284 research outputs found
Spectral and Spin Measurement of Two Small and Fast-Rotating Near-Earth Asteroids
In May 2012 two asteroids made near-miss "grazing" passes at distances of a
few Earth-radii: 2012 KP24 passed at nine Earth-radii and 2012 KT42 at only
three Earth-radii. The latter passed inside the orbital distance of
geosynchronous satellites. From spectral and imaging measurements using NASA's
3-m Infrared Telescope Facility (IRTF), we deduce taxonomic, rotational, and
physical properties. Their spectral characteristics are somewhat atypical among
near-Earth asteroids: C-complex for 2012 KP24 and B-type for 2012 KT42, from
which we interpret the albedos of both asteroids to be between 0.10 and 0.15
and effective diameters of 20+-2 and 6+-1 meters, respectively. Among B-type
asteroids, the spectrum of 2012 KT42 is most similar to 3200 Phaethon and 4015
Wilson-Harrington. Not only are these among the smallest asteroids spectrally
measured, we also find they are among the fastest-spinning: 2012 KP24 completes
a rotation in 2.5008+-0.0006 minutes and 2012 KT42 rotates in 3.634+-0.001
minutes.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures, accepted for publication in Icaru
Buoyancy waves in Pluto's high atmosphere: Implications for stellar occultations
We apply scintillation theory to stellar signal fluctuations in the
high-resolution, high signal/noise, dual-wavelength data from the MMT
observation of the 2007 March 18 occultation of P445.3 by Pluto. A well-defined
high wavenumber cutoff in the fluctuations is consistent with viscous-thermal
dissipation of buoyancy waves (internal gravity waves) in Pluto's high
atmosphere, and provides strong evidence that the underlying density
fluctuations are governed by the gravity-wave dispersion relation.Comment: Accepted 18 June 2009 for publication in Icaru
Charon's radius and density from the combined data sets of the 2005 July 11 occultation
The 2005 July 11 C313.2 stellar occultation by Charon was observed by three
separate research groups, including our own, at observatories throughout South
America. Here, the published timings from the three data sets have been
combined to more accurately determine the mean radius of Charon: 606.0 +/- 1.5
km. Our analysis indicates that a slight oblateness in the body (0.006 +/-
0.003) best matches the data, with a confidence level of 86%. The oblateness
has a pole position angle of 71.4 deg +/- 10.4 deg and is consistent with
Charon's pole position angle of 67 deg. Charon's mean radius corresponds to a
bulk density of 1.63 +/- 0.07 g/cm3, which is significantly less than Pluto's
(1.92 +/- 0.12 g/cm3). This density differential favors an impact formation
scenario for the system in which at least one of the impactors was
differentiated. Finally, unexplained differences between chord timings measured
at Cerro Pachon and the rest of the data set could be indicative of a
depression as deep as 7 km on Charon's limb.Comment: 25 pages including 4 tables and 2 figures. Submitted to the
Astronomical Journal on 2006 Feb 0
De-biased Populations of Kuiper Belt Objects from the Deep Ecliptic Survey
The Deep Ecliptic Survey (DES) discovered hundreds of Kuiper Belt objects
from 1998-2005. Follow-up observations yielded 304 objects with good dynamical
classifications (Classical, Scattered, Centaur, or 16 mean-motion resonances
with Neptune). The DES search fields are well documented, enabling us to
calculate the probability of detecting objects with particular orbital
parameters and absolute magnitudes at a randomized point in each orbit.
Grouping objects together by dynamical class leads, we estimate the orbital
element distributions (a, e, i) for the largest three classes (Classical, 3:2,
and Scattered) using maximum likelihood. Using H-magnitude as a proxy for the
object size, we fit a power law to the number of objects for 8 classes with at
least 5 detected members (246 objects). The best Classical slope is
alpha=1.02+/-0.01 (observed from 5<=H<=7.2). Six dynamical classes (Scattered
plus 5 resonances) are consistent in slope with the Classicals, though the
absolute number of objects is scaled. The exception to the power law relation
are the Centaurs (non-resonant with perihelia closer than Neptune, and thus
detectable at smaller sizes), with alpha=0.42+/-0.02 (7.5<H<11). This is
consistent with a knee in the H-distribution around H=7.2 as reported elsewhere
(Bernstein et al. 2004, Fraser et al. 2014). Based on the Classical-derived
magnitude distribution, the total number of objects (H<=7) in each class are:
Classical (2100+/-300 objects), Scattered (2800+/-400), 3:2 (570+/-80), 2:1
(400+/-50), 5:2 (270+/-40), 7:4 (69+/-9), 5:3 (60+/-8). The independent
estimate for the number of Centaurs in the same H range is 13+/-5. If instead
all objects are divided by inclination into "Hot" and "Cold" populations,
following Fraser et al. (2014), we find that alphaHot=0.90+/-0.02, while
alphaCold=1.32+/-0.02, in good agreement with that work.Comment: 26 pages emulateapj, 6 figures, 5 tables, accepted by A
Properties of the solar neighbor WISE J072003.20-084651.2
The severe crowding towards the Galactic plane suggests that the census of
nearby stars in that direction may be incomplete. Recently, Scholz reported a
new M9 object at an estimated distance d~7 pc (WISE J072003.20-084651.2;
hereafter WISE0720) at Galactic latitude b=2.3 degr.
Our goals are to determine the physical characteristics of WISE0720, its
kinematic properties, and to address the question if it is a binary object, as
suggested in the discovery paper.
Optical and infrared spectroscopy from the Southern African Large Telescope
and Magellan, respectively, and spectral energy distribution fitting were used
to determine the spectral type of WISE0720. The measured radial velocity,
proper motion and parallax yielded its Galactic velocities. We also
investigated if WISE0720 may show X-ray activity based on archival data.
