79 research outputs found
Terrestrial planets across space and time
The study of cosmology, galaxy formation and exoplanets has now advanced to a
stage where a cosmic inventory of terrestrial planets may be attempted. By
coupling semi-analytic models of galaxy formation to a recipe that relates the
occurrence of planets to the mass and metallicity of their host stars, we trace
the population of terrestrial planets around both solar-mass (FGK type) and
lower-mass (M dwarf) stars throughout all of cosmic history. We find that the
mean age of terrestrial planets in the local Universe is Gyr for FGK
hosts and Gyr for M dwarfs. We estimate that hot Jupiters have
depleted the population of terrestrial planets around FGK stars by no more than
, and that only of the terrestrial planets at the
current epoch are orbiting stars in a metallicity range for which such planets
have yet to be confirmed. The typical terrestrial planet in the local Universe
is located in a spheroid-dominated galaxy with a total stellar mass comparable
to that of the Milky Way. When looking at the inventory of planets throughout
the whole observable Universe, we argue for a total of and terrestrial planets around FGK and M
stars, respectively. Due to light travel time effects, the terrestrial planets
on our past light cone exhibit a mean age of just Gyr. These
results are discussed in the context of cosmic habitability, the Copernican
principle and searches for extraterrestrial intelligence at cosmological
distances.Comment: 11 pages, 8 figures. v.2: Accepted for publication in ApJ. Some
changes in quantitative results compared to v.1, mainly due to differences in
IMF assumption
Probe for Measuring Soil Specific Heat Using A Heat-Pulse Method
Temperature rise, measured a short distance from a line heat source, can be used to determine the volumetric specific heat of soil and other materials. Volumetric specific heat is linearly related to the inverse of the temperature rise. The purpose of this note is to describe the construction and performance of a device for measuring specific heat using the line source method. The device was constructed from two hypodermic needles, 0.813 mm in diam. and 28 mm long, and spaced 6 mm apart. One needle contained a heater and the other a thermocouple. The temperature rise from heat pulses given to the heater were measured with the thermocouple. The coefficientof variation (CV) of specific heat on replicate samples was around 1%. Since water is the main variable component of the specific heat in nonswelling soil, changes in water content might be resolved to 0.01 or better in nonswelling soil
JWST/NIRCam Coronagraphy of the Young Planet-hosting Debris Disk AU Microscopii
High-contrast imaging of debris disk systems permits us to assess the
composition and size distribution of circumstellar dust, to probe recent
dynamical histories, and to directly detect and characterize embedded
exoplanets. Observations of these systems in the infrared beyond 2--3 m
promise access to both extremely favorable planet contrasts and numerous
scattered-light spectral features -- but have typically been inhibited by the
brightness of the sky at these wavelengths. We present coronagraphy of the AU
Microscopii (AU Mic) system using JWST's Near Infrared Camera (NIRCam) in two
filters spanning 3--5 m. These data provide the first images of the
system's famous debris disk at these wavelengths and permit additional
constraints on its properties and morphology. Conducting a deep search for
companions in these data, we do not identify any compelling candidates.
