1,066 research outputs found
Telluric correction in the near-infrared: Standard star or synthetic transmission?
Context. The atmospheric absorption of the Earth is an important limiting
factor for ground-based spectroscopic observations and the near-infrared and
infrared regions are the most affected. Several software packages that produce
a synthetic atmospheric transmission spectrum have been developed to correct
for the telluric absorption; these are Molecfit, TelFit, and TAPAS. Aims. Our
goal is to compare the correction achieved using these three telluric
correction packages and the division by a telluric standard star. We want to
evaluate the best method to correct near-infrared high-resolution spectra as
well as the limitations of each software package and methodology. Methods. We
applied the telluric correction methods to CRIRES archival data taken in the J
and K bands. We explored how the achieved correction level varies depending on
the atmospheric T-P profile used in the modelling, the depth of the atmospheric
lines, and the molecules creating the absorption. Results. We found that the
Molecfit and TelFit corrections lead to smaller residuals for the water lines.
The standard star method corrects best the oxygen lines. The Molecfit package
and the standard star method corrections result in global offsets always below
0.5% for all lines; the offset is similar with TelFit and TAPAS for the H2O
lines and around 1% for the O2 lines. All methods and software packages result
in a scatter between 3% and 7% inside the telluric lines. The use of a tailored
atmospheric profile for the observatory leads to a scatter two times smaller,
and the correction level improves with lower values of precipitable water
vapour. Conclusions. The synthetic transmission methods lead to an improved
correction compared to the standard star method for the water lines in the J
band with no loss of telescope time, but the oxygen lines were better corrected
by the standard star method.Comment: 18 pages, 13 figures, Accepted to A&
New constraints on the formation and settling of dust in the atmospheres of young M and L dwarfs
We obtained medium-resolution near-infrared spectra of seven young M9.5-L3
dwarfs classified in the optical. We aim to confirm the low surface gravity of
the objects in the NIR. We also test whether atmospheric models correctly
represent the formation and the settling of dust clouds in the atmosphere of
young late-M and L dwarfs. We used ISAAC at VLT to obtain the spectra of the
targets. We compared them to those of mature and young BD, and young late-type
companions to nearby stars with known ages, in order to identify and study
gravity-sensitive features. We computed spectral indices weakly sensitive to
the surface gravity to derive near-infrared spectral types. Finally, we found
the best fit between each spectrum and synthetic spectra from the BT-Settl 2010
and 2013 models. Using the best fit, we derived the atmospheric parameters of
the objects and identify which spectral characteristics the models do not
reproduce. We confirmed that our objects are young BD and we found NIR spectral
types in agreement with the ones determined at optical wavelengths. The
spectrum of the L2-gamma dwarf 2MASSJ2322-6151 reproduces well the spectrum of
the planetary mass companion 1RXS J1609-2105b. BT-Settl models fit the spectra
and the 1-5 m SED of the L0-L3 dwarfs for temperatures between 1600-2000
K. But the models fail to reproduce the shape of the H band, and the NIR slope
of some of our targets. This fact, and the best fit solutions found with
super-solar metallicity are indicative of a lack of dust, in particular at high
altitude, in the cloud models. The modeling of the vertical mixing and of the
grain growth will be revised in the next version of the BT-Settl models. These
revisions may suppress the remaining non-reproducibilities.Comment: Accepted in A&A, February 6, 201
Pulsar Prospects for the Cherenkov Telescope Array
In the last few years, the Fermi-LAT telescope has discovered over a 100
pulsars at energies above 100 MeV, increasing the number of known gamma-ray
pulsars by an order of magnitude. In parallel, imaging Cherenkov telescopes,
such as MAGIC and VERITAS, have detected for the first time VHE pulsed
gamma-rays from the Crab pulsar. Such detections have revealed that the Crab
VHE spectrum follows a power-law up to at least 400 GeV, challenging most
theoretical models, and opening wide possibilities of detecting more pulsars
from the ground with the future Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA). In this
contribution, we study the capabilities of CTA for detecting Fermi pulsars. For
