Profiles of Strong Permitted Lines in Classical T Tauri Stars

We present a spectral analysis of 30 T Tauri stars observed with the Hamilton echelle spectrograph over more than a decade. One goal is to test magnetospheric accretion model predictions. Observational evidence previously published supporting the model, such as emission line asymmetry and a high frequency of redshifted absorption components, are considered. We also discuss the relation between different line forming regions and search for good accretion rate indicators. In this work we confirm several important points of the models, such as the correlation between accretion and outflow, broad emission components that are mostly central or slightly blueshifted and only the occasional presence of redshifted absorption. We also show, however, that the broad emission components supposedly formed in the magnetospheric accretion flow only partially support the models. Unlike the predictions, they are sometimes redshifted, and are mostly found to be symmetric. The published theoretical profiles do not have a strong resemblance to our observed ones. We emphasize the need for accretion models to include a strong turbulent component before their profiles will match the observations. The effects of rotation, and the outflow components, will also be needed to complete the picture.Comment: 25 pages including 9 figures, 3 tables, accepted for publication in the Astronomical Journa

Mapping accretion and its variability in the young open cluster NGC 2264: a study based on u-band photometry

We aim at characterizing the accretion properties of several hundred members of the star-forming cluster NGC 2264 (3 Myr). We performed a deep u,g,r,i mapping and a simultaneous u+r monitoring of the region with CFHT/MegaCam in order to directly probe the accretion process from UV excess measurements. Photometric properties and stellar parameters are determined homogeneously for about 750 monitored young objects, spanning the mass range 0.1-2 Mo. About 40% are classical (accreting) T Tauri stars, based on various diagnostics (H_alpha, UV and IR excesses). The remaining non-accreting members define the (photospheric+chromospheric) reference UV emission level over which flux excess is detected and measured. We revise the membership status of cluster members based on UV accretion signatures and report a new population of 50 CTTS candidates. A large range of UV excess is measured for the CTTS population, varying from a few 0.1 to 3 mag. We convert these values to accretion luminosities and obtain mass accretion rates ranging from 1e-10 to 1e-7 Mo/yr. Taking into account a mass-dependent detection threshold for weakly accreting objects, we find a >6sigma correlation between mass accretion rate and stellar mass. A power-law fit, properly accounting for upper limits, yields M_acc $\propto$ M^{1.4+/-0.3}. At any given stellar mass, we find a large spread of accretion rates, extending over about 2 orders of magnitude. The monitoring of the UV excess on a timescale of a couple of weeks indicates that its variability typically amounts to 0.5 dex, much smaller than the observed spread. We suggest that a non-negligible age spread across the cluster may effectively contribute to the observed spread in accretion rates at a given mass. In addition, different accretion mechanisms (like, e.g., short-lived accretion bursts vs. more stable funnel-flow accretion) may be associated to different M_acc regimes.Comment: 24 pages, 21 figures, accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysic

A study of accretion and disk diagnostics in the NGC 2264 cluster

Context. Understanding disk dissipation is essential for studying how planets form. Disk gaps and holes, which almost correspond to dust-free regions, are inferred from infrared observations of T Tauri stars (TTS), indicating the existence of a transitional phase between thick accreting disks and debris disks. Transition disks are usually referred to as candidates for newly formed planets. Aims. We searched for transition disk candidates belonging to NGC 2264. Using stellar and disk parameters obtained in the observational multiwavelength campaign CSI 2264, we characterized accretion, disk, and stellar properties of transition disk candidates and compared them to systems with a full disk and diskless stars. Methods. We modeled the spectral energy distribution (SED) of a sample of 401 TTS, observed with both CFHT equipped with MegaCam and IRAC instrument on the Spitzer, with Hyperion SED fitting code using photometric data from the U band (0.3 μm) to the Spitzer/MIPS 24 μm band. We used the SED modeling to distinguish transition disk candidates, full disk systems, and diskless stars. Results. We classified ∼52% of the sample as full disk systems, ∼41% as diskless stars, and ∼7% of the systems as transition disk candidates, among which seven systems are new transition disk candidates belonging to the NGC 2264 cluster. The sample of transition disk candidates present dust in the inner disk similar to anemic disks, according to the αIRAC classification, which shows that anemic disk systems can be candidate transition disks. We show that the presence of a dust hole in the inner disk does not stop the accretion process since 82% of transition disk candidates accrete and show Hα, UV excess, and mass accretion rates at the same level as full disk systems. We estimate the inner hole sizes, ranging from 0.1 to 78 AU, for the sample of transition disk candidates. In only ∼18% of the transition disk candidates, the hole size could be explained by X-ray photoevaporation from stellar radiation.PostprintPeer reviewe

The Gemini NICI Planet-Finding Campaign: The Frequency of Giant Planets Around Debris Disk Stars

