MECHANISM FOR EXCITING PLANETARY INCLINATION AND ECCENTRICITY THROUGH A RESIDUAL GAS DISK

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chen Yuanyuan; Liu Huigen; Zhao Gang

2013-05-20

According to the theory of Kozai resonance, the initial mutual inclination between a small body and a massive planet in an outer circular orbit is as high as {approx}39. Degree-Sign 2 for pumping the eccentricity of the inner small body. Here we show that with the presence of a residual gas disk outside two planetary orbits, the inclination can be reduced to as low as a few degrees. The presence of the disk changes the nodal precession rates and directions of the planet orbits. At the place where the two planets achieve the same nodal processing rate, vertical secular resonancemore » (VSR) occurs so that the mutual inclination of the two planets will be excited, which might further trigger the Kozai resonance between the two planets. However, in order to pump an inner Jupiter-like planet, the conditions required for the disk and the outer planet are relatively strict. We develop a set of evolution equations, which can fit the N-body simulation quite well but can be integrated within a much shorter time. By scanning the parameter spaces using the evolution equations, we find that a massive planet (10 M{sub J} ) at 30 AU with an inclination of 6 Degree-Sign to a massive disk (50 M{sub J} ) can finally enter the Kozai resonance with an inner Jupiter around the snowline. An inclination of 20 Degree-Sign of the outer planet to the disk is required for flipping the inner one to a retrograde orbit. In multiple planet systems, the mechanism can happen between two nonadjacent planets or can inspire a chain reaction among more than two planets. This mechanism could be the source of the observed giant planets in moderate eccentric and inclined orbits, or hot Jupiters in close-in, retrograde orbits after tidal damping.« less

EARTH, MOON, SUN, AND CV ACCRETION DISKS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Montgomery, M. M.

2009-11-01

Net tidal torque by the secondary on a misaligned accretion disk, like the net tidal torque by the Moon and the Sun on the equatorial bulge of the spinning and tilted Earth, is suggested by others to be a source to retrograde precession in non-magnetic, accreting cataclysmic variable (CV) dwarf novae (DN) systems that show negative superhumps in their light curves. We investigate this idea in this work. We generate a generic theoretical expression for retrograde precession in spinning disks that are misaligned with the orbital plane. Our generic theoretical expression matches that which describes the retrograde precession of Earths'more » equinoxes. By making appropriate assumptions, we reduce our generic theoretical expression to those generated by others, or to those used by others, to describe retrograde precession in protostellar, protoplanetary, X-ray binary, non-magnetic CV DN, quasar, and black hole systems. We find that spinning, tilted CV DN systems cannot be described by a precessing ring or by a precessing rigid disk. We find that differential rotation and effects on the disk by the accretion stream must be addressed. Our analysis indicates that the best description of a retrogradely precessing spinning, tilted, CV DN accretion disk is a differentially rotating, tilted disk with an attached rotating, tilted ring located near the innermost disk annuli. In agreement with the observations and numerical simulations by others, we find that our numerically simulated CV DN accretion disks retrogradely precess as a unit. Our final, reduced expression for retrograde precession agrees well with our numerical simulation results and with selective observational systems that seem to have main-sequence secondaries. Our results suggest that a major source to retrograde precession is tidal torques like that by the Moon and the Sun on the Earth. In addition, these tidal torques should be common to a variety of systems where one member is spinning and tilted, regardless if accretion disks are present or not. Our results suggest that the accretion disk's geometric shape directly affects the disk's precession rate.« less

On the Impact Origin of Phobos and Deimos. II. True Polar Wander and Disk Evolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hyodo, Ryuki; Rosenblatt, Pascal; Genda, Hidenori; Charnoz, Sébastien

2017-12-01

Phobos and Deimos are the two small Martian moons, orbiting almost on the equatorial plane of Mars. Recent works have shown that they can accrete within an impact-generated inner dense and outer light disk, and that the same impact potentially forms the Borealis basin, a large northern hemisphere basin on the current Mars. However, there is no a priori reason for the impact to take place close to the north pole (Borealis present location), nor to generate a debris disk in the equatorial plane of Mars (in which Phobos and Deimos orbit). In this paper, we investigate these remaining issues on the giant impact origin of the Martian moons. First, we show that the mass deficit created by the Borealis impact basin induces a global reorientation of the planet to realign its main moment of inertia with the rotation pole (True Polar Wander). This moves the location of the Borealis basin toward its current location. Next, using analytical arguments, we investigate the detailed dynamical evolution of the eccentric inclined disk from the equatorial plane of Mars that is formed by the Martian-moon-forming impact. We find that, as a result of precession of disk particles due to the Martian dynamical flattening J 2 term of its gravity field and particle–particle inelastic collisions, eccentricity and inclination are damped and an inner dense and outer light equatorial circular disk is eventually formed. Our results strengthen the giant impact origin of Phobos and Deimos that can finally be tested by a future sample return mission such as JAXA’s Martian Moons eXploration mission.

Dynamical Stability of Imaged Planetary Systems in Formation: Application to HL Tau

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tamayo, D.; Triaud, A. H. M. J.; Menou, K.; Rein, H.

2015-06-01

A recent Atacama Large Millimeter/Submillimeter Array image revealed several concentric gaps in the protoplanetary disk surrounding the young star HL Tau. We consider the hypothesis that these gaps are carved by planets, and present a general framework for understanding the dynamical stability of such systems over typical disk lifetimes, providing estimates for the maximum planetary masses. We collect these easily evaluated constraints into a workflow that can help guide the design and interpretation of new observational campaigns and numerical simulations of gap opening in such systems. We argue that the locations of resonances should be significantly shifted in massive disks like HL Tau, and that theoretical uncertainties in the exact offset, together with observational errors, imply a large uncertainty in the dynamical state and stability in such disks. This presents an important barrier to using systems like HL Tau as a proxy for the initial conditions following planet formation. An important observational avenue to breaking this degeneracy is to search for eccentric gaps, which could implicate resonantly interacting planets. Unfortunately, massive disks like HL Tau should induce swift pericenter precession that would smear out any such eccentric features of planetary origin. This motivates pushing toward more typical, less massive disks. For a nominal non-resonant model of the HL Tau system with five planets, we find a maximum mass for the outer three bodies of approximately 2 Neptune masses. In a resonant configuration, these planets can reach at least the mass of Saturn. The inner two planets’ masses are unconstrained by dynamical stability arguments.

A Disk Origin for S-Stars in the Galactic Center?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haislip, G.; Youdin, A. N.

2005-12-01

Young massive stars in the central 0.5" of our Galaxy probe dynamics around supermassive black holes, and challenge our understanding of star formation in extreme environments. Recent observations (Ghez et al. 2005, Eisenhauer et al. 2005) show large eccentricities and a seemingly random distribution of inclinations, which seems to contradict formation in a disk. We investigate scenarios in which the massive S-stars are born with circular, coplanar orbits and perturbed to their current relaxed state. John Chambers' MERCURY code is modified to include post-Newtonian corrections to the gravitational central force of a Schwarzchild hole and Lense-Thirring precession about a Kerr black hole. The role of resonant relaxation (Rauch & Tremaine, 1996) of angular momentum between S-stars and a background stellar halo is studied in this context.

The variations in eccentricity and apse precession rate of a narrow ring perturbed by a close satellite

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Borderies, N.; Goldreich, P.; Tremaine, S.

1983-01-01

The first-order perturbations of orbital eccentricity and apse precession rate for the case of a narrow ring, due to a close satellite whose orbit is also eccentric, are described by means of a Hamiltonian. The present treatment covers cases in which the satellite crosses the ring, and the level curves of the Hamiltonian are displayed for several parameter values. The results obtained are applied to the interaction of Saturn's F ring with its inner shepherd satellite.

