35 research outputs found
Strong effect of the cluster environment on the size of protoplanetary discs?
Context. Most stars are born in clusters, thus the protoplanetary discs
surrounding the newly formed stars might be influenced by this environment.
Isolated star-disc encounters have previously been studied, and it was shown
that very close encounters are necessary to completely destroy discs. However,
relatively distant encounters are still able to change the disc size
considerably. Aims. We quantify the importance of disc-size reduction that is
due to stellar encounters in an entire stellar population. Methods. We modelled
young, massive clusters of different densities using the code Nbody6 to
determine the statistics of stellar encounter parameters. In a second step, we
used these parameters to investigate the effect of the environments on the disc
size. For this purpose, we performed a numerical experiment with an artificial
initial disc size of 105 AU. Results. We quantify to which degree the disc size
is more sensitive to the cluster environment than to the disc mass or
frequency. We show that in all investigated clusters a large portion of discs
is significantly reduced in size. After 5 Myr, the fraction of discs smaller
than 1000 AU in ONC-like clusters with an average number density of 60pc,
the fraction of discs smaller than 1000 AU is 65%, while discs smaller than 100
AU make up 15%. These fractions increase to 84% and 39% for discs in denser
clusters like IC 348 (500pc). Even in clusters with a density four times
lower than in the ONC (15pc), about 43% of all discs are reduced to sizes
below 1 000 AU and roughly 9% to sizes below 100 AU. Conclusions. For any disc
in the ONC that initially was larger than 1 000 AU, the probability to be
truncated to smaller disc sizes as a result of stellar encounters is quite
high. Thus, among other effects, encounters are important in shaping discs and
potentially forming planetary systems in stellar clusters.Comment: accepted for publication in A&
From star-disc encounters to numerical solutions for a subset of the restricted three-body problem
Various astrophysical processes are known, where the fly-by of a massive
object affects matter initially supported against gravity by rotation. Examples
are perturbations of galaxies, protoplanetary discs or planetary systems. We
approximate such events as subset of the restricted three-body problem by
considering only perturbations of non-interacting low-mass objects initially on
circular Keplerian orbits. In this paper we present a new parametrisation of
the initial conditions of this problem. Under certain conditions the initial
positions of the low-mass objects can be specified largely independent of the
initial position of the perturber. Exploiting additionally the known scalings
of the problem reduces the parameter space of initial conditions for one
specific perturbation to two dimensions. To this two-dimensional initial
condition space we have related the final properties of the perturbed
trajectories of the low-mass objects from our numerical simulations. That way,
maps showing the effect of the perturbation on the low-mass objects have been
created, which provide a new view on the perturbation process. Comparing the
maps for different mass-ratios reveals that the perturbations by low- and
high-mass perturbers are dominated by different physical processes. The
equal-mass case is a complicated mixture of the other two cases. Since the
final properties of trajectories with similar initial conditions are usually
also similar, the results of the limited number of integrated trajectories can
be generalised to the full presented parameter space by interpolation. Since
our results are also unique within the accuracy strived for, they constitute
general numerical solutions for this subset of the restricted three-body
problem. As such, they can be used to predict the evolution of real physical
problems by simple transformations like scaling and without further
simulations. (...)Comment: 11 pages, 8 figures, + 2 pages appendix, published by A&A; This
version includes the Corrigendum (DOI: 10.1051/0004-6361/201526068e) and
changes from the editing proces
Effects of inclined star-disk encounter on protoplanetary disk size
Most, if not all, young stars are initially surrounded by protoplanetary
disks. Owing to the preferential formation of stars in stellar clusters, the
protoplanetary disks around these stars may potentially be affected by the
cluster environment. Various works have investigated the influence of stellar
fly-bys on disks, although many of them consider only the effects due to
parabolic, coplanar encounters often for equal-mass stars, which is only a very
special case. We perform numerical simulations to study the fate of
protoplanetary disks after the impact of parabolic star-disk encounter for the
less investigated case of inclined up to coplanar, retrograde encounters, which
is a much more common case. Here, we concentrate on the disk size after such
encounters because this limits the size of the potentially forming planetary
