1. |
- Ray, T. P., et al.
(författare)
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Outflows from the youngest stars are mostly molecular
- 2023
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Ingår i: Nature. - 0028-0836 .- 1476-4687. ; 622, s. 48-52
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The formation of stars and planets is accompanied not only by the build-up of matter, namely accretion, but also by its expulsion in the form of highly supersonic jets that can stretch for several parsecs1,2. As accretion and jet activity are correlated and because young stars acquire most of their mass rapidly early on, the most powerful jets are associated with the youngest protostars3. This period, however, coincides with the time when the protostar and its surroundings are hidden behind many magnitudes of visual extinction. Millimetre interferometers can probe this stage but only for the coolest components3. No information is provided on the hottest (greater than 1,000 K) constituents of the jet, that is, the atomic, ionized and high-temperature molecular gases that are thought to make up the jet's backbone. Detecting such a spine relies on observing in the infrared that can penetrate through the shroud of dust. Here we report near-infrared observations of Herbig-Haro 211 from the James Webb Space Telescope, an outflow from an analogue of our Sun when it was, at most, a few times 104 years old. These observations reveal copious emission from hot molecules, explaining the origin of the 'green fuzzies'4-7 discovered nearly two decades ago by the Spitzer Space Telescope8. This outflow is found to be propagating slowly in comparison to its more evolved counterparts and, surprisingly, almost no trace of atomic or ionized emission is seen, suggesting its spine is almost purely molecular. Near-infrared imagery and spectroscopy from JWST of the Herbig-Haro 211 system, an analogue of the young Sun, reveals supersonic jets of hot molecules that can explain the origin of the 'green fuzzies' phenomenon.
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2. |
- Weigelt, G., et al.
(författare)
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VLTI-MATISSE chromatic aperture-synthesis imaging of eta Carinae's stellar wind across the Br alpha line Periastron passage observations in February 2020
- 2021
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Ingår i: Astronomy and Astrophysics. - : EDP Sciences. - 0004-6361 .- 1432-0746. ; 652
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Context. Eta Carinae is a highly eccentric, massive binary system (semimajor axis similar to 15.5 au) with powerful stellar winds and a phase-dependent wind-wind collision (WWC) zone. The primary star, eta Car A, is a luminous blue variable (LBV); the secondary, eta Car B, is a Wolf-Rayet or O star with a faster but less dense wind. Aperture-synthesis imaging allows us to study the mass loss from the enigmatic LBV eta Car. Understanding LBVs is a crucial step toward improving our knowledge about massive stars and their evolution. Aims. Our aim is to study the intensity distribution and kinematics of eta Car's WWC zone. Methods. Using the VLTI-MATISSE mid-infrared interferometry instrument, we perform Br alpha imaging of eta Car's distorted wind. Results. We present the first VLTI-MATISSE aperture-synthesis images of eta Car A's stellar windin several spectral channels distributed across the Br alpha 4.052 mu m line (spectral resolving power R similar to 960). Our observations were performed close to periastron passage in February 2020 (orbital phase similar to 14.0022). The reconstructed iso-velocity images show the dependence of the primary stellar wind on wavelength or line-of-sight (LOS) velocity with a spatial resolution of 6 mas (similar to 14 au). The radius of the faintest outer wind regions is similar to 26 mas (similar to 60 au). At several negative LOS velocities, the primary stellar wind is less extended to the northwest than in other directions. This asymmetry is most likely caused by the WWC. Therefore, we see both the velocity field of the undisturbed primary wind and the WWC cavity. In continuum spectral channels, the primary star wind is more compact than in line channels. A fit of the observed continuum visibilities with the visibilities of a stellar wind CMFGEN model (CMFGEN is an atmosphere code developed to model the spectra of a variety of objects) provides a full width at half maximum fit diameter of the primary stellar wind of 2.84 +/- 0.06 mas (6.54 +/- 0.14 au). We comparethe derived intensity distributions with the CMFGEN stellar wind model and hydrodynamic WWC models.
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3. |
- Álvarez-Márquez, J., et al.
(författare)
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MIRI/JWST observations reveal an extremely obscured starburst in the z = 6.9 system SPT0311-58
- 2023
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Ingår i: Astronomy and Astrophysics. - : EDP Sciences. - 0004-6361 .- 1432-0746. ; 671
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Luminous infrared starbursts in the early Universe are thought to be the progenitors of massive quiescent galaxies identified at redshifts 2–4. Using the Mid-IRfrared Instrument (MIRI) on board the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), we present mid-infrared sub-arcsec imaging and spectroscopy of such a starburst: the slightly lensed hyper-luminous infrared system SPT0311-58 at z = 6.9. The MIRI IMager (MIRIM) and Medium Resolution Spectrometer (MRS) observations target the stellar (rest-frame 1.26 μm emission) structure and ionised (Paα and Hα) medium on kpc scales in the system. The MIRI observations are compared with existing ALMA far-infrared continuum and [C II]158μm imaging at a similar angular resolution. Even though the ALMA observations imply very high star formation rates (SFRs) in the eastern (E) and western (W) galaxies of the system, the Hα line is, strikingly, not detected in our MRS observations. This fact, together with the detection of the ionised gas phase in Paα, implies very high internal nebular extinction with lower limits (AV) of 4.2 (E) and 3.9 mag (W) as well as even larger values (5.6 (E) and 10.0 (W)) by spectral energy distribution (SED) fitting analysis. The extinction-corrected Paα lower limits of the SFRs are 383 and 230 M⊙ yr−1 for the E and W galaxies, respectively. This represents 50% of the SFRs derived from the [C II]158 μm line and infrared light for the E galaxy and as low as 6% for the W galaxy. The MIRIM observations reveal a clumpy stellar structure, with each clump having 3–5×109 M⊙ mass in stars, leading to a total stellar mass of 2.0 and 1.5×1010 M⊙ for the E and W galaxies, respectively. The specific star formation (sSFR) in the stellar clumps ranges from 25 to 59 Gyr−1, assuming a star formation with a 50–100 Myr constant rate. This sSFR is three to ten times larger than the values measured in galaxies of similar stellar mass at redshifts 6–8. Thus, SPT0311-58 clearly stands out as a starburst system when compared with typical massive star-forming galaxies at similar high redshifts. The overall gas mass fraction is Mgas/M∗ ∼ 3, similar to that of z ∼ 4.5–6 star-forming galaxies, suggesting a flattening of the gas mass fraction in massive starbursts up to redshift 7. The kinematics of the ionised gas in the E galaxy agrees with the known [C II] gas kinematics, indicating a physical association between the ionised gas and the cold ionised or neutral gas clumps. The situation in the W galaxy is more complex, as it appears to be a velocity offset by about +700 km s−1 in the Paα relative to the [C II] emitting gas. The nature of this offset and its reality are not fully established and require further investigation. The observed properties of SPT0311-58, such as the clumpy distribution at sub(kpc) scales and the very high average extinction, are similar to those observed in low- and intermediate-z luminous (E galaxy) and ultra-luminous (W galaxy) infrared galaxies, even though SPT0311-58 is observed only ∼800 Myr after the Big Bang. Such massive, heavily obscured clumpy starburst systems as SPT0311-58 likely represent the early phases in the formation of a massive high-redshift bulge, spheroids and/or luminous quasars. This study demonstrates that MIRI and JWST are, for the first time, able to explore the rest-frame near-infrared stellar and ionised gas structure of these galaxies, even during the Epoch of Reionization.
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4. |
- Asensio-Torres, R., et al.
(författare)
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Perturbers : SPHERE detection limits to planetary-mass companions in protoplanetary disks
- 2021
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Ingår i: Astronomy and Astrophysics. - : EDP Sciences. - 0004-6361 .- 1432-0746. ; 652
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The detection of a wide range of substructures such as rings, cavities, and spirals has become a common outcome of high spatial resolution imaging of protoplanetary disks, both in the near-infrared scattered light and in the thermal millimetre continuum emission. The most frequent interpretation of their origin is the presence of planetary-mass companions perturbing the gas and dust distribution in the disk (perturbers), but so far the only bona fide detection has been the two giant planets carving the disk around PDS 70. Here, we present a sample of 15 protoplanetary disks showing substructures in SPHERE scattered-light images and a homogeneous derivation of planet detection limits in these systems. To obtain mass limits we rely on different post-formation luminosity models based on distinct formation conditions, which are critical in the first million years of evolution. We also estimate the mass of these perturbers through a Hill radius prescription and a comparison to ALMA data. Assuming that one single planet carves each substructure in scattered light, we find that more massive perturbers are needed to create gaps within cavities than rings, and that we might be close to a detection in the cavities of RX J1604.3-2130A, RX J1615.3-3255, Sz Cha, HD 135344B, and HD 34282. We reach typical mass limits in these cavities of 3–10 MJup. For planets in the gaps between rings, we find that the detection limits of SPHERE high-contrast imaging are about an order of magnitude away in mass, and that the gaps of PDS 66 and HD 97048 seem to be the most promising structures for planet searches. The proposed presence of massive planets causing spiral features in HD 135344B and HD 36112 are also within SPHERE’s reach assuming hot-start models. These results suggest that the current detection limits are able to detect hot-start planets in cavities, under the assumption that they are formed by a single perturber located at the centre of the cavity. More realistic planet mass constraints would help to clarify whether this is actually the case, which might indicate that perturbers are not the only way of creating substructures.
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5. |
- Asensio-Torres, Ruben, et al.
(författare)
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SPOTS : The Search for Planets Orbiting Two Stars III. Complete sample and statistical analysis
- 2018
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Ingår i: Astronomy and Astrophysics. - : EDP Sciences. - 0004-6361 .- 1432-0746. ; 619
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Binary stars constitute a large percentage of the stellar population, yet relatively little is known about the planetary systems orbiting them. Most constraints on circumbinary planets (CBPs) so far come from transit observations with the Kepler telescope, which is sensitive to close-in exoplanets but does not constrain planets on wider orbits. However, with continuous developments in high-contrast imaging techniques, this population can now be addressed through direct imaging. We present the full survey results of the Search for Planets Orbiting Two Stars (SPOTS) survey, which is the first direct imaging survey targeting CBPs. The SPOTS observational program comprises 62 tight binaries that are young and nearby, and thus suitable for direct imaging studies, with VLT/NaCo and VLT/SPHERE. Results from SPOTS include the resolved circumbinary disk around AK Sco, the discovery of a low-mass stellar companion in a triple packed system, the relative astrometry of up to 9 resolved binaries, and possible indications of non-background planetary-mass candidates around HIP 77911. We did not find any CBP within 300 AU, which implies a frequency upper limit on CBPs (1-15 M-Jup) of 6-10% between 30-300 AU. Coupling these observations with an archival dataset for a total of 163 stellar pairs, we find a best-fit CBP frequency of 1.9% (2-15 M-Jup) between 1 and 300 AU with a 10.5% upper limit at a 95% confidence level. This result is consistent with the distribution of companions around single stars.
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6. |
- Barlow, M. J., et al.
