1,051 research outputs found
Properties and occurrence rates of exoplanet candidates as a function of host star metallicity from the DR25 catalog
Correlations between the occurrence rate of exoplanets and their host star
properties provide important clues about the planet formation processes. We
studied the dependence of the observed properties of exoplanets (radius, mass,
and orbital period) as a function of their host star metallicity. We analyzed
the planetary radii and orbital periods of over 2800 candidates from
the latest data release DR25 (Q1-Q17) with revised planetary radii
based on ~DR2 as a function of host star metallicity (from the Q1-Q17
(DR25) stellar and planet catalog). With a much larger sample and improved
radius measurements, we are able to reconfirm previous results in the
literature. We show that the average metallicity of the host star increases as
the radius of the planet increases. We demonstrate this by first calculating
the average host star metallicity for different radius bins and then
supplementing these results by calculating the occurrence rate as a function of
planetary radius and host star metallicity. We find a similar trend between
host star metallicity and planet mass: the average host star metallicity
increases with increasing planet mass. This trend, however, reverses for masses
: host star metallicity drops with increasing planetary
mass. We further examined the correlation between the host star metallicity and
the orbital period of the planet. We find that for planets with orbital periods
less than 10 days, the average metallicity of the host star is higher than that
for planets with periods greater than 10 days.Comment: 14 pages, 13 Figures, Accepted for publication in The Astronomical
Journa
ENaC activity in collecting ducts modulates NCC in cirrhotic mice.
Cirrhosis is a frequent and severe disease, complicated by renal sodium retention leading to ascites and oedema. A better understanding of the complex mechanisms responsible for renal sodium handling could improve clinical management of sodium retention. Our aim was to determine the importance of the amiloride-sensitive epithelial sodium channel (ENaC) in collecting ducts in compensate and decompensate cirrhosis. Bile duct ligation was performed in control mice (CTL) and collecting duct-specific αENaC knockout (KO) mice, and ascites development, aldosterone plasma concentration, urinary sodium/potassium ratio and sodium transporter expression were compared. Disruption of ENaC in collecting ducts (CDs) did not alter ascites development, urinary sodium/potassium ratio, plasma aldosterone concentrations or Na,K-ATPase abundance in CCDs. Total αENaC abundance in whole kidney increased in cirrhotic mice of both genotypes and cleaved forms of α and γ ENaC increased only in ascitic mice of both genotypes. The sodium chloride cotransporter (NCC) abundance was lower in non-ascitic KO, compared to non-ascitic CTL, and increased when ascites appeared. In ascitic mice, the lack of αENaC in CDs induced an upregulation of total ENaC and NCC and correlated with the cleavage of ENaC subunits. This revealed compensatory mechanisms which could also take place when treating the patients with diuretics. These compensatory mechanisms should be considered for future development of therapeutic strategies
Characterizing Exoplanets in the Visible and Infrared: A Spectrometer Concept for the EChO Space Mission
Transit-spectroscopy of exoplanets is one of the key observational techniques
to characterize the extrasolar planet and its atmosphere. The observational
challenges of these measurements require dedicated instrumentation and only the
space environment allows an undisturbed access to earth-like atmospheric
features such as water or carbon-dioxide. Therefore, several exoplanet-specific
space missions are currently being studied. One of them is EChO, the Exoplanet
Characterization Observatory, which is part of ESA's Cosmic Vision 2015-2025
program, and which is one of four candidates for the M3 launch slot in 2024. In
this paper we present the results of our assessment study of the EChO
spectrometer, the only science instrument onboard this spacecraft. The
instrument is a multi-channel all-reflective dispersive spectrometer, covering
the wavelength range from 400 nm to 16 microns simultaneously with a moderately
low spectral resolution. We illustrate how the key technical challenge of the
EChO mission - the high photometric stability - influences the choice of
spectrometer concept and drives fundamentally the instrument design. First
performance evaluations underline the fitness of the elaborated design solution
for the needs of the EChO mission.Comment: 20 pages, 8 figures, accepted for publication in the Journal of
Astronomical Instrumentatio
Planetary population synthesis
In stellar astrophysics, the technique of population synthesis has been
successfully used for several decades. For planets, it is in contrast still a
young method which only became important in recent years because of the rapid
increase of the number of known extrasolar planets, and the associated growth
of statistical observational constraints. With planetary population synthesis,
the theory of planet formation and evolution can be put to the test against
these constraints. In this review of planetary population synthesis, we first
briefly list key observational constraints. Then, the work flow in the method
and its two main components are presented, namely global end-to-end models that
predict planetary system properties directly from protoplanetary disk
properties and probability distributions for these initial conditions. An
overview of various population synthesis models in the literature is given. The
sub-models for the physical processes considered in global models are
described: the evolution of the protoplanetary disk, the planets' accretion of
solids and gas, orbital migration, and N-body interactions among concurrently
