15,548 research outputs found
Spectral analysis of 636 white dwarf - M star binaries from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey
We present a catalog of 857 white dwarf (WD)-M binaries from the sixth data
release (DR6) of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS), most of which were
previously identified. For 636 of them, we complete a spectral analysis and
derive the basic parameters of their stellar constituents and their distances
from Earth. We attempt to measure fundamental parameters of these systems by
completing spectral analyses. We use a Chi^2 minimization technique to
decompose each combined spectrum and derive independent parameter estimates for
its components. Forty-one of the stellar duets in our spectroscopic sample are
optically resolved in their respective SDSS images. For these systems, we also
derive a minimum true spatial separation and a lower limit to their orbital
periods, typically which are some 10^4 yr. Spectra of 167 stellar duets show
significant hydrogen emission and in most cases no additional He i or He ii
features. We also find that 20 of the 636 WDs are fitted to be DOs, with 16
measured to have T_eff around 40,000 K. Furthermore, we identify 70 very
low-mass objects, which are secondaries of masses smaller than about 0.1 solar
masses, to be candidate substellar companions. Although various selection
effects may play a role, the fraction 6.4 % of WD-M star binaries with orbital
separations of around 500 AU is a criterion for evolutionary models of stellar
binary systems. Active M dwarfs are likely present in 155 Balmer-emitting
systems, corresponding to a fraction of 24.4 %. The excess of cool DOs is most
likely due to additional WDs in the DB-DO T_eff range, for which no detailed
fitting was completed. The trend of the M stars being closer to Earth than the
WD component is probably due to an underestimation of the theoretical M star
radii.Comment: accepted by A&A October 3, 2008, 15 pages, 16 figures, 3 tables; v2,
minor grammatical changes, essential changes in Sect. 5.
Anatomy of Malicious Singularities
As well known, the b-boundaries of the closed Friedman world model and of
Schwarzschild solution consist of a single point. We study this phenomenon in a
broader context of differential and structured spaces. We show that it is an
equivalence relation , defined on the Cauchy completed total space
of the frame bundle over a given space-time, that is responsible for
this pathology. A singularity is called malicious if the equivalence class
related to the singularity remains in close contact with all other
equivalence classes, i.e., if for every . We
formulate conditions for which such a situation occurs. The differential
structure of any space-time with malicious singularities consists only of
constant functions which means that, from the topological point of view,
everything collapses to a single point. It was noncommutative geometry that was
especially devised to deal with such situations. A noncommutative algebra on
, which turns out to be a von Neumann algebra of random operators,
allows us to study probabilistic properties (in a generalized sense) of
malicious singularities. Our main result is that, in the noncommutative regime,
even the strongest singularities are probabilistically irrelevant.Comment: 16 pages in LaTe
Inventory of forest and rangeland resources, including forest stress
There are no author-identified significant results in this report
Inventory of forest and rangeland resources, including forest stress
There are no author-identified significant results in this report
Inventory of forest and rangeland resources, including forest stress
There are no author-identified significant results in this report
Inventory of forest and rangeland resources, including forest stress
There are no author-identified significant results in this report
Inventory of forest and rangeland and detection of forest stress
The author has identified the following significant results. Eucalyptus tree stands killed by low temperatures in December 1972 were outlined by image enhancement of two separate dates of ERTS-1 images (January 22, 1973-I.D. 1183-18175 and April 22, 1973-I.D. 1273-18183). Three stands larger than 500 meters in size were detected very accurately. In Colorado, range and grassland communities were analyzed by visual interpretation of color composite scene I.D. 1028-17135. It was found that mixtures of plant litter, amount and kind of bare soil, and plant foliage cover made classification of grasslands very difficult. Changes in forest land use were detected on areas as small as 5 acres when ERTS-1 color composite scene 1264-15445 (April 13, 1973) was compared with 1966 ASCS index mosaics (scale 1:60,000). Verification of the changes were made from RB-57 underflight CIR transparencies (scale 1:120,000)
Inventory of forest and rangeland resources, including forest stress
There are no author-identified significant results in this report
Evaluation of ERTS-1 data for inventory of forest and rangeland and detection of forest stress
The author has identified the following significant results. Results of photointerpretation indicated that ERTS is a good classifier of forest and nonforest lands (90 to 95 percent accurate). Photointerpreters could make this separation as accurately as signature analysis of the computer compatible tapes. Further breakdowns of cover types at each site could not be accurately classified by interpreters (60 percent) or computer analysts (74 percent). Exceptions were water, wet meadow, and coniferous stands. At no time could the large bark beetle infestations (many over 300 meters in size) be detected on ERTS images. The ERTS wavebands are too broad to distinguish the yellow, yellow-red, and red colors of the dying pine foliage from healthy green-yellow foliage. Forest disturbances could be detected on ERTS color composites about 90 percent of the time when compared with six-year-old photo index mosaics. ERTS enlargements (1:125,000 scale, preferably color prints) would be useful to forest managers of large ownerships over 5,000 hectares (12,500 acres) for broad area planning. Black-and-white enlargements can be used effectively as aerial navigation aids for precision aerial photography where maps are old or not available
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