HD 152246 - a new high-mass triple system and its basic properties

Analyses of multi-epoch, high-resolution (R ~ 50.000) optical spectra of the O-type star HD 152246 (O9 IV according to the most recent classification), complemented by a limited number of earlier published radial velocities, led to the finding that the object is a hierarchical triple system, where a close inner pair (Ba-Bb) with a slightly eccentric orbit (e = 0.11) and a period of 6.0049 days revolves in a 470-day highly eccentric orbit (e = 0.865) with another massive and brighter component A. The mass ratio of the inner system must be low since we were unable to find any traces of the secondary spectrum. The mass ratio A/(Ba+Bb) is 0.89. The outer system has recently been resolved using long-baseline interferometry on three occasions. The interferometry confirms the spectroscopic results and specifies elements of the system. Our orbital solutions, including the combined radial-velocity and interferometric solution indicate an orbital inclination of the outer orbit of 112{\deg} and stellar masses of 20.4 and 22.8 solar masses. We also disentangled the spectra of components A and Ba and compare them to synthetic spectra from two independent programmes, TLUSTY and FASTWIND. In either case, the fit was not satisfactory and we postpone a better determination of the system properties for a future study, after obtaining observations during the periastron passage of the outer orbit (the nearest chance being March 2015). For the moment, we can only conclude that component A is an O9 IV star with v*sin(i) = 210 +\- 10 km/s and effective temperature of 33000 +\- 500 K, while component Ba is an O9 V object with v*sin(i) = 65 +/- 3 km/s and T_eff = 33600 +\- 600 K.Comment: 9 pages, 6 figures, accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysic

The final COS-B database: In-flight calibration of instrumental parameters

A method for the determination of temporal variation of sensitivity is designed to find a set of parameters which lead to maximum consistency between the intensities derived from different observation periods. This method is briefly described and the resulting sensitivity and background variations presented

Technical note: A new day- and night-time Meteosat Second Generation Cirrus Detection Algorithm MeCiDA

A new cirrus detection algorithm for the Spinning Enhanced Visible and Infra-Red Imager (SEVIRI) aboard the geostationary Meteosat Second Generation (MSG), MeCiDA, is presented. The algorithm uses the seven infrared channels of SEVIRI and thus provides a consistent scheme for cirrus detection at day and night. MeCiDA combines morphological and multi-spectral threshold tests and detects optically thick and thin ice clouds. The thresholds were determined by a comprehensive theoretical study using radiative transfer simulations for various atmospheric situations as well as by manually evaluating actual satellite observations. The cirrus detection has been optimized for mid- and high latitudes but it could be adapted to other regions as well. The retrieved cirrus masks have been validated by comparison with the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) Cirrus Reflection Flag. To study possible seasonal variations in the performance of the algorithm, one scene per month of the year 2004 was randomly selected and compared with the MODIS flag. 81% of the pixels were classified identically by both algorithms. In a comparison of monthly mean values for Europe and the North-Atlantic MeCiDA detected 29.3% cirrus coverage, while the MODIS SWIR cirrus coverage was 38.1%. A lower detection efficiency is to be expected for MeCiDA, as the spatial resolution of MODIS is considerably better and as we used only the thermal infrared channels in contrast to the MODIS algorithm which uses infrared and visible radiances. The advantage of MeCiDA compared to retrievals for polar orbiting instruments or previous geostationary satellites is that it permits the derivation of quantitative data every 15 min, 24 h a day. This high temporal resolution allows the study of diurnal variations and life cycle aspects. MeCiDA is fast enough for near real-time applications

Precise location of Sagittarius X ray sources with a rocket-borne rotating modulation collimator

Precise location of Sagittarius X ray sources with rocket-borne rotating modulation collimato

Scientific basis for safely shutting in the Macondo Well after the April 20, 2010 Deepwater Horizon blowout

As part of the government response to the Deepwater Horizon blowout, a Well Integrity Team evaluated the geologic hazards of shutting in the Macondo Well at the seafloor and determined the conditions under which it could safely be undertaken. Of particular concern was the possibility that, under the anticipated high shut-in pressures, oil could leak out of the well casing below the seafloor. Such a leak could lead to new geologic pathways for hydrocarbon release to the Gulf of Mexico. Evaluating this hazard required analyses of 2D and 3D seismic surveys, seafloor bathymetry, sediment properties, geophysical well logs, and drilling data to assess the geological, hydrological, and geomechanical conditions around the Macondo Well. After the well was successfully capped and shut in on July 15, 2010, a variety of monitoring activities were used to assess subsurface well integrity. These activities included acquisition of wellhead pressure data, marine multichannel seismic pro- files, seafloor and water-column sonar surveys, and wellhead visual/acoustic monitoring. These data showed that the Macondo Well was not leaking after shut in, and therefore, it could remain safely shut until reservoir pressures were suppressed (killed) with heavy drilling mud and the well was sealed with cement

