8,746 research outputs found
Search for nearby stars among proper motion stars selected by optical-to-infrared photometry. II. Two late M dwarfs within 10 pc
We have identified two late M dwarfs within 10 parsecs of the Sun, by
cross-correlating the Luyten NLTT catalogue of stars with proper motions larger
than 0.18 arcsec/yr, with objects lacking optical identification in the 2MASS
data base. The 2MASS photometry was then combined with improved optical
photometry obtained from the SuperCOSMOS Sky Surveys. The two objects (LP775-31
and LP655-48) have extremely red optical-to-infrared colours ((R-K)~7) and very
bright infrared magnitudes (K_s<10): follow-up optical spectroscopy with the
ESO 3.6-m telescope gave spectral types of M8.0 and M7.5 dwarfs, respectively.
Comparison of their near-infrared magnitudes with the absolute magnitudes of
known M8 and M7.5 dwarfs with measured trigonometric parallaxes yields
spectroscopic distance estimates of 6.4+/-1.4 parsecs and 8.0+/-1.6 parsecs for
LP775-31 and LP655-48, respectively. In contrast, Cruz & Reid (2002) recently
determined spectral types of M6 for both objects, and commensurately larger
distances of 11.3+/-1.3 parsecs and 15.3+/-2.6 parsecs. LP655-48 is also a
bright X-ray source (1RXS J044022.8-053020). With only a few late M dwarfs
previously known within 10 parsecs, these two objects represent an important
addition to the census of the Solar neighbourhood.Comment: Astronomy & Astrophysics (Letters), in press; 5 pages, 1 figure, uses
aa.cls version 5.
SSSPM J1444-2019: an extremely high proper motion, ultracool subdwarf
We present the discovery of a new extreme high proper motion object (3.5
arcsec/year) which we classify as an ultracool subdwarf with [M/H] = -0.5. It
has a formal spectral type of sdM9 but also shows L-type features: while the VO
bands are completely absent, it exhibits extremely strong TiO absorption in its
optical spectrum. With a radial velocity of about -160 km/s and a rough
distance estimate of 16--24 pc, it is likely one of the nearest halo members
crossing the Solar neighbourhood with a heliocentric space velocity of
(U,V,W)=(-244,-256,-100)+/-(32,77,6) km/s.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures (Fig.1a-d available as jpg files), accepted for
publication in Astronomy & Astrophysics Letter
Spectroscopic classification of red high proper motion objects in the Southern Sky
We present the results of spectroscopic follow-up observations for a sample
of 71 red objects with high proper motions in the range 0.08-1.14 arcsec/yr as
detected using APM and SSS measurements of multi-epoch photographic Schmidt
plates. Red objects were selected by combining the photographic BjRI magnitudes
with 2MASS near-infrared JHKs magnitudes. Some 50 of the 71 spectroscopically
classified objects turn out to be late-type (>M6) dwarfs and in more detail,
the sample includes 35 ultracool dwarfs with spectral types between M8 and L2,
some previously reported, as well as five M-type subdwarfs, including a cool
esdM6 object, SSSPM J0500-5406. Distance estimates based on the spectral types
and 2MASS J magnitudes place almost all of the late-type (>M6) dwarfs within 50
pc, with 25 objects located inside the 25 pc limit of the catalogue of nearby
stars. Most of the early-type M dwarfs are located at larger distances of
100-200 pc, suggesting halo kinematics for some of them. All objects with
Halpha equivalent widths larger than 10 Angstroms have relatively small
tangential velocities (<50 km/s). Finally, some late-type but blue objects are
candidate binaries.Comment: accepted on 06 June 2005 for publication in A&A, 22 pages, 14
figures, 7 table
A U-band survey of brown dwarfs in the Taurus Molecular Cloud with the XMM-Newton Optical/UV Monitor
We aim to characterize the U-band variability of young brown dwarfs in the
Taurus Molecular Cloud and discuss its origin. We used the XMM-Newton Extended
Survey of the Taurus Molecular Cloud, where a sample of 11 young bona fide
brown dwarfs (spectral type later than M6) were observed simultaneously in
X-rays with XMM-Newton and in the U-band with the XMM-Newton Optical/UV Monitor
(OM). We obtained upper limits to the U-band emission of 10 brown dwarfs
(U>19.6-20.6 mag), whereas 2MASSJ04141188+2811535 was detected in the U-band.
