157 research outputs found
Validation of TOI-1221 b: A warm sub-Neptune exhibiting TTVs around a Sun-like star
We present a validation of the long-period (
days) transiting sub-Neptune planet TOI-1221 b (TIC 349095149.01) around a
Sun-like (m=10.5) star. This is one of the few known exoplanets with
period >50 days, and belongs to the even smaller subset of which have bright
enough hosts for detailed spectroscopic follow-up. We combine TESS light curves
and ground-based time-series photometry from PEST (0.3~m) and LCOGT (1.0~m) to
analyze the transit signals and rule out nearby stars as potential false
positive sources. High-contrast imaging from SOAR and Gemini/Zorro rule out
nearby stellar contaminants. Reconnaissance spectroscopy from CHIRON sets a
planetary scale upper mass limit on the transiting object (1.1 and 3.5 M at 1 and 3, respectively) and shows no sign of a
spectroscopic binary companion. We determine a planetary radius of , placing it in the sub-Neptune regime. With a
stellar insolation of , we calculate a
moderate equilibrium temperature of 440 K, assuming no albedo
and perfect heat redistribution. We find a false positive probability from
TRICERATOPS of FPP as well as other qualitative and
quantitative evidence to support the statistical validation of TOI-1221 b. We
find significant evidence (>) of oscillatory transit timing
variations, likely indicative of an additional non-transiting planet.Comment: 17 pages, 9 figures, 4 table
National smokefree law in New Zealand improves air quality inside bars, pubs and restaurants
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background:</p> <p>We aimed to: (i) assess compliance with a new smokefree law in a range of hospitality settings; and (ii) to assess the impact of the new law by measuring air quality and making comparisons with air quality in outdoor smoking areas and with international data from hospitality settings.</p> <p>Methods:</p> <p>We included 34 pubs, restaurants and bars, 10 transportation settings, nine other indoor settings, six outdoor smoking areas of bars and restaurants, and six other outdoor settings. These were selected using a mix of random, convenience and purposeful sampling. The number of lit cigarettes among occupants at defined time points in each venue was observed and a portable real-time aerosol monitor was used to measure fine particulate levels (PM<sub>2.5</sub>).</p> <p>Results:</p> <p>No smoking was observed during the data collection periods among over 3785 people present in the indoor venues, nor in any of the transportation settings. The levels of fine particulates were relatively low inside the bars, pubs and restaurants in the urban and rural settings (mean 30-minute level = 16 μg/m<sup>3 </sup>for 34 venues; range of mean levels for each category: 13 μg/m<sup>3 </sup>to 22 μg/m<sup>3</sup>). The results for other smokefree indoor settings (shops, offices etc) and for smokefree transportation settings (eg, buses, trains, etc) were even lower. However, some "outdoor" smoking areas attached to bars/restaurants had high levels of fine particulates, especially those that were partly enclosed (eg, up to a 30-minute mean value of 182 μg/m<sup>3 </sup>and a peak of maximum value of 284 μg/m<sup>3</sup>). The latter are far above WHO guideline levels for 24-hour exposure (ie, 25μg/m<sup>3</sup>).</p> <p>Conclusion:</p> <p>There was very high compliance with the new national smokefree law and this was also reflected by the relatively good indoor air quality in hospitality settings (compared to the "outdoor" smoking areas and the comparable settings in countries that permit indoor smoking). Nevertheless, adopting enhanced regulations (as used in various US and Canadian jurisdictions) may be needed to address hazardous air quality in relatively enclosed "outdoor" smoking areas.</p
Investigating variation in replicability
Although replication is a central tenet of science, direct replications are rare in psychology. This research tested variation in the replicability of 13 classic and contemporary effects across 36 independent samples totaling 6,344 participants. In the aggregate, 10 effects replicated consistently. One effect – imagined contact reducing prejudice – showed weak support for replicability. And two effects – flag priming influencing conservatism and currency priming influencing system justification – did not replicate. We compared whether the conditions such as lab versus online or US versus international sample predicted effect magnitudes. By and large they did not. The results of this small sample of effects suggest that replicability is more dependent on the effect itself than on the sample and setting used to investigate the effect
