Multiple spiral patterns in the transitional disk of HD 100546

Protoplanetary disks around young stars harbor many structures related to planetary formation. Of particular interest, spiral patterns were discovered among several of these disks and are expected to be the sign of gravitational instabilities leading to giant planets formation or gravitational perturbations caused by already existing planets. In this context, the star HD100546 presents some specific characteristics with a complex gas and dusty disk including spirals as well as a possible planet in formation. The objective of this study is to analyze high contrast and high angular resolution images of this emblematic system to shed light on critical steps of the planet formation. We retrieved archival images obtained at Gemini in the near IR (Ks band) with the instrument NICI and processed the data using advanced high contrast imaging technique taking advantage of the angular differential imaging. These new images reveal the spiral pattern previously identified with HST with an unprecedented resolution, while the large-scale structure of the disk is mostly erased by the data processing. The single pattern at the southeast in HST images is now resolved into a multi-armed spiral pattern. Using two models of a gravitational perturber orbiting in a gaseous disk we attempted to bring constraints on the characteristics of this perturber assuming each spiral being independent and we derived qualitative conclusions. The non-detection of the northeast spiral pattern observed in HST allows to put a lower limit on the intensity ratio between the two sides of the disk, which if interpreted as forward scattering yields a larger anisotropic scattering than derived in the visible. Also, we found that the spirals are likely spatially resolved with a thickness of about 5-10AU. Finally, we did not detect the candidate forming planet recently discovered in the Lp band, with a mass upper limit of 16-18 MJ.Comment: Accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysics, 10 pages, 8 figure

High resolution imaging of young M-type stars of the solar neighborhood: Probing the existence of companions down to the mass of Jupiter

Context. High contrast imaging is a powerful technique to search for gas giant planets and brown dwarfs orbiting at separation larger than several AU. Around solar-type stars, giant planets are expected to form by core accretion or by gravitational instability, but since core accretion is increasingly difficult as the primary star becomes lighter, gravitational instability would be the a probable formation scenario for yet-to-be-found distant giant planets around a low-mass star. A systematic survey for such planets around M dwarfs would therefore provide a direct test of the efficiency of gravitational instability. Aims. We search for gas giant planets orbiting around late-type stars and brown dwarfs of the solar neighborhood. Methods. We obtained deep high resolution images of 16 targets with the adaptive optic system of VLT-NACO in the Lp band, using direct imaging and angular differential imaging. This is currently the largest and deepest survey for Jupiter-mass planets around Mdwarfs. We developed and used an integrated reduction and analysis pipeline to reduce the images and derive our 2D detection limits for each target. The typical contrast achieved is about 9 magnitudes at 0.5" and 11 magnitudes beyond 1". For each target we also determine the probability of detecting a planet of a given mass at a given separation in our images. Results. We derived accurate detection probabilities for planetary companions, taking into account orbital projection effects, with in average more than 50% probability to detect a 3MJup companion at 10AU and a 1.5MJup companion at 20AU, bringing strong constraints on the existence of Jupiter-mass planets around this sample of young M-dwarfs.Comment: Accepted for publication in A&

Pressure-induced enhancement of superconductivity and superconducting-superconducting transition in CaC_6\_6

We measured the electrical resistivity, $\varrho(T)$, of superconducting CaC$\_6$ at ambient and high pressure up to 16 GPa. For $P \leq$8 GPa, we found a large increase of $T\_c$ with pressure from 11.5 up to 15.1 K. At 8 GPa, $T\_c$ drops and levels off at 5 K above 10 GPa. Correspondingly, the residual $\varrho$ increases by $\approx$ 200 times and the $\varrho(T)$ behavior becomes flat. The recovery of the pristine behavior after depressurization is suggestive of a phase transition at 8 GPa between two superconducting phases with good and bad metallic properties, the latter with a lower $T\_c$ and more static disorder

