Crystalline silicate dust around evolved stars: I. The sample stars

This is the first paper in a series of three where we present the first comprehensive inventory of solid state emission bands observed in a sample of 17 oxygen-rich circumstellar dust shells surrounding evolved stars. The data were taken with the Short and Long Wavelength Spectrographs on board of the Infrared Space Observatory (ISO) and cover the 2.4 to 195 μm wavelength range. The spectra show the presence of broad 10 and 18 μm bands that can be attributed to amorphous silicates. In addition, at least 49 narrow bands are found whose position and width indicate they can be attributed to crystalline silicates. Almost all of these bands were not known before ISO. The incredible richness of the crystalline silicate spectra observed by ISO allows detailed studies of the mineralogy of these dust shells, and is a telltale about the origin and evolution of the dust. We have measured the peak positions, widths and strengths of the individual, continuum subtracted bands. Based on these measurements, we were able to order the spectra in sequence of decreasing crystalline silicate band strength. We found that the strength of the emission bands correlates with the geometry of the circumstellar shell, as derived from direct imaging or inferred from the shape of the spectral energy distribution. This naturally divides the sample into objects that show a disk-like geometry (strong crystalline silicate bands), and objects whose dust shell is characteristic of an outflow (weak crystalline silicate bands). All stars with the 33.6 μm forsterite band stronger than 20 percent over continuum are disk sources. We define spectral regions (called complexes) where a concentration of emission bands is evident, at 10, 18, 23, 28, 33, 40 and 60 μm. We derive average shapes for these complexes and compare these to the individual band shapes of the programme stars. In an Appendix, we provide detailed comments on the measured band positions and strengths of individual sources

The circumstellar dust shell of the post-AGB star HD 161796

We have modeled the complete optical to millimeter spectrum of the Post-Asymptotic Giant Branch (Post-AGB) star HD 161796 and its circumstellar dust shell. A full 2–200 μm spectrum taken with the Infrared Space Observatory was used to constrain the dust properties. A good fit is achieved using only 4 dust components: amorphous silicates, the crystalline silicates forsterite and enstatite, and crystalline water ice, contributing respectively about 63, 4, 6 and 27% to the total dust mass. The different dust species were assumed to be co-spatial but distinct, resulting in different temperatures for the different grain populations. We find a temperature for the crystalline H2O ice of 70 K, which is higher than thermal equilibrium calculations of pure H2O ice would give. This implies that the ice must be formed as a mantle on top of an (amorphous) silicate core. In order to form H2O ice mantles the mass loss rate must exceed some yr-1. With a water-ice fraction of 27% a lower limit for the gas to dust mass ratio of 270 is found. At a distance of 1.2 kpc (Skinner et al. [CITE]) and adopting an outflow velocity of 15 km s-1 (Likkel et al. [CITE]) an AGB mass loss rate of ( yr-1) is found, which lasted 900 years and ended 430 years ago. During this phase a total of 0.46 was expelled. The mass loss rate was high enough to account for the presence of the H2O ice

Leukocyte-specific DNA methylation biomarkers and their implication for pathological epigenetic analysis

Background: Distinct cell types can be identified by their DNA methylation patterns. Much research over the last decade has focused on DNA methylation changes in cancer or the use of cell-free circulating DNA in plasma to identify damaged tissue in cases of trauma or organ transplantation. However, there has been little research into the differential methylation patterns between leukocytes and other tissues and how they can be used as a detection tool for immune activity in a range of contexts. Results: We have identified several loci that are fully methylated in leukocytes but virtually devoid of methylation in a range of other mesoderm-, ectoderm-, and endoderm-derived tissues. We validated these biomarkers using amplicon- bisulphite-sequencing on saliva and in vitro mixing of peripheral blood mononuclear cells and intestinal organoid cells combined at a defined range of ratios. Interestingly, these methylation biomarkers have previously been identified as altered in various inflammatory diseases, including Alzheimer disease, inflammatory bowel disease, and psoriasis. We hypothesise this is due to leukocyte infiltration rather than being a feature of the diseased cells themselves. Moreover, we show a positive linear relationship between infiltrating leukocytes and DNA methylation levels at the HOXA3 locus in six cancer types, indicative of further immune cell infiltration. Conclusions: Our data emphasise the importance of considering cellular composition when undertaking DNA methylation analysis and demonstrate the feasibility of developing new diagnostic tests to detect inflammation and immune cell infiltration

