~ 3 with an age spread {\Delta}t ~ 1 Gyr. We compare UVJ color-color and spectroscopic-based galaxy selection techniques, and find a 15% difference in the galaxy populations classified as quiescent by these methods. We compare the color-magnitude relations from our red-sequence selected sample with X-ray- and photometric- redshift-selected cluster samples of similar mass and redshift. Within uncertainties, we are unable to detect any difference in the ages and star formation histories of quiescent cluster members in clusters selected by different methods, suggesting that the dominant quenching mechanism is insensitive to cluster baryon partitioning at z ~ 1.

### The Magellanic Stream System: I. Ram-pressure tails and the relics of the collision between the Magellanic Clouds

We have analyzed the Magellanic Stream (MS) using the deepest and the most resolved HI survey of the Southern Hemisphere (GASS). The overall Stream is structured into two filaments suggesting two ram-pressure tails lagging behind the Magellanic Clouds (MCs), and resembling two close, transonic, von Karman vortex streets. The past motions of the Clouds appear imprinted in them, implying almost parallel initial orbits, and then a radical change after their passage near the N(HI) peak of the MS. This is consistent with a recent collision between the MCs, 200-300 Myr ago, which has stripped further their gas into small clouds, spreading them out along a gigantic bow-shock, perpendicular to the MS. The Stream is formed by the interplay between stellar feedback and the ram-pressure exerted by Milky Way (MW) halo hot gas with $n_h$= $10^{-4}$ $cm^{-3}$ at 50-70 kpc, a value necessary for explaining the MS multiphase high-velocity clouds. The corresponding hydrodynamical modeling provides the currently most accurate reproduction of the whole HI Stream morphology, of its velocity, and column density profiles along $L_{MS}$. The 'ram-pressure plus collision' scenario requires tidal dwarf galaxies (TDGs), which are assumed to be the Cloud and dSph progenitors having let imprints into the MS and the Leading Arm, respectively. The simulated LMC and SMC have baryonic mass, kinematics and proper motions consistent with observations. This supports a novel paradigm for the Magellanic Stream System, which could take its origin from material expelled towards the MW by the ancient gas-rich merger that formed M31.

### Constraining the lifetime and opening angle of quasars using fluorescent Ly a emission: the case of Q0420-388

A toy model is developed to understand how the spatial distribution of fluorescent emitters in the vicinity of bright quasars could be affected by the geometry of the quasar bi-conical radiation field and by the quasar lifetime. We then compare the predictions of this model to a sample of high equivalent width Ly a emitters (EW0 > 100 A) that were identified in a deep narrow-band 36x36 arcmin2 image centered on the luminous quasar Q0420-388. These are identified to the edge of the field and show some evidence of an azimuthal asymmetry on the sky of the type expected if the quasar is radiating in a bipolar cone. If these sources are being fluorescently illuminated by the quasar, then the two most distant sources require a lifetime of at least 15 Myr for an opening angle of 60 degrees or more, increasing to more than 40 Myr if the opening angle is reduced to a minimum 30 degrees. The overall distribution of all of the sources across the field gives best fit lifetimes in the range 20 < t < 50 Myr for opening angles in the range 90 < alpha < 40 degrees. If these sources are not being fluorescently illuminated by the quasar, then it suggests that a higher equivalent width limit than has been used in the literature to identify fluorescent objects will be required.

### Probing the Outskirts of the Early Stage Galaxy Cluster Merger A1750

We present results from recent Suzaku and Chandra X-ray, and MMT optical observations of the strongly merging "double cluster" A1750 out to its virial radius, both along and perpendicular to a putative large-scale structure filament. Some previous studies of individual clusters have found evidence for ICM entropy profiles that flatten at large cluster radii, as compared with the self-similar prediction based on purely gravitational models of hierarchical cluster formation, and gas fractions that rise above the mean cosmic value. Weakening accretion shocks and the presence of unresolved cool gas clumps, both of which are expected to correlate with large scale structure filaments, have been invoked to explain these results. In the outskirts of A1750, we find entropy profiles that are consistent with self-similar expectations, and gas fractions that are consistent with the mean cosmic value, both along and perpendicular to the putative large scale filament. Thus, we find no evidence for gas clumping in the outskirts of A1750, in either direction. This may indicate that gas clumping is less prevalent in lower temperature (kT = 4 keV) and mass systems, as found in simulations and in a few isolated clusters of similar mass studied out to their virial radii. Cluster mass may therefore play a more important role in gas clumping than dynamical state. Finally, we find evidence for diffuse, cool (< 1 keV) gas at large cluster radii (R_200) along the filament, which is consistent with the expected properties of the denser, hotter phase of the WHIM.

