| 1. |
- Hoare, M. G., et al.
(författare)
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The cradle of life and the SKA
- 2014
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Ingår i: Proceedings of Science. - 1824-8039. ; 9-13-June-2014
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- We provide an overview of the exciting capabilities of the SKA in the Cradle of Life theme. With the deployment of the high frequency band 5 receivers, the phase 1 of the SKA can conduct headline science in the study of the earliest stages of grain growth in proto-planetary disks. SKA1-MID can map the 2 cm continuum emission at a resolution of 4 au in the nearest systems and therefore begin to probe the distribuion of cm-sized particles across the snow line. This frequency range will also enable deep searches for pre-biotic molecules such as amino acids from pre-stellar cores to the cold, outer regions of proto-planetary disks where cometary material forms. The lowest frequency capabilities of SKA1 can be used to examine the magnetic fields of exo-planets via their auroral radio emission. This gives unique insight into their interiors and could potentially detect exo-moons. Across the full frequency range, the SKA1 will also carry out systematic, volume-limited searches of exo-planet systems for signals from technologically advanced civilizations. The sensitivity of SKA1 means that these only need to be at the level of typical airport radar signals in the nearest systems. Hence, the SKA1 can conduct high impact science from the first steps on the road to planets and life, through areas affecting the habitability of planets, and ultimately, to whether we are alone in the Galaxy. These inspirational themes will greatly help in the effort to bring SKA1 science to a wide audience and to ensure the progression to the full SKA.
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| 2. |
- Zolesi, V. S., et al.
(författare)
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On an innovative deployment concept for large space structures
- 2012
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Ingår i: 42nd International Conference on Environmental Systems 2012, ICES 2012. - Reston, Virigina : American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. - 9781600869341
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Large deployable space structures are mission-critical technologies for which deployment failure cannot be an option. The difficulty to fully reproduce and test on ground the deployment of large systems dictates the need for extremely reliable architectural concepts. In 2010, ESA promoted a study focused at the pre-development of breakthrough architectural concepts offering superior reliability. The study, which was performed as an initiative of ESA Small Medium Enterprises Office (http://www.esa.int/SME/), by Kayser Italia at its premises in Livorno (Italy), with Universita' di Roma TorVergata (Rome, Italy) as sub-contractor and consultancy from KTH (Stockholm, Sweden), led to the identification of an innovative large deployable structure of "tensegrity" type, which achieves the required reliability because it permits a drastic reduction in the number of articulated joints in comparison with non-tensegrity architectures. The identified target application was in the field of large antenna reflectors. The project focused on the overall architecture of a deployable system and the related design implications. With a view toward verifying experimentally the performance of the deployable structure, a reduced-scale breadboard model was designed and manufactured. A gravity off-loading system was designed and implemented, so as to check deployment functionality in a 1-g environment. Finally, a test campaign was conducted, to validate the main design assumptions as well as to ensure the concept's suitability for the selected target application. The test activities demonstrated satisfactory stiffness, deployment repeatability, and geometric precision in the fully deployed configuration. The test data were also used to validate a finite element model, which predicts a good static and dynamic behavior of the full-scale deployable structure.
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| 3. |
- Dent, W. R. F., et al.