Spin-orbit precession along eccentric orbits: Improving the knowledge of self-force corrections and of their effective-one-body counterparts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bini, Donato; Damour, Thibault; Geralico, Andrea

2018-05-01

The (first-order) gravitational self-force correction to the spin-orbit precession of a spinning compact body along a slightly eccentric orbit around a Schwarzschild black hole is computed through the ninth post-Newtonian order and to second order in the eccentricity, improving recent results by Kavanagh et al. [Phys. Rev. D 96, 064012 (2017), 10.1103/PhysRevD.96.064012]. We show that our higher-accurate theoretical estimates of the spin precession exhibits an improved agreement with corresponding numerical self-force data. We convert our new theoretical results into its corresponding effective-one-body counterpart, thereby determining several new post-Newtonian terms in the gyrogravitomagnetic ratio gS * .

Modeling collisions in circumstellar debris disks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nesvold, Erika

2015-10-01

Observations of resolved debris disks show a spectacular variety of features and asymmetries, including inner cavities and gaps, inclined secondary disks or warps, and eccentric, sharp-edged rings. Embedded exoplanets could create many of these features via gravitational perturbations, which sculpt the disk directly and by generating planetesimal collisions. In this thesis, I present the Superparticle Model/Algorithm for Collisions in Kuiper belts and debris disks (SMACK), a new method for simultaneously modeling, in 3-D, the collisional and dynamical evolution of planetesimals in a debris disk with planets. SMACK can simulate azimuthal asymmetries and how these asymmetries evolve over time. I show that SMACK is stable to numerical viscosity and numerical heating over 107 yr, and that it can reproduce analytic models of disk evolution. As an example of the algorithm's capabilities, I use SMACK to model the evolution of a debris ring containing a planet on an eccentric orbit and demonstrate that differential precession creates a spiral structure as the ring evolves, but collisions subsequently break up the spiral, leaving a narrower eccentric ring. To demonstrate SMACK's utility in studying debris disk physics, I apply SMACK to simulate a planet on a circular orbit near a ring of planetesimals that are experiencing destructive collisions. Previous simulations of a planet opening a gap in a collisionless debris disk have found that the width of the gap scales as the planet mass to the 2/7th power (alpha = 2/7). I find that gap sizes in a collisional disk still obey a power law scaling with planet mass, but that the index alpha of the power law depends on the age of the system t relative to the collisional timescale t coll of the disk by alpha = 0.32(t/ tcoll)-0.04, with inferred planet masses up to five times smaller than those predicted by the classical gap law. The increased gap sizes likely stem from the interaction between collisions and the mean motion resonances near the chaotic zone. I investigate the effects of the initial eccentricity distribution of the disk particles and find a negligible effect on the gap size at Jovian planet masses, since collisions tend to erase memory of the initial particle eccentricity distributions. I also find that the presence of Trojan analogs is a potentially powerful diagnostic of planets in the mass range ˜1--10MJup. I apply my model to place new upper limits on planets around Fomalhaut, HR 4796 A, HD 202628, HD 181327, and beta Pictoris. Finally, to show how SMACK can be used to analyze a single debris disk in detail, I present a new model of the beta Pictoris disk and planet system that, for the first time, combines simulations of the colliding planetesimals and the dynamics of the dust grains, allowing me to model features and asymmetries in both submillimeter and scattered light images of the disk. I combine a 100,000 superparticle SMACK simulation with N-body integrations of the dust produced by the simulated collisions. I find that secular perturbations of the planet's measured inclination and eccentricity can explain the observed warp and planetesimal ring, while collisions between planetesimals shape the disk by eroding close-in material. The complex 3D structure of the disk due to the perturbations from the planet creates an azimuthally asymmetric spatial distribution of collisions, which could contribute to the observed azimuthal clump of CO gas seen with ALMA. My simulations of the small dust grains produced by collisions demonstrate that the "birth ring" approximation for beta Pictoris fails to account for the ˜54% of dust mass produced outside of the planetesimal ring. I also reproduce the gross morphology of high-resolution scattered light images of the disk, including the two-disk "x"-pattern seen in scattered light, which has not been replicated by previous dust dynamics models.

Perihelion precession from power law central force and magnetic-like force

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Feng

2011-04-01

By the Laplace-Runge-Lenz (LRL) vector, we analyzed perihelion precessions of orbit with arbitrary eccentricity from perturbations of 1) power law central force and 2) fThusmagnetic-like force. Exact and analytically closed expressions for the precession rate are derived in both cases. In the central force case, we give a further expansion expression of precession rate in orders of eccentricity, and a rule judging pro- or retrograde precession is also given. We applied the result of central force to precessions of a planet in 1) Schwarzschild space-time, for which the formula for the Mercury’s 43”/century is reproduced, and 2) spherically distributed dark matter, for which we find a formula that is a generalization of the result derived by others for circular orbit. In the magnetic case, the use of the LRL vector proves to be simple and efficient. An example of magnetic-like perturbation is also discussed.

Perihelion precession from power law central force and magnetic-like force

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Xu Feng

2011-04-15

By the Laplace-Runge-Lenz (LRL) vector, we analyzed perihelion precessions of orbit with arbitrary eccentricity from perturbations of 1) power law central force and 2) fThusmagnetic-like force. Exact and analytically closed expressions for the precession rate are derived in both cases. In the central force case, we give a further expansion expression of precession rate in orders of eccentricity, and a rule judging pro- or retrograde precession is also given. We applied the result of central force to precessions of a planet in 1) Schwarzschild space-time, for which the formula for the Mercury's 43''/century is reproduced, and 2) spherically distributed darkmore » matter, for which we find a formula that is a generalization of the result derived by others for circular orbit. In the magnetic case, the use of the LRL vector proves to be simple and efficient. An example of magnetic-like perturbation is also discussed.« less

Can Eccentric Debris Disks Be Long-lived? A First Numerical Investigation and Application to Zeta(exp 2) Reticuli

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Faramaz, V.; Beust, H.; Thebault, P.; Augereau, J.-C.; Bonsor, A.; delBurgo, C.; Ertel, S.; Marshall, J. P.; Milli, J.; Montesinos, B.;

Can eccentric debris disks be long-lived?. A first numerical investigation and application to ζ2 Reticuli

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Faramaz, V.; Beust, H.; Thébault, P.; Augereau, J.-C.; Bonsor, A.; del Burgo, C.; Ertel, S.; Marshall, J. P.; Milli, J.; Montesinos, B.; Mora, A.; Bryden, G.; Danchi, W.; Eiroa, C.; White, G. J.; Wolf, S.

2014-03-01

Context. Imaging of debris disks has found evidence for both eccentric and offset disks. One hypothesis is that they provide evidence for massive perturbers, for example, planets or binary companions, which sculpt the observed structures. One such disk was recently observed in the far-IR by the Herschel Space Observatory around ζ2 Reticuli. In contrast with previously reported systems, the disk is significantly eccentric, and the system is several Gyr old. Aims: We aim to investigate the long-term evolution of eccentric structures in debris disks caused by a perturber on an eccentric orbit around the star. We hypothesise that the observed eccentric disk around ζ2 Reticuli might be evidence of such a scenario. If so, we are able to constrain the mass and orbit of a potential perturber, either a giant planet or a binary companion. Methods: Analytical techniques were used to predict the effects of a perturber on a debris disk. Numerical N-body simulations were used to verify these results and further investigate the observable structures that may be produced by eccentric perturbers. The long-term evolution of the disk geometry was examined, with particular application to the ζ2 Reticuli system. In addition, synthetic images of the disk were produced for direct comparison with Herschel observations. Results: We show that an eccentric companion can produce both the observed offsets and eccentric disks. These effects are not immediate, and we characterise the timescale required for the disk to develop to an eccentric state (and any spirals to vanish). For ζ2 Reticuli, we derive limits on the mass and orbit of the companion required to produce the observations. Synthetic images show that the pattern observed around ζ2 Reticuli can be produced by an eccentric disk seen close to edge-on, and allow us to bring additional constraints on the disk parameters of our model (disk flux and extent). Conclusions: We conclude that eccentric planets or stellar companions can induce long-lived eccentric structures in debris disks. Observations of such eccentric structures thus provide potential evidence of the presence of such a companion in a planetary system. We considered the specific example of ζ2 Reticuli, whose observed eccentric disk can be explained by a distant companion (at tens of AU) on an eccentric orbit (ep ≳ 0.3). Appendices are available in electronic form at http://www.aanda.orgHerschel Space Observatory is an ESA space observatory with science instruments provided by European-led Principal Investigator consortia and with important participation from NASA.