### Globular Cluster Streams as Galactic High-Precision Scales [Replacement]

Tidal streams of globular clusters are ideal tracers of the Galactic gravitational potential. Compared to the few known, complex and diffuse dwarf-galaxy streams, they are kinematically cold, have thin morphologies and are abundant in the halo of the Milky Way. Their coldness and thinness in combination with potential epicyclic substructure in the vicinity of the stream progenitor turns them into high-precision scales. With the example of Palomar 5, we demonstrate how modeling of a globular cluster stream allows us to simultaneously measure the properties of the disrupting globular cluster, its orbital motion, and the gravitational potential of the Milky Way.

### Globular Cluster Streams as Galactic High-Precision Scales

Tidal streams of globular clusters are ideal tracers of the Galactic gravitational potential. Compared to the few known, complex and diffuse dwarf-galaxy streams, they are kinematically cold, have thin morphologies and are abundant in the halo of the Milky Way. Their coldness and thinness in combination with potential epicyclic substructure in the vicinity of the stream progenitor turns them into high-precision scales. With the example of Palomar 5, we demonstrate how modeling of a globular cluster stream allows us to simultaneously measure the properties of the disrupting globular cluster, its orbital motion, and the gravitational potential of the Milky Way.

### Millimeter-band variability of the radio-quiet nucleus of NGC7469

We report short-cadence monitoring of a radio-quiet Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN), NGC7469, at 95 GHz (3 mm) over a period of 70 days with the CARMA telescope. The AGN varies significantly ($\pm3\sigma$ from the mean) by a factor of two within 4-5 days. The intrinsic 95 GHz variability amplitude in excess of the measurement noise (10%) and relative to the mean flux is comparable to that in the X-rays, and much higher than at 8.4 GHz. The mm-band variability and its similarity to the X-ray variability adds to the evidence that the mm and X-ray emission have the same physical origin, and are associated with the accretion disk corona.

### Submillimeter Observations of CLASH 2882 and the Evolution of Dust in this Galaxy

Two millimeter observations of the MACS J1149.6+2223 cluster have detected a source that was consistent with the location of the lensed MACS1149-JD galaxy at z=9.6. A positive identification would have rendered this galaxy as the youngest dust forming galaxy in the universe. Follow up observation with the AzTEC 1.1 mm camera and the IRAM NOrthern Extended Millimeter Array (NOEMA) at 1.3 mm have not confirmed this association. In this paper we show that the NOEMA observations associate the 2 mm source with [PCB2012] 2882 ([PCB2012] 2882 is the NED-searchable name for this source.), source number 2882 in the Hubble Space Telescope ( HST) Cluster Lensing and Supernova (CLASH) catalog of MACS J1149.6+2223. This source, hereafter referred to as CLASH 2882, is a gravitationally lensed spiral galaxy at z=0.99. We combine the GISMO 2 mm and NOEMA 1.3 mm fluxes with other (rest frame) UV to far-IR observations to construct the full spectral energy distribution (SED) of this galaxy, and derive its star formation history, and stellar and interstellar dust content. The current star formation rate of the galaxy is 54/mu Msun yr-1, and its dust mass is about 5 10^7/mu Msun, where mu is the lensing magnification factor for this source, which has a mean value of 2.7. The inferred dust mass is higher than the maximum dust mass that can be produced by core collapse supernovae (CCSN) and evolved AGB stars. As with many other star forming galaxies, most of the dust mass in CLASH 2882 must have been accreted in the dense phases of the ISM.