(författare)
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A Herschel PACS and SPIRE study of the dust content of the Cassiopeia A supernova remnant
- 2010
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Ingår i: Astronomy and Astrophysics. - : EDP Sciences. - 0004-6361 .- 1432-0746. ; 518, s. L138-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Using the 3.5-m Herschel Space Observatory, imaging photometry of Cas A has been obtained in six bands between 70 and 500 mu m with the PACS and SPIRE instruments, with angular resolutions ranging from 6 to 37 ''. In the outer regions of the remnant the 70-mu m PACS image resembles the 24-mu m image Spitzer image, with the emission attributed to the same warm dust component, located in the reverse shock region. At longer wavelengths, the three SPIRE bands are increasingly dominated by emission from cold interstellar dust knots and filaments, particularly across the central, western and southern parts of the remnant. Nonthermal emission from the northern part of the remnant becomes prominent at 500 mu m. We have estimated and subtracted the contributions from the nonthermal, warm dust and cold interstellar dust components. We confirm and resolve for the first time a cool (similar to 35 K) dust component, emitting at 70-160 mu m, that is located interior to the reverse shock region, with an estimated mass of 0.075 M-circle dot.
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7. |
- Bergfors, C., et al.
(författare)
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Characterization of close visual binaries from the AstraLux Large M Dwarf Survey
- 2016
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Ingår i: Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0035-8711 .- 1365-2966. ; 456:3, s. 2576-2585
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We present Very Large Telescope/Spectrograph for INtegral Field Observations in the Near Infrared (VLT/SINFONI) J, H + K spectra of seven close visual pairs in M dwarf binary/triple systems, discovered or observed by the AstraLux M dwarf survey. We determine the spectral types to within +/- 1.0 subclasses from comparison to template spectra and the strength of K-band water absorption, and derive effective temperatures. The results are compared to optical spectral types of the unresolved binary/multiple systems, and we confirm that our photometric method to derive spectral types in the AstraLux M dwarf survey is accurate. We look for signs of youth such as chromospheric activity and low surface gravity, and find an age in the range 0.25-1 Gyr for the GJ 852 system. Strong Li absorption is detected in optical spectra of the triple system J024902 obtained with the Fiberfed Extended Range Optical Spectrograph (FEROS) at the European Southern Observatory (ESO)-Max-Planck-Gesellschaft (MPG) 2.2 m telescope. The equivalent width of the absorption suggests an age consistent with the beta Pic moving group. However, further observations are needed to establish group membership. Ongoing orbital monitoring will provide dynamical masses and thus calibration of evolutionary models for low mass stars.
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8. |
- Bik, Adrianus, et al.
(författare)
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Near-infrared spectroscopy of the massive stellar population of W51 : evidence for multi-seeded star formation
- 2019
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Ingår i: Astronomy and Astrophysics. - : EDP Sciences. - 0004-6361 .- 1432-0746. ; 624
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Context. The interplay between the formation of stars, stellar feedback and cloud properties strongly influences the star formation history of giant molecular clouds. The formation of massive stars leads to a variety of stellar clusters, ranging from low stellar density OB associations to dense, gravitationally bound starburst clusters.Aims. We aimed at identifying the massive stellar content and reconstructing the star formation history of the W51 giant molecular cloud.Methods. We performed near-infrared imaging and K-band spectroscopy of the massive stars in W51. We analysed the stellar populations using colour-magnitude and colour-colour diagrams and compared the properties of the spectroscopically identified stars with stellar evolution models.Results. We derive the ages of the different sub-clusters in W51 and, based on our spectroscopy derive an age for W51 of 3 Myr or less. The age of the P Cygni star LS1 and the presence of two still forming proto-clusters suggests that the star formation history of W51 is more complex than a single burst.Conclusions. We did not find evidence for triggered star formation and we concluded that the star formation in W51 is multi seeded. We finally concluded that W51 is an OB association where different sub-clusters form over a time span of at least 3-5 Myr.
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9. |
- Bluhm, P., et al.
(författare)
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Precise mass and radius of a transiting super-Earth planet orbiting the M dwarf TOI-1235: a planet in the radius gap?
- 2020
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Ingår i: Astronomy and Astrophysics. - : EDP Sciences. - 0004-6361 .- 1432-0746. ; 639
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We report the confirmation of a transiting planet around the bright weakly active M0.5 V star TOI-1235 (TYC 4384-1735-1, V ≈ 11.5 mag), whose transit signal was detected in the photometric time series of sectors 14, 20, and 21 of the TESS space mission. We confirm the planetary nature of the transit signal, which has a period of 3.44 d, by using precise RV measurements with the CARMENES, HARPS-N, and iSHELL spectrographs, supplemented by high-resolution imaging and ground-based photometry. A comparison of the properties derived for TOI-1235 b with theoretical models reveals that the planet has a rocky composition, with a bulk density slightly higher than that of Earth. In particular, we measure a mass of Mp = 5.9 ± 0.6 M⊕ and a radius of Rp = 1.69 ± 0.08 R⊕, which together result in a density of ρp = 6.7- 1.1+ 1.3 g cm-3. When compared with other well-characterized exoplanetary systems, the particular combination of planetary radius and mass places our discovery in the radius gap, which is a transition region between rocky planets and planets with significant atmospheric envelopes. A few examples of planets occupying the radius gap are known to date. While the exact location of the radius gap for M dwarfs is still a matter of debate, our results constrain it to be located at around 1.7 R⊕ or larger at the insolation levels received by TOI-1235 b (~60 S⊕). This makes it an extremely interesting object for further studies of planet formation and atmospheric evolution.
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10. |
- Bouchet, P., et al.
(författare)
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JWST MIRI Imager Observations of Supernova SN 1987A
- 2024
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Ingår i: Astrophysical Journal. - : American Astronomical Society. - 0004-637X .- 1538-4357. ; 965:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- There exist very few mid-infrared (IR) observations of supernovae (SNe) in general. Therefore, SN 1987A, the closest visible SN in 400 yr, gives us the opportunity to explore the mid-IR properties of SNe, the dust in their ejecta, and the surrounding medium and to witness the birth of an SN remnant (SNR). The James Webb Space Telescope, with its high spatial resolution and extreme sensitivity, gives a new view on these issues. We report on the first imaging observations obtained with the Mid-InfraRed Instrument (MIRI). We build temperature maps and discuss the morphology of the nascent SNR. Our results show that the temperatures in the equatorial ring (ER) are quite nonuniform. This could be due to dust destruction in some parts of the ring, as had been assumed in some previous works. We show that the IR emission extends beyond the ER, illustrating the fact that the shock wave has now passed through this ring to affect the circumstellar medium on a larger scale. Finally, while submillimeter Atacama Large Millimeter Array observations have hinted at the location of the compact remnant of SN 1987A, we note that our MIRI data have found no such evidence.
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11. |
- Brown-Sevilla, S. B., et al.
(författare)
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Revisiting the atmosphere of the exoplanet 51 Eridani b with VLT/SPHERE
- 2023
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Ingår i: Astronomy and Astrophysics. - : EDP Sciences. - 0004-6361 .- 1432-0746. ; 673
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Aims. We aim to better constrain the atmospheric properties of the directly imaged exoplanet 51 Eri b using a retrieval approach with data of higher signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) than previously reported. In this context, we also compare the results from an atmospheric retrieval to using a self-consistent model to fit atmospheric parameters. Methods. We applied the radiative transfer code petitRADTRANS to our near-infrared SPHERE observations of 51 Eri b in order to retrieve its atmospheric parameters. Additionally, we attempted to reproduce previous results with the retrieval approach and compared the results to self-consistent models using the best-fit parameters from the retrieval as priors. Results. We present a higher S/N YH spectrum of the planet and revised K1K2 photometry (M-K1 = 15.11 +/- 0.04 mag, M-K2 = 17.11 +/- 0.38 mag). The best-fit parameters obtained using an atmospheric retrieval differ from previous results using self-consistent models. In general, we find that our solutions tend towards cloud-free atmospheres (e.g. log tau(clouds) = 5.20 +/- 1.44). For our `nominal' model with new data, we find a lower metallicity ([Fe/H] = 0.26 +/- 0.30 dex) and C/O ratio (0.38 +/- 0.09), and a slightly higher effective temperature (T-eff = 807 +/- 45 K) than previous studies. The surface gravity (log g = 4.05 +/- 0.37) is in agreement with the reported values in the literature within uncertainties. We estimate the mass of the planet to be between 2 and 4 MJup. When comparing with self-consistent models, we encounter a known correlation between the presence of clouds and the shape of the P-T profiles. Conclusions. Our findings support the idea that results from atmospheric retrievals should not be discussed in isolation, but rather along with self-consistent temperature structures obtained using the best-fit parameters of the retrieval. This, along with observations at longer wavelengths, might help to better characterise the atmospheres and determine their degree of cloudiness.
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12. |
- Chaturvedi, P., et al.
(författare)
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TOI-1468: A system of two transiting planets, a super-Earth and a mini-Neptune, on opposite sides of the radius valley
- 2022
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Ingår i: Astronomy and Astrophysics. - : EDP Sciences. - 0004-6361 .- 1432-0746. ; 666
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We report the discovery and characterization of two small transiting planets orbiting the bright M3.0V star TOI-1468 (LSPM J0106+1913), whose transit signals were detected in the photometric time series in three sectors of the TESS mission. We confirm the planetary nature of both of them using precise radial velocity measurements from the CARMENES and MAROON-X spectrographs, and supplement them with ground-based transit photometry. A joint analysis of all these data reveals that the shorter-period planet, TOI-1468 b (P-b = 1.88 d), has a planetary mass of M-b = 3.21 +/- 0.24M(circle plus) and a radius of R-b = 1.280(-0.039)(+0.038) R-circle plus, resulting in a density of rho(b) = 8.39(-0.92)(+1.05) g cm(-3), which is consistent with a mostly rocky composition. For the outer planet, TOI-1468 c (P-c = 15.53 d), we derive a mass of M-c = 6.64(-0.68)(+0.67) M-circle plus,aradius of R-c = 2.06 +/- 0.04 R-circle plus, and a bulk density of rho(c) = 2.00(-0.19)(+0.21) g cm(-3), which corresponds to a rocky core composition with a H/He gas envelope. These planets are located on opposite sides of the radius valley, making our system an interesting discovery as there are only a handful of other systems with the same properties. This discovery can further help determine a more precise location of the radius valley for small planets around M dwarfs and, therefore, shed more light on planet formation and evolution scenarios.
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13. |
- Chiavassa, A., et al.
