3,920 research outputs found
Investigating the Rotational Phase of Stellar Flares on M dwarfs Using K2 Short Cadence Data
We present an analysis of K2 short cadence data of 34 M dwarfs which have
spectral types in the range M0 - L1. Of these stars, 31 showed flares with a
duration between 10-90 min. Using distances obtained from Gaia DR2
parallaxes, we determined the energy of the flares to be in the range
erg. In agreement with previous studies
we find rapidly rotating stars tend to show more flares, with evidence for a
decline in activity in stars with rotation periods longer than 10 days.
The rotational modulation seen in M dwarf stars is widely considered to result
from a starspot which rotates in and out of view. Flux minimum is therefore the
rotation phase where we view the main starspot close to the stellar disk
center. Surprisingly, having determined the rotational phase of each flare in
our study we find none show any preference for rotational phase. We outline
three scenarios which could account for this unexpected finding. The
relationship between rotation phase and flare rate will be explored further
using data from wide surveys such as NGTS and TESS.Comment: Accepted main Journal MNRA
Swift observations of the 2015 outburst of AG Peg -- from slow nova to classical symbiotic outburst
Symbiotic stars often contain white dwarfs with quasi-steady shell burning on
their surfaces. However, in most symbiotics, the origin of this burning is
unclear. In symbiotic slow novae, however, it is linked to a past thermonuclear
runaway. In June 2015, the symbiotic slow nova AG Peg was seen in only its
second optical outburst since 1850. This recent outburst was of much shorter
duration and lower amplitude than the earlier eruption, and it contained
multiple peaks -- like outbursts in classical symbiotic stars such as Z And. We
report Swift X-ray and UV observations of AG Peg made between June 2015 and
January 2016. The X-ray flux was markedly variable on a time scale of days,
particularly during four days near optical maximum, when the X-rays became
bright and soft. This strong X-ray variability continued for another month,
after which the X-rays hardened as the optical flux declined. The UV flux was
high throughout the outburst, consistent with quasi-steady shell burning on the
white dwarf. Given that accretion disks around white dwarfs with shell burning
do not generally produce detectable X-rays (due to Compton-cooling of the
boundary layer), the X-rays probably originated via shocks in the ejecta. As
the X-ray photo-electric absorption did not vary significantly, the X-ray
variability may directly link to the properties of the shocked material. AG
Peg's transition from a slow symbiotic nova (which drove the 1850 outburst) to
a classical symbiotic star suggests that shell burning in at least some
symbiotic stars is residual burning from prior novae.Comment: Accepted by MNRAS 23 June 2016. Manuscript submitted in original form
5 April 201
The Turn-On of Mass Transfer in AM CVn Binaries: Implications for RX J0806+1527 and RX J1914+2456
We report on evolutionary calculations of the onset of mass transfer in AM
CVn binaries, treating the donor's evolution in detail. We show that during the
early contact phase, while the mass transfer rate, \Mdot, is increasing,
gravity wave (GW) emission continues to drive the binary to shorter orbital
period, \Porb. We argue that the phase where \Mdot > 0 and \nudot > 0
(\nu = 1/\Porb) can last between and yrs, significantly longer
than previously estimated. These results are applied to RX J0806+1527 (\Porb =
321 s) and RX J914+2456 (\Porb=569 s), both of which have measured \nudot >
0. \emph{Thus, a \nudot > 0 does not select between the unipolar inductor
and accretion driven models proposed as the source of X-rays in these systems}.
For the accretion model, we predict for RX J0806 that \ddot{\nu} \approx
\ee{1.0-1.5}{-28} Hz s and argue that timing observations can probe
at this level with a total yr baseline. We also place
constraints on each system's initial parameters given current observational
data.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures, accepted to ApJ
Systematic review of antimicrobial drug prescribing in hospitals.
