9,231 research outputs found
The Twist of the Draped Interstellar Magnetic Field Ahead of the Heliopause: A Magnetic Reconnection Driven Rotational Discontinuity
Based on the difference between the orientation of the interstellar
and the solar magnetic fields, there was an expectation that the magnetic field
direction would rotate dramatically across the heliopause (HP). However, the
Voyager 1 spacecraft measured very little rotation across the HP. Previously we
showed that the twists as it approaches the HP and acquires a strong
T component (East-West). Here we establish that reconnection in the eastern
flank of the heliosphere is responsible for the twist. On the eastern flank the
solar magnetic field has twisted into the positive N direction and reconnects
with the Southward pointing component of the . Reconnection drives a
rotational discontinuity (RD) that twists the into the -T direction
and propagates upstream in the interstellar medium towards the nose. The
consequence is that the N component of is reduced in a finite width
band upstream of the HP. Voyager 1 currently measures angles
() close to solar values. We present MHD simulations
to support this scenario, suppressing reconnection in the nose region while
allowing it in the flanks, consistent with recent ideas about reconnection
suppression from diamagnetic drifts. The jump in plasma (the plasma to
magnetic pressure) across the nose of HP is much greater than in the flanks
because the heliosheath is greater there than in the flanks.
Large-scale reconnection is therefore suppressed in the nose but not at the
flanks. Simulation data suggest that will return to its pristine
value past the HP.Comment: 19 pages, 5 figures, submitte
New RR Lyrae variables in binary systems
Despite their importance, very few RR Lyrae (RRL) stars have been known to
reside in binary systems. We report on a search for binary RRL in the OGLE-III
Galactic bulge data. Our approach consists in the search for evidence of the
light-travel time effect in so-called observed minus calculated ()
diagrams. Analysis of 1952 well-observed fundamental-mode RRL in the OGLE-III
data revealed an initial sample of 29 candidates. We used the recently released
OGLE-IV data to extend the baselines up to 17 years, leading to a final sample
of 12 firm binary candidates. We provide diagrams and binary parameters
for this final sample, and also discuss the properties of 8 additional
candidate binaries whose parameters cannot be firmly determined at present. We
also estimate that per cent of the RRL reside in binary systems.Comment: MNRAS Letters, in pres
Is the magnetic field in the heliosheath laminar or a turbulent bath of bubbles?
All the current global models of the heliosphere are based on the assumption
that the magnetic field in the heliosheath, in the region close to the
heliopause is laminar. We argue that in that region the heliospheric magnetic
field is not laminar but instead consists of magnetic bubbles. Recently, we
proposed that the annihilation of the "sectored" magnetic field within the
heliosheath as it is compressed on its approach to the heliopause produces the
anomalous cosmic rays and also energetic electrons. As a product of the
annihilation of the sectored magnetic field, densely-packed magnetic
islands/bubbles are produced. These magnetic islands/bubbles will be convected
with the ambient flows as the sector region is carried to higher latitudes
filling the heliosheath. We further argue that the magnetic islands/bubbles
will develop upstream within the heliosheath. As a result, the magnetic field
in the heliosheath sector region will be disordered well upstream of the
heliopause. We present a 3D MHD simulation with very high numerical resolution
that captures the north-south boundaries of the sector region. We show that due
to the high pressure of the interstellar magnetic field a north-south asymmetry
develops such that the disordered sectored region fills a large portion of the
northern part of the heliosphere with a smaller extension in the southern
hemisphere. We suggest that this scenario is supported by the following changes
that occur around 2008 and from 2009.16 onward: a) the sudden decrease in the
intensity of low energy electrons detected by Voyager 2; b) a sharp reduction
in the intensity of fluctuations of the radial flow; and c) the dramatic
differences in intensity trends between GCRs at V1 and 2. We argue that these
observations are a consequence of V2 leaving the sector region of disordered
field during these periods and crossing into a region of unipolar laminar
field.Comment: 36 pages, 15 figures, submitted to Ap
Environmental Variation, Stochastic Extinction, and Competitive Coexistence