this, we extrapolate their spectra with "Crab-like" power-law tails in the VHE
range, as suggested by the latest MAGIC and VERITAS results.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures. In Proceedings of the 2012 Heidelberg Symposium
on High Energy Gamma-Ray Astronomy. All CTA contributions at arXiv:1211.184
Emptying time of a tank filled up with explosive paste. Comparison between experimental measurements and predictions based on rheological characterization of the paste
International audienceOne industrial process used by Nexter Munitions to manufacture pyrotechnical materials consists in preparing an emulsion of wax in TNT (2,4,6-trinitrotoluene) and adding Aluminium and ONTA (3-nitro-1,2,4-triazole-5-one) particles. When the suspension is homogeneous, it is allowed to flow by gravity through a pipe located at the bottom of the tank and to fill up a shell body. The suspension is characterized by a solid volume fraction of 53.4%, which leads to high viscosities. In some circumstances, the emptying time is prohibitively long and the economic profitability is reduced. This study has been performed to make the emptying time lower with the constraint of unchanged volume fractions and grains mean diameter. So, we investigated the influence of the grain size distribution on the suspension viscosity. Different samples of Aluminium and ONTA have been used, with rather small differences in grain size distributions. The suspensions have been prepared in the industrial tank and the flow cast times measured. It has been observed that they differ by one order of magnitude. To avoid situations with too high emptying times, a procedure has been implemented to make prior characterization of the suspension rheology. Because of particles sedimentation and emulsion destabilisation, the classical Couette rheometer is not adapted. So, we designed and built a small size tank (113 cm3), where the suspension is continuously stirred and kept homogeneous. The measurement of the torque and rotational speed together with the use of the Couette analogy allowed us to observe an Ostwald fluid behaviour (flow consistency index k, flow behaviour index n). To gain in prediction, we established a correlation between the measured (k, n) values and the grain size distributions. We characterized each suspension by the ratio of to , where is the solid volume fraction (imposed by the commercial specifications) and is the maximum packing fraction. Because of the strong analogy between concrete and energetic paste, we chose the widely used De Larrard model to compute . A linear dependance between the ratio and the indices k and n was observed. The second step was to provide an analytical expression for the flow cast time of a power-law suspension from a tank with a given geometry. Considering the large difference between the industrial inner tank diameter and the evacuation pipe diameter, we assumed that all the pressure drop was located in the evacuation pipe. Then, extending the Hagen-Poiseuille equation to Ostwald fluid, we were able to predict the emptying time with the knowledge of k and n. Experimental and predicted emptying time are in very good agreement. This work helped the industrial manufacturer to divide the emptying time by a factor 12
A brown dwarf companion to the intermediate-mass star HR6037
In the course of an imaging survey we have detected a visual companion to the
intermediate-mass star HR 6037. In this letter, we present two epoch
observations of the binary with NACO/VLT, and near-IR spectroscopy of the
secondary with ISAAC/VLT. The NACO observations allow us to confirm HR 6037B as
a co-moving companion. Its J and H band ISAAC spectra suggest the object has an
spectral type of M9+-1, with a surface gravity intermediate between that of 10
Myr dwarfs and field dwarfs with identical spectral type. The comparison of its
Ks-band photometry with evolutionary tracks allows us to derive a mass,
effective temperature, and surface gravity of 62+-20 MJup, Teff = 2330+-200 K,
and log g = 5.1+-0.2, respectively. The small mass ratio of the binary, -0.03,
and its long orbital period, -5000 yr, makes HR 6037 a rare and uncommon binary
system.Comment: (5 pages, 4 figures, accepted for publication in A&A Letters
A new web-based system to improve the monitoring of snow avalanche hazard in France
