Strong HI Lyman-α\alpha variations from the 11 Gyr-old host star Kepler-444: a planetary origin ?

Kepler-444 provides a unique opportunity to probe the atmospheric composition and evolution of a compact system of exoplanets smaller than the Earth. Five planets transit this bright K star at close orbital distances, but they are too small for their putative lower atmosphere to be probed at optical/infrared wavelengths. We used the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph instrument onboard the Hubble Space Telescope to search for the signature of the planet's upper atmospheres at six independent epochs in the Ly-$\alpha$ line. We detect significant flux variations during the transits of both Kepler-444e and f (~20%), and also at a time when none of the known planets was transiting (~40%). Variability in the transition region and corona of the host star might be the source of these variations. Yet, their amplitude over short time scales (~2-3 hours) is surprisingly strong for this old (11.2+-1.0Gyr) and apparently quiet main-sequence star. Alternatively, we show that the in-transits variations could be explained by absorption from neutral hydrogen exospheres trailing the two outer planets (Kepler-444e and f). They would have to contain substantial amounts of water to replenish such hydrogen exospheres, which would reveal them as the first confirmed ocean-planets. The out-of-transit variations, however, would require the presence of a yet-undetected Kepler-444g at larger orbital distance, casting doubt on the planetary origin scenario. Using HARPS-N observations in the sodium doublet, we derived the properties of two Interstellar Medium clouds along the line-of-sight toward Kepler-444. This allowed us to reconstruct the stellar Ly-$\alpha$ line profile and to estimate the XUV irradiation from the star, which would still allow for a moderate mass loss from the outer planets after 11.2Gyr. Follow-up of the system at XUV wavelengths will be required to assess this tantalizing possibility.Comment: Accepted for publication in A&A Name of the system added to the title in most recent versio

High-energy environment of super-Earth 55 Cnc e I: Far-UV chromospheric variability as a possible tracer of planet-induced coronal rain

The irradiation of close-in planets by their star influences their evolution and might be responsible for a population of ultra-short period planets eroded to their bare core. In orbit around a bright, nearby G-type star, the super-Earth 55 Cnc e offers the possibility to address these issues through UV transit observations. We used the Hubble Space Telescope to observe the transit in the FUV over 3 epochs in Apr. 2016, Jan. 2017, and Feb. 2017. These observations reveal significant short- and long-term variability in 55 Cnc chromospheric emission lines. In the last 2 epochs, we detected a larger flux in the C III, Si III, and Si IV lines after the planet passed the approaching quadrature, followed by a flux decrease in the Si IV doublet. In the second epoch these variations are contemporaneous with flux decreases in the Si II and C II doublet. All epochs show flux decreases in the N V doublet as well, albeit at different orbital phases. These flux decreases are consistent with absorption from optically thin clouds of gas, are mostly localized at low and redshifted radial velocities in the star rest frame, and occur preferentially before and during the transit. These 3 points make it unlikely that the variations are purely stellar, yet we show that the occulting material is also unlikely to originate from the planet. We tentatively propose that the motion of 55 Cnc e at the fringes of the stellar corona leads to the formation of a cool coronal rain. The inhomogeneity and temporal evolution of the stellar corona would be responsible for the differences between the visits. Additional variations are detected in the C II doublet in the first epoch and in the O I triplet in all epochs with a different behavior that points toward intrinsic stellar variability. Further observations at FUV wavelengths are required to disentangle between star-planet interactions and the activity of the starComment: 22 pages, 20 figures, accepted for publication in A&

Dynamical coherent-potential approximation approach to excitation spectra in 3d transition metals

First-principles dynamical CPA (Coherent-Potential Approximation) for electron correlations has been developed further by taking into account higher-order dynamical corrections with use of the asymptotic approximation. The theory is applied to the investigations of a systematic change of excitation spectra in $3d$ transition metals from Sc to Cu at finite temperatures. It is shown that the dynamical effects damp main peaks in the densities of states (DOS) obtained by the local density approximation to the density functional theory, reduce the band broadening due to thermal spin fluctuations, create the Mott-Hubbard type bands in the case of fcc Mn and fcc Fe, and create a small hump corresponding to the `6 eV' satellite in the case of Co, Ni, and Cu. Calculated DOS explain the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy data as well as the bremsstrahlung isochromat spectroscopy data. Moreover, it is found that screening effects on the exchange energy parameters are significant for understanding the spectra in magnetic transition metals.Comment: To be published in Phys. Rev.

