25,379 research outputs found
Discovery of the secondary eclipse of HAT-P-11 b
We report the detection of the secondary eclipse of HAT-P-11 b, a
Neptune-sized planet orbiting an active K4 dwarf. Using all available
short-cadence data of the Kepler mission, we derive refined planetary ephemeris
increasing their precision by more than an order of magnitude. Our simultaneous
primary and secondary transit modeling results in improved transit and orbital
parameters. In particular, the precise timing of the secondary eclipse allows
to pin down the orbital eccentricity to . The
secondary eclipse depth of ppm corresponds to a
detection and results in a geometric albedo of for
HAT-P-11 b, close to Neptune's value, which may indicate further resemblances
between these two bodies. Due to the substantial orbital eccentricity, the
planetary equilibrium temperature is expected to change significantly with
orbital position and ought to vary between K and K,
depending on the details of heat redistribution in the atmosphere of HAT-P-11
b.Comment: Accepted by A&A, 27/10/201
A planetary eclipse map of CoRoT-2a. Comprehensive lightcurve modeling combining rotational-modulation and transits
We analyze the surface structure of the planet host star CoRoT-2a using a
consistent model for both the `global' (i.e., rotationally modulated)
lightcurve and the transit lightcurves, using data provided by the CoRoT
mission. Selecting a time interval covering two stellar rotations and six
transits of the planetary companion CoRoT-2b, we adopt a `strip' model of the
surface to reproduce the photometric modulation inside and outside the transits
simultaneously. Our reconstructions show that it is possible to achieve
appropriate fits for the entire sub-interval using a low-resolution surface
model with 36 strips. The surface reconstructions indicate that the brightness
on the eclipsed section of the stellar surface is (6 +/- 1) % lower than the
average brightness of the remaining surface. This result suggests a
concentration of stellar activity in a band around the stellar equator similar
to the behavior observed on the Sun.Comment: accepted by A&A on 12/09/200
Carbon Isotope Constraints on the Deglacial CO2 Rise from Ice Cores
The stable carbon isotope ratio of atmospheric CO2 (d13Catm) is a key parameter in deciphering past carbon cycle changes. Here we present d13Catm data for the past 24,000 years derived from three independent records from two Antarctic ice cores. We conclude that a pronounced 0.3 per mil decrease in d13Catm during the early deglaciation can be best explained by upwelling of old, carbon-enriched waters in the Southern Ocean. Later in the deglaciation, regrowth of the terrestrial biosphere, changes in sea surface temperature, and ocean circulation governed the d13Catm evolution. During the Last Glacial Maximum, d13Catm and atmospheric CO2 concentration were essentially constant, which suggests that the carbon cycle was in dynamic equilibrium and that the net transfer of carbon to the deep ocean had occurred before then
Spatio-temporal dynamics of wormlike micelles under shear
Velocity profiles in a wormlike micelle solution (CTAB in D2O) are recorded
using ultrasound every 2 s after a step-like shear rate into the shear-banding
regime. The stress relaxation occurs over more than six hours and corresponds
to the very slow nucleation and growth of the high-shear band. Moreover,
oscillations of the interface position with a period of about 50 s are observed
during the growth process. Strong wall slip, metastable states and transient
nucleation of three-band flows are also reported and discussed in light of
previous experiments and theoretical models.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figures, submitted to Phys.Rev.Let
Fifteen years in the high-energy life of the solar-type star HD 81809. XMM-Newton observations of a stellar activity cycle
Aims. The data set of the long-term XMM-Newton monitoring program of HD 81809
is analyzed to study its X-ray cycle, to investigate if the latter is related
to the chromospheric one, to infer the structure of the corona of HD 81809, and
to explore if the coronal activity of HD 81809 can be ascribed to phenomena
similar to the solar ones and, therefore, considered an extension of the solar
case. Methods. We analyze the observations of HD 81809 performed with
XMM-Newton with a regular cadence of 6 months from 2001 to 2016 and
representing one of the longest available observational baseline (~yr)
for a solar-like star with a well-studied chromospheric cycle (with a period of
~yr). We investigate the modulation of coronal luminosity and
temperature and its relation with the chromospheric cycle. We interpret the
data in terms of a mixture of solar-like coronal regions, adopting a
methodology originally proposed to study the Sun as an X-ray star. Results. The
observations show a well-defined regular cyclic modulation of the X-ray
luminosity that reflects the activity level of HD 81809. The data covers
approximately two cycles of coronal activity; the modulation has an amplitude
of a factor of (excluding evident flares, as in the June 2002
observation) and a period of ~yr, consistent with that of the
chromospheric cycle. We demonstrate that the corona of HD 81809 can be
interpreted as an extension of the solar case and it can be modeled with a
mixture of solar-like coronal regions along the whole cycle. The activity level
is mainly determined by a varying coverage of very bright active regions,
similar to cores of active regions observed in the Sun. Evidence of unresolved
significant flaring activity is present especially in proximity of cycle