(författare)
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The extended atmosphere and circumstellar environment of the cool evolved star VX Sagittarii as seen by MATISSE star
- 2022
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Ingår i: Astronomy and Astrophysics. - : EDP Sciences. - 0004-6361 .- 1432-0746. ; 658
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Context. VX Sgr is a cool, evolved, and luminous red star whose stellar parameters are difficult to determine, which affects its classification.Aims. We aim to spatially resolve the photospheric extent as well as the circumstellar environment.Methods. We used interferometric observations obtained with the MATISSE instrument in the L (3-4 mu m), M (4.5-5 mu m), and N (8-13 mu m) bands. We reconstructed monochromatic images using the MIRA software. We used 3D radiation-hydrodynamics simulations carried out with (COBOLD)-B-5 and a uniform disc model to estimate the apparent diameter and interpret the stellar surface structures. Moreover, we employed the radiative transfer codes OPTIM3D and RADMC3D to compute the spectral energy distribution for the L, M, and N bands, respectively.Results. MATISSE observations unveil, for the first time, the morphology of VX Sgr across the L, M, and N bands. The reconstructed images show a complex morphology with brighter areas whose characteristics depend on the wavelength probed. We measured the angular diameter as a function of the wavelength and showed that the photospheric extent in the L and M bands depends on the opacity through the atmosphere. In addition to this, we also concluded that the observed photospheric inhomogeneities can be interpreted as convection-related surface structures. The comparison in the N band yielded a qualitative agreement between the N-band spectrum and simple dust radiative transfer simulations. However, it is not possible to firmly conclude on the interpretation of the current data because of the difficulty in constraing the model parameters using the limited accuracy of our absolute flux calibration.Conclusions. MATISSE observations and the derived reconstructed images unveil the appearance of VX Sgr's stellar surface and circumstellar environment across a very large spectral domain for the first time.
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14. |
- Codella, C., et al.
(författare)
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The CHESS spectral survey of star forming regions : Peering into the protostellar shock L1157-B1. I. Shock chemical complexity
- 2010
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Ingår i: Astronomy and Astrophysics. - : EDP Sciences. - 0004-6361 .- 1432-0746. ; 518, s. L112-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We present the first results of the unbiased survey of the L1157-B1 bow shock, obtained with HIFI in the framework of the key program Chemical HErschel Survey of Star forming regions (CHESS). The L1157 outflow is driven by a low-mass Class 0 protostar and is considered the prototype of the so-called chemically active outflows. The bright blue-shifted bow shock B1 is the ideal laboratory for studying the link between the hot (~1000-2000 K) component traced by H2 IR-emission and the cold (~10-20 K) swept-up material. The main aim is to trace the warm gas chemically enriched by the passage of a shock and to infer the excitation conditions in L1157-B1. A total of 27 lines are identified in the 555-636 GHz region, down to an average 3σ level of 30 mK. The emission is dominated by CO(5-4) and H2O(110-101) transitions, as discussed by Lefloch et al. in this volume. Here we report on the identification of lines from NH3, H2CO, CH3OH, CS, HCN, and HCO+. The comparison between the profiles produced by molecules released from dust mantles (NH3, H2CO, CH3OH) and that of H2O is consistent with a scenario in which water is also formed in the gas-phase in high-temperature regions where sputtering or grain-grain collisions are not efficient. The high excitation range of the observed tracers allows us to infer, for the first time for these species, the existence of a warm (≥200 K) gas component coexisting in the B1 bow structure with the cold and hot gas detected from ground. Herschel is an ESA space observatory with science instruments provided by European-led principal Investigator consortia and with important participation from NASA.Table 1 is only available in electronic form at http://www.aanda.org
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15. |
- Colina, L., et al.
(författare)
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Uncovering the stellar structure of the dusty star-forming galaxy GN20 at z=4.055 with MIRI/JWST
- 2023
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Ingår i: Astronomy and Astrophysics. - 0004-6361 .- 1432-0746. ; 673
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Luminous infrared galaxies at high redshifts (z > 4) include extreme starbursts that build their stellar mass over short periods of time, that is, of 100 Myr or less. These galaxies are considered to be the progenitors of massive quiescent galaxies at intermediate redshifts (z similar to 2) but their stellar structure and buildup is unknown. Here, we present the first spatially resolved near-infrared (rest-frame 1.1 mu m) imaging of GN20, one of the most luminous dusty star-forming galaxies known to date, observed at an epoch when the Universe was only 1.5 Gyr old. The 5.6 mu m image taken with the JWST Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI/JWST) shows that GN20 is a very luminous galaxy (M-1.1 mu m,M- AB = 25.01, uncorrected for internal extinction), with a stellar structure composed of a conspicuous central source and an extended envelope. The central source is an unresolved nucleus that carries 9% of the total flux. The nucleus is co-aligned with the peak of the cold dust emission, and offset by 3.9 kpc from the ultraviolet stellar emission. The diffuse stellar envelope is similar in size (3.6 kpc effective radius) to the clumpy CO molecular gas distribution. The centroid of the stellar envelope is offset by 1 kpc from the unresolved nucleus, suggesting GN20 is involved in an interaction or merger event supported by its location as the brightest galaxy in a proto-cluster. Additional faint stellar clumps appear to be associated with some of the UV- and CO-clumps. The stellar size of GN20 is larger by a factor of about 3 to 5 than known spheroids, disks, and irregulars at z similar to 4, while its size and low Sersic index are similar to those measured in dusty, infrared luminous galaxies at redshift 2 of the same mass (similar to 10(11) M-circle dot). GN20 has all the ingredients necessary for evolving into a massive spheroidal quiescent galaxy at intermediate redshift: it is a large, luminous galaxy at z = 4.05 involved in a short and massive starburst centred in the stellar nucleus and extended over the entire galaxy, out to radii of 4 kpc, and likely induced by the interaction or merger with a member of the proto-cluster.
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16. |
- Cortina-Gil, D., et al.
(författare)
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CALIFA, a Dedicated Calorimeter for the (RB)-B-3/FAIR
- 2014
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Ingår i: Nuclear Data Sheets. - : Elsevier BV. - 0090-3752. ; 120, s. 99-101
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The (RB)-B-3 experiment (Reactions with Relativistic Radioactive Beams) at FAIR (Facility for Antiproton and Ion Research) is a versatile setup dedicated to the study of reactions induced by high-energy radioactive beams. It will provide kinematically complete measurements with high efficiency, acceptance and resolution, making possible a broad physics program with rare-isotopes. CALIFA (CALorimeter for In-Flight detection of gamma-rays and high energy charged pArticles), is a complex detector based on scintillation crystals, that will surround the target of the (RB)-B-3 experiment. CALIFA will act as a total absorption gamma-calorimeter and spectrometer, as well as identifier of charged particles from target residues. This versatility is its most challenging requirement, demanding a huge dynamic range, to cover from low energy gamma-rays up to 300 MeV protons. This fact, along with the high-energy of the beams determine the conceptual design of the detector, presented in this paper, together with the technical solutions proposed for its construction.
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17. |
- Desidera, S., et al.
(författare)
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The SPHERE infrared survey for exoplanets (SHINE) I. Sample definition and target characterization
- 2021
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Ingår i: Astronomy and Astrophysics. - : EDP Sciences. - 0004-6361 .- 1432-0746. ; 651
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Context. Large surveys with new-generation high-contrast imaging instruments are needed to derive the frequency and properties of exoplanet populations with separations from ~5 to 300 au. A careful assessment of the stellar properties is crucial for a proper understanding of when, where, and how frequently planets form, and how they evolve. The sensitivity of detection limits to stellar age makes this a key parameter for direct imaging surveys.Aims. We describe the SpHere INfrared survey for Exoplanets (SHINE), the largest direct imaging planet-search campaign initiated at the VLT in 2015 in the context of the SPHERE Guaranteed Time Observations of the SPHERE consortium. In this first paper we present the selection and the properties of the complete sample of stars surveyed with SHINE, focusing on the targets observed during the first phase of the survey (from February 2015 to February 2017). This early sample composed of 150 stars is used to perform a preliminary statistical analysis of the SHINE data, deferred to two companion papers presenting the survey performance, main discoveries, and the preliminary statistical constraints set by SHINE.Methods. Based on a large database collecting the stellar properties of all young nearby stars in the solar vicinity (including kinematics, membership to moving groups, isochrones, lithium abundance, rotation, and activity), we selected the original sample of 800 stars that were ranked in order of priority according to their sensitivity for planet detection in direct imaging with SPHERE. The properties of the stars that are part of the early statistical sample wererevisited, including for instance measurements from the Gaia Data Release 2. Rotation periods were derived for the vast majority of the late-type objects exploiting TESS light curves and dedicated photometric observations.Results. The properties of individual targets and of the sample as a whole are presented.
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18. |
- Eiroa, C., et al.
(författare)
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Exocomet signatures around the A-shell star φ Leonis?
- 2016
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Ingår i: Astronomy and Astrophysics. - : EDP Sciences. - 0004-6361 .- 1432-0746. ; 594
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We present an intensive monitoring of high-resolution spectra of the Ca ii K line in the A7IV shell star φ Leo at very short (minutes, hours), short (night to night), and medium (weeks, months) timescales. The spectra show remarkable variable absorptions on timescales of hours, days, and months. The characteristics of these sporadic events are very similar to most that are observed toward the debris disk host star β Pic, which are commonly interpreted as signs of the evaporation of solid, comet-like bodies grazing or falling onto the star. Therefore, our results suggest the presence of solid bodies around φ Leo. To our knowledge, with the exception of β Pic, our monitoring has the best time resolution at the mentioned timescales for a star with events attributed to exocomets. Assuming the cometary scenario and considering the timescales of our monitoring, our results indicate that φ Leo presents the richest environment with comet-like events known to date, second only to β Pic.
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19. |
- Fransson, Claes, 1951-, et al.
(författare)
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Emission lines due to ionizing radiation from a compact object in the remnant of Supernova 1987A
- 2024
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Ingår i: Science. - : American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). - 0036-8075 .- 1095-9203. ; 383:6685, s. 898-903
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The nearby Supernova 1987A was accompanied by a burst of neutrino emission, which indicates that a compact object (a neutron star or black hole) was formed in the explosion. There has been no direct observation of this compact object. In this work, we observe the supernova remnant with JWST spectroscopy, finding narrow infrared emission lines of argon and sulfur. The line emission is spatially unresolved and blueshifted in velocity relative to the supernova rest frame. We interpret the lines as gas illuminated by a source of ionizing photons located close to the center of the expanding ejecta. Photoionization models show that the line ratios are consistent with ionization by a cooling neutron star or a pulsar wind nebula. The velocity shift could be evidence for a neutron star natal kick.
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20. |
- Garufi, A., et al.
(författare)
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The SPHERE view of the Taurus star-forming region : The full census of planet-forming disks with GTO and DESTINYS programs
- 2024
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Ingår i: Astronomy and Astrophysics. - 0004-6361 .- 1432-0746. ; 685
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The sample of planet-forming disks observed by high-contrast imaging campaigns over the last decade is mature enough to enable the demographical analysis of individual star-forming regions. We present the full census of Taurus sources with VLT/SPHERE polarimetric images available. The whole sample sums up to 43 targets (of which 31 have not been previously published) corresponding to one-fifth of the Class II population in Taurus and about half of such objects that are observable. A large fraction of the sample is apparently made up of isolated faint disks (equally divided between small and large self-shadowed disks). Ambient signal is visible in about one-third of the sample. This probes the interaction with the environment and with companions or the outflow activity of the system. The central portion of the Taurus region almost exclusively hosts faint disks, while the periphery also hosts bright disks interacting with their surroundings. The few bright disks are found around apparently older stars. The overall picture is that the Taurus region is in an early evolutionary stage of planet formation. Yet, some objects are discussed individually, as in an intermediate or exceptional stage of the disk evolution. This census provides a first benchmark for the comparison of the disk populations in different star forming regions.