Prudent antibiotic prescribing to hospital inpatients has the potential to reduce the incidences of antimicrobial resistance and healthcare-associated infection. We reviewed the literature from January 1980 to November 2003 to identify rigorous evaluations of interventions to improve hospital antibiotic prescribing. We identified 66 studies with interpretable data of which 16 reported 20 microbiological outcomes: Gram negative resistant bacteria (GNRB), 10 studies; Clostridium difficile associated diarrhoea (CDAD), 5 studies; vancomycin resistant enterococci (VRE), 3 studies and methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), 2 studies. Four studies provide good evidence that the intervention changed microbial outcomes with low risk of alternative explanations, eight studies provide less convincing evidence and four studies were negative. The strongest and most consistent evidence was for CDAD but we were able to analyse only the immediate impact of interventions because of nonstandardised durations of follow up. The ability to compare results of studies could be substantially improved by standardising methodology and reporting
Feedback from massive stars at low metallicities : MUSE observations of N44 and N180 in the Large Magellanic Cloud
Accepted for publication in MNRAS, 27 pages, 21 figuresWe present MUSE integral field data of two HII region complexes in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), N44 and N180. Both regions consist of a main superbubble and a number of smaller, more compact HII regions that formed on the edge of the superbubble. For a total of 11 HII regions, we systematically analyse the radiative and mechanical feedback from the massive O-type stars on the surrounding gas. We exploit the integral field property of the data and the coverage of the HeII5412 line to identify and classify the feedback-driving massive stars, and from the estimated spectral types and luminosity classes we determine the stellar radiative output in terms of the ionising photon flux . We characterise the HII regions in terms of their sizes, morphologies, ionisation structure, luminosity and kinematics, and derive oxygen abundances via emission line ratios. We analyse the role of different stellar feedback mechanisms for each region by measuring the direct radiation pressure, the pressure of the ionised gas, and the pressure of the shock-heated winds. We find that stellar winds and ionised gas are the main drivers of HII region expansion in our sample, while the direct radiation pressure is up to three orders of magnitude lower than the other terms. We relate the total pressure to the star formation rate per unit area, , for each region and find that stellar feedback has a negative effect on star formation, and sets an upper limit to as a function of increasing pressure.Peer reviewe
A burst from the direction of UZ Fornacis with XMM-Newton
The XMM-Newton pointing towards the magnetic cataclysmic variable UZ For
finds the source to be a factor > 10^3 fainter than previous EXOSAT and ROSAT
observations. The source was not detected for the majority of a 22 ksec
exposure with the EPIC cameras, suggesting that the accretion rate either
decreased, or stopped altogether. However a 1.1 ksec burst was detected from UZ
For during the observation. Spectral fits favour optically thin, kT = 4.4 keV
thermal emission. Detection of the burst by the on-board Optical Monitor
indicates that this was most probably an accretion event. The 0.1-10 keV
luminosity of 2.1 x 10^30 erg/s is typical for accretion shock emission from
high state polars and would result from the potential energy release of ~ 10^16
g of gas. There is no significant soft excess due to reprocessing in the white
dwarf atmosphere.Comment: 7 pages, 2 postscript figures, ApJL, in pres
Exploring Flaring Behaviour on Low Mass Stars, Solar-type Stars and the Sun
We report on our project to study the activity in both the Sun and low mass stars. Utilising high cadence, Hα observations of a filament eruption made using the CRISP spectropolarimeter mounted on the Swedish Solar Telescope has allowed us to determine 3D velocity maps of the event. To gain insight into the physical mechanism which drives the event we have qualitatively compared our observation to a 3D MHD reconnection model. Solar-type and low mass stars can be highly active producing flares with energies exceeding erg. Using K2 and TESS data we find no correlation between the number of flares and the rotation phase which is surprising. Our solar flare model can be used to aid our understanding of the origin of flares in other stars. By scaling up our solar model to replicate observed stellar flare energies, we investigate the conditions needed for such high energy flares
An Optimal Linear Time Algorithm for Quasi-Monotonic Segmentation
Monotonicity is a simple yet significant qualitative characteristic. We
consider the problem of segmenting a sequence in up to K segments. We want
segments to be as monotonic as possible and to alternate signs. We propose a
quality metric for this problem using the l_inf norm, and we present an optimal
linear time algorithm based on novel formalism. Moreover, given a
precomputation in time O(n log n) consisting of a labeling of all extrema, we
compute any optimal segmentation in constant time. We compare experimentally
its performance to two piecewise linear segmentation heuristics (top-down and
bottom-up). We show that our algorithm is faster and more accurate.
Applications include pattern recognition and qualitative modeling.Comment: This is the extended version of our ICDM'05 paper (arXiv:cs/0702142
N-methyl-N-((1-methyl-5-(3-(1-(2-methylbenzyl)piperidin-4-yl)propoxy)-1H-indol-2-yl)methyl)prop-2-yn-1-amine, a new cholinesterase and monoamine oxidase dual inhibitor
On the basis of N-((5-(3-(1-benzylpiperidin-4-yl)propoxy)-1-methyl-1H-indol-2-yl)methyl)-N-methylprop-2-yn-1-amine (II, ASS234) and QSAR predictions, in this work we have designed, synthesized, and evaluated a number of new indole derivatives from which we have identified N-methyl-N-((1-methyl-5-(3-(1-(2-methylbenzyl)piperidin-4-yl)propoxy)-1H-indol-2-yl)methyl)prop-2-yn-1-amine (2, MBA236) as a new cholinesterase and monoamine oxidase dual inhibitor.PostprintPostprintPeer reviewe
Association between Ophthalmic Timolol and Hospitalisation for Bradycardia
Introduction. Ophthalmic timolol, a topical nonselective beta-blocker, has the potential to be absorbed systemically which may cause adverse cardiovascular effects. This study was conducted to determine whether initiation of ophthalmic timolol was associated with an increased risk of hospitalisation for bradycardia. Materials and Methods. A self-controlled case-series study was undertaken in patients who were hospitalised for bradycardia and were exposed to timolol. Person-time after timolol initiation was partitioned into risk periods: 1–30 days, 31–180 days, and >180 days. A 30-day risk period prior to initiating timolol was also included. All remaining time was considered unexposed. Results. There were 6,373 patients with at least one hospitalisation for bradycardia during the study period; 267 were exposed to timolol. Risk of bradycardia was significantly increased in the 31–180 days after timolol initiation (incidence rate ratio (IRR) = 1.93; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.00–1.87). No increased risk was observed in the first 30 days or beyond 180 days of continuous exposure (IRR = 1.40; 95% CI 0.87–2.26 and IRR = 1.21; 95% CI 0.64–2.31, resp.). Conclusion. Bradycardia is a potential adverse event following timolol initiation. Practitioners should consider patient history before choosing a glaucoma regime and closely monitor patients after treatment initiation with topical nonselective beta-blocker eye drops
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