On the nature of V2282 Sgr

The star V2282 Sgr is positionally consistent with a strong Chandra X-ray and a Spitzer/IRAC MIR source. We derived its long term $I$-band light curve from the photographic archives of the Asiago and Catania Observatories, covering the years from 1965 to 1984. CCD $R_C$ photometry in Summer 2009 was re-analyzed. Optical spectra were secured at Loiano Observatory in 2011 and 2012. J H K photometry, obtained from several experiments in different epochs was compared and the Spitzer images were re-analyzed. V2282 Sgr was found to be irregular variable in all wavelengths. Spectroscopically, it shows strong emission features (H Balmer lines, [NII]6584 AA and [OIII]5007/4959 AA) while the Na D doublet is very strong, indicating a circumstellar envelope. A single thermal energy distribution cannot reproduce the observed SED, while it can be explained as the sum of a G-type star plus a variable circumstellar disc, which mimics a class 0/I object. Most likely, V2282 Sgr is a 1-2 $M_{sun}$ mass pre main sequence star with an accretion disk.Comment: 13 pages, 7 figure, in press on Baltic Astronom

Differential rotation on the young solar analogue V889 Herculis

V889 Herculis is one of the brightest single early-G type stars, a young Sun, that is rotating fast enough (P_rot =1.337 days) for mapping its surface by Doppler Imaging. The 10 FOCES spectra collected between 13-16 Aug 2006 at Calar Alto Observatory allowed us to reconstruct one single Doppler image for two mapping lines. The FeI-6411 and CaI-6439 maps, in a good agreement, revealed an asymmetric polar cap and several weaker features at lower latitudes. Applying the sheared-image method with our Doppler reconstruction we perform an investigation to detect surface differential rotation (DR). The resulting DR parameter, deltaOmega/Omega~0.009 of solar type, is compared to previous studies which reported either much stronger shear or comparably weak DR, or just preferred rigid rotation. Theoretical aspects are also considered and discussed.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figure, 1 table; talk at the IAU Symposium 273 "Physics of Sun and Star Spots", Eds. D. P. Choudhary and K. G. Strassmeier, Cambridge Univ. Pres

Spectroscopic Study of the Open Cluster NGC 6811

The NASA space telescope Kepler has provided unprecedented time-series observations which have revolutionised the field of asteroseismology, i.e. the use of stellar oscillations to probe the interior of stars. The Kepler-data include observations of stars in open clusters, which are particularly interesting for asteroseismology. One of the clusters observed with Kepler is NGC 6811, which is the target of the present paper. However, apart from high-precision time-series observations, sounding the interiors of stars in open clusters by means of asteroseismology also requires accurate and precise atmospheric parameters as well as cluster membership indicators for the individual stars. We use medium-resolution (R~25,000) spectroscopic observations, and three independent analysis methods, to derive effective temperatures, surface gravities, metallicities, projected rotational velocities and radial velocities, for 15 stars in the field of the open cluster NGC 6811. We discover two double-lined and three single-lined spectroscopic binaries. Eight stars are classified as either certain or very probable cluster members, and three stars are classified as non-members. For four stars, cluster membership could not been assessed. Five of the observed stars are G-type giants which are located in the colour-magnitude diagram in the region of the red clump of the cluster. Two of these stars are surely identified as red clump stars for the first time. For those five stars, we provide chemical abundances of 31 elements. The mean radial-velocity of NGC 6811 is found to be +6.68$\pm$0.08 km s$^{-1}$ and the mean metallicity and overall abundance pattern are shown to be very close to solar with an exception of Ba which we find to be overabundant.Comment: 18 pages, 11 tables, 7 figures, accepted for MNRA

The Compound Muscle Action Potential as Neurophysiological Marker for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis.

Objectives: To definite the peripheral nervous involvement in ALS through the repeated use of the compound motor action potential (CMAP) to test the progression of disease, to determine different change of phrenic CMAP and forced vital capacity (FVC) in spinal and bulbar onset, and to establish clinical and neurophysiological features of patients with poor prognosis. Material & Methods: CMAP from phrenic, ulnar, and medial plantar nerves, Medical Research Council (MRC) score, revised ALS functional rating scale (ALSFRS-R) and FVC were evaluated in 117 ALS patients every three months in one year-period. Results: Bulbar onset patients had lower FVC but similar amplitude of phrenic CMAP at baseline compared to spinal onset patients. The patients with poor prognosis had lower phrenic CMAP and FVC at baseline. CMAP values, when compared to the rate found in the previous visit, reduced significantly in both poor and good prognosis groups during the entire follow-up period, while the FVC reduced significantly only in the first three months. Conclusions: CMAP is a reproducible sensitive marker for motor neurons loss and collateral reinnervation in ALS also in a short period of time. The changes in CMAP, MRC, FVC and ALSFRS-R score resulted correlated, but CMAP is the only parameter with the advantage to demonstrate objectively the progression of disease in both patients with poor and good prognosis for the entire period of follow-up. It should be used as clinical outcome of ALS in clinical trials, taking advantage of its objectivity and selectivity for peripheral nervous system study

