3,493 research outputs found
Near-infrared integral-field spectra of the planet/brown dwarf companion AB Pic b
Chauvin et al. 2005 imaged a co-moving companion at ~260 AU from the young
star AB Pic A. Evolutionary models predictions based on J H K photometry of AB
Pic b suggested a mass of ~13 - 14 MJup, placing the object at the
deuterium-burning boundary. We used the adaptive-optics-fed integral field
spectrograph SINFONI to obtain high quality medium-resolution spectra of AB Pic
b (R = 1500-2000) over the 1.1 - 2.5 microns range. Our analysis relies on the
comparison of our spectra to young standard templates and to the latest
libraries of synthetic spectra developed by the Lyon's Group. AB Pic b is
confirmed to be a young early-L dwarf companion. We derive a spectral type
L0-L1 and find several features indicative of intermediate gravity atmosphere.
A comparison to synthetic spectra yields Teff = 2000+100-300 K and log(g) = 4
+- 0.5 dex. The determination of the derived atmospheric parameters of AB Pic b
is limited by a non-perfect match of current atmosphere spectra with our
near-infrared observations of AB Pic b. The current treatment of dust settling
and missing molecular opacity lines in the atmosphere models could be
responsible. By combining the observed photometry, the surface fluxes from
atmosphere models and the known distance of the system, we derive new mass,
luminosity and radius estimates of AB Pic b. They confirm independently the
evolutionary model predictions. We finally review the current methods used to
characterize planetary mass companions and discuss them in the perspective of
future planet deep imaging surveys.Comment: 8 pages, 8 figure
Contextual Cognitive Map
The model of cognitive maps introduced by Tolman [1] provides a representation of an influence network between notions. A cognitive map can contain a lot of influences that makes difficult its exploitation. Moreover these influences are not always relevant for different uses of a map. This paper extends the cognitive map model by describing the validity context of each influence with a conceptual graph. A filtering mechanism of the influences according to a use context is provided so as to obtain a simpler and more adjusted map for a user. A prototype that implements this model of contextual cognitive map has been developed
Le modèle des cartes cognitives contextuelles
Le modèle des cartes cognitives offre une représentation graphique d'un réseau d'influences entre différentes notions. Une carte cognitive peut contenir un grand nombre de liens d'influence ce qui rend difficile son exploitation. De plus ces influences ne sont pas toujours pertinentes pour des utilisations différentes de la carte. Nous proposons une extension de ce modèle qui précise le contexte de validité d'une influence à l'aide de graphes conceptuels et nous fournissons un mécanisme de filtrage des in- fluences en fonction d'un contexte d'utilisation. A cognitive maps is a network of influences between concepts. A cognitive map can contain a great number of influence what makes difficult its exploitation. Moreover these influences are not always relevant for different use of a map. We propose an extension of this model which specifies the context of validity of an influence using conceptual graphs and we provide a filtering mechanism of the in- fluences according to a context of use
Les cartes cognitives hiérarchiques
Une carte cognitive fournit une représentation graphique d’un réseaud’influence entre des concepts. Les cartes cognitives de dimensions importantes ont l’inconvénient d’être difficiles à appréhender, interpréter et exploiter. Cet article présente un modèle de cartes cognitives hiérarchiques permettant au concepteur d’effectuer des regroupements de concepts qui sont ensuite utilisés dans un mécanisme permettant à l’utilisateur d’obtenir des vues partielles et synthétiques d’une carte
Deep infrared imaging of close companions to austral A- and F-type stars
The search for substellar companions around stars with different masses along
the main sequence is critical to understand the different processes leading to
the formation of low-mass stars, brown dwarfs, and planets. In particular, the
existence of a large population of low-mass stars and brown dwarfs physically
bound to early-type main-sequence stars could imply that the massive planets
