Second generation planet formation in NN Serpentis?

In this paper, we study the general impact of stellar mass-ejection events in planetary orbits in post-common envelope binaries with circumbinary planets like those around NN Serpentis. We discuss a set of simple equations that determine upper and lower limits for orbital expansion and investigate the effect of initial eccentricity. We deduce the range of possible semi-major axes and initial eccentricity values of the planets prior to the common-envelope event. In addition to spherically-symmetric mass-ejection events, we consider planetary dynamics under the influence of an expanding disk. In order to have survived, we suggest that the present planets in NN Ser must have had semi-major axes $\,{}^>_{\sim}\, 10$ AU and high eccentricity values which is in conflict with current observations. Consequently, we argue that these planets were not formed together with their hosting stellar system, but rather originated from the fraction of matter of the envelope that remained bound to the binary. According to the cooling age of the white dwarf primary of $10^6$ yr, the planets around NN Ser might be the youngest known so far and open up a wide range of further study of second generation planet formation.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figure

Evidence for an oscillation of the magnetic axis of the white dwarf in the polar DP Leonis

From 1979 to 2001, the magnetic axis of the white dwarf in the polar DP Leo slowly rotated by 50 deg in azimuth, possibly indicating a small asynchronism between the rotational and orbital periods of the magnetic white dwarf. We have obtained phase-resolved orbital light curves between 2009 and 2013, which show that this trend has not continued in recent years. Our data are consistent with the theoretically predicted oscillation of the magnetic axis of the white dwarf about an equilibrium orientation, which is defined by the competition between the accretion torque and the magnetostatic interaction of the primary and secondary star. Our data indicate an oscillation period of ~60 yr, an amplitude of about 25 deg, and an equilibrium orientation leading the connecting line of the two stars by about 7 deg.Comment: Accepted by A&

Evidence for a T Tauri Phase in Young Brown Dwarfs

As part of a multi-faceted program to investigate the origin and early evolution of sub-stellar objects, we present high-resolution Keck optical spectra of 14 very low mass sources in the IC 348 young cluster and the Taurus star-forming cloud. All of our targets, which span a range of spectral types from M5 to M8, exhibit moderate to very strong H$\alpha$ emission. In half of the IC 348 objects, the H$\alpha$ profiles are broad and asymmetric, indicative of on-going accretion. Of these, IC348-355 (M8) is the lowest mass object to date to show accretion-like H$\alpha$. Three of our ~M6 IC 348 targets with broad H$\alpha$ also harbor broad OI (8446\AA) and CaII (8662\AA) emission, and one shows broad HeI (6678\AA) emission; these features are usually seen in strongly accreting classical T Tauri stars. We find that in very low mass accretors, the H$\alpha$ profile may be somewhat narrower than that in higher mass stars. We propose that low accretion rates combined with small infall velocities at very low masses can conspire to produce this effect. In the non-accretors in our sample, H$\alpha$ emission is commensurate with, or higher than, saturated levels in field M dwarfs of similar spectral type. Our results constitute the most compelling evidence to date that young brown dwarfs undergo a T Tauri-like accretion phase similar to that in stars. This is consistent with a common origin for most low-mass stars, brown dwarfs and isolated planetary mass objects.Comment: to appear in The Astrophysical Journa

The spectral type of CHS7797 - an intriguing very low mass periodic variable in the Orion Nebula Cluster

We present the spectroscopic characterization of the unusual high-amplitude very low mass pre-main-sequence periodic variable CHS7797. This study is based on optical medium-resolution (R=2200) spectroscopy in the 6450-8600 A range, carried out with GMOS-GEMINI-S in March 2011. Observations of CHS7797 have been carried out at two distinct phases of the 17.8d period, namely at maximum and four days before maximum. Four different spectral indices were used for the spectral classification at these two phases, all of them well-suited for spectral classification of young and obscured late M dwarfs. In addition, the gravity-sensitive NaI (8183/8195 A) and KI (7665/7699 A) doublet lines were used to confirm the young age of CHS7797. From the spectrum obtained at maximum light we derived a spectral type (SpT) of M6.05, while for the spectrum taken four days before maximum the derived SpT is M5.75. The derived SpTs confirm that CHS7797 has a mass in the stellar-substellar boundary mass range. In addition, the small differences in the derived SpTs at the two observed phases may provide indirect hints that CHS7797 is a binary system of similar mass components surrounded by a tilted circumbinary disk, a system similar to KH15D.Comment: 6 pages, accepted for publication A&