systems. In addition, with the possibilities that ALMA offers, now a direct
comparison to observations is possible. Covering a wide range of periastron
distances and mass ratios between the mass of the perturber and central star,
we find that despite the prograde, coplanar encounters having the strongest
effect on the disk size, inclined and even the least destructive retrograde
encounters mostly also have a considerable effect, especially for close
periastron passages. Interestingly, we find a nearly linear dependence of the
disk size on the orbital inclination for the prograde encounters, but not for
the retrograde case. We also determine the final orbital parameters of the
particles in the disk such as eccentricities, inclinations, and semi-major
axes. Using this information the presented study can be used to describe the
fate of disks and also that of planetary systems after inclined encounters.Comment: 15 pages, 11 figures. Accepted for publication by Astronomy &
Astrophysic
Sizes of protoplanetary discs after star-disc encounters
Most stars do not form in isolation, but as part of a star cluster or
association. These young stars are initially surrounded by protoplanetary
discs. In these cluster environments tidal interactions with other cluster
members can alter the disc properties. Besides the disc frequency, its mass,
angular momentum, and energy, in particular the disc's size is prone to being
changed by a passing star. So far the change in disc size was only investigated
for a small number of very specific encounters. Several studies investigated
the effect of the cluster environment on the sizes of planetary systems, like
our own solar system, based on a generalisation of information from this
limited sample. We performed numerical simulations covering the wide parameter
space typical for young star clusters, to test the validity of this approach.
Here the sizes of discs after encounters are presented, based on a size
definition which is comparable to that one used in observational studies. We
find that, except for encounters between equal-mass stars, the usually applied
estimates are insufficient. They tend to severely overestimate the remaining
disc size. We show that the disc size after an encounter can be described by a
relatively simple dependence on the periastron distance and the mass ratio of
the encounter partners. This knowledge allows, for example, to pin down the
types of encounter possibly responsible for the structure of today's solar
system.Comment: 7 pages, 4 figures, + 2 pages Online material, accepted by A&
Creating retrogradely orbiting planets by prograde stellar fly-bys
Several planets have been found that orbit their host star on retrograde
orbits (spin-orbit angle {\phi} > 90{\deg}). Currently, the largest measured
projected angle between the orbital angular momentum axis of a planet and the
rotation axis of its host star has been found for HAT-P-14b to be
171{\deg}. One possible mechanism for the formation of such misalignments is
through long-term interactions between the planet and other planetary or
stellar companions. However, with this process, it has been found to be
difficult to achieve retrogradely orbiting planets, especially planets that
almost exactly counter-orbit their host star ({\phi} 180{\deg}) such
as HAT-P-14b. By contrast, orbital misalignment can be produced efficiently by
perturbations of planetary systems that are passed by stars. Here we
demonstrate that not only retrograde fly-bys, but surprisingly, even prograde
fly-bys can induce retrograde orbits. Our simulations show that depending on
the mass ratio of the involved stars, there are significant ranges of planetary
pre-encounter parameters for which counter-orbiting planets are the natural
consequence. We find that the highest probability to produce counter-orbiting
planets ( 20%) is achieved with close prograde, coplanar fly-bys of an
equal-mass perturber with a pericentre distance of one-third of the initial
orbital radius of the planet. For fly-bys where the pericentre distance equals
the initial orbital radius of the planet, we still find a probability to
produce retrograde planets of 10% for high-mass perturbers on
inclined (60{\deg} < i < 120{\deg}) orbits. As usually more distant fly-bys are
more common in star clusters, this means that inclined fly-bys probably lead to
more retrograde planets than those with inclinations < 60{\deg}. (...)Comment: 13 pages, 9 figures, + 2 pages appendix, accepted by A&
What can we learn from consumer reports on psychiatric adverse drug reactions with antidepressant medication? Experiences from reports to a consumer association
