258 research outputs found
Can gas in young debris disks be constrained by their radial brightness profiles?
Disks around young stars are known to evolve from optically thick,
gas-dominated protoplanetary disks to optically thin, almost gas-free debris
disks. It is thought that the primordial gas is largely removed at ages of ~10
Myr, but it is difficult to discern the true gas densities from gas
observations. This suggests using observations of dust: it has been argued that
gas, if present with higher densities, would lead to flatter radial profiles of
the dust density and surface brightness than those actually observed. However,
here we show that these profiles are surprisingly insensitive to variation of
the parameters of a central star, location of the dust-producing planetesimal
belt, dustiness of the disk and - most importantly - the parameters of the
ambient gas. This result holds for a wide range of gas densities (three orders
of magnitude), for different radial distributions of the gas temperature, and
different gas compositions. The brightness profile slopes of -3...-4 we find
are the same that were theoretically found for gas-free debris disks, and they
are the same as actually retrieved from observations of many debris disks. Our
specific results for three young (10-30 Myr old), spatially resolved, edge-on
debris disks (beta Pic, HD 32297, and AU Mic) show that the observed radial
profiles of the surface brightness do not pose any stringent constraints on the
gas component of the disk. We cannot exclude that outer parts of the systems
may have retained substantial amounts of primordial gas which is not evident in
the gas observations (e.g. as much as 50 Earth masses for beta Pic). However,
the possibility that gas, most likely secondary, is only present in little to
moderate amounts, as deduced from gas detections (e.g. ~0.05 Earth masses in
the beta Pic disk), remains open, too.Comment: Accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysic
Collisional Velocities and Rates in Resonant Planetesimal Belts
We consider a belt of small bodies around a star, captured in one of the
external or 1:1 mean-motion resonances with a massive perturber. The objects in
the belt collide with each other. Combining methods of celestial mechanics and
statistical physics, we calculate mean collisional velocities and collisional
rates, averaged over the belt. The results are compared to collisional
velocities and rates in a similar, but non-resonant belt, as predicted by the
particle-in-a-box method. It is found that the effect of the resonant lock on
the velocities is rather small, while on the rates more substantial. The
collisional rates between objects in an external resonance are by about a
factor of two higher than those in a similar belt of objects not locked in a
resonance. For Trojans under the same conditions, the collisional rates may be
enhanced by up to an order of magnitude. Our results imply, in particular,
shorter collisional lifetimes of resonant Kuiper belt objects in the solar
system and higher efficiency of dust production by resonant planetesimals in
debris disks around other stars.Comment: 31 pages, 11 figures (some of them heavily compressed to fit into
arxiv-maximum filesize), accepted for publication at "Celestial Mechanics and
Dynamical Astronomy
Relations between cognition and motricity in children with neonatal arterial ischemic stroke
Introduction and goalPerinatal arterial ischemic stroke (PAIS) affects one child for 4000 births. The few studies about cognitive development specific to PAIS showed that cognitive performances in this population do not follow up a normal development (Westmacott et al., 2010; Ricci et al., 2008). Based on new data about relation between motricity and cognition (Smits-Engelsman et Hill, 2012), and on the theory of the embodied cognition, led us to hypothesize that cognitive performances would be correlated to the motor performances in children with PAIS.Patients and methodologyWe tested 77 7 years old children meeting the criteria of neonatal AIS, with a diagnosis before the 28th day of life relying on cerebral imagery. After excluding children with seizure and bi-hemispheric lesion, 56 children participated to our study. The cognitive evaluation was performed with the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC-4), the motor evaluation relied on testing of gross motor of the upper