493 research outputs found
Blind extraction of an exoplanetary spectrum through Independent Component Analysis
Blind-source separation techniques are used to extract the transmission
spectrum of the hot-Jupiter HD189733b recorded by the Hubble/NICMOS instrument.
Such a 'blind' analysis of the data is based on the concept of independent
component analysis. The de-trending of Hubble/NICMOS data using the sole
assumption that nongaussian systematic noise is statistically independent from
the desired light-curve signals is presented. By not assuming any prior, nor
auxiliary information but the data themselves, it is shown that spectroscopic
errors only about 10 - 30% larger than parametric methods can be obtained for
11 spectral bins with bin sizes of ~0.09 microns. This represents a reasonable
trade-off between a higher degree of objectivity for the non-parametric methods
and smaller standard errors for the parametric de-trending. Results are
discussed in the light of previous analyses published in the literature. The
fact that three very different analysis techniques yield comparable spectra is
a strong indication of the stability of these results.Comment: ApJ accepte
Molecular Signatures in the Near Infrared Dayside Spectrum of HD 189733b
We have measured the dayside spectrum of HD 189733b between 1.5 and 2.5
microns using the NICMOS instrument on the Hubble Space Telescope. The emergent
spectrum contains significant modulation, which we attribute to the presence of
molecular bands seen in absorption. We find that water (H2O), carbon monoxide
(CO), and carbon dioxide (CO2) are needed to explain the observations, and we
are able to estimate the mixing ratios for these molecules. We also find
temperature decreases with altitude in the ~0.01 < P < ~1 bar region of the
dayside near-infrared photosphere and set an upper limit to the dayside
abundance of methane (CH4) at these pressures.Comment: 13 pages, 3 figures. accepted in Astrophysical Journal Letter
Microwave Signatures of Melting/Refreezing Snow: Observations and Modeling Using Dense Medium Radiative Transfer Theory
Microwave brightness temperatures of snow covered terrains can be modeled by means of the Dense Radiative Transfer Medium Theory (DMRT). In a dense medium, such as snow, the assumption of independent scattering is no longer valid and the scattering of correlated scatterers must be considered. In the DMRT, this is done considering a pair distribution function of the particles position. In the electromagnetic model, the snowpack is simulated as a homogeneous layer having effective permittivity and albedo calculated through the DMRT. In order to account for clustering of snow crystals, a model of cohesive particles can be applied, where the cohesion between the particles is described by means of a dimensionless parameters called stickiness (z), representing a measure of the inversion of the attraction of the particles. The lower the z the higher the stickiness. In this study, microwave signatures of melting and refreezing cycles of seasonal snowpacks at high altitudes are studied by means of both experimental and modeling tools. Radiometric data were collected 24 hours per day by the University of Michigan Tower Mounted Radiometer System (TMRS). The brightness temperatures collected by means of the TMRS are simulated by means of a multi-layer electromagnetic model based on the dense medium theory with the inputs to the model derived from the data collected at the snow pits and from the meteorological station. The paper is structured as follows: in the first Section the temperature profiles recorded by the meteorological station and the snow pit data are presented and analyzed; in the second Section, the characteristics of the radiometric system used to collect the brightness temperatures are reported together with the temporal behavior of the recorded brightness temperatures; in the successive Section the multi-layer DMRT-based electromagnetic model is described; in the fourth Section the comparison between modeled and measured brightness temperatures is discussed. We dedicate the last Section to the conclusions and future works
The nebula around the post-AGB star 89 Her
We aim to study the structure of the nebula around the post-AGB, binary star
89 Her. The presence of a rotating disk around this star had been proposed but
not been yet confirmed by observations. We present high-resolution PdBI maps of
CO J=2-1 and 1-0. Properties of the nebula are directly derived from the data
and model fitting. We also present N-band interferometric data on the extent of
the hot dust emission, obtained with the VLTI. Two nebular components are
found: (a) an extended hour-glass-like structure, with expansion velocities of
about 7 km/s and a total mass ~ 3 10 Mo, and (b) an unresolved very
compact component, smaller than ~ 0.4" and with a low total velocity dispersion
of ~ 5 km/s. We cannot determine the velocity field in the compact component,
but we argue that it can hardly be in expansion, since his would require too
recent and too sudden an ejection of mass. On the other hand, assuming that
this component is a keplerian disk, we derive disk properties that are
compatible with expectations for such a structure; in particular, the size of
the rotating gas disk should be very similar to the extent of the hot dust
component from our VLTI data. Assuming that the equator of the extended nebula
coincides with the binary orbital plane, we provide new results on the
companion star mass and orbit.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure
Ground-based, Near-infrared Exospectroscopy. II. Tentative Detection of Emission From the Extremely Hot Jupiter WASP-12b
We report the tentative detection of the near-infrared emission of the Hot
Jupiter WASP-12b with the low-resolution prism on IRTF/SpeX. We find a K-H
contrast color of 0.137% +/- 0.054%, corresponding to a blackbody of
temperature 2400 (+1500/-500) K and consistent with previous, photometric
observations. We also revisit WASP-12b's energy budget on the basis of
secondary eclipse observations: the dayside luminosity is a relatively poorly
constrained (2.0-4.3) x 10^30 erg/s, but this still allows us to predict a
day/night effective temperature contrast of 200-1,000 K (assuming A_B=0). Thus
we conclude that WASP-12b probably does not have both a low albedo and low
recirculation efficiency. Our results show the promise and pitfalls of using
single-slit spectrographs for characterization of extrasolar planet
atmospheres, and we suggest future observing techniques and instruments which
could lead to further progress. Limiting systematic effects include the use of
a too-narrow slit on one night -- which observers could avoid in the future --
and chromatic slit losses (resulting from the variable size of the seeing disk)
and variations in telluric transparency -- which observers cannot control.
