5,503 research outputs found
Keplerian discs around post-AGB stars: a common phenomenon?
Aims: We aim at showing that the broad-band SED characteristics of our sample
of post-AGB stars are best interpreted, assuming the circumstellar dust is
stored in Keplerian rotating passive discs.
Methods: We present a homogeneous and systematic study of the Spectral Energy
Distributions (SEDs) of a sample of 51 post-AGB objects. The selection criteria
to define the whole sample were tuned to cover the broad-band characteristics
of known binary post-AGB stars. The whole sample includes 20 dusty RV Tauri
stars from the General Catalogue of Variable Stars (GCVS). We supplemented our
own Geneva optical photometry with literature data to cover a broad range of
fluxes from the UV to the far-IR.
Results: All the SEDs display very similar characteristics: a large IR excess
with a dust excess starting near the sublimation temperature, irrespective of
the effective temperature of the central star. Moreover, when available, the
long wavelength fluxes show a black-body slope indicative of the presence of a
component of large mm sized grains.
Conclusions: We argue that in all systems, gravitationally bound dusty discs
are present. The discs must be puffed-up to cover a large opening angle for the
central star and we argue that the discs have some similarity with the passive
discs detected around young stellar objects. We interpret the presence of a
disc to be a signature for binarity of the central object, but this will need
confirmation by long-term monitoring of the radial velocities. We argue that
dusty RV Tauri stars are those binaries which happen to be in the Population II
instability strip.Comment: 29 pages, 5 figures, accepted for publication in A&
The Chemical Compositions of the Type II Cepheids -- The BL Her and W Vir Variables
Abundance analyses from high-resolution optical spectra are presented for 19
Type II Cepheids in the Galactic field. The sample includes both short-period
(BL Her) and long-period (W Vir) stars. This is the first extensive abundance
analysis of these variables. The C, N, and O abundances with similar spreads
for the BL Her and W Vir show evidence for an atmosphere contaminated with
-process and CN-cycling products. A notable anomaly of the BL Her
stars is an overabundance of Na by a factor of about five relative to their
presumed initial abundances. This overabundance is not seen in the W Vir stars.
The abundance anomalies running from mild to extreme in W Vir stars but not
seen in the BL Her stars are attributed to dust-gas separation that provides an
atmosphere deficient in elements of high condensation temperature, notably Al,
Ca, Sc, Ti, and -process elements. Such anomalies have previously been seen
among RV Tau stars which represent a long-period extension of the variability
enjoyed by the Type II Cepheids. Comments are offered on how the contrasting
abundance anomalies of BL Her and W Vir stars may be explained in terms of the
stars' evolution from the blue horizontal branch.Comment: 41 pages including 11 figures and 4 tables; Accepted for publication
in Ap
Self-control tames the coupling of reactive radicals
Highly reactive or unstable chemical reagents are challenging to prepare, store, and safely handle, so chemists frequently generate them in situ from convenient precursors. In an ideal case, the rate of release of the reagent would be matched to the rate of its âcaptureâ in the desired chemical reaction, thereby preventing the reagent from accumulating and minimizing any opportunity for decomposition. However, this synchronization is rarely achieved or even attempted: The rate of release is usually dictated by the conditions of the reaction (1), rather than being regulated by capture of the reagent. In this issue, Tellis et al. (2) on page 433 and Zuo et al. (3) on page 437 independently report the use of iridium photocatalysis (4, 5) to supply highly reactive radical coupling partners (Râ
) to a nickel-catalyzed carbon-carbon bond-forming process (see the figure). Intriguingly, the two points of contact between the iridium and nickel cycles enforce autoregulated release of the radical, ensuring its efficient capture by nickel rather than its decomposition via other pathways
An Accurate, Easy to Use Abundace Scale for Globular Clusters Based on 2.2um Spectra of Giant Stars
We present a new method for the determination of [Fe/H] for globular
clusters. This new method is based on moderate resolution (R~1500) near-IR
spectroscopy in the K-band of 6 to 10 of the brightest giants in a cluster. Our
calibration is derived from spectra of 105 stars in 15 globular clusters. From
measurements of the equivalent widths of three features in these spectra, Na,
Ca, and CO, we are able to reproduce the Zinn & West (1984) abundance scale as
updated by Harris (1996) to better than 0.10 dex for clusters with near solar
[Fe/H] down to an [Fe/H] of -1.8. Three advantages of this method are that it
can be used for metal rich, heavily reddened globulars in crowded fields, it
does not require any knowledge of any other cluster or stellar parameters such
as reddening, distance, or luminosity, and it requires only minimal telescope
time. If stellar (J-K)0 and MK values are available as well, the accuracy of
the [Fe/H] estimate is further improved. Observations of as few as three stars
per cluster still gives an [Fe/H] estimate wich is nearly as reliable as that
based on two to three times as many stars.
