Searching for the signatures of terrestial planets in solar analogs

We present a fully differential chemical abundance analysis using very high-resolution (R >~ 85,000) and very high signal-to-noise (S/N~800 on average) HARPS and UVES spectra of 7 solar twins and 95 solar analogs, 24 are planet hosts and 71 are stars without detected planets. The whole sample of solar analogs provide very accurate Galactic chemical evolution trends in the metalliciy range -0.3<[Fe/H]<0.5. Solar twins with and without planets show similar mean abundance ratios. We have also analysed a sub-sample of 28 solar analogs, 14 planet hosts and 14 stars without known planets, with spectra at S/N~850 on average, in the metallicity range 0.14<[Fe/H]<0.36 and find the same abundance pattern for both samples of stars with and without planets. This result does not depend on either the planet mass, from 7 Earth masses to 17.4 Jupiter masses, or the orbital period of the planets, from 3 to 4300 days. In addition, we have derived the slope of the abundance ratios as a function of the condensation temperature for each star and again find similar distributions of the slopes for both stars with and without planets. In particular, the peaks of these two distributions are placed at a similar value but with opposite sign as that expected from a possible signature of terrestial planets. In particular, two of the planetary systems in this sample, containing each of them a Super-Earth like planet, show slope values very close to these peaks which may suggest that these abundance patterns are not related to the presence of terrestial planets.Comment: Accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journa

Cartografía geomorfológica y procesos de activos en la cuenca media-alta del río Eria mediante técnicas de SIG.( Provincia de León, España)

El objetivo es la elaboración de la cartografía geomorfológica y de procesos geológicos activos de un tramo del curso medio de la cuenca del río Eria, en el sector suroccidental de la provincia de León utilizando técnicas de SIG. El trabajo se ha basado en la fotointerpretación de fotos aéreas en visión estereoscópica, estudio bibliográfico y aplicación de técnicas de SIG para el análisis de modelos digitales de terreno y mapas derivados (pendientes, alturas…) y para la representación cartográfica. Como resultado se distinguen tres dominios de relieve caracterizados por diferentes procesos geológicos: dominio de los relieves sobre sustrato paleozoico, dominio de los relieves de origen fluvial y dominio de las formas de origen antrópico. En el primero tienen gran relevancia las formas del relieve relacionadas con la estructura geológica hercínica, en donde aparecen procesos activos ligados a procesos gravitacionales, originando formas del relieve como canchales, coluviones, depósitos de piedemonte y. Debido a lo escarpado de este dominio, apenas existen infraestructuras humanas, por lo que la interferencia de los procesos activos con las mismas es baja. En el segundo dominio aparecen formas del relieve originadas por procesos activos relacionados con el encajamiento de la red fluvial y de sedimentación, pudiendo afectar a infraestructuras humanas. En el tercero aparecen actuaciones susceptibles de interferir con los procesos activos naturales, provocando efectos adversos para la población. La información cartográfica obtenida supone la base para un análisis de susceptibilidad espacial de los distintos peligros de origen geológico, útil para la planificación territorial.The aim of this work is to represent by means of GIS techniques the geomorphological and active geological processes map of the middle course of the Eria river, located in the southwestern León province, Spain. This study is based on aerial photointerpretation, bibliographic analysis of previous works, and on the application of GIS techniques. These techniques were used for the representation of the mapping units, and for analyzing a DTM and derived maps (slop, aspect, etc.), creating a spatial and attribute database.Three main relief domains were differentiated based on the predominant active geological processes: the domain of landforms developed on the Palaeozoic metamorphic rocks, the domain of fluvial landforms, and the domain of anthropogenic landforms. The first one is mainly related to active gravitational processes, but because of the low human occupation, the interaction with human infrastructures is almost negligible. The second one is mainly related to incision and sedimentation of the drainage network, interacting with some human infrastructures developed on the floodplains, alluvial fans and close to the river side. The third one is formed by human elements affecting and modifying at different levels the strength of the active geological processes. The resulting map act as a basis for further spatial susceptibility for geological hazards analysis, which is useful for land use planning

REPATRIACIÓN DE BIENES CULTURALES DE PUEBLOS INDÍGENAS DE LOS ESTADOS UNIDOS: UNA MIRADA A LA LEY Y LOS PROCESOS TERAPÉUTICOS EN LOS CONFLICTOS DE PROPIEDAD CULTURAL

