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- Wagner, J., et al.
(author)
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First 230? : GHz VLBI fringes on 3C 279 using the APEX Telescope (Research Note)
- 2015
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In: Astronomy and Astrophysics. - : EDP Sciences. - 0004-6361 .- 1432-0746. ; 581
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Aims. We report about a 230? GHz very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) fringe finder observation of blazar 3C 279 with the APEX telescope in Chile, the phased submillimeter array (SMA), and the SMT of the Arizona Radio Observatory (ARO). Methods. We installed VLBI equipment and measured the APEX station position to 1? cm accuracy (1σ). We then observed 3C 279 on 2012 May 7 in a 5? h 230? GHz VLBI track with baseline lengths of 2800? Mλ to 7200? Mλ and a finest fringe spacing of 28.6? μas. Results. Fringes were detected on all baselines with signal-to-noise ratios of 12 to 55 in 420? s. The correlated flux density on the longest baseline was ∼0.3? Jy beam-1, out of a total flux density of 19.8? Jy. Visibility data suggest an emission region ≤ 38? μas in size, and at least two components, possibly polarized. We find a lower limit of the brightness temperature of the inner jet region of about 1010? K. Lastly, we find an upper limit of 20% on the linear polarization fraction at a fringe spacing of ∼ 38? μas. Conclusions. With APEX the angular resolution of 230? GHz VLBI improves to 28.6? μas. This allows one to resolve the last-photon ring around the Galactic Center black hole event horizon, expected to be 40? μas in diameter, and probe radio jet launching at unprecedented resolution, down to a few gravitational radii in galaxies like M 87. To probe the structure in the inner parsecs of 3C 279 in detail, follow-up observations with APEX and five other mm-VLBI stations have been conducted (March 2013) and are being analyzed.
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- Burdett, S., et al.
(author)
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Adjuvant chemotherapy for resected early-stage non-small cell lung cancer
- 2015
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In: Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. - 1469-493X. ; :3
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Research review (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background To evaluate the effects of administering chemotherapy following surgery, or following surgery plus radiotherapy (known as adjuvant chemotherapy) in patients with early stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), we performed two systematic reviews andmeta-analyses of all randomised controlled trials using individual participant data. Results were first published in The Lancet in 2010. Objectives To compare, in terms of overall survival, time to locoregional recurrence, time to distant recurrence and recurrence-free survival: A. Surgery versus surgery plus adjuvant chemotherapy B. Surgery plus radiotherapy versus surgery plus radiotherapy plus adjuvant chemotherapy in patients with histologically diagnosed early stage NSCLC. (2) To investigate whether or not predefined patient subgroups benefit more or less from cisplatin-based chemotherapy in terms of survival. Search methods We supplemented MEDLINE and CANCERLIT searches (1995 to December 2013) with information from trial registers, hand-searching relevant meeting proceedings and by discussion with trialists and organisations. Selection criteria We included trials of a) surgery versus surgery plus adjuvant chemotherapy; and b) surgery plus radiotherapy versus surgery plus radiotherapy plus adjuvant chemotherapy, provided that they randomised NSCLC patients using a method which precluded prior knowledge of treatment assignment. Data collection and analysis We carried out a quantitative meta-analysis using updated information from individual participants from all randomised trials. Data from all patients were sought from those responsible for the trial. We obtained updated individual participant data (IPD) on survival, and date of last follow-up, as well as details of treatment allocated, date of randomisation, age, sex, histological cell type, stage, and performance status. To avoid potential bias, we requested information for all randomised patients, including those excluded from the investigators' original analyses. We conducted all analyses on intention-to-treat on the endpoint of survival. For trials using cisplatin-based regimens, we carried out subgroup analyses by age, sex, histological cell type, tumour stage, and performance status. Main results We identified 35 trials evaluating surgery plus adjuvant chemotherapy versus surgery alone. IPD were available for 26 of these trials and our analyses are based on 8447 participants (3323 deaths) in 34 trial comparisons. There was clear evidence of a benefit of adding chemotherapy