Binarity of Transit Host Stars - Implications on Planetary Parameters

Straight-forward derivation of planetary parameters can only be achieved in transiting planetary systems. However, planetary attributes such as radius and mass strongly depend on stellar host parameters. Discovering a transit host star to be multiple leads to a necessary revision of the derived stellar and planetary parameters. Based on our observations of 14 transiting exoplanet hosts, we derive parameters of the individual components of three transit host stars (WASP-2, TrES-2, and TrES-4) which we detected to be binaries. Two of these have not been known to be multiple before. Parameters of the corresponding exoplanets are revised. High-resolution "Lucky Imaging" with AstraLux at the 2.2m Calar Alto telescope provided near diffraction limited images in i' and z' passbands. These results have been combined with existing planetary data in order to recalibrate planetary attributes. Despite the faintness (delta mag ~ 4) of the discovered stellar companions to TrES-2, TrES-4, and WASP-2, light-curve deduced parameters change by up to more than 1sigma. We discuss a possible relation between binary separation and planetary properties, which - if confirmed - could hint at the influence of binarity on the planet formation process.Comment: 9 pages, 3 Figures. Accepted by A&

Predictive Digital Twin for Optimizing Patient-Specific Radiotherapy Regimens Under Uncertainty in High-Grade Gliomas

We develop a methodology to create data-driven predictive digital twins for optimal risk-aware clinical decision-making. We illustrate the methodology as an enabler for an anticipatory personalized treatment that accounts for uncertainties in the underlying tumor biology in high-grade gliomas, where heterogeneity in the response to standard-of-care (SOC) radiotherapy contributes to sub-optimal patient outcomes. The digital twin is initialized through prior distributions derived from population-level clinical data in the literature for a mechanistic model\u27s parameters. Then the digital twin is personalized using Bayesian model calibration for assimilating patient-specific magnetic resonance imaging data. The calibrated digital twin is used to propose optimal radiotherapy treatment regimens by solving a multi-objective risk-based optimization under uncertainty problem. The solution leads to a suite of patient-specific optimal radiotherapy treatment regimens exhibiting varying levels of trade-off between the two competing clinical objectives: (i) maximizing tumor control (characterized by minimizing the risk of tumor volume growth) and (ii) minimizing the toxicity from radiotherapy. The proposed digital twin framework is illustrated by generating an in silico cohort of 100 patients with high-grade glioma growth and response properties typically observed in the literature. For the same total radiation dose as the SOC, the personalized treatment regimens lead to median increase in tumor time to progression of around six days. Alternatively, for the same level of tumor control as the SOC, the digital twin provides optimal treatment options that lead to a median reduction in radiation dose by 16.7% (10 Gy) compared to SOC total dose of 60 Gy. The range of optimal solutions also provide options with increased doses for patients with aggressive cancer, where SOC does not lead to sufficient tumor control

Designing Clinical Trials for Patients Who Are Not Average

The heterogeneity inherent in cancer means that even a successful clinical trial merely results in a therapeutic regimen that achieves, on average, a positive result only in a subset of patients. The only way to optimize an intervention for an individual patient is to reframe their treatment as their own, personalized trial. Toward this goal, we formulate a computational framework for performing personalized trials that rely on four mathematical techniques. First, mathematical models that can be calibrated with patient-specific data to make accurate predictions of response. Second, digital twins built on these models capable of simulating the effects of interventions. Third, optimal control theory applied to the digital twins to optimize outcomes. Fourth, data assimilation to continually update and refine predictions in response to therapeutic interventions. In this perspective, we describe each of these techniques, quantify their state of readiness , and identify use cases for personalized clinical trials

GRAVITY: getting to the event horizon of Sgr A*

We present the second-generation VLTI instrument GRAVITY, which currently is in the preliminary design phase. GRAVITY is specifically designed to observe highly relativistic motions of matter close to the event horizon of Sgr A*, the massive black hole at center of the Milky Way. We have identified the key design features needed to achieve this goal and present the resulting instrument concept. It includes an integrated optics, 4-telescope, dual feed beam combiner operated in a cryogenic vessel; near infrared wavefront sensing adaptive optics; fringe tracking on secondary sources within the field of view of the VLTI and a novel metrology concept. Simulations show that the planned design matches the scientific needs; in particular that 10 microarcsecond astrometry is feasible for a source with a magnitude of K=15 like Sgr A*, given the availability of suitable phase reference sources.Comment: 13 pages, 11 figures, to appear in the conference proceedings of SPIE Astronomical Instrumentation, 23-28 June 2008, Marseille, Franc

Lucky Imaging survey for southern M dwarf binaries

While M dwarfs are the most abundant stars in the Milky Way, there is still large uncertainty about their basic physical properties (mass, luminosity, radius, etc.) as well as their formation environment. Precise knowledge of multiplicity characteristics and how they change in this transitional mass region, between Sun-like stars on the one side and very low mass stars and brown dwarfs on the other, provide constraints on low mass star and brown dwarf formation. In the largest M dwarf binary survey to date, we search for companions to active, and thus preferentially young, M dwarfs in the solar neighbourhood. We study their binary/multiple properties, such as the multiplicity frequency and distributions of mass ratio and separation, and identify short period visual binaries, for which orbital parameters and hence dynamical mass estimates can be derived in the near future. The observations are carried out in the SDSS i' and z' band using the Lucky Imaging camera AstraLux Sur at the ESO 3.5 m New Technology Telescope. In the first part of the survey, we observed 124 M dwarfs of integrated spectral types M0-M6 and identified 34 new and 17 previously known companions to 44 stars. We derived relative astrometry and component photometry for these systems. More than half of the binaries have separations smaller than 1 arcsec and would have been missed in a simply seeing-limited survey. Correcting our sample for selection effects yields a multiplicity fraction of 32+/-6% for 108 M dwarfs within 52 pc and with angular separations of 0.1-6.0 arcsec, corresponding to projected separation 3-180 AU at median distance 30 pc. Compared to early-type M dwarfs (M>0.3M_Sun), later type (and hence lower mass) M dwarf binaries appear to have closer separations, and more similar masses.Comment: 18 pages, 9 figures. Minor corrections and changes. Revised to match accepted A&A versio