Las tierras habitadas por pueblos indígenas de los Estados Unidos han sido afectadas y destruidas por saqueadores durante siglos, y los objetos arqueológicos y restos humanos han sido removidos, vendidos, recolectados y exhibidos por instituciones públicas y privadas a través de todo el país. El daño fue infligido a los pueblos tribales por leyes y acciones sostenidas por la legalidad. Con la promulgación de la NAGPRA (Ley de protección y repatriación de tumbas indígenas) en 1990, se modificó el escenario legal, que otorgó validez a la perspectiva de los pueblos indígenas y les dio poder a sus reclamos. Esta ley permitió solicitar la repatriación de objetos culturales en poder de agencias del gobierno federal y museos con financiación federal que fueron apropiados en contraposición a los sistemas de creencias de los pueblos tribales quienes consideraban los mantenían como rehenes. Los museos de todo el país se vieron obligados por ley a inventariar y divulgar los objetos que poseían, y los pueblos tribales reconocidos por el gobierno federal comenzaron a solicitar la restitución de sus objetos culturales. Sin embargo, la NAGPRA también generó conflictos, de modo que no constituyó una ley de resolución de conflictos sino una relacionada a restitución y justicia social. Este trabajo sostiene que al analizar a la NAGPRA bajo la perspectiva del modelo de Therapeutic Jurisprudence se revelan diversos elementos de la ley y otros que pueden ser incorporados para una aplicación más efectiva, que ayude a aliviar el trauma, facilite la recuperación psicológica y restituya una sensación de bienestar a los pueblos tribales que han comprobado asociación cultural y exigido repatriación. Este enfoque bien puede promover el objetivo final, que es la resolución de conflictos

Aplicación de la Dignity Therapy en pacientes oncológicos en situación avanzada.

The Dignity Therapy was designed to cope with suffering, psychosocial and existential distress among patients with advanced or terminal disease. This paper is a cuasi experimental study with sixteen cancer patients in advanced stages of the disease. The aim of the study is to apply, in our context, the Dignity Therapy as a proposal for intervention for the relief of suffering such patients, in order to assess whether there is pre and post intervention changes. The results of Wilcoxon’s test, show statistically significant differences comparing the pre-intervention and the post-intervention for the variables Anxiety and Well-being. Nevertheless, statistically significant differences are not observed for the variables Depression and Serenity. The subjects agreed to participate voluntarily, and all the subjects felt satisfied after the application of the Dignity Therapy and noted that they found it useful enough or very useful. These results suggest that it is an appropriate therapeutic approach to these patients.La Dignity Therapy fue diseñada para hacer frente al sufrimiento, la angustia psicosocial y existencial entre los pacientes con enfermedad avanzada o terminal. El presente trabajo es un estudio cuasi experimental con dieciséis pacientes oncológicos en estado avanzado de la enfermedad. El objetivo del estudio fue aplicar, en nuestro contexto, la Dignity Therapy como propuesta de intervención para el alivio del sufrimiento a dichos pacientes, evaluando si existen cambios pre y post intervención. Tras obtener resultados mediante la prueba de Wilcoxon, se obtienen diferencias estadísticamente significativas comparando la pre-intervención y la post-intervención para las variables Ansiedad y Bienestar. Sin embargo, no se observa diferencias estadísticamente significativas para las variables Depresión y Serenidad. Los sujetos accedieron a participar de forma voluntaria y todos se sintieron satisfechos tras la aplicación de la Dignity Therapy, destacando que les había resultado bastante útil o muy útil. Estos resultados apuntan a que se trata de un acercamiento terapéutic

The radius and mass of the close solar twin 18 Sco derived from asteroseismology and interferometry

The growing interest in solar twins is motivated by the possibility of comparing them directly to the Sun. To carry on this kind of analysis, we need to know their physical characteristics with precision. Our first objective is to use asteroseismology and interferometry on the brightest of them: 18 Sco. We observed the star during 12 nights with HARPS for seismology and used the PAVO beam-combiner at CHARA for interferometry. An average large frequency separation $134.4\pm0.3$ $\mu$Hz and angular and linear radiuses of $0.6759 \pm 0.0062$ mas and $1.010\pm0.009$ R$_{\odot}$ were estimated. We used these values to derive the mass of the star, $1.02\pm0.03$ M$_{\odot}$.Comment: 5 pages, 5 figure

THE STRATIGRAPHY OF THE UPPER BATHONIAN TO MIDDLE OXFORDIAN SUCESSION OF THE ARAGONESE BRANCH OF THE CORDILLERA IBÉRICA (SPAIN) AND ITS EUROPEAN CONTEXT

The Upper Bathonian-Middle Oxfordian succession of the Aragonese branch of the Cordillera Ibérica is one of the most completely developed in Europe and includes localities of international importance for Jurassic bio- and chronostratigraphy. Of particular importance are a potential stratotype for the Upper Bathonian of North West Europe and reference sections for a number of Submediterranean Province Middle Oxfordian biostratigraphic units. The intervening Callovian sequence, albeit locally strongly condensed, also includes faunas of key stratigraphical importance. The sequence of stratigraphically important ammonite faunas for this interval is here reviewed and placed in its European context