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21. |
- Godoy, N., et al.
(författare)
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ISPY - NaCo Imaging Survey for Planets around Young stars : CenteR: The impact of centering and frame selection
- 2022
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Ingår i: Astronomy and Astrophysics. - : EDP Sciences. - 0004-6361 .- 1432-0746. ; 663
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Context. Direct imaging has made significant progress over the past decade, in part thanks to a new generation of instruments and excellent adaptive optic systems, but also thanks to advanced post-processing techniques. The combination of these two factors allowed the detection of several giant planets with separations as close as 0.2 arcsec with contrasts typically reaching 9-10 magnitudes at nearinfrared wavelengths. Observing strategies and data rates vary depending on the instrument and the wavelength, with L- and M-band observations yielding tens of thousands of images to be combined.Aims. We present a new approach, tailored for VLT/NaCo observations performed with the Annular Groove Phase Mask (AGPM) coronagraph, but that can be applied to other instruments using similar coronagraphs. Our pipeline aims to improve the post-processing of the observations on two fronts: identifying the location of the star behind the AGPM to better align the science frames and performing frame selection.Methods. Our method relies on finding the position of the AGPM in the sky frame observations, and correlating it with the circular aperture of the coronagraphic mask. This relationship allows us to retrieve the location of the AGPM in the science frames. We are then able to model the torus shape visible in the sky-subtracted science frames, as a combination of negative and positive 2D Gaussian functions. The model provides additional information that is useful to design our frame selection criteria. Results. We tested our pipeline on three targets (β Pictoris, R CrA, and HD 34282), two of which have companions at intermediate and close separations, and the third hosts a bright circumstellar disk. We find that the centering of the science frames has a significant impact on the signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) of the companions. Our results suggest that the best reduction is achieved when performing the principal component analysis centered on the location of the AGPM and derotating the frames centered at the location of the star before collapsing the final datacube. We improved the S/N of companions around β Pictoris and R CrA by 24 +/- 3% and 117 +/- 11% respectively, compared to other state-of-the-art reductions. We find that the companion position for all the centering strategies are consistent within 3 σ. Finally, we find that even for NaCo observations with tens of thousands of frames, frame selection yields just marginal improvement for point sources, but may improve the final images for objects with extended emission such as disks.Conclusions. We propose a novel approach to identify the location of the star behind a coronagraph even when it cannot easily be determined by other methods. We led a thorough study on the importance of frame selection, concluding that the improvements are marginal in most cases, but may yield better contrast in some specific cases. Our approach can be applied to the wealth of archival NaCo data and, assuming that the field of view includes the edges of the coronagraphic mask, its implementation can be adapted to other instruments with coronagraphs similar to the AGPM used on NaCo (e.g., Keck/NIRC2, LBT/LMIRCam).
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22. |
- Groenewegen, M. A. T., et al.
(författare)
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MESS (Mass-loss of Evolved StarS), a Herschel key program
- 2011
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Ingår i: Astronomy and Astrophysics. - : EDP Sciences. - 0004-6361 .- 1432-0746. ; 526, s. A162-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- MESS (Mass-loss of Evolved StarS) is a guaranteed time key program that uses the PACS and SPIRE instruments on board the Herschel space observatory to observe a representative sample of evolved stars, that include asymptotic giant branch (AGB) and post-AGB stars, planetary nebulae and red supergiants, as well as luminous blue variables, Wolf-Rayet stars and supernova remnants. In total, of order 150 objects are observed in imaging and about 50 objects in spectroscopy. This paper describes the target selection and target list, and the observing strategy. Key science projects are described, and illustrated using results obtained during Herschel's science demonstration phase. Aperture photometry is given for the 70 AGB and post-AGB stars observed up to October 17, 2010, which constitutes the largest single uniform database of far-IR and sub-mm fluxes for late-type stars.
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23. |
- Henning, Th., et al.
(författare)
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HATS-50b through HATS-53b : Four Transiting Hot Jupiters Orbiting G-type Stars Discovered by the HATSouth Survey
- 2018
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Ingår i: Astronomical Journal. - : American Astronomical Society. - 0004-6256 .- 1538-3881. ; 155:2
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We report the discovery of four close-in transiting exoplanets (HATS-50b through HATS-53b), discovered using the HATSouth three-continent network of homogeneous and automated telescopes. These new exoplanets belong to the class of hot Jupiters and orbit G-type dwarf stars, with brightness in the range V = 12.5-14.0 mag. While HATS-53 has many physical characteristics similar to the Sun, the other three stars appear to be metal-rich ([Fe/H]= 0.2-0.3), larger, and more massive. Three of the new exoplanets, namely HATS-50b, HATS-51b, and HATS-53b, have low density (HATS-50b: 0.39 +/- 0.10 M-J, 1.130 +/- 0.075 R-J; HATS-51b: 0.768 +/- 0.045 M-J, 1.41 +/- 0.19 R-J; HATS-53b: 0.595 +/- 0.089 M-J, 1.340 +/- 0.056 R-J) and similar orbital periods (3.8297 days, 3.3489 days, 3.8538 days, respectively). Instead, HATS-52b is more dense (mass 2.24. +/- 0.15 M-J and radius 1.382 +/- 0.086 R-J) and has a shorter orbital period (1.3667 days). It also receives an intensive radiation from its parent star and, consequently, presents a high equilibrium temperature (T-eq = 1834 +/- 73 K). HATS-50 shows a marginal additional transit feature consistent with an ultra-short-period hot super Neptune (upper mass limit 0.16 M-J), which will be able to be confirmed with TESS photometry.
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24. |
- Johansen, Anders, et al.
(författare)
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High-resolution simulations of planetesimal formation in turbulent protoplanetary discs
- 2011
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Ingår i: Astronomy & Astrophysics. - : EDP Sciences. - 0004-6361 .- 1432-0746. ; 529
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We present high-resolution computer simulations of dust dynamics and planetesimal formation in turbulence generated by the magnetorotational instability. We show that the turbulent viscosity associated with magnetorotational turbulence in a non-stratified shearing box increases when going from 256(3) to 512(3) grid points in the presence of a weak imposed magnetic field, yielding a turbulent viscosity of alpha approximate to 0.003 at high resolution. Particles representing approximately meter-sized boulders concentrate in large-scale high-pressure regions in the simulation box. The appearance of zonal flows and particle concentration in pressure bumps is relatively similar at moderate (256(3)) and high (512(3)) resolution. In the moderate-resolution simulation we activate particle self-gravity at a time when there is little particle concentration, in contrast with previous simulations where particle self-gravity was activated during a concentration event. We observe that bound clumps form over the next ten orbits, with initial birth masses of a few times the dwarf planet Ceres. At high resolution we activate self-gravity during a particle concentration event, leading to a burst of planetesimal formation, with clump masses ranging from a significant fraction of to several times the mass of Ceres. We present a new domain decomposition algorithm for particle-mesh schemes. Particles are spread evenly among the processors and the local gas velocity field and assigned drag forces are exchanged between a domain-decomposed mesh and discrete blocks of particles. We obtain good load balancing on up to 4096 cores even in simulations where particles sediment to the mid-plane and concentrate in pressure bumps.
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25. |
- Jones, O. C., et al.
(författare)
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Ejecta, Rings, and Dust in SN 1987A with JWST MIRI/MRS
- 2023
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Ingår i: Astrophysical Journal. - : American Astronomical Society. - 0004-637X .- 1538-4357. ; 958:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Supernova (SN) 1987A is the nearest supernova in ∼400 yr. Using the JWST MIRI Medium Resolution Spectrograph, we spatially resolved the ejecta, equatorial ring (ER), and outer rings in the mid-infrared 12,927 days (35.4 yr) after the explosion. The spectra are rich in line and dust continuum emission, both in the ejecta and the ring. The broad emission lines (280–380 km s−1 FWHM) that are seen from all singly-ionized species originate from the expanding ER, with properties consistent with dense post-shock cooling gas. Narrower emission lines (100–170 km s−1 FWHM) are seen from species originating from a more extended lower-density component whose high ionization may have been produced by shocks progressing through the ER or by the UV radiation pulse associated with the original supernova event. The asymmetric east–west dust emission in the ER has continued to fade, with constant temperature, signifying a reduction in dust mass. Small grains in the ER are preferentially destroyed, with larger grains from the progenitor surviving the transition from SN into SNR. The ER dust is fit with a single set of optical constants, eliminating the need for a secondary featureless hot dust component. We find several broad ejecta emission lines from [Ne ii], [Ar ii], [Fe ii], and [Ni ii]. With the exception of [Fe ii] 25.99 μm, these all originate from the ejecta close to the ring and are likely to be excited by X-rays from the interaction. The [Fe ii] 5.34 to 25.99 μm line ratio indicates a temperature of only a few hundred K in the inner core, which is consistent with being powered by 44 Ti decay.
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26. |
- Keppler, M., et al.
(författare)
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Discovery of a planetary-mass companion within the gap of the transition disk around PDS 70
- 2018
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Ingår i: Astronomy and Astrophysics. - : EDP Sciences. - 0004-6361 .- 1432-0746. ; 617
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Context. Young circumstellar disks are the birthplaces of planets. Their study is of prime interest to understand the physical and chemical conditions under which planet formation takes place. Only very few detections of planet candidates within these disks exist, and most of them are currently suspected to be disk features.Aims. In this context, the transition disk around the young star PDS 70 is of particular interest, due to its large gap identified in previous observations, indicative of ongoing planet formation. We aim to search for the presence of an embedded young planet and search for disk structures that may be the result of disk-planet interactions and other evolutionary processes.Methods. We analyse new and archival near-infrared images of the transition disk PDS 70 obtained with the VLT/SPHERE, VLT/NaCo, and Gemini/NICI instruments in polarimetric differential imaging and angular differential imaging modes.Results. We detect a point source within the gap of the disk at about 195 mas (similar to 22 au) projected separation. The detection is confirmed at five different epochs, in three filter bands and using different instruments. The astrometry results in an object of bound nature, with high significance. The comparison of the measured magnitudes and colours to evolutionary tracks suggests that the detection is a companion of planetary mass. The luminosity of the detected object is consistent with that of an L-type dwarf, but its IR colours are redder, possibly indicating the presence of warm surrounding material. Further, we confirm the detection of a large gap of similar to 54 au in size within the disk in our scattered light images, and detect a signal from an inner disk component. We find that its spatial extent is very likely smaller than similar to 17 au in radius, and its position angle is consistent with that of the outer disk. The images of the outer disk show evidence of a complex azimuthal brightness distribution which is different at different wavelengths and may in part be explained by Rayleigh scattering from very small grains.Conclusions. The detection of a young protoplanet within the gap of the transition disk around PDS 70 opens the door to a so far observationally unexplored parameter space of planetary formation and evolution. Future observations of this system at different wavelengths and continuing astrometry will allow us to test theoretical predictions regarding planet-disk interactions, planetary atmospheres, and evolutionary models.
