RXTE confirmation of the intermediate polar status of IGR J15094-6649

Aims. To establish the X-ray properties of the intermediate polar candidate IGR J15094-6649 and therefore confirm its inclusion into the class. Methods. 42 856 s of X-ray data from RXTE was analysed. Frequency analysis was used to constrain temporal variations and spectral analysis used to characterise the emission and absorption properties. Results. A spin period of 809.7+-0.6 s is present, revealed as a complex pulse profile whose modulation depth decreases with increasing X-ray energy. The spectrum is well fitted by either a 19+-4 keV Bremsstrahlung or Gamma=1.8+-0.1 power law, with an iron emission line feature and significant absorption in each case. Conclusions. IGR J15094-6649 is confirmed to be an intermediate polar.Comment: 3 pages, 5 figures. Submitted to A&

Cognitive-behavioral therapy for anxiety in Parkinson's disease

Parkinson's disease (PD) is characterized by motor symptoms, but nonmotor symptoms also significantly impair daily functioning and reduce quality of life. Anxiety is prevalent and debilitating in PD, but remains understudied and undertreated. Much affective research in PD focuses on depression rather than anxiety, and as such, there are no evidence-based treatments for anxiety in this population. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) has shown promise for treating depression in PD and may be efficacious for anxiety. This exploratory study implemented a multiple-baseline single-case experimental design to evaluate the utility and feasibility of CBT for individuals with PD who also met criteria for a DSM-5 anxiety disorder ( n = 9). Participants were randomized to a 2-, 4-, or 6-week baseline phase, followed by 12 CBT sessions, and two post treatment assessments (immediately post treatment and 6-week follow-up). Multiple outcome measures of anxiety and depression were administered weekly during baseline and intervention. Weekly CBT sessions were conducted in-person ( n = 5) or via secure videoconferencing ( n = 4). At post treatment, seven of the nine participants showed significant reductions in anxiety and/or depression, with changes functionally related to treatment and most improvements maintained at 6-week follow-up. Effects of CBT on secondary outcomes varied across participants, with preliminary evidence for reduction in fear of falling. Adherence and retention were high, as were treatment satisfaction and acceptability. The findings of this pilot study provide preliminary evidence for the utility of CBT as a feasible treatment for anxiety and comorbid depressive symptoms in PD and highlight the potential of telehealth interventions for mood in this population.Accepted manuscrip

SwSt 1: an O-rich planetary nebula around a C-rich central star

The hydrogen-deficient carbon-rich [WCL] type central star HD167362 and its oxygen-rich planetary nebula (PN) SwSt~1 are investigated. The nebular chemistry might indicate a recent origin for the carbon-rich stellar spectrum. Its stellar and nebular properties might therefore provide further understanding of the origin of the [WCL] central star class. The UV-IR stellar spectra are modelled with state of the codes and show ~40kK central star with a wind and a C/O~3, indicative of efficient third dredge-up. The synthetic stellar flux distribution is used to model the high density, compact PN, which has a solar C/O ratio, is still enshrouded by 1200K and 230K dust shells and, reported here for the first time, in molecular hydrogen. Although it appears that the change in C/O ratio has been recent, the published spectroscopy since 1895 has been re-examined and no clear spectral change is seen. If an event occurred that has turned it into a hydrogen-deficient central star, it did not happen in the last 100 years.Comment: 31 pages, 19 figures (some are gif files), MNRAS in pres

The WC10 central stars CPD-56 degrees 8032 and He 2-113 .1. Distances and nebular parameters

We present the results of an analysis of the WC10 central stars CPD −56°8032 and He 2-113 and of their surrounding planetary nebulae (PNe). UCL Echelle Spectrograph spectra with a resolving power of R = 50 000, covering the wavelength range 3600–9500 Å, were obtained for both objects. Expansion and radial velocities are derived from the nebular Balmer lines. Reddenings were derived from the observed Hα/Hβ decrements, as well as from the ratio of the radio free-free and Hβ fluxes. We find that E(B—V) = 0.68 for CPD−56°8032 and 1.00 for He 2-113. The bolometric luminosity is found to be 2820 D2 (kpc) L⊙ for CPD — 56°8032 and 2290 D2 (kpc) L⊙ for He 2-113. We have used a calibration based on Magellanic Cloud Wolf-Rayet central stars to estimate a distance of 1.35 kpc to CPD — 56°8032 and 1.50 kpc to He 2-113. A comparison of the radial velocities of interstellar Na I D-line absorption components with Galactic rotation curve predictions for each line of sight yields distances which agree within the uncertainties with these values. We also present deconvolved pre-COSTAR HST Hβ images, from which we derive nebular angular sizes of 1.6 × 2.1 arcsec2 for CPD—56°8032 and 1.4 × 1.1 arcsec2 for He 2-113. From our spectra, nebular electron temperatures of 8800 and 8400 K are derived for CPD. 56°8032 and He 2-113 respectively, while an electron density of 6 × 104 cm−3 is determined for both nebulae. Sulphur is found to have a near-solar abundance in both nebulae, and the nebular nitrogen abundances are also close to solar. The nebular C/O abundance ratios (determined with the help of low-resolution IUE spectra) are found to be equal to 13 for CPD. 56°8032 and 10 for He 2-113, respectively, significantly higher than the values normally found for Galactic PNe. We find no detectable amounts of hydrogen in either stellar wind

