Fundamental parameters of massive stars in multiple systems: The cases of HD17505A and HD206267A

Many massive stars are part of binary or higher multiplicity systems. The present work focusses on two higher multiplicity systems: HD17505A and HD206267A. Determining the fundamental parameters of the components of the inner binary of these systems is mandatory to quantify the impact of binary or triple interactions on their evolution. We analysed high-resolution optical spectra to determine new orbital solutions of the inner binary systems. After subtracting the spectrum of the tertiary component, a spectral disentangling code was applied to reconstruct the individual spectra of the primary and secondary. We then analysed these spectra with the non-LTE model atmosphere code CMFGEN to establish the stellar parameters and the CNO abundances of these stars. The inner binaries of these systems have eccentric orbits with e ~ 0.13 despite their relatively short orbital periods of 8.6 and 3.7 days for HD17505Aa and HD206267Aa, respectively. Slight modifications of the CNO abundances are found in both components of each system. The components of HD17505Aa are both well inside their Roche lobe, whilst the primary of HD206267Aa nearly fills its Roche lobe around periastron passage. Whilst the rotation of the primary of HD206267Aa is in pseudo-synchronization with the orbital motion, the secondary displays a rotation rate that is higher. The CNO abundances and properties of HD17505Aa can be explained by single star evolutionary models accounting for the effects of rotation, suggesting that this system has not yet experienced binary interaction. The properties of HD206267Aa suggest that some intermittent binary interaction might have taken place during periastron passages, but is apparently not operating anymore.Comment: Accepted for publication in A&

Synchronization in a ring of pulsating oscillators with bidirectional couplings

We study the dynamical behavior of an ensemble of oscillators interacting through short range bidirectional pulses. The geometry is 1D with periodic boundary conditions. Our interest is twofold. To explore the conditions required to reach fully synchronization and to invewstigate the time needed to get such state. We present both theoretical and numerical results.Comment: Revtex, 4 pages, 2 figures. To appear in Int. J. Bifurc. and Chao

A dark energy multiverse

We present cosmic solutions corresponding to universes filled with dark and phantom energy, all having a negative cosmological constant. All such solutions contain infinite singularities, successively and equally distributed along time, which can be either big bang/crunchs or big rips singularities. Classicaly these solutions can be regarded as associated with multiverse scenarios, being those corresponding to phantom energy that may describe the current accelerating universe

A graceful multiversal link of particle physics to cosmology

In this paper we work out a multiverse scenario whose physical characteristics enable us to advance the following the conjecture that whereas the physics of particles and fields is confined to live in the realm of the whole multiverse formed by finite-time single universes, that for our observable universe must be confined just in one of the infinite number of universes of the multiverse when such a universe is consistently referred to an infinite cosmic time. If this conjecture is adopted then some current fundamental problems that appear when one tries to make compatible particle physics and cosmology- such as that for the cosmological constant, the arrow of time and the existence of a finite proper size of the event horizon- can be solved.Comment: 10 pages, LaTe

Tensorial perturbations in the bulk of inflating brane worlds

In this paper we consider the stability of some inflating brane-world models in quantum cosmology. It is shown that whereas the singular model based on the construction of inflating branes from Euclidean five-dimensional anti-de Sitter space is unstable to tensorial cosmological perturbations in the bulk, the nonsingular model which uses a five-dimensional asymptotically anti-de Sitter wormhole to construct the inflating branes is stable to these perturbations.Comment: 4 pages, RevTex, to appear in Phys. Rev.

ExoplANNET: A deep learning algorithm to detect and identify planetary signals in radial velocity data

The detection of exoplanets with the radial velocity method consists in detecting variations of the stellar velocity caused by an unseen sub-stellar companion. Instrumental errors, irregular time sampling, and different noise sources originating in the intrinsic variability of the star can hinder the interpretation of the data, and even lead to spurious detections. In recent times, work began to emerge in the field of extrasolar planets that use Machine Learning algorithms, some with results that exceed those obtained with the traditional techniques in the field. We seek to explore the scope of the neural networks in the radial velocity method, in particular for exoplanet detection in the presence of correlated noise of stellar origin. In this work, a neural network is proposed to replace the computation of the significance of the signal detected with the radial velocity method and to classify it as of planetary origin or not. The algorithm is trained using synthetic data of systems with and without planetary companions. We injected realistic correlated noise in the simulations, based on previous studies of the behaviour of stellar activity. The performance of the network is compared to the traditional method based on null hypothesis significance testing. The network achieves 28 % fewer false positives. The improvement is observed mainly in the detection of small-amplitude signals associated with low-mass planets. In addition, its execution time is five orders of magnitude faster than the traditional method. The superior performance exhibited by the algorithm has only been tested on simulated radial velocity data so far. Although in principle it should be straightforward to adapt it for use in real time series, its performance has to be tested thoroughly. Future work should permit evaluating its potential for adoption as a valuable tool for exoplanet detection.Comment: Accepted for publication; Corrected typos; Added section 6.1 with a robustness analysis of the method; Added section 6.2 with tests on a real time series; Added section 6.3 with a more detailed analysis of the caution of the network around activity periods; Added other tested models to the appendi