POTENTIATION OF T-CELL-MEDIATED IMMUNITY BY SELECTIVE SUPPRESSION OF ANTIBODY FORMATION WITH CYCLOPHOSPHAMIDE

Delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) appears in mice immunized with less than an optimal immunogenic dose of sheep red blood cells (SRBC), but is blocked progressively as antibody production increases in response to larger doses of SRBC. Treatment with cyclophosphamide (CY) was shown to release T cells from this inhibitory influence of the humoral response, and cause enhancement of DTH. The magnitude of this enhancing effect on T-cell activity was markedly dependent on the time of treatment relative to the time of immunization, and on the time chosen for measuring DTH. The reasons for these pronounced effects of timing are threefold: (a) CY given before antigenic stimulation has a long-lasting effect on antibody formation, but no apparent effect on the precursors of activated T cells. (b) After antigenic stimulation, T cells also become susceptible to CY. (c) The production of a nonspecific participant (monocyte) in the DTH reaction is also suppressed by CY, though the supply of circulating monocytes is not immediately affected by the drug. The differential effect of CY on T and B lymphocytes depends on the differing physiological states of the majority of cells that make up these two populations. The former are resting cells that are insensitive to CY until exposed to specific antigen, while the latter are drawn from a rapidly replicating precursor pool and are susceptible to CY at all times

High Resolution HST-STIS Spectra of CI and CO in the Beta Pictoris Circumstellar Disk

High resolution FUV echelle spectra showing absorption features arising from CI and CO gas in the Beta Pictoris circumstellar (CS) disk were obtained on 1997 December 6 and 19 using the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS). An unsaturated spin-forbidden line of CI at 1613.376 A not previously seen in spectra of Beta Pictoris was detected, allowing for an improved determination of the column density of CI at zero velocity relative to the star (the stable component), N = (2-4) x 10^{16} cm^{-2}. Variable components with multiple velocities, which are the signatures of infalling bodies in the Beta Pictoris CS disk, are observed in the CI 1561 A and 1657 A multiplets. Also seen for the first time were two lines arising from the metastable singlet D level of carbon, at 1931 A and 1463 A The results of analysis of the CO A-X (0-0), (1-0), and (2-0) bands are presented, including the bands arising from {13}^CO, with much better precision than has previously been possible, due to the very high resolution provided by the STIS echelle gratings. Only stable CO gas is observed, with a column density N(CO) = (6.3 +/- 0.3) x 10^{14} cm{-2}. An unusual ratio of the column densities of {12}^CO to {13}^CO is found (R = 15 +/- 2). The large difference between the column densities of CI and CO indicates that photodissociation of CO is not the primary source of CI gas in the disk, contrary to previous suggestion.Comment: 13 pages, including 6 figures. LaTex2e (emulateapj5.sty). Accepted for publication in Ap

Discovery of a probable 4-5 Jupiter-mass exoplanet to HD 95086 by direct-imaging

Direct imaging has just started the inventory of the population of gas giant planets on wide-orbits around young stars in the solar neighborhood. Following this approach, we carried out a deep imaging survey in the near-infrared using VLT/NaCo to search for substellar companions. We report here the discovery in L' (3.8 microns) images of a probable companion orbiting at 56 AU the young (10-17 Myr), dusty, and early-type (A8) star HD 95086. This discovery is based on observations with more than a year-time-lapse. Our first epoch clearly revealed the source at 10 sigma while our second epoch lacked good observing conditions hence yielding a 3 sigma detection. Various tests were thus made to rule out possible artifacts. This recovery is consistent with the signal at the first epoch but requires cleaner confirmation. Nevertheless, our astrometric precision suggests the companion to be comoving with the star, with a 3 sigma confidence level. The planetary nature of the source is reinforced by a non-detection in Ks-band (2.18 microns) images according to its possible extremely red Ks - L' color. Conversely, background contamination is rejected with good confidence level. The luminosity yields a predicted mass of about 4-5MJup (at 10-17 Myr) using "hot-start" evolutionary models, making HD 95086 b the exoplanet with the lowest mass ever imaged around a star.Comment: accepted for publication to APJ