growing protoplanets. Next, typical population synthesis results are
illustrated in the form of new syntheses obtained with the latest generation of
the Bern model. Planetary formation tracks, the distribution of planets in the
mass-distance and radius-distance plane, the planetary mass function, and the
distributions of planetary radii, semimajor axes, and luminosities are shown,
linked to underlying physical processes, and compared with their observational
counterparts. We finish by highlighting the most important predictions made by
population synthesis models and discuss the lessons learned from these
predictions - both those later observationally confirmed and those rejected.Comment: 47 pages, 12 figures. Invited review accepted for publication in the
'Handbook of Exoplanets', planet formation section, section editor: Ralph
Pudritz, Springer reference works, Juan Antonio Belmonte and Hans Deeg, Ed
Light elements in stars with exoplanets
It is well known that stars orbited by giant planets have higher abundances
of heavy elements when compared with average field dwarfs. A number of studies
have also addressed the possibility that light element abundances are different
in these stars. In this paper we will review the present status of these
studies. The most significant trends will be discussed.Comment: 10 pages, 6 figures. Submitted to the proceedings of IAU symposium
268: Light elements in the universe
The VLT/NaCo large program to probe the occurrence of exoplanets and brown dwarfs at wide orbits: II- Survey description, results and performances
In anticipation of the VLT/SPHERE planet imager guaranteed time programs, we
have conducted a preparatory survey of 86 stars between 2009 and 2013 in order
to identify new faint comoving companions to ultimately carry out a
comprehensive analysis of the occurence of giant planets and brown dwarf
companions at wide (10-2000 AU) orbits around young, solar-type stars. We used
NaCo at VLT to explore the occurrence rate of giant planets and brown dwarfs
between typically 0.1 and 8''. Diffraction-limited observations in H-band
combined with angular differential imaging enabled us to reach primary
star-companion brightness ratios as small as 10-6 at 1.5''. 12 systems were
resolved as new binaries, including the discovery of a new white dwarf
companion to the star HD8049. Around 34 stars, at least one companion candidate
was detected in the observed field of view. More than 400 faint sources were
detected, 90% of them in 4 crowded fields. With the exception of HD8049B, we
did not identify any new comoving companions. The survey also led to spatially
resolved images of the thin debris disk around HD\,61005 that have been
published earlier. Finally, considering the survey detection limits, we derive
a preliminary upper limit on the frequency of giant planets for semi-major axes
of [10,2000] AU: typically less than 15% between 100 and 500 AU, and less than
10% between 50 and 500 AU for exoplanets more massive than 5 MJup and 10 MJup
respectively, considering a uniform input distribution and with a confidence
level of 95%.Comment: 19 pages, 8 figures, 12 Tables, accepted to A&
The GAPS Programme with HARPS-N@TNG VI: The Curious Case of TrES-4b
We revisit the TrES-4 system parameters based on high-precision HARPS-N
radial-velocity measurements and new photometric light curves. A combined
spectroscopic and photometric analysis allows us to determine a spectroscopic
orbit with an amplitude m s. The derived mass of TrES-4b is
found to be , significantly lower than
previously reported. Combined with the large radius () inferred from our analysis, TrES-4b becomes
the second-lowest density transiting hot Jupiter known. We discuss several
scenarios to explain the puzzling discrepancy in the mass of TrES-4b in the
context of the exotic class of highly inflated transiting giant planets.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures, Letter accepted for publication in Astronomy and
Astrophysic
The GAPS programme with HARPS-N@TNG IV: A planetary system around XO-2S
We performed an intensive radial velocity monitoring of XO-2S, the wide
companion of the transiting planet-host XO-2N, using HARPS-N at TNG in the
framework of the GAPS programme. The radial velocity measurements indicate the
presence of a new planetary system formed by a planet that is slightly more
massive than Jupiter at 0.48 au and a Saturn-mass planet at 0.13 au. Both
planetary orbits are moderately eccentric and were found to be dynamically
stable. There are also indications of a long-term trend in the radial
velocities. This is the first confirmed case of a wide binary whose components
both host planets, one of which is transiting, which makes the XO-2 system a
unique laboratory for understanding the diversity of planetary systems.Comment: 7 pages, 3 figures, accepted on A&A Lette
Qatar-1b: a hot Jupiter orbiting a metal-rich K dwarf star
We report the discovery and initial characterisation of Qatar-1b, a hot
Jupiter orbiting a metal-rich K dwarf star, the first planet discovered by the
Alsubai Project exoplanet transit survey. We describe the strategy used to
select candidate transiting planets from photometry generated by the Alsubai
Project instrument. We examine the rate of astrophysical and other false
positives found during the spectroscopic reconnaissance of the initial batch of
candidates. A simultaneous fit to the follow-up radial velocities and
photometry of Qatar-1b yield a planetary mass of 1.09+/-0.08 Mjup and a radius
of 1.16+/-0.05 Rjup. The orbital period and separation are 1.420033 days and
0.0234 AU for an orbit assumed to be circular. The stellar density, effective
temperature and rotation rate indicate an age greater than 4 Gyr for the
system.Comment: 8 pages, 5 figures, submitted to Monthly Notices of the Royal
Astronomical Societ
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