Remarkably, the magnitude of this brown dwarf increased regularly from U~19.5
mag at the beginning of the observation, peaked 6h later at U~18.4 mag, and
then decreased to U~18.65 mag in the next 2h. The first OM U-band measurement
is consistent with the quiescent level observed about one year later thanks to
ground follow-up observations. This brown dwarf was not detected in X-rays by
XMM-Newton during the OM observation. We discuss the possible sources of U-band
variability for this young brown dwarf, namely a magnetic flare, non-steady
accretion onto the substellar surface, and rotational modulation of a hot spot.
We conclude that this event is related to accretion from a circumsubstellar
disk, where the mass accretion rate was about a factor of 3 higher than during
the quiescent level.Comment: 6 pages and 4 Figures. Accepted by A&A, to appear in a special
section/issue dedicated to the XMM-Newton Extended Survey of the Taurus
Molecular Cloud (XEST
New High Proper Motion Stars from the Digitized Sky Survey. II. Northern Stars with 0.5<mu<2.0 arcsec/yr at High Galactic Latitudes
In a continuation of our systematic search for high proper motion stars in
the Digitized Sky Survey, we have completed the analysis of northern sky fields
at galactic latitudes above 25 degrees. With the help of our SUPERBLINK
software, a powerful automated blink comparator developed by us, we have
identified 1146 stars in the magnitude range 8<r<20 with proper motions
0.500<mu<2.000 arcsec/yr. These include 1080 stars previously listed in
Luyten's proper motion catalogs (LHS, NLTT), 9 stars not previously listed in
the Luyten catalogs but reported elsewhere in the literature (including 1
previously reported by our team), and 57 new objects reported here for the
first time. This paper includes a list of positions, proper motions,
magnitudes, and finder charts for all the new high proper motion stars.
Combined with our previous study of low galactic latitude fields (see Paper I),
our survey now covers over 98% of the northern sky. We conclude that the Luyten
catalogs were 90% complete in the northern sky for stars with 0.5<mu<2.0
arcsec/yr down to magnitude r=19. We discuss the incompleteness of the old
Luyten proper motion survey, and estimate completeness limits for our new
survey.Comment: To appear in The Astronomical Journa
Photoemission of a doped Mott insulator: spectral weight transfer and qualitative Mott-Hubbard description
The spectral weight evolution of the low-dimensional Mott insulator TiOCl
upon alkali-metal dosing has been studied by photoelectron spectroscopy. We
observe a spectral weight transfer between the lower Hubbard band and an
additional peak upon electron-doping, in line with quantitative expectations in
the atomic limit for changing the number of singly and doubly occupied sites.
This observation is an unconditional hallmark of correlated bands and has not
been reported before. In contrast, the absence of a metallic quasiparticle peak
can be traced back to a simple one-particle effect.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, related theoretical work can be found in
arXiv:0905.1276; shortene
A cycling state that can lead to glassy dynamics in intracellular transport
Power-law dwell times have been observed for molecular motors in living
cells, but the origins of these trapped states are not known. We introduce a
minimal model of motors moving on a two-dimensional network of filaments, and
simulations of its dynamics exhibit statistics comparable to those observed
experimentally. Analysis of the model trajectories, as well as experimental
particle tracking data, reveals a state in which motors cycle unproductively at
junctions of three or more filaments. We formulate a master equation for these
junction dynamics and show that the time required to escape from this
vortex-like state can account for the power-law dwell times. We identify trends
in the dynamics with the motor valency for further experimental validation. We
demonstrate that these trends exist in individual trajectories of myosin II on
an actin network. We discuss how cells could regulate intracellular transport
and, in turn, biological function, by controlling their cytoskeletal network
structures locally
Astrometric proof of companionship for the L dwarf companion candidate GJ 1048B
Gizis et al. (2001) reported a companion candidate of spectral type L1 near
the K2 dwarf GJ 1048 using the Two Micron All-Sky Survey (2MASS). At that time
it was not possible to verify companionship astrometrically using the 2MASS
data alone due to the small proper motion of GJ 1048. We now show that both
objects share the same proper motion by using data from the UK Schmidt
Telescope Near-infrared (IVN) Southern Survey as the first epoch and data from
2MASS as the second epoch. Our technique of subtracting the PSF of the primary
from the SuperCOSMOS I scans of the Southern Survey enables the astrometry of
the companion candidate to be measured directly.Comment: Accepted to A&A 2004/03/14, 3 pages, 4 figure
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