Single-slit observations of the type we present remain the best option for
obtaining lambda > 1.7 micron spectra of transiting exoplanets in the brightest
systems. Further and more precise spectroscopy is needed to better understand
the atmospheric chemistry, structure, and energetics of this, and other,
intensely irradiated planet.Comment: ApJ accepted. 16 pages, 15 figure
IRAS\,11472-0800: an extremely depleted pulsating binary post-AGB star
We focus here on one particular and poorly studied object, IRAS11472-0800. It
is a highly evolved post-Asymptotic Giant Branch (post-AGB) star of spectral
type F, with a large infrared excess produced by thermal emission of
circumstellar dust. We deploy a multi-wavelength study which includes the
analyses of optical and IR spectra as well as a variability study based on
photometric and spectroscopic time-series. The spectral energy distribution
(SED) properties as well as the highly processed silicate N-band emission show
that the dust in IRAS11472-0800 is likely trapped in a stable disc. The
energetics of the SED and the colour variability show that our viewing angle is
close to edge-on and that the optical flux is dominated by scattered light.
With photospheric abundances of [Fe/H] = -2.7 and [Sc/H]=-4.2, we discovered
that IRAS11472-0800 is one of the most chemically-depleted objects known to
date. Moreover, IRAS11472-0800 is a pulsating star with a period of 31.16 days
and a peak-to-peak amplitude of 0.6 mag in V. The radial velocity variability
is strongly influenced by the pulsations, but the significant cycle-to-cycle
variability is systematic on a longer time scale, which we interpret as
evidence for binary motion. We conclude that IRAS11472-0800 is a pulsating
binary star surrounded by a circumbinary disc. The line-of-sight towards the
object lies close the the orbital plane making that the optical light is
dominated by scattered light. IRAS11472-0800 is one of the most
chemically-depleted objects known so far and links the dusty RV\,Tauri stars to
the non-pulsating class of strongly depleted objects.Comment: 12 pages, 14 figures Accepted for publication in A&A Main Journa
The geometry of the close environment of SV Psc as probed by VLTI/MIDI
Context. SV Psc is an asymptotic giant branch (AGB) star surrounded by an
oxygen-rich dust envelope. The mm-CO line profile of the object's outflow shows
a clear double-component structure. Because of the high angular resolution,
mid-IR interferometry may give strong constraints on the origin of this
composite profile.
Aims. The aim of this work is to investigate the morphology of the
environment around SV Psc using high-angular resolution interferometry
observations in the mid-IR with the Very Large Telescope MID-infrared
Interferometric instrument (VLTI/MIDI).
Methods. Interferometric data in the N-band taken at different baseline
lengths (ranging from 32-64 m) and position angles (73- 142{\deg}) allow a
study of the morphology of the circumstellar environment close to the star. The
data are interpreted on the basis of 2-dimensional, chromatic geometrical
models using the fitting software tool GEM-FIND developed for this purpose.
Results. The results favor two scenarios: (i) the presence of a highly
inclined, optically thin, dusty disk surrounding the central star; (ii) the
presence of an unresolved binary companion at a separation of 13.7 AU and a
position angle of 121.8{\deg} NE. The derived orbital period of the binary is
38.1 yr. This detection is in good agreement with hydrodynamic simulations
showing that a close companion could be responsible for the entrainment of the
gas and dust into a circumbinary structure.Comment: 10 pages, 12 figure
Post-AGB stars with hot circumstellar dust: binarity of the low-amplitude pulsators
While the first binary post-AGB stars were serendipitously discovered, the
distinct characteristics of their Spectral Energy Distribution (SED) allowed us
to launch a more systematic search for binaries. We selected post-AGB objects
which show a broad dust excess often starting already at H or K, pointing to
the presence of a gravitationally bound dusty disc in the system. We started a
very extensive multi-wavelength study of those systems and here we report on
our radial velocity and photometric monitoring results for six stars of early F
type, which are pulsators of small amplitude. To determine the radial velocity
of low signal-to-noise time-series, we constructed dedicated auto-correlation
masks. The radial velocity variations were subjected to detailed analysis to
differentiate between pulsational variability and variability due to orbital
motion. Finally orbital minimalisation was performed to constrain the orbital
elements. All of the six objects are binaries, with orbital periods ranging
from 120 to 1800 days. Five systems have non-circular orbits. The mass
functions range from 0.004 to 0.57 solar mass and the companions are likely
unevolved objects of (very) low initial mass. We argue that these binaries must
have been subject to severe binary interaction when the primary was a cool
supergiant. Although the origin of the circumstellar disc is not well
understood, the disc is generally believed to be formed during this strong
interaction phase. The eccentric orbits of these highly evolved objects remain
poorly understood. With the measured orbits and mass functions we conclude that
the circumbinary discs seem to have a major impact on the evolution of a
significant fraction of binary systems.Comment: 13 pages, 15 figures, accepted for Astronomy and Astrophysic
- …