Amálgamas do W-Gondwana na província Tocantins

Tese (doutorado)—Universidade de Brasília, Instituto de Geociências, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Geologia, 2015.Os orógenos Brasília e Araguaia são cinturões Neoproterozoicos da Província Tocantins. Desenvolveram-se durante a amálgama do W-Gondwana, como consequência da colisão e colagem de blocos alóctones, arcos acrescionários e sequências metavulcanossedimentares correlatas entre os crátons Amazônico e São Francisco-Congo. Na porção setentrional do Orógeno Brasília rochas plutônicas calci-alcalinas de arco magmático se estendem por mais de 250 km e constituem a extensão do Arco Magmático de Goiás (AMG). Apresentam na área estudada características estruturais diversas dos setores de arco ao sul. A distribuição das rochas de arco e embasamento estão controladas pelo Lineamento Transbrasiliano (LTB) que constitui peça fundamental na macroestruturação regional. O LTB deforma e baliza arcos magmáticos distintos entre os blocos de embasamento, ao passo que lascas da infracrosta se inserem nos arcos, formando uma rede intrincada de blocos com caraterísticas químicas e isotópicas díspares. Todos estes elementos tectônicos em conjunto compõem por definição um complexo orogênico. Para identificação dos diversos segmentos e eventos tectônicos realizou-se mapeamento, litoquimica, datação U-Pb e isótopos de Nd em um grupo especifico de tonalitos e granodioritos principalmente. Os resultados definiram: Um embasamento que representa o segmento de infra- mesocrosta com fontes arqueanas e paleoproterozóicas. Determinações U-Pb indicam idades de 2142+11 a 2083+18 Ma para rochas ígneas, mas apresentam intervalos de TDM mais longos de 2980 Ma a 1500 Ma com fontes de ɛNd mistas sugestivas de contribuição juvenil e de derivação crustal. Há no mínimo dois arcos neoproterozóicos sobrepostos neste espaço. O primeiro com características litoquímicas de arco insular, sem participação de crosta antiga e é correlacionado à Acrescão de Mara Rosa, de idades U-Pb entre 848±4 Ma a 810 ±4 Ma, TDM entre 1480 e 910 Ma e ɛNd(T840) com valores de +1.56 a +5.14, sugerindo fontes juvenis. Um segundo evento magmático mais jovem é reconhecido. É formado por magmatismo calci-alcalino associado a uma margem continental ativa e nomeado de Santa Terezinha de Goiás. São identificados em três estágios evolutivos, arco-continente (transicional), colisional a pós-colisional e maturo. O estágio arco-continente possui fontes mistas e heterogêneas, parte reciclagem crustal, parte juvenil com TDM desde 2610 a 960 Ma, e em torno de 1.2 Ga, ɛNd de -25.44 a +6.13. O Estágio colisional representa a maturidade química do arco. Possui valores elevados LILE e HFSE com anomalias positivas em Th, La, K e Zr e depletações em Ba, Nb, P e Ti, padrões assimétricos e enriquecidos em ETRL, depletados em ETRP com anomalias negativas de Eu. Determinações U-Pb em zircão indicam idades de 594+2 Ma, 586+3 Ma e 540+5 Ma e zircões herdados do arco insular com idades 822+15 Ma, 884+11 Ma e 855 Ma, TDM entre 2860 e 900 Ma e ɛNd(T580) de -22.42 a +2.84, a grande maioria negativa indicando retrabalhamento crustal com pouca contribuição juvenil. Rochas de tendência adakitica ocorrem associadas a este estágio. São tipo HSA (Alta SiO2), alto Na2O>4%, baixas razões K2O/Na2O 631 ppm), baixo MgO% ( 30 e >50(média), Yb (45) e (La)n/(Yb)n (>30), baixo HFSE, como Nb 4%, lower ratios K2O/Na2O 631 ppm), low MgO% ( 30 and> 50 (average), Yb ( 45) and (La)n/(Yb)n (>30), low HFSE such as Nb <8 ppm (average), Ta <0.5 ppm (average). Moreover present heterogeneous model ages between 0.97 and younger 0.96 Ma with ɛNd (T0.58) between -0.60 and -0.95 signatures, indicating involvement of crustal derivation material. Determinations U-Pb in zircon indicate ages of 590-554 Ma. The petrogenetic interpretation suggests a partial primary melting below 5% at the base of the continental mafic crust between rutile eclogite and amphibolite field-hornblende amphibole eclogite with-Cpx-garnet in the residue. Younger like adakites indicate a post-collision context, fusion products derived from the delamination of the lower crust. The mature stage shows patterns with LREE and HFSE enrichment than LILE. The crystallization ages are close to 545 Ma. Analyzed post-orogenic crustal basic rocks present and juvenile sources, TDM between 1490 and 820 Ma, with ɛNd (T530) -1.11 / +4.26. The LTB is responsible for the insertion of orogenic complex in the northern portion of the Brasília Orogen constituting an intense zone of strike-slip shear transcontinental and a crustal suture limiting several blocks with a pop up geometry, which amalgamates the arc systems and basement in W-Gondwana

Photospheric temperature measurements in young main sequence stars

As part of our program to study stellar photospheric and chromospheric activity, we have examined several young solar type stars with activity levels intermediate between the Sun and the very active RS CVn binaries. We have analysed contemporaneous spectroscopic data obtained at Catania Observatory (Serra La Nave station, Mt. Etna) and photometric data acquired in the Stromgren bands with an automatic photometric telescope (APT) at Fairborn Observatory (Arizona, USA). Surface inhomogeneities have been detected from the rotational modulation of stellar brightness as well as from the modulation of several photospheric line-depth ratios (LDRs). The presence of chromospheric plage-like regions has been inferred from the rotational modulation of the Halpha line equivalent width (EW_Halpha) evaluated with the spectral synthesis method. The most relevant results are the strong correlation between the brightness and temperature curves derived respectively from photometry and the LDRs as well as the striking anti-correlation between brightness and Halpha emission. This suggests a close spatial association of spots and plages, as frequently observed for the largest sunspot groups (e.g., Catalano et al. (1998)) and for some very active RS CVn systems (Catalano et al. 2002). Moreover, a simple spot/plage model applied to the observed flux curves allows a rough reconstruction of photospheric and chromospheric features of young main sequence stars