recently imaged at wide separations (10-100 AU) around A-type stars are
disc-born objects in the low-mass tail of the binary distribution. Our aim is
to characterize the environment of early-type main-sequence stars by detecting
brown dwarf or low-mass star companions between 10 and 500 AU. High contrast
and high angular resolution near-infrared images of a sample of 38 southern A-
and F-type stars have been obtained between 2005 and 2009 with the instruments
VLT/NaCo and CFHT/PUEO. Multi-epoch observations were performed to discriminate
comoving companions from background contaminants. About 41 companion candidates
were imaged around 23 stars. Follow-up observations for 83% of these stars
allowed us to identify a large number of background contaminants. We report the
detection of 7 low-mass stars with masses between 0.1 and 0.8 Msun in 6
multiple systems: the discovery of a M2 companion around the A5V star HD14943
and the detection of the B component of the F4V star HD41742 quadruple system;
we resolve the known companion of the F6.5V star HD49095 as a short-period
binary system composed by 2 M/L dwarfs. We also resolve the companions to the
astrometric binaries iot Crt (F6.5V) and 26 Oph (F3V), and identify a M3/M4
companion to the F4V star omi Gru, associated with a X-ray source. The global
multiplicity fraction measured in our sample of A and F stars is >16%. A
parallel velocimetric survey of our stars let us conclude that the imaged
companions can impact on the observed radial velocity measurements.Comment: 21 pages, 12 figures, 7 tables. Accepted for publication in Astronomy
and Astrophysics. The full version of the preprint including the appendices
(24 pages of figures), can be retrieved at
http://www-laog.obs.ujf-grenoble.fr/~dehrenre/articles/afsurvey
Superconducting atomic contacts under microwave irradiation
We have measured the effect of microwave irradiation on the dc
current-voltage characteristics of superconducting atomic contacts. The
interaction of the external field with the ac supercurrents leads to replicas
of the supercurrent peak, the well known Shapiro resonances. The observation of
supplementary fractional resonances for contacts containing highly transmitting
conduction channels reveals their non-sinusoidal current-phase relation. The
resonances sit on a background current which is itself deeply modified, as a
result of photon assisted multiple Andreev reflections. The results provide
firm support for the full quantum theory of transport between two
superconductors based on the concept of Andreev bound states
Deep search for companions to probable young brown dwarfs
We have obtained high contrast images of four nearby, faint, and very low
mass objects 2MASSJ04351455-1414468, SDSSJ044337.61+000205.1,
2MASSJ06085283-2753583 and 2MASSJ06524851-5741376 (here after 2MASS0435-14,
SDSS0443+00, 2MASS0608-27 and 2MASS0652-57), identified in the field as
probable isolated young brown dwarfs. Our goal was to search for binary
companions down to the planetary mass regime. We used the NAOS-CONICA adaptive
optics instrument (NACO) and its unique capability to sense the wavefront in
the near-infrared to acquire sharp images of the four systems in Ks, with a
field of view of 28"*28". Additional J and L' imaging and follow-up
observations at a second epoch were obtained for 2MASS0652-57. With a typical
contrast DKs= 4.0-7.0 mag, our observations are sensitive down to the planetary
mass regime considering a minimum age of 10 to 120 Myr for these systems. No
additional point sources are detected in the environment of 2MASS0435-14,
SDSS0443+00 and 2MASS0608-27 between 0.1-12" (i.e about 2 to 250 AU at 20 pc).
2MASS0652-57 is resolved as a \sim230 mas binary. Follow-up observations reject
a background contaminate, resolve the orbital motion of the pair, and confirm
with high confidence that the system is physically bound. The J, Ks and L'
photometry suggest a q\sim0.7-0.8 mass ratio binary with a probable semi-major
axis of 5-6 AU. Among the four systems, 2MASS0652-57 is probably the less
constrained in terms of age determination. Further analysis would be necessary
to confirm its youth. It would then be interesting to determine its orbital and
physical properties to derive the system's dynamical mass and to test
evolutionary model predictions.Comment: Research note, 5 pages, 2 tables and 3 figures, accepted to A&
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