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27. |
- Lacour, S., et al.
(författare)
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The mass of β Pictoris c from β Pictoris b orbital motion
- 2021
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Ingår i: Astronomy and Astrophysics. - : EDP Sciences. - 0004-6361 .- 1432-0746. ; 654
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Aims. We aim to demonstrate that the presence and mass of an exoplanet can now be effectively derived from the astrometry of another exoplanet.Methods. We combined previous astrometry of β Pictoris b with a new set of observations from the GRAVITY interferometer. The orbital motion of β Pictoris b is fit using Markov chain Monte Carlo simulations in Jacobi coordinates. The inner planet, β Pictoris c, was also reobserved at a separation of 96 mas, confirming the previous orbital estimations.Results. From the astrometry of planet b only, we can (i) detect the presence of β Pictoris c and (ii) constrain its mass to 10.04(-3.10)(+4.53) M-Jup. If one adds the astrometry of β Pictoris c, the mass is narrowed down to 9.15(-1.06)(+1.08) M-Jup. The inclusion of radial velocity measurements does not affect the orbital parameters significantly, but it does slightly decrease the mass estimate to 8.89(-0.75)(+0.75) M-Jup. With a semimajor axis of 2.68 +/- 0.02 au, a period of 1221 +/- 15 days, and an eccentricity of 0.32 +/- 0.02, the orbital parameters of β Pictoris c are now constrained as precisely as those of β Pictoris b. The orbital configuration is compatible with a high-order mean-motion resonance (7:1). The impact of the resonance on the planets' dynamics would then be negligible with respect to the secular perturbations, which might have played an important role in the eccentricity excitation of the outer planet.
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28. |
- Langlois, M., et al.
(författare)
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The SPHERE infrared survey for exoplanets (SHINE) : II. Observations, data reduction and analysis, detection performances, and initial results
- 2021
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Ingår i: Astronomy and Astrophysics. - : EDP Sciences. - 0004-6361 .- 1432-0746. ; 651
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Context. In recent decades, direct imaging has confirmed the existence of substellar companions (exoplanets or brown dwarfs) on wide orbits (>10 au) around their host stars. In striving to understand their formation and evolution mechanisms, in 2015 we initiated the SPHERE infrared survey for exoplanets (SHINE), a systematic direct imaging survey of young, nearby stars that is targeted at exploring their demographics.Aims. We aim to detect and characterize the population of giant planets and brown dwarfs beyond the snow line around young, nearby stars. Combined with the survey completeness, our observations offer the opportunity to constrain the statistical properties (occurrence, mass and orbital distributions, dependency on the stellar mass) of these young giant planets.Methods. In this study, we present the observing and data analysis strategy, the ranking process of the detected candidates, and the survey performances for a subsample of 150 stars that are representative of the full SHINE sample. Observations were conducted in a homogeneous way between February 2015 and February 2017 with the dedicated ground-based VLT/SPHERE instrument equipped with the IFS integral field spectrograph and the IRDIS dual-band imager, covering a spectral range between 0.9 and 2.3 μm. We used coronographic, angular, and spectral differential imaging techniques to achieve the best detection performances for this study, down to the planetary mass regime.Results. We processed, in a uniform manner, more than 300 SHINE observations and datasets to assess the survey typical sensitivity as a function of the host star and of the observing conditions. The median detection performance reached 5σ-contrasts of 13 mag at 200 mas and 14.2 mag at 800 mas with the IFS (YJ and YJH bands), and of 11.8 mag at 200 mas, 13.1 mag at 800 mas, and 15.8 mag at 3 as with IRDIS in H band, delivering one of the deepest sensitivity surveys thus far for young, nearby stars. A total of sixteen substellar companions were imaged in this first part of SHINE: seven brown dwarf companions and ten planetary-mass companions.These include two new discoveries, HIP 65426 b and HIP 64892 B, but not the planets around PDS70 that had not been originally selected for the SHINE core sample. A total of 1483 candidates were detected, mainly in the large field of view that characterizes IRDIS. The color-magnitude diagrams, low-resolution spectrum (when available with IFS), and follow-up observations enabled us to identify the nature (background contaminant or comoving companion) of about 86% of our subsample. The remaining cases are often connected to crowded-field follow-up observations that were missing. Finally, even though SHINE was not initially designed for disk searches, we imaged twelve circumstellar disks, including three new detections around the HIP 73145, HIP 86598, and HD 106906 systems.Conclusions. Nowadays, direct imaging provides a unique opportunity to probe the outer part of exoplanetary systems beyond 10 au to explore planetary architectures, as highlighted by the discoveries of: one new exoplanet, one new brown dwarf companion, and three new debris disks during this early phase of SHINE. It also offers the opportunity to explore and revisit the physical and orbital properties of these young, giant planets and brown dwarf companions (relative position, photometry, and low-resolution spectrum in near-infrared, predicted masses, and contrast in order to search for additional companions). Finally, these results highlight the importance of finalizing the SHINE systematic observation of about 500 young, nearby stars for a full exploration of their outer part to explore the demographics of young giant planets beyond 10 au and to identify the most interesting systems for the next generation of high-contrast imagers on very large and extremely large telescopes.
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29. |
- Launhardt, R., et al.
(författare)
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ISPY-NACO Imaging Survey for Planets around Young stars : Survey description and results from the first 2.5 years of observations
- 2020
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Ingår i: Astronomy and Astrophysics. - : EDP Sciences. - 0004-6361 .- 1432-0746. ; 635
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Context. The occurrence rate of long-period (a greater than or similar to 50 au) giant planets around young stars is highly uncertain since it is not only governed by the protoplanetary disc structure and planet formation process, but also reflects both dynamical re-structuring processes after planet formation as well as possible capture of planets not formed in situ. Direct imaging is currently the only feasible method to detect such wide-orbit planets and constrain their occurrence rate.Aims. We aim to detect and characterise wide-orbit giant planets during and shortly after their formation phase within protoplanetary and debris discs around nearby young stars.Methods. We carry out a large L-band high-contrast direct imaging survey for giant planets around 200 young stars with protoplanetary or debris discs using the NACO instrument at the ESO Very Large Telescope on Cerro Paranal in Chile. We use very deep angular differential imaging observations with typically >60 degrees field rotation, and employ a vector vortex coronagraph where feasible to achieve the best possible point source sensitivity down to an inner working angle of about 100 mas. This paper introduces the NACO Imaging Survey for Planets around Young stars (NACO-ISPY), its goals and strategy, the target list, and data reduction scheme, and presents preliminary results from the first 2.5 survey years.Results. We achieve a mean 5 sigma contrast of Delta L ' = 6.4 +/- 0.1 mag at 150 mas and a background limit of L ' (bg) = 16.5 +/- 0.2 textual-form L bg ' =16.5 +/- 0.2 mag at 1.' ' 5. Our detection probability is 50% for companions with greater than or similar to 8 M-Jup at semi-major axes of 80-200 au and >13 M-Jup at 30-250 au. It thus compares well to the detection space of other state-of-the-art high-contrast imaging surveys. We have already contributed to the characterisation of two new planets originally discovered by VLT/SPHERE, but we have not yet independently discovered new planets around any of our target stars. We have discovered two new close-in low-mass stellar companions around R CrA and HD 193571 and report in this paper the discovery of close co-moving low-mass stellar companions around HD 72660 and HD 92536. Furthermore, we report L ' -band scattered light images of the discs around eleven stars, six of which have never been imaged at L ' -band before.Conclusions. The first 2.5 yr of the NACO-ISPY survey have already demonstrated that VLT/NACO combined with our survey strategy can achieve the anticipated sensitivity to detect giant planets and reveal new close stellar companions around our target stars.
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30. |
- Mallorquin, M., et al.
(författare)
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TOI-1801 b: A temperate mini-Neptune around a young M0.5 dwarf
- 2023
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Ingår i: Astronomy and Astrophysics. - 0004-6361 .- 1432-0746. ; 680
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We report the discovery, mass, and radius determination of TOI-1801 b, a temperate mini-Neptune around a young M dwarf. TOI-1801 b was observed in TESS sectors 22 and 49, and the alert that this was a TESS planet candidate with a period of 21.3 days went out in April 2020. However, ground-based follow-up observations, including seeing-limited photometry in and outside transit together with precise radial velocity (RV) measurements with CARMENES and HIRES revealed that the true period of the planet is 10.6 days. These observations also allowed us to retrieve a mass of 5.74 +/- 1.46 M-circle plus, which together with a radius of 2.08 +/- 0.12 R-circle plus, means that TOI-1801 b is most probably composed of water and rock, with an upper limit of 2% by mass of H-2 in its atmosphere. The stellar rotation period of 16 days is readily detectable in our RV time series and in the ground-based photometry. We derived a likely age of 600-800 Myr for the parent star TOI-1801, which means that TOI-1801 b is the least massive young mini-Neptune with precise mass and radius determinations. Our results suggest that if TOI-1801 b had a larger atmosphere in the past, it must have been removed by some evolutionary mechanism on timescales shorter than 1 Gyr.
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31. |
- Mancini, L., et al.
(författare)
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An optical transmission spectrum of the transiting hot Jupiter in the metal-poor WASP-98 planetary system
- 2016
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Ingår i: Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0035-8711 .- 1365-2966. ; 461:1, s. 1053-1061
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The WASP-98 planetary system represents a rare case of a hot Jupiter hosted by a metalpoor main-sequence star. We present a follow-up study of this system based on multiband photometry and high-resolution spectroscopy. Two new transit events of WASP-98 b were simultaneously observed in four passbands (g', r', i', z'), using the telescope-defocusing technique, yielding eight high-precision light curves with point-to-point scatters of less than 1 mmag. We also collected three spectra of the parent star with a high-resolution spectrograph, which we used to remeasure its spectral characteristics, in particular its metallicity. We found this to be very low, [Fe/ H] = -0.49 +/- 0.10, but larger than was previously reported, [Fe/ H]=-0.60 +/- 0.19. We used these new photometric and spectroscopic data to refine the orbital and physical properties of this planetary system, finding that the stellar and planetary mass measurements are significantly larger than those in the discovery paper. In addition, the multiband light curves were used to construct an optical transmission spectrum of WASP-98 b and probe the characteristics of its atmosphere at the terminator. We measured a lower radius at z' compared with the other three passbands. The maximum variation is between the r' and z' bands, has a confidence level of roughly 6 sigma and equates to 5.5 pressure scale heights. We compared this spectrum to theoretical models, investigating several possible types of atmospheres, including hazy, cloudy, cloud-free, and clear atmospheres with titanium and vanadium oxide opacities. We could not find a good fit to the observations, except in the extreme case of a clear atmosphere with TiO and VO opacities, in which the condensation of Ti and V was suppressed. As this case is unrealistic, our results suggest the presence of an additional optical-absorbing species in the atmosphere of WASP-98 b, of unknown chemical nature.
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32. |
- Mancini, L., et al.
