Extension of Tycho catalog for low-extinction windows in the galactic bulge

We present in this work secondary catalogs up to $m_{Val} \sim 13$ based on the Tycho reference frame (ESA, 1997) for 12 selected low-extinction fields towards the galactic bulge. The observations have been performed with the Askania-Zeiss Meridian Circle equiped with a CCD camera, located at the Abrah\~ao de Moraes Observatory (Valinhos, Brazil) and operated by the Institute of Astronomy and Geophysics, S\~ao Paulo University. The presented catalog, though not complete, has been designed to help in intensive search programmes (e.g. microlensing and variable searches) and therefore the selected standards have a high astrometric and photometric ($V$ band, approximately) quality. The mean precisions obtained were $0.0018^{s}$ in $\alpha$, 0.013'' in $\delta$, 0.030 for the standard deviation in magnitude and 0.0042 for the magnitude when weighted with the error bars in each night (in the mean, 42 stars for the catalog of each window). Tables B.1 to B.12 are also available in eletronic form at the CDS via anonymous ftp to cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (130.79.128.5) or via http://cdsweb.u-strasbg.fr/Abstract.html.Comment: 16 pages, 6 figures, A&A Latex style. Published in A&A

Stellar variability in low-extinction regions towards the Galactic Bulge

Intensive monitoring of low-extinction windows towards the galactic bulge has provided in the last years valuable information for studies about the dynamics, kinematics and formation history of this part of the galaxy, mainly by characterizing the bulge stellar populations (Paczy\'nski, 1996). Since 1997, we have been conducting an intensive photometric-astrometric survey of the galactic bulge, with the monitoring of about 120000 stars in 12 windows uniformly distributed in galactic latitude and longitude (Blanco & Terndrup, 1989 e Blanco, 1988) never before submitted to this kind of survey. For this purpose, we have used the IAG/USP CCD Meridian Circle of the Abrah\~ao de Moraes Observatory. The main objective of this work is the identification and classification of variable objects. In this work we present the set up and development of the necessary tools for a project like this and the posterior analysis of our data. We briefly describe the construction of a program to organize and detect variables among the observed stars, including real time alerts (for variations greater than 0.3 magnitudes). The preliminary analysis after the processing of 76 nights of observation yielded 479 variable stars, from which 96.7 % of them are new. We discuss the preliminary classification of this variables, based on: a) the observed amplitude of variation; b) the shape of light curve; c) the expected variable classes among our data and d) the calculated periods, whenever possible. Finally, we discuss the future perspectives for the project and for the applications and analysis of the discovered variable stars.Comment: 10 pages, 14 figures. Accepted by A&A

Disc Clearing of Young Stellar Objects: Evidence for Fast Inside-out Dispersal

The time-scale over which and the modality by which young stellar objects (YSOs) disperse their circumstellar discs dramatically influences the eventual formation and evolution of planetary systems. By means of extensive radiative transfer (RT) modelling, we have developed a new set of diagnostic diagrams in the infrared colour-colour plane (K-[24] vs. K-[8]), to aid with the classification of the evolutionary stage of YSOs from photometric observations. Our diagrams allow the differentiation of sources with unevolved (primordial) discs from those evolving according to different clearing scenarios (e.g. homologous depletion vs. inside-out dispersal), as well as from sources that have already lost their disc. Classification of over 1500 sources in 15 nearby star-forming regions reveals that approximately 39 % of the sources lie in the primordial disc region, whereas between 31 % and 32 % disperse from the inside-out and up to 22 % of the sources have already lost their disc. Less than 2 % of the objects in our sample lie in the homogeneous draining regime. Time-scales for the transition phase are estimated to be typically a few 10^5 years independent of stellar mass. Therefore, regardless of spectral type, we conclude that currently available infrared photometric surveys point to fast (of order 10 % of the global disc lifetime) inside-out clearing as the preferred mode of disc dispersal.Comment: 31 pages, 21 figures, 6 tables, accepted for publication in MNRA

Sensitivity of ATLAS to FCNC single top quark production

The anomalous production of single top quarks via flavour-changing neutral currents (FCNCs), u(c)+g -> t, is studied using the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. Detector simulation is done using the fast simulation package ATLFAST. A number of important systematic effects have been addressed. Based on a cut-based analysis, we shows that, with 10 fb-1, ATLAS can observe such top FCNC interactions with 5 sigma significance if the anomalous coupling strengths are k_ug/Lambda=k_cg/Lambda >= 0.0120 $^{+0.0014}_{-0.0012}$ (sys.) TeV-1, or equivalently Br(t->ug)+Br(t->cg) >= 2.64 $^{+0.63}_{-0.54}$ (sys.) x 10^{-4}$. In terms of production cross section, such a discovery requires at least 13.7 pb of anomalous single top quark production. With this level of sensitivity, ATLAS will be able to test some models of new physics