A record of astronomically forced climate change in a late Ordovician (Sandbian) deep marine sequence, Ordos Basin, North China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fang, Qiang; Wu, Huaichun; Hinnov, Linda A.; Wang, Xunlian; Yang, Tianshui; Li, Haiyan; Zhang, Shihong

2016-07-01

The late Ordovician Pingliang Formation on the southwestern margin of the Ordos Basin, North China, consists of rhythmic alternations of shale, limestone, and siliceous beds. To explore the possible astronomical forcing preserved in this lithological record, continuous lithological rank and magnetic susceptibility (MS) stratigraphic series were obtained from a 34 m thick section of the Pingliang Formation at Guanzhuang. Power spectral analysis of the MS and rank series reveal 85.5 cm to 124 cm, 23 cm to 38 cm, and 15 cm to 27 cm thick sedimentary cycles that in ratio match that of late Ordovician short eccentricity, obliquity and precession astronomical cycles. The power spectrum of the MS time series, calibrated to interpreted short orbital eccentricity cycles, aligns with spectral peaks to astronomical parameters, including 95 kyr short orbital eccentricity, 35.3 kyr and 30.6 kyr obliquity, and 19.6 kyr and 16.3 kyr precession cycles. The 15 cm to 27 cm thick limestone-shale couplets mainly represent precession cycles, and siliceous bed deposition may be related to both precession and obliquity forcing. We propose that precession-forced sea-level fluctuations mainly controlled production of lime mud in a shallow marine environment, and transport to the basin. Precession and obliquity controlled biogenic silica productivity, and temperature-dependent preservation of silica may have been influenced by obliquity forcing.

Coevolution of Binaries and Circumbinary Gaseous Disks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fleming, David; Quinn, Thomas R.

2018-04-01

The recent discoveries of circumbinary planets by Kepler raise questions for contemporary planet formation models. Understanding how these planets form requires characterizing their formation environment, the circumbinary protoplanetary disk, and how the disk and binary interact. The central binary excites resonances in the surrounding protoplanetary disk that drive evolution in both the binary orbital elements and in the disk. To probe how these interactions impact both binary eccentricity and disk structure evolution, we ran N-body smooth particle hydrodynamics (SPH) simulations of gaseous protoplanetary disks surrounding binaries based on Kepler 38 for 10^4 binary orbital periods for several initial binary eccentricities. We find that nearly circular binaries weakly couple to the disk via a parametric instability and excite disk eccentricity growth. Eccentric binaries strongly couple to the disk causing eccentricity growth for both the disk and binary. Disks around sufficiently eccentric binaries strongly couple to the disk and develop an m = 1 spiral wave launched from the 1:3 eccentric outer Lindblad resonance (EOLR). This wave corresponds to an alignment of gas particle longitude of periastrons. We find that in all simulations, the binary semi-major axis decays due to dissipation from the viscous disk.

Numerical Simulations of Naturally Tilted, Retrogradely Precessing, Nodal Superhumping Accretion Disks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Montgomery, M. M.

2012-02-01

Accretion disks around black hole, neutron star, and white dwarf systems are thought to sometimes tilt, retrogradely precess, and produce hump-shaped modulations in light curves that have a period shorter than the orbital period. Although artificially rotating numerically simulated accretion disks out of the orbital plane and around the line of nodes generate these short-period superhumps and retrograde precession of the disk, no numerical code to date has been shown to produce a disk tilt naturally. In this work, we report the first naturally tilted disk in non-magnetic cataclysmic variables using three-dimensional smoothed particle hydrodynamics. Our simulations show that after many hundreds of orbital periods, the disk has tilted on its own and this disk tilt is without the aid of radiation sources or magnetic fields. As the system orbits, the accretion stream strikes the bright spot (which is on the rim of the tilted disk) and flows over and under the disk on different flow paths. These different flow paths suggest the lift force as a source to disk tilt. Our results confirm the disk shape, disk structure, and negative superhump period and support the source to disk tilt, source to retrograde precession, and location associated with X-ray and He II emission from the disk as suggested in previous works. Our results identify the fundamental negative superhump frequency as the indicator of disk tilt around the line of nodes.

On disk-planet interactions and orbital eccentricities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ward, William R.

1988-01-01

While Lindblad resonances both within and without a perturber's orbit excite its eccentricity, the present study of the eccentricity evolution due to the density wave interaction between a planetesimal and a Keplerian disk notes that coronation resonances in these regions lose their eccentricity damping effectiveness if the object is embedded in a continuous disk without a gap. Attention is given to another class of Lindblad resonances which, under these conditions, operates on disk material coorbiting with the perturber; these resonances thereby become the most important source of eccentricity damping. A model problem indicates that eccentricity ultimately undergoes decay.

ON THE ORBIT OF EXOPLANET WASP-12b

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Campo, Christopher J.; Harrington, Joseph; Hardy, Ryan A.

We observed two secondary eclipses of the exoplanet WASP-12b using the Infrared Array Camera on the Spitzer Space Telescope. The close proximity of WASP-12b to its G-type star results in extreme tidal forces capable of inducing apsidal precession with a period as short as a few decades. This precession would be measurable if the orbit had a significant eccentricity, leading to an estimate of the tidal Love number and an assessment of the degree of central concentration in the planetary interior. An initial ground-based secondary-eclipse phase reported by Lopez-Morales et al. (0.510 {+-} 0.002) implied eccentricity at the 4.5{sigma} level.more » The spectroscopic orbit of Hebb et al. has eccentricity 0.049 {+-} 0.015, a 3{sigma} result, implying an eclipse phase of 0.509 {+-} 0.007. However, there is a well-documented tendency of spectroscopic data to overestimate small eccentricities. Our eclipse phases are 0.5010 {+-} 0.0006 (3.6 and 5.8 {mu}m) and 0.5006 {+-} 0.0007 (4.5 and 8.0 {mu}m). An unlikely orbital precession scenario invoking an alignment of the orbit during the Spitzer observations could have explained this apparent discrepancy, but the final eclipse phase of Lopez-Morales et al. (0.510 {+-}{sup +0.007}{sub -0.006}) is consistent with a circular orbit at better than 2{sigma}. An orbit fit to all the available transit, eclipse, and radial-velocity data indicates precession at <1{sigma}; a non-precessing solution fits better. We also comment on analysis and reporting for Spitzer exoplanet data in light of recent re-analyses.« less

Lense-Thirring Precession and Quasi-periodic Oscillations in X-Ray Binaries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marković , Dragoljub; Lamb, Frederick K.

