Absolute Dimensions and Apsidal Motion of the Young Detached System LT Canis Majoris

New high resolution spectra of the short period (P~1.76 days) young detached binary LT CMa are reported for the first time. By combining the results from the analysis of new radial velocity curves and published light curves, we determine values for the masses, radii and temperatures as follows: M_1= 5.59 (0.20) M_o, R_1=3.56 (0.07) R_o and T_eff1= 17000 (500) K for the primary and M_2=3.36 (0.14) M_o, R_2= 2.04 (0.05) R_o and T_eff2= 13140 (800) K for the secondary. Static absorbtion features apart from those coming from the close binary components are detected in the several spectral regions. If these absorbtion features are from a third star, as the light curve solutions support, its radial velocity is measured to be RV_3=70(8) km s^-1. The orbit of the binary system is proved to be eccentric (e=0.059) and thus the apsidal motion exists. The estimated linear advance in longitude of periastron corresponds to an apsidal motion of U=694+/-5 yr for the system. The average internal structure constant log k_2,obs=-2.53 of LT CMa is found smaller than its theoretical value of log k_2,theo=-2.22 suggesting the stars would have more central concentration in mass. The photometric distance of LT CMa (d=535+/-45 pc) is found to be much smaller than the distance of CMa OB1 association (1150 pc) which rules out membership. A comparison with current stellar evolution models for solar metallicity indicates that LT CMa (35 Myr) is much older than the CMa OB1 association (3 Myr), confirming that LT CMa is not a member of CMa OB1. The kinematical and dynamical analysis indicate LT CMa is orbiting the Galaxy in a circular orbit and belongs to the young thin-disk population.Comment: 19 pages, 6 figures and 6 tables, accepted for publication in Publication of the Astronomical Society of Japa

Study of Eclipsing Binary and Multiple Systems in OB Associations: I. Ori OB1a - IM Mon

All available photometric and spectroscopic observations were collected and used as the basis of a detailed analysis of the close binary IM Mon. The orbital period of the binary was refined to 1.19024249(0.00000014) days. The Roche equipotentials, fractional luminosities (in (B, V) and H_p bands) and fractional radii for the component stars in addition to mass ratio q, inclination i of the orbit and the effective temperature T_eff of the secondary cooler less massive component were obtained by the analysis of light curves. IM Mon is classified to be a detached binary system in contrast to the contact configuration estimations in the literature. The absolute parameters of IM Mon were derived by the simultaneous solutions of light and radial velocity curves as M_1,2=5.50(0.24)M_o and 3.32(0.16)M_o, R1,2=3.15(0.04)R_o and 2.36(0.03)R_o, T_eff1,2=17500(350) K and 14500(550) K implying spectral types of B4 and B6.5 ZAMS stars for the primary and secondary components respectively. The modelling of the high resolution spectrum revealed the rotational velocities of the component stars as V_rot1=147(15) km/s and V_rot2=90(25) km/s. The photometric distance of 353(59) pc was found more precise and reliable than Hipparcos distance of 341(85) pc. An evolutionary age of 11.5(1.5) Myr was obtained for IM Mon. Kinematical and dynamical analysis support the membership of the young thin-disk population system IM Mon to the Ori OB1a association dynamically. Finally, we derived the distance, age and metallicity information of Ori OB1a sub-group using the information of IM Mon parameters.Comment: 26 pages, 5 figures and 6 tables, accepted for publication in Publication of the Astronomical Society of Japa

Molecular Regulation of Paused Pluripotency in Early Mammalian Embryos and Stem Cells

The energetically costly mammalian investment in gestation and lactation requires plentiful nutritional sources and thus links the environmental conditions to reproductive success. Flexibility in adjusting developmental timing enhances chances of survival in adverse conditions. Over 130 mammalian species can reversibly pause early embryonic development by switching to a near dormant state that can be sustained for months, a phenomenon called embryonic diapause. Lineage-specific cells are retained during diapause, and they proliferate and differentiate upon activation. Studying diapause thus reveals principles of pluripotency and dormancy and is not only relevant for development, but also for regeneration and cancer. In this review, we focus on the molecular regulation of diapause in early mammalian embryos and relate it to maintenance of potency in stem cells in vitro. Diapause is established and maintained by active rewiring of the embryonic metabolome, epigenome, and gene expression in communication with maternal tissues. Herein, we particularly discuss factors required at distinct stages of diapause to induce, maintain, and terminate dormancy

d_{x^2-y^2}-wave superconductivity and the Hubbard model

The numerical studies of d_{x^2-y^2}-wave pairing in the two-dimensional (2D) and the 2-leg Hubbard models are reviewed. For this purpose, the results obtained from the determinantal Quantum Monte Carlo and the density-matrix renormalization-group calculations are presented. These are calculations which were motivated by the discovery of the high-T_c cuprates. In this review, the emphasis is placed on the microscopic many-body processes which are responsible for the d_{x^2-y^2}-wave pairing correlations observed in the 2D and the 2-leg Hubbard models. In order to gain insight into these processes, the results on the effective pairing interaction as well as the magnetic, density and the single-particle excitations will be reviewed. In addition, comparisons will be made with the other numerical approaches to the Hubbard model and the numerical results on the t-J model. The results reviewed here indicate that an effective pairing interaction which is repulsive at (pi,pi) momentum transfer and enhanced single-particle spectral weight near the (pi,0) and (0,pi) points of the Brillouin zone create optimum conditions for d_{x^2-y^2}-wave pairing. These are two effects which act to enhance the d_{x^2-y^2}-wave pairing correlations in the Hubbard model. Finding additional ways is an active research problem.Comment: 85 pages, 63 figures, to appear in Advances in Physics, vol. 51, no. 6 (2002