Impact of pelvic radiotherapy on female sexuality

PURPOSE: To assess physical and psychological morbidity, sexual functioning and social and relationship satisfaction among women treated with pelvic radiotherapy. METHODS: Observational (case-control) study of 199 women: 98 submitted to pelvic radiotherapy for the treatment of uterine, rectal or anal cancers and 101 without a personal history of cancer and similar socio-demographic variables. These completed a socio-demographic and clinical questionnaire, and validated measures of psychological health (DASS: Lovibond and Lovibond in Behav Res Ther 33:353-343, 1995), sexual function (FSFI: Rosen et al. in J Sex Marital Ther 26:191-208, 2007), social support (ESSS: Ribeiro in Analise Psicologica 3:547-558, 1999) and relationship satisfaction (IMS: Hudson in The WALMYR assessment scales scoring manual 1992). RESULTS: Women submitted to pelvic irradiation reported a higher rate of adverse physical symptoms in the last month: fatigue 59 versus 25% (p < 0.001), lack of strength 42 versus 20% (p = 0.001), diarrhoea 24 versus 12% (p = 0.032), vaginal discharge 17 versus 7% (p = 0.024), skin erythema 9 versus 2% (p = 0.026). Levels of depression, anxiety and stress were higher among radiotherapy patients, but only reach statistical significance for the stress parameter (6.1 vs. 4.0, p = 0.012). Also these women reported lower scores of satisfaction with social support (57.2 vs. 62.2, p = 0.005) and sexual function (8.5 vs. 13.5, p = 0.049). No statistically significant differences occurred between the two groups regarding scores of relationship satisfaction (20.8 vs. 19.9, p = n.s.). CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggested that pelvic radiotherapy had a negative impact on female sexuality. Thus, interventions that would help to reduce this impact need to be designed and integrated into routine clinical practice

Análise citogenética de híbridos entre Triticum durum x Aegilops tauschii com potencial uso em programas de melhoramento genético de trigo.

Editores técnicos: Joseani Mesquita Antunes, Ana Lídia Variani Bonato, Márcia Barrocas Moreira Pimentel

Calagem e fósforo para a formação de mudas de biribazeiro.

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o efeito da aplicação de doses de calcário e de fósforo na nutrição, no crescimento e na produção de matéria seca de mudas de biribá

High Resolution 4.7 um Keck/NIRSPEC Spectra of Protostars. I: Ices and Infalling Gas in the Disk of L1489 IRS

We explore the infrared M band (4.7 um) spectrum of the class I protostar L1489 IRS in the Taurus Molecular Cloud. This is the highest resolution wide coverage spectrum at this wavelength of a low mass protostar observed to date (R=25,000; Dv=12 km/s). Many narrow absorption lines of gas phase 12CO, 13CO, and C18O are detected, as well as a prominent band of solid 12CO. The gas phase 12CO lines have red shifted absorption wings (up to 100 km/s), likely originating from warm disk material falling toward the central object. The isotopes and the 12CO line wings are successfully fitted with a contracting disk model of this evolutionary transitional object (Hogerheijde 2001). This shows that the inward motions seen in millimeter wave emission lines continue to within ~0.1 AU from the star. The colder parts of the disk are traced by the prominent CO ice band. The band profile results from CO in 'polar' ices (CO mixed with H2O), and CO in 'apolar' ices. At the high spectral resolution, the 'apolar' component is, for the first time, resolved into two distinct components, likely due to pure CO and CO mixed with CO2, O2 and/or N2. The ices have probably experienced thermal processing in the upper disk layer traced by our pencil absorption beam: much of the volatile 'apolar' ices has evaporated and the depletion factor of CO onto grains is remarkably low (~7%). This study shows that high spectral resolution 4.7 um observations provide important and unique information on the dynamics and structure of protostellar disks and the evolution of ices in these disks.Comment: 11 pages, 6 figures Scheduled to appear in ApJ 568 n2, 1 April 200

Produção de mudas de Berberis laurina Thunb.: resultados preliminares.

Resumo