The spectroscopic Hertzsprung-Russell diagram of Galactic massive stars

The distribution of stars in the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram narrates their evolutionary history and directly assesses their properties. Placing stars in this diagram however requires the knowledge of their distances and interstellar extinctions, which are often poorly known for Galactic stars. The spectroscopic Hertzsprung-Russell diagram (sHRD) tells similar evolutionary tales, but is independent of distance and extinction measurements. Based on spectroscopically derived effective temperatures and gravities of almost 600 stars, we derive for the first time the observational distribution of Galactic massive stars in the sHRD. While biases and statistical limitations in the data prevent detailed quantitative conclusions at this time, we see several clear qualitative trends. By comparing the observational sHRD with different state-of-the-art stellar evolutionary predictions, we conclude that convective core overshooting may be mass-dependent and, at high mass ($\geq 15\,M_\odot$), stronger than previously thought. Furthermore, we find evidence for an empirical upper limit in the sHRD for stars with $T_{\rm{eff}}$ between 10000 and 32000 K and, a strikingly large number of objects below this line. This over-density may be due to inflation expanding envelopes in massive main-sequence stars near the Eddington limit.Comment: 5 pages, 2 figures, 1 table; accepted for publication in A&A Letter

An evolutionary approach to the delimitation of labour market areas: an empirical application for Chile

An evolutionary approach to the delimitation of labour market areas: an empirical application for Chile. Spatial Economic Analysis. Labour market areas (LMAs) are argued to represent a more appropriate policy framework than administrative units for the analysis of spatial labour market activity. This article develops LMAs for Chile by applying an evolutionary computation approach. This innovative approach defines LMAs through an optimization process by maximization of internal cohesion, subject to restrictions of minimum levels of self-containment and population. To evaluate the appropriateness of the LMAs, comparative analyses are performed between alternative delimitations based on different parameter configurations of the proposed method versus administrative boundaries and the most widely used method for official LMA delimitation, the travel-to-work areas method

Double fermiophobic Higgs boson production at the LHC and LC

We consider the phenomenology of a fermiophobic Higgs boson (h_f) at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) and a e+e- Linear Collider (LC). At both machines the standard production mechanisms which rely on the coupling h_fVV (V=W,Z) can be very suppressed at large tan beta. In such cases the complementary channels pp to H^\pm h_f, A^0 h_f and e+e- to A^0 h_f offer promising cross-sections. Together with the potentially large branching ratios for H^\pm to h_fW* and A^0 to h_fZ*, these mechanisms would give rise to double h_f production, leading to signatures of gamma gamma gamma gamma, gamma gamma VV and VVVV.Comment: 19 pages, 9 figures, expanded discussion, fig.1 changed slightly, version to appear in Phys.Rev.

The evolution of H{\sc ii} galaxies: Testing the bursting scenario through the use of self-consistent models

We have computed a series of realistic and self-consistent models of the emitted spectra of H{\sc ii} galaxies. Our models combine different codes of chemical evolution, evolutionary population synthesis and photoionization. The emitted spectrum of H{\sc ii} galaxies is reproduced by means of the photoionization code CLOUDY, using as ionizing spectrum the spectral energy distribution of the modelled H{\sc ii} galaxy, which in turn is calculated according to a Star Formation History (SFH) and a metallicity evolution given by a chemical evolution model that follows the abundances of 15 different elements. The contribution of emission lines to the broad-band colours is explicitly taken into account. The results of our code are compared with photometric and spectroscopic data of H{\sc ii} galaxies. Our technique reproduces observed diagnostic diagrams, abundances, equivalent width-colour and equivalent width-metallicity relations for local H{\sc ii} galaxies.Comment: 13 figures and 2 tables, accepted for publication in MNRAS Main Journa