Testing the asymptotic relation for period spacings from mixed modes of red giants observed with the Kepler mission

Dipole mixed pulsation modes of consecutive radial order have been detected for thousands of low-mass red-giant stars with the NASA space telescope Kepler. Such modes have the potential to reveal information on the physics of the deep stellar interior. Different methods have been proposed to derive an observed value for the gravity-mode period spacing, the most prominent one relying on a relation derived from asymptotic pulsation theory applied to the gravity-mode character of the mixed modes. Our aim is to compare results based on this asymptotic relation with those derived from an empirical approach for three pulsating red-giant stars. We developed a data-driven method to perform frequency extraction and mode identification. Next, we used the identified dipole mixed modes to determine the gravity-mode period spacing by means of an empirical method and by means of the asymptotic relation. In our methodology, we consider the phase offset, $\epsilon_{\mathrm{g}}$, of the asymptotic relation as a free parameter. Using the frequencies of the identified dipole mixed modes for each star in the sample, we derived a value for the gravity-mode period spacing using the two different methods. These differ by less than 5%. The average precision we achieved for the period spacing derived from the asymptotic relation is better than 1%, while that of our data-driven approach is 3%. Good agreement is found between values for the period spacing derived from the asymptotic relation and from the empirical method. Full abstract in PDF file.Comment: 14 pages, 13 figures, accepted for publication in A&

Weakened magnetic braking as the origin of anomalously rapid rotation in old field stars

A knowledge of stellar ages is crucial for our understanding of many astrophysical phenomena, and yet ages can be difficult to determine. As they become older, stars lose mass and angular momentum, resulting in an observed slowdown in surface rotation. The technique of 'gyrochronology' uses the rotation period of a star to calculate its age. However, stars of known age must be used for calibration, and, until recently, the approach was untested for old stars (older than 1 gigayear, Gyr). Rotation periods are now known for stars in an open cluster of intermediate age (NGC 6819; 2.5 Gyr old), and for old field stars whose ages have been determined with asteroseismology. The data for the cluster agree with previous period-age relations, but these relations fail to describe the asteroseismic sample. Here we report stellar evolutionary modelling, and confirm the presence of unexpectedly rapid rotation in stars that are more evolved than the Sun. We demonstrate that models that incorporate dramatically weakened magnetic braking for old stars can---unlike existing models---reproduce both the asteroseismic and the cluster data. Our findings might suggest a fundamental change in the nature of ageing stellar dynamos, with the Sun being close to the critical transition to much weaker magnetized winds. This weakened braking limits the diagnostic power of gyrochronology for those stars that are more than halfway through their main-sequence lifetimes.Comment: 25 pages, 3 figures in main paper, 6 extended data figures, 1 table. Published in Nature, January 2016. Please see https://youtu.be/O6HzYgP5uyc for a video description of the resul

Finding answers in lipid profile in COVID-19 patients

Introduction: A small percentage of patients will develop a severe form of COVID-19 caused by SARS-CoV-2 infection. Thus, it is important to predict the potential outcomes identifying early markers of poor prognosis. In this context, we evaluated the association of SARS-CoV-2 infection with lipid abnormalities and their role in prognosis. Methods: Single-center, retrospective, observational study of COVID-19 patients admitted from March to October 2020. Clinical and laboratory data, comorbidities, and treatments for COVID-19 were evaluated. Main outcomes including intensive care unit (ICU) admission and mortality were analyzed with a multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression model. Results: We selected 1489 from a total of 2038 consecutive patients with confirmed COVID-19, who had a complete lipid profile before ICU admission. During the follow-up performed in 1109 patients, we observed a decrease in T-c, HDL-c, and LDL-c in 28.6%, 42.9%, and 30.4% of patients, respectively, and an increase in TG in 76.8%. The decrease of both T-c and HDL- c was correlated with a decrease in albumin levels (r = 0.39 and r = 0.37, respectively). Kaplan–Meier survival curves found an increased ICU admission in patients with lower T-c (HR 0.55, CI 0.36–0.86), HDL-c (HR 0.61, CI 0.45–0.84), and LDL-c (HR 0.85, CI 0.74–0.97). Higher values of T-c (HR 0.45, CI 0.36–0.57), HDL-c (HR 0.66, CI 0.54–0.81), and LDL-c (HR 0.86, CI 0.78–0.94) showed a protective effect on mortality. Conclusions: Abnormalities in lipid profile are a frequent complication of SARS-CoV-2 infection and might be related to morbidity and mortalityThis work was supported by the following grants: Proyectos de Investigación en Salud (FIS) PI16-02091 and PI19-00584 (funded by Instituto de Salud Carlos III), TIRONET2-CM, B2017/BMD-3724 (funded by Comunidad de Madrid) and cofinanced by FEDER funds to M.M