Background According to the World Health Organization (WHO) the cost of adverse drug reactions  (ADRs) in the general population is high and under-reporting by health professionals  is a well-recognized problem. Another way to increase ADR reporting is to let the  consumers themselves report directly to the authorities. In Sweden it is mandatory  for prescribers to report serious ADRs to the Medical Products Agency (MPA), but there  are no such regulations for consumers. The non-profit and independent organization  Consumer Association for Medicines and Health, KILEN has launched the possibility  for consumers to report their perceptions and experiences from their use of medicines  in order to strengthen consumer rights within the health care sector. This study aimed  to analyze these consumer reports. Methods All reports submitted from January 2002 to April 2009 to an open web site in Sweden  where anyone could report their experience with the use of pharmaceuticals were analyzed  with focus on common psychiatric side effects related to antidepressant usage. More  than one ADR for a specific drug could be reported. Results In total 665 reports were made during the period. 442 reports concerned antidepressant  medications and the individual antidepressant reports represented 2392 ADRs and 878  (37%) of these were psychiatric ADRs. 75% of the individual reports concerned serotonin-reuptake  inhibitor (SSRI) and the rest serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRI).  Women reported more antidepressant psychiatric ADRs (71%) compared to men (24%). More  potentially serious psychiatric ADRs were frequently reported to KILEN and withdrawal  symptoms during discontinuation were also reported as a common issue. Conclusions The present study indicates that consumer reports may contribute with important information  regarding more serious psychiatric ADRs following antidepressant treatment. Consumer  reporting may be considered a complement to traditional ADR reporting
Honori & amori posthumo Viri Admodum generosi maximeqve strenui Domini D. Thomæ de Jagow, In Scharpenhufe, aulosen, Stresow & Cruden Haereditarii Gravissimi optimeqve meriti ... Ipso solemni Exsequiarum die XVII. Mensis Martii Ann. M. DCC VII. hoc, quicquid est Monumenti, consecravit ac posuit lugentissimo animo Andreas Breslow, Past. Crüd.
Autopsie nach Exemplar der ULB Sachsen-AnhaltVorlageform des Erscheinungsvermerks: Gustroviæ Typis Johannis Lembkii, Sereniss. Princ. Typograph
From star-disc encounters to numerical solutions for a subset of the restricted three-body problem (Corrigendum)
Chinese my trauma recovery, a web-based intervention for traumatized persons in two parallel samples: randomized controlled trial
Background: Guided self-help interventions for PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) are a promising tool for the dissemination of contemporary psychological treatment.
Objective: This study investigated the efficacy of the Chinese version of the My Trauma Recovery (CMTR) website.
Methods: In an urban context, 90 survivors of different trauma types were recruited via Internet advertisements and allocated to a randomized controlled trial (RCT) with a waiting list control condition. In addition, in a rural context, 93 survivors mainly of the 2008 Sichuan earthquake were recruited in-person for a parallel RCT in which the website intervention was conducted in a counseling center and guided by volunteers. Assessment was completed online on a professional Chinese survey website. The primary outcome measure was the Post-traumatic Diagnostic Scale (PDS); secondary outcome measures were Symptom Checklist 90-Depression (SCL-D), Trauma Coping Self-Efficacy Scale (CSE), Post-traumatic Cognitive Changes (PCC), and Social Functioning Impairment (SFI) questionnaires adopted from the My Trauma Recovery website.
Results: For the urban sample, findings indicated a significant group×time interaction in post-traumatic symptom severity (F1,88=7.65, P=.007). CMTR reduced post-traumatic symptoms significantly with high effect size after one month of treatment (F1,45=15.13, Cohen’s d=0.81, P<.001) and the reduction was sustained over a 3-month follow-up (F1,45=17.29, Cohen’s d=0.87, P<.001). In the rural sample, the group×time interaction was also significant in post-traumatic symptom severity (F1,91=5.35, P=.02). Post-traumatic symptoms decreased significantly after treatment (F1,48=43.97, Cohen’s d=1.34, P<.001) and during the follow-up period (F1,48=24.22, Cohen’s d=0.99, P<.001). Additional outcome measures (post-traumatic cognitive changes, depression) indicated a range of positive effects, in particular in the urban sample (group×time interactions: F1,88=5.32-8.37, all Ps<.03), contributing to the positive evidence for self-help interventions. Differences in the effects in the two RCTs are exploratorily explained by sociodemographic, motivational, and setting feature differences between the two samples.
Conclusions: These findings give support for the short-term efficacy of CMTR in the two Chinese populations and contribute to the literature that self-help Web-based programs can be used to provide mental health help for traumatized persons.
Trial Registration: Australia New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ANZCTR): ACTRN12611000951954; https://www.anzctr.org.au/Trial/Registration/TrialReview.aspx?ACTRN=12611000951954 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/6G7WyNODk)