1998-11-01

It has recently been suggested that gravitomagnetic precession of the inner part of the accretion disk, possibly driven by radiation torques, may be responsible for some of the quasi-periodic X-ray brightness oscillations (QPOs) and other spectral features with frequencies between 20 and 300 Hz observed in the power spectra of some low-mass binary systems containing accreting neutron stars and black hole candidates. We have explored the free and driven normal modes of geometrically thin disks in the presence of gravitomagnetic and radiation warping torques. We have found a family of low-frequency gravitomagnetic (LFGM) modes with precession frequencies that range from the lowest frequency allowed by the size of the disk up to a certain critical frequency ωcrit, which is ~1 Hz for a compact object of solar mass. The lowest frequency (lowest order) LFGM modes are similar to the previously known radiation warping modes, extend over much of the disk, and have damping rates >~10 times their precession frequencies. The highest frequency LFGM modes are tightly wound spiral corrugations of the disk that extend to ~10 times its inner radius and have damping rates >~103 times their precession frequencies. A radiation warping torque can cause a few of the lowest frequency LFGM modes to grow with time, but even a strong radiation warping torque has essentially no effect on the LFGM modes with frequencies >~10-4 Hz. We have also discovered a second family of high-frequency gravitomagnetic (HFGM) modes with precession frequencies that range from ωcrit up to slightly less than the gravitomagnetic precession frequency ωgm,i of a particle at the inner edge of the disk, which is 30 Hz if the disk extends inward to the innermost stable circular orbit around a 2 M⊙ compact object with dimensionless angular momentum cJ/GM2 = 0.2. The lowest frequency HFGM modes are very strongly damped and have warp functions and precession frequencies very similar to those of the highest frequency LFGM modes. In contrast, the highest frequency (lowest order) HFGM modes are very localized spiral corrugations of the inner disk and are weakly damped, with Q-values of ~2-50. We discuss the implications of our results for the observability of Lense-Thirring precession in X-ray binaries.

Lense-Thirring Precession of Accretion Disks and Quasi-Periodic Oscillations in X-Ray Binaries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Markovic, D.; Lamb, F. K.

2003-05-01

It has recently been suggested that gravitomagnetic precession of the inner part of the accretion disk, possibly driven by radiation torques, may be responsible for some of the 20-300 Hz quasi-periodic X-ray brightness oscillations (QPOs) observed in some low-mass binary systems containing accreting neutron stars and black hole candidates. We have explored warping modes of geometrically thin disks in the presence of gravitomagnetic and radiation torques. We have found a family of overdamped, low-frequency gravitomagnetic (LFGM) modes all of which have precession frequencies lower than a certain critical frequency ωcrit, which is 1 Hz for a compact object of solar mass. A radiation warping torque can cause a few of the lowest-frequency LFGM modes to grow with time, but even a strong radiation warping torque has essentially no effect on the LFGM modes with frequencies ≳10-4 Hz. We have also discovered a second family of high-frequency gravitomagnetic (HFGM) modes with precession frequencies that range from ωcrit up to slightly less than the gravitomagnetic precession frequency of a particle at the inner edge of the disk, which is 30 Hz if the disk extends inward to the innermost stable circular orbit around a 2M⊙ compact object with dimensionless angular momentum cJ/GM2 = 0.2. The highest-frequency HFGM modes are very localized spiral corrugations of the inner disk and are weakly damped, with Q values as large as 50. We discuss the implications of our results for the observability of Lense-Thirring precession in X-ray binaries.

Hydrodynamic stability of jets produced by mass accreting systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hardee, P. E.

1982-01-01

The existing model for pulsed X-ray emission from the source Hercules X-1 is reviewed. A necessary part of this model is a processing accretion disk which turns the source on and off with 35 day cycle. It is usually assumed that precession of the primary star in this binary system, Hz Hercules, slaves the disk to its precession rate. This model can account for the system behavior in a qualitative manner. Precession of Hz Hercules with 35 day period requires precession of the binary orbit. Pulse arrival times from Herc X-1 have been analyzed for orbital precession. The inclusion of precession does not significantly improve the results obtained assuming a non-precessing orbit. The fluid dynamical stability of extra-galactic jets and the possible consequences of Kelvin-Helmholtz instability at the jet surface external medium interface are considered.

Constraints on the atmospheric circulation and variability of the eccentric hot Jupiter XO-3b

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wong, Ian; Knutson, Heather A.; Cowan, Nicolas B.

We report secondary eclipse photometry of the hot Jupiter XO-3b in the 4.5 μm band taken with the Infrared Array Camera on the Spitzer Space Telescope. We measure individual eclipse depths and center of eclipse times for a total of 12 secondary eclipses. We fit these data simultaneously with two transits observed in the same band in order to obtain a global best-fit secondary eclipse depth of 0.1580% ± 0.0036% and a center of eclipse phase of 0.67004 ± 0.00013. We assess the relative magnitude of variations in the dayside brightness of the planet by measuring the size of themore » residuals during ingress and egress from fitting the combined eclipse light curve with a uniform disk model and place an upper limit of 0.05%. The new secondary eclipse observations extend the total baseline from one and a half years to nearly three years, allowing us to place an upper limit on the periastron precession rate of 2.9 × 10{sup –3} deg day{sup –1}— the tightest constraint to date on the periastron precession rate of a hot Jupiter. We use the new transit observations to calculate improved estimates for the system properties, including an updated orbital ephemeris. We also use the large number of secondary eclipses to obtain the most stringent limits to date on the orbit-to-orbit variability of an eccentric hot Jupiter and demonstrate the consistency of multiple-epoch Spitzer observations.« less

Dynamics of binary-disk interaction. 1: Resonances and disk gap sizes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Artymowicz, Pawel; Lubow, Stephen H.

1994-01-01

We investigate the gravitational interaction of a generally eccentric binary star system with circumbinary and circumstellar gaseous disks. The disks are assumed to be coplanar with the binary, geometrically thin, and primarily governed by gas pressure and (turbulent) viscosity but not self-gravity. Both ordinary and eccentric Lindblad resonances are primarily responsible for truncating the disks in binaries with arbitrary eccentricity and nonextreme mass ratio. Starting from a smooth disk configuration, after the gravitational field of the binary truncates the disk on the dynamical timescale, a quasi-equilibrium is achieved, in which the resonant and viscous torques balance each other and any changes in the structure of the disk (e.g., due to global viscous evolution) occur slowly, preserving the average size of the gap. We analytically compute the approximate sizes of disks (or disk gaps) as a function of binary mass ratio and eccentricity in this quasi-equilibrium. Comparing the gap sizes with results of direct simulations using the smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH), we obtain a good agreement. As a by-product of the computations, we verify that standard SPH codes can adequately represent the dynamics of disks with moderate viscosity, Reynolds number R approximately 10(exp 3). For typical viscous disk parameters, and with a denoting the binary semimajor axis, the inner edge location of a circumbinary disk varies from 1.8a to 2.6a with binary eccentricity increasing from 0 to 0.25. For eccentricities 0 less than e less than 0.75, the minimum separation between a component star and the circumbinary disk inner edge is greater than a. Our calculations are relevant, among others, to protobinary stars and the recently discovered T Tau pre-main-sequence binaries. We briefly examine the case of a pre-main-sequence spectroscopic binary GW Ori and conclude that circumbinary disk truncation to the size required by one proposed spectroscopic model cannot be due to Linblad resonances, even if the disk is nonviscous.

Secular Dynamical Anti-friction in Galactic Nuclei

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Madigan, Ann-Marie; Levin, Yuri

2012-07-01

We identify a gravitational-dynamical process in near-Keplerian potentials of galactic nuclei that occurs when an intermediate-mass black hole (IMBH) is migrating on an eccentric orbit through the stellar cluster towards the central supermassive black hole. We find that, apart from conventional dynamical friction, the IMBH experiences an often much stronger systematic torque due to the secular (i.e., orbit-averaged) interactions with the cluster's stars. The force which results in this torque is applied, counterintuitively, in the same direction as the IMBH's precession and we refer to its action as "secular dynamical anti-friction" (SDAF). We argue that SDAF, and not the gravitational ejection of stars, is responsible for the IMBH's eccentricity increase seen in the initial stages of previous N-body simulations. Our numerical experiments, supported by qualitative arguments, demonstrate that (1) when the IMBH's precession direction is artificially reversed, the torque changes sign as well, which decreases the orbital eccentricity; (2) the rate of eccentricity growth is sensitive to the IMBH migration rate, with zero systematic eccentricity growth for an IMBH whose orbit is artificially prevented from inward migration; and (3) SDAF is the strongest when the central star cluster is rapidly rotating. This leads to eccentricity growth/decrease for the clusters rotating in the opposite/same direction relative to the IMBH's orbital motion.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nesvold, Erika R.; Naoz, Smadar; Vican, Laura

