4,953 research outputs found
The Herschel/PACS view of disks around low-mass stars in Chamaleon-I
Circumstellar disks are expected to be the birthplaces of planets. The
potential for forming one or more planets of various masses is essentially
driven by the initial mass of the disks. We present and analyze Herschel/PACS
observations of disk-bearing M-type stars that belong to the young ~2 Myr old
Chamaleon-I star forming region. We used the radiative transfer code RADMC to
successfully model the SED of 17 M-type stars detected at PACS wavelengths. We
first discuss the relatively low detection rates of M5 and later spectral type
stars with respect to the PACS sensitivity, and argue their disks masses, or
flaring indices, are likely to be low. For M0 to M3 stars, we find a relatively
broad range of disk masses, scale heights, and flaring indices. Via a
parametrization of dust stratification, we can reproduce the peak fluxes of the
10 m emission feature observed with Spitzer/IRS, and find that disks
around M-type stars may display signs of dust sedimentation. The Herschel/PACS
observations of low-mass stars in Cha-I provide new constraints on their disk
properties, overall suggesting that disk parameters for early M-type stars are
comparable to those for more massive stars (e.g., comparable scale height and
flaring angles). However, regions of the disks emitting at about 100 m may
still be in the optically thick regime, preventing direct determination of disk
masses. Thus the modeled disk masses should be considered as lower limits.
Still, we are able to extend the wavelength coverage of SED models and start
characterizing effects such as dust sedimentation, an effort leading the way
towards ALMA observations of these low-mass stars
The search for planetary mass companions to field brown dwarfs with HST/NICMOS
We present the results of a high-resolution spectral differential imaging
survey of 12 nearby, relatively young field L dwarfs (<1 Gyr) carried out with
HST/NICMOS to search for planetary mass companions at small physical
separations from their host. The survey resolved two brown dwarf binaries: the
L dwarf system Kelu-1AB and the newly discovered L/T transition system 2MASS
J031059+164815AB. For both systems common proper motion has already been
confirmed in follow-up observations which have been published elsewhere. The
derived separations of the binaries are smaller than 6 AU and consistent with
previous brown dwarf binary statistics. Their mass ratios of q > 0.8 confirm
the preference for equal mass systems similar to a large number of other
surveys. Furthermore, we found tentative evidence for a companion to the L4
dwarf 2MASS W033703-175807, straddling the brown dwarf/planetary mass boundary
and revealing an uncommonly low mass ratio system (q ~ 0.2) compared to the
vast majority of previously found brown dwarf binaries. With a derived minimum
mass of 10 - 15 Mjup, a planetary nature of the secondary cannot be ruled out
yet. However, it seems more likely to be a very low mass brown dwarf secondary
at the border of the spectral T/Y transition regime, primarily due to its
similarities to recently found very cool T dwarfs. This would make it one of
the closest resolved brown dwarf binaries (0.087" 0.015", corresponding
to 2.52 0.44 AU at a distance of 29 pc) with the coolest (Teff ~ 600-630
K) and least massive companion to any L or T dwarf.Comment: 33 pages, 8 figures, 2 tables, accepted for publication by Ap
Ground state of a confined Yukawa plasma
The ground state of an externally confined one-component Yukawa plasma is
derived analytically. In particular, the radial density profile is computed.
The results agree very well with computer simulations on three-dimensional
spherical Coulomb crystals. We conclude in presenting an exact equation for the
density distribution for a confinement potential of arbitrary geometry.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure
Carbon in different phases ([CII], [CI], and CO) in infrared dark clouds: Cloud formation signatures and carbon gas fractions
Context: How do molecular clouds form out of the atomic phase? And what are
the relative fractions of carbon in the ionized, atomic and molecular phase?