after surgery (hazard ratio (HR)= 0.86, 95% confidence interval (CI)= 0.81 to 0.92, p< 0.0001), with an absolute increase in survival of 4% at five years. We identified 15 trials evaluating surgery plus radiotherapy plus chemotherapy versus surgery plus radiotherapy alone. IPD were available for 12 of these trials and our analyses are based on 2660 participants (1909 deaths) in 13 trial comparisons. There was also evidence of a benefit of adding chemotherapy to surgery plus radiotherapy (HR= 0.88, 95% CI= 0.81 to 0.97, p= 0.009). This represents an absolute improvement in survival of 4% at five years. For both meta-analyses, we found similar benefits for recurrence outcomes and there was little variation in effect according to the type of chemotherapy, other trial characteristics or patient subgroup. We did not undertake analysis of the effects of adjuvant chemotherapy on quality of life and adverse events. Quality of life information was not routinely collected during the trials, but where toxicity was assessed and mentioned in the publications, it was thought to be manageable. We considered the risk of bias in the included trials to be low. Authors' conclusions Results from 47 trial comparisons and 11,107 patients demonstrate the clear benefit of adjuvant chemotherapy for these patients, irrespective of whether chemotherapy was given in addition to surgery or surgery plus radiotherapy. This is the most up-to-date and complete systematic review and individual participant data (IPD) meta-analysis that has been carried out.
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- Schultheis, M., et al.
(author)
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Baade's window and APOGEE Metallicities, ages, and chemical abundances
- 2017
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In: Astronomy and Astrophysics. - : EDP Sciences. - 0004-6361 .- 1432-0746. ; 600
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Context. Baade's window (BW) is one of the most observed Galactic bulge fields in terms of chemical abundances. Owing to its low and homogeneous interstellar absorption it is considered the perfect calibration field for Galactic bulge studies. Aims. In the era of large spectroscopic surveys, calibration fields such as BW are necessary for cross calibrating the stellar parameters and individual abundances of the APOGEE survey. Methods. We use the APOGEE BW stars to derive the metallicity distribution function (MDF) and individual abundances for alpha- and iron-peak elements of the APOGEE ASPCAP pipeline (DR13), as well as the age distribution for stars in BW. Results. We determine the MDF of APOGEE stars in BW and find a remarkable agreement with that of the Gaia-ESO survey (GES). Both exhibit a clear bimodal distribution. We also find that the Mg-metallicity planes of the two surveys agree well, except for the metal-rich part ([Fe/H] > 0.1), where APOGEE finds systematically higher Mg abundances with respect to the GES. The ages based on the [C/N] ratio reveal a bimodal age distribution, with a major old population at similar to 10 Gyr, with a decreasing tail towards younger stars. A comparison of stellar parameters determined by APOGEE and those determined by other sources reveals detectable systematic offsets, in particular for spectroscopic surface gravity estimates. In general, we find a good agreement between individual abundances of O,Na, Mg, Al, Si, K, Ca, Cr, Mn, Co, and Ni from APOGEE with that of literature values. Conclusions. We have shown that in general APOGEE data show a good agreement in terms of MDF and individual chemical abundances with respect to literature works. Using the [C/N] ratio we found a significant fraction of young stars in BW.
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- Dai, F., et al.
(author)
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The Discovery and Mass Measurement of a New Ultra-short-period Planet: K2-131
- 2017
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In: Astronomical Journal. - : American Astronomical Society. - 1538-3881 .- 0004-6256. ; 154:6, s. 226-
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We report the discovery of a new ultra-short-period planet and summarize the properties of all such planets for which the mass and radius have been measured. The new planet, EPIC 228732031b, was discovered in K2 Campaign 10. It has a radius of 1.81-0.12+0.16 R_Earth and orbits a G dwarf with a period of 8.9 hr. Radial velocities obtained with Magellan/PFS and TNG/HARPS-N show evidence for stellar activity along with orbital motion. We determined the planetary mass using two different methods: (1) the “floating chunk offset” method, based only on changes in velocity observed on the same night; and (2) a Gaussian process regression based on both the radial velocity and photometric time series. The results are consistent and lead to a mass measurement of 6.5+/- 1.6 M_Earth and a mean density of 6.0-2.7+3.0 g cm‑3.
