338 research outputs found
The Broadband Infrared Emission Spectrum of the Exoplanet TrES-3
We use the Spitzer Space Telescope to estimate the dayside thermal emission
of the exoplanet TrES-3 integrated in the 3.6, 4.5, 5.8, and 8.0 micron
bandpasses of the Infrared Array Camera (IRAC) instrument. We observe two
secondary eclipses and find relative eclipse depths of 0.00346 +/- 0.00035,
0.00372 +/- 0.00054, 0.00449 +/- 0.00097, and 0.00475 +/- 0.00046, respectively
in the 4 IRAC bandpasses. We combine our results with the earlier K band
measurement of De Mooij et al. (2009), and compare them with models of the
planetary emission. We find that the planet does not require the presence of an
inversion layer in the high atmosphere. This is the first very strongly
irradiated planet that does not have a temperature inversion, which indicates
that stellar or planetary characteristics other than temperature have an
important impact on temperature inversion. De Mooij & Snellen (2009) also
detected a possible slight offset in the timing of the secondary eclipse in K
band. However, based on our 4 Spitzer channels, we place a 3sigma upper limit
of |ecos(w)| < 0.0056 where e is the planets orbital eccentricity and w is the
longitude of the periastron. This result strongly indicates that the orbit is
circular, as expected from tidal circularization theory.Comment: Accepted by Ap
Detection of a Temperature Inversion in the Broadband Infrared Emission Spectrum of TrES-4
We estimate the strength of the bandpass-integrated thermal emission from the
extrasolar planet TrES-4 at 3.6, 4.5, 5.8, and 8.0 micron using the Infrared
Array Camera (IRAC) on the Spitzer Space Telescope. We find relative eclipse
depths of 0.137 +/- 0.011%, 0.148 +/- 0.016%, 0.261 +/- 0.059%, and 0.318 +/-
0.044% in these four bandpasses, respectively. We also place a 2 sigma upper
limit of 0.37% on the depth of the secondary eclipse in the 16 micron IRS
peak-up array. These eclipse depths reveal that TrES-4 has an emission spectrum
similar to that of HD 209458b, which requires the presence of water emission
bands created by an thermal inversion layer high in the atmosphere in order to
explain the observed features. TrES-4 receives more radiation from its star
than HD 209458b and has a correspondingly higher effective temperature,
therefore the presence of a temperature inversion in this planet's atmosphere
lends support to the idea that inversions might be correlated with the
irradiance received by the planet. We find no evidence for any offset in the
timing of the secondary eclipse, and place a 3 sigma upper limit of
|ecos(omega)|<0.0058 where e is the planet's orbital eccentricity and omega is
the argument of pericenter. From this we conclude that tidal heating from
ongoing orbital circulatization is unlikely to be the explanation for TrES-4's
inflated radius.Comment: 10 pages in emulateapj format, 7 figures (some in color), accepted
for publication in Ap
Detection of Planetary Emission from the Exoplanet TrES-2 using Spitzer /IRAC
We present here the results of our observations of TrES-2 using the Infrared
Array Camera on Spitzer. We monitored this transiting system during two
secondary eclipses, when the planetary emission is blocked by the star. The
resulting decrease in flux is 0.127%+-0.021%, 0.230%+-0.024%, 0.199%+-0.054%,
and 0.359%+-0.060%, at 3.6 microns, 4.5 microns, 5.8 microns, and 8.0 microns,
respectively. We show that three of these flux contrasts are well fit by a
black body spectrum with T_{eff}=1500 K, as well as by a more detailed model
spectrum of a planetary atmosphere. The observed planet-to-star flux ratios in
all four IRAC channels can be explained by models with and without a thermal
inversion in the atmosphere of TrES-2, although with different atmospheric
chemistry. Based on the assumption of thermochemical equilibrium, the chemical
composition of the inversion model seems more plausible, making it a more
favorable scenario. TrES-2 also falls in the category of highly irradiated
planets which have been theoretically predicted to exhibit thermal inversions.
However, more observations at infrared and visible wavelengths would be needed
to confirm a thermal inversion in this system. Furthermore, we find that the
times of the secondary eclipses are consistent with previously published times
of transit and the expectation from a circular orbit. This implies that TrES-2
most likely has a circular orbit, and thus does not obtain additional thermal
energy from tidal dissipation of a non-zero orbital eccentricity, a proposed
explanation for the large radius of this planet.Comment: 8 pages, 4 figures, 2 tables. Accepted for publication in the
Astrophysical Journal. V2: New figure added ; other minor changes throughou
The changing look of PKS 2149-306
Aims: We study the blazar nature of the high-redshift Flat-Spectrum Radio
Quasar PKS 2149-306 (z = 2.345) by investigating its long-term behavior.