(författare)
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GASPS-A Herschel Survey of Gas and Dust in Protoplanetary Disks: Summary and Initial Statistics
- 2013
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Ingår i: Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific. - : IOP Publishing. - 0004-6280 .- 1538-3873. ; 125:927, s. 477-505
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We describe a large-scale far-infrared line and continuum survey of protoplanetary disk through to young debris disk systems carried out using the ACS instrument on the Herschel Space Observatory. This Open Time Key program, known as GASPS (Gas Survey of Protoplanetary Systems), targeted similar to 250 young stars in narrow wavelength regions covering the [OI] fine structure line at 63 mu m the brightest far-infrared line in such objects. A subset of the brightest targets were also surveyed in [OI]145 mu m, [CII] at 157 mu m, as well as several transitions of H2O and high-excitation CO lines at selected wavelengths between 78 and 180 mu m. Additionally, GASPS included continuum photometry at 70, 100 and 160 mu m, around the peak of the dust emission. The targets were SED Class II-III T Tauri stars and debris disks from seven nearby young associations, along with a comparable sample of isolated Herbig AeBe stars. The aim was to study the global gas and dust content in a wide sample of circumstellar disks, combining the results with models in a systematic way. In this overview paper we review the scientific aims, target selection and observing strategy of the program. We summarise some of the initial results, showing line identifications, listing the detections, and giving a first statistical study of line detectability. The [OI] line at 63 mu m was the brightest line seen in almost all objects, by a factor of similar to 10. Overall [OI]63 mu m detection rates were 49%, with 100% of HAeBe stars and 43% of T Tauri stars detected. A comparison with published disk dust masses (derived mainly from sub-mm continuum, assuming standard values of the mm mass opacity) shows a dust mass threshold for [OI] 63 mu m detection of similar to 10(-5) M-circle dot. Normalising to a distance of 140 pc, 84% of objects with dust masses >= 10(-5) M-circle dot can be detected in this line in the present survey; 32% of those of mass 10(-6)-10(-5) M-circle dot, and only a very small number of unusual objects with lower masses can be detected. This is consistent with models with a moderate UV excess and disk flaring. For a given disk mass, [OI] detectability is lower for M stars compared with earlier spectral types. Both the continuum and line emission was, in most systems, spatially and spectrally unresolved and centred on the star, suggesting that emission in most cases was from the disk. Approximately 10 objects showed resolved emission, most likely from outflows. In the GASPS sample, [OI] detection rates in T Tauri associations in the 0.3-4 Myr age range were similar to 50%. For each association in the 5-20 Myr age range, similar to 2 stars remain detectable in [OI]63 mu m, and no systems were detected in associations with age >20 Myr. Comparing with the total number of young stars in each association, and assuming a ISM-like gas/dust ratio, this indicates that similar to 18% of stars retain a gas-rich disk of total mass similar to 1 M-Jupiter for 1-4 Myr, 1-7% keep such disks for 5-10 Myr, but none are detected beyond 10-20 Myr. The brightest [OI] objects from GASPS were also observed in [OI]145 mu m, [CII]157 mu m and CO J = 18 - 17, with detection rates of 20-40%. Detection of the [CII] line was not correlated with disk mass, suggesting it arises more commonly from a compact remnant envelope.
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| 4. |
- Mathews, G. S., et al.
(författare)
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GAS in Protoplanetary Systems (GASPS) I. First results
- 2010
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Ingår i: Astronomy and Astrophysics. - : EDP Sciences. - 0004-6361 .- 1432-0746. ; 518:Article Number: L127
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Context. Circumstellar discs are ubiquitous around young stars, but rapidly dissipate their gas and dust on timescales of a few Myr. The Herschel Space Observatory allows for the study of the warm disc atmosphere, using far-infrared spectroscopy to measure gas content and excitation conditions, and far-IR photometry to constrain the dust distribution. Aims. We aim to detect and characterize the gas content of circumstellar discs in four targets as part of the Herschel science demonstration phase. Methods. We carried out sensitive medium resolution spectroscopy and high sensitivity photometry at gimel similar to 60-190 mu m using the Photodetector Array Camera and Spectrometer instrument on the Herschel Space Observatory. Results. We detect [OI] 63 mu m emission from the young stars HD 169142, TW Hydrae, and RECX 15, but not HD 181327. No other lines, including [CII] 158 and [OI] 145, are significantly detected. All four stars are detected in photometry at 70 and 160 mu m. Extensive models are presented in associated papers.
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| 5. |
- Meeus, G., et al.