arm (Box and Block Test) and fine prehension test (âNine Hole Peg Testâ). The localisation of the lesion, the economic level of parents, the gender, sensory impairments and the presence of hemiplegia were collected. We analyzed these results with simple linear regression.ResultsThe main result of our study is the significative correlation (P<0.03) between scores of the WISC4 (except for working memory index) and motor results. In contrast we did not find any correlation between the scores of the WISC4 and the presence of hemiplegia or with lesion localization.DiscussionMany brain networks develop during the first year through sensorimotor experiences, which contribute to the emergence of knowledge. This concept of development, supported by the approach embodied cognition, can explain the correlations between cognition and motor found in our work and in several studies with children with other early neurological damage
Global maps of the magnetic thickness and magnetization of the Earthâs lithosphere
International audienceWe have constructed global maps of the large-scale magnetic thickness and magnetization of Earth's lithosphere. Deriving such large-scale maps based on lithospheric magnetic field measurements faces the challenge of the masking effect of the core field. In this study, the maps were obtained through analyses in the spectral domain by means of a new regional spatial power spectrum based on the Revised Spherical Cap Harmonic Analysis (R-SCHA) formalism. A series of regional spectral analyses were conducted covering the entire Earth. The R-SCHA surface power spectrum for each region was estimated using the NGDC-720 spherical harmonic (SH) model of the lithospheric magnetic field, which is based on satellite, aeromagnetic, and marine measurements. These observational regional spectra were fitted to a recently proposed statistical expression of the power spectrum of Earth's lithospheric magnetic field, whose free parameters include the thickness and magnetization of the magnetic sources. The resulting global magnetic thickness map is compared to other crustal and magnetic thickness maps based upon different geophysical data. We conclude that the large-scale magnetic thickness of the lithosphere is on average confined to a layer that does not exceed the Moho
Debris disc candidates in systems with transiting planets
Debris discs are known to exist around many planet-host stars, but no debris
dust has been found so far in systems with transiting planets. Using publicly
available catalogues, we searched for infrared excesses in such systems. In the
recently published Wide-Field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) catalogue, we
found 52 stars with transiting planets. Two systems with one transiting "hot
Jupiter" each, TrES-2 and XO-5, exhibit small excesses both at 12 and 22
microns at a > 3 sigma level. Provided that one or both of these detections are
real, the frequency of warm excesses in systems with transiting planets of 2-4
% is comparable to that around solar-type stars probed at similar wavelengths
with Spitzer's MIPS and IRS instruments. Modelling suggests that the observed
excesses would stem from dust rings with radii of several AU. The inferred
amount of dust is close to the maximum expected theoretically from a
collisional cascade in asteroid belt analogues. If confirmed, the presence of
debris discs in systems with transiting planets may put important constraints
onto formation and migration scenarios of hot Jupiters.Comment: Accepted for publication in MNRAS Letter
The Edgeworth-Kuiper debris disk
(Abridged) The Edgeworth-Kuiper belt with its presumed dusty debris is a
natural reference for extrsolar debris disks. We employ a new algorithm to
eliminate the inclination and the distance selection effects in the known TNO
populations to derive expected parameters of the "true" EKB. Its estimated mass
is M_EKB=0.12 M_earth, which is by a factor of \sim 15 larger than the mass of
the EKB objects detected so far. About a half of the total EKB mass is in
classical and resonant objects and another half is in scattered ones. Treating
the debiased populations of EKB objects as dust parent bodies, we then
"generate" their dust disk with our collisional code. Apart from accurate
handling of collisions and direct radiation pressure, we include the
Poynting-Robertson (P-R) drag, which cannot be ignored for the EKB dust disk.