Our spectra are consistent with spectral type L0+/-1. We find no evidence for
binarity, apart for a minor 2-sigma level difference in the radial velocities
taken at two different epochs. The spatial velocity of WISE0720 does not
connect it to any known moving group, instead it places the object with high
probability in the old thin disk or in the thick disk. The spectral energy
distribution fit hints at excess in the 12 and 22 micron WISE bands which may
be due to a redder companion, but the same excess is visible in other late type
objects, and it more likely implies a shortcoming of the models (e.g., issues
with the effective wavelengths of the filters for these extremely cool objects,
etc.) rather than a disk or redder companion. The optical spectrum shows some
Halpha emission, indicative of stellar activity. Archival X-ray observations
yield no detection.Comment: A&A, accepted; 9 pages, 6 figure
Twenty-One New Light Curves of OGLE-TR-56b: New System Parameters and Limits on Timing Variations
Although OGLE-TR-56b was the second transiting exoplanet discovered, only one
light curve, observed in 2006, has been published besides the discovery data.
We present twenty-one light curves of nineteen different transits observed
between July 2003 and July 2009 with the Magellan Telescopes and Gemini South.
The combined analysis of the new light curves confirms a slightly inflated
planetary radius relative to model predictions, with R_p = 1.378 +/- 0.090 R_J.
However, the values found for the transit duration, semimajor axis, and
inclination values differ significantly from the previous result, likely due to
systematic errors. The new semimajor axis and inclination, a = 0.01942 +/-
0.00015 AU and i = 73.72 +/- 0.18 degrees, are smaller than previously
reported, while the total duration, T_14 = 7931 +/- 38 s, is 18 minutes longer.
The transit midtimes have errors from 23 s to several minutes, and no evidence
is seen for transit midtime or duration variations. Similarly, no change is
seen in the orbital period, implying a nominal stellar tidal decay factor of
Q_* = 10^7, with a three-sigma lower limit of 10^5.7.Comment: 14 pages, 5 figures, accepted to Ap
CC Sculptoris: A superhumping intermediate polar
We present high speed optical, spectroscopic and Swift X-ray observations
made during the dwarf nova superoutburst of CC Scl in November 2011. An orbital
period of 1.383 h and superhump period of 1.443 h were measured, but the
principal new finding is that CC Scl is a previously unrecognised intermediate
polar, with a white dwarf spin period of 389.49 s which is seen in both optical
and Swift X-ray light curves only during the outburst. In this it closely
resembles the old nova GK Per, but unlike the latter has one of the shortest
orbital periods among intermediate polars.Comment: Accepted for publication in MNRAS; 11 pages, 19 figure
Hepcidin and iron species distribution inside the first-trimester human gestational sac
We have investigated factors affecting iron distribution in the first-trimester gestational sac, by the measurement of transferrin, non-transferrin-bound iron (NTBI) and pro-hepcidin (Hep) in maternal serum, coelomic fluid (CF) and amniotic fluid (AF) and by immunostaining for Hep in villous and secondary yolk sac biopsies. These samples were obtained from 15 first-trimester pregnancies at 8–11 weeks gestation. Transferrin concentrations were significantly lower in fetal (0.56 mg/ml) than maternal serum (1.71 mg/ml), with very low concentrations in CF and AF (0.09 mg/ml). In contrast, transferrin saturations were significantly higher in fetal (77%) than maternal serum (33%). NTBI was present in fetal serum, CF and AF, presumably as a consequence of low transferrin concentrations in these compartments. Pro-Hep was present at lower levels in fetal (140.0 ± 11.1) than maternal serum (206.2 ± 9.2) and at low concentrations in CF (19.4 ± 3.1) and AF (21.8 ± 5.2). Immunostaining with Hep antibody was found in the syncytiotrophoblast of first-trimester placenta as well as in mesothelial and endodermal layers of the secondary yolk sac at 10 weeks. The presence of Hep in syncytiotrophoblast cells of first-trimester placenta as well as in mesothelial and endodermal layers of the secondary yolk sac suggest a key regulatory role for this protein in iron transfer to the first-trimester fetus. The low transferrin concentrations and the presence of NTBI in CF and AF suggest that transferrin-independent iron transfer is important in early gestation
Acceleressence: Dark Energy from a Phase Transition at the Seesaw Scale
Simple models are constructed for "acceleressence" dark energy: the latent
heat of a phase transition occurring in a hidden sector governed by the seesaw
mass scale v^2/M_Pl, where v is the electroweak scale and M_Pl the
gravitational mass scale. In our models, the seesaw scale is stabilized by
supersymmetry, implying that the LHC must discover superpartners with a
spectrum that reflects a low scale of fundamental supersymmetry breaking.
Newtonian gravity may be modified by effects arising from the exchange of
fields in the acceleressence sector whose Compton wavelengths are typically of
order the millimeter scale. There are two classes of models. In the first class
the universe is presently in a metastable vacuum and will continue to inflate
until tunneling processes eventually induce a first order transition. In the
simplest such model, the range of the new force is bounded to be larger than 25
microns in the absence of fine-tuning of parameters, and for couplings of order
unity it is expected to be \approx 100 microns. In the second class of models
thermal effects maintain the present vacuum energy of the universe, but on
further cooling, the universe will "soon" smoothly relax to a matter dominated
era. In this case, the range of the new force is also expected to be of order
the millimeter scale or larger, although its strength is uncertain. A firm
prediction of this class of models is the existence of additional energy
density in radiation at the eV era, which can potentially be probed in
precision measurements of the cosmic microwave background. An interesting
possibility is that the transition towards a matter dominated era has occurred
in the very recent past, with the consequence that the universe is currently
decelerating.Comment: 10 pages, references adde
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