2,909 research outputs found
Estimation of soil and vegetation temperatures with multiangular thermal infrared observations: IMGRASS, HEIFE, and SGP 1997 experiments
The potential of directional observations in the thermal infrared region for land surface studies is a largely uncharted area of research. The availability of the dual-view Along Track Scanning Radiometer (ATSR) observations led to explore new opportunities in this direction. In the context of studies on heat transfer at heterogeneous land surfaces, multiangular thermal infrared (TIR) observations offer the opportunity of overcoming fundamental difficulties in modeling sparse canopies. Three case studies were performed on the estimation of the component temperatures of foliage and soil. The first one included the use of multi-temporal field measurements at view angles of 0°, 23° and 52°. The second and third one were done with directional ATSR observations at view angles of 0° and 53° only. The first one was a contribution to the Inner-Mongolia Grassland Atmosphere Surface Study (IMGRASS) experiment in China, the second to the Hei He International Field Experiment (HEIFE) in China and the third one to the Southern Great Plains 1997 (SGP 1997) experiment in Oklahoma, United States. The IMGRASS experiment provided useful insights on the applicability of a simple linear mixture model to the analysis of observed radiance. The HEIFE case study was focused on the large oasis of Zhang-Ye and led to useful estimates of soil and vegetation temperatures. The SGP 1997 contributed a better understanding of the impact of spatial heterogeneity on the accuracy of retrieved foliage and soil temperatures. Limitations in the approach due to varying radiative and boundary layer forcing and to the difference in spatial resolution between the forward and the nadir view are evaluated through a combination of modeling studies and analysis of field data
Thermal emission from WASP-24b at 3.6 and 4.5 {\mu}m
Aims. We observe occultations of WASP-24b to measure brightness temperatures
and to determine whether or not its atmosphere exhibits a thermal inversion
(stratosphere). Methods. We observed occultations of WASP-24b at 3.6 and 4.5
{\mu}m using the Spitzer Space Telescope. It has been suggested that there is a
correlation between stellar activity and the presence of inversions, so we
analysed existing HARPS spectra in order to calculate log R'HK for WASP-24 and
thus determine whether or not the star is chromospherically active. We also
observed a transit of WASP-24b in the Str\"{o}mgren u and y bands, with the
CAHA 2.2-m telescope. Results. We measure occultation depths of 0.159 \pm 0.013
per cent at 3.6 {\mu}m and 0.202 \pm 0.018 per cent at 4.5 {\mu}m. The
corresponding planetary brightness temperatures are 1974 \pm 71 K and 1944 \pm
85 K respectively. Atmosphere models with and without a thermal inversion fit
the data equally well; we are unable to constrain the presence of an inversion
without additional occultation measurements in the near-IR. We find log R'HK =
-4.98 \pm 0.12, indicating that WASP-24 is not a chromospherically active star.
Our global analysis of new and previously-published data has refined the system
parameters, and we find no evidence that the orbit of WASP-24b is non-circular.
Conclusions. These results emphasise the importance of complementing Spitzer
measurements with observations at shorter wavelengths to gain a full
understanding of hot Jupiter atmospheres.Comment: 7 pages, 4 figures, 3 tables. Accepted for publication in A&
The radio and IR counterparts of the ring nebula around HD211564
We report the detection of the radio and infrared counterparts of the ring
nebula around the WN3(h) star HD211564 (WR152), located to the southwest of the
HII region Sh2132. Using radio continuum data from the Canadian Galactic Plane
Survey, we identified the radio counterparts of the two concentric rings, of
about 9' and 16' in radius, related to the star. After applying a filling
factor f = 0.05-0.12, electron densities and ionized masses are in the range
10-16 cm^-3 and 450-700 Mo, respectively. The analysis of the HI gas emission
distribution allowed the identification of 5900 Mo of neutral atomic gas with
velocities between -52 and -43 km/s probably linked to the nebula. The region
of the nebula is almost free of molecular gas. Only four small clumps were
detected, with a total molecular mass of 790 Mo. About 310 Mo are related to a
small infrared shell-like source linked to the inner ring, which is also
detected in the MSX band A. An IRAS YSO candidate is detected in coincidence
with the shell-like IR source.
We suggest that the optical nebula and its neutral counterparts originated
from the stellar winds from the WR star and its massive progenitor, and are
evolving in the envelope of a slowly expanding shell centered at (l,b) = (102
30, -0 50), of about 31 pc in radius. The bubble's energy conversion efficiency
is in agreement with recent numerical analysis and with observational results.Comment: 11 pages, 7 figures, accepted in MNRA
The perturbed sublimation rim of the dust disk around the post-AGB binary IRAS08544-4431
Context: Post-Asymptotic Giant Branch (AGB) binaries are surrounded by stable
dusty and gaseous disks similar to the ones around young stellar objects.
Whereas significant effort is spent on modeling observations of disks around
young stellar objects, the disks around post-AGB binaries receive significantly
less attention, even though they pose significant constraints on theories of
disk physics and binary evolution. Aims: We want to examine the structure of
and phenomena at play in circumbinary disks around post-AGB stars. We continue
the analysis of our near-infrared interferometric image of the inner rim of the
circumbinary disk around IRAS08544-4431. We want to understand the physics
governing this inner disk rim. Methods: We use a radiative transfer model of a
dusty disk to reproduce simultaneously the photometry as well as the
near-infrared interferometric dataset on IRAS08544-4431. The model assumes
hydrostatic equilibrium and takes dust settling self-consistently into account.
Results: The best-fit radiative transfer model shows excellent agreement with
the spectral energy distribution up to mm wavelengths as well as with the
PIONIER visibility data. It requires a rounded inner rim structure, starting at
a radius of 8.25 au. However, the model does not fully reproduce the detected
over-resolved flux nor the azimuthal flux distribution of the inner rim. While
the asymmetric inner disk rim structure is likely to be the consequence of
disk-binary interactions, the origin of the additional over-resolved flux
remains unclear. Conclusions: As in young stellar objects, the disk inner rim
of IRAS08544-4431 is ruled by dust sublimation physics. Additional observations
are needed to understand the origin of the extended flux and the azimuthal
perturbation at the inner rim of the disk.Comment: Accepted for publication in A&A, 13 figures, 13 page
- …