1,016 research outputs found

    A new L-dwarf member of the moderately metal-poor triple system HD 221356

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    We report on the discovery of a fourth component in the HD 221356 star system, previously known to be formed by an F8V, slightly metal-poor primary ([Fe/H]=-0.26), and a distant M8V+L3V pair. In our ongoing common proper motion search based on VISTA Hemisphere Survey (VHS) and 2MASS catalogues, we have detected a faint (J=13.76+/-0.04 mag) co-moving companion of the F8 star located at angular separation of 12.13+/-0.18 arcsec (position angle of 221.8+/-1.7), corresponding to a projected distance of ~312 AU at 26 pc. Near-infrared spectroscopy of the new companion, covering the 1.5-2.4 micron wavelength range with a resolving power of R~600, indicates an L1+/-1 spectral type. Using evolutionary models the mass of the new companion is estimated at ~0.08 solar masses, which places the object close to the stellar-substellar borderline. This multiple system provides an interesting example of objects with masses slightly above and below the hydrogen burning mass limit. The low mass companions of HD 221356 have slightly bluer colours than field dwarfs with similar spectral type, which is likely a consequence of the sub-solar metallicity of the system.Comment: 7 pages, 4 figures, accepted for publication in MNRA

    Pyropyga julietafierroae sp. nov. (Coleoptera: Lampyridae): Un ejemplo de participación ciudadana en la ciencia

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    Se presenta la descripción de Pyropyga julietafierroae sp. nov., incluyendo los genitales de la hembra, de modo que es la primera vez que se describen estas estructuras para una hembra del género Pyropyga Motschulsky, 1852. La especie nueva fue descubierta en un ambiente urbanizado de Ciudad Universitaria en la Ciudad de México, lo que aumenta a 13 especies el género Pyropyga, de las cuales ocho se registran en México. Se muestra un mapa de distribución de las especies mexicanas. Además, se comenta sobre la participación de la ciudadanía para la propuesta y elección del nombre científico con la temática “Mujeres Mexicanas Ilustres”, este ejercicio se realiza por primera vez para nombrar una especie de luciérnaga en nuestro país.We present the description of Pyropyga julietafierroae sp. nov., including the female genitalia, so that it is the first time that these structures are described for a female of the genus Pyropyga Motschulsky, 1852. The new species was recovered from the urbanized environment of Ciudad Universitaria, Mexico City. The total number of species for the genus increases to 13, of which, eight are recorded from Mexico. A distribution map of Mexican species is included. Moreover, herein we comment on the citizen involvement for the proposal and choice of the scientific name with the theme “Illustrious Mexican Women”, this is the first time that a dynamic like this is carried out for naming a firefly species in our country

    VAMOS: a Pathfinder for the HAWC Gamma-Ray Observatory

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    VAMOS was a prototype detector built in 2011 at an altitude of 4100m a.s.l. in the state of Puebla, Mexico. The aim of VAMOS was to finalize the design, construction techniques and data acquisition system of the HAWC observatory. HAWC is an air-shower array currently under construction at the same site of VAMOS with the purpose to study the TeV sky. The VAMOS setup included six water Cherenkov detectors and two different data acquisition systems. It was in operation between October 2011 and May 2012 with an average live time of 30%. Besides the scientific verification purposes, the eight months of data were used to obtain the results presented in this paper: the detector response to the Forbush decrease of March 2012, and the analysis of possible emission, at energies above 30 GeV, for long gamma-ray bursts GRB111016B and GRB120328B.Comment: Accepted for pubblication in Astroparticle Physics Journal (20 pages, 10 figures). Corresponding authors: A.Marinelli and D.Zaboro

    New isolated planetary mass objects and the stellar and substellar mass function of the sigma Orionis cluster

