Observations of V592 Cas -— an Outflow at Optical Wavelengths

We present new red optical spectra of V592 Cas aimed at exploring the properties of the outflow of this system in a spectral region where the underlying white dwarf and the accretion disk do not contribute significantly to the observed absorption components of the Hα and He I line profiles. We use the Hα emission line to study the wind, which appears as pronounced blueshifted P Cygni absorption troughs whose low velocity end contaminates the blue side of the emission line profile. The wind appears to be episodic in nature, with multiple events reaching velocities of 5000 km s^–1 in Hα. Similar (but weaker) wind signatures appear in the He I 5876 Å line but are absent in He I 6678 Å. Our data suggest that during wind episodes the wind is phase dependent and is visible for half of the orbit of the system. Considering that V592 Cas is viewed almost face-on, the symmetry axis of the outflow cannot be orthogonal to the disk and/or the outflow must have some other inherent asymmetry in outflow geometry. A possible origin of the wind is in a disk hotspot, either at the initial impact point of the accretion stream on the disk edge or as a result of disk overflow (similar to SW Sextantis stars). Simultaneous optical photometry during one night of our spectroscopic observations indicate that there is no clear relationship between the optical brightness variations and the strength of the outflow in this system

Verwirklichung einer vollkommenen Glücksmöglichkeit/A perfect bliss-potential realized: “Wunsch, Indianer zu werden” im Lichte des Dao Kafkas übersetzend gelesen/Transreading “Wish, to Become Indian” in light of Kafka’s Dao

Walking an unexplored path, Huiwen Helen Zhang contextualizes Kafka's pithy and cryptic parable, “Wish, to Become Indian” in his transplantation of Daoist philosophy—an astonishing cross-cultural enigma that Zhang terms “Kafka's Dao”—and parses it through a micro-level approach that Zhang terms “transreading.” Contextualizing “Wish, to Become Indian” in Kafka's dialogue with ancient Chinese philosophers such as Laozi, Liezi, and Zhuangzi enables the reader to comprehend a series of otherwise incomprehensible puzzles. Zhang's scrutiny of Kafka's Dao shows how, through creative writing, Kafka not only penetrates esoteric Daoist classics, but also furthers their spirit in a way that transcends Richard Wilhelm, the pioneer European Sinologist. Transreading “Wish, to Become Indian” illuminates nuances that otherwise might have been overlooked. Wordplay, punctuational oddity, syntactic complexity, lyric density, and the curiously interlaced tenses and cases are all part of the idiosyncratic delivery of Kafka's message. Integrating the four activities of transreading—lento reading demanded and enhanced by cultural hermeneutics, creative writing required and inspired by poetic translation—unravels Kafka's riddle as a historical-cultural phenomenon.publishedVersio

What’s Cool About Hot Stars? Cataclysmic Variables in the Mid-Infrared

We review recent results from mid-infrared observations of cataclysmic variables with the Spitzer Space Telescope. In general, these observations have revealed mid-infrared excesses, above the level expected from the stellar and accretion components, in numerous systems. This excess can be modeled as originating from circumstellar and/or circumbinary dust. We present an overview of spectral energy distributions spanning the ultraviolet to the mid-infrared, as well as mid-infrared light curves, of disk-accreting and magnetic cataclysmic variables. Physically realistic models constructed to reproduce these data indicate that the mid-infrared luminosity of many cataclysmic variables is dominated by emission from warm (T < 2000 K) dust. The presence and characteristics of dust in cataclysmic variables has potentially important implications for the secular evolution scenario for interacting binary stars

Evidence for an accretion steam in the low-accretion-rate polar J2048

We present new red/near-infrared spectra of the low-accretion-rate polar J204827.9+005008.9. Compared to 2004 spectra in the literature, our 2008 data show more structured emission-line profiles. All emission lines in our spectra have two components at most orbital phases. The stronger component has a sinusoidal velocity variation (K~ 120 km s^(−1)) and is likely due to irradiation of the inner hemisphere of the secondary star by the white dwarf. Based on the appearance of the Hα Doppler tomogram, the weaker, larger amplitude, line component likely originates in a ballistic stream from the L1 point. J2048 is thought to be accreting via a wind from the secondary star, so the detection of velocity features consistent with the velocities of Roche lobe overflow is unexpected. It appears that J2048 was experiencing an interval of enhanced mass transfer during our observations. We briefly discuss scenarios that might lead to such a situation, such as changes in the chromospheric activity level on the secondary star

"Dark Matter" in Accretion Disks

Using Spitzer Space Telescope photometric observations of the eclipsing, interacting binary WZ Sge, we have discovered that the accretion disk is far more complex than previously believed. Our 4.5 and 8 micron time series observations reveal that the well known gaseous accretion disk is surrounded by an asymmetric disk of dusty material with a radius approximately 15 times larger than the gaseous disk. This dust ring contains only a small amount of mass and is completely invisible at optical and near-IR wavelengths, hence consisting of "dark matter". We have produced a model dust ring using 1 micron spherical particles with a density of 3 g/cm$^3$ and with a temperature profile ranging from 700-1500K. Our discovery about the accretion disk structure and the presence of a larger, outer dust ring have great relevance for accretion disks in general, including those in other interacting binary systems, pre-main sequence stars, and active galaxies.Comment: 34 pages, 8 figures (3 in color). Accepted to Ap

Why Coevolution of Culture and Institutions Matters for Economic Development and Growth?

Theoretical considerations that choose to make reference to the institutional and cultural considerations presuppose that these are in an optimal form. However, this is not the case in the real world. This chapter argues that the coevolution requirements of institutional and culture change are critical for economic outcomes. When institutions and culture coevolve in an optimal pattern, economic development and growth are facilitated. In contrast, when institutions and culture deviate from the optimal pace of coevolution, incompatible alterations of institutions and culture may end up causing an inability of the policy designers to implement the required changes in institutions and/or cultural behaviors. The result can be a series of failing attempts to implement a modernized progrowth framework of institutional settings and cultural behaviors. Using a dataset of 80 countries for the period 1981–2019, the analysis concludes that institutions and culture are complements—and not substitutes—in terms of their role in economic development, as when both sizes are strong it leads to higher levels of GDP per capita. When either or both of them are at a weak level, economic development is much lower

SPECTROSCOPIC STUDY OF Q CYGNI: SURPRISES FROM AN OLD NOVA

We present a time-resolved spectroscopic study of Q Cyg (Nova Cyg 1876), determining a period of P = 10.08 hr for the system. Our data also reveal P Cygni profiles in the He I λλ5876 and 7065 lines and occasionally in the Hα line. Although P Cygni profiles commonly appear in the UV resonance lines of novalike cataclysmic variables, only BZ Cam was previously known to exhibit a rapidly variable wind, which leaves its signature in time-resolved optical spectral lines. A comparison between BZ Cam and Q Cyg reveals striking similarities between the two systems. The origin of the outflow in Q Cyg and a possible correlation of the P Cygni profiles with the system's optical state are discussed