(författare)
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Physical properties and transmission spectrum of the WASP-74 planetary system from multiband photometry
- 2019
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Ingår i: Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0035-8711 .- 1365-2966. ; 485:4, s. 5168-5179
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We present broad-band photometry of 11 planetary transits of the hot Jupiter WASP-74 b, using three medium-class telescopes and employing the telescope-defocusing technique. Most of the transits were monitored through I filters and one was simultaneously observed in five optical (U, g', r', i', z') and three near-infrared (J, H, K) passbands, for a total of 18 light curves. We also obtained new high-resolution spectra of the host star. We used these new data to review the orbital and physical properties of the WASP-74 planetary system. We were able to better constrain the main system characteristics, measuring smaller radius and mass for both the hot Jupiter and its host star than previously reported in the literature. Joining our optical data with those taken with the HST in the near infrared, we built up an observational transmission spectrum of the planet, which suggests the presence of strong optical absorbers, as TiO and VO gases, in its atmosphere.
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33. |
- Mancini, L., et al.
(författare)
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The GAPS programme with HARPS-N at TNG XVI. Measurement of the Rossiter-McLaughlin effect of transiting planetary systems HAT-P-3, HAT-P-12, HAT-P-22, WASP-39, and WASP-60
- 2018
-
Ingår i: Astronomy and Astrophysics. - : EDP Sciences. - 0004-6361 .- 1432-0746. ; 613
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Context. The measurement of the orbital obliquity of hot Jupiters with different physical characteristics can provide clues to the mechanisms of migration and orbital evolution of this particular class of giant exoplanets.Aims. We aim to derive the degree of alignment between planetary orbit and stellar spin angular momentum vectors and look for possible links with other orbital and fundamental physical parameters of the star-planet system. We focus on the characterisation of five transiting planetary systems (HAT-P-3, HAT-P-12, HAT-P-22, WASP-39, and WASP-60) and the determination of their sky-projected planet orbital obliquity through the measurement of the Rossiter-McLaughlin effect.Methods. We used HARPS-N high-precision radial velocity measurements, gathered during transit events, to measure the Rossiter-McLaughlin effect in the target systems and determine the sky-projected angle between the planetary orbital plane and stellar equator. The characterisation of stellar atmospheric parameters was performed by exploiting the HARPS-N spectra, using line equivalent width ratios and spectral synthesis methods. Photometric parameters of the five transiting exoplanets were re-analysed through 17 new light curves, obtained with an array of medium-class telescopes, and other light curves from the literature. Survey-time-series photometric data were analysed for determining the rotation periods of the five stars and their spin inclination.Results. From the analysis of the Rossiter-McLaughlin effect we derived a sky-projected obliquity of lambda = 21.2 degrees +/- 8.7 degrees, lambda = -54 degrees(+41 degrees)(-13 degrees), lambda = -2.1 degrees +/- 3.0 degrees, lambda = 0 degrees +/- 11 degrees, and lambda = -129 degrees +/- 17 degrees for HAT-P-3 b, HAT-P-12 b, HAT-P-22 b, WASP-39 b, and WASP-60 b, respectively. The latter value indicates that WASP-60 b is moving on a retrograde orbit. These values represent the first measurements of lambda for the five exoplanetary systems under study. The stellar activity of HAT-P-22 indicates a rotation period of 28.7 +/- 0.4 days, which allowed us to estimate the true misalignment angle of HAT-P-22 b, psi = 24 degrees +/- 18 degrees. The revision of the physical parameters of the five exoplanetary systems returned values that are fully compatible with those existing in the literature. The exception to this is the WASP-60 system, for which, based on higher quality spectroscopic and photometric data, we found a more massive and younger star and a larger and hotter planet.
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34. |
- Mueller, A., et al.
(författare)
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Orbital and atmospheric characterization of the planet within the gap of the PDS70 transition disk
- 2018
-
Ingår i: Astronomy and Astrophysics. - : EDP Sciences. - 0004-6361 .- 1432-0746. ; 617
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Context. The observation of planets in their formation stage is a crucial but very challenging step in understanding when, how, and where planets form. PDS 70 is a young pre-main sequence star surrounded by a transition disk, in the gap of which a planetary-mass companion has recently been discovered. This discovery represents the first robust direct detection of such a young planet, possibly still at the stage of formation.Aims. We aim to characterize the orbital and atmospheric properties of PDS 70 b, which was first identified on May 2015 in the course of the SHINE survey with SPHERE, the extreme adaptive-optics instrument at the VLT.Methods. We obtained new deep SPHERE/IRDIS imaging and SPHERE/IFS spectroscopic observations of PDS 70 b. The astrometric baseline now covers 6 yr, which allowed us to perform an orbital analysis. For the first time, we present spectrophotometry of the young planet which covers almost the entire near-infrared range (0.96-3.8 mu m). We use different atmospheric models covering a large parameter space in temperature, log g, chemical composition, and cloud properties to characterize the properties of the atmosphere of PDS 70 b.Results. PDS 70 b is most likely orbiting the star on a circular and disk coplanar orbit at similar to 22 au inside the gap of the disk. We find a range of models that can describe the spectrophotometric data reasonably well in the temperature range 1000-1600 K and log g no larger than 3.5 dex. The planet radius covers a relatively large range between 1.4 and 3.7 R-J with the larger radii being higher than expected from planet evolution models for the age of the planet of 5.4 Myr. Conclusions. This study provides a comprehensive data set on the orbital motion of PDS 70 b, indicating a circular orbit and a motion coplanar with the disk. The first detailed spectral energy distribution of PDS 70 b indicates a temperature typical of young giant planets. The detailed atmospheric analysis indicates that a circumplanetary disk may contribute to the total planetflux.
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35. |
- Murgas, F., et al.
(författare)
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Two super-Earths at the edge of the habitable zone of the nearby M dwarf TOI-2095
- 2023
-
Ingår i: Astronomy and Astrophysics. - 0004-6361 .- 1432-0746. ; 677
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The main scientific goal of TESS is to find planets smaller than Neptune around stars that are bright enough to allow for further characterization studies. Given our current instrumentation and detection biases, M dwarfs are prime targets in the search for small planets that are in (or near) the habitable zone of their host star. In this work, we use photometric observations and CARMENES radial velocity (RV) measurements to validate a pair of transiting planet candidates found by TESS. The data were fitted simultaneously, using a Bayesian Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) procedure and taking into account the stellar variability present in the photometric and spectroscopic time series. We confirm the planetary origin of the two transiting candidates orbiting around TOI-2095 (LSPM J1902+7525). The star is a nearby M dwarf (d = 41.90 ± 0.03 pc, Teff = 3759 ± 87 K, V = 12.6 mag), with a stellar mass and radius of M∗ = 0.44 ± 0.02 M· and R∗ = 0.44 ± 0.02 R·, respectively. The planetary system is composed of two transiting planets: TOI-2095b, with an orbital period of Pb = 17.66484 ± (7 A - 10- 5) days, and TOI-2095c, with Pc = 28.17232 ± (14 A - 10- 5) days. Both planets have similar sizes with Rb = 1.25 ± 0.07 R· and Rc = 1.33 ± 0.08 R· for planet b and planet c, respectively. Although we did not detect the induced RV variations of any planet with significance, our CARMENES data allow us to set stringent upper limits on the masses of these objects. We find Mb < 4.1 M· for the inner and Mc < 7.4 M· for the outer planet (95% confidence level). These two planets present equilibrium temperatures in the range of 300 350 K and are close to the inner edge of the habitable zone of their star.
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36. |
- Olofsson, J., et al.
(författare)
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Azimuthal asymmetries in the debris disk around HD61005 A massive collision of planetesimals?
- 2016
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Ingår i: Astronomy and Astrophysics. - : EDP Sciences. - 0004-6361 .- 1432-0746. ; 591
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Context. Debris disks off er valuable insights into the latest stages of circumstellar disk evolution, and can possibly help us to trace the outcomes of planetary formation processes. In the age range 10 to 100 Myr, most of the gas is expected to have been removed from the system, giant planets (if any) must have already been formed, and the formation of terrestrial planets may be on-going. Pluto-sized planetesimals, and their debris released in a collisional cascade, are under their mutual gravitational influence, which may result into non-axisymmetric structures in the debris disk. Aims. High angular resolution observations are required to investigate these effects and constrain the dynamical evolution of debris disks. Furthermore, multi-wavelength observations can provide information about the dust dynamics by probing different grain sizes. Methods. Here we present new VLT/SPHERE and ALMA observations of the debris disk around the 40 Myr-old solar-type star HD61005. We resolve the disk at unprecedented resolution both in the near-infrared (in scattered and polarized light) and at millimeter wavelengths. We perform a detailed modeling of these observations, including the spectral energy distribution. Results. Thanks to the new observations, we propose a solution for both the radial and azimuthal distribution of the dust grains in the debris disk. We find that the disk has a moderate eccentricity (e similar to 0.1) and that the dust density is two times larger at the pericenter compared to the apocenter. Conclusions. With no giant planets detected in our observations, we investigate alternative explanations besides planet-disk interactions to interpret the inferred disk morphology. We postulate that the morphology of the disk could be the consequence of a massive collision between similar to 1000 km-sized bodies at similar to 61 au. If this interpretation holds, it would put stringent constraints on the formation of massive planetesimals at large distances from the star.
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37. |
- Olofsson, J., et al.
(författare)
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Dust production in the debris disk around HR4796 A
- 2019
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Ingår i: Astronomy and Astrophysics. - : EDP Sciences. - 0004-6361 .- 1432-0746. ; 630
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Context. Debris disks are the natural by-products of the planet formation process. Scattered or polarized light observations are mostly sensitive to small dust grains that are released from the grinding down of bigger planetesimals.Aims. High angular resolution observations at optical wavelengths can provide key constraints on the radial and azimuthal distribution of the small dust grains. These constraints can help us better understand where most of the dust grains are released upon collisions.Methods. We present SPHERE/ZIMPOL observations of the debris disk around HR4796A, and we modeled the radial profiles along several azimuthal angles of the disk with a code that accounts for the effect of stellar radiation pressure. This enabled us to derive an appropriate description for the radial and azimuthal distribution of the small dust grains.Results. Even though we only modeled the radial profiles along, or close to, the semi-major axis of the disk, our best-fit model is not only in good agreement with our observations but also with previously published datasets (from near-infrared to sub-mm wavelengths). We find that the reference radius is located at 76.4 +/- 0.4 au, and the disk has an eccentricity of 0.076(-0.010)(+0.016) with the pericenter located on the front side of the disk (north of the star). We find that small dust grains must be preferentially released near the pericenter to explain the observed brightness asymmetry.Conclusions. Even though parent bodies spend more time near the apocenter, the brightness asymmetry implies that collisions happen more frequently near the pericenter of the disk. Our model can successfully reproduce the shape of the outer edge of the disk without requiring an outer planet shaping the debris disk. With a simple treatment for the effect of the radiation pressure, we conclude that the parent planetesimals are located in a narrow ring of about 3.6 au in width.
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38. |
- Olofsson, J., et al.
