3,298 research outputs found
The Mass of HD 38529 c from Hubble Space Telescope Astrometry and High-Precision Radial Velocities
(Abridged) Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Fine Guidance Sensor astrometric
observations of the G4 IV star HD 38529 are combined with the results of the
analysis of extensive ground-based radial velocity data to determine the mass
of the outermost of two previously known companions. Our new radial velocities
obtained with the Hobby-Eberly Telescope and velocities from the
Carnegie-California group now span over eleven years. With these data we obtain
improved RV orbital elements for both the inner companion, HD 38529 b and the
outer companion, HD 38529 c. We identify a rotational period of HD 38529
(P_{rot}=31.65 +/- 0.17 d) with FGS photometry. We model the combined
astrometric and RV measurements to obtain the parallax, proper motion,
perturbation period, perturbation inclination, and perturbation size due to HD
38529 c. For HD 38529 c we find P = 2136.1 +/- 0.3 d, perturbation semi-major
axis \alpha =1.05 +/-0.06i_{Jup}) companion at
P~194 days. Additional observations (radial velocities and/or Gaia astrometry)
are required to validate an interpretation of HD 38529 d as a planetary-mass
companion. If confirmed, the resulting HD 38529 planetary system may be an
example of a "Packed Planetary System".Comment: Accepted by The Astronomical Journa
Two Rare Magnetic Cataclysmic Variables with Extreme Cyclotron Features Identified in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey
Two newly identified magnetic cataclysmic variables discovered in the Sloan
Digital Sky Survey (SDSS), SDSSJ155331.12+551614.5 and SDSSJ132411.57+032050.5,
have spectra showing highly prominent, narrow, strongly polarized cyclotron
humps with amplitudes that vary on orbital periods of 4.39 and 2.6 hrs,
respectively. In the former, the spacing of the humps indicates the 3rd and 4th
harmonics in a magnetic field of ~60 MG. The narrowness of the cyclotron
features and the lack of strong emission lines imply very low temperature
plasmas and very low accretion rates, so that the accreting area is heated by
particle collisions rather than accretion shocks. The detection of rare systems
like these exemplifies the ability of the SDSS to find the lowest accretion
rate close binaries.Comment: Accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journal, vol. 583,
February 1, 2003; slight revisions and additions in response to referee's
comments; 17 pages, 6 figures, AASTeX v4.
Testing the companion hypothesis for the origin of the X-ray emission from intermediate-mass main-sequence stars
There is no straightforward explanation for intrinsic X-ray emission from
intermediate-mass main-sequence stars. Therefore the observed emission is often
interpreted in terms of (hypothesized) late-type magnetically active companion
stars. We use Chandra imaging observations to spatially resolve in X-rays a
sample of main-sequence B-type stars with recently discovered companions at
arcsecond separation. We find that all spatially resolved companions are X-ray
emitters, but seven out of eleven intermediate-mass stars are also X-ray
sources. If this emission is interpreted in terms of additional sub-arcsecond
or spectroscopic companions, this implies a high multiplicity of B-type stars.
Firm results on B star multiplicity pending, the alternative, that B stars
produce intrinsic X-rays, can not be discarded. The appropriate scenario in
this vein is might be a magnetically confined wind, as suggested for the X-ray
emission of the magnetic Ap star IQ Aur. However, the only Ap star in the
Chandra sample is not detected in X-rays, and therefore does not support this
picture.Comment: 12 pages; accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysic
A First Look at White Dwarf - M Dwarf Pairs in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS)
We have identified 109 White Dwarf (WD) - M dwarf pairs in the Sloan Digital
Sky Survey (SDSS) with g < 20th magnitude. For each system we determined the
temperature of the WD primary and the spectral type of the M dwarf secondary.
Using H-alpha emission as a proxy for the chromospheric activity level of the M
dwarf, we investigated correlations between the activity level and properties
of the system. Compared with field M dwarfs (Hawley et al. 1996), we see a
slightly higher active fraction of early-type stars, with activity levels
similar to the field.