A probable giant planet imaged in the Beta Pictoris disk

Since the discovery of its dusty disk in 1984, Beta Pictoris has become the prototype of young early-type planetary systems, and there are now various indications that a massive Jovian planet is orbiting the star at ~ 10 AU. However, no planets have been detected around this star so far. Our goal was to investigate the close environment of Beta Pic, searching for planetary companion(s). Deep adaptive-optics L'-band images of Beta Pic were recorded using the NaCo instrument at the Very Large Telescope. A faint point-like signal is detected at a projected distance of ~ 8 AU from the star, within the North-East side of the dust disk. Various tests were made to rule out with a good confidence level possible instrumental or atmospheric artifacts. The probability of a foreground or background contaminant is extremely low, based in addition on the analysis of previous deep Hubble Space Telescope images. The object L'=11.2 apparent magnitude would indicate a typical temperature of ~1500 K and a mass of ~ 8 Jovian masses. If confirmed, it could explain the main morphological and dynamical peculiarities of the Beta Pic system. The present detection is unique among A-stars by the proximity of the resolved planet to its parent star. Its closeness and location inside the Beta Pic disk suggest a formation process by core accretion or disk instabilities rather than a binary-like formation process.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures, 1 table. A&A Letters, in pres

Size-Dependent Surface Plasmon Dynamics in Metal Nanoparticles

We study the effect of Coulomb correlations on the ultrafast optical dynamics of small metal particles. We demonstrate that a surface-induced dynamical screening of the electron-electron interactions leads to quasiparticle scattering with collective surface excitations. In noble-metal nanoparticles, it results in an interband resonant scattering of d-holes with surface plasmons. We show that this size-dependent many-body effect manifests itself in the differential absorption dynamics for frequencies close to the surface plasmon resonance. In particular, our self-consistent calculations reveal a strong frequency dependence of the relaxation, in agreement with recent femtosecond pump-probe experiments.Comment: 8 pages + 4 figures, final version accepted to PR

Phase diagrams of correlated electrons: systematic corrections to the mean field theory

Perturbative corrections to the mean field theory for particle-hole instabilities of interacting electron systems are computed within a scheme which is equivalent to the recently developed variational approach to the Kohn-Luttinger superconductivity. This enables an unbiased comparison of particle-particle and particle-hole instabilities within the same approximation scheme. A spin-rotation invariant formulation for the particle-hole instabilities in the triplet channel is developed. The method is applied to the phase diagram of the t-t' Hubbard model on the square lattice. At the Van Hove density, antiferromagnetic and d-wave Pomeranchuk phases are found to be stable close to half filling. However, the latter phase is confined to an extremely narrow interval of densities and away from the singular filling, d-wave superconducting instability dominates

Spin relaxation of conduction electrons in bulk III-V semiconductors

Spin relaxation time of conduction electrons through the Elliot-Yafet, D'yakonov-Perel and Bir-Aronov-Pikus mechanisms is calculated theoretically for bulk GaAs, GaSb, InAs and InSb of both $n$- and $p$-type. Relative importance of each spin relaxation mechanism is compared and the diagrams showing the dominant mechanism are constructed as a function of temperature and impurity concentrations. Our approach is based upon theoretical calculation of the momentum relaxation rate and allows understanding of the interplay between various factors affecting the spin relaxation over a broad range of temperature and impurity concentration.Comment: an error in earlier version correcte