### ALMA Probes the Molecular Gas Reservoirs in the Changing-Look Seyfert Galaxy Mrk 590

We investigate if the active galactic nucleus (AGN) of Mrk 590, whose supermassive black hole was until recently highly accreting, is turning off due to a lack of central gas to fuel it. We analyse new sub-arcsecond resolution ALMA maps of the $^{12}$CO(3-2) line and 344 GHz continuum emission in Mrk 590. We detect no $^{12}$CO(3-2) emission in the inner 150 pc, constraining the central molecular gas mass to $M({\rm H_2}) \lesssim 1.6 \times 10^5\, {M_{\odot}}$, no more than a typical giant molecular gas cloud. However, there is still potentially enough gas to fuel the black hole for another $2.6 \times 10^5$ years assuming Eddington-limited accretion. We therefore cannot rule out that the AGN may just be experiencing a temporary feeding break, and may turn on again in the near future. We discover a ring-like structure at a radius of $\sim 1$ kpc, where a gas clump exhibiting disturbed kinematics and located just $\sim 200$ pc west of the AGN, may be refueling the centre. Mrk 590 does not have significantly less gas than other nearby AGN host galaxies at kpc scales, confirming that gas reservoirs at these scales provide no direct indication of on-going AGN activity and accretion rates. Continuum emission detected in the central 150 pc likely originates from warm AGN-heated dust, although contributions from synchrotron and free-free emission cannot be ruled out.

### Ionization of atoms by slow heavy particles [Cross-Listing]

Atoms and molecules can become ionized during the scattering of a slow, heavy particle off a bound electron. Such an interaction involving leptophilic weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs) is a promising possible explanation for the anomalous 9 sigma annual modulation in the DAMA dark matter direct detection experiment [R. Bernabei et al., Eur. Phys. J. C 73, 2648 (2013)]. We demonstrate the applicability of the Born approximation for such an interaction by showing its equivalence to the semiclassical adiabatic treatment of atomic ionization by slow-moving WIMPs. Conventional wisdom has it that the ionization probability for such a process should be exponentially small. We show, however, that due to nonanalytic, cusp-like behaviour of Coulomb functions close to the nucleus this suppression is removed, leading to an effective atomic structure enhancement. We also show that electron relativistic effects actually give the dominant contribution to such a process, meaning that nonrelativistic calculations may greatly underestimate the cross section.

### Ionization of atoms by slow heavy particles [Cross-Listing]

Atoms and molecules can become ionized during the scattering of a slow, heavy particle off a bound electron. Such an interaction involving leptophilic weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs) is a promising possible explanation for the anomalous 9 sigma annual modulation in the DAMA dark matter direct detection experiment [R. Bernabei et al., Eur. Phys. J. C 73, 2648 (2013)]. We demonstrate the applicability of the Born approximation for such an interaction by showing its equivalence to the semiclassical adiabatic treatment of atomic ionization by slow-moving WIMPs. Conventional wisdom has it that the ionization probability for such a process should be exponentially small. We show, however, that due to nonanalytic, cusp-like behaviour of Coulomb functions close to the nucleus this suppression is removed, leading to an effective atomic structure enhancement. We also show that electron relativistic effects actually give the dominant contribution to such a process, meaning that nonrelativistic calculations may greatly underestimate the cross section.

### Massive black holes in merging galaxies

The dynamics of massive black holes (BHs) in galaxy mergers is a rich field of research that has seen much progress in recent years. In this contribution we briefly review the processes describing the journey of BHs during mergers, from the cosmic context all the way to when BHs coalesce. If two galaxies each hosting a central BH merge, the BHs would be dragged towards the center of the newly formed galaxy. If/when the holes get sufficiently close, they coalesce via the emission of gravitational waves. How often two BHs are involved in galaxy mergers depends crucially on how many galaxies host BHs and on the galaxy merger history. It is therefore necessary to start with full cosmological models including BH physics and a careful dynamical treatment. After galaxies have merged, however, the BHs still have a long journey until they touch and coalesce. Their dynamical evolution is radically different in gas-rich and gas-poor galaxies, leading to a sort of "dichotomy" between high-redshift and low-redshift galaxies, and late-type and early-type, typically more massive galaxies.

### What can the alignments of the velocity moments tell us about the nature of the potential?

We prove that, if the distribution function $F(v;r)$ of a steady-state stellar system is symmetric under velocity inversion such that $F(-v_1,v_2,v_3;r)=F(v_1,v_2,v_3;r)$ and the same for $v_2$ and $v_3$, where $(v_1,v_2,v_3)$ is the velocity component projected onto an orthogonal frame, then the potential within which the system is in equilibrium must be a separable (i.e. St\"ackel) potential. Furthermore, we find that the Jeans equations do imply that, if all mixed second moments of the velocity vanish, that is, $\langle v_iv_j\rangle=0$ for any $i\ne j$, in some St\"ackel coordinate system and the only non-vanishing fourth moments in the same coordinate are those in the form of $\langle v_i^4\rangle$ or $\langle v_i^2v_j^2\rangle$, then the potential must be separable in the same coordinates. Finally we also show that all second and fourth velocity moments of tracers with the odd power to the radial component $v_r$ being zero is a sufficient condition to guarantee the potential to be of the form $\Phi=f(r)+r^{-2}g(\theta,\phi)$.