The eclipsing post-common envelope binary CSS21055: a white dwarf with a probable brown-dwarf companion

We report photometric observations of the eclipsing close binary CSS21055 (SDSS J141126+200911) that strongly suggest that the companion to the carbon-oxygen white dwarf is a brown dwarf with a mass between 0.030 and 0.074 Msun. The measured orbital period is 121.73min and the totality of the eclipse lasts 125s. If confirmed, CSS21055 would be the first detached eclipsing WD+BD binary. Spectroscopy in the eclipse could provide information about the companion's evolutionary state and atmospheric structure.Comment: 6 pages, 5 figure

CVcat: an interactive database on cataclysmic variables

CVcat is a database that contains published data on cataclysmic variables and related objects. Unlike in the existing online sources, the users are allowed to add data to the catalogue. The concept of an ``open catalogue'' approach is reviewed together with the experience from one year of public usage of CVcat. New concepts to be included in the upcoming AstroCat framework and the next CVcat implementation are presented. CVcat can be found at http://www.cvcat.org.Comment: 5 pages A&A Latex, 4 figures, accepted for publication in A&

Nonlinear Outcome of Gravitational Instability in Disks with Realistic Cooling

We consider the nonlinear outcome of gravitational instability in optically thick disks with a realistic cooling function. We use a numerical model that is local, razor-thin, and unmagnetized. External illumination is ignored. Cooling is calculated from a one-zone model using analytic fits to low temperature Rosseland mean opacities. The model has two parameters: the initial surface density Sigma_0 and the rotation frequency Omega. We survey the parameter space and find: (1) The disk fragments when t_c,eff Omega = 1, where t_c,eff is an effective cooling time defined as the average internal energy of the model divided by the average cooling rate. This is consistent with earlier results that used a simplified cooling function. (2) The initial cooling time t_c0 or a uniform disk with Q = 1 can differ by orders of magnitude from t_c,eff in the nonlinear outcome. The difference is caused by sharp variations in the opacity with temperature. The condition t_c0 Omega = 1 therefore does not necessarily indicate where fragmentation will occur. (3) The largest difference between t_c,eff and t_c0 is near the opacity gap, where dust is absent and hydrogen is largely molecular. (4) In the limit of strong illumination the disk is isothermal; we find that an isothermal version of our model fragments for Q < 1.4. Finally, we discuss some physical processes not included in our model, and find that most are likely to make disks more susceptible to fragmentation. We conclude that disks with t_c,eff Omega < 1 do not exist.Comment: 30 pages, 12 figure

Very Low Mass Stars and Brown Dwarfs in Taurus-Auriga

We present high resolution optical spectra obtained with the HIRES spectrograph on the Keck I telescope of low mass T Tauri stars and brown dwarfs (LMTTs) in Taurus-Auriga. Of particular interest is the previously classified "continuum T Tauri star" GM Tau, which has a spectral type of M6.5 and a mass just below the stellar/substellar boundary. None of the LMTTs in Taurus are rapidly rotating (vsini < 30 km/s), unlike low mass objects in Orion. Many of the slowly rotating, non-accreting stars and brown dwarfs exhibit prominent H-alpha emission (EWs of 3 - 36 A), indicative of active chromospheres. We demonstrate empirically that the full-width at 10% of the H-alpha emission profile peak is a more practical and possibly more accurate indicator of accretion than either the equivalent width of H-alpha or optical veiling: 10%-widths > 270 km/s are classical T Tauri stars (i.e. accreting), independent of stellar spectral type. Although LMTTs can have accretion rates comparable to that of more typical, higher-mass T Tauri stars (e.g. K7-M0), the average mass accretion rate appears to decrease with decreasing mass. The diminished frequency of accretion disks for LMTTs, in conjunction with their lower, on average, mass accretion rates, implies that they are formed with less massive disks than higher-mass T Tauri stars. The radial velocities, circumstellar properties and known binaries do not support the suggestion that many of the lowest mass members of Taurus have been ejected from higher stellar density regions within the cloud. Instead, LMTTs appear to have formed and are evolving in the same way as higher-mass T Tauri stars, but with smaller disks and shorter disk lifetimes.Comment: 27 pages, plus 8 figures, accepted for publication in Ap