(författare)
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Gas in the protoplanetary disc of HD 169142: Herschel's view
- 2010
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Ingår i: Astronomy and Astrophysics. - : EDP Sciences. - 0004-6361 .- 1432-0746. ; 518:Article Number: L124
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In an effort to simultaneously study the gas and dust components of the disc surrounding the young Herbig Ae star HD 169142, we present far-IR observations obtained with the PACS instrument onboard the Herschel Space Observatory. This work is part of the open time key program GASPS, which is aimed at studying the evolution of protoplanetary discs. To constrain the gas properties in the outer disc, we observed the star at several key gas-lines, including [OI] 63.2 and 145.5 mu m, [CII] 157.7 mu m, CO 72.8 and 90.2 mu m, and o-H2O 78.7 and 179.5 mu m. We only detect the [OI] 63.2 mu m line in our spectra, and derive upper limits for the other lines. We complement our data set with PACS photometry and (CO)-C-12/13 data obtained with the Submillimeter Array. Furthermore, we derive accurate stellar parameters from optical spectra and UV to mm photometry. We model the dust continuum with the 3D radiative transfer code MCFOST and use this model as an input to analyse the gas lines with the thermo-chemical code ProDIMo. Our dataset is consistent with a simple model in which the gas and dust are well-mixed in a disc with a continuous structure between 20 and 200 AU, but this is not a unique solution. Our modelling effort allows us to constrain the gas-to-dust mass ratio as well as the relative abundance of the PAHs in the disc by simultaneously fitting the lines of several species that originate in different regions. Our results are inconsistent with a gas-poor disc with a large UV excess; a gas mass of 5.0 +/- 2.0 x 10(-3) M-circle dot is still present in this disc, in agreement with earlier CO observations.
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| 6. |
- Pinte, C., et al.
(författare)
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The Herschel view of GAS in Protoplanetary Systems (GASPS) First comparisons with a large grid of models
- 2010
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Ingår i: Astronomy and Astrophysics. - : EDP Sciences. - 0004-6361 .- 1432-0746. ; 518:Article Number: L126
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The Herschel GASPS key program is a survey of the gas phase of protoplanetary discs, targeting 240 objects which cover a large range of ages, spectral types, and disc properties. To interpret this large quantity of data and initiate self-consistent analyses of the gas and dust properties of protoplanetary discs, we have combined the capabilities of the radiative transfer code MCFOST with the gas thermal balance and chemistry code ProDiMo to compute a grid of approximate to 300 000 disc models (DENT). We present a comparison of the first Herschel/GASPS line and continuum data with the predictions from the DENT grid of models. Our objective is to test some of the main trends already identified in the DENT grid, as well as to define better empirical diagnostics to estimate the total gas mass of protoplanetary discs. Photospheric UV radiation appears to be the dominant gas-heating mechanism for Herbig stars, whereas UV excess and/or X-rays emission dominates for T Tauri stars. The DENT grid reveals the complexity in the analysis of far-IR lines and the difficulty to invert these observations into physical quantities. The combination of Herschel line observations with continuum data and/or with rotational lines in the (sub-)millimetre regime, in particular CO lines, is required for a detailed characterisation of the physical and chemical properties of circumstellar discs.
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| 7. |
- Thi, W. F., et al.
(författare)
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Herschel-PACS observation of the 10 Myr old T Tauri disk TW Hya Constraining the disk gas mass
- 2010
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Ingår i: Astronomy and Astrophysics. - : EDP Sciences. - 0004-6361 .- 1432-0746. ; 518:Article Number: L125
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Planets are formed in disks around young stars. With an age of similar to 10 Myr, TW Hya is one of the nearest T Tauri stars that is still surrounded by a relatively massive disk. In addition a large number of molecules has been found in the TW Hya disk, making TW Hya the perfect test case in a large survey of disks with Herschel-PACS to directly study their gaseous component. We aim to constrain the gas and dust mass of the circumstellar disk around TW Hya. We observed the fine-structure lines of [OI] and [CII] as part of the open-time large program GASPS. We complement this with continuum data and ground-based (12) CO 3-2 and (CO)-C-13 3-2 observations. We simultaneously model the continuum and the line fluxes with the 3D Monte-Carlo code MCFOST and the thermo-chemical code ProDiMo to derive the gas and dust masses. We detect the [OI] line at 63 mu m. The other lines that were observed, [OI] at 145 mu m and [CII] at 157 mu m, are not detected. No extended emission has been found. Preliminary modeling of the photometric and line data assuming [(CO)-C-12]/[(CO)-C-13] = 69 suggests a dust mass for grains with radius
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