183 research outputs found
The Low-Mass Companion to the Lithium-Depleted, Spectroscopic Binary HBC 425 (St 34)
We present high angular resolution, near-infrared imaging and spectroscopy of
a low-mass companion to the lithium-depleted, double-line spectroscopic binary
HBC 425 (St 34) obtained using the Near Infrared Spectrograph (NIRSPEC) and the
Keck II adaptive optics system. Positioned 1.23" southeast of the primary pair,
the companion, HBC 425C, is ~2.4 magnitudes fainter at 2.2 microns.
Moderate-resolution (R~2500) J- and K-band spectroscopy reveal HBC 425C to have
an M5.5 (+/-0.5) spectral type. Comparisons with pre-main sequence evolutionary
models imply a mass of ~0.09 M(Sun) and ages of 8-10 Myr, assuming the nominal
distance of Taurus-Auriga (~140 pc), or ~25 Myr if placed at ~90 pc. We also
present high dispersion, optical spectra of HBC 425 and HBC 425C obtained using
the High Resolution Echelle Spectrometer (HIRES) on Keck I. We detect strong Li
I 6708 absorption in the spectrum of HBC 425C. Using curves of growth for the
Li I 6708 doublet, we estimate its abundance level to lie between log N(Li)=1.9
and 3.1 dex. The spectrum of HBC 425 exhibits Ca II H & K, He I 5876, 6678, and
strong Balmer line emission, consistent with accretion. We place more
restrictive upper limits on the surface abundance of lithium and find that HBC
425 retains less than ~0.1% of its primordial abundance. The presence of
lithium in the photosphere of HBC 425C does not resolve the discrepancy between
isochronal and lithium depletion ages for the primary pair. However, if lithium
were depleted relative to interstellar abundance levels, even minimally,
considerable support would be gained for the more advanced age of this
hierarchical triple system.Comment: 16 pages, 6 figures, accepted for publication in the Publications of
the Astronomical Society of the Pacifi
Two close binaries across the hydrogen-burning limit in the Praesepe open cluster
We present Keck I/OSIRIS and Keck II/NIRC2 adaptive optics imaging of two
member candidates of the Praesepe stellar cluster (d=186.180.11 pc;
590-790 Myr), UGC J08451066+2148171 (L1.50.5) and UGCS J083019352003293
(no spectroscopic classification). We resolved UGCS J084510662148171 into a
binary system in the near-infrared, with a -band wavelength flux ratio of
0.890.04, a projected separation of 60.31.3 mas (11.20.7 au;
1). We also resolved UGCS J083019352003293 into a binary system with
a flux ratio of 0.460.03 and a separation of 62.50.9 mas. Assuming
zero eccentricity, we estimate minimum orbital periods of 100 years for
both systems. According to theoretical evolutionary models, we derive masses in
the range of 0.074-0.078 M and 0.072-0.076 M for the
primary and secondary of UGCS J084510662148171 for an age of 700100
Myr. In the case of UGCS J083019352003293, the primary is a low-mass star at
the stellar/substellar boundary (0.070-0.078 M) while the companion
candidate might be a brown dwarf (0.051-0.065 M). These are the first
two binaries composed of L dwarfs in Praesepe. They are benchmark systems to
derive the location of the substellar limit at the age and metallicity of
Praesepe, determine the age of the cluster based on the lithium depletion
boundary test, derive dynamical masses, and improve low-mass stellar and
substellar evolutionary models at a well-known age and metallicity.Comment: 12 pages, 5 figures, 3 tables, accepted for publication in MNRA
Variability and multi-periodic oscillations in the X-ray light curve of the classical nova V4743 Sgr
The classical nova V4743 Sgr was observed with XMM-Newton for about 10 hours
on April 4 2003, 6.5 months after optical maximum. At this time, this nova had
become the brightest supersoft X-ray source ever observed. We present the
results of a time series analysis performed on the X-ray light curve obtained
in this observation, and in a previous shorter observation done with Chandra 16
days earlier. Intense variability, with amplitude as large as 40% of the total
flux, was observed both times. Similarities can be found between the two
observations in the structure of the variations. Most of the variability is
well represented as a combination of oscillations at a set of discrete
frequencies lower than 1.7 mHz. At least five frequencies are constant over the