We have conducted followup observations at the ARC 3.5m telescope to obtain
radial velocity information and to search for short period binaries, which may
be on the verge of interacting. We report on one system with a 4.1 hour period,
and several additional systems with significant velocity variations.Comment: 23 pages with 10 figures. Accepted by AJ, to appear in May 2003 issu
Neural correlates of enhanced visual short-term memory for angry faces: An fMRI study
Copyright: © 2008 Jackson et al.Background: Fluid and effective social communication requires that both face identity and emotional expression information are encoded and maintained in visual short-term memory (VSTM) to enable a coherent, ongoing picture of the world and its players. This appears to be of particular evolutionary importance when confronted with potentially threatening displays of emotion - previous research has shown better VSTM for angry versus happy or neutral face identities.Methodology/Principal Findings: Using functional magnetic resonance imaging, here we investigated the neural correlates of this angry face benefit in VSTM. Participants were shown between one and four to-be-remembered angry, happy, or neutral faces, and after a short retention delay they stated whether a single probe face had been present or not in the previous display. All faces in any one display expressed the same emotion, and the task required memory for face identity. We find enhanced VSTM for angry face identities and describe the right hemisphere brain network underpinning this effect, which involves the globus pallidus, superior temporal sulcus, and frontal lobe. Increased activity in the globus pallidus was significantly correlated with the angry benefit in VSTM. Areas modulated by emotion were distinct from those modulated by memory load.Conclusions/Significance: Our results provide evidence for a key role of the basal ganglia as an interface between emotion and cognition, supported by a frontal, temporal, and occipital network.The authors were supported by a Wellcome Trust grant (grant number 077185/Z/05/Z) and by BBSRC (UK) grant BBS/B/16178
Dusty Planetary Systems
Extensive photometric stellar surveys show that many main sequence stars show
emission at infrared and longer wavelengths that is in excess of the stellar
photosphere; this emission is thought to arise from circumstellar dust. The
presence of dust disks is confirmed by spatially resolved imaging at infrared
to millimeter wavelengths (tracing the dust thermal emission), and at optical
to near infrared wavelengths (tracing the dust scattered light). Because the
expected lifetime of these dust particles is much shorter than the age of the
stars (>10 Myr), it is inferred that this solid material not primordial, i.e.
the remaining from the placental cloud of gas and dust where the star was born,
but instead is replenished by dust-producing planetesimals. These planetesimals
are analogous to the asteroids, comets and Kuiper Belt objects (KBOs) in our
Solar system that produce the interplanetary dust that gives rise to the
zodiacal light (tracing the inner component of the Solar system debris disk).
The presence of these "debris disks" around stars with a wide range of masses,
luminosities, and metallicities, with and without binary companions, is
evidence that planetesimal formation is a robust process that can take place
under a wide range of conditions. This chapter is divided in two parts. Part I
discusses how the study of the Solar system debris disk and the study of debris
disks around other stars can help us learn about the formation, evolution and
diversity of planetary systems by shedding light on the frequency and timing of
planetesimal formation, the location and physical properties of the
planetesimals, the presence of long-period planets, and the dynamical and
collisional evolution of the system. Part II reviews the physical processes
that affect dust particles in the gas-free environment of a debris disk and
their effect on the dust particle size and spatial distribution.Comment: 68 pages, 25 figures. To be published in "Solar and Planetary
Systems" (P. Kalas and L. French, Eds.), Volume 3 of the series "Planets,
Stars and Stellar Systems" (T.D. Oswalt, Editor-in-chief), Springer 201
QRTEngine: An easy solution for running online reaction time experiments using Qualtrics
Performing online behavioral research is gaining increased popularity among researchers in psychological and cognitive science. However, the currently available methods for conducting online reaction time experiments are often complicated and typically require advanced technical skills. In this article, we introduce the Qualtrics Reaction Time Engine (QRTEngine), an open-source JavaScript engine that can be embedded in the online survey development environment Qualtrics. The QRTEngine can be used to easily develop browser-based online reaction time experiments with accurate timing within current browser capabilities, and it requires only minimal programming skills. After introducing the QRTEngine, we briefly discuss how to create and distribute a Stroop task. Next, we describe a study in which we investigated the timing accuracy of the engine under different processor loads using external chronometry. Finally, we show that the QRTEngine can be used to reproduce classic behavioral effects in three reaction time paradigms: a Stroop task, an attentional blink task, and a masked-priming task. These findings demonstrate that QRTEngine can be used as a tool for conducting online behavioral research even when this requires accurate stimulus presentation times
Circumstellar discs: What will be next?
This prospective chapter gives our view on the evolution of the study of
circumstellar discs within the next 20 years from both observational and
theoretical sides. We first present the expected improvements in our knowledge
of protoplanetary discs as for their masses, sizes, chemistry, the presence of
planets as well as the evolutionary processes shaping these discs. We then
explore the older debris disc stage and explain what will be learnt concerning
their birth, the intrinsic links between these discs and planets, the hot dust
and the gas detected around main sequence stars as well as discs around white
dwarfs.Comment: invited review; comments welcome (32 pages
Circumstellar disks and planets. Science cases for next-generation optical/infrared long-baseline interferometers
We present a review of the interplay between the evolution of circumstellar
disks and the formation of planets, both from the perspective of theoretical
models and dedicated observations. Based on this, we identify and discuss
fundamental questions concerning the formation and evolution of circumstellar
disks and planets which can be addressed in the near future with optical and
infrared long-baseline interferometers. Furthermore, the importance of
complementary observations with long-baseline (sub)millimeter interferometers
and high-sensitivity infrared observatories is outlined.Comment: 83 pages; Accepted for publication in "Astronomy and Astrophysics
Review"; The final publication is available at http://www.springerlink.co
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