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    We report on our analysis of the VISTA Orion ZYJHKs photometric data (completeness magnitudes Z=22.6 and J=21.0mag) focusing on a circular area of 2798.4 arcmin^2 around the young sigma Orionis star cluster (~3Myr, ~352pc, solar metallicity). The combination of the VISTA photometry with optical, WISE and Spitzer data allows us to identify a total of 210 cluster member candidates with masses in the interval 0.25-0.004Msun, 23 of which are new planetary-mass object findings. These discoveries double the number of cluster planetary-mass candidates known so far. One object has colors compatible with a T spectral type. The cluster harbors about as many brown dwarfs (69, 0.072-0.012Msun) and planetary-mass objects (37, 0.012-0.004Msun) as very low-mass stars (104, 0.25-0.072Msun). Based on Spitzer data, we derive a disk frequency of ~40% for very low-mass stars, brown dwarfs, and planetary mass objects in sigma Orionis. The radial density distributions of these three mass intervals are alike: all are spatially concentrated within an effective radius of 12arcmin (1.2pc) around the multiple star sigma Ori, and no obvious segregation between disk-bearing and diskless objects is observed. Using the VISTA data and the Mayrit catalog, we derive the cluster mass spectrum (DeltaN/DeltaM ~ M^{-alpha}) from ~19 to 0.006Msun (VISTA ZJ completeness), which is reasonably described by two power-law expressions with indices of alpha=1.7+/-0.2 for M>0.35Msun, and alpha=0.6+/-0.2 for M<0.35Msun. The sigma Orionis mass spectrum smoothly extends into the planetary-mass regime down to 0.004Msun. Our findings of T-type sources (<0.004Msun) in the VISTA sigma Orionis exploration appear to be smaller than what is predicted by the extrapolation of the cluster mass spectrum down to the survey J-band completeness.Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ. 69 pages, 15 figure

    Charge separation relative to the reaction plane in Pb-Pb collisions at sNN=2.76\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}}= 2.76 TeV

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    Measurements of charge dependent azimuthal correlations with the ALICE detector at the LHC are reported for Pb-Pb collisions at sNN=2.76\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}} = 2.76 TeV. Two- and three-particle charge-dependent azimuthal correlations in the pseudo-rapidity range η<0.8|\eta| < 0.8 are presented as a function of the collision centrality, particle separation in pseudo-rapidity, and transverse momentum. A clear signal compatible with a charge-dependent separation relative to the reaction plane is observed, which shows little or no collision energy dependence when compared to measurements at RHIC energies. This provides a new insight for understanding the nature of the charge dependent azimuthal correlations observed at RHIC and LHC energies.Comment: 12 pages, 3 captioned figures, authors from page 2 to 6, published version, figures at http://aliceinfo.cern.ch/ArtSubmission/node/286

    Transverse sphericity of primary charged particles in minimum bias proton-proton collisions at s=0.9\sqrt{s}=0.9, 2.76 and 7 TeV

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    Measurements of the sphericity of primary charged particles in minimum bias proton--proton collisions at s=0.9\sqrt{s}=0.9, 2.76 and 7 TeV with the ALICE detector at the LHC are presented. The observable is linearized to be collinear safe and is measured in the plane perpendicular to the beam direction using primary charged tracks with pT0.5p_{\rm T}\geq0.5 GeV/c in η0.8|\eta|\leq0.8. The mean sphericity as a function of the charged particle multiplicity at mid-rapidity (NchN_{\rm ch}) is reported for events with different pTp_{\rm T} scales ("soft" and "hard") defined by the transverse momentum of the leading particle. In addition, the mean charged particle transverse momentum versus multiplicity is presented for the different event classes, and the sphericity distributions in bins of multiplicity are presented. The data are compared with calculations of standard Monte Carlo event generators. The transverse sphericity is found to grow with multiplicity at all collision energies, with a steeper rise at low NchN_{\rm ch}, whereas the event generators show the opposite tendency. The combined study of the sphericity and the mean pTp_{\rm T} with multiplicity indicates that most of the tested event generators produce events with higher multiplicity by generating more back-to-back jets resulting in decreased sphericity (and isotropy). The PYTHIA6 generator with tune PERUGIA-2011 exhibits a noticeable improvement in describing the data, compared to the other tested generators.Comment: 21 pages, 9 captioned figures, 3 tables, authors from page 16, published version, figures from http://aliceinfo.cern.ch/ArtSubmission/node/308

    Centrality dependence of charged particle production at large transverse momentum in Pb-Pb collisions at sNN=2.76\sqrt{s_{\rm{NN}}} = 2.76 TeV