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- Guenther, E. W., et al.
(author)
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K2-106, a system containing a metal-rich planet and a planet of lower density
- 2017
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In: Astronomy and Astrophysics. - : EDP Sciences. - 0004-6361 .- 1432-0746. ; 608, s. 93-
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Planets in the mass range from 2 to 15 M_Earth are very diverse. Some of them have low densities, while others are very dense. By measuring the masses and radii, the mean densities, structure, and composition of the planets are constrained. These parameters also give us important information about their formation and evolution, and about possible processes for atmospheric loss.We determined the masses, radii, and mean densities for the two transiting planets orbiting K2-106. The inner planet has an ultra-short period of 0.57 days. The period of the outer planet is 13.3 days. Although the two planets have similar masses, their densities are very different. For K2-106b we derive Mb=8.36-0.94+0.96 M_Earh, Rb=1.52+/-0.16 R_Earth, and a high density of 13.1-3.6+5.4 g/cm^3. For K2-106c, we find Mc=5.8-3.0+3.3 M_Earth, Rc=2.50-0.26+0.27 R_Earth and a relatively low density of 2.0-1.1+1.6 g/cm^3.Since the system contains two planets of almost the same mass, but different distances from the host star, it is an excellent laboratory to study atmospheric escape. In agreement with the theory of atmospheric-loss processes, it is likely that the outer planet has a hydrogen-dominated atmosphere. The mass and radius of the inner planet is in agreement with theoretical models predicting an iron core containing 80+20-30% of its mass. Such a high metal content is surprising, particularly given that the star has an ordinary (solar) metal abundance. We discuss various possible formation scenarios for this unusual planet.
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- Brahm, R., et al.
(author)
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HATS-43b, HATS-44b, HATS-45b, and HATS-46b : Four Short-period Transiting Giant Planets in the Neptune-Jupiter Mass Range
- 2018
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In: Astronomical Journal. - : American Astronomical Society. - 0004-6256 .- 1538-3881. ; 155:3
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We report the discovery of four short-period extrasolar planets transiting moderately bright stars from photometric measurements of the HATSouth network coupled to additional spectroscopic and photometric follow-up observations. While the planet masses range from 0.26 to 0.90 M-J, the radii are all approximately a Jupiter radii, resulting in a wide range of bulk densities. The orbital period of the planets ranges from 2.7 days to 4.7 days, with HATS-43b having an orbit that appears to be marginally non-circular (e = 0.173 +/- 0.089). HATS-44 is notable for having a high metallicity ([Fe/H]= 0.320 +/- 0.071). The host stars spectral types range from late F to early K, and all of them are moderately bright (13.3 < V < 14.4), allowing the execution of future detailed follow-up observations. HATS-43b and HATS-46b, with expected transmission signals of 2350 ppm and 1500 ppm, respectively, are particularly well suited targets for atmospheric characterization via transmission spectroscopy.
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- Nandakumar, G., et al.