Catalogue of ISO LWS observations of asteroids

(Abridged) The Long Wavelength Spectrometer (LWS) onboard the Infrared Space Observatory (ISO) observed the four large main-belt asteroids (1) Ceres, (2) Pallas, (4) Vesta, and (10) Hygiea multiple times. The photometric and spectroscopic data cover the wavelength range between 43 and 197 um, and are a unique dataset for future investigations and detailed characterisations of these bodies. The standard ISO archive products, produced through the last post-mission LWS pipeline, were still affected by instrument artefacts. Our goal was to provide the best possible data products to exploit the full scientific potential of these observations. We performed a refined reduction of all measurements, corrected for various instrumental effects, and re-calibrated the data. We outline the data reduction process and give an overview of the available data and the quality of the observations. We apply a thermophysical model to the flux measurements to derive far-IR based diameter and albedo values of the asteroids. The measured thermal rotational lightcurve of (4) Vesta is compared to model predictions. The absolute photometric accuracy of the data products was foubd to be better than 10%. The calibrated spectra will serve as source for future mineralogical studies of dwarf planets and dwarf planet candidates.Comment: 11 pages, 6 figures, accepted for publication in A&

Direct imaging of the young spectroscopic binary HD 160934

We report on the direct detection of a close companion to HD 160934, a young active star, SB1 spectroscopic binary, and suggested member of the AB Doradus moving group. High angular resolution at the Calar Alto 2.2m telescope was achieved by means of the Lucky Imaging technique, allowing direct imaging close to the diffraction limit in the SDSS z' band. Our results are combined with pre-discovery HST archive data, own UBVRI broadband photometry, published JHK magnitudes, and available radial velocity measurements to constrain the physical properties of the HD 160934 close binary. We suggest that the direct detection may be identical to the spectroscopically discovered companion.Comment: 5 pages, 1 figure, submitted to A&

RACE-OC Project: Rotation and variability in young stellar associations within 100 pc

Our goal is to determine the rotational and magnetic-related activity properties of stars at different stages of evolution. We have focussed our attention on 6 young loose stellar associations within 100 pc and ages in the range 8-70 Myr: TW Hydrae (~8 Myr), beta Pictoris (~10 Myr), Tucana/Horologium, Columba, Carina (~30 Myr), and AB Doradus (~70 Myr). Additional data on alpha Persei and the Pleiades from the literature is also considered. Rotational periods of stars showing rotational modulation due to photospheric magnetic activity (i.e. starspots) have been determined applying the Lomb-Scargle periodogram technique to photometric time-series obtained by the All Sky Automated Survey (ASAS). The magnetic activity level has been derived from the amplitude of the V lightcurves. We detected the rotational modulation and measured the rotation periods of 93 stars for the first time, and confirmed the periods of 41 stars already known from the literature. For further 10 stars we revised the period determinations by other authors. The sample was augmented with periods of 21 additional stars retrieved from the literature. In this way, for the first time we were able to determine largest set of rotation periods at ages of ~8, ~10 and ~30 Myr, as well as increase by 150\% the number of known periodic members of AB Dor.The analysis of the rotation periods in young stellar associations, supplemented by Orion Nebula Cluster (ONC) and NGC2264 data from the literature, has allowed us to find that in the 0.6 - 1.2 solar masses range the most significant variations of the rotation period distribution are the spin-up between 9 and 30 Myr and the spin-down between 70 and 110 Myr. Variations between 30 and 70 Myr are rather doubtful, despite the median period indicates a significant spin-up.Comment: Accepted by Astronomy and Astrophysic

Masses, radii, and orbits of small Kepler planets : The transition from gaseous to rocky planets

We report on the masses, sizes, and orbits of the planets orbiting 22 Kepler stars. There are 49 planet candidates around these stars, including 42 detected through transits and 7 revealed by precise Doppler measurements of the host stars. Based on an analysis of the Kepler brightness measurements, along with high-resolution imaging and spectroscopy, Doppler spectroscopy, and (for 11 stars) asteroseismology, we establish low false-positive probabilities (FPPs) for all of the transiting planets (41 of 42 have an FPP under 1%), and we constrain their sizes and masses. Most of the transiting planets are smaller than three times the size of Earth. For 16 planets, the Doppler signal was securely detected, providing a direct measurement of the planet's mass. For the other 26 planets we provide either marginal mass measurements or upper limits to their masses and densities; in many cases we can rule out a rocky composition. We identify six planets with densities above 5 g cm-3, suggesting a mostly rocky interior for them. Indeed, the only planets that are compatible with a purely rocky composition are smaller than 2 R ⊕. Larger planets evidently contain a larger fraction of low-density material (H, He, and H2O).Peer reviewedFinal Accepted Versio