Metal-rich T-dwarfs in the Hyades cluster

We present the results of a search for brown dwarfs (BDs) and very low mass (VLM) stars in the 625 Myr-old, metal-rich ([Fe/H]=0.14) Hyades cluster. We performed a deep (I=23, z=22.5) photometric survey over 16 deg$^2$ around the cluster center. We report the discovery of the first 2 BDs in the Hyades cluster, with a spectral type T1 and T2, respectively. Their optical and near-IR photometry, as well as their proper motion, are consistent with them being cluster members. According to models, their mass is about 50 Jupiter masses at an age of 625 Myr. We also report the discovery of 3 new very low mass stellar members and confirm the membership of 15 others

Herschel observations of the circumstellar environment of the two Herbig Be stars R Mon and PDS27

We report and analyse FIR observations of two Herbig Be stars, R Mon and PDS 27, obtained with Herschel's instruments PACS and SPIRE. We construct SEDs and derive the infrared excess. We extract line fluxes from the PACS and SPIRE spectra and construct rotational diagrams in order to estimate the excitation temperature of the gas. We derive CO, [OI] and [CI] luminosities to determine physical conditions of the gas, as well as the dominant cooling mechanism. We confirm that the Herbig Be stars are surrounded by remnants from their parental clouds, with an IR excess that mainly originates in a disc. In R Mon we detect [OI], [CI], [CII], CO (26 transitions), water and OH, while in PDS 27 we only detect [CI] and CO (8 transitions). We attribute the absence of OH and water in PDS 27 to UV photo-dissociation and photo-evaporation. From the rotational diagrams, we find several components for CO: we derive $T_{rot}$ 949$\pm$90 K, 358$\pm$20 K & 77$\pm$12 K for R Mon, 96$\pm$12 K & 31$\pm$4 K for PDS 27 and 25$\pm$8 K & 27$\pm$6 K for their respective compact neighbours. The forsterite feature at 69$\mu$m was not detected in either of the sources, probably due to the lack of (warm) crystalline dust in a flat disc. We find that cooling by molecules is dominant in the Herbig Be stars, while this is not the case in Herbig Ae stars where cooling by [OI] dominates. Moreover, we show that in the Herbig Be star R Mon, outflow shocks are the dominant gas heating mechanism, while in Herbig Ae stars this is stellar. The outflow of R Mon contributes to the observed line emission by heating the gas, both in the central spaxel/beam covering the disc and the immediate surroundings, as well as in those spaxels/beams covering the parabolic shell around it. PDS 27, a B2 star, has dispersed a large part of its gas content and/or destroyed molecules; this is likely given its intense UV field.Comment: Accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysic

The absence of the 10 um silicate feature in the isolated Herbig Ae star HD 100453

We analyse the optical and IR spectra, as well as the spectral energy distribution (UV to mm) of the candidate Herbig Ae star HD100453. This star is particular, as it shows an energy distribution similar to that of other isolated Herbig Ae/Be stars (HAEBEs), but unlike most of them, it does not have a silicate emission feature at 10 um, as is shown in Meeus (2001). We confirm the HAEBE nature of HD100453 through an analysis of its optical spectrum and derived location in the H-R diagram. The IR spectrum of HD100453 is modelled by an optically thin radiative transfer code, from which we derive constraints on the composition, grain-size and temperature distribution of the circumstellar dust. We show that it is both possible to explain the lack of the silicate feature as (1) a grain-size effect - lack of small silicate grains, and (2) a temperature effect - lack of small, hot silicates, as proposed by Dullemond (2001), and discuss both possibilities.Comment: 9 pages, 7 figures; accepted by A&

ISO spectroscopy of circumstellar dust in 14 Herbig Ae/Be systems: towards an understanding of dust processing

We present Infrared Space Observatory (ISO) spectra of fourteen isolated Herbig Ae/Be (HAEBE) stars, to study the characteristics of their circumstellar dust. These spectra show large star-to-star differences, in the emission features of both carbon-rich and oxygen-rich dust grains. The IR spectra were combined with photometric data ranging from the UV through the optical into the sub-mm region. We defined two key groups, based upon the spectral shape of the infrared region. The derived results can be summarized as follows: (1) the continuum of the IR to sub-mm region of all stars can be reconstructed by the sum of a power-law and a cool component, which can be represented by a black body. Possible locations for these components are an optically thick, geometrically thin disc (power-law component) and an optically thin flared region (black body); (2) all stars have a substantial amount of cold dust around them, independent of the amount of mid-IR excess they show; (3) also the near-IR excess is unrelated to the mid-IR excess, indicating different composition/location of the emitting material; (4) remarkably, some sources lack the silicate bands; (5) apart from amorphous silicates, we find evidence for crystalline silicates in several stars, some of which are new detections; (6) PAH bands are present in at least 50% of our sample, and their appearance is slightly different from PAHs in the ISM; (7) PAH bands are, with one exception, not present in sources which only show a power-law continuum in the IR; their presence is unrelated to the presence of the silicate bands; (8) the dust in HAEBE stars shows strong evidence for coagulation; this dust processing is unrelated to any of the central star properties (such as age, spectral type and activity).Comment: 15 pages, accepted by A&