Abundances in bulge stars from high-resolution, near-IR spectra I. The CNO elements observed during the science verification of CRIRES at VLT

The formation and evolution of the Milky Way bulge is not yet well understood and its classification is ambiguous. Constraints can, however, be obtained by studying the abundances of key elements in bulge stars. The aim of this study is to determine the chemical evolution of CNO, and a few other elements in stars in the Galactic bulge, and to discuss the sensitivities of the derived abundances from molecular lines. High-resolution, near-IR spectra in the H band were recorded using VLT/CRIRES. Due to the high and variable visual extinction in the line-of-sight towards the bulge, an analysis in the near-IR is preferred. The CNO abundances can all be determined simultaneously from the numerous molecular lines in the wavelength range observed. The three giant stars in Baade's window presented here are the first bulge stars observed with CRIRES. We have especially determined the CNO abundances, with uncertainties of less than 0.20 dex, from CO, CN, and OH lines. Since the systematic uncertainties in the derived CNO abundances due to uncertainties in the stellar fundamental parameters, notably Teff, are significant, a detailed discussion of the sensitivities of the derived abundances is included. We find good agreement between near-IR and optically determined O, Ti, Fe, and Si abundances. Two of our stars show a solar [C+N/Fe], suggesting that these giants have experienced the first dredge-up and that the oxygen abundance should reflect the original abundance of the giants. The two giants fit into the picture, in which there is no significant difference between the O abundance in bulge and thick-disk stars. Our determination of the S abundances is the first for bulge stars. The high [S/Fe] values for all the stars indicate a high star-formation rate in an early phase of the bulge evolution.Comment: Accepted by A&

Estratigrafía del Cretácico inferior continental de la Cordillera Ibérica Central

Continental sedimentation during early Cretaceous in the Central part of the Iberian basin took place in two sedimentary sub-basins, the Oliete and Aguilón sub-basins. The stratigraphic analysis carried out in these units allows us to define new lithostratigraphical units. The biostratigraphy analysis of these units was based on charophytes. The identification of regional unconformities allows to define three depositional sequences. These sequences span from the Valanginian or Hauterivian to the Early Barremian, and may be correlated to sequences K1.2 or K1.3, K1.4 and K1.5 or K1.6 D.S., previously defined by Salas et al. (1991) and Salas & Casas (1993) in the eastem Maestrazgo basin. These results indicate that the stratigraphic record of the central part of the Iberian basin is as completed as that of the margin of the neighbouring Maestrazgo, Aliaga-Peñagolosa and Cameros basins.El Cretácico inferior continental de la Cordillera Ibérica Central está representado en dos subcuencas de sedimentación: las Cubetas de Aguilón y Oliete. Los estudios realizados sobre estos materiales han permitido definir nuevas unidades litoestratigráficas, cuya caracterización bioestratigráfica se realiza a partir de su contenido en carofitas. La identificación de discontinuidades significativas permiten definir tres secuencias de depósito que abarcan el intervalo temporal Valanguniense y/o Hauteriviense-Barremiense inferior y que son correlacionables con las S.D.K1.2 y/o K1.3, K1.4 YK1.5 y/o K1.6 definidas en Salas et al. (1991) y Salas y Casas (1993) para la Cuenca del Maestrazgo. Estos resultados ponen de manifiesto que el registro estratigráfico de la zona central de la Cordillera Ibérica tiene una entidad similar al de los márgenes de las Cuencas del Maestrazgo, Aliaga- Peñagolosa y Cameros

Metallicities for 13 nearby open clusters from high-resolution spectroscopy of dwarf and giant stars. Stellar metallicity, stellar mass, and giant planets

We present a study of accurate stellar parameters and iron abundances for 39 giants and 16 dwarfs in the 13 open clusters IC2714, IC4651, IC4756, NGC2360, NGC2423, NGC2447 (M93), NGC2539, NGC2682 (M67), NGC3114, NGC3680, NGC4349, NGC5822, NGC6633. The analysis was done using a set of high-resolution and high-S/N spectra obtained with the UVES spectrograph (VLT). These clusters are currently being searched for planets using precise radial velocities. For all the clusters, the derived average metallicities are close to solar. Interestingly, the values derived seem to depend on the line-list used. This dependence and its implications for the study of chemical abundances in giants stars are discussed. We show that a careful choice of the lines may be crucial for the derivation of metallicities for giant stars on the same metallicity scale as those derived for dwarfs. Finally, we discuss the implications of the derived abundances for the metallicity- and mass-giant planet correlation. We conclude that a good knowledge of the two parameters is necessary to correctly disentangle their influence on the formation of giant planets.Comment: accepted for publication in A&