547 research outputs found
High-precision analysis of binary stars with planets. I. Searching for condensation temperature trends in the HD 106515 system
We explore the probable chemical signature of planet formation in the
remarkable binary system HD 106515. The A star hosts a massive long-period
planet with 9 MJup detected by radial velocity. We also refine stellar and
planetary parameters by using non-solar-scaled opacities when modeling the
stars. Methods. We carried out a simultaneous determination of stellar
parameters and abundances, by applying for the first time non-solar-scaled
opacities in this binary system, in order to reach the highest possible
precision. Results. The stars A and B in the binary system HD 106515 do not
seem to be depleted in refractory elements, which is different when comparing
the Sun with solar-twins. Then, the terrestrial planet formation would have
been less efficient in the stars of this binary system. Together with HD
80606/7, this is the second binary system which does not seem to present a
(terrestrial) signature of planet formation, and hosting both systems an
eccentric giant planet. This is in agreement with numerical simulations, where
the early dynamical evolution of eccentric giant planets clear out most of the
possible terrestrial planets in the inner zone. We refined the stellar mass,
radius and age for both stars and found a notable difference of 78% in R
compared to previous works. We also refined the planet mass to mp sini = 9.08
+/- 0.20 MJup, which differs by 6% compared with literature. In addition, we
showed that the non-solar-scaled solution is not compatible with the classical
solar-scaled method, and some abundance differences are comparable to NLTE or
GCE effects specially when using the Sun as reference. Then, we encourage the
use of non-solar-scaled opacities in high-precision studies such as the
detection of Tc trends.[abridged]Comment: 9 pages, 10 figures, A&A accepted. arXiv admin note: text overlap
with arXiv:1507.0812
On the age of the magnetically active WW Psa and TX Psa members of the beta Pictoris association
There are a variety of different techniques available to estimate the ages of
pre-main-sequence stars. Components of physical pairs, thanks to their strict
coevality and the mass difference, such as the binary system analysed in this
paper, are best suited to test the effectiveness of these different techniques.
We consider the system WW Psa + TX Psa whose membership of the 25-Myr beta
Pictoris association has been well established by earlier works. We investigate
which age dating technique provides the best agreement between the age of the
system and that of the association. We have photometrically monitored WW Psa
and TX Psa and measured their rotation periods as P = 2.37d and P = 1.086d,
respectively. We have retrieved from the literature their Li equivalent widths
and measured their effective temperatures and luminosities. We investigate
whether the ages of these stars derived using three independent techniques are
consistent with the age of the beta Pictoris association. We find that the
rotation periods and the Li contents of both stars are consistent with the
distribution of other bona fide members of the cluster. On the contrary, the
isochronal fitting provides similar ages for both stars, but a factor of about
four younger than the quoted age of the association, or about 30% younger when
the effects of magnetic fields are included. We explore the origin of the
discrepant age inferred from isochronal fitting, including the possibilities
that either the two components may be unresolved binaries or that the basic
stellar parameters of both components are altered by enhanced magnetic
activity. The latter is found to be the more reasonable cause, suggesting that
age estimates based on the Li content is more reliable than isochronal fitting
for pre-main-sequence stars with pronounced magnetic activity.Comment: Accepted by Astronomy and Astrophysics on December 13, 2016. 13 pages
and 11 figure
Quantum droplets with particle imbalance in one-dimensional optical lattices
We study the formation of particle-imbalanced quantum droplets in a
one-dimensional optical lattice containing a binary bosonic mixture at zero
temperature. To understand the effects of the imbalance from both the few- and
many-body perspectives, we employ density matrix renormalization group (DMRG)
simulations and perform the extrapolation to the thermodynamic limit. In
contrast to the particle-balanced case, not all bosons are paired, resulting in
an interplay between bound states and individual atoms that leads to intriguing
phenomena. Quantum droplets manage to sustain a small particle imbalance,
resulting in an effective magnetization. However, as the imbalance is further
increased, a critical point is eventually crossed, and the droplets start to
expel the excess particles while the magnetization in the bulk remains
constant. Remarkably, the unpaired particles on top of the quantum droplet
effectively form a super Tonks-Girardeau (hard-rod) gas. The expulsion point
coincides with the critical density at which the size of the super
Tonks-Girardeau gas matches the size of the droplet.Comment: Main text: 16 pages, 11 figures. Appendix: 4 pages, 3 figure
New transit observations for HAT-P-30 b, HAT-P-37 b, TrES-5 b, WASP-28 b, WASP-36 b, and WASP-39 b
We present new transit light curves for planets in six extrasolar planetary
systems. They were acquired with 0.4-2.2 m telescopes located in west Asia,
Europe, and South America. When combined with literature data, they allowed us
to redetermine system parameters in a homogeneous way. Our results for
individual systems are in agreement with values reported in previous studies.