16 day time interval between the two observations. We suggest that a periods in
the power spectrum of both light curves at the frequency of 0.75 mHz and its
first harmonic are related to the spin period of the white dwarf in the system,
and that other observed frequencies are signatures of nonradial white dwarf
pulsations. A possible signal with a 24000 sec period is also found in the
XMM-Newton light curve: a cycle and a half are clearly identified. This period
is consistent with the 24278 s periodicity discovered in the optical light
curve of the source and thought to be the orbital period of the nova binary
system.Comment: In press in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Societ
Swift X-ray Observations of Classical Novae
The new gamma-ray burst mission Swift has obtained pointed observations of
several classical novae in outburst. We analyzed all the observations of
classical novae from the Swift archive up to 30 June, 2006. We analyzed usable
observations of 12 classical novae and found 4 non-detections, 3 weak sources
and 5 strong sources. This includes detections of 2 novae exhibiting spectra
resembling those of Super Soft X-ray binary Source spectra (SSS) implying
ongoing nuclear burning on the white dwarf surface. With these new Swift data,
we add to the growing statistics of the X-ray duration and characteristics of
classical novae.Comment: Accepted for ApJ; this version contains additional material: 18
pages, 16 figure
Reduced T Regulatory Cell Response during Acute Plasmodium falciparum Infection in Malian Children Co-Infected with Schistosoma haematobium
Regulatory T cells (Tregs) suppress host immune responses and participate in immune homeostasis. In co-infection, secondary parasite infections may disrupt the immunologic responses induced by a pre-existing parasitic infection. We previously demonstrated that schistosomiasis-positive (SP) Malian children, aged 4-8 years, are protected against the acquisition of malaria compared to matched schistosomiasis-negative (SN) children.To determine if Tregs contribute to this protection, we performed immunologic and Treg depletion in vitro studies using PBMC acquired from children with and without S. haematobium infection followed longitudinally for the acquisition of malaria. Levels of Tregs were lower in children with dual infections compared to children with malaria alone (0.49 versus 1.37%, respectively, P = 0.004) but were similar months later, during a period with negligible malaria transmission. The increased levels of Tregs in SN subjects were associated with suppressed serum Th1 cytokine levels, as well as elevated parasitemia compared to co-infected counterparts.These results suggest that lower levels of Tregs in helminth-infected children correlate with altered circulating cytokine and parasitologic results which may play a partial role in mediating protection against falciparum malaria
Keck-I MOSFIRE spectroscopy of compact star-forming galaxies at z2: High velocity dispersions in progenitors of compact quiescent galaxies
We present Keck-I MOSFIRE near-infrared spectroscopy for a sample of 13
compact star-forming galaxies (SFGs) at redshift with star
formation rates of SFR100M y and masses of
log(M/M). Their high integrated gas velocity dispersions of
=230 km s, as measured from emission
lines of H and [OIII], and the resultant
M relation and MM all
match well to those of compact quiescent galaxies at , as measured from
stellar absorption lines. Since log(M/M)
dex, these compact SFGs appear to be dynamically relaxed and more evolved,
i.e., more depleted in gas and dark matter (13\%) than their
non-compact SFG counterparts at the same epoch. Without infusion of external
gas, depletion timescales are short, less than 300 Myr. This discovery
adds another link to our new dynamical chain of evidence that compact SFGs at
are already losing gas to become the immediate progenitors of
compact quiescent galaxies by .Comment: 12 pages, 7 figures, submitted to Ap
Antigen-Specific B Memory Cell Responses to Plasmodium falciparum Malaria Antigens and Schistosoma haematobium Antigens in Co-Infected Malian Children