(författare)
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Resolving faint structures in the debris disk around TWA 7 Tentative detections of an outer belt, a spiral arm, and a dusty cloud
- 2018
-
Ingår i: Astronomy and Astrophysics. - : EDP Sciences. - 0004-6361 .- 1432-0746. ; 617
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Context. Debris disks are the intrinsic by-products of the star and planet formation processes. Most likely due to instrumental limitations and their natural faintness, little is known about debris disks around low mass stars, especially when it comes to spatially resolved observations. Aims. We present new VLT/SPHERE IRDIS dual-polarization imaging (DPI) observations in which we detect the dust ring around the M2 spectral type star TWA 7. Combined with additional angular differential imaging observations we aim at a fine characterization of the debris disk and setting constraints on the presence of low-mass planets. Methods. We modeled the SPHERE DPI observations and constrain the location of the small dust grains, as well as the spectral energy distribution of the debris disk, using the results inferred from the observations, and performed simple N-body simulations. Results. We find that the dust density distribution peaks at similar to 0.72 '' (25 au), with a very shallow outer power-law slope, and that the disk has an inclination of similar to 13 degrees with a position angle of similar to 91 degrees east of north. We also report low signal-to-noise ratio detections of an outer belt at a distance of similar to 1.5 '' (similar to 52 au) from the star, of a spiral arm in the southern side of the star, and of a possible dusty clump at 0.11 ''. These findings seem to persist over timescales of at least a year. Using the intensity images, we do not detect any planets in the close vicinity of the star, but the sensitivity reaches Jovian planet mass upper limits. We find that the SED is best reproduced with an inner disk at similar to 0.2 '' (similar to 7 au) and another belt at 0.72 '' (25 au). Conclusions. We report the detections of several unexpected features in the disk around TWA 7. A yet undetected 100 M-circle plus planet with a semi-major axis at 20-30 au could possibly explain the outer belt as well as the spiral arm. We conclude that stellar winds are unlikely to be responsible for the spiral arm.
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39. |
- Pascucci, I., et al.
(författare)
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A steeper than linear disk mass-stellar mass scaling relation
- 2016
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Ingår i: Astrophysical Journal. - 0004-637X .- 1538-4357. ; 831
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- © 2016. The American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved. The disk mass is among the most important input parameter for every planet formation model to determine the number and masses of the planets that can form. We present an ALMA 887 μm survey of the disk population around objects from ∼2 to 0.03 M o in the nearby ∼2 Myr old Chamaeleon I star-forming region. We detect thermal dust emission from 66 out of 93 disks, spatially resolve 34 of them, and identify two disks with large dust cavities of about 45 au in radius. Assuming isothermal and optically thin emission, we convert the 887 μm flux densities into dust disk masses, hereafter M dust. We find that the relation is steeper than linear and of the form M dust ∝ (M ∗)1.3-1.9, where the range in the power-law index reflects two extremes of the possible relation between the average dust temperature and stellar luminosity. By reanalyzing all millimeter data available for nearby regions in a self-consistent way, we show that the 1-3 Myr old regions of Taurus, Lupus, and Chamaeleon I share the same relation, while the 10 Myr old Upper Sco association has a steeper relation. Theoretical models of grain growth, drift, and fragmentation reproduce this trend and suggest that disks are in the fragmentation-limited regime. In this regime millimeter grains will be located closer in around lower-mass stars, a prediction that can be tested with deeper and higher spatial resolution ALMA observations.
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40. |
- Perotti, G., et al.
(författare)
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Water in the terrestrial planet-forming zone of the PDS 70 disk
- 2023
-
Ingår i: Nature. - 0028-0836 .- 1476-4687. ; 620:7974, s. 516-520
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Terrestrial and sub-Neptune planets are expected to form in the inner (less than 10 AU) regions of protoplanetary disks1. Water plays a key role in their formation2,3,4, although it is yet unclear whether water molecules are formed in situ or transported from the outer disk5,6. So far Spitzer Space Telescope observations have only provided water luminosity upper limits for dust-depleted inner disks7, similar to PDS 70, the first system with direct confirmation of protoplanet presence8,9. Here we report JWST observations of PDS 70, a benchmark target to search for water in a disk hosting a large (approximately 54 AU) planet-carved gap separating an inner and outer disk10,11. Our findings show water in the inner disk of PDS 70. This implies that potential terrestrial planets forming therein have access to a water reservoir. The column densities of water vapour suggest in-situ formation via a reaction sequence involving O, H2 and/or OH, and survival through water self-shielding5. This is also supported by the presence of CO2 emission, another molecule sensitive to ultraviolet photodissociation. Dust shielding, and replenishment of both gas and small dust from the outer disk, may also play a role in sustaining the water reservoir12. Our observations also reveal a strong variability of the mid-infrared spectral energy distribution, pointing to a change of inner disk geometry.
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41. |
- Pohl, A., et al.
(författare)
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New constraints on the disk characteristics and companion candidates around T Chamaeleontis with VLT/SPHERE
- 2017
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Ingår i: Astronomy and Astrophysics. - : EDP Sciences. - 0004-6361 .- 1432-0746. ; 605
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Context. The transition disk around the T Tauri star T Cha possesses a large gap, making it a prime target for high-resolution imaging in the context of planet formation.Aims. We aim to find signs of disk evolutionary processes by studying the disk geometry and the dust grain properties at its surface, and to search for companion candidates.Methods. We analyze a set of VLT/SPHERE data at near-infrared and optical wavelengths. We performed polarimetric imaging of T Cha with IRDIS (1.6 mu m) and ZIMPOL (0.5-0.9 mu m), and obtained intensity images from IRDIS dual-band imaging with simultaneous spectro-imaging with IFS (0.9-1.3 mu m).Results. The disk around T Cha is detected in all observing modes and its outer disk is resolved in scattered light with unprecedented angular resolution and signal-to-noise. The images reveal a highly inclined disk with a noticeable east-west brightness asymmetry. The significant amount of non-azimuthal polarization signal in the U-phi images, with a U-phi/Q(phi) peak-to-peak value of 14%, is in accordance with theoretical studies on multiple scattering in an inclined disk. Our optimal axisymmetric radiative transfer model considers two coplanar inner and outer disks, separated by a gap of 0.'' 28 (similar to 30 au) in size, which is larger than previously thought. We derive a disk inclination of similar to 69 deg and PA of similar to 114 deg. In order to self-consistently reproduce the intensity and polarimetric images, the dust grains, responsible for the scattered light, need to be dominated by sizes of around ten microns. A point source is detected at an angular distance of 3.5 '' from the central star. It is, however, found not to be co-moving. Conclusions. We confirm that the dominant source of emission is forward scattered light from the near edge of the outer disk. Our point source analysis rules out the presence of a companion with mass larger than similar to 8.5 M-jup between 0.'' 1 and 0.'' 3. The detection limit decreases to similar to 2 M-jup for 0.'' 3 to 4.0 ''.
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42. |
- Pohl, A., et al.
(författare)
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The Circumstellar Disk HD 169142 : Gas, Dust, and Planets Acting in Concert?
- 2017
-
Ingår i: Astrophysical Journal. - : American Astronomical Society. - 0004-637X .- 1538-4357. ; 850:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- HD 169142 is an excellent target for investigating signs of planet-disk interaction due to previous evidence of gap structures. We perform J-band (similar to 1.2 mu m) polarized intensity imaging of HD 169142 with VLT/SPHERE. We observe polarized scattered light down to 0 ''.16 (similar to 19 au) and find an inner gap with a significantly reduced scattered-light flux. We confirm the previously detected double-ring structure peaking at 0 ''.18 (similar to 21 au) and 0 ''.56 (similar to 66 au) and marginally detect a faint third gap at 0 ''.70-0 ''.73 (similar to 82-85 au). We explore dust evolution models in a disk perturbed by two giant planets, as well as models with a parameterized dust size distribution. The dust evolution model is able to reproduce the ring locations and gap widths in polarized intensity but fails to reproduce their depths. However, it gives a good match with the ALMA dust continuum image at 1.3 mm. Models with a parameterized dust size distribution better reproduce the gap depth in scattered light, suggesting that dust filtration at the outer edges of the gaps is less effective. The pileup of millimeter grains in a dust trap and the continuous distribution of small grains throughout the gap likely require more efficient dust fragmentation and dust diffusion in the dust trap. Alternatively, turbulence or charging effects might lead to a reservoir of small grains at the surface layer that is not affected by the dust growth and fragmentation cycle dominating the dense disk midplane. The exploration of models shows that extracting planet properties such as mass from observed gap profiles is highly degenerate.
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43. |
- Ramírez-Tannus, M. C., et al.
(författare)
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A relation between the radial velocity dispersion of young clusters and their age : Evidence for hardening as the formation scenario of massive close binaries
- 2021
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Ingår i: Astronomy and Astrophysics. - : EDP Sciences. - 0004-6361 .- 1432-0746. ; 645
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The majority of massive stars (> 8 M-circle dot) in OB associations are found in close binary systems. Nonetheless, the formation mechanism of these close massive binaries is not understood yet. Using literature data, we measured the radial-velocity dispersion (sigma (1D)) as a proxy for the close binary fraction in ten OB associations in the Galaxy and the Large Magellanic Cloud, spanning an age range from 1 to 6 Myr. We find a positive trend of this dispersion with the cluster's age, which is consistent with binary hardening. Assuming a universal binary fraction of f(bin) = 0.7, we converted the sigma (1D) behavior to an evolution of the minimum orbital period P-cutoff from similar to 9.5 years at 1 Myr to similar to 1.4 days for the oldest clusters in our sample at similar to 6 Myr. Our results suggest that binaries are formed at larger separations, and they harden in around 1 to 2 Myr to produce the period distribution observed in few million year-old OB binaries. Such an inward migration may either be driven by an interaction with a remnant accretion disk or with other young stellar objects present in the system. Our findings constitute the first empirical evidence in favor of migration as a scenario for the formation of massive close binaries.
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44. |
- Rinaldi, P., et al.
(författare)
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MIDIS : Strong (H beta plus [OIII]) and Ha Emitters at Redshift z similar or equal to 7-8 Unveiled with JWST NIRCam and MIRI Imaging in the Hubble eXtreme Deep Field
- 2023
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Ingår i: Astrophysical Journal. - 0004-637X .- 1538-4357. ; 952:2
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We make use of JWST medium-band and broadband NIRCam imaging, along with ultradeep MIRI 5.6 mu m imaging, in the Hubble eXtreme Deep Field to identify prominent line emitters at z similar or equal to 7-8. Out of a total of 58 galaxies at z similar or equal to 7-8, we find 18 robust candidates ( similar or equal to 31%) for (H beta + [O III]) emitters, based on their enhanced fluxes in the F430M and F444W filters, with EW0(H beta +[O III]) similar or equal to 87-2100 angstrom. Among these emitters, 16 lie in the MIRI coverage area and 12 exhibit a clear flux excess at 5.6 mu m, indicating the simultaneous presence of a prominent Ha emission line with EW0(H alpha) similar or equal to 200-3000 angstrom. This is the first time that H alpha emission can be detected in individual galaxies at z > 7. The Ha line, when present, allows us to separate the contributions of H beta and [O III] to the (H beta +[O III]) complex and derive Ha-based star formation rates (SFRs). We find that in most cases [O III]/ H beta > 1. Instead, two galaxies have [O III]/H beta < 1, indicating that the NIRCam flux excess is mainly driven by H beta. Most prominent line emitters are very young starbursts or galaxies on their way to/from the starburst cloud. They make for a cosmic SFR density log(10)( rho(SFRH alpha) (M-circle dot yr(-1) Mpc))similar or equal to - 2.351 3 which is about a quarter of the total value (log(10)( SFR (M-circle dot yr(-1) Mpc))similar or equal to - 1.761 3 ) at z similar or equal to 7-8. Therefore, the strong Ha emitters likely had a significant role in reionization.