These are questions at the heart of cloud and star formation. Methods: Using
multiple observatories from Herschel and SOFIA to APEX and the IRAM 30m
telescope, we mapped the ionized, atomic and molecular carbon ([CII]@1900GHz,
[CI]@492GHz and C18O(2-1)@220GHz) at high spatial resolution (12"-25") in four
young massive infrared dark clouds (IRDCs). Results: The three carbon phases
were successfully mapped in all four regions, only in one source the [CII] line
remained a non-detection. Both the molecular and atomic phases trace the dense
structures well, with [CI] also tracing material at lower column densities.
[CII] exhibits diverse morphologies in our sample, from compact to diffuse
structures probing the cloud environment. In at least two out of the four
regions, we find kinematic signatures strongly indicating that the dense gas
filaments have formed out of a dynamically active and turbulent
atomic/molecular cloud, potentially from converging gas flows. The
atomic-to-molecular carbon gas mass ratios are low between 7% and 12% with the
lowest values found toward the most quiescent region. In the three regions
where [CII] is detected, its mass is always higher by a factor of a few than
that of the atomic carbon. The ionized carbon emission depends as well on the
radiation field, however, we also find strong [CII] emission in a region
without significant external sources, indicating that other processes, e.g.,
energetic gas flows can contribute to the [CII] excitation as well.Comment: 15 pages, 18 figures, accepted by Astronomy & Astrophysics, a higher
resolution version can be found at
http://www.mpia.de/homes/beuther/papers.htm
NGC 2264 IRS1: The central engine and its cavity
We present a high-resolution study of NGC 2264 IRS1 in CS(2-1) and in the
3-mm continuum using the IRAM Plateau de Bure Interferometer. We complement
these radio data with images taken at 2.2, 4.6, and 11.9 micron. The combined
information allow a new interpretation of the closest environment of NGC 2264
IRS1. No disk around the B-type star IRS1 was found. IRS1 and its low-mass
companions are located in a low-density cavity which is surrounded by the
remaining dense cloud core which has a clumpy shell-like structure. Strong
evidence for induced on-going star formation was found in the surroundings of
IRS1. A deeply embedded very young stellar object 20 arcsec to the north of
IRS1 is powering a highly collimated bipolar outflow. The object 8 in the
closer environment of IRS1 is a binary surrounded by dusty circumbinary
material and powering two bipolar outflows.Comment: 17 pages, 6 figures, The paper is accepted and will appear in the
Astrophysical Journal, Vol 599, No 1 (issue December 10). A high-resolution
postscript version of this paper is available here (
http://www.astro.uni-jena.de/Users/martin/publi.html). Furthermore, you can
find a high resolution PDF file here (
http://www.tls-tautenburg.de/research/tls-research/pub2003.html
Ward Identities in Non-equilibrium QED
We verify the QED Ward identity for the two- and three -point functions at
non-equilibrium in the HTL limit. We use the Keldysh formalism of real time
finite temperature field theory. We obtain an identity of the same form as the
Ward identity for a set of one loop self-energy and one loop three-point vertex
diagrams which are constructed from HTL effective propagators and vertices.Comment: 19 pages, RevTex, 4 PostScript figures, revised version to be
published in Phys. Rev.
Fermi systems with long scattering lengths
Ground state energies and superfluid gaps are calculated for degenerate Fermi
systems interacting via long attractive scattering lengths such as cold atomic
gases, neutron and nuclear matter. In the intermediate region of densities,
where the interparticle spacing is longer than the range of the
interaction but shorter than the scattering length, the superfluid gaps and the
energy per particle are found to be proportional to the Fermi energy and thus
differs from the dilute and high density limits. The attractive potential
increase linearly with the spin-isospin or hyperspin statistical factor such
that, e.g., symmetric nuclear matter undergoes spinodal decomposition and
collapses whereas neutron matter and Fermionic atomic gases with two hyperspin
states are mechanically stable in the intermediate density region. The regions
of spinodal instabilities in the resulting phase diagram are reduced and do not
prevent a superfluid transition.Comment: extended and revised version, 7 pages including new phase diagra
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