Contradictory yet coherent? Inconsistency in performance feedback and R&D investment change

This paper is based upon doctoral research of the first author conducted while at the Center for Innovation Research, Tilburg University. The file attached to this record is the author's final peer reviewed version. The Publisher's final version can be found by following the DOI link.In this paper, we study to what extent inconsistent feedback signals about performance affect firm adaptive behavior in terms of changes made to research-and-development (R&D) investments. We argue that inconsistency in performance feedback—based on discrepancies between two distinct performance signals—affects the degree to which such investments will be changed. Our aim is to show that accounting for inconsistent performance feedback is necessary as predictions for the direction of change in R&D investments based on the individual performance feedback signals are contradictory. Furthermore, we contribute by proposing a holistic consideration mechanism as an alternative to the selective attention mechanism previously applied to inconsistent performance feedback. Our findings show that the impact of inconsistency depends on the exact configuration of the underlying performance feedback signal discrepancies. While consistently negative performance feedback signals would amplify their impact in stimulating increased R&D investments, inconsistent performance feedback signals created more nuanced effects. Having lower performance compared to an industry-based peer group—despite doing well compared to the previous year—made firms decrease their R&D investments. For the opposite case of inconsistent performance feedback, we did not find an effect on change in R&D investments. These findings support to a degree our contention that explaining the effects of inconsistent performance feedback requires a holistic consideration theoretical mechanism instead of one involving selective attention. In sum, these findings suggest future research should take into account the differences between distinct instances of inconsistent performance feedback

Accretion variability of Herbig Ae/Be stars observed by X-Shooter. HD 31648 and HD 163296

This work presents X-Shooter/VLT spectra of the prototypical, isolated Herbig Ae stars HD 31648 (MWC 480) and HD 163296 over five epochs separated by timescales ranging from days to months. Each spectrum spans over a wide wavelength range covering from 310 to 2475 nm. We have monitored the continuum excess in the Balmer region of the spectra and the luminosity of twelve ultraviolet, optical and near infrared spectral lines that are commonly used as accretion tracers for T Tauri stars. The observed strengths of the Balmer excesses have been reproduced from a magnetospheric accretion shock model, providing a mean mass accretion rate of 1.11 x 10^-7 and 4.50 x 10^-7 Msun yr^-1 for HD 31648 and HD 163296, respectively. Accretion rate variations are observed, being more pronounced for HD 31648 (up to 0.5 dex). However, from the comparison with previous results it is found that the accretion rate of HD 163296 has increased by more than 1 dex, on a timescale of ~ 15 years. Averaged accretion luminosities derived from the Balmer excess are consistent with the ones inferred from the empirical calibrations with the emission line luminosities, indicating that those can be extrapolated to HAe stars. In spite of that, the accretion rate variations do not generally coincide with those estimated from the line luminosities, suggesting that the empirical calibrations are not useful to accurately quantify accretion rate variability.Comment: 14 pages, 7 Figures, Accepted in Ap

DIGIT survey of far-infrared lines from protoplanetary disks I

[abridged] We present far-infrared spectroscopic observations of PMS stars taken with Herschel/PACS as part of the DIGIT key project. The sample includes 22 Herbig AeBe and 8 T Tauri sources. Multiple atomic fine structure and molecular lines are detected at the source position: [OI], [CII], CO, OH, H_2O, CH^+. The most common feature is the [OI] 63micron line detected in almost all of the sources followed by OH. In contrast with CO, OH is detected toward both Herbig AeBe groups (flared and non-flared sources). An isothermal LTE slab model fit to the OH lines indicates column densities of 10^13 < N_OH < 10^16 cm^-2, emitting radii 15 < r < 100 AU and excitation temperatures 100 < T_ex < 400 K. The OH emission thus comes from a warm layer in the disk at intermediate stellar distances. Warm H_2O emission is detected through multiple lines toward the T Tauri systems AS 205, DG Tau, S CrA and RNO 90 and three Herbig AeBe systems HD 104237, HD 142527, HD 163296 (through line stacking). Overall, Herbig AeBe sources have higher OH/H_2O abundance ratios across the disk than do T Tauri disks, from near- to far-infrared wavelengths. Far-infrared CH^+ emission is detected toward HD 100546 and HD 97048. The slab model suggests moderate excitation (T_ex ~ 100 K) and compact (r ~ 60 AU) emission in the case of HD 100546. The [CII] emission is spatially extended in all sources where the line is detected. This suggests that not all [CII] emission is associated with the disk and that there is a substantial contribution from diffuse material around the young stars. The flux ratios of the atomic fine structure lines are consistent with a disk origin for the oxygen lines for most of the sources.Comment: Accepted for publication in A&