The first indication of the presence of a circumstellar debris disk is usually the detection of excess infrared emission from the population of small dust grains orbiting the star. This dust is short-lived, requiring continual replenishment, and indicating that the disk must be excited by an unseen perturber. Previous theoretical studies have demonstrated that an eccentric planet orbiting interior to the disk will stir the larger bodies in the belt and produce dust via interparticle collisions. However, motivated by recent observations, we explore another possible mechanism for heating a debris disk: a stellar-mass perturber orbiting exterior to and inclined tomore » the disk and exciting the disk particles’ eccentricities and inclinations via the Kozai–Lidov mechanism. We explore the consequences of an exterior perturber on the evolution of a debris disk using secular analysis and collisional N -body simulations. We demonstrate that a Kozai–Lidov excited disk can generate a dust disk via collisions and we compare the results of the Kozai–Lidov excited disk with a simulated disk perturbed by an interior eccentric planet. Finally, we propose two observational tests of a dust disk that can distinguish whether the dust was produced by an exterior brown dwarf or stellar companion or an interior eccentric planet.« less

Secular dynamics of the triple system harboring PSR J0337+1715 and implications for the origin of its orbital configuration

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rafikov, Roman R., E-mail: rrr@astro.princeton.edu

2014-10-10

We explore secular dynamics of a recently discovered hierarchical triple system consisting of the radio pulsar PSR J0337+1715 and two white dwarfs (WDs). We show that three-body interactions endow the inner binary with a large forced eccentricity and suppress its apsidal precession, to about 24% of the rate due to the general relativity. However, precession rate is still quite sensitive to the non-Newtonian effects and may be used to constrain gravity theories if measured accurately. A small value of the free eccentricity of the inner binary e{sub i}{sup free}≈2.6×10{sup −5} and vanishing forced eccentricity of the outer, relatively eccentric binarymore » naturally result in their apsidal near-alignment. In addition, this triple system provides a unique opportunity to explore excitation of both eccentricity and inclination in neutron star-WD binaries, e.g., due to random torques caused by convective eddies in the WD progenitor. We show this process to be highly anisotropic and more effective at driving eccentricity rather than inclination. The outer binary eccentricity and e{sub i}{sup free} exceed by more than an order of magnitude the predictions of the eccentricity-period relation of Phinney, which is not uncommon. We also argue that the non-zero mutual inclination of the two binaries emerges at the end of the Roche lobe overflow of the outer (rather than the inner) binary.« less

Dynamics of binary and planetary-system interaction with disks - Eccentricity changes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Atrymowicz, Pawel

1992-01-01

Protostellar and protoplanetary systems, as well as merging galactic nuclei, often interact tidally and resonantly with the astrophysical disks via gravity. Underlying our understanding of the formation processes of stars, planets, and some galaxies is a dynamical theory of such interactions. Its main goals are to determine the geometry of the binary-disk system and, through the torque calculations, the rate of change of orbital elements of the components. We present some recent developments in this field concentrating on eccentricity driving mechanisms in protoplanetary and protobinary systems. In those two types of systems the result of the interaction is opposite. A small body embedded in a disk suffers a decrease of orbital eccentricity, whereas newly formed binary stars surrounded by protostellar disks may undergo a significant orbital evolution increasing their eccentricities.

A POSSIBLE SIGNATURE OF LENSE-THIRRING PRECESSION IN DIPPING AND ECLIPSING NEUTRON-STAR LOW-MASS X-RAY BINARIES

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Homan, Jeroen, E-mail: jeroen@space.mit.edu

2012-12-01

Relativistic Lense-Thirring precession of a tilted inner accretion disk around a compact object has been proposed as a mechanism for low-frequency ({approx}0.01-70 Hz) quasi-periodic oscillations (QPOs) in the light curves of X-ray binaries. A substantial misalignment angle ({approx}15 Degree-Sign -20 Degree-Sign ) between the inner-disk rotation axis and the compact-object spin axis is required for the effects of this precession to produce observable modulations in the X-ray light curve. A consequence of this misalignment is that in high-inclination X-ray binaries the precessing inner disk will quasi-periodically intercept our line of sight to the compact object. In the case of neutron-starmore » systems, this should have a significant observational effect, since a large fraction of the accretion energy is released on or near the neutron-star surface. In this Letter, I suggest that this specific effect of Lense-Thirring precession may already have been observed as {approx}1 Hz QPOs in several dipping/eclipsing neutron-star X-ray binaries.« less

Magnetorotational Instability in Eccentric Disks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chan, Chi-Ho; Krolik, Julian H.; Piran, Tsvi

2018-03-01

Eccentric disks arise in such astrophysical contexts as tidal disruption events, but it is unknown whether the magnetorotational instability (MRI), which powers accretion in circular disks, operates in eccentric disks as well. We examine the linear evolution of unstratified, incompressible MRI in an eccentric disk orbiting a point mass. We consider vertical modes of wavenumber k on a background flow with uniform eccentricity e and vertical Alfvén speed {v}{{A}} along an orbit with mean motion n. We find two mode families, one with dominant magnetic components, the other with dominant velocity components. The former is unstable at {(1-e)}3 {f}2≲ 3, where f\\equiv {{kv}}{{A}}/n, and the latter at e ≳ 0.8. For f 2 ≲ 3, MRI behaves much like in circular disks, but the growth per orbit declines slowly with increasing e; for f 2 ≳ 3, modes grow by parametric amplification, which is resonant for 0 < e ≪ 1. MRI growth and the attendant angular momentum and energy transport happen chiefly near pericenter, where orbital shear dominates magnetic tension.

NEPTUNE'S WILD DAYS: CONSTRAINTS FROM THE ECCENTRICITY DISTRIBUTION OF THE CLASSICAL KUIPER BELT

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dawson, Rebekah I.; Murray-Clay, Ruth, E-mail: rdawson@cfa.harvard.edu

2012-05-01

Neptune's dynamical history shaped the current orbits of Kuiper Belt objects (KBOs), leaving clues to the planet's orbital evolution. In the 'classical' region, a population of dynamically 'hot' high-inclination KBOs overlies a flat 'cold' population with distinct physical properties. Simulations of qualitatively different histories for Neptune, including smooth migration on a circular orbit or scattering by other planets to a high eccentricity, have not simultaneously produced both populations. We explore a general Kuiper Belt assembly model that forms hot classical KBOs interior to Neptune and delivers them to the classical region, where the cold population forms in situ. First, wemore » present evidence that the cold population is confined to eccentricities well below the limit dictated by long-term survival. Therefore, Neptune must deliver hot KBOs into the long-term survival region without excessively exciting the eccentricities of the cold population. Imposing this constraint, we explore the parameter space of Neptune's eccentricity and eccentricity damping, migration, and apsidal precession. We rule out much of parameter space, except where Neptune is scattered to a moderately eccentric orbit (e > 0.15) and subsequently migrates a distance {Delta}a{sub N} = 1-6 AU. Neptune's moderate eccentricity must either damp quickly or be accompanied by fast apsidal precession. We find that Neptune's high eccentricity alone does not generate a chaotic sea in the classical region. Chaos can result from Neptune's interactions with Uranus, exciting the cold KBOs and placing additional constraints. Finally, we discuss how to interpret our constraints in the context of the full, complex dynamical history of the solar system.« less

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dai, Lixin; Escala, Andres; Coppi, Paolo, E-mail: lixin.dai@yale.edu