Quantitative classification of WC and WO stars

We present a quantitative classification scheme for carbon and oxygen sequence Wolf-Rayet stars. Our scheme uses new high-quality optical AAT and INT observations of 20 stars for which we provide narrow-band photometry and estimates of interstellar reddenings. In increasing order of excitation, our spectral classes range from WC11 to WC4 for Wolf-Rayet stars with a dominant carbon line visual spectrum, and subsequently from WO4 to WO1 for those with predominantly oxygen lines. We refine existing WC and WO schemes to incorporate stars with higher and lower excitation spectral features. Both massive stars and central stars of planetary nebulae (CSPNe) can be classified with the unified system. We have found no criterion that cleanly separates spectra of the two types of star, including elemental abundances (C/O or C/He). However, CSPNe show a wider range of line strength and width than massive stars in the same ionization subclass. Systematically lower FWHM(C IV λ5808) values are observed from WO-type CSPNe than from massive WO stars. For WC4-11 stars, our primary diagnostic is the equivalent width or line flux ratio C IV λλ5801-12/C III λ5696. We extend the use of this as the principal criterion throughout the WC sequence, with few reclassifications necessary relative to Smith, Shara & Moffat. For WO stars, C III is absent and our new criteria, using primarily oxygen lines, take over smoothly. We define subclasses WO4-1, using O VI λλ3811-34/O V λ5590 as our primary diagnostic. The continuation in spectral sequence from WC to WO is used to indicate that the sequence is a result primarily of excitation effects, rather than significant abundance differences. Our scheme allows us to confirm that massive stars and CSPNe are differently distributed over the subclasses. Around 3/5 of massive WC stars lie within the range WC5-8, while ≤1/5 of CSPNe are found within these spectral types. Stars within both the highest (WO1) and lowest (WC10-11) excitation spectral classes are unique to CSPNe. A WC classification for the hot R CrB star V348 Sgr is excluded (previously [WC 12]) since both C III λ5696 and C IV λ5808 are absent in its optical spectrum. Additional criteria allow us to distinguish between WC-type, 'weak emission line' CSPNe, and O stars, allowing us to reclassify the central star of IRAS 21282+5050 (previously [WC11] ) as an O star

The integrated density of states of the random graph Laplacian

We analyse the density of states of the random graph Laplacian in the percolating regime. A symmetry argument and knowledge of the density of states in the nonpercolating regime allows us to isolate the density of states of the percolating cluster (DSPC) alone, thereby eliminating trivially localised states due to finite subgraphs. We derive a nonlinear integral equation for the integrated DSPC and solve it with a population dynamics algorithm. We discuss the possible existence of a mobility edge and give strong evidence for the existence of discrete eigenvalues in the whole range of the spectrum.Comment: 4 pages, 1 figure. Supplementary material available at http://www.theorie.physik.uni-goettingen.de/~aspel/data/spectrum_supplement.pd

The WC10 central stars CPD−56° 8032 and He 2–113 –III. Wind electron temperatures and abundances

We present a direct spectroscopic measurement of the wind electron temperatures and a determination of the stellar wind abundances of the WC10 central stars of planetary nebulae CPD−56° 8032 and He 2–113, for which high-resolution (0.15-Å) UCLES echelle spectra have been obtained using the 3.9-m Anglo-Australian Telescope. The intensities of dielectronic recombination lines, originating from autoionizing resonance states situated in the C2++e− continuum, are sensitive to the electron temperature through the populations of these states, which are close to their LTE values. The high-resolution spectra allow the intensities of fine-structure components of the dielectronic multiplets to be measured. New atomic data for the autoionization and radiative transition probabilities of the resonance states are presented, and used to derive wind electron temperatures in the two stars of 21 300 K for CPD−56°8032 and 16 400 K for He 2–113. One of the dielectronic lines is shown to have an autoionization width in agreement with the theoretical predictions. Wind abundances of carbon with respect to helium are determined from bound–bound recombination lines, and are found to be C/He=0.44 for CPD−56° 8032 and C/He=0.29 for He 2–113 (by number). The oxygen abundances are determined to be O/He=0.24 for CPD−56° 8032 and 0.26 for He 2–113. The effect of optical depth on the temperature and abundance determinations is investigated by means of a Sobolev escape-probability model. We conclude that the optically thicker recombination lines can still be used for abundance determinations, provided that their upper levels are far from LTE

Discovery of an Edge-on Dust Disk around the [WC10] Central Star CPD –56°8032

We present Hubble Space Telescope ultraviolet and optical Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph spectroscopy of the [WCL] planetary nebula central star CPD -56°8032, obtained during its latest light-curve minimum. The UV spectrum shows the central star's continuum light distribution to be split into two bright peaks separated by 0farcs10. We interpret this finding as due to an edge-on disk or torus structure that obscures direct light from the star, which is seen primarily via its light scattered from the disk's rims or lobes. CPD -56°8032 is an archetype of dual dust chemistry [WCL] planetary nebulae, which exhibit strong infrared emission features from both carbon-rich and oxygen-rich materials, and for which the presence of a disk harboring the O-rich grains had been suggested. Our direct observation of an edge-on occulting dust structure around CPD -56°8032 provides strong support for such a model and for binary interactions being responsible for the correlation between the dual dust chemistry phenomenon in planetary nebulae and the presence of a hydrogen-deficient [WCL] Wolf-Rayet central star

Trapping in the random conductance model

We consider random walks on $\Z^d$ among nearest-neighbor random conductances which are i.i.d., positive, bounded uniformly from above but whose support extends all the way to zero. Our focus is on the detailed properties of the paths of the random walk conditioned to return back to the starting point at time $2n$. We show that in the situations when the heat kernel exhibits subdiffusive decay --- which is known to occur in dimensions $d\ge4$ --- the walk gets trapped for a time of order $n$ in a small spatial region. This shows that the strategy used earlier to infer subdiffusive lower bounds on the heat kernel in specific examples is in fact dominant. In addition, we settle a conjecture concerning the worst possible subdiffusive decay in four dimensions.Comment: 21 pages, version to appear in J. Statist. Phy