FUV variability of HD 189733. Is the star accreting material from its hot Jupiter?

Hot Jupiters are subject to strong irradiation from the host stars and, as a consequence, they do evaporate. They can also interact with the parent stars by means of tides and magnetic fields. Both phenomena have strong implications for the evolution of these systems. Here we present time resolved spectroscopy of HD~189733 observed with the Cosmic Origin Spectrograph (COS) on board to HST. The star has been observed during five consecutive HST orbits, starting at a secondary transit of the planet ($\phi$ ~0.50-0.63). Two main episodes of variability of ion lines of Si, C, N and O are detected, with an increase of line fluxes. Si IV lines show the highest degree of variability. The FUV variability is a signature of enhanced activity in phase with the planet motion, occurring after the planet egress, as already observed three times in X-rays. With the support of MHD simulations, we propose the following interpretation: a stream of gas evaporating from the planet is actively and almost steadily accreting onto the stellar surface, impacting at $70-90\deg$ ahead of the sub-planetary point.Comment: 35 pages, 19 Figures. Accepted for publication to Ap

Local quasiparticle density of states of superconducting SmFeAsO1−x1-xFxx single crystals: Evidence for spin-mediated pairing

We probe the local quasiparticles density-of-states in micron-sized SmFeAsO$_{1-x}$F$_{x}$ single-crystals by means of Scanning Tunnelling Spectroscopy. Spectral features resemble those of cuprates, particularly a dip-hump-like structure developed at energies larger than the gap that can be ascribed to the coupling of quasiparticles to a collective mode, quite likely a resonant spin mode. The energy of the collective mode revealed in our study decreases when the pairing strength increases. Our findings support spin-fluctuation-mediated pairing in pnictides.Comment: 11 pages, 4 figure

Comment on ``Quasiparticle Spectra around a Single Vortex in a d-wave Superconductor''

In a recent Letter Morita, Kohmoto and Maki analyzed the structure of quasiparticle states near a single vortex in a d-wave superconductor using an approximate version of the Bogoliubov - de Gennes theory. Their principal result is the existence of a bound state within the core region at finite energy with full rotational symmetry, which they assert explains the recent scanning tunneling microscopy results on YBCO single crystals. Here we argue that the approximation used in this work is fundamentally inadequate for the description of a d-wave vortex and that the obtained circular symmetry of the local density of states is an unphysical artifact of this approximation.Comment: 1 page REVTeX, to appear in PR

Strong-coupling analysis of scanning tunneling spectra in Bi2_2Sr2_2Ca2_2Cu3_3O10+δ_{10+\delta}

We study a series of spectra measured in the superconducting state of optimally-doped Bi-2223 by scanning tunneling spectroscopy. Each spectrum, as well as the average of spectra presenting the same gap, is fitted using a strong-coupling model taking into account the band structure, the BCS gap, and the interaction of electrons with the spin resonance. After describing our measurements and the main characteristics of the strong-coupling model, we report the whole set of parameters determined from the fits, and we discuss trends as a function of the gap magnitude. We also simulate angle-resolved photoemission spectra, and compare with recent experimental results.Comment: Published versio

Polaronic signature in the metallic phase of La0.7Ca0.3MnO3 films detected by scanning tunneling spectroscopy

In this work we map tunnel conductance curves with nanometric spatial resolution, tracking polaronic quasiparticle excitations when cooling across the insulator-to-metal transition in La0.7Ca0.3MnO3 films. In the insulating phase the spectral signature of polarons, a depletion of conductance at low bias flanked by peaks, is detected all over the scanned surface. These features are still observed at the transition and persist on cooling into the metallic phase. Polaron-binding energy maps reveal that polarons are not confined to regions embedded in a highly-conducting matrix but are present over the whole field of view both above and below the transition temperature.Comment: 10 pages, 4 figure

ka band phase locked loop oscillator dielectric resonator oscillator for satellite ehf band receiver

This paper describes the design and fabrication of a Ka Band PLL DRO having a fundamental oscillation frequency of 19.250 GHz, used as local oscillator in the low-noise block of a down converter (LNB) for an EHF band receiver. Apposite circuital models have been created to describe the behaviour of the dielectric resonator and of the active component used in the oscillator core. The DRO characterization and measurements have shown very good agreement with simulation results. A good phase noise performance is obtained by using a very highQdielectric resonator