We have carried out general relativistic particle simulations of stars tidally disrupted by massive black holes. When a star is disrupted in a bound orbit with moderate eccentricity instead of a parabolic orbit, the temporal behavior of the resulting stellar debris changes qualitatively. The debris is initially all bound, returning to pericenter in a short time about the original stellar orbital timescale. The resulting fallback rate can thus be much higher than the Eddington rate. Furthermore, if the star is disrupted close to the hole, in a regime where general relativity is important, the stellar and debris orbits display generalmore » relativistic precession. Apsidal precession can make the debris stream cross itself after several orbits, likely leading to fast debris energy dissipation. If the star is disrupted in an inclined orbit around a spinning hole, nodal precession reduces the probability of self-intersection, and circularization may take many dynamical timescales, delaying the onset of flare activity. An examination of the particle dynamics suggests that quasi-periodic flares with short durations, produced when the center of the tidal stream passes pericenter, may occur in the early-time light curve. The late-time light curve may still show power-law behavior which is generic to disk accretion processes. The detection triggers for future surveys should be extended to capture such 'non-standard' short-term flaring activity before the event enters the asymptotic decay phase, as this activity is likely to be more sensitive to physical parameters such as the black hole spin.« less

Shedding light on the eccentricity valley: Gap heating and eccentricity excitation of giant planets in protoplanetary disks

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tsang, David; Cumming, Andrew; Turner, Neal J., E-mail: dtsang@physics.mcgill.ca

2014-02-20

We show that the first order (non-co-orbital) corotation torques are significantly modified by entropy gradients in a non-barotropic protoplanetary disk. Such non-barotropic torques can dramatically alter the balance that, for barotropic cases, results in the net eccentricity damping for giant gap-clearing planets embedded in the disk. We demonstrate that stellar illumination can heat the gap enough for the planet's orbital eccentricity to instead be excited. We also discuss the 'Eccentricity Valley' noted in the known exoplanet population, where low-metallicity stars have a deficit of eccentric planets between ∼0.1 and ∼1 AU compared to metal-rich systems. We show that this featuremore » in the planet distribution may be due to the self-shadowing of the disk by a rim located at the dust sublimation radius ∼0.1 AU, which is known to exist for several T Tauri systems. In the shadowed region between ∼0.1 and ∼1 AU, lack of gap insolation allows disk interactions to damp eccentricity. Outside such shadowed regions stellar illumination can heat the planetary gaps and drive eccentricity growth for giant planets. We suggest that the self-shadowing does not arise at higher metallicity due to the increased optical depth of the gas interior to the dust sublimation radius.« less

Climatic precession is the main driver of Early Cretaceous sedimentation in the Vocontian Basin (France): Evidence from the Valanginian Orpierre succession

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boulila, Slah; Charbonnier, Guillaume; Galbrun, Bruno; Gardin, Silvia

2015-07-01

The Valanginian sediments outcropping in the Vocontian Basin (SE France) exhibit striking marl-limestone alternations, which were formed under the influence of orbital forcing and which have served for geochronological and paleoenvironmental studies. Previous studies have suggested an obliquity forcing during the Late Valanginian interval, reflecting specific environmental conditions such as polar ice. Using a cyclostratigraphic correlation of previously studied sections and performing time-series analysis on the most complete Late Valanginian interval we argue that the climatic precession cycle is the primary driver of these marl-limestone alternations. In addition, we highlight the modulation of the precession by the ~ 100 and 405 kyr eccentricity cycles. We suggest that the cyclostratigraphic misinterpretation (i.e., obliquity-forcing hypothesis) results mainly from poorly preserved 405 kyr eccentricity cycles, due to local hiatuses and/or "missed beats". This study shows the potential of cyclostratigraphic correlations for the detection and quantification of differential hiatuses and/or "missed beats" within intrabasinal sequences, hence providing constraints on cyclostratigraphic interpretations. The recorded 405 kyr eccentricity cycle is of prominent amplitude, and controlled the fourth-order sea-level sequences. These latter are faithfully detected through cyclostratigraphically inferred sedimentation rate. Finally, we show that the well-known, pronounced lithostratigraphic markers/intervals in the basin were orbitally paced by the 405 kyr eccentricity extrema. This is a good argument for the strong impact of this cyclicity on the sedimentary processes, especially during greenhouse periods.

Eccentricity Evolution of Migrating Planets

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Murray, N.; Paskowitz, M.; Holman, M.

2002-01-01

We examine the eccentricity evolution of a system of two planets locked in a mean motion resonance, in which either the outer or both planets lose energy and angular momentum. The sink of energy and angular momentum could be a gas or planetesimal disk. We analytically calculate the eccentricity damping rate in the case of a single planet migrating through a planetesimal disk. When the planetesimal disk is cold (the average eccentricity is much less than 1), the circularization time is comparable to the inward migration time, as previous calculations have found for the case of a gas disk. If the planetesimal disk is hot, the migration time can be an order of magnitude shorter. We show that the eccentricity of both planetary bodies can grow to large values, particularly if the inner body does not directly exchange energy or angular momentum with the disk. We present the results of numerical integrations of two migrating resonant planets showing rapid growth of eccentricity. We also present integrations in which a Jupiter-mass planet is forced to migrate inward through a system of 5-10 roughly Earth-mass planets. The migrating planets can eject or accrete the smaller bodies; roughly 5% of the mass (averaged over all the integrations) accretes onto the central star. The results are discussed in the context of the currently known extrasolar planetary systems.

Finding Spring on Planet X

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Simoson, Andrew J.

2007-01-01

For a given orbital period and eccentricity, we determine the maximum time lapse between the winter solstice and the spring equinox on a planet. In addition, given an axial precession path, we determine the effects on the seasons. This material can be used at various levels to illustrate ideas such as periodicity, eccentricity, polar coordinates,…

The warped disk of Centaurus A in the near-infrared

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Quillen, A. C.; Graham, James R.; Frogel, Jay A.

1993-01-01

We present infrared images of Cen A (NGC 5128) in the J, H, and K bands. The infrared morphology is primarily determined by the presence of a thin absorptive warped disk. By integrating the light of the underlying prolate galaxy through such a disk, we construct models which we compare with infrared and X-ray data. The geometry of the warped disk needed to fit the IR data is consistent with a warped disk which has evolved as a result of differential precession in a prolate potential. The disk has an inclination, with respect to the principal axis of the underlying elliptical galaxy, that is higher at larger radii than in the inner region. A scenario is proposed where a small gas-rich galaxy infalling under the force of dynamical friction is tidally stripped. Stripping occurs at different times during its infall. The orientation of the resulting gas disk depends upon the angular momentum of the infalling galaxy. We find that the resulting precession angle of the disk is well described by the precession model, but that the inclination angle may vary as a function of radius. We propose an orbit for the infalling galaxy that is consistent with the geometry of the warped disk needed to fit our infrared data, and rotation observed in the outer part of the galaxy.

Binary and Millisecond Pulsars.

PubMed

Lorimer, Duncan R

2008-01-01

We review the main properties, demographics and applications of binary and millisecond radio pulsars. Our knowledge of these exciting objects has greatly increased in recent years, mainly due to successful surveys which have brought the known pulsar population to over 1800. There are now 83 binary and millisecond pulsars associated with the disk of our Galaxy, and a further 140 pulsars in 26 of the Galactic globular clusters. Recent highlights include the discovery of the young relativistic binary system PSR J1906+0746, a rejuvination in globular cluster pulsar research including growing numbers of pulsars with masses in excess of 1.5 M ⊙ , a precise measurement of relativistic spin precession in the double pulsar system and a Galactic millisecond pulsar in an eccentric ( e = 0.44) orbit around an unevolved companion. Supplementary material is available for this article at 10.12942/lrr-2008-8.

Precession of the Disk in Pleione Study of the Halpha Line Profile

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pollmann, Ernst

2018-03-01

Medium-resolution spectroscopy of the binary system Pleione (28 Tau), obtained over the time period October 2004 (JD 2453300) to March 2018 (JD 2458185) by the ARAS Spectroscopy Group, has been used to determine the central absorption depth (CA), V/R ratio, radial velocity (RV) and equivalent width of the H emission, in order to study the disk precession as a consequence of the periastron passages of the companion. We found an exact coincidence of the CA maxima with the minima of V/R and RV as a result of the disk precession. This has never before been observed during the maximum shell phase in the years around 1980, or during the initial shell phase around August/October 1974.

