Radial dependence of line profile variability in seven O9--B0.5 stars

Massive stars show a variety of spectral variability: presence of discrete absorption components in UV P-Cygni profiles, optical line profile variability, X-ray variability, radial velocity modulations. Our goal is to study the spectral variability of single OB stars to better understand the relation between photospheric and wind variability. For that, we rely on high spectral resolution, high signal-to-noise ratio optical spectra collected with the spectrograph NARVAL on the Telescope Bernard Lyot at Pic du Midi. We investigate the variability of twelve spectral lines by means of the Temporal Variance Spectrum (TVS). The selected lines probe the radial structure of the atmosphere, from the photosphere to the outer wind. We also perform a spectroscopic analysis with atmosphere models to derive the stellar and wind properties, and to constrain the formation region of the selected lines. We show that variability is observed in the wind lines of all bright giants and supergiants, on a daily timescale. Lines formed in the photosphere are sometimes variable, sometimes not. The dwarf stars do not show any sign of variability. If variability is observed on a daily timescale, it can also (but not always) be observed on hourly timescales, albeit with lower amplitude. There is a very clear correlation between amplitude of the variability and fraction of the line formed in the wind. Strong anti-correlations between the different part of the temporal variance spectrum are observed. Our results indicate that variability is stronger in lines formed in the wind. A link between photospheric and wind variability is not obvious from our study, since wind variability is observed whatever the level of photospheric variability. Different photospheric lines also show different degrees of variability.Comment: 13 pages, 9 figures + appendix. A&A accepted. Figures degraded for arxiv submissio

The cost channel reconsidered: a comment using an identification-robust approach

We re-examine the empirical relevance of the cost channel of monetary policy (e.g. Ravenna and Walsh, 2006), employing recently developed moment-conditions inference methods, including identification-robust procedures. Using US data, our results suggest that the cost channel effect is poorly identified and we are thus unable to corroborate the previous results in the literature.Cost channel; Phillips curve; GMM; Generalized Empirical Likelihood; Weak Identification.

The Properties of Cointegration Tests in Models with Structural Change

In this paper we examine, by means of Monte Carlo simulation, the properties of several cointegration tests when long run parameters are subject to structural changes. We allow for different types of stochastic and deterministic regime shifts, more specifically, changes governed by Markov chains, martingale parameter variation, sudden multiple breaks and gradual changes. Our Monte Carlo analysis reveals that tests with cointegration as the null hypothesis perform badly, while tests with the null of no cointegration retain much of their usefulness in this context.Structural change; Cointegration; Tests; Monte Carlo

The Forecast Performance of Long Memory and Markov Switching Models

Recent research has focused on the links between long memory and structural change, stressing the long memory properties that may arise in models with parameter changes. In this paper, we contribute to this research by comparing the forecasting abilities of long memory and Markov switching models. Two approaches are employed: a Monte Carlo study and an empirical comparison, using the quarterly Consumer Price inflation rate in Portugal in the period 1968-1998. Although long memory models may capture some in-sample features of the data, when shifts occur in the series considered, their forecast performance is relatively poor, when compared with simple linear and Markov switching models. Moreover, our findings, in a more general framework, are in accordance with the works of Clements and Hendry (1998) and Clements and Krolzig (1998), reinforcing the idea that simple linear time series models remain useful tools for prediction.Long Memory; Structural change; Forecasting

Gravitational energy of rotating black holes

In the teleparallel equivalent of general relativity the energy density of asymptotically flat gravitational fields can be naturaly defined as a scalar density restricted to a three-dimensional spacelike hypersurface $\Sigma$. Integration over the whole $\Sigma$ yields the standard ADM energy. After establishing the reference space with zero gravitational energy we obtain the expression of the localized energy for a Kerr black hole. The expression of the energy inside a surface of constant radius can be explicitly calculated in the limit of small $a$, the specific angular momentum. Such expression turns out to be exactly the same as the one obtained by means of the method preposed recently by Brown and York. We also calculate the energy contained within the outer horizon of the black hole for {\it any} value of $a$. The result is practically indistinguishable from $E=2M_{ir}$, where $M_{ir}$ is the irreducible mass of the black hole.Comment: 18 pages, LaTex file, one figur

Effects on the Non-Relativistic Dynamics of a Charged Particle Interacting with a Chern-Simons Potential

The hydrogen atom in two dimensions, described by a Schr\"odinger equation with a Chern-Simons potential, is numerically solved. Both its wave functions and eigenvalues were determined for small values of the principal quantum number $n$. The only possible states correspond to $l=0$. How the result depends on the topological mass of the photon is also discussed. In the case $n=1$, the energy of the fundamental state corresponding to different choice for the photon mass scale are found to be comprehended in the interval $-3,5 \times 10^{-3} eV \leq E \leq -9,0 \times 10^{-2} eV$, corresponding to a mean radius of the electron in the range $(5.637 \pm 0.005) \times 10^{-8}$~cm $\leq \leq (48.87 \pm 0.03) \times 10^{-8}$~cm. In any case, the planar atom is found to be very weekly bounded showing some features similar to the Rydberg atoms in three dimensions with a Coulombian interaction.Comment: 6 pages, 5 figure