Outside the classical EKB, the radial profile of the optical depth
approximately follows tau \sim r^-2 which is roughly intermediate between the
slope predicted analytically for collision-dominated (r^-1.5) and
transport-dominated (r^-2.5) disks. The cross section-dominating grain size
still lies just above the blowout size (\sim 1...2 \microm), as it would
without the P-R transport. However, if the EKB were by one order of magnitude
less massive, the optical depth profile would fall off as tau \sim r^-3, and
the cross section-dominating grain size would shift from \sim 1...2\microm to
~100 \microm. These properties are seen if dust is assumed to be generated only
by known TNOs. If the solar system were observed from outside, the thermal
emission flux from the EKB dust would be about two orders of magnitude lower
than for solar-type stars with the brightest known infrared excesses observed
from the same distance. Herschel and other new-generation facilities should
reveal extrasolar debris disks nearly as tenuous as the EKB disk. The
Herschel/PACS instrument should be able to detect disks at a \sim 1...2M_EKB
level.Comment: 18 pages, 14 figures, accepted for publication in A&
Unraveling the Mystery of Exozodiacal Dust
Exozodiacal dust clouds are thought to be the extrasolar analogs of the Solar System's zodiacal dust. Studying these systems provides insights in the architecture of the innermost regions of planetary systems, including the Habitable Zone. Furthermore, the mere presence of the dust may result in major obstacles for direct imaging of earth-like planets. Our EXOZODI project aims to detect and study exozodiacal dust and to explain its origin. We are carrying out the first large, near-infrared interferometric survey in the northern (CHARA/FLUOR) and southern (VLTI/PIONIER) hemispheres. Preliminary results suggest a detection rate of up to 30% around A to K type stars and interesting trends with spectral type and age. We focus here on presenting the observational work carried out by our tea
Planetary Dynamics and Habitable Planet Formation In Binary Star Systems
Whether binaries can harbor potentially habitable planets depends on several
factors including the physical properties and the orbital characteristics of
the binary system. While the former determines the location of the habitable
zone (HZ), the latter affects the dynamics of the material from which
terrestrial planets are formed (i.e., planetesimals and planetary embryos), and
drives the final architecture of the planets assembly. In order for a habitable
planet to form in a binary star system, these two factors have to work in
harmony. That is, the orbital dynamics of the two stars and their interactions
with the planet-forming material have to allow terrestrial planet formation in
the habitable zone, and ensure that the orbit of a potentially habitable planet
will be stable for long times. We have organized this chapter with the same
order in mind. We begin by presenting a general discussion on the motion of
planets in binary stars and their stability. We then discuss the stability of
terrestrial planets, and the formation of potentially habitable planets in a
binary-planetary system.Comment: 56 pages, 29 figures, chapter to appear in the book: Planets in
Binary Star Systems (Ed. N. Haghighipour, Springer publishing company
An improved model of the Edgeworth-Kuiper debris disk
(Abridged) We access the expected EKB dust disk properties by modeling. We
treat the debiased population of the known transneptunian objects (TNOs) as
parent bodies and generate the dust with our collisional code. The resulting
dust distributions are modified to take into account the influence of
gravitational scattering and resonance trapping by planets on migrating dust
grains as well as the effect of sublimation. A difficulty is that the amount
and distribution of dust are largely determined by sub-kilometer-sized bodies.
These are directly unobservable, and their properties cannot be accessed by
collisional modeling, because objects larger than 10...60m in the present-day
EKB are not in a collisional equilibrium. To place additional constraints, we
use in-situ measurements of the New Horizons spacecraft within 20AU. We show
that the TNO population has to have a break in the size distribution at s<70km.
However, even this still leaves us with several models that all correctly
reproduce a nearly constant dust impact rates in the region of giant planet
orbits and do not violate the constraints from the non-detection of the EKB
dust thermal emission by the COBE spacecraft. The modeled EKB dust disks, which
conform to the observational constraints, can either be transport-dominated or
intermediate between the transport-dominated and collision-dominated regime.
The in-plane optical depth of such disks is tau(r>10AU)~10^-6 and their
fractional luminosity is f_d~10^-7. Planets and sublimation are found to have
little effect on dust impact fluxes and dust thermal emission. The spectral
energy distribution of an EKB analog, as would be seen from 10pc distance,
peaks at wavelengths of 40...50\mum at F~0.5mJy, which is less than 1% of the
photospheric flux at those wavelengths. Therefore, exact EKB analogs cannot be
detected with present-day instruments such as Herschel/PACS.Comment: 10 pages, 8 figures, accepted for publication in Astronomy and
Astophysic
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