We refined transit ephemerides and reduced uncertainties of orbital periods by
a factor between 2 and 7. No sign of any variations in transit times was
detected for the planets studied.Comment: Submitted to Acta Astronomic
The Gaia-ESO Survey: dynamics of ionized and neutral gas in the Lagoon nebula (M8)
We present a spectroscopic study of the dynamics of the ionized and neutral
gas throughout the Lagoon nebula (M8), using VLT/FLAMES data from the Gaia-ESO
Survey. We explore the connections between the nebular gas and the stellar
population of the associated star cluster NGC6530. We characterize through
spectral fitting emission lines of H-alpha, [N II] and [S II] doublets, [O
III], and absorption lines of sodium D doublet, using data from the
FLAMES/Giraffe and UVES spectrographs, on more than 1000 sightlines towards the
entire face of the Lagoon nebula. Gas temperatures are derived from line-width
comparisons, densities from the [S II] doublet ratio, and ionization parameter
from H-alpha/[N II] ratio. Although doubly-peaked emission profiles are rarely
found, line asymmetries often imply multiple velocity components along the line
of sight. This is especially true for the sodium absorption, and for the [O
III] lines. Spatial maps for density and ionization are derived, and compared
to other known properties of the nebula and of its massive stars 9 Sgr,
Herschel 36 and HD 165052 which are confirmed to provide most of the ionizing
flux. The detailed velocity fields across the nebula show several expanding
shells, related to the cluster NGC6530, the O stars 9 Sgr and Herschel 36, and
the massive protostar M8East-IR. The origins of kinematical expansion and
ionization of the NGC6530 shell appear to be different. We are able to put
constrains on the line-of-sight (relative or absolute) distances between some
of these objects and the molecular cloud. The large obscuring band running
through the middle of the nebula is being compressed by both sides, which might
explain its enhanced density. We also find an unexplained large-scale velocity
gradient across the entire nebula. At larger distances, the transition from
ionized to neutral gas is studied using the sodium lines.Comment: 26 pages, 31 figures, accepted on Astronomy and Astrophysics journa
The Gaia-ESO Survey: membership and Initial Mass Function of the Gamma Velorum cluster
Understanding the properties of young open clusters, such as the Initial Mass
Function (IMF), star formation history and dynamic evolution, is crucial to
obtain reliable theoretical predictions of the mechanisms involved in the star
formation process. We want to obtain a list, as complete as possible, of
confirmed members of the young open cluster Gamma Velorum, with the aim of
deriving general cluster properties such as the IMF. We used all available
spectroscopic membership indicators within the Gaia-ESO public archive together
with literature photometry and X-ray data and, for each method, we derived the
most complete list of candidate cluster members. Then, we considered
photometry, gravity and radial velocities as necessary conditions to select a
subsample of candidates whose membership was confirmed by using the lithium and
H lines and X-rays as youth indicators. We found 242 confirmed and 4
possible cluster members for which we derived masses using very recent stellar
evolutionary models. The cluster IMF in the mass range investigated in this
study shows a slope of for and
for and is consistent with a standard
IMF. The similarity of the IMF of the young population around Vel to
that in other star forming regions and the field suggests it may have formed
through very similar processes.Comment: Accepted for publication in A&A; 18 pages, 11 figures, 5 table
The Gaia-ESO Survey: Tracing interstellar extinction
Large spectroscopic surveys have enabled in the recent years the computation
of three-dimensional interstellar extinction maps thanks to accurate stellar
atmospheric parameters and line-of-sight distances. Such maps are complementary
to 3D maps extracted from photometry, allowing a more thorough study of the
dust properties. Our goal is to use the high-resolution spectroscopic survey
Gaia-ESO in order to obtain with a good distance resolution the interstellar
extinction and its dependency as a function of the environment and the
Galactocentric position. We use the stellar atmospheric parameters of more than
5000 stars, obtained from the Gaia-ESO survey second internal data release, and
combine them with optical (SDSS) and near-infrared (VISTA) photometry as well
as different sets of theoretical stellar isochrones, in order to calculate
line-of-sight extinction and distances. The extinction coefficients are then
compared with the literature to discuss their dependancy on the stellar
parameters and position in the Galaxy. Within the errors of our method, our
work does not show that there is any dependence of the interstellar extinction
coefficient on the atmospheric parameters of the stars. We do not find any
evidence of the variation of E(J-H)/E(J-K) with the angle from the Galactic
centre nor with Galactocentric distance. This suggests that we are dealing with
a uniform extinction law in the SDSS ugriz bands and the near-IR JHKs bands.