The accuracy of an [Fe/H] value based on observations of CO absorption alone
is significantly less than that which results from the three spectroscopic
indices. However, we predict that space-based observations of this feature in
the integrated light of stellar systems will prove to be of great value for
abundance determinations at distances as far as the Coma cluster of galaxies.Comment: 53 pages, 16 Postscript figures. Submitted to the A
Fundamental parameters of Cepheids. V. Additional photometry and radial velocity for southern Cepheids
I present photometric and radial velocity data for Galactic Cepheids, most of
them being in the southern hemisphere. There are 1250 Geneva 7-color
photometric measurements for 62 Cepheids, the average uncertainty per
measurement is better than 0.01 mag. A total of 832 velocity measurements have
been obtained with the CORAVEL radial velocity spectrograph for 46 Cepheids.
The average accuracy of the radial velocity data is 0.38 km/s. There are 33
stars with both photometry and radial velocity data. I discuss the possible
binarity or period change that these new data reveal. I also present reddenings
for all Cepheids with photometry. The data are available electronically.Comment: To appear in ApJS. Data available electronically at
ftp://cfa-ftp.harvard.edu/pub/dbersier
ISOGAL Survey of Baade's Windows in the Mid-infrared
The ISOGAL mid-infrared survey of areas close to the Galactic Plane aims to
determine their stellar content and its possible bearing on the history of the
Galaxy. The NGC6522 and Sgr I Baade's Windows of low obscuration towards the
inner parts of the Bulge represent ideal places in which to calibrate and
understand the ISOGAL colour-magnitude diagrams.
The survey observations were made with the ISOCAM instrument of the ISO
satellite. The filter bands chosen were LW2(~7 microns) and LW3(~15 microns).
The results presented here show that most of the detected objects are late
M-type giants on the AGB, with a cut-off for those earlier than M3-M4. The most
luminous members of these two Bulge fields at 7 microns are the Mira variables.
However, it is evident that they represent the end of a sequence of increasing
15 micron dust emission which commences with M giants of earlier sub-type.
In observations of late-type giants the ISOCAM 15 micron band is mainly
sensitive to the cool silicate or aluminate dust shells which overwhelm the
photospheric emission. However, in ordinary M-giant stars, the 7 micron band is
not strongly affected by dust emission and may be influenced instead by
absorption. The nu2 band of water at 6.25 microns and the SiO fundamental at
7.9 microns are likely contribitors to this effect.
A group of late M stars has been found which vary little or not at all but
have infrared colours typical of well-developed dust shells. Their luminosities
are similar to those of 200-300 day Miras but they have slightly redder
[7]-[15] colours which form an extension of the ordinary M giant sequence.
The Mira dust shells show a mid-infrared [7]-[15] colour-period relation. ca
700 days.Comment: 13 pages 15 figure
Readmission after discharge from acute mental healthcare among 231 988 people in England: cohort study exploring predictors of readmission including availability of acute day units in local areas
Background:
In the UK, acute mental healthcare is provided by in-patient wards and crisis resolution teams. Readmission to acute care following discharge is common. Acute day units (ADUs) are also provided in some areas.
Aims:
To assess predictors of readmission to acute mental healthcare following discharge in England, including availability of ADUs.
Method:
We enrolled a national cohort of adults discharged from acute mental healthcare in the English National Health Service (NHS) between 2013 and 2015, determined the risk of readmission to either in-patient or crisis teams, and used multivariable, multilevel logistic models to evaluate predictors of readmission.
Results:
Of a total of 231 998 eligible individuals discharged from acute mental healthcare, 49 547 (21.4%) were readmitted within 6 months, with a median time to readmission of 34 days (interquartile range 10â88 days). Most variation in readmission (98%) was attributable to individual patient-level rather than provider (trust)-level effects (2.0%). Risk of readmission was not associated with local availability of ADUs (adjusted odds ratio 0.96, 95% CI 0.80â1.15). Statistically significant elevated risks were identified for participants who were female, older, single, from Black or mixed ethnic groups, or from more deprived areas. Clinical predictors included shorter index admission, psychosis and being an in-patient at baseline.