Astronomical dating in the 19th century

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hilgen, Frederik J.

2010-01-01

Today astronomical tuning is widely accepted as numerical dating method after having revolutionised the age calibration of the geological archive and time scale over the last decades. However, its origin is not well known and tracing its roots is important especially from a science historic perspective. Astronomical tuning developed in consequence of the astronomical theory of the ice ages and was repeatedly used in the second half of the 19th century before the invention of radio-isotopic dating. Building upon earlier ideas of Joseph Adhémar, James Croll started to formulate his astronomical theory of the ice ages in 1864 according to which precession controlled ice ages occur alternatingly on both hemispheres at times of maximum eccentricity of the Earth's orbit. The publication of these ideas compelled Charles Lyell to revise his Principles of Geology and add Croll's theory, thus providing an alternative to his own geographical cause of the ice ages. Both Croll and Lyell initially tuned the last glacial epoch to the prominent eccentricity maximum 850,000 yr ago. This age was used as starting point by Lyell to calculate an age of 240 million years for the beginning of the Cambrium. But Croll soon revised the tuning to a much younger less prominent eccentricity maximum between 240,000 and 80,000 yr ago. In addition he tuned older glacial deposits of late Miocene and Eocene ages to eccentricity maxima around 800,000 and 2,800,000 yr ago. Archibald and James Geikie were the first to recognize interglacials during the last glacial epoch, as predicted by Croll's theory, and attempted to tune them to precession. Soon after Frank Taylor linked a series of 15 end-moraines left behind by the retreating ice sheet to precession to arrive at a possible age of 300,000 yr for the maximum glaciation. In a classic paper, Axel Blytt (1876) explained the scattered distribution of plant groups in Norway to precession induced alternating rainy and dry periods as recorded by the layering in Holocene peat bogs. He specifically linked the exceptionally wet Atlantic period to the prolonged precession minimum at 33,300 yr ago and further related basic stratigraphic alternations to precession induced climate change in general. Such a linkage was also proposed by Grove Karl Gilbert for cyclic alternations in the marine Cretaceous of North America. Extrapolating sedimentation rates, he arrived at an astronomical duration for part of the Cretaceous that was roughly as long as the final estimate of William Thomson for the age of the Earth. Assuming that orbital parameters directly affect sea level, Karl Mayer-Eymar and Blytt correlated the well known succession of Tertiary stages to precession and eccentricity, respectively. Remarkably, Blytt, like Croll before him, used very long-period cycles in eccentricity to establish and validate his tuning. Understandably these studies in the second half of the 19th century were largely deductive in nature and proved partly incorrect later. Nevertheless, this fascinating period marks a crucial phase in the development of the astronomical theory of the ice ages and climate, and in astronomical dating. It preceded the final inductive phase, which started with the recovery of deep-sea cores in 1947 and led to a spectacular revival of the astronomical theory, by a century. The first half of the 20th century can best be regarded as an intermediate phase, despite the significant progress made in both theoretical aspects and tuning.

ECCENTRICITY TRAP: TRAPPING OF RESONANTLY INTERACTING PLANETS NEAR THE DISK INNER EDGE

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ogihara, Masahiro; Ida, Shigeru; Duncan, Martin J., E-mail: ogihara@geo.titech.ac.j, E-mail: ida@geo.titech.ac.j, E-mail: duncan@astro.queensu.c

2010-10-01

Using orbital integration and analytical arguments, we have found a new mechanism (an 'eccentricity trap') to halt type I migration of planets near the inner edge of a protoplanetary disk. Because asymmetric eccentricity damping due to disk-planet interaction on the innermost planet at the disk edge plays a crucial role in the trap, this mechanism requires continuous eccentricity excitation and hence works for a resonantly interacting convoy of planets. This trap is so strong that the edge torque exerted on the innermost planet can completely halt type I migrations of many outer planets through mutual resonant perturbations. Consequently, the convoymore » stays outside the disk edge, as a whole. We have derived a semi-analytical formula for the condition for the eccentricity trap and predict how many planets are likely to be trapped. We found that several planets or more should be trapped by this mechanism in protoplanetary disks that have cavities. It can be responsible for the formation of non-resonant, multiple, close-in super-Earth systems extending beyond 0.1 AU. Such systems are being revealed by radial velocity observations to be quite common around solar-type stars.« less

Fundamental frequencies and resonances from eccentric and precessing binary black hole inspirals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lewis, Adam G. M.; Zimmerman, Aaron; Pfeiffer, Harald P.

2017-06-01

Binary black holes which are both eccentric and undergo precession remain unexplored in numerical simulations. We present simulations of such systems which cover about 50 orbits at comparatively high mass ratios 5 and 7. The configurations correspond to the generic motion of a nonspinning body in a Kerr spacetime, and are chosen to study the transition from finite mass-ratio inspirals to point particle motion in Kerr. We develop techniques to extract analogs of the three fundamental frequencies of Kerr geodesics, compare our frequencies to those of Kerr, and show that the differences are consistent with self-force corrections entering at first order in mass ratio. This analysis also locates orbital resonances where the ratios of our frequencies take rational values. At the considered mass ratios, the binaries pass through resonances in one to two resonant cycles, and we find no discernible effects on the orbital evolution. We also compute the decay of eccentricity during the inspiral and find good agreement with the leading order post-Newtonian prediction.

Secular evolution of eccentricity in protoplanetary discs with gap-opening planets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Teyssandier, Jean; Ogilvie, Gordon I.

2017-06-01

We explore the evolution of the eccentricity of an accretion disc perturbed by an embedded planet whose mass is sufficient to open a large gap in the disc. Various methods for representing the orbit-averaged motion of an eccentric disc are discussed. We characterize the linear instability that leads to the growth of eccentricity by means of hydrodynamical simulations. We numerically recover the known result that eccentricity growth in the disc is possible when the planet-to-star mass ratio exceeds 3 × 10-3. For mass ratios larger than this threshold, the precession rates and growth rates derived from simulations, as well as the shape of the eccentric mode, compare well with the predictions of a linear theory of eccentric discs. We study mechanisms by which the eccentricity growth eventually saturates into a non-linear regime.

Catalog of 174 Binary Black Hole Simulations for Gravitational Wave Astronomy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mroué, Abdul H.; Scheel, Mark A.; Szilágyi, Béla; Pfeiffer, Harald P.; Boyle, Michael; Hemberger, Daniel A.; Kidder, Lawrence E.; Lovelace, Geoffrey; Ossokine, Serguei; Taylor, Nicholas W.; Zenginoğlu, Anıl; Buchman, Luisa T.; Chu, Tony; Foley, Evan; Giesler, Matthew; Owen, Robert; Teukolsky, Saul A.

2013-12-01

This Letter presents a publicly available catalog of 174 numerical binary black hole simulations following up to 35 orbits. The catalog includes 91 precessing binaries, mass ratios up to 8∶1, orbital eccentricities from a few percent to 10-5, black hole spins up to 98% of the theoretical maximum, and radiated energies up to 11.1% of the initial mass. We establish remarkably good agreement with post-Newtonian precession of orbital and spin directions for two new precessing simulations, and we discuss other applications of this catalog. Formidable challenges remain: e.g., precession complicates the connection of numerical and approximate analytical waveforms, and vast regions of the parameter space remain unexplored.

Catalog of 174 binary black hole simulations for gravitational wave astronomy.