We have completed a high-contrast direct imaging survey for giant planets around 57 debris disk stars as part of the Gemini NICI Planet-Finding Campaign. We achieved median H-band contrasts of 12.4 mag at 0.5" and 14.1 mag at 1" separation. Follow-up observations of the 66 candidates with projected separation < 500 AU show that all of them are background objects. To establish statistical constraints on the underlying giant planet population based on our imaging data, we have developed a new Bayesian formalism that incorporates (1) non-detections, (2) single-epoch candidates, (3) astrometric and (4) photometric information, and (5) the possibility of multiple planets per star to constrain the planet population. Our formalism allows us to include in our analysis the previously known Beta Pictoris and the HR 8799 planets. Our results show at 95% confidence that 5MJup planet beyond 80 AU, and 3MJup planet outside of 40 AU, based on hot-start evolutionary models. We model the population of directly-imaged planets as d^2N/dMda ~ m^alpha a^beta, where m is planet mass and a is orbital semi-major axis (with a maximum value of amax). We find that beta 1.7. Likewise, we find that beta < -0.8 and/or amax < 200 AU. If we ignore the Beta Pic and HR 8799 planets (should they belong to a rare and distinct group), we find that 3MJup planet beyond 10 AU, and beta < -0.8 and/or alpha < -1.5. Our Bayesian constraints are not strong enough to reveal any dependence of the planet frequency on stellar host mass. Studies of transition disks have suggested that about 20% of stars are undergoing planet formation; our non-detections at large separations show that planets with orbital separation > 40 AU and planet masses > 3 MJup do not carve the central holes in these disks.Comment: Accepted to ApJ on June 24, 2013. 67 pages, 17 figures, 12 table

Placing the spotted T Tauri star LkCa 4 on an HR diagram

Ages and masses of young stars are often estimated by comparing their luminosities and effective temperatures to pre-main-sequence stellar evolution tracks, but magnetic fields and starspots complicate both the observations and evolution. To understand their influence, we study the heavily spotted weak-lined T-Tauri star LkCa 4 by searching for spectral signatures of radiation originating from the starspot or starspot groups. We introduce a new methodology for constraining both the starspot filling factor and the spot temperature by fitting two-temperature stellar atmosphere models constructed from Phoenix synthetic spectra to a high-resolution near-IR IGRINS spectrum. Clearly discernable spectral features arise from both a hot photospheric component Thot ∼ 4100 K and a cool component Tcool ∼ 2700–3000 K, which covers ∼80% of the visible surface. This mix of hot and cool emission is supported by analyses of the spectral energy distribution, rotational modulation of colors and of TiO band strengths, and features in low-resolution optical/near-IR spectroscopy. Although the revised effective temperature and luminosity make LkCa 4 appear to be much younger and of much lower mass than previous estimates from unspotted stellar evolution models, appropriate estimates will require the production and adoption of spotted evolutionary models. Biases from starspots likely afflict most fully convective young stars and contribute to uncertainties in ages and age spreads of open clusters. In some spectral regions, starspots act as a featureless "veiling" continuum owing to high rotational broadening and heavy line blanketing in cool star spectra. Some evidence is also found for an anticorrelation between the velocities of the warm and cool components.Peer reviewe

Back to the past: the individual and its role in creativity in organisations

O objetivo deste texto é realçar o papel do indivíduo na criatividade nas organizações. Esse papel tem sido estranhamente remetido para um plano secundário, à medida que as modernas visões da criatividade a definem, sobretudo, com relação ao contexto em que ocorre. De fato, na perspectiva atual, a criatividade não pode ser entendida sem se considerarem os contextos funcional, relacional e organizacional nos quais está inserido o trabalhador. Tais são as considerações da maior parte dos autores que escreve sobre o tópico, como sejam Amabile (1996), Csikszentmihalyi (1996), ou, mais recentemente, Glăveanu (2010a, 2010b). Essa corrente dominante, com origem no interacionismo psico-social, tem ainda influenciado o desenvolvimento teórico de outros conceitos em psicologia, sociologia, e, na sequência, nas ciências sociais e humanas, e na gestão. Essa supremacia no que concerne a criatividade, tem conduzido os autores a olvidar o papel do indivíduo no processo e no resultado criativos, chegando a retirar-lhe a responsabilidade e o protagonismo pela geração e produção de ideias. Desse modo, no presente texto, recuperam-se os argumentos em favor da centralidade da pessoa na criatividade, defendendo-se que esta tem uma existência isolada de influências externas, e que, como tal, devem relembrar-se as bases individuais da criatividadeThe goal of the current text is to highlight the role of the individual in creativity in organisations. This role has been strangely disregarded in recent years, as modern accounts of creativity have been emphasising the idea that creativity is only defined in context. This main stream argues that creativity is a process that essentially occurs within a functional, relational, and organisational context in which workers are inserted. Key authors defending such a position include the likes of Amabile (1996), Csikszentmihalyi (1996), and, more recently, Glăveanu (2010a, 2010b). This is a vision rooted in the psychosocial interactionist perspective, which has also had a considerable impact in other areas in psychology, sociology, management and other social and human sciences. This supremacy, with regards to creativity, has led many to forget the role of the individual person in the creative process and output, removing their responsibility and protagonism for generating and producing ideas. Hence, the current text intends to bring back to discussion the individual bases of creativity, that people can have an existence isolated from external influences, further defending that the concept can and should be defined out of context, rather than in contextinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Impaired Innate Immunity in Tlr4−/− Mice but Preserved CD8+ T Cell Responses against Trypanosoma cruzi in Tlr4-, Tlr2-, Tlr9- or Myd88-Deficient Mice