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    The inclusive transverse momentum (pTp_{\rm T}) distributions of primary charged particles are measured in the pseudo-rapidity range η<0.8|\eta|<0.8 as a function of event centrality in Pb-Pb collisions at sNN=2.76\sqrt{s_{\rm{NN}}}=2.76 TeV with ALICE at the LHC. The data are presented in the pTp_{\rm T} range 0.15<pT<500.15<p_{\rm T}<50 GeV/cc for nine centrality intervals from 70-80% to 0-5%. The Pb-Pb spectra are presented in terms of the nuclear modification factor RAAR_{\rm{AA}} using a pp reference spectrum measured at the same collision energy. We observe that the suppression of high-pTp_{\rm T} particles strongly depends on event centrality. In central collisions (0-5%) the yield is most suppressed with RAA0.13R_{\rm{AA}}\approx0.13 at pT=6p_{\rm T}=6-7 GeV/cc. Above pT=7p_{\rm T}=7 GeV/cc, there is a significant rise in the nuclear modification factor, which reaches RAA0.4R_{\rm{AA}} \approx0.4 for pT>30p_{\rm T}>30 GeV/cc. In peripheral collisions (70-80%), the suppression is weaker with RAA0.7R_{\rm{AA}} \approx 0.7 almost independently of pTp_{\rm T}. The measured nuclear modification factors are compared to other measurements and model calculations.Comment: 17 pages, 4 captioned figures, 2 tables, authors from page 12, published version, figures at http://aliceinfo.cern.ch/ArtSubmission/node/284

    Measurement of charm production at central rapidity in proton-proton collisions at s=2.76\sqrt{s} = 2.76 TeV

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    The pTp_{\rm T}-differential production cross sections of the prompt (B feed-down subtracted) charmed mesons D0^0, D+^+, and D+^{*+} in the rapidity range y<0.5|y|<0.5, and for transverse momentum 1<pT<121< p_{\rm T} <12 GeV/cc, were measured in proton-proton collisions at s=2.76\sqrt{s} = 2.76 TeV with the ALICE detector at the Large Hadron Collider. The analysis exploited the hadronic decays D0^0 \rightarrow Kπ\pi, D+^+ \rightarrow Kππ\pi\pi, D+^{*+} \rightarrow D0π^0\pi, and their charge conjugates, and was performed on a Lint=1.1L_{\rm int} = 1.1 nb1^{-1} event sample collected in 2011 with a minimum-bias trigger. The total charm production cross section at s=2.76\sqrt{s} = 2.76 TeV and at 7 TeV was evaluated by extrapolating to the full phase space the pTp_{\rm T}-differential production cross sections at s=2.76\sqrt{s} = 2.76 TeV and our previous measurements at s=7\sqrt{s} = 7 TeV. The results were compared to existing measurements and to perturbative-QCD calculations. The fraction of cdbar D mesons produced in a vector state was also determined.Comment: 20 pages, 5 captioned figures, 4 tables, authors from page 15, published version, figures at http://aliceinfo.cern.ch/ArtSubmission/node/307

    Transition from fireball to Poynting-flux-dominated outflow in the three-episode GRB 160625B

