The Milky Way bar/bulge in proper motions: a 3D view from VIRAC & Gaia

© 2019 The Author(s) Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Royal Astronomical Society.We have derived absolute proper motions of the entire Galactic bulge region from VIRAC and Gaia. We present these as both integrated on-sky maps and, after isolating standard candle red clump (RC) stars, as a function of distance using RC magnitude as a proxy. These data provide a new global, 3-dimensional view of the Milky Way barred bulge kinematics. We find a gradient in the mean longitudinal proper motion, $\mu_l$, between the different sides of the bar, which is sensitive to the bar pattern speed. The split RC has distinct proper motions and is colder than other stars at similar distance. The proper motion correlation map has a quadrupole pattern in all magnitude slices showing no evidence for a separate, more axisymmetric inner bulge component. The line-of-sight integrated kinematic maps show a high central velocity dispersion surrounded by a more asymmetric dispersion profile. $\sigma_{\mu_l} / \sigma_{\mu_b}$ is smallest, $\sim1.1$, near the minor axis and reaches $\sim1.4$ near the disc plane. The integrated $$ pattern signals a superposition of bar rotation and internal streaming motion, with the near part shrinking in latitude and the far part expanding. To understand and interpret these remarkable data, we compare to a made-to-measure barred dynamical model, folding in the VIRAC selection function to construct mock maps. We find that our model of the barred bulge, with a pattern speed of 37.5 $\mathrm{km \, s^{-1} \, kpc^{-1}}$, is able to reproduce all observed features impressively well. Dynamical models like this will be key to unlocking the full potential of these data.Peer reviewe

Anticoagulation in patients with atrial fibrillation and heart failure: Insights from the NCDR PINNACLE-AF registry.

BackgroundIn non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) patients, congestive heart failure (CHF) confers an increased risk of stroke or systemic thromboembolism. This risk is present in both heart failure (HF) with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) and HF with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). It is unclear if clinicians account for both types of CHF in their NVAF anticoagulation practices. Accordingly, we characterized current outpatient anticoagulation trends in NVAF patients with HFpEF compared to patients with HFrEF.MethodsThe outpatient NCDR PINNACLE-AF registry was analyzed to identify patients with NVAF and CHF. The study population was subdivided into HFpEF (ie, LVEF ≥ 40%) and HFrEF (LVEF < 40%). Anticoagulation rates by CHF group were compared and stratified by CHA2 DS2 -VASc score.ResultsA total of 340 127 patients with NVAF and CHF were identified, of whom 248 136 (73.0%) were classified as HFpEF and 91 991 (27.0%) as HFrEF. Patients with HFpEF had higher mean CHA2 DS2 -VASc scores and were more likely to be female, older, and have hypertension (P < 0.001). Unadjusted anticoagulation rates were significantly lower in patients with HFpEF compared to those with HFrEF (60.6% vs 64.2%, respectively). Lower rates of anticoagulation in the HFpEF group persisted after risk adjustment (RR: 0.93 [95% CI: 0.91, 0.94]). Stratification by CHA2 DS2 -VASc score demonstrated that lower rates of anticoagulation in patients with HFpEF persisted until a score of ≥5.ConclusionsPatients with NVAF and HFpEF have significantly lower anticoagulation rates when compared to their HFrEF counterparts. These findings suggest a potential underappreciation of HFpEF as a risk factor in patients with NVAF