maxima.Comment: 11 pages, 5 Figures, A&A accepte
The X-ray cycle in the solar-type star HD 81809
(abridged) Our long-term XMM-Newton program of long-term monitoring of a
solar-like star with a well-studied chromospheric cycle, HD 81809 aims to study
whether an X-ray cycle is present, along with studying its characteristics and
its relation to the chromospheric cycle. Regular observations of HD 81809 were
performed with XMM-Newton, spaced by 6 months from 2001 to 2007. We studied the
variations in the resulting coronal luminosity and temperature, and compared
them with the chromospheric CaII variations. We also modeled the observations
in terms of a mixture of active regions, using a methodology originally
developed to study the solar corona. Our observations show a well-defined cycle
with an amplitude exceeding 1 dex and an average luminosity approximately one
order of magnitude higher than in the Sun. The behavior of the corona of HD
81809 can be modeled well in terms of varying coverage of solar-like active
regions, with a larger coverage than for the Sun, showing it to be compatible
with a simple extension of the solar case.Comment: In press, Astronomy & Astrophysic
Quantitative assessment of angiogenesis in murine antigen-induced arthritis by intravital fluorescence microscopy
Inhibition of angiogenesis might be a therapeutic approach to prevent joint destruction caused by the overgrowing synovial tissue during chronic joint inflammation. The aim of this study was to investigate angiogenesis in the knee joint of mice with antigen-induced arthritis (AIA) by means of intravital microscopy. In 14 mice (C57BL6/129Sv) intravital microscopic assessment was performed on day 8 after AIA induction in two groups (controls, AIA). Synovial tissue was investigated by intravital fluorescence microscopy using FITC-dextran (150 kD). Quantitative assessment of vessel density was performed according to the following categories: functional capillary density (FCD, vessels 10 mum) and FVD of vessels with angiogenic criteria (convoluted vessels, abrupt changes of diameter, vessels which are generated by sprouting and progressively pruned and remodelled). Microvessel count was performed using immunohistochemistry. There was no significant difference in FCD between the control group (337 +/- 9 cm/cm(2); mean +/-SEM) and the AIA group (359 +/- 13 cm/cm(2)). The density of vessels larger than 10 gm diameter was significantly increased in animals with AIA (135 +/- 10 vs. 61 +/- 5 cm/cm(2) in control). The density of blood vessels with angiogenic criteria was enhanced in arthritic animals (79 +/- 17 vs. 12 +/- 2 cm/cm(2) in control). There was a significant increase in the microvessel count in arthritic animals (297 +/- 25 vs. 133 +/- 16 mm(-2) in control). These findings demonstrate that angiogenesis in murine AIA can be assessed quantitatively using intravital microscopy. Further studies will address antiangiogenic strategies in AIA
Arbitrary-order Hilbert spectral analysis for time series possessing scaling statistics: a comparison study with detrended fluctuation analysis and wavelet leaders
In this paper we present an extended version of Hilbert-Huang transform,
namely arbitrary-order Hilbert spectral analysis, to characterize the
scale-invariant properties of a time series directly in an amplitude-frequency
space. We first show numerically that due to a nonlinear distortion,
traditional methods require high-order harmonic components to represent
nonlinear processes, except for the Hilbert-based method. This will lead to an
artificial energy flux from the low-frequency (large scale) to the
high-frequency (small scale) part. Thus the power law, if it exists, is
contaminated. We then compare the Hilbert method with structure functions (SF),
detrended fluctuation analysis (DFA), and wavelet leader (WL) by analyzing
fractional Brownian motion and synthesized multifractal time series. For the
former simulation, we find that all methods provide comparable results. For the
latter simulation, we perform simulations with an intermittent parameter {\mu}
= 0.15. We find that the SF underestimates scaling exponent when q > 3. The
Hilbert method provides a slight underestimation when q > 5. However, both DFA
and WL overestimate the scaling exponents when q > 5. It seems that Hilbert and
DFA methods provide better singularity spectra than SF and WL. We finally apply
all methods to a passive scalar (temperature) data obtained from a jet
experiment with a Taylor's microscale Reynolds number Relambda \simeq 250. Due
to the presence of strong ramp-cliff structures, the SF fails to detect the
power law behavior. For the traditional method, the ramp-cliff structure causes
a serious artificial energy flux from the low-frequency (large scale) to the
high-frequency (small scale) part. Thus DFA and WL underestimate the scaling
exponents. However, the Hilbert method provides scaling exponents
{\xi}{\theta}(q) quite close to the one for longitudinal velocity.Comment: 13 pages, 10 figure
New results for a photon-photon collider
We present new results from studies in progress on physics at a two-photon
collider. We report on the sensitivity to top squark parameters of MSSM Higgs
boson production in two-photon collisions; Higgs boson decay to two photons;
radion production in models of warped extra dimensions; chargino pair
production; sensitivity to the trilinear Higgs boson coupling; charged Higgs
boson pair production; and we discuss the backgrounds produced by resolved
photon-photon interactions.Comment: 17 pages, 15 figure
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