Two populations of X-ray pulsars produced by two types of supernovae

Two types of supernova are thought to produce the overwhelming majority of neutron stars in the Universe. The first type, iron-core collapse supernovae, occurs when a high-mass star develops a degenerate iron core that exceeds the Chandrasekhar limit. The second type, electron-capture supernovae, is associated with the collapse of a lower-mass oxygen-neon-magnesium core as it loses pressure support owing to the sudden capture of electrons by neon and/or magnesium nuclei. It has hitherto been impossible to identify the two distinct families of neutron stars produced in these formation channels. Here we report that a large, well-known class of neutron-star-hosting X-ray pulsars is actually composed of two distinct sub-populations with different characteristic spin periods, orbital periods and orbital eccentricities. This class, the Be/X-ray binaries, contains neutron stars that accrete material from a more massive companion star. The two sub-populations are most probably associated with the two distinct types of neutron-star-forming supernovae, with electron-capture supernovae preferentially producing system with short spin period, short orbital periods and low eccentricity. Intriguingly, the split between the two sub-populations is clearest in the distribution of the logarithm of spin period, a result that had not been predicted and which still remains to be explaine

The 69-mu m forsterite band as a dust temperature indicator

A band of pure crystalline forsterite (100 per cent Mg2SiO4) occurs at 69.67 μm at room temperature (295 K); for olivines with ≳10 per cent Fe the corresponding feature is at ≳73 μm. The Mg-rich forsterite feature is observed in a variety of ISO LWS spectra, but the corresponding Fe-rich olivine feature is not. For the 10 astronomical sources in our sample, the forsterite band peaks in the 68.9–69.3 μm range and narrows with decreasing peak wavelength. This is consistent with the shortwards shifting of the peak observed when laboratory samples are cooled to 77 K (69.07 μm) and 3.5 K (68.84 μm). The shifted peak is produced by lattice contraction and the sharpening is due to a decrease in phonon density at lower temperatures. However, the astronomical bands are narrower than those of the laboratory samples. By comparing the laboratory and astronomical peak wavelengths, we deduce characteristic forsterite 69-μm band temperatures that are in the 27–84 K range for the eight post-main-sequence objects in our sample. These values are shown to be consistent with the local continuum temperatures derived using a β=1.5 dust emissivity index, similar to derived interstellar values of the opacity index. For the pre-main sequence-objects HD 100546 and MWC 922, the characteristic 69-μm forsterite band temperatures (127±18 and 139±10 K, respectively) are significantly higher than those of the post-main-sequence objects and are more than twice as high as their local continuum temperatures deduced using β=1.5. The assumption of large grains (β=0) can produce agreement between the derived 69-μm and continuum temperatures for one of these objects but not for the other — a spatial separation between the forsterite and continuum-emitting grains may therefore be implied for it. We conclude that observations of the peak wavelength and FWHM of the 69-μm forsterite band show great promise as a new diagnostic of characteristic grain temperatures

The complete ISO spectrum of NGC 6302

We present the combined Infrared Space Observatory Short-Wavelength Spectrometer and Long-Wavelength Spectrometer 2.4-197 μm spectrum of the Planetary Nebula NGC 6302 which contains in addition to strong atomic lines, a series of emission features due to solid state components. The broad wavelength coverage enables us to more accurately identify and determine the properties of both oxygen- and carbon-rich circumstellar dust. A simple model fit was made to determine the abundance and typical temperature of the amorphous silicates, enstatite and forsterite. Forsterite and enstatite do have roughly the same abundance and temperature. The origin and location of the dust in a toroidal disk around the central star are discussed