Nature Of Transition Circumstellar Disks. I. The Ophiuchus Molecular Cloud

We have obtained millimeter-wavelength photometry, high-resolution optical spectroscopy, and adaptive optics near-infrared imaging for a sample of 26 Spitzer-selected transition circumstellar disks. All of our targets are located in the Ophiuchus molecular cloud (d similar to 125 pc) and have spectral energy distributions (SEDs) suggesting the presence of inner opacity holes. We use these ground-based data to estimate the disk mass, multiplicity, and accretion rate for each object in our sample in order to investigate the mechanisms potentially responsible for their inner holes. We find that transition disks are a heterogeneous group of objects, with disk masses ranging from <0.6 to 40 M(JUP) and accretion rates ranging from <10(-11) to 10(-7) M(circle dot) yr(-1), but most tend to have much lower masses and accretion rates than "full disks" (i.e., disks without opacity holes). Eight of our targets have stellar companions: six of them are binaries and the other two are triple systems. In four cases, the stellar companions are close enough to suspect they are responsible for the inferred inner holes. We find that nine of our 26 targets have low disk mass (<2.5 M(JUP)) and negligible accretion (<10(-11) M(circle dot) yr(-1)), and are thus consistent with photoevaporating (or photoevaporated) disks. Four of these nine non-accreting objects have fractional disk luminosities <10(-3) and could already be in a debris disk stage. Seventeen of our transition disks are accreting. Thirteen of these accreting objects are consistent with grain growth. The remaining four accreting objects have SEDs suggesting the presence of sharp inner holes, and thus are excellent candidates for harboring giant planets.NASA 1224608, 1230782, 1230779, 1407FONDECYT 1061199Basal CATA PFB 06/09ALMA FUND 31070021ALMA-Conicyt FUND 31060010National Science Foundation AST0-808144Spitzer Space Telescope Legacy Science ProgramAstronom

The Masses of Transition Circumstellar Disks: Observational Support for Photoevaporation Models

We report deep Sub-Millimeter Array observations of 26 pre-main-sequence (PMS) stars with evolved inner disks. These observations measure the mass of the outer disk (r ~20-100 AU) across every stage of the dissipation of the inner disk (r < 10 AU) as determined by the IR spectral energy distributions (SEDs). We find that only targets with high mid-IR excesses are detected and have disk masses in the 1-5 M_Jup range, while most of our objects remain undetected to sensitivity levels of M_DISK ~0.2-1.5 M_Jup. To put these results in a more general context, we collected publicly available data to construct the optical to millimeter wavelength SEDs of over 120 additional PMS stars. We find that the near-IR and mid-IR emission remain optically thick in objects whose disk masses span 2 orders of magnitude (~0.5-50 M_Jup). Taken together, these results imply that, in general, inner disks start to dissipate only after the outer disk has been significantly depleted of mass. This provides strong support for photoevaporation being one of the dominant processes driving disk evolution.Comment: Accepted for publication by ApJL, 4 pages and 3 figure

Clypeal patterning in the paper wasp Polistes dominulus: no evidence of adaptive value in the wild

Status signals function in a number of species to communicate competitive ability to conspecific rivals during competition for resources. In the paper wasp Polistes dominulus, variable black clypeal patterns are thought to be important in mediating competition among females. Results of previous behavioral experiments in the lab indicate that P. dominulus clypeal patterns provide information about an individual's competitive ability to rivals during agonistic interactions. To date, however, there has been no detailed examination of the adaptive value of clypeal patterns in the wild. To address this, we looked for correlations between clypeal patterning and various fitness measures, including reproductive success, hierarchical rank, and survival, in a large, free-living population of P. dominulus in southern Spain. Reproductive success over the nesting season was not correlated with clypeal patterning. Furthermore, there was no relationship between a female's clypeal patterning and the rank she achieved within the hierarchy or her survival during nest founding. Overall, we found no evidence that P. dominulus clypeal patterns are related to competitive ability or other aspects of quality in our population. This result is consistent with geographical variation in the adaptive value of clypeal patterns between P. dominulus populations; however, data on the relationship between patterning and fitness from other populations are required to test this hypothesi

Clypeal patterning in the paper wasp Polistes dominulus: no evidence of adaptive value in the wild

Status signals function in a number of species to communicate competitive ability to conspecific rivals during competition for resources. In the paper wasp Polistes dominulus, variable black clypeal patterns are thought to be important in mediating competition among females. Results of previous behavioral experiments in the lab indicate that P. dominulus clypeal patterns provide information about an individual's competitive ability to rivals during agonistic interactions. To date, however, there has been no detailed examination of the adaptive value of clypeal patterns in the wild. To address this, we looked for correlations between clypeal patterning and various fitness measures, including reproductive success, hierarchical rank, and survival, in a large, free-living population of P. dominulus in southern Spain. Reproductive success over the nesting season was not correlated with clypeal patterning. Furthermore, there was no relationship between a female's clypeal patterning and the rank she achieved within the hierarchy or her survival during nest founding. Overall, we found no evidence that P. dominulus clypeal patterns are related to competitive ability or other aspects of quality in our population. This result is consistent with geographical variation in the adaptive value of clypeal patterns between P. dominulus populations; however, data on the relationship between patterning and fitness from other populations are required to test this hypothesi