However, with sensitivity sufficient to recover planets as small as
Jupiter masses beyond ( au) with
confidence, these data place significant constraints on any massive companions
that might still remain at large separations and provide additional context for
the compact, multi-planet system orbiting very close-in. The observations
presented here highlight NIRCam's unique capabilities for probing similar disks
in this largely unexplored wavelength range, and provide the deepest direct
imaging constraints on wide-orbit giant planets in this very well studied
benchmark system.Comment: 27 pages, 14 figure
GRB 171010A/SN 2017htp: a GRB-SN at z = 0.33
The number of supernovae known to be connected with long-duration gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) is increasing and the link between these events is no longer exclusively found at low redshift (z âČ 0.3) but is well established also at larger distances. We present a new case of such a liaison at z = 0.33 between GRBâ171010A and SNâ2017htp. It is the second closest GRB with an associated supernova of only three events detected by Fermi-LAT. The supernova is one of the few higher redshift cases where spectroscopic observations were possible and shows spectral similarities with the well-studied SNâ1998bw, having produced a similar Ni mass (â
M
Ni
=0.33±0.02
M
â
MNi=0.33±0.02 Mâ
â ) with slightly lower ejected mass (â
M
ej
=4.1±0.7
M
â
Mej=4.1±0.7 Mâ
â ) and kinetic energy (â
E
K
=8.1±2.5Ă
10
51
erg
EK=8.1±2.5Ă1051 erg
â ). The host-galaxy is bigger in size than typical GRB host galaxies, but the analysis of the region hosting the GRB revealed spectral properties typically observed in GRB hosts and showed that the progenitor of this event was located in a very bright H ii region of its face-on host galaxy, at a projected distance of ⌠10 kpc from its galactic centre. The star-formation rate (SFRGRB ⌠0.2 Mâ yrâ1) and metallicity (12 + log(O/H) âŒ8.15 ± 0.10) of the GRB star-forming region are consistent with those of the host galaxies of previously studied GRBâSN systems
Comparison of Pheochromocytoma-Specific Morbidity and Mortality among Adults with Bilateral Pheochromocytomas Undergoing Total Adrenalectomy vs Cortical-Sparing Adrenalectomy
Importance: Large studies investigating long-term outcomes of patients with bilateral pheochromocytomas treated with either total or cortical-sparing adrenalectomies are needed to inform clinical management. Objective: To determine the association of total vs cortical-sparing adrenalectomy with pheochromocytoma-specific mortality, the burden of primary adrenal insufficiency after bilateral adrenalectomy, and the risk of pheochromocytoma recurrence. Design, Setting, and Participants: This cohort study used data from a multicenter consortium-based registry for 625 patients treated for bilateral pheochromocytomas between 1950 and 2018. Data were analyzed from September 1, 2018, to June 1, 2019. Exposures: Total or cortical-sparing adrenalectomy. Main Outcomes and Measures: Primary adrenal insufficiency, recurrent pheochromocytoma, and mortality. Results: Of 625 patients (300 [48%] female) with a median (interquartile range [IQR]) age of 30 (22-40) years at diagnosis, 401 (64%) were diagnosed with synchronous bilateral pheochromocytomas and 224 (36%) were diagnosed with metachronous pheochromocytomas (median [IQR] interval to second adrenalectomy, 6 [1-13] years). In 505 of 526 tested patients (96%), germline mutations were detected in the genes RET (282 patients [54%]), VHL (184 patients [35%]), and other genes (39 patients [7%]). Of 849 adrenalectomies performed in 625 patients, 324 (52%) were planned as cortical sparing and were successful in 248 of 324 patients (76.5%). Primary adrenal insufficiency occurred in all patients treated with total adrenalectomy but only in 23.5% of patients treated with attempted cortical-sparing adrenalectomy. A third of patients with adrenal insufficiency developed complications, such as adrenal crisis or iatrogenic Cushing syndrome. Of 377 patients who became steroid dependent, 67 (18%) developed at least 1 adrenal crisis and 50 (13%) developed iatrogenic Cushing syndrome during median (IQR) follow-up of 8 (3-25) years. Two patients developed recurrent pheochromocytoma in the adrenal bed despite total adrenalectomy. In contrast, 33 patients (13%) treated with successful cortical-sparing adrenalectomy developed another pheochromocytoma within the remnant adrenal after a median (IQR) of 8 (4-13) years, all of which were successfully treated with another surgery. Cortical-sparing surgery was not associated with survival. Overall survival was associated with comorbidities unrelated to pheochromocytoma: of 63 patients who died, only 3 (5%) died of metastatic pheochromocytoma. Conclusions and Relevance: Patients undergoing cortical-sparing adrenalectomy did not demonstrate decreased survival, despite development of recurrent pheochromocytoma in 13%. Cortical-sparing adrenalectomy should be considered in all patients with hereditary pheochromocytoma