Understanding how environmental fluctuations affect population persistence is essential for predicting the ecological impacts of expected future increases in climate variability. However, two bodies of theory make opposite predictions about the effect of environmental variation on persistence. Singleāspecies theory, common in conservation biology and population viability analyses, suggests that environmental variation increases the risk of stochastic extinction. By contrast, coexistence theory has shown that environmental variation can buffer inferior competitors against competitive exclusion through a storage effect. We reconcile these two perspectives by showing that in the presence of demographic stochasticity, environmental variation can increase the chance of extinction while simultaneously stabilizing coexistence. Our stochastic simulations of a twoāspecies storage effect model reveal a unimodal relationship between environmental variation and coexistence time, implying maximum coexistence at intermediate levels of environmental variation. The unimodal pattern reflects the fact that the stabilizing influence of the storage effect accumulates rapidly at low levels of environmental variation, whereas the risk of extinction due to the combined effects of environmental variation and demographic stochasticity increases most rapidly at higher levels of variation. Future increases in environmental variation could either increase or decrease an inferior competitorās expected persistence time, depending on the distance between the present level of environmental variation and the optimal level anticipated by this theory
Detection of new eruptions in the Magellanic Clouds LBVs R 40 and R 110
We performed a spectroscopic and photometric analysis to study new eruptions
in two luminous blue variables (LBVs) in the Magellanic Clouds. We detected a
strong new eruption in the LBV R40 that reached in 2016, which is
around mag brighter than the minimum registered in 1985. During this new
eruption, the star changed from an A-type to a late F-type spectrum. Based on
photometric and spectroscopic empirical calibrations and synthetic spectral
modeling, we determine that R\,40 reached ~K
during this new eruption. This object is thereby probably one of the coolest
identified LBVs. We could also identify an enrichment of nitrogen and r- and
s-process elements. We detected a weak eruption in the LBV R 110 with a maximum
of mag in 2011, that is, around mag brighter than in the
quiescent phase. On the other hand, this new eruption is about mag
fainter than the first eruption detected in 1990, but the temperature did not
decrease below 8500 K. Spitzer spectra show indications of cool dust in the
circumstellar environment of both stars, but no hot or warm dust was present,
except by the probable presence of PAHs in R\,110. We also discuss a possible
post-red supergiant nature for both stars
Spitzer/MIPS 24 Ī¼m Observations of HD 209458b: Three Eclipses, Two and a Half Transits, and a Phase Curve Corrupted by Instrumental Sensitivity Variations
We report the results of an analysis of all Spitzer/MIPS 24 Ī¼m observations of HD 209458b, one of the touchstone objects in the study of irradiated giant planet atmospheres. Altogether, we analyze two and a half transits, three eclipses, and a 58 hr near-continuous observation designed to detect the planet's thermal phase curve. The results of our analysis are: (1) a mean transit depth of 1.484% Ā± 0.033%, consistent with previous measurements and showing no evidence of variability in transit depth at the 3% level. (2) A mean eclipse depth of 0.338% Ā± 0.026%, somewhat higher than that previously reported for this system; this new value brings observations into better agreement with models. From this eclipse depth we estimate an average dayside brightness temperature of 1320 Ā± 80 K; the dayside flux shows no evidence of variability at the 12% level. (3) Eclipses in the system occur 32 Ā± 129 s earlier than would be expected from a circular orbit, which constrains the orbital quantity ecos Ļ to be 0.00004 Ā± 0.00033. This result is fully consistent with a circular orbit and sets an upper limit of 140 m s^(ā1) (3Ļ) on any eccentricity-induced velocity offset during transit. The phase curve observations (including one of the transits) exhibit an anomalous trend similar to the detector ramp seen in previous Spitzer/IRAC observations; by modeling this ramp we recover the system parameters for this transit. The long-duration photometry which follows the ramp and transit exhibits a gradual ~0.2% decrease in flux over ~30 hr. This effect is similar to that seen in pre-launch calibration data taken with the 24 Ī¼m array and is better fit by an instrumental model than a model invoking planetary emission. The large uncertainties associated with this poorly understood, likely instrumental effect prevent us from usefully constraining the planet's thermal phase curve. Our observations highlight the need for a thorough understanding of detector-related instrumental effects on long timescales when making the high-precision mid-infrared measurements planned for future missions such as EChO, SPICA, and the James Webb Space Telescope
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