19,452 research outputs found
Closed-loop autonomous docking system
An autonomous docking system is provided which produces commands for the steering and propulsion system of a chase vehicle used in the docking of that chase vehicle with a target vehicle. The docking system comprises a passive optical target affixed to the target vehicle and comprising three reflective areas including a central area mounted on a short post, and tracking sensor and process controller apparatus carried by the chase vehicle. The latter apparatus comprises a laser diode array for illuminating the target so as to cause light to be reflected from the reflective areas of the target; a sensor for detecting the light reflected from the target and for producing an electrical output signal in accordance with an image of the reflected light; a signal processor for processing the electrical output signal in accordance with an image of the reflected light; a signal processor for processing the electrical output signal and for producing, based thereon, output signals relating to the relative range, roll, pitch, yaw, azimuth, and elevation of the chase and target vehicles; and a docking process controller, responsive to the output signals produced by the signal processor, for producing command signals for controlling the steering and propulsion system of the chase vehicle
Some Bright Stars with Smooth Continua for Calibrating the Response of High Resolution Spectrographs
When characterizing a high resolution echelle spectrograph, for instance for
precise Doppler work, it is useful to observe featureless sources such as
quartz lamps or hot stars to determine the response of the instrument. Such
sources provide a way to determine the blaze function of the orders,
pixel-to-pixel variations in the detector, fringing in the system, and other
important characteristics. In practice, however, many B or early A stars do not
provide a smooth continuum, whether because they are not rotating rapidly
enough or for some other reason. In fact, we have found that published
rotational velocities and temperatures are not a specific and sensitive guide
to whether a star's continuum will be smooth. A useful resource for observers,
therefore, is a list of "good" hot stars: bright, blue stars known empirically
to have no lines or other spectral features beyond the Balmer series with
minima below 95% of the continuum.
We have compiled a list of such stars visible from Northern Hemisphere
telescopes. This list includes all stars listed in the Yale Bright Star Catalog
(Hoffleit & Jaschek 1991) as being single with V 175 km/s, and
declination > -30, and many other hot stars that we have found useful for
calibration purposes.
The list here of "bad" stars may also be of interest in studies of hot,
slowly rotating stars
Astrophysical Insights into Radial Velocity Jitter from an Analysis of 600 Planet-search Stars
Radial velocity (RV) detection of planets is hampered by astrophysical processes on the surfaces of stars that induce a stochastic signal, or "jitter," which can drown out or even mimic planetary signals. Here, we empirically and carefully measure the RV jitter of more than 600 stars from the California Planet Search sample on a star by star basis. As part of this process, we explore the activity–RV correlation of stellar cycles and include appendices listing every ostensibly companion-induced signal we removed and every activity cycle we noted. We then use precise stellar properties from Brewer et al. to separate the sample into bins of stellar mass and examine trends with activity and with evolutionary state. We find that RV jitter tracks stellar evolution and that in general, stars evolve through different stages of RV jitter: the jitter in younger stars is driven by magnetic activity, while the jitter in older stars is convectively driven and dominated by granulation and oscillations. We identify the "jitter minimum"—where activity-driven and convectively driven jitter have similar amplitudes—for stars between 0.7 and 1.7 M⊙ and find that more-massive stars reach this jitter minimum later in their lifetime, in the subgiant or even giant phases. Finally, we comment on how these results can inform future RV efforts, from prioritization of follow-up targets from transit surveys like TESS to target selection of future RV surveys
HAT-P-30b: A Transiting Hot Jupiter on a Highly Oblique Orbit
We report the discovery of HAT-P-30b, a transiting exoplanet orbiting the V = 10.419 dwarf star GSC 0208-00722. The planet has a period P = 2.810595 ± 0.000005 days, transit epoch Tc = 2455456.46561 ± 0.00037 (BJD), and transit duration 0.0887 ± 0.0015 days. The host star has a mass of 1.24 ± 0.04 M_⊙, radius of 1.21 ± 0.05 R_⊙, effective temperature of 6304 ± 88 K, and metallicity [Fe/H] = +0.13 ± 0.08. The planetary companion has a mass of 0.711 ± 0.028 M J and radius of 1.340 ± 0.065 R J yielding a mean density of 0.37 ± 0.05 g cm^(–3). We also present radial velocity measurements that were obtained throughout a transit that exhibit the Rossiter-McLaughlin effect. By modeling this effect, we measure an angle of λ = 73.°5 ± 9.°0 between the sky projections of the planet's orbit normal and the star's spin axis. HAT-P-30b represents another example of a close-in planet on a highly tilted orbit, and conforms to the previously noted pattern that tilted orbits are more common around stars with T_(eff*) ≳ 6250 K
Retired A Stars and Their Companions IV. Seven Jovian Exoplanets from Keck Observatory
We report precise Doppler measurements of seven subgiants from Keck
Observatory. All seven stars show variability in their radial velocities
consistent with planet-mass companions in Keplerian orbits. The host stars have
masses ranging from 1.1 < Mstar/Msun < 1.9, radii 3.4 < Rstar/Rsun < 6.1, and
metallicities -0.21 < [Fe/H] < +0.26. The planets are all more massive than
Jupiter (Msini > 1 Mjup) and have semimajor axes > 1 AU. We present
millimagnitude photometry from the T3 0.4m APT at Fairborn observatory for five
of the targets. Our monitoring shows these stars to be photometrically stable,
further strengthening the interpretation of the observed radial velocity
variability. The orbital characteristics of the planets thus far discovered
around former A-type stars are very different from the properties of planets
around dwarf stars of spectral type F, G and K, and suggests that the formation
and migration of planets is a sensitive function of stellar mass. Three of the
planetary systems show evidence of long-term, linear trends indicative of
additional distant companions. These trends, together with the high planet
masses and increased occurrence rate, indicate that A-type stars are very
promising targets for direct imaging surveys.Comment: PASP Accepted, final submission awaiting comments from the communit
The TRENDS High-Contrast Imaging Survey. V. Discovery of an Old and Cold Benchmark T-dwarf Orbiting the Nearby G-star HD 19467
The nearby Sun-like star HD 19467 shows a subtle radial velocity (RV)
acceleration of -1.37+/-0.09 m/s/yr over an 16.9 year time baseline (an RV
trend), hinting at the existence of a distant orbiting companion. We have
obtained high-contrast adaptive optics images of the star using NIRC2 at Keck
Observatory and report the direct detection of the body that causes the
acceleration. The companion, HD 19467 B, is dK=12.57+/-0.09 mag fainter than
its parent star (contrast ratio of 9.4e-6), has blue colors J-K_s=-0.36+/-0.14
(J-H=-0.29+/-0.15), and is separated by 1.653+/-0.004" (51.1+/-1.0 AU).