Methods: We analyzed all publicly available optical-to-X-ray observations
performed by XMM-Newton, Swift, and INTEGRAL. Conclusions: PKS 2149-306 is one
of four blazars at z>2 that have been observed in the hard-X-ray regime with
both the BAT and ISGRI instruments. Observations acquired almost 1 year apart
in the 60-300 keV energy band in the object rest frame, exhibit no noticeable
change in spectral slope associated with a flux variation of more than a factor
of two. Swift data appear to show a roll-off below ~1 keV, which becomes
increasingly evident during a ~3-day time-frame, that can be explained as the
natural spectral break caused by the Inverse Compton onset. The broad-band
spectra allow us to identify two different states. The SED modeling suggests
that they can be interpreted by only a change in the bulk Lorentz factor of the
jet.Comment: 7 pages, 2 figures. A&A accepted for publicatio
High redshift Fermi blazars observed by GROND and Swift
We observed 5 gamma-ray loud blazars at redshift greater than 2 with the
X-Ray Telescope (XRT) and the UltraViolet and Optical Telescope (UVOT) onboard
the Swift satellite, and the Gamma-Ray burst Optical Near-Infrared Detector
(GROND) instrument. These observations were quasi simultaneous, usually within
a few hours. For 4 of these blazars the near-IR to UV data show the presence of
an accretion disc, and we could reliably estimate its accretion rate and black
hole mass. One of them, PKS 1348+007, was found in an extraordinarily high
IR-optical state, almost two orders of magnitude brighter than at the epoch of
the Sloan Digital Sky Survey observations. For all the 5 quasars the physical
parameters of the jet emitting zone, derived by applying a one-zone emission
model, are similar to that found for the bulk of other gamma-ray loud quasars.
With our observations we have X-ray data for the full sample of blazars at z>2
present in the Fermi 2-yrs (2LAC) catalog. This allows to have a rather
complete view of the spectral energy distribution of all high-redshift Fermi
blazars, and to draw some conclusions about their properties, and especially
about the relation between the accretion rate and the jet power.Comment: 11 pages, 6 figures, submitted to MNRA
Activity of menin inhibitor ziftomenib (KO-539) as monotherapy or in combinations against AML cells with MLL1 rearrangement or mutant NPM1
TCR cross-reactivity and allorecognition: new insights into the immunogenetics of allorecognition
Alloreactive T cells are core mediators of graft rejection and are a potent barrier to transplantation tolerance. It was previously unclear how T cells educated in the recipient thymus could recognize allogeneic HLA molecules. Recently it was shown that both naïve and memory CD4+ and CD8+ T cells are frequently cross-reactive against allogeneic HLA molecules and that this allorecognition exhibits exquisite peptide and HLA specificity and is dependent on both public and private specificities of the T cell receptor. In this review we highlight new insights gained into the immunogenetics of allorecognition, with particular emphasis on how viral infection and vaccination may specifically activate allo-HLA reactive T cells. We also briefly discuss the potential for virus-specific T cell infusions to produce GvHD. The progress made in understanding the molecular basis of allograft rejection will hopefully be translated into improved allograft function and/or survival, and eventually tolerance induction
A meta-analysis of long-term effects of conservation agriculture on maize grain yield under rain-fed conditions
Conservation agriculture involves reduced tillage, permanent soil cover and crop rotations to enhance soil fertility and to supply food from a dwindling land resource. Recently, conservation agriculture has been promoted in Southern Africa, mainly for maize-based farming systems. However, maize yields under rain-fed conditions are often variable. There is therefore a need to identify factors that influence crop yield under conservation agriculture and rain-fed conditions. Here, we studied maize grain yield data from experiments lasting 5 years and more under rain-fed conditions. We assessed the effect of long-term tillage and residue retention on maize grain yield under contrasting soil textures, nitrogen input and climate. Yield variability was measured by stability analysis. Our results show an increase in maize yield over time with conservation agriculture practices that include rotation and high input use in low rainfall areas. But we observed no difference in system stability under those conditions. We observed a strong relationship between maize grain yield and annual rainfall. Our meta-analysis gave the following findings: (1) 92% of the data show that mulch cover in high rainfall areas leads to lower yields due to waterlogging; (2) 85% of data show that soil texture is important in the temporal development of conservation agriculture effects, improved yields are likely on well-drained soils; (3) 73% of the data show that conservation agriculture practices require high inputs especially N for improved yield; (4) 63% of data show that increased yields are obtained with rotation but calculations often do not include the variations in rainfall within and between seasons; (5) 56% of the data show that reduced tillage with no mulch cover leads to lower yields in semi-arid areas; and (6) when adequate fertiliser is available, rainfall is the most important determinant of yield in southern Africa. It is clear from our results that conservation agriculture needs to be targeted and adapted to specific biophysical conditions for improved impact
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