Therefore, extinction maps using mean colour-excesses and assuming a constant
extinction coefficient can be used without introducing any systematic errors.Comment: 13 pages, 14 figures, 1 Appendix accepted for publication in
Astronomy&Astrophysic
The Gaia-ESO Survey: the selection function of the Milky Way field stars
The Gaia-ESO Survey was designed to target all major Galactic components
(i.e., bulge, thin and thick discs, halo and clusters), with the goal of
constraining the chemical and dynamical evolution of the Milky Way. This paper
presents the methodology and considerations that drive the selection of the
targeted, allocated and successfully observed Milky Way field stars. The
detailed understanding of the survey construction, specifically the influence
of target selection criteria on observed Milky Way field stars is required in
order to analyse and interpret the survey data correctly. We present the target
selection process for the Milky Way field stars observed with VLT/FLAMES and
provide the weights that characterise the survey target selection. The weights
can be used to account for the selection effects in the Gaia-ESO Survey data
for scientific studies. We provide a couple of simple examples to highlight the
necessity of including such information in studies of the stellar populations
in the Milky Way.Comment: 18 pages, 19 figures, Accepted for publication in MNRAS (April 25,
2016
Hydrosomes: femtoliter containers for fluorescence spectroscopy studies
We report on improvements and innovations in the use of hydrosomes to encapsulate and study single molecules. Hydrosomes are optically-trappable aqueous nanodroplets. The droplets are suspended in a fluorocarbon medium that is immiscible with water and has an index of refraction lower than water, so hydrosomes are stable and optically trapped by a focused laser beam (optical tweezers). Using optical tweezers, we hold the hydrosomes within a confocal observation volume and interrogate the encapsulated molecule by fluorescence excitation. This method allows for long observation times of a molecule without the need for surface immobilization or liposome encapsulation. We have developed a new way for creating hydrosomes on demand by inertially launching them into the fluorocarbon matrix using a piezo-activated micropipette. Time-resolved fluorescence anisotropy studies are carried out to characterize the effects of the hydrosome interface boundary on biological molecules and to determine whether molecules encapsulated within hydrosomes diffuse freely throughout the available volume. We measured the fluorescence anisotropy decay of 20mer DNA duplexes, and enhanced green fluorescent protein (GFP). We conclude that the molecules rotate freely inside the nanodroplets and do not stick or aggregate at the boundary
Hydrosomes: femtoliter containers for fluorescence spectroscopy studies
We report on improvements and innovations in the use of hydrosomes to encapsulate and study single molecules. Hydrosomes are optically-trappable aqueous nanodroplets. The droplets are suspended in a fluorocarbon medium that is immiscible with water and has an index of refraction lower than water, so hydrosomes are stable and optically trapped by a focused laser beam (optical tweezers). Using optical tweezers, we hold the hydrosomes within a confocal observation volume and interrogate the encapsulated molecule by fluorescence excitation. This method allows for long observation times of a molecule without the need for surface immobilization or liposome encapsulation. We have developed a new way for creating hydrosomes on demand by inertially launching them into the fluorocarbon matrix using a piezo-activated micropipette. Time-resolved fluorescence anisotropy studies are carried out to characterize the effects of the hydrosome interface boundary on biological molecules and to determine whether molecules encapsulated within hydrosomes diffuse freely throughout the available volume. We measured the fluorescence anisotropy decay of 20mer DNA duplexes, and enhanced green fluorescent protein (GFP). We conclude that the molecules rotate freely inside the nanodroplets and do not stick or aggregate at the boundary
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