136 research outputs found
Four new T dwarfs identified in PanSTARRS 1 commissioning data
A complete well-defined sample of ultracool dwarfs is one of the key science
programs of the Pan-STARRS 1 optical survey telescope (PS1). Here we combine
PS1 commissioning data with 2MASS to conduct a proper motion search
(0.1--2.0\arcsec/yr) for nearby T dwarfs, using optical+near-IR colors to
select objects for spectroscopic followup. The addition of sensitive far-red
optical imaging from PS1 enables discovery of nearby ultracool dwarfs that
cannot be identified from 2MASS data alone. We have searched 3700 sq. deg. of
PS1 y-band (0.95--1.03 um) data to y19.5 mag (AB) and J16.5
mag (Vega) and discovered four previously unknown bright T dwarfs. Three of the
objects (with spectral types T1.5, T2 and T3.5) have photometric distances
within 25 pc and were missed by previous 2MASS searches due to more restrictive
color selection criteria. The fourth object (spectral type T4.5) is more
distant than 25 pc and is only a single-band detection in 2MASS. We also
examine the potential for completing the census of nearby ultracool objects
with the PS1 3 survey.Comment: 25 pages, 8 figures, 5 table, AJ accepted, updated to comply with
Pan-STARRS1 naming conventio
Pan-STARRS Pixel Analysis: Source Detection and Characterization
Over 3 billion astronomical sources have been detected in the more than 22 million orthogonal transfer CCD images obtained as part of the Pan-STARRS1 3Ï survey. Over 85 billion instances of those sources have been automatically detected and characterized by the Pan-STARRS Image Processing Pipeline photometry software, psphot. This fast, automatic, and reliable software was developed for the Pan-STARRS project but is easily adaptable to images from other telescopes. We describe the analysis of the astronomical sources by psphot in general as well as for the specific case of the third processing version used for the first two public releases of the Pan-STARRS 3Ï Survey data
HIP 38939B: A New Benchmark T Dwarf in the Galactic Plane Discovered with Pan-STARRS1
We report the discovery of a wide brown dwarf companion to the mildly
metal-poor ([Fe/H]=-0.24), low galactic latitude (b = 1.88 deg) K4V star HIP
38939. The companion was discovered by its common proper motion with the
primary and its red optical (Pan-STARRS1) and blue infrared (2MASS) colors. It
has a projected separation of 1630 AU and a near-infrared spectral type of
T4.5. As such it is one of only three known companions to a main sequence star
which have early/mid-T spectral types (the others being HN Peg B and eps Indi
B). Using chromospheric activity we estimate an age for the primary of
900{+1900,-600} Myr. This value is also in agreement with the age derived from
the star's weak ROSAT detection. Comparison with evolutionary models for this
age range indicates that HIP 38939B falls in the mass range 38+/-20 Mjup with
an effective temperature range of 1090+/-60 K. Fitting our spectrum with
atmospheric models gives a best fitting temperature of 1100 K. We include our
object in an analysis of the population of benchmark T dwarfs and find that
while older atmospheric models appeared to over-predict the temperature of the
coolest objects compared to evolutionary models, more recent atmospheric models
provide better agreement.Comment: ApJ, in press. Tiny changes incorporated into final version: added
analysis of likelihood of companionship, clarified the fitting proceedure,
and updated the benchmark analysis to highlight when the quoted evolutionary
models use the atmospheric model they are being compared to as a boundary
conditio
From planning to execution to the future: An overview of a concerted effort to enhance biological control in apple, pear, and walnut orchards in the western U.S.
We embarked on a large project designed to help enhance biological control in apple, pear and walnut orchards in the western U.S., where management programs were in the midst of a transition from older organo-phosphate insecticides to mating disruption and newer reduced-risk insecticides. A âpesticide replacement therapyâ approach resulted in unstable management programs with unpredictable outbreaks of spider mites and aphids. Our project was designed to provide growers and pest managers with information on the effects of newer pesticide chemistries on a suite of representative natural enemies in both the laboratory and field, potential of new monitoring tools using herbivore-induced plant volatiles and floral volatiles, phenology of the key natural enemy species, economic consequences of using an enhanced biological control program, and value of an outreach program to get project outcomes into the hands of decision-makers. We present an overview of both the successes and failures of the project and of new projects that have spun off from this project to further enhance biological control in our systems in the near future
The Pan-STARRS Moving Object Processing System
We describe the Pan-STARRS Moving Object Processing System (MOPS), a modern
software package that produces automatic asteroid discoveries and
identifications from catalogs of transient detections from next-generation
astronomical survey telescopes. MOPS achieves > 99.5% efficiency in producing
orbits from a synthetic but realistic population of asteroids whose
measurements were simulated for a Pan-STARRS4-class telescope. Additionally,
using a non-physical grid population, we demonstrate that MOPS can detect
populations of currently unknown objects such as interstellar asteroids.
MOPS has been adapted successfully to the prototype Pan-STARRS1 telescope
despite differences in expected false detection rates, fill-factor loss and
relatively sparse observing cadence compared to a hypothetical Pan-STARRS4
telescope and survey. MOPS remains >99.5% efficient at detecting objects on a
single night but drops to 80% efficiency at producing orbits for objects
detected on multiple nights. This loss is primarily due to configurable MOPS
processing limits that are not yet tuned for the Pan-STARRS1 mission.
The core MOPS software package is the product of more than 15 person-years of
software development and incorporates countless additional years of effort in
third-party software to perform lower-level functions such as spatial searching
or orbit determination. We describe the high-level design of MOPS and essential
subcomponents, the suitability of MOPS for other survey programs, and suggest a
road map for future MOPS development.Comment: 57 Pages, 26 Figures, 13 Table
Updated Clinical Guidelines for Diagnosing Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders
The adverse effects of prenatal alcohol exposure constitute a continuum of disabilities (fetal alcohol spectrum disorders [FASD]). In 1996, the Institute of Medicine established diagnostic categories delineating the spectrum but not specifying clinical criteria by which diagnoses could be assigned. In 2005, the authors published practical guidelines operationalizing the Institute of Medicine categories, allowing for standardization of FASD diagnoses in clinical settings. The purpose of the current report is to present updated diagnostic guidelines based on a thorough review of the literature and the authorsâ combined expertise based on the evaluation of >10 000 children for potential FASD in clinical settings and in epidemiologic studies in conjunction with National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholismâfunded studies, the Collaborative Initiative on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders, and the Collaboration on FASD Prevalence. The guidelines were formulated through conference calls and meetings held at National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism offices in Rockville, MD. Specific areas addressed include the following: precise definition of documented prenatal alcohol exposure; neurobehavioral criteria for diagnosis of fetal alcohol syndrome, partial fetal alcohol syndrome, and alcohol-related neurodevelopmental disorder; revised diagnostic criteria for alcohol-related birth defects; an updated comprehensive research dysmorphology scoring system; and a new lip/philtrum guide for the white population, incorporating a 45-degree view. The guidelines reflect consensus among a large and experienced cadre of FASD investigators in the fields of dysmorphology, epidemiology, neurology, psychology, developmental/behavioral pediatrics, and educational diagnostics. Their improved clarity and specificity will guide clinicians in accurate diagnosis of infants and children prenatally exposed to alcohol
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