Polyparasitism is common in the developing world. We have previously demonstrated that schistosomiasis-positive (SP) Malian children have age-dependent protection from malaria compared to matched schistosomiasis-negative (SN) children. Evidence of durable immunologic memory to malaria antigens is conflicting, particularly in young children and the effect of concomitant schistomiasis upon acquisition of memory is unknown. We examined antigen-specific B memory cell (MBC) frequencies (expressed as percentage of total number of IgG-secreting cells) in 84 Malian children aged 4–14 to malaria blood-stage antigens, apical membrane antigen 1 (AMA-1) and merozoite surface protein 1 (MSP-1) and to schistosomal antigens, Soluble Worm Antigenic Preparation (SWAP) and Schistosoma Egg Antigen (SEA), at a time point during the malaria transmission season and a follow-up dry season visit. We demonstrate, for the first time, MBC responses to S. haematobium antigens in Malian children with urinary egg excretion and provide evidence of seasonal acquisition of immunologic memory, age-associated differences in MBC acquisition, and correlation with circulating S. haematobium antibody. Moreover, the presence of a parasitic co-infection resulted in older children, aged 9–14 years, with underlying S. haematobium infection having significantly more MBC response to malaria antigens (AMA1 and MSP1) than their age-matched SN counterparts. We conclude that detectable MBC response can be measured against both malaria and schistosomal antigens and that the presence of S. haematobium may be associated with enhanced MBC induction in an age-specific manner
The Early Spectrophotometric Evolution of V1186 Scorpii (Nova Scorpii 2004 #1)
We report optical photometry and optical through mid-infrared spectroscopy of
the classical nova V1186 Sco. This slowly developing nova had an complex light
curve with multiple secondary peaks similar to those seen in PW Vul. The time
to decline 2 magnitudes, t, was 20 days but the erratic nature of the light
curve makes determination of intrinsic properties based on the decline time
(e.g., luminosity) problematic, and the often cited MMRD relationship of Della
Valle and Livio (1995) fails to yield a plausible distance. Spectra covering
0.35 to 35 m were obtained in two separate epochs during the first year of
outburst. The first set of spectra, taken about 2 months after visible maximum,
are typical of a CO-type nova with narrow line emission from \ion{H}{1},
\ion{Fe}{2}, \ion{O}{1} and \ion{He}{1}. Later data, obtained between 260 and
380 days after maximum, reveal an emerging nebular spectrum. \textit{Spitzer}
spectra show weakening hydrogen recombination emission with the emergence of
[\ion{Ne}{2}] (12.81 m) as the strongest line. Strong emission from
[\ion{Ne}{3}] (15.56 m) is also detected. Photoionization models with low
effective temperature sources and only marginal neon enhancement (Ne 1.3
Ne) are consistent with these IR fine-structure neon lines indicating
that V1186 Sco did not occur on a ONeMg white dwarf. In contrast, the slow and
erratic light curve evolution, spectral development, and photoionization
analysis of the ejecta imply the outburst occurred on a low mass CO white
dwarf. We note that this is the first time strong [\ion{Ne}{2}] lines have been
detected so early in the outburst of a CO nova and suggests that the presence
of mid-infrared neon lines is not directly indicative of a ONeMg nova event.Comment: 7 figures, 37 pages. Astronimocal Journal accepte
Operational Performance of MOSFIRE with Its Cryogenic Configurable Slitmask Unit at the W. M. Keck Observatory
The Multi-Object Spectrograph for Infrared Exploration (MOSFIRE) achieved first light on the W. M. Keck Observatory’s Keck I telescope on 4 April 2012 and quickly became the most popular Keck I instrument. One of the primary reasons for the instrument’s popularity is that it uses a configurable slitmask unit developed by the Centre Suisse d’Electronique et Microtechnique (CSEM SA) to isolate the light from up to 46 objects simultaneously. In collaboration with the instrument development team and CSEM engineers, the Keck observatory staff present how MOSFIRE is successfully used, and we identify what contributed to routine and trouble free nighttime operations
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