Search for periodicities near 59 s in the COS-B gamma-ray data of 2CG195+04 (Geminga)

The COS-B data relating to five observations in the general direction of Geminga, spanning 6.7 years, were searched for pulsation near 59 s. The SAS-2 indication is not confirmed. An indication of a 59 s pulsation in the gamma ray emission from 2CG195+04 (Geminga) was reported. Early analysis of COS-B data supported the result while later improved statistics did not confirm it. Subsequently, detection of a 59 s pulsation in the emission from the direction of Geminga at ultra high gamma and X-rays was reported. Geminga was identified with the X-ray source 1E0630+128. The final COS-B data on Geminga which was observed five times for a total of 214 days are reported

The Three body system delta Circini

Delta Cir is known as an O7.5 III eclipsing and spectroscopic binary with an eccentric orbit. Penny et al. discovered the presence of a third component in the IUE spectra. The eclipsing binary and the third body revolve around a common centre of gravity with a period of 1644 days in an eccentric orbit with the semimajor axis of 10 AU. We demonstrate the presence of the apsidal-line rotation with a period of about 141 years, which is considerably longer than its theoretically predicted value, based on the published radii of the binary components derived from the Hipparchos Hp light curve. However, our new solution of the same light curve resulted in smaller radii and a better agreement between the observed and predicted period of the apsidal- line advance. There are indications that the third body is a binary. The object was resolved by VLTI with the PIONIER combiner; in June 2012 the separation was 3.78 mas, magnitude difference in the H region 1.75 mag. This result means that (assuming the distance 770 pc) the inclination of the long orbit is 87.7 degrees.Comment: Accepted for publication in the Astronomical Journa

Uncertainty-Aware Organ Classification for Surgical Data Science Applications in Laparoscopy

Objective: Surgical data science is evolving into a research field that aims to observe everything occurring within and around the treatment process to provide situation-aware data-driven assistance. In the context of endoscopic video analysis, the accurate classification of organs in the field of view of the camera proffers a technical challenge. Herein, we propose a new approach to anatomical structure classification and image tagging that features an intrinsic measure of confidence to estimate its own performance with high reliability and which can be applied to both RGB and multispectral imaging (MI) data. Methods: Organ recognition is performed using a superpixel classification strategy based on textural and reflectance information. Classification confidence is estimated by analyzing the dispersion of class probabilities. Assessment of the proposed technology is performed through a comprehensive in vivo study with seven pigs. Results: When applied to image tagging, mean accuracy in our experiments increased from 65% (RGB) and 80% (MI) to 90% (RGB) and 96% (MI) with the confidence measure. Conclusion: Results showed that the confidence measure had a significant influence on the classification accuracy, and MI data are better suited for anatomical structure labeling than RGB data. Significance: This work significantly enhances the state of art in automatic labeling of endoscopic videos by introducing the use of the confidence metric, and by being the first study to use MI data for in vivo laparoscopic tissue classification. The data of our experiments will be released as the first in vivo MI dataset upon publication of this paper.Comment: 7 pages, 6 images, 2 table

Assessing cubicle dimensions for finishing bulls based on animal behaviour and cleanliness

Finishing bulls need increasingly large cubicles throughout their growth, and optimal cubicle dimensions may differ from those used for dairy cows. The space requirements of finishing bulls was investigated by observing standing-up and lying-down behaviour, lying duration and number of lying bouts, as well as the cleanliness of cubicles and animals before and after increasing cubicle size at four different points in time. Lying area in the cubicles measured 120 × 70 cm at the start and 185 × 110 cm at the end of the finishing period (approx. at 160 and 550 kg, respectively). Twenty animals kept in four groups were observed at weights of approximately 220, 330, 380 and 500 kg before and after cubicle dimensions were increased. The proportion of standing-up events with more than one head lunge decreased with enlargement of the cubicles (P = 0·01). As cubicle size increased, bulls hit the partition rails less on standing up, except at 220 kg weight where the pattern was inverted (interaction: P = 0·001). Partitions were also hit less on lying down as cubicle size increased, except at 220 kg weight with an inverse pattern (interaction: P = 0·01). The number of exploratory head sweeps before lying down did not change with cubicle enlargement (P > 0·5). Bulls slipped more often with cubicle enlargement, except at 380 kg where the difference was inverted (interaction: P = 0·03). They never fell and never turned around in the cubicles. In general, both animals and cubicles were very clean. On average, lying duration decreased (P < 0·01) while the number of lying bouts tended to increase (P = 0·052) with enlargement of the cubicles but the absolute differences were small. Consequently at each point in time, the smaller cubicles still seemed to provide sufficient lying space for the bulls. If the impacts with the partitions were minor and did not represent a serious welfare concern, as suggested by qualitative observations, the cubicle dimensions used could be considered suitable for housing the type of finishing bulls used in this stud