Follow-up astrometric measurements obtained over an 1.1 year time baseline
demonstrate physical association through common parallactic and proper motion.
We calculate a firm lower-limit of m>51.9^{+3.6}_{-4.3}Mjup for the companion
mass from orbital dynamics using a combination of Doppler observations and
imaging. We estimate a model-dependent mass of m=56.7^{+4.6}_{-7.2}Mjup from a
gyrochronological age of 4.3^{+1.0}_{-1.2} Gyr. Isochronal analysis suggests a
much older age of Gyr, which corresponds to a mass of
m=67.4^{+0.9}_{-1.5}Mjup. HD 19467 B's measured colors and absolute magnitude
are consistent with a late T-dwarf [~T5-T7]. We may infer a low metallicity of
[Fe/H]=-0.15+/-0.04 for the companion from its G3V parent star. HD 19467 B is
the first directly imaged benchmark T-dwarf found orbiting a Sun-like star with
a measured RV acceleration.Comment: Updated to reflect ApJ versio
Recent spectroscopic findings concerning clay/water interactions at low humidity: Possible applications to models of Martian surface reactivity
A feasibility study assessing the utility of the adaptation of near infrared correlation spectroscopy to quantifying iron and adsorbed water in some clay-based Mars soil analog materials (MarSAM's). The work was intended to constitute Phase 1 of an approach to identifying optical analytical wavelength regions, not only for important mineral classes, but for chemically active centers within them. Many of these centers are common to unrelated mineral classes and of disproportionate influence relative to the mineral structure as a whole in determining the surface reactivity of mineral surfaces. We previously reported linearity between reflectance and total iron and total moisture over a large range of both key variables. We also discovered interesting relationships between the intensity of iron bands and the relative humidity of the systems. These relationships were confirmed. We also show that, in the low humidity range, reflectance is linearly dependent on a different kind of water from that best representing the full humidity range (the kind of water associated, in clays, with surface acidity). These relationships and the sensitivity and capability of quantitation of near infrared data indicate high promise with the production of reactive surface intermediates of products of surface reactions
The California Planet Survey II. A Saturn-Mass Planet Orbiting the M Dwarf Gl649
We report precise Doppler measurements of the nearby (d = 10.34 pc) M dwarf
Gl649 that reveal the presence of a planet with a minimum mass Msini = 0.328
Mjup in an eccentric (e = 0.30), 598.3 day orbit. Our photometric monitoring
reveals Gl649 to be a new variable star with brightness changes on both
rotational and decadal timescales. However, neither of these timescales are
consistent with the 600-day Doppler signal and so provide strong support for
planetary reflex motion as the best interpretation of the observed radial
velocity variations. Gl649b is only the seventh Doppler-detected giant planet
around an M dwarf. The properties of the planet and host-star therefore
contribute significant information to our knowledge of planet formation around
low-mass stars. We revise and refine the occurrence rate of giant planets
around M dwarfs based on the California Planet Survey sample of low-mass stars
(M* < 0.6 Msun). We find that f = 3.4^{+2.2}_{-0.9}% of stars with M* < 0.6
Msun harbor planets with Msini > 0.3$ Mjup and a < 2.5 AU. When we restrict our
analysis to metal-rich stars with [Fe/H] > +0.2 we find the occurrence rate is
10.7^{+5.9}_{-4.2}%.Comment: 8 pages, 4 figures, 3 tables, PASP accepte
The California Planet Survey IV: A Planet Orbiting the Giant Star HD 145934 and Updates to Seven Systems with Long-Period Planets
We present an update to seven stars with long-period planets or planetary
candidates using new and archival radial velocities from Keck-HIRES and
literature velocities from other telescopes. Our updated analysis better
constrains orbital parameters for these planets, four of which are known
multi-planet systems. HD 24040 b and HD 183263 c are super-Jupiters with
circular orbits and periods longer than 8 yr. We present a previously unseen
linear trend in the residuals of HD 66428 indicative on an additional planetary
companion. We confirm that GJ 849 is a multi-planet system and find a good
orbital solution for the c component: it is a planet in a 15 yr
orbit (the longest known for a planet orbiting an M dwarf). We update the HD
74156 double-planet system. We also announce the detection of HD 145934 b, a planet in a 7.5 yr orbit around a giant star. Two of our stars, HD
187123 and HD 217107, at present host the only known examples of systems
comprising a hot Jupiter and a planet with a well constrained period yr,
and with no evidence of giant planets in between. Our enlargement and
improvement of long-period planet parameters will aid future analysis of
origins, diversity, and evolution of planetary systems.Comment: 16 pages, 13 figures. Accepted for publication in Ap
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