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45. |
- Soler, J. D., et al.
(författare)
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Histogram of oriented gradients: a technique for the study of molecular cloud formation
- 2019
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Ingår i: Astronomy and Astrophysics. - : EDP Sciences. - 0004-6361 .- 1432-0746. ; 622
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We introduce the histogram of oriented gradients (HOG), a tool developed for machine vision that we propose as a new metric for the systematic characterization of spectral line observations of atomic and molecular gas and the study of molecular cloud formation models. In essence, the HOG technique takes as input extended spectral-line observations from two tracers and provides an estimate of their spatial correlation across velocity channels. We characterized HOG using synthetic observations of HI and (CO)-C-13(J = 1 -> 0) emission from numerical simulations of magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) turbulence leading to the formation of molecular gas after the collision of two atomic clouds. We found a significant spatial correlation between the two tracers in velocity channels where v(HI) approximate to v(13CO), almost independent of the orientation of the collision with respect to the line of sight. Subsequently, we used HOG to investigate the spatial correlation of the HI, from The HI/OH/recombination line survey of the inner Milky Way (THOR), and the (CO)-C-13(J = 1 -> 0) emission from the Galactic Ring Survey (GRS), toward the portion of the Galactic plane 33.degrees 75 <= l <= 35.degrees 25 and vertical bar b vertical bar <= 1.degrees 25. We found a significant spatial correlation between the two tracers in extended portions of the studied region. Although some of the regions with high spatial correlation are associated with HI self-absorption (HISA) features, suggesting that it is produced by the cold atomic gas, the correlation is not exclusive to this kind of region. The HOG results derived for the observational data indicate significant differences between individual regions: some show spatial correlation in channels around v(HI) approximate to v(13CO) while others present spatial correlations in velocity channels separated by a few kilometers per second. We associate these velocity offsets to the effect of feedback and to the presence of physical conditions that are not included in the atomic-cloud-collision simulations, such as more general magnetic field configurations, shear, and global gas infall.
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46. |
- Tabone, B., et al.
(författare)
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A rich hydrocarbon chemistry and high C to O ratio in the inner disk around a very low-mass star
- 2023
-
Ingår i: Nature Astronomy. - 2397-3366. ; 7:7, s. 805-814
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Carbon is an essential element for life but how much can be delivered to young planets is still an open question. The chemical characterization of planet-forming disks is a crucial step in our understanding of the diversity and habitability of exoplanets. Very low-mass stars (less than 0.2 M⊙) are interesting targets because they host a rich population of terrestrial planets. Here we present the James Webb Space Telescope detection of abundant hydrocarbons in the disk of a very low-mass star obtained as part of the Mid-InfraRed Instrument mid-INfrared Disk Survey (MINDS). In addition to very strong and broad emission from C2H2 and its 13C12CH2 isotopologue, C4H2, benzene and possibly CH4 are identified, but water, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and silicate features are weak or absent. The lack of small silicate grains indicates that we can look deep down into this disk. These detections testify to an active warm hydrocarbon chemistry with a high C/O ratio larger than unity in the inner 0.1 astronomical units (AU) of this disk, perhaps due to destruction of carbonaceous grains. The exceptionally high C2H2/CO2 and C2H2/H2O column density ratios indicate that oxygen is locked up in icy pebbles and planetesimals outside the water iceline. This, in turn, will have important consequences for the composition of forming exoplanets.
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47. |
- Vigan, A., et al.
(författare)
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The SPHERE infrared survey for exoplanets (SHINE) : III. The demographics of young giant exoplanets below 300 au with SPHERE
- 2021
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Ingår i: Astronomy and Astrophysics. - : EDP Sciences. - 0004-6361 .- 1432-0746. ; 651
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The SpHere INfrared Exoplanet (SHINE) project is a 500-star survey performed with SPHERE on the Very Large Telescope for the purpose of directly detecting new substellar companions and understanding their formation and early evolution. Here we present an initial statistical analysis for a subsample of 150 stars spanning spectral types from B to M that are representative of the full SHINE sample. Our goal is to constrain the frequency of substellar companions with masses between 1 and 75 MJup and semimajor axes between 5 and 300 au. For this purpose, we adopt detection limits as a function of angular separation from the survey data for all stars converted into mass and projected orbital separation using the BEX-COND-hot evolutionary tracks and known distance to each system. Based on the results obtained for each star and on the 13 detections in the sample, we use a Markov chain Monte Carlo tool to compare our observations to two different types of models. The first is a parametric model based on observational constraints, and the second type are numerical models that combine advanced core accretion and gravitational instability planet population synthesis. Using the parametric model, we show that the frequencies of systems with at least one substellar companion are 23.0−9.7+13.5, 5.8−2.8+4.7, and 12.6−7.1+12.9% for BA, FGK, and M stars, respectively. We also demonstrate that a planet-like formation pathway probably dominates the mass range from 1–75 MJup for companions around BA stars, while for M dwarfs, brown dwarf binaries dominate detections. In contrast, a combination of binary star-like and planet-like formation is required to best fit the observations for FGK stars. Using our population model and restricting our sample to FGK stars, we derive a frequency of 5.7−2.8+3.8%, consistent with predictions from the parametric model. More generally, the frequency values that we derive are in excellent agreement with values obtained in previous studies.
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48. |
- Wu, S. -W, et al.
(författare)
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The discovery of a very massive star in W49
- 2014
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Ingår i: Astronomy and Astrophysics. - : EDP Sciences. - 0004-6361 .- 1432-0746. ; 568, s. L13-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Context. Very massive stars (M > 100 M-circle dot) are very rare objects, but have a strong influence on their environment. The formation of this kind of objects is of prime importance in star formation, but observationally still poorly constrained. Aims. We report on the identification of a very massive star in the central cluster of the star forming region W49. Methods. We investigate near infrared K-band spectroscopic observations of W49 from VLT/ISAAC together with JHK images obtained with NTT/SOFI and LBT/LUCI. We derive the spectral type of W49nrl, the brightest star in the dense core of the central cluster of W49. Results. On the basis of its K-band spectrum, W49nrl is classified as an O2-3.5If* star with a K-band absolute magnitude of -6.27 +/- 0.10 mag. The effective temperature and bolometric correction are estimated from stars of similar spectral type. After comparison to the Geneva evolutionary models, we find an initial mass between 100 M-circle dot and 180 M-circle dot. Varying the extinction law results in a larger initial mass range of 90-250 M-circle dot
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49. |
- Zhang, M., et al.
(författare)
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Star-forming content of the giant molecular filaments in the Milky Way
- 2019
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Ingår i: Astronomy and Astrophysics. - : EDP Sciences. - 0004-6361 .- 1432-0746. ; 622
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Through observations numerous giant molecular filaments (GMFs) have been discovered in the MilkyWay. Their role in the Galactic star formation and Galaxy-scale evolution of dense gas is unknown. Aims. We investigate systematically the star-forming content of all currently known GMFs. This allows us to estimate the star formation rates (SFRs) of the GMFs and to establish relationships between the SFRs and the GMF properties. Methods. We identified and classified the young stellar object (YSO) population of each GMF using multiwavelength photometry from near-to far-infrared. We estimated the total SFRs assuming a universal and fully sampled initial mass function and luminosity function. Results. We uniformly estimate the physical properties of 57 GMFs. The GMFs show correlations between the (CO)-C-13 line width, mass, and size, similar to Larson's relations. We identify 36 394 infrared excess sources in 57 GMFs and obtain SFRs for 46 GMFs. The median SFR surface density (Sigma(SFR)) and star formation efficiency (SFE) of GMFs are 0.62 M-circle dot Myr(-1) pc(-2) and 1%, similar to the nearby star-forming clouds. The star formation rate per free-fall time of GMFs is between 0.002-0.05 with the median value of 0.02. We also find a strong correlation between SFR and dense gas mass that is defined as gas mass above a visual extinction of 7 mag, which suggests that the SFRs of the GMFs scale similarly with dense gas as those of nearby molecular clouds. We also find a strong correlation between the mean SFR per unit length and dense gas mass per unit length. The origin of this scaling remains unknown, calling for further studies that can link the structure of GMFs to their SF activity and explore the differences between GMFs and other molecular clouds.
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50. |
- Zurlo, A., et al.
(författare)
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Orbital and dynamical analysis of the system around HR 8799 New astrometric epochs from VLT/SPHERE and LBT/LUCI
- 2022
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Ingår i: Astronomy and Astrophysics. - : EDP Sciences. - 0004-6361 .- 1432-0746. ; 666
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Context. HR 8799 is a young planetary system composed of four planets and a double debris belt. Being the first multi-planetary system discovered with the direct imaging technique, it has been observed extensively since 1998. This wide baseline of astrometric measurements, counting over 50 observations in 20 years, permits a detailed orbital and dynamical analysis of the system.Aims. To explore the orbital parameters of the planets, their dynamical history, and the planet-to-disk interaction, we made follow-up observations of the system during the VLT/SPHERE guaranteed time observation program. We obtained 21 observations, most of them in favorable conditions. In addition, we observed HR 8799 with the instrument LUCI at the Large Binocular Telescope (LBT).Methods. All the observations were reduced with state-of-the-art algorithms implemented to apply the spectral and angular differential imaging method. We re-reduced the SPHERE data obtained during the commissioning of the instrument and in three open-time programs to have homogeneous astrometry. The precise position of the four planets with respect to the host star was calculated by exploiting the fake negative companions method. We obtained an astrometric precision of the order of 6 mas in the worst case and 1 mas in the best case. To improve the orbital fitting, we also took into account all of the astrometric data available in the literature. From the photometric measurements obtained in different wavelengths, we estimated the masses of the planets following the evolutionary models.Results. We obtained updated parameters for the orbits with the assumption of coplanarity, relatively small eccentricities, and periods very close to the 2:1 resonance. We also refined the dynamical mass of each planet and the parallax of the system (24.49 ± 0.07 mas), which overlap with the recent Gaia eDR3/DR3 estimate. Hydrodynamical simulations suggest that inward migration of the planets caused by the interaction with the disk might be responsible for the planets being locked in resonance. We also conducted detailed N-body simulations indicating possible positions of a putative fifth planet with a mass below the present detection limits of ≃3 MJup.
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