(author)
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Near-infrared spectroscopic observations of massive young stellar object candidates in the central molecular zone
- 2018
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In: Astronomy and Astrophysics. - : EDP Sciences. - 0004-6361 .- 1432-0746. ; 609
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Context. The central molecular zone (CMZ) is a ∼200 pc region around the Galactic centre. The study of star formation in the central part of the Milky Way is of great interest as it provides a template for the closest galactic nuclei. Aims. We present a spectroscopic follow-up of photometrically selected young stellar object (YSO) candidates in the CMZ of the Galactic centre. Our goal is to quantify the contamination of this YSO sample by reddened giant stars with circumstellar envelopes and to determine the star formation rate (SFR) in the CMZ. Methods. We obtained KMOS low-resolution near-infrared spectra (R ∼ 4000) between 2.0 and 2.5 μm of sources, many of which have been previously identified by mid-infrared photometric criteria as massive YSOs in the Galactic centre. Our final sample consists of 91 stars with good signal-To-noise ratio. We separated YSOs from cool late-Type stars based on spectral features of CO and Brγ at 2.3 μm and 2.16 μm, respectively. We made use of spectral energy distribution (SED) model fits to the observed photometric data points from 1.25 to 24 μm to estimate approximate masses for the YSOs. Results. Using the spectroscopically identified YSOs in our sample, we confirm that existing colour-colour diagrams and colour-magnitude diagrams are unable to efficiently separate YSOs and cool late-Type stars. In addition, we define a new colour-colour criterion that separates YSOs from cool late-Type stars in the H-KS vs. H -[8.0] diagram. We use this new criterion to identify YSO candidates in the |l| < 1.5, |b| < 0.5, region and use model SED fits to estimate their approximate masses. By assuming an appropriate initial mass function (IMF) and extrapolating the stellar IMF down to lower masses, we determine a SFR of ∼ 0.046 ± 0.026 M⊙ yr-1 assuming an average age of 0.75 ± 0.25 Myr for the YSOs. This value is lower than estimates found using the YSO counting method in the literature. Conclusions. Our SFR estimate in the CMZ agrees with the previous estimates from various methods and reaffirms that star formation in the CMZ is proceeding at a lower rate than predicted by various star forming models.
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- Rojas-Arriagada, A., et al.
(author)
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The bimodal [Mg/Fe] versus [Fe/H] bulge sequence as revealed by APOGEE DR14
- 2019
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In: Astronomy and Astrophysics. - : EDP Sciences. - 0004-6361 .- 1432-0746. ; 626
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Context. The Galactic bulge has a bimodal metallicity distribution function: different kinematic, spatial, and, potentially, age distributions characterize the metal-poor and metal-rich components. Despite this observed dichotomy, which argues for different formation channels for those stars, the distribution of bulge stars in the alpha-abundance versus metallicity plane has been found so far to be a rather smooth single sequence. Aims. We use data from the fourteenth data release of the APOGEE spectroscopic survey (DR14) to investigate the distribution in the Mg abundance (as tracer of the alpha-elements)-versus-metallicity plane of a sample of stars selected to be in the inner region of the bulge. Methods. A clean sample has been selected from the DR14 using a set of data-and pipeline-flags to ensure the quality of their fundamental parameters and elemental abundances. An additional selection made use of computed spectro-photometric distances to select a sample of likely bulge stars as those with R-GC <= 3.5 kpc. We adopt magnesium abundance as an alpha-abundance proxy for our clean sample as it has been proven to be the most accurate alpha-element as determined by ASPCAP, the pipeline for data products from APOGEE spectra. Results. From the distribution of our bulge sample in the [Mg/Fe]-versus-[Fe/H] plane, we found that the sequence is bimodal. This bimodality is given by the presence of a low-Mg sequence of stars parallel to the main high-Mg sequence over a range of similar to 0.5 dex around solar metallicity. The two sequences merge above [Fe/H] similar to 0.15 dex into a single sequence whose dispersion in [Mg/Fe] is larger than either of the two sequences visible at lower metallicity. This result is confirmed when we consider stars in our sample that are inside the bulge region according to trustworthy Gaia DR2 distances.
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- Rojas-Arriagada, A., et al.