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    The ejecta composition is an open question in gamma-ray burst (GRB) physics . Some GRBs possess a quasi-thermal spectral component in the time-resolved spectral analysis , suggesting a hot fireball origin. Others show a featureless non-thermal spectrum known as the Band function , consistent with a synchrotron radiation origin and suggesting that the jet is Poynting-flux dominated at the central engine and probably in the emission region as well . There are also bursts showing a sub-dominant thermal component and a dominant synchrotron component , suggesting a probable hybrid jet composition . Here, we report an extraordinarily bright GRB 160625B, simultaneously observed in gamma-ray and optical wavelengths, whose prompt emission consists of three isolated episodes separated by long quiescent intervals, with the durations of each sub-burst being approximately 0.8 s, 35 s and 212 s, respectively. Its high brightness (with isotropic peak luminosity L ≈ 4 × 10 erg s) allows us to conduct detailed time-resolved spectral analysis in each episode, from precursor to main burst and to extended emission. The spectral properties of the first two sub-bursts are distinctly different, allowing us to observe the transition from thermal to non-thermal radiation between well-separated emission episodes within a single GRB. Such a transition is a clear indication of the change of jet composition from a fireball to a Poynting-flux-dominated jet.B.-B.Z. thanks Y.-Z. Fan, Y.-Z. Wang, H. Wang, K. D. Alexander and D. Lazzati for helpful discussions. We are grateful to K. Hurley, I. Mitrofanov, A. Sanin, M. Litvak and W. Boynton for the use of Mars Odyssey data in the triangulation. We acknowledge the use of the public data from the Swift and Fermi data archives. B.-B. Z. and A.J. C.-T. acknowledge support from the Spanish Ministry Projects AYA2012-39727-C03-01 and AYA2015-71718-R. Part of this work made use of B.-B.Z.'s personal Interactive Data Language (IDL) code library ZBBIDL and personal Python library ZBBPY. The computation resources used in this work are owned by Scientist Support LLC. B.Z. acknowledges NASA NNX14AF85G and NNX15AK85G for support. Z. G. D. acknowledges the National Natural Science Foundation of China(NSFC) (grant 11573014). Y.-D. H. acknowledges support by China Scholarships Council (grant 201406660015). Mini-MegaTORTORA belongs to Kazan Federal University, and the work is performed according to the Russian Government Program of Competitive Growth of Kazan Federal University. A. P., E.M., P. M. and A.V. are grateful to the Russian Foundation for Basic Research (grant 17-02-01388) for partial support. A. P. and S.B.P. acknowledge joint BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) grant RFBR 17-52-80139 and 388-ProFChEAP for partial support. R. I. is grateful to grant RUSTAVELI FR/379/6300/ 14 for partial support. Observations on Mini-MegaTORTORA are supported by the Russian Science Foundation (grant 14-50-00043). A.V.F. and A. M. thank the Russian Science Foundation (grant 14-50-00043). L.M. and A.F.Z. acknowledge support from INTA-CEDEA ESAt personnel hosting the Pi of the Sky facility at the BOOTES-1 station. H. G. and X.-Y.W. acknowledge NSFC (grants 11603003 and 11625312, respectively). Z. G. D., X.-F. W., B.Z., X.-Y. W.,L.S. and F.-W.Z. are also supported by the 973 program (grant 2014CB845800). F.-W.Z. is also supported in part by the NSFC (grants U1331101 and 11163003), the Guangxi Natural Science Foundation (grant 2013GXNSFAA019002) and the project of outstanding young teachers' training in higher education institutions of Guangxi. L.S. acknowledges support by the NSFC (grant 11103083) and the Joint NSFC-ISF Research Program (grant 11361140349). S.O. acknowledges the support of the Leverhulme Trust. S.J. acknowledges support from Korea Basic Science Research Program through NRF-2014R1A6A3A03057484 and NRF-2015R1D1A4A01020961, and I. H. P. through NRF-2015R1A2A1A01006870 and NRF-2015R1A2A1A15055344. R. A., D. F. and D. S. acknowledge support from RSF (grant 17-12-01378). A. K. acknowledges the Science and Education Ministry of Kazakhstan (grant 0075/GF4).Peer reviewe

    Transition from fireball to Poynting-flux-dominated outflow in three-episode GRB 160625B [submitted version]

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    The ejecta composition of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) is an open question in GRB physics. Some GRBs possess a quasi-thermal spectral component in the time-resolved spectral analysis, suggesting a hot fireball origin. Some others show an essentially feature-less non-thermal spectrum known as the "Band" function, which can be interpreted as synchrotron radiation in an optically thin region, suggesting a Poynting-flux-dominated jet composition. Here we report an extraordinarily bright GRB 160625B, simultaneously observed in gamma-rays and optical wavelengths, whose prompt emission consists of three dramatically different isolated episodes separated by long quiescent intervals, with the durations of each "sub-burst" being ∼ 0.8 s, 35 s, and 212 s, respectively. The high brightness (with isotropic peak luminosity Lp,iso∼4×1053 erg/s) of this GRB allows us to conduct detailed time-resolved spectral analysis in each episode, from precursor to the main burst and extended emission. Interestingly, the spectral properties of the first two sub-bursts are distinctly different, which allow us for the first time to observe the transition from thermal to non-thermal radiation in a single GRB. Such a transition is a clear indication of the change of jet composition from a fireball to a Poynting-flux-dominated jet
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