Physical parameters of three field RR Lyrae stars

This work was partially supported by DGAPA–Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico through project IN104612.Stromgren uvby - beta photometry of the stars classified as RR Lyrae stars RU Piscium, SS Piscium and TU Ursae Majoris has been used to estimate their iron abundance, temperature, gravity and absolute magnitude. The stability of the pulsating period is discussed. The nature of SS Psc as a RRc or a HADS is addressed. The reddening of each star is estimated from the Stromgren colour indices and reddening sky maps. The results of three approaches to the determination of [Fe/H], T-eff and log(g) are discussed: Fourier light curve decomposition, the Preston Delta S index and the theoretical grids on the (b - y)(o) - c(10) plane.Peer reviewe

Constrained fit of the valence transversity distributions from dihadron production

We present a constrained analysis of the valence transversity Parton Distribution Functions from dihadron production in semi-inclusive DIS. While usual extractions of the transversity distributions rely explicitly on the fulfilment of the Soffer bounds, the present analysis releases that implicit restriction to implement further explicit constraints through the Lagrange multipliers method. The results are quantitatively comparable to previous analyses in the kinematical range of data ; the qualitative impact of the chosen fitting strategy translates into an increased flexibility in the functional form.Comment: 15 figures, hunsrt.bst included. Style modification

Adjuvants : an essential component of neisseria vaccines

Adjuvants may be classified into delivery systems and immune potentiator or modulator molecules based on their mechanism of action. Neisseria vaccines containing traditional adjuvants such as aluminium salts have existed for long time, but meningitis caused by Neisseria meningitidis serogroups, particularly serogroup B, continues to be a global health problem. Novel strategies have applied in silico and recombinant technologies to develop "universal" antigens (e.g. proteins, peptides and plasmid DNA) for vaccines, but these antigens have been shown to be poorly immunogenic even when alum adjuvanted, implying a need for better vaccine design. In this work we review the use of natural, detoxified, or synthetic molecules in combination with antigens to activate the innate immune system and to modulate the adaptive immune responses. In the main, antigenic and imune potentiator signals are delivered using nano-, micro-particles, alum, or emulsions. The importance of interaction between adjuvants and antigens to activate and target dendritic cells, the bridge between the innate and adaptive immune systems, will be discussed. In addition, nasal vaccine strategies based on the development of mucosal adjuvants and Neisseria derivatives to eliminate the pathogen at the site of infection provide promising adjuvants effective not only against respiratory pathogens, but also against pathogens responsible for enteric and sexually transmitted diseases

Reduction of Lie-Jordan Banach algebras and quantum states

A theory of reduction of Lie-Jordan Banach algebras with respect to either a Jordan ideal or a Lie-Jordan subalgebra is presented. This theory is compared with the standard reduction of C*-algebras of observables of a quantum system in the presence of quantum constraints. It is shown that the later corresponds to the particular instance of the reduction of Lie-Jordan Banach algebras with respect to a Lie-Jordan subalgebra as described in this paper. The space of states of the reduced Lie-Jordan Banach algebras is described in terms of equivalence classes of extensions to the full algebra and their GNS representations are characterized in the same way. A few simple examples are discussed that illustrates some of the main results

A double-lined spectroscopic orbit for the young star HD 34700

We report high-resolution spectroscopic observations of the young star HD 34700, which confirm it to be a double-lined spectroscopic binary. We derive an accurate orbital solution with a period of 23.4877 +/- 0.0013 days and an eccentricity of e = 0.2501 +/- 0.0068. The stars are found to be of similar mass (M2/M1 = 0.987 +/- 0.014) and luminosity. We derive also the effective temperatures (5900 K and 5800 K) and projected rotational velocities (28 km/s and 22 km/s) of the components. These values of v sin i are much higher than expected for main-sequence stars of similar spectral type (G0), and are not due to tidal synchronization. We discuss also the indicators of youth available for the object. Although there is considerable evidence that the system is young --strong infrared excess, X-ray emission, Li I 6708 absorption (0.17 Angstroms equivalent width), H alpha emission (0.6 Angstroms), rapid rotation-- the precise age cannot yet be established because the distance is unknown.Comment: 17 pages, including 2 figures and 2 tables. Accepted for publication in AJ, to appear in February 200

Discovery of > 200 RR Lyrae Variables in M62: An Oosterhoff I Globular Cluster with a Predominantly Blue HB

We report on the discovery of a large number of RR Lyrae variable stars in the moderately metal-rich Galactic globular cluster M62 (NGC 6266), which places it among the top three most RR Lyrae-rich globular clusters known. Likely members of the cluster in our studied field, from our preliminary number counts, include about 130 fundamental-mode (RRab) pulsators, with = 0.548 d, and about 75 first-overtone (RRc) pulsators, with = 0.300 d. The average periods and the position of the RRab variables with well-defined light curves in the Bailey diagram both suggest that the cluster is of Oosterhoff type I. However, the morphology of the cluster's horizontal branch (HB) is strikingly similar to that of the Oosterhoff type II globular cluster M15 (NGC 7078), with a dominant blue HB component and a very extended blue tail. Since M15 and M62 differ in metallicity by about one dex, we conclude that metallicity, at a fixed HB type, is a key parameter determining the Oosterhoff status of a globular cluster and the position of its variables in the Bailey diagram.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures. ApJ Letters, in pres

The importance of being zero

2018 International Symposium on Symbolic and Algebraic Computation (ISSAC), July 2018, New York, NY, United StatesWe present a deterministic algorithm for deciding if a polynomial ideal, with coefficients in an algebraically closed field K of characteristic zero, of which we know just some very limited data, namely:the number n of variables, and some upper bound for the geometric degree of its zero set in Kn, is or not the zero ideal. The algorithm performs just a finite number of decisions to check whether a point is or not in the zero set of the ideal. Moreover, we extend this technique to test, in the same fashion, if the elimination of some variables in the given ideal yields or not the zero ideal. Finally, the role of this technique in the context of automated theorem proving of elementary geometry statements, is presented, with references to recent documents describing the excellent performance of the already existing prototype version, implemented in GeoGebra.Ministerio de Economía y CompetitividadEuropean Regional Development Fun

Echelle long-slit optical spectroscopy of evolved stars

We present echelle long-slit optical spectra of a sample of objects evolving off the AGB, most of them in the pre-planetary nebula (pPN) phase, obtained with the ESI and MIKE spectrographs at Keck-II and Magellan-I, respectively. The total wavelength range covered with ESI (MIKE) is ~3900 to 10900 A (~3600 to 7200A). In this paper, we focus our analysis mainly on the Halpha profiles. Prominent Halpha emission is detected in half of the objects, most of which show broad Halpha wings (up to ~4000 km/s). In the majority of the Halpha-emission sources, fast, post-AGB winds are revealed by P-Cygni profiles. In ~37% of the objects Halpha is observed in absorption. In almost all cases, the absorption profile is partially filled with emission, leading to complex, structured profiles that are interpreted as an indication of incipient post-AGB mass-loss. All sources in which Halpha is seen mainly in absorption have F-G type central stars, whereas sources with intense Halpha emission span a larger range of spectral types from O to G. Shocks may be an important excitation agent of the close stellar surroundings for objects with late type central stars. Sources with pure emission or P Cygni Halpha profiles have larger J-K color excess than objects with Halpha mainly in absorption, which suggests the presence of warm dust near the star in the former. The two classes of profile sources also segregate in the IRAS color-color diagram in a way that intense Halpha-emitters have dust grains with a larger range of temperatures. (abridged)Comment: 68 pages, 14 figures, accepted for publication in ApJS (abstract abridged