### The infra-red luminosities of ~332,000 SDSS galaxies predicted from artificial neural networks and the Herschel Stripe 82 survey

The total infra-red (IR) luminosity (L_IR) can be used as a robust measure of a galaxy's star formation rate (SFR), even in the presence of an active galactic nucleus (AGN), or when optical emission lines are weak. Unfortunately, existing all sky far-IR surveys, such as the Infra-red Astronomical Satellite (IRAS) and AKARI, are relatively shallow and are biased towards the highest SFR galaxies and lowest redshifts. More sensitive surveys with the Herschel Space Observatory are limited to much smaller areas. In order to construct a large sample of L_IR measurements for galaxies in the nearby universe, we employ artificial neural networks (ANNs), using 1136 galaxies in the Herschel Stripe 82 sample as the training set. The networks are validated using two independent datasets (IRAS and AKARI) and demonstrated to predict the L_IR with a scatter sigma ~ 0.23 dex, and with no systematic offset. Importantly, the ANN performs well for both star-forming galaxies and those with an AGN. A public catalog is presented with our L_IR predictions which can be used to determine SFRs for 331,926 galaxies in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS), including ~ 129,000 SFRs for AGN-dominated galaxies for which SDSS SFRs have large uncertainties.

### Statistical Properties of Diffuse Lyman-alpha Halos around Star-forming Galaxies at z~2

We present statistical properties of diffuse Lyman-alpha halos (LAHs) around high-$z$ star-forming galaxies with large Subaru samples of Lyman-alpha emitters (LAEs) at $z=2.2$. We make subsamples defined by the physical quantities of LAEs' central Lyman-alpha luminosities, UV magnitudes, Lyman-alpha equivalent widths, and UV slopes, and investigate LAHs' radial surface brightness (SB) profiles and scale lengths $r_n$ as a function of these physical quantities. We find that there exist prominent LAHs around LAEs with faint Lyman-alpha luminosities, bright UV luminosities, and small Lyman-alpha equivalent widths in cumulative radial Lyman-alpha SB profiles. We confirm this trend with the anti-correlation between $r_n$ and Lyman-alpha luminosities (equivalent widths) based on the Spearman's rank correlation coefficient that is $\rho=-0.9$ ($-0.7$) corresponding to the $96\%$ ($93\%$) confidence level, although the correlation between $r_n$ and UV magnitudes is not clearly found in the rank correlation coefficient. Our results suggest that LAEs with properties similar to typical Lyman-break galaxies (with faint Lyman-alpha luminosities and small equivalent widths) possess more prominent LAHs. We investigate scenarios for the major physical origins of LAHs with our results, and find that the cold stream scenario is not preferred, due to the relatively small equivalent widths up to $77$\AA\ in LAHs that include LAEs' central components. There remain two possible scenarios of Lyman-alpha scattering in circum-galactic medium and satellite galaxies that cannot be tested with our observational data.

### X-Ray Absorption and Scattering by Interstellar Grains

Interstellar abundance determinations from fits to X-ray absorption edges often rely on the following false assumptions: (1) the grains are "optically thin" at the observed X-ray wavelengths, and (2) scattering is insignificant and can be ignored. We show instead that scattering contributes significantly to the attenuation of X-rays for realistic dust grain size distributions and substantially modifies the spectrum near absorption edges of elements present in grains. The dust attenuation modules used in major X-ray spectral fitting programs do not take this into account. We show that the consequences of neglecting scattering on the determination of interstellar elemental abundances are modest; however, scattering (along with uncertainties in the grain size distribution) must be taken into account when near-edge extinction fine structure is used to infer dust mineralogy. We advertise the benefits and accuracy of anomalous diffraction theory for both X-ray halo analysis and near edge absorption studies. An open source Fortran suite, General Geometry Anomalous Diffraction Theory (GGADT), is presented that calculates X-ray absorption, scattering, and differential scattering cross sections for grains of arbitrary geometry and composition.