(author)
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The Gaia-ESO Survey : Exploring the complex nature and origins of the Galactic bulge populations
- 2017
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In: Astronomy and Astrophysics. - : EDP Sciences. - 0004-6361 .- 1432-0746. ; 601
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Context. As observational evidence steadily accumulates, the nature of the Galactic bulge has proven to be rather complex: the structural, kinematic, and chemical analyses often lead to contradictory conclusions. The nature of the metal-rich bulge-and especially of the metal-poor bulge and their relation with other Galactic components, still need to be firmly defined on the basis of statistically significant high-quality data samples. Aims. We used the fourth internal data release of the Gaia-ESO survey to characterize the bulge metallicity distribution function (MDF), magnesium abundance, spatial distribution, and correlation of these properties with kinematics. Moreover, the homogeneous sampling of the different Galactic populations provided by the Gaia-ESO survey allowed us to perform a comparison between the bulge, thin disk, and thick disk sequences in the [Mg /Fe] vs. [Fe/H] plane in order to constrain the extent of their eventual chemical similarities. Methods. We obtained spectroscopic data for similar to 2500 red clump stars in 11 bulge fields, sampling the area -10 degrees <= l <= + 8 degrees and -10 degrees <= b <= -4 degrees from the fourth internal data release of the Gaia-ESO survey. A sample of similar to 6300 disk stars was also selected for comparison. Spectrophotometric distances computed via isochrone fitting allowed us to define a sample of stars likely located in the bulge region. Results. From a Gaussian mixture models (GMM) analysis, the bulge MDF is confirmed to be bimodal across the whole sampled area. The relative ratio between the two modes of the MDF changes as a function of b, with metal-poor stars dominating at high latitudes. The metal-rich stars exhibit bar-like kinematics and display a bimodality in their magnitude distribution, a feature which is tightly associated with the X-shape bulge. They overlap with the metal-rich end of the thin disk sequence in the [Mg/Fe] vs. [Fe/H] plane. On the other hand, metal-poor bulge stars have a more isotropic hot kinematics and do not participate in the X-shape bulge. Their Mg enhancement level and general shape in the [Mg/Fe] vs. [Fe/H] plane is comparable to that of the thick disk sequence. The position at which [Mg/Fe] starts to decrease with [Fe/H], called the "knee", is observed in the metal-poor bulge at [Fe/H] knee = -0.37 +/- 0.09, being 0.06 dex higher than that of the thick disk. Although this difference is inside the error bars, it suggest a higher star formation rate (SFR) for the bulge than for the thick disk. We estimate an upper limit for this difference of Delta [Fe/H](knee) = 0 : 24 dex. Finally, we present a chemical evolution model that suitably fits the whole bulge sequence by assuming a fast (< 1 Gyr) intense burst of stellar formation that takes place at early epochs. Conclusions. We associate metal-rich stars with the bar boxy/peanut bulge formed as the product of secular evolution of the early thin disk. On the other hand, the metal-poor subpopulation might be the product of an early prompt dissipative collapse dominated by massive stars. Nevertheless, our results do not allow us to firmly rule out the possibility that these stars come from the secular evolution of the early thick disk. This is the first time that an analysis of the bulge MDF and alpha-abundances has been performed in a large area on the basis of a homogeneous, fully spectroscopic analysis of high-resolution, high S/N data.
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| 22. |
- Zasowski, G., et al.
(author)
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APOGEE DR14/DR15 Abundances in the Inner Milky Way
- 2019
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In: Astrophysical Journal. - : Institute of Physics Publishing (IOPP). - 0004-637X .- 1538-4357. ; 870:2
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We present an overview of the distributions of 11 elemental abundances in the Milky Way's (MW) inner regions, as traced by APOGEE stars released as part of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release. 14/15 (DR14/DR15), including O, Mg, Si, Ca, Cr, Mn, Co, Ni, Na, Al, and K. This sample spans similar to 4000 stars with R-GC <= 4.0 kpc, enabling the most comprehensive study to date of these abundances and their variations within the innermost few kiloparsecs of the MW. We describe the observed abundance patterns ([X/Fe]-[Fe/H]), compare to previous literature results and to patterns in stars at the solar Galactocentric radius (R-GC), and discuss possible trends with DR14/DR15 effective temperatures. We find that the position of the [Mg/Fe]-[Fe/H] "knee" is nearly constant with R-GC, indicating a well-mixed star-forming medium or high levels of radial migration in the early inner Galaxy. We quantify the linear correlation between pairs of elements in different subsamples of stars and find that these relationships vary; some abundance correlations are very similar between the alpha-rich and alpha-poor stars, but others differ significantly, suggesting variations in the metallicity dependencies of certain supernova yields. These empirical trends will form the basis for more detailed future explorations and for the refinement of model comparison metrics. That the inner MW abundances appear dominated by a single chemical evolutionary track and that they extend to such high metallicities underscore the unique importance of this part of the Galaxy for constraining the ingredients of chemical evolution modeling and for improving our understanding of the evolution of the Galaxy as a whole.
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