Disc atmospheres and winds in X-ray binaries

We review the current status of studies of disc atmospheres and winds in low mass X-ray binaries. We discuss the possible wind launching mechanisms and compare the predictions of the models with the existent observations. We conclude that a combination of thermal and radiative pressure (the latter being relevant at high luminosities) can explain the current observations of atmospheres and winds in both neutron star and black hole binaries. Moreover, these winds and atmospheres could contribute significantly to the broad iron emission line observed in these systems.Comment: Accepted for publication in Acta Polytechnica. Invited review talk at the Vulcano Workshop 2012: "Frontier Objects in Astrophysics and Particle Physics

Northern European retired residents in nine southern European areas: characteristics, motivations and adjustment

During the last two decades, northern European retirement residence in the southern European sunbelt has grown strongly and its forms have rapidly changed, but standard demographic and social statistical sources provide no information about the flows, the migrants or their increasingly mobile and complex residential patterns. Considerable primary research has however recently been undertaken into the causes, conditions, experiences and consequences of international retirement migration (IRM) by investigators from Germany, Spain, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. Many collaborated when designing their studies and instruments, and all have subsequently worked together in a European Science Foundation Scientific Network. This paper compares the findings of six systematic social surveys in (to be more precise than the title) eight regions of southern Europe and the Canary Islands: all that have tackled similar research questions with similar methods and instruments. It presents interpretations of several comparative tables compiled from their original data, with a focus on the socio-economic backgrounds, motivations and behaviour of the various migrant groups and their relationship with the host and home countries. The paper presents new findings about the typical and variant forms of IRM, and additional understanding of the heterogeneity of the retirees of different nations and in the several regions

Involved, Invisible, Ignored: The Experiences of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Parents and Their Children in Our Nation's K-12 Schools

Current estimates suggest there are upwards of 7 million lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) parents with dependent children in the United States, and it is likely that these numbers have been increasing over recent years. Yet little is known about the life experiences of this population of families in general and even less is know about the experiences of these families when interacting with their children's schools.This national study conducted by GLSEN in partnership with the Family Equality Council and COLAGE (Children of Lesbians and Gays Everywhere), examines and highlights the school experiences of LGBT-headed families using results from surveys of LGBT parents of children in K-12 schools and of secondary students who have LGBT parents.The study examines the family-school relationship, including family-school communication, parental involvement in school activities, parent-child discussions about school, parental role in educating school staff about LGBT families and the quality of treatment by school staff and by other members of the school community

A search for brown-dwarf like secondaries in cataclysmic variables

We present VTL/ISAAC infrared spectroscopy of a sample of short orbital period cataclysmic variables which are candidates for harboring substellar companions. We have detected the KI and NaI absorption lines of the companion star in VY Aqr. The overall spectral distribution in this system is best fit with a M9.5 type dwarf spectra, implying a distance of $100 \pm 10$ pc. VY Aqr seems to fall far from the theoretical distribution of secondary star temperatures around the orbital period minimum. Fitting of the IR spectral energy distribution (SED) was performed by comparing the observed spectrum with late-type templates. The application of such a spectral fitting procedure suggests that the continuum shape in the 1.1-2.5 $\mu$m spectral region in short orbital period cataclysmic variables may be an useful indicator of the companion spectral type. The SED fitting for RZ Leo and CU Vel suggests M5 type dwarf companions, and distances of 340 $\pm$ 110 and 150 $\pm$ 50 pc, respectively. These systems may be placed in the upper evolution branch for short period cataclysmic variables.Comment: accepted for publication in MNRAS, 6 pages, 7 figure