The murine model of T. cruzi infection has provided compelling evidence that development of host resistance against intracellular protozoans critically depends on the activation of members of the Toll-like receptor (TLR) family via the MyD88 adaptor molecule. However, the possibility that TLR/MyD88 signaling pathways also control the induction of immunoprotective CD8+ T cell-mediated effector functions has not been investigated to date. We addressed this question by measuring the frequencies of IFN-γ secreting CD8+ T cells specific for H-2Kb-restricted immunodominant peptides as well as the in vivo Ag-specific cytotoxic response in infected animals that are deficient either in TLR2, TLR4, TLR9 or MyD88 signaling pathways. Strikingly, we found that T. cruzi-infected Tlr2−/−, Tlr4−/−, Tlr9−/− or Myd88−/− mice generated both specific cytotoxic responses and IFN-γ secreting CD8+ T cells at levels comparable to WT mice, although the frequency of IFN-γ+CD4+ cells was diminished in infected Myd88−/− mice. We also analyzed the efficiency of TLR4-driven immune responses against T. cruzi using TLR4-deficient mice on the C57BL genetic background (B6 and B10). Our studies demonstrated that TLR4 signaling is required for optimal production of IFN-γ, TNF-α and nitric oxide (NO) in the spleen of infected animals and, as a consequence, Tlr4−/− mice display higher parasitemia levels. Collectively, our results indicate that TLR4, as well as previously shown for TLR2, TLR9 and MyD88, contributes to the innate immune response and, consequently, resistance in the acute phase of infection, although each of these pathways is not individually essential for the generation of class I-restricted responses against T. cruzi

CSI 2264: Simultaneous optical and infrared light curves of young disk-bearing stars in NGC 2264 with CoRoT and Spitzer-- evidence for multiple origins of variability

Anne Marie Cody, et al, 'CSI 2264: SIMULTANEOUS OPTICAL AND INFRARED LIGHT CURVES OF YOUNG DISK-BEARING STARS IN NGC 2264 WITH CoRoT and SPITZER—EVIDENCE FOR MULTIPLE ORIGINS OF VARIABILITY', The Astronomical Journal, 147:82 (47pp), 2014 April doi:10.1088/0004-6256/147/4/82 © 2014. The American Astronomical Society.We present the Coordinated Synoptic Investigation of NGC 2264, a continuous 30-day multi-wavelength photometric monitoring campaign on more than 1000 young cluster members using 16 telescopes. The unprecedented combination of multi-wavelength, high-precision, high-cadence, and long-duration data opens a new window into the time domain behavior of young stellar objects. Here we provide an overview of the observations, focusing on results from Spitzer and CoRoT. The highlight of this work is detailed analysis of 162 classical T Tauri stars for which we can probe optical and mid-infrared flux variations to 1% amplitudes and sub-hour timescales. We present a morphological variability census and then use metrics of periodicity, stochasticity, and symmetry to statistically separate the light curves into seven distinct classes, which we suggest represent different physical processes and geometric effects. We provide distributions of the characteristic timescales and amplitudes, and assess the fractional representation within each class. The largest category (>20%) are optical "dippers" having discrete fading events lasting ~1-5 days. The degree of correlation between the optical and infrared light curves is positive but weak; notably, the independently assigned optical and infrared morphology classes tend to be different for the same object. Assessment of flux variation behavior with respect to (circum)stellar properties reveals correlations of variability parameters with H$\alpha$ emission and with effective temperature. Overall, our results point to multiple origins of young star variability, including circumstellar obscuration events, hot spots on the star and/or disk, accretion bursts, and rapid structural changes in the inner disk.Peer reviewe

CUBES: the Cassegrain U-band Efficient Spectrograph

In the era of Extremely Large Telescopes, the current generation of 8-10m facilities are likely to remain competitive at ground-UV wavelengths for the foreseeable future. The Cassegrain U-Band Efficient Spectrograph (CUBES) has been designed to provide high-efficiency (> 40%) observations in the near UV (305-400 nm requirement, 300-420 nm goal) at a spectral resolving power of R >20, 000 (with a lower-resolution, sky-limited mode of R ~7, 000). With the design focusing on maximizing the instrument throughput (ensuring a Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR) ~20 per high-resolution element at 313 nm for U ~18.5 mag objects in 1h of observations), it will offer new possibilities in many fields of astrophysics, providing access to key lines of stellar spectra: a tremendous diversity of iron-peak and heavy elements, lighter elements (in particular Beryllium) and light-element molecules (CO, CN, OH), as well as Balmer lines and the Balmer jump (particularly important for young stellar objects). The UV range is also critical in extragalactic studies: the circumgalactic medium of distant galaxies, the contribution of different types of sources to the cosmic UV background, the measurement of H2 and primordial Deuterium in a regime of relatively transparent intergalactic medium, and follow-up of explosive transients. The CUBES project completed a Phase A conceptual design in June 2021 and has now entered the detailed design and construction phase. First science operations are planned for 2028