TOI-5126: A hot super-Neptune and warm Neptune pair discovered by and
We present the confirmation of a hot super-Neptune with an exterior Neptune
companion orbiting a bright (V = 10.1 mag) F-dwarf identified by the
(). The two
planets, observed in sectors 45, 46 and 48 of the extended
mission, are and
with d and
d orbital periods, respectively. We also obtained
precise space based photometric follow-up of the system with ESAs
() to constrain
the radius and ephemeris of TOI-5126 b. TOI 5126 b is located in the "hot
Neptune Desert" and is an ideal candidate for follow-up transmission
spectroscopy due to its high predicted equilibrium temperature ( K) implying a cloud-free atmosphere. TOI-5126 c is a warm
Neptune ( K) also suitable for follow-up. Tentative
transit timing variations (TTVs) have also been identified in analysis,
suggesting the presence of at least one additional planet, however this signal
may be caused by spot-crossing events, necessitating further precise
photometric follow-up to confirm these signals.Comment: Accepted in MNRAS, 18 pages, 14 figure
A Hubble Space Telescope Survey of H2 Emission in the Circumstellar Environments of Young Stars
The formation timescale and final architecture of exoplanetary systems are
closely related to the properties of the molecular disks from which they form.
Observations of the spatial distribution and lifetime of the molecular gas at
planet-forming radii (r < 10 AU) are important for understanding the formation
and evolution of exoplanetary systems. Towards this end, we present the largest
spectrally resolved survey of H2 emission around low-mass pre-main sequence
stars compiled to date. We use a combination of new and archival
far-ultraviolet spectra from the COS and STIS instruments on the Hubble Space
Telescope to sample 34 T Tauri stars (27 actively accreting CTTSs and 7
non-accreting WTTSs) with ages ranging from roughly 1-10 Myr. We observe
fluorescent H2 emission, excited by LyA photons, in 100 of the accreting
sources, including all of the transitional disks in our sample (CS Cha, DM Tau,
GM Aur, UX Tau A, LkCa15, HD 135344B and TW Hya). The spatial distribution of
the emitting gas is inferred from spectrally resolved H2 line profiles. Some of
the emitting gas is produced in outflowing material, but the majority of H2
emission appears to originate in a rotating disk. For the disk-dominated
targets, the H2 emission originates predominately at r < 3 AU. The emission
line-widths and inner molecular radii are found to be roughly consistent with
those measured from mid-IR CO spectra.Comment: ApJ - accepted. 19 pages, 12 figure
Annual and seasonal movements of migrating short-tailed shearwaters reflect environmental variation in sub-Arctic and Arctic waters
The marine ecosystems of the Bering Sea and adjacent southern Chukchi Sea are experiencing rapid changes due to recent reductions in sea ice. Short-tailed shearwaters Puffinus tenuirostris visit this region in huge numbers between the boreal summer and autumn during non-breeding season, and represent one of the dominant top predators. To understand the implications for this species of ongoing environmental change in the Pacific sub-Arctic and Arctic seas, we tracked the migratory movements of 19 and 24 birds in 2010 and 2011, respectively, using light-level geolocators. In both years, tracked birds occupied the western (Okhotsk Sea and Kuril Islands) and eastern (southeast Bering Sea) North Pacific from May to July. In August–September of 2010, but not 2011, a substantial proportion (68 % of the tracked individuals in 2010 compared to 38 % in 2011) moved through the Bering Strait to feed in the Chukchi Sea. Based on the correlation with oceanographic variables, the probability of shearwater occurrence was highest in waters with sea surface temperatures (SSTs) of 8–10 °C over shallow depths. Furthermore, shearwaters spent more time flying when SST was warmer than 9 °C, suggesting increased search effort for prey. We hypothesized that the northward shift in the distribution of shearwaters may have been related to temperature-driven changes in the abundance of their dominant prey, krill (Euphausiacea), as the timing of krill spawning coincides with the seasonal increase in water temperature. Our results indicate a flexible response of foraging birds to ongoing changes in the sub-Arctic and Arctic ecosystems
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