PubMed

Mroué, Abdul H; Scheel, Mark A; Szilágyi, Béla; Pfeiffer, Harald P; Boyle, Michael; Hemberger, Daniel A; Kidder, Lawrence E; Lovelace, Geoffrey; Ossokine, Serguei; Taylor, Nicholas W; Zenginoğlu, Anıl; Buchman, Luisa T; Chu, Tony; Foley, Evan; Giesler, Matthew; Owen, Robert; Teukolsky, Saul A

2013-12-13

This Letter presents a publicly available catalog of 174 numerical binary black hole simulations following up to 35 orbits. The catalog includes 91 precessing binaries, mass ratios up to 8∶1, orbital eccentricities from a few percent to 10(-5), black hole spins up to 98% of the theoretical maximum, and radiated energies up to 11.1% of the initial mass. We establish remarkably good agreement with post-Newtonian precession of orbital and spin directions for two new precessing simulations, and we discuss other applications of this catalog. Formidable challenges remain: e.g., precession complicates the connection of numerical and approximate analytical waveforms, and vast regions of the parameter space remain unexplored.

Apocenter Glow in Eccentric Debris Disks: Implications for Fomalhaut and Epsilon Eridani

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pan, Margaret; Nesvold, Erika R.; Kuchner, Marc J.

2016-01-01

Debris disks often take the form of eccentric rings with azimuthal asymmetries in surface brightness. Such disks are often described as showing pericenter glow, an enhancement of the disk brightness in regions nearest the central star. At long wavelengths, however, the disk apocenters should appear brighter than their pericenters: in the long-wavelength limit, we find that the apocenter pericenter flux ratio scales as 1 + e for disk eccentricity e. We produce new models of this apocenter glow to explore its causes and wavelength dependence and study its potential as a probe of dust grain properties. Based on our models, we argue that several far-infrared and (sub)millimeter images of the Fomalhaut and Epsilon Eridani debris rings obtained with Herschel, JCMT, SHARC II, ALMA, and ATCA should be reinterpreted as suggestions or examples of apocenter glow. This reinterpretation yields new constraints on the disks dust grain properties and size distributions.

Reducing orbital eccentricity of precessing black-hole binaries

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Buonanno, Alessandra; Taracchini, Andrea; Kidder, Lawrence E.

2011-05-15

Building initial conditions for generic binary black-hole evolutions which are not affected by initial spurious eccentricity remains a challenge for numerical-relativity simulations. This problem can be overcome by applying an eccentricity-removal procedure which consists of evolving the binary black hole for a couple of orbits, estimating the resulting eccentricity, and then restarting the simulation with corrected initial conditions. The presence of spins can complicate this procedure. As predicted by post-Newtonian theory, spin-spin interactions and precession prevent the binary from moving along an adiabatic sequence of spherical orbits, inducing oscillations in the radial separation and in the orbital frequency. For single-spinmore » binary black holes these oscillations are a direct consequence of monopole-quadrupole interactions. However, spin-induced oscillations occur at approximately twice the orbital frequency, and therefore can be distinguished and disentangled from the initial spurious eccentricity which occurs at approximately the orbital frequency. Taking this into account, we develop a new eccentricity-removal procedure based on the derivative of the orbital frequency and find that it is rather successful in reducing the eccentricity measured in the orbital frequency to values less than 10{sup -4} when moderate spins are present. We test this new procedure using numerical-relativity simulations of binary black holes with mass ratios 1.5 and 3, spin magnitude 0.5, and various spin orientations. The numerical simulations exhibit spin-induced oscillations in the dynamics at approximately twice the orbital frequency. Oscillations of similar frequency are also visible in the gravitational-wave phase and frequency of the dominant l=2, m=2 mode.« less

General Relativistic Effects and QPOs in X-Ray Binaries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Markovic, D.; Lamb, F. K.

We have investigated whether general relativistic effects may be responsible for some of the quasi-periodic X-ray brightness oscillations (QPOs) observed in low-mass binary systems containing accreting neutron stars and black hole candidates. In particular, we have computed the motions of accreting gas in the strong gravitational fields near such objects and have explored possible mechanisms for producing X-ray flux oscillations. We have discovered a family of weakly damped global gravitomagnetic (Lense-Thirring) warping modes of the inner (viscous) accretion disk that have precession frequencies ranging up to the single-particle gravitomagnetic precession frequency at the inner edge of the disk, which is about 30 Hz if the disk extends inward to the innermost stable circular orbit around a compact object of solar mass with dimensionless angular momentum cJ/GM2 ~ 0.2. Precession of regions of enhanced viscous dissipation or modulation of the accretion flow by the precession may produce observable periodic variation of the X-ray flux. Detectable effects might also be produced if the gas in the inner disk breaks up into a collection of distinct clumps. We have analyzed the dynamics of such clumps as well as the conditions required for their formation and survival on time scales long enough to produce QPOs with the coherence observed in low-mass X-ray binaries.

General Relativistic Effects and QPOs in X-Ray Binaries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Markovic, D.; Lamb, F.

1999-05-01

We have investigated whether general relativistic effects may be responsible for some of the quasi-periodic X-ray brightness oscillations (QPOs) with frequencies 20--300 Hz observed in low-mass binary systems containing accreting neutron stars and black hole candidates. In particular, we have computed the motions of accreting gas in the strong gravitational fields near such objects and have explored possible mechanisms for producing X-ray flux oscillations. We have discovered a family of global gravitomagnetic (Lense-Thirring) warping modes of the inner accretion disk that have precession frequencies ranging up to the single-particle gravitomagnetic precession frequency at the inner edge of the disk, which is 30 Hz if the disk extends inward to the innermost stable circular orbit around a compact object of solar mass with dimensionless angular momentum cJ/GM2 0.2. The highest-frequency warping modes are very localized spiral corrugations of the inner disk and are weakly damped, with Q values 2--50. Precession of regions of enhanced viscous dissipation or modulation of the accretion flow by the precession may produce observable periodic variation of the X-ray flux. Detectable effects might also be produced if the gas in the inner disk breaks up into a collection of distinct clumps. We have analyzed the dynamics of such clumps as well as the conditions required for their formation and survival on time scales long enough to produce oscillations with the coherence observed in X-ray binaries.

The Role of Orbital Forcing in the Early-Middle Pleistocene Transition: Continuing the Precession Verses Obliquity Debate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maslin, M. A.; Brierley, C. M.

2015-12-01

The Early-Middle Pleistocene Transition (EMPT) is the term used to describe the prolongation and intensification of glacial-interglacial climate cycles that initiated after 900,000 years ago. During the transition glacial-interglacial cycles shift from lasting 41,000 years to an average of 100,000 years. The structure of these glacial-interglacial cycles shifts from smooth to more abrupt 'saw-toothed' like transitions. In fact we argue there is shift from a bimodal climate to a tripartite climate system (see Figure). Despite eccentricity having by far the weakest influence on insolation received at the Earth's surface of any of the orbital parameters; it is often assumed to be the primary driver of the post-EMPT 100,000 years climate cycles because of the similarity in duration. The traditional solution to this is to call for a highly nonlinear response by the global climate system to eccentricity. This 'eccentricity myth' is due to an artefact of spectral analysis which means that the last 8 glacial-interglacial average out at about 100,000 years in length despite ranging from 80,000 to 120,000 years. With the realisation that eccentricity is not the major driving force a debate has emerged as to whether precession or obliquity controlled the timing of the most recent glacial-interglacial cycles. Some argue that post-EMPT deglaciations occurred every four or five precessional cycle while others argue it is every second or third obliquity cycle. We review these current theories and suggest that though phase-locking between orbital forcing and global ice volume may occur and seem to primarily driven by the timing of precession; the chaotic nature of the climate system response means the relationship is not consistent through the last 900,000 years.

Confusing Binaries: The Role of Stellar Binaries in Biasing Disk Properties in the Galactic Center

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Naoz, Smadar; Ghez, Andrea M.; Hees, Aurelien; Do, Tuan; Witzel, Gunther; Lu, Jessica R.

2018-02-01

The population of young stars near the supermassive black hole (SMBH) in the Galactic Center (GC) has presented an unexpected challenge to theories of star formation. Kinematic measurements of these stars have revealed a stellar disk structure (with an apparent 20% disk membership) that has provided important clues regarding the origin of these mysterious young stars. However, many of the apparent disk properties are difficult to explain, including the low disk membership fraction and the high eccentricities given the youth of this population