The JWST Early Release Science Program for Direct Observations of Exoplanetary Systems IV: NIRISS Aperture Masking Interferometry Performance and Lessons Learned
We present a performance analysis for the aperture masking interferometry
(AMI) mode on board the James Webb Space Telescope Near Infrared Imager and
Slitless Spectrograph (JWST/NIRISS). Thanks to self-calibrating observables,
AMI accesses inner working angles down to and even within the classical
diffraction limit. The scientific potential of this mode has recently been
demonstrated by the Early Release Science (ERS) 1386 program with a deep search
for close-in companions in the HIP 65426 exoplanetary system. As part of ERS
1386, we use the same dataset to explore the random, static, and calibration
errors of NIRISS AMI observables. We compare the observed noise properties and
achievable contrast to theoretical predictions. We explore possible sources of
calibration errors, and show that differences in charge migration between the
observations of HIP 65426 and point-spread function calibration stars can
account for the achieved contrast curves. Lastly, we use self-calibration tests
to demonstrate that with adequate calibration, NIRISS AMI can reach contrast
levels of mag. These tests lead us to observation planning
recommendations and strongly motivate future studies aimed at producing
sophisticated calibration strategies taking these systematic effects into
account. This will unlock the unprecedented capabilities of JWST/NIRISS AMI,
with sensitivity to significantly colder, lower mass exoplanets than
ground-based setups at orbital separations inaccessible to JWST coronagraphy.Comment: 20 pages, 12 figures, submitted to AAS Journal
The \textit{JWST} Early Release Science Program for Direct Observations of Exoplanetary Systems III: Aperture Masking Interferometric Observations of the star HIP\,65426 at
We present aperture masking interferometry (AMI) observations of the star HIP
65426 at as a part of the \textit{JWST} Direct Imaging Early
Release Science (ERS) program obtained using the Near Infrared Imager and
Slitless Spectrograph (NIRISS) instrument. This mode provides access to very
small inner working angles (even separations slightly below the Michelson limit
of for an interferometer), which are inaccessible with the
classical inner working angles of the \textit{JWST} coronagraphs. When combined
with \textit{JWST}'s unprecedented infrared sensitivity, this mode has the
potential to probe a new portion of parameter space across a wide array of
astronomical observations. Using this mode, we are able to achieve a contrast
of \,mag relative to the host star at a separation
of {\sim}0.07\arcsec but detect no additional companions interior to the
known companion HIP\,65426\,b. Our observations thus rule out companions more
massive than 10{-}12\,\rm{M\textsubscript{Jup}} at separations
from HIP\,65426, a region out of reach of ground or
space-based coronagraphic imaging. These observations confirm that the AMI mode
on \textit{JWST} is sensitive to planetary mass companions orbiting at the
water frost line, even for more distant stars at 100\,pc. This result
will allow the planning and successful execution of future observations to
probe the inner regions of nearby stellar systems, opening essentially
unexplored parameter space.Comment: 15 pages, 9 figures, submitted to ApJ Letter
The JWST Early Release Science Program for Direct Observations of Exoplanetary Systems II: A 1 to 20 Micron Spectrum of the Planetary-Mass Companion VHS 1256-1257 b
We present the highest fidelity spectrum to date of a planetary-mass object.
VHS 1256 b is a 20 M widely separated (8\arcsec, a =
150 au), young, planetary-mass companion that shares photometric colors and
spectroscopic features with the directly imaged exoplanets HR 8799 c, d, and e.
As an L-to-T transition object, VHS 1256 b exists along the region of the
color-magnitude diagram where substellar atmospheres transition from cloudy to
clear. We observed VHS 1256~b with \textit{JWST}'s NIRSpec IFU and MIRI MRS
modes for coverage from 1 m to 20 m at resolutions of 1,000 -
3,700. Water, methane, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, sodium, and potassium
are observed in several portions of the \textit{JWST} spectrum based on
comparisons from template brown dwarf spectra, molecular opacities, and
atmospheric models. The spectral shape of VHS 1256 b is influenced by
disequilibrium chemistry and clouds. We directly detect silicate clouds, the
first such detection reported for a planetary-mass companion.Comment: Accepted ApJL Iterations of spectra reduced by the ERS team are
hosted at this link:
https://github.com/bemiles/JWST_VHS1256b_Reduction/tree/main/reduced_spectr
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