Coordinated X-ray and Optical observations of Star-Planet Interaction in HD 17156

The large number of close-in Jupiter-size exoplanets prompts the question whether star-planet interaction (SPI) effects can be detected. We focused our attention on the system HD 17156, having a Jupiter-mass planet in a very eccentric orbit. Here we present results of the XMM-Newton observations and of a five months coordinated optical campaign with the HARPS-N spectrograph. We observed HD 17156 with XMM-Newton when the planet was approaching the apoastron and then at the following periastron passage, quasi simultaneously with HARPS-N. We obtained a clear ($\approx 5.5\sigma$) X-ray detection only at the periastron visit, accompanied by a significant increase of the $R'_{\rm HK}$ chromospheric index. We discuss two possible scenarios for the activity enhancement: magnetic reconnection and flaring or accretion onto the star of material tidally stripped from the planet. In any case, this is possibly the first evidence of a magnetic SPI effect caught in action

Vortex lattice structure in a d_{x^2-y^2}-wave superconductor

The vortex lattice structure in a d_{x^2-y^2}-wave superconductor is investigated near the upper critical magnetic field in the framework of the Ginzburg Landau theory extended by including the correction terms such as the higher order derivatives derived from the Gor'kov equation. On lowering temperature, the unit cell shape of the vortex lattice gradually varies from a regular triangular lattice to a square lattice through the shape of an isosceles triangle. As for the orientation of the vortex lattice, the base of an isosceles triangle is along the a axis or the b axis of the crystal. The fourfold symmetric structure around a vortex core is also studied in the vortex lattice case. It is noted that these characteristic features appear even in the case the induced s-wave order parameter is absent around the vortex of the d_{x^2-y^2}-wave superconductivity. We also investigate the effect of the induced s-wave order parameter. It enhances (suppresses) these characteristic features of the d_{x^2-y^2}-wave superconductor when the s-wave component of the interaction is attractive (repulsive).Comment: 20 pages, RevTex, 9 figures in 3 PS-files and 5 GIF-file

Optical spectroscopy of X-ray sources in the Taurus molecular cloud: discovery of ten new pre-main sequence stars

We have analyzed optical spectra of 25 X-ray sources identified as potential new members of the Taurus molecular cloud (TMC), in order to confirm their membership in this SFR. Fifty-seven candidates were previously selected among the X-ray sources in the XEST survey, having a 2MASS counterpart compatible with a PMS star based on color-magnitude and color-color diagrams. We obtained high-resolution optical spectra for 7 of these candidates with the SARG spectrograph at the TNG telescope, which were used to search for Li absorption and to measure the Ha line and the radial and rotational velocities; 18 low-resolution optical spectra obtained with DOLORES for other candidate members were used for spectral classification, for Ha measurements, and to assess membership together with IR color-color and color-magnitude diagrams and additional information from the X-ray data. We found that 3 sources show Li absorption, with equivalent widths of ~500 mA, broad spectral line profiles, indicating v sin i ~20-40 km/s, radial velocities consistent with those for known members, and Ha emission. Two of them are classified as new WTTSs, while the EW (~ -9 Ang) of the Ha line and its broad asymmetric profile clearly indicate that the third star (XEST-26-062) is a CTTS. Fourteen sources observed with DOLORES are M-type stars. Fifteen sources show Ha emission; 6 of them have spectra that indicate surface gravity lower than in MS stars, and their de-reddened positions in IR color-magnitude diagrams are consistent with their derived spectral type and with PMS models at the distance of the TMC. The K-type star XEST-11-078 is confirmed as a new member from the strength of its Ha emission line. Overall, we confirm membership to the TMC for 10 out of 25 X-ray sources observed in the optical. Three sources remain uncertain.Comment: 15 pages, 7 figures, accepted by Astronomy & Astrophysic

Theory of vortex excitation imaging via an NMR relaxation measurement

The temperature dependence of the site-dependent nuclear spin relaxation time T_1 around vortices is studied in s-wave and d-wave superconductors.Reflecting low energy electronic excitations associated with the vortex core, temperature dependences deviate from those of the zero-field case, and T_1 becomes faster with approaching the vortex core. In the core region, T_1^{-1} has a new peak below T_c. The NMR study by the resonance field dependence may be a new method to prove the spatial resolved vortex core structure in various superconductors.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figure