Conclusions:
Relapse and readmission to acute mental healthcare are common following discharge and occur early. Readmission was not influenced significantly by trust-level variables including availability of ADUs. More support for relapse prevention and symptom management may be required following discharge from acute mental healthcare
Descriptive oceanography during the Frontal AirâSea Interaction Experiment: Mediumâ to largeâscale variability
Mediumâ and largeâscale oceanographic variability in the Sargasso Sea is examined during the Frontal AirâSea Interaction Experiment (FASINEX), focusing primarily on processes that influence the formation of subtropical fronts. From Fall to Spring the mean meridional gradient of meridional Ekman transport in the Subtropical Convergence Zone (STCZ) enhances the meridional sea surface temperature (Ts) gradients between 26° and 32°N. In the presence of this enhanced mean gradient, baroclinic eddies with zonal wavelengths of â800 km and periods of â200 days exert the dominant influence on the formation of subtropical fronts at medium and large scales. These eddies generate westward propagating Ts anomaly features with the same dominant wavelengths and periods. They are confined between 26° and 32°N and have amplitudes that occasionally exceed ±1°C. Ts fronts tend to be found within bands â200 km wide that roughly follow the periphery of these anomaly features. Deformation in the horizontal eddy current field is primarily responsible for the existence of these frontal bands. The migration of the strong front originally bracketed by the FASINEX moored array was related to the westward propagation of the largerâscale eddy/anomaly/frontalâband pattern. The moored array was located within a warmâanomaly feature during most of the experiment, which produced exceptionally warm conditions in the upper ocean. These anomalies are confined between 26° and 32°N, not only because the relatively large seasonal mean Tsy there allows horizontal eddy currents to force strong anomalies, but also because the baroclinic eddies with wavelengths of â800 km and periods of â200 days are confined to the STCZ. Large meridional variability exists in many properties of the eddy field, much of which can be traced to the influence of the Sargasso Sea mean current field on eddy variability
A comparison of clinical outcomes, service satisfaction and well-being in people using acute day units and crisis resolution teams: cohort study in England.
BACKGROUND: For people in mental health crisis, acute day units (ADUs) provide daily structured sessions and peer support in non-residential settings, often as an addition or alternative to crisis resolution teams (CRTs). There is little recent evidence about outcomes for those using ADUs, particularly compared with those receiving CRT care alone. AIMS: We aimed to investigate readmission rates, satisfaction and well-being outcomes for people using ADUs and CRTs. METHOD: We conducted a cohort study comparing readmission to acute mental healthcare during a 6-month period for ADU and CRT participants. Secondary outcomes included satisfaction (Client Satisfaction Questionnaire), well-being (Short Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale) and depression (Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale). RESULTS: We recruited 744 participants (ADU: n = 431, 58%; CRT: n = 312, 42%) across four National Health Service trusts/health regions. There was no statistically significant overall difference in readmissions: 21% of ADU participants and 23% of CRT participants were readmitted over 6 months (adjusted hazard ratio 0.78, 95% CI 0.54-1.14). However, readmission results varied substantially by setting. At follow-up, ADU participants had significantly higher Client Satisfaction Questionnaire scores (2.5, 95% CI 1.4-3.5, P < 0.001) and well-being scores (1.3, 95% CI 0.4-2.1, P = 0.004), and lower depression scores (-1.7, 95% CI -2.7 to -0.8, P < 0.001), than CRT participants. CONCLUSIONS: Patients who accessed ADUs demonstrated better outcomes for satisfaction, well-being and depression, and no significant differences in risk of readmission, compared with those who only used CRTs. Given the positive outcomes for patients, and the fact that ADUs are inconsistently provided in the National Health Service, their value and place in the acute care pathway needs further consideration and research
Galactic Structure Toward the Carina Tangent
This investigation presents a photometric study of the Galactic structure
toward the Carina arm tangent. The field is located between 280 deg and 286 deg
galactic longitude and -4 deg to 4 deg galactic latitude. All currently
available uvbybeta data is used to obtain homogeneous color excesses and
distances for more than 260 stars of spectral types O to G. We present revised
distances and average extinction for the open clusters and cluster candidates
NGC 3293, NGC 3114, Loden 46 and Loden 112. The cluster candidate Loden 112
appears to be a very compact group at a true distance modulus of 11.06 +\- 0.11
(s.e.) (1629 +84,-80 pc), significantly closer than previous estimates. We
found other OB stars at that same distance and, based on their proper motions,
suggest a new OB association at coordinates 282 deg < l < 285 deg, -2 deg < b <
2 deg. Utilizing BV photometry and spectral classification of the known O-type
stars in the very young open cluster Wd 2 we provide a new distance estimate of
14.13 +\-0.16 (s.e.) (6698 +512,-475 pc), in excellent agreement with recent
distance determinations to the giant molecular structures in this direction. We
also discuss a possible connection between the HII region RCW 45 and the
highly-reddened B+ star CPD -55 3036 and provide a revised distance for the
luminous blue variable HR Car.Comment: accepted to PAS
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