Hole-hole superconducting pairing in the t-J model induced by spin-wave exchange

We study numerically the hole pairing induced by spin-wave exchange. The contact hole-hole interaction is taken into account as well. It is assumed that antiferromagnetic order is preserved at all scales relevant to pairing. The strongest pairing is obtained for the d-wave symmetry of the gap. Dependence of the value of the gap on hole concentration and temperature is presented. For the critical temperature we obtain Tc about 100 K at the hole concentration delta = 0.2-0.3.Comment: replaced with a revised version to appear in PRB, 6 pages, REVTeX 3.0, figures not change

Superconductivity and spin triplet collective mode in the t-J model close to antiferromagnetic instability

To investigate relations between long-range antiferromagnetic (AF) order, superconductivity and two particle triplet collective excitations we consider a modified two dimensional t-J model at doping close to half filling. The model includes additional hopping t'' and nearest sites Coulomb repulsion V. The additional parameters allow us to control closeness of the system to the AF instability. We demonstrate the possibility of co-existence of long-range AF order and d-g-wave superconductivity. In the phase with long-range AF order we find, analytically, superconducting gaps and spin wave renormalization. We demonstrate that at approaching the point of the AF instability the spin triplet collective excitation arises with energy below the superconducting gap.Comment: 9 page

HOT or not: examining the basis of high-occupancy target regions

High-occupancy target (HOT) regions are segments of the genome with unusually high number of transcription factor binding sites. These regions are observed in multiple species and thought to have biological importance due to high transcription factor occupancy. Furthermore, they coincide with house-keeping gene promoters and consequently associated genes are stably expressed across multiple cell types. Despite these features, HOT regions are solemnly defined using ChIP-seq experiments and shown to lack canonical motifs for transcription factors that are thought to be bound there. Although, ChIP-seq experiments are the golden standard for finding genome-wide binding sites of a protein, they are not noise free. Here, we show that HOT regions are likely to be ChIP-seq artifacts and they are similar to previously proposed 'hyper-ChIPable' regions. Using ChIP-seq data sets for knocked-out transcription factors, we demonstrate presence of false positive signals on HOT regions. We observe sequence characteristics and genomic features that are discriminatory of HOT regions, such as GC/CpG-rich k-mers, enrichment of RNA-DNA hybrids (R-loops) and DNA tertiary structures (G-quadruplex DNA). The artificial ChIP-seq enrichment on HOT regions could be associated to these discriminatory features. Furthermore, we propose strategies to deal with such artifacts for the future ChIP-seq studies

Magnetic Impurity in the two-dimensional Heisenberg Antiferromagnet

We analyze the ground state properties of the two-dimensional quantum antiferromagnet with a S=1/2 Kondo impurity. Perturbation theory around the strong Kondo coupling limit is developed and the results compared with studies, based on exact diagonalization of small clusters. We find that at intermediate coupling the impurity is partially screened and the magnetization locally suppressed. A local singlet between the impurity and the host spin is formed asymptotically.Comment: 12 REVTex pages, 4 Postscript figure

Single-hole properties in the tt-JJ and strong-coupling models

We report numerical results for the single-hole properties in the $t$-$J$ model and the strong-coupling approximation to the Hubbard model in two dimensions. Using the hopping basis with over $10^6$ states we discuss (for an infinite system) the bandwidth, the leading Fourier coefficients in the dispersion, the band masses, and the spin-spin correlations near the hole. We compare our results with those obtained by other methods. The band minimum is found to be at ($\pi/2,\pi/2$) for the $t$-$J$ model for $0.1 \leq t/J \leq 10$, and for the strong-coupling model for $1 \leq t/J \leq 10$. The bandwidth in both models is approximately $2J$ at large $t/J$, in rough agreement with loop-expansion results but in disagreement with other results. The strong-coupling bandwidth for t/J\agt6 can be obtained from the $t$-$J$ model by treating the three-site terms in first-order perturbation theory. The dispersion along the magnetic zone face is flat, giving a large parallel/perpendicular band mass ratio.Comment: 1 RevTeX file with epsf directives to include 8 .eps figures 8 figure files encoded using uufile

Kink Structure in the Quasiparticle Band of Doped Hubbard Systems

By making use of the self-consistent projection operator method with high-momentum and high-energy resolutions, we find a kink structure in the quasiparticle excitation spectrum of the two-dimensional Hubbard model in the underdoped regime. The kink is caused by a mixing between the quasiparticle state and excitations with short-range antiferromagnetic order. We suggest that this might be the origin of the strong concentration dependence of the 'kink' found in La_{2-x}Sr_{x}CuO_{4} (x=0.03-0.07).Comment: 3 pages, 4 figures. to be published in J. Phys. Soc. Jpn., Vol. 74, No. 9, September 15, 200