International audienceSnow avalanche data in the French Alps and Pyrenees have been recorded for more than 100 years in several databases. The increasing amount of observed data required a more integrative and automated service. Here we report the comprehensive web-based Snow Avalanche Information System newly developed to this end for three important data sets: an avalanche chronicle (Enquete Permanente sur les Avalanches, EPA), an avalanche map (Carte de Localisation des Phenomenes d'Avalanche, CLPA) and a compilation of hazard and vulnerability data recorded on selected paths endangering human settlements (Sites Habites Sensibles aux Avalanches, SSA). These data sets are now integrated into a common database, enabling full interoperability between all different types of snow avalanche records: digitized geographic data, avalanche descriptive parameters, eyewitness reports, photographs, hazard and risk levels, etc. The new information system is implemented through modular components using Java-based web technologies with Spring and Hibernate frameworks. It automates the manual data entry and improves the process of information collection and sharing, enhancing user experience and data quality, and offering new outlooks to explore and exploit the huge amount of snow avalanche data available for fundamental research and more applied risk assessment
A Search for Variability in Exoplanet Analogues and Low-Gravity Brown Dwarfs
We report the results of a -band survey for photometric variability in a
sample of young, low-gravity objects using the New Technology Telescope (NTT)
and the United Kingdom InfraRed Telescope (UKIRT). Surface gravity is a key
parameter in the atmospheric properties of brown dwarfs and this is the first
large survey that aims to test the gravity dependence of variability
properties. We do a full analysis of the spectral signatures of youth and
assess the group membership probability of each target using membership tools
from the literature. This results in a 30 object sample of young low-gravity
brown dwarfs. Since we are lacking in objects with spectral types later than
L9, we focus our statistical analysis on the L0-L8.5 objects. We find that the
variability occurrence rate of L0-L8.5 low-gravity brown dwarfs in this survey
is . We reanalyse the results of Radigan 2014 and find that
the field dwarfs with spectral types L0-L8.5 have a variability occurrence rate
of . We determine a probability of that the samples are
drawn from different distributions. This is the first quantitative indication
that the low-gravity objects are more likely to be variable than the field
dwarf population. Furthermore, we present follow-up and
observations of the young, planetary-mass variable object PSO 318.5-22 over
three consecutive nights. We find no evidence of phase shifts between the
and bands and find higher amplitudes. We use the lightcurves
to measure a rotational period of hr for PSO 318.5-22.Comment: accepted for publication in MNRA
β blockers and mortality after myocardial infarction in patients without heart failure: multicentre prospective cohort study
Objective: To assess the association between early and prolonged β blocker treatment and mortality after acute myocardial infarction. Design: Multicentre prospective cohort study. Setting: Nationwide French registry of Acute ST- and non-ST-elevation Myocardial Infarction (FAST-MI) (at 223 centres) at the end of 2005. Participants: 2679 consecutive patients with acute myocardial infarction and without heart failure or left ventricular dysfunction. Main outcome measures: Mortality was assessed at 30 days in relation to early use of β blockers (≤48 hours of admission), at one year in relation to discharge prescription, and at five years in relation to one year use. Results: β blockers were used early in 77% (2050/2679) of patients, were prescribed at discharge in 80% (1783/2217), and were still being used in 89% (1230/1383) of those alive at one year. Thirty day mortality was lower in patients taking early β blockers (adjusted hazard ratio 0.46, 95% confidence interval 0.26 to 0.82), whereas the hazard ratio for one year mortality associated with β blockers at discharge was 0.77 (0.46 to 1.30). Persistence of β blockers at one year was not associated with lower five year mortality (hazard ratio 1.19, 0.65 to 2.18). In contrast, five year mortality was lower in patients continuing statins at one year (hazard ratio 0.42, 0.25 to 0.72) compared with those discontinuing statins. Propensity score and sensitivity analyses showed consistent results. Conclusions: Early β blocker use was associated with reduced 30 day mortality in patients with acute myocardial infarction, and discontinuation of β blockers at one year was not associated with higher five year mortality. These findings question the utility of prolonged β blocker treatment after acute myocardial infarction in patients without heart failure or left ventricular dysfunction. Trial registration: Clinical trials NCT00673036
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