861 research outputs found
Understanding The Effects Of Stellar Multiplicity On The Derived Planet Radii From Transit Surveys: Implications for Kepler, K2, and TESS
We present a study on the effect of undetected stellar companions on the
derived planetary radii for the Kepler Objects of Interest (KOIs). The current
production of the KOI list assumes that the each KOI is a single star. Not
accounting for stellar multiplicity statistically biases the planets towards
smaller radii. The bias towards smaller radii depends on the properties of the
companion stars and whether the planets orbit the primary or the companion
stars. Defining a planetary radius correction factor , we find that if the
KOIs are assumed to be single, then, {\it on average}, the planetary radii may
be underestimated by a factor of . If typical
radial velocity and high resolution imaging observations are performed and no
companions are detected, this factor reduces to . The correction factor is dependent upon the primary
star properties and ranges from for A and F
stars to for K and M stars. For missions like
K2 and TESS where the stars may be closer than the stars in the Kepler target
sample, observational vetting (primary imaging) reduces the radius correction
factor to . Finally, we show that if the
stellar multiplicity rates are not accounted for correctly, occurrence rate
calculations for Earth-sized planets may overestimate the frequency of small
planets by as much as \%.Comment: 10 pages, 6 Figures, Accepted for publication in The Astrophysical
Journal (Fix typo in Equation 6 of original astroph submission; correction
also submitted to Journal
Speckle interferometry at SOAR in 2019
The results of speckle interferometric observations at the 4.1 m Southern
Astrophysical Research Telescope (SOAR) in 2019 are given, totaling 2555
measurements of 1972 resolved pairs with separations from 15 mas (median 0.21")
and magnitude difference up to 6 mag, and non-resolutions of 684 targets. We
resolved for the first time 90 new pairs or subsystems in known binaries. This
work continues our long-term speckle program. Its main goal is to monitor
orbital motion of close binaries, including members of high-order hierarchies
and Hipparcos pairs in the solar neighborhood. We give a list of 127 orbits
computed using our latest measurements. Their quality varies from excellent (25
orbits of grades 1 and 2) to provisional (47 orbits of grades 4 and 5).Comment: Accepted by The Astronomical Journal. 10 pages, 5 Figures.
Measurements and non-resolutions, published electronically, are available
from the first author. arXiv admin note: substantial text overlap with
arXiv:1905.1043
Speckle interferometry at SOAR in 2015
The results of speckle interferometric observations at the SOAR telescope in
2015 are given, totalling 1303 measurements of 924 resolved binary and multiple
stars and non-resolutions of 260 targets. The separations range from 12 mas to
3.37" (median 0.17"); the maximum measured magnitude difference is 6.7 mag. We
resolved 27 pairs for the first time, including 10 as inner or outer subsystems
in previously known binaries, e.g. the 50-mas pair in Epsilon Cha. Newly
resolved pairs are commented upon. We discuss three apparently non-hierarchical
systems discovered in this series, arguing that their unusual configuration
results from projection. The resolved quadruple system HIP 71510 is studied as
well.Comment: 10 pages, 8 figures. Accepted for publication in AJ. The online
tables are not included, available from Tokovinin on request. arXiv admin
note: text overlap with arXiv:1506.0571
Neural signal for the intensity of a tactile stimulus
Journal ArticleThe effect of indenting the skin at different rates on the perceived intensity of the stimulus was studied by indenting the skin of the fingertip with two triangular waveforms, given as a pair. The subjects were asked to judge which member of the pair was more intense. Perceived intensity was found to increase both with the depth and the speed of the indentation. In contrast, changes in the rate of skin indentation had little influence on perceived skin indentation depth. This suggests that intensity and depth are different attributes of tactile sensibility. Since the skin is viscous, a rapid indentation is more forceful than a slow indentation of the same depth, raising the possibility that perceived intensity is related to stimulus force. Even though intensity judgments were more closely correlated with the force of a stimulus than with the indentation it produced, a rapidly increasing force was felt as more intense than one that increased more slowly but attained the same final magnitude. When mechanoreceptors in the palmar aspect of the monkey's hand were excited with triangular stimuli like those used in the psychophysical studies, their discharge frequency increased with the rate of skin indentation. However, the receptors were distinctly more rate sensitive than the human judgments of stimulus intensity, suggesting that impulse summation in the central nervous system summates (integrates in the mathematical sense) the receptor input so as to enhance, relatively, the perceived intensity of the slower stimuli. Additional evidence in favor of this suggestion came from experiments in which the skin of the fingertip was indented with a stimulus that advanced to a depth of 1 or 2 mm at a rate of 0.4 mm/set, remained steady for 18 set, and then retracted. Ten subjects traced the perceived intensity of these stimuli while they were in progress. During the l-mm indentation, 8 of the 10 subjects felt the intensity to decline less during the steady phase of the stimulus than did the average discharge of slowly adapting receptors in monkey glabrous skin, and some subjects actually felt an increase in intensity during the stimulus plateau. The discrepancy between perceived intensity and nerve impulse activity was still more pronounced during the 2-mm indentation, when only 1 of the 10 subjects felt a decline in intensity comparable to receptor adaptation. Again, the discrepancy between nerve impulse activity and perceived intensity could be explained by impulse summation in central neural circuitry. To test this possibility further, the fingertips of the same 10 subjects were indented with a stimulus that advanced to a depth of 1 or 2 mm at a rate of 0.4 mm/set, remained steady for 2 to 4 set, and then partially retracted at 0.33 to 0.06 mm/set. When the partial retraction amounted to 5 to 30% of the original excursion, the fingertip was reindented to the same depth, and the sequence began again. Tracings made by 9 of the 10 subjects showed a systematic overestimation error (wind-up) in which they thought the intensity increased during reindentation, although the stimulator actually reindented to the same depth each time. Since cutaneous mechanoreceptors fatigue rather than increase their discharge when repeatedly stimulated, the occurrence of intensity wind-up appears to require a central integrator. However, this neural integration is less pronounced for judgments of intensity than for judgments of skin indentation depth, and intensity integration may be weak or absent in certain subjects
Unusual explosive growth of a squamous cell carcinoma of the scalp after electrical burn injury and subsequent coverage by sequential free flap vascular connection – a case report
BACKGROUND: Squamous cell carcinomos may arise from chronic ulcerating wounds in scars, most commonly postburn scars. Tumour growth usually takes place over months to years. Localization on the scalp is a relatively rare condition. CASE PRESENTATION: This report presents the case of a 63-year-old man with chronic ulceration of a postburn scar of the scalp due to an electrical burn 58 years ago. Sudden tumour growth started within weeks and on presentation already had extended through the skull into frontal cortex. After radical tumour resection, defect was covered with a free radial forearm flap. Local recurrence occurred 6 weeks later. Subsequent wide excision including discard of the flap and preservation of the radial vessels was followed by transfer of a free latissimus dorsi muscle flap, using the radial vessels of the first flap as recipient vessels. The patient received radiotherapy post-operatively. There were no problems with flap survivals or wound healing. Due to rapidly growing recurrence the patient died 2 months later. CONCLUSION: Explosive SCC tumour growth might occur in post-burn scars after more than 50 years. As a treatment option the use of sequential free flap connections might serve in repeated extensive tumour resections, especially in the scalp region, where suitable donor vessels are often located in distance to the defect
- …