Propuesta para la corrección del factor de potencia en parques eólicos

En el presente trabajo, se propone un sistema para la corrección dinámica del factor de potencia de parques eólicos. El concepto propuesto consiste en la utilización de un capacitor variable por pasos binarios, el cual es conmutado sobre la red a través de llaves semiconductoras. Las llaves son controladas para conectar y desconectar las diferentes ramas del banco de capacitores sobre la red, en el momento del cruce por cero de la tensión en los bornes de la llave. El sistema propuesto tiene aplicaciones, tanto en sistemas con variaciones suaves de demanda de potencia reactiva, como tensión en casos de variaciones bruscas de la potencia reactiva debido a conexión y desconexión de los generadores eólicos integrantes de un parque.Tema: Instrumentación y Materiales usados en Energías Renovables.Asociación Argentina de Energía Sola

Limits on surface gravities of Kepler planet-candidate host stars from non-detection of solar-like oscillations

We present a novel method for estimating lower-limit surface gravities log g of Kepler targets whose data do not allow the detection of solar-like oscillations. The method is tested using an ensemble of solar-type stars observed in the context of the Kepler Asteroseismic Science Consortium. We then proceed to estimate lower-limit log g for a cohort of Kepler solar-type planet-candidate host stars with no detected oscillations. Limits on fundamental stellar properties, as provided by this work, are likely to be useful in the characterization of the corresponding candidate planetary systems. Furthermore, an important byproduct of the current work is the confirmation that amplitudes of solar-like oscillations are suppressed in stars with increased levels of surface magnetic activity.Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ; 35 pages, 10 figures, 5 table

Propuesta para la corrección del factor de potencia en parques eólicos

En el presente trabajo, se propone un sistema para la corrección dinámica del factor de potencia de parques eólicos. El concepto propuesto consiste en la utilización de un capacitor variable por pasos binarios, el cual es conmutado sobre la red a través de llaves semiconductoras. Las llaves son controladas para conectar y desconectar las diferentes ramas del banco de capacitores sobre la red, en el momento del cruce por cero de la tensión en los bornes de la llave. El sistema propuesto tiene aplicaciones, tanto en sistemas con variaciones suaves de demanda de potencia reactiva, como tensión en casos de variaciones bruscas de la potencia reactiva debido a conexión y desconexión de los generadores eólicos integrantes de un parque.Tema: Instrumentación y Materiales usados en Energías Renovables.Asociación Argentina de Energía Sola

Propuesta para la corrección del factor de potencia en parques eólicos

En el presente trabajo, se propone un sistema para la corrección dinámica del factor de potencia de parques eólicos. El concepto propuesto consiste en la utilización de un capacitor variable por pasos binarios, el cual es conmutado sobre la red a través de llaves semiconductoras. Las llaves son controladas para conectar y desconectar las diferentes ramas del banco de capacitores sobre la red, en el momento del cruce por cero de la tensión en los bornes de la llave. El sistema propuesto tiene aplicaciones, tanto en sistemas con variaciones suaves de demanda de potencia reactiva, como tensión en casos de variaciones bruscas de la potencia reactiva debido a conexión y desconexión de los generadores eólicos integrantes de un parque.Tema: Instrumentación y Materiales usados en Energías Renovables.Asociación Argentina de Energía Sola

Testing the Asteroseismic Mass Scale Using Metal-Poor Stars Characterized with APOGEE and Kepler

Fundamental stellar properties, such as mass, radius, and age, can be inferred using asteroseismology. Cool stars with convective envelopes have turbulent motions that can stochastically drive and damp pulsations. The properties of the oscillation frequency power spectrum can be tied to mass and radius through solar-scaled asteroseismic relations. Stellar properties derived using these scaling relations need verification over a range of metallicities. Because the age and mass of halo stars are well-constrained by astrophysical priors, they provide an independent, empirical check on asteroseismic mass estimates in the low-metallicity regime. We identify nine metal-poor red giants (including six stars that are kinematically associated with the halo) from a sample observed by both the Kepler space telescope and the Sloan Digital Sky Survey-III APOGEE spectroscopic survey. We compare masses inferred using asteroseismology to those expected for halo and thick-disk stars. Although our sample is small, standard scaling relations, combined with asteroseismic parameters from the APOKASC Catalog, produce masses that are systematically higher (=0.17+/-0.05 Msun) than astrophysical expectations. The magnitude of the mass discrepancy is reduced by known theoretical corrections to the measured large frequency separation scaling relationship. Using alternative methods for measuring asteroseismic parameters induces systematic shifts at the 0.04 Msun level. We also compare published asteroseismic analyses with scaling relationship masses to examine the impact of using the frequency of maximum power as a constraint. Upcoming APOKASC observations will provide a larger sample of ~100 metal-poor stars, important for detailed asteroseismic characterization of Galactic stellar populations.Comment: 4 figures; 1 table. Accepted to ApJ

Quantitative taphonomy of the Cacela site (late Tortonian; Algarve, S Portugal)

A quantitative taphonomic analysis were performed in the fossil assemblages of the late Tortonian of the lower-mid part of the Cacela Formation (Cacela, Algarve, S Portugal). Taphonomic results, together with sedimentological analysis and the faunal assemblages, allow to inferring palaeoenvironmental changes. The upper Tortonian sedimentation started with fan-delta conglomerates that quickly changed to outerplatform silty marls deposited in a setting with a relatively low sedimentation rate as indicated by the concentration of glauconite. Higher up into the section, a progressive shallowing trend is inferred, and sediments of inner platform settings were forme