A close halo of large transparent grains around extreme red giant stars

Intermediate-mass stars end their lives by ejecting the bulk of their envelope via a slow dense wind back into the interstellar medium, to form the next generation of stars and planets. Stellar pulsations are thought to elevate gas to an altitude cool enough for the condensation of dust, which is then accelerated by radiation pressure from starlight, entraining the gas and driving the wind. However accounting for the mass loss has been a problem due to the difficulty in observing tenuous gas and dust tens of milliarcseconds from the star, and there is accordingly no consensus on the way sufficient momentum is transferred from the starlight to the outflow. Here, we present spatially-resolved, multi-wavelength observations of circumstellar dust shells of three stars on the asymptotic giant branch of the HR diagram. When imaged in scattered light, dust shells were found at remarkably small radii (<~ 2 stellar radii) and with unexpectedly large grains (~300 nm radius). This proximity to the photosphere argues for dust species that are transparent to starlight and therefore resistant to sublimation by the intense radiation field. While transparency usually implies insufficient radiative pressure to drive a wind, the radiation field can accelerate these large grains via photon scattering rather than absorption - a plausible mass-loss mechanism for lower-amplitude pulsating stars.Comment: 13 pages, 1 table, 6 figure

Infrared imaging and spectroscopy of the Luminous Blue Variables Wra 751 and AG Car

We present ground-based infrared imaging and ISO spectroscopy of the luminous blue variables Wra 751 and AG Car. The images show in both cases a detached shell with a roughly circular distribution of emission. The infrared images of AG Car coincide very well with the optical images. The optical (H[FORMULA]) image of Wra 751 is different from the infrared image; the H[FORMULA] nebula is suggested to be a scattering nebula containing cold dust particles. Fitting both the images and the spectra consistently with a 1-D radiative transfer model, we derive properties of their dust shells. Wra 751 is surrounded by a dust shell with inner and outer radii of 0.17 and 0.34 pc respectively and a dust mass of 0.017 [FORMULA]. The dust shell of AG Car has inner and outer radii of 0.37 and 0.81 pc respectively and a total dust mass of 0.25 [FORMULA]. Dust mass-loss rates during the formation of the shells are 2.7[FORMULA] and 3.4[FORMULA] [FORMULA] yr-1, respectively. The total dust mass and hence the derived dust mass-loss rates are uncertain by at least a factor of two. For AG Car, the derived dust mass and mass-loss rate are higher than previous estimates. This is mainly caused by the fact that a contribution of very large grains ([FORMULA] 10 µm) is needed to explain the flux levels at longer wavelengths. Dust models for both objects fail to explain the flux shortward of 15 to 20 µm: a population of small warm grains, not in thermal equilibrium with the central star is necessary to explain this excess. Similarities between dust shells around Wolf-Rayet stars and Wra 751 and AG Car (mass, grain size population, morphology) suggest a similar formation history and imply an evolutionary connection. A similar connection with red supergiants is suggested on the basis of the dust composition and derived time-averaged mass-loss rates

Lack of trust in maternal support is associated with negative interpretations of ambiguous maternal behavior

Attachment theory assumes that children who lack trust in maternal availability for support are more inclined to interpret maternal behavior in congruence with their expectation that mother will remain unavailable for support. To provide the first test of this assumption, early adolescents (9-13 years old) were asked to assess whether ambiguous interactions with mother should be interpreted in a positive or a negative way. In our sample (n = 322), results showed that early adolescents' lack of trust in their mother's availability for support was related to more negative interpretations of maternal behavior. The associations remained significant after controlling for depressive mood. The importance of these findings for our understanding of attachment theory, attachment stability, and clinical practice are discussed

Congenital isolated right radial club hand

Congenital radial club hand (RCH) is an uncommon congenital anomaly characterized by various degrees of deficiency along the preaxial or radial side of the extremity. We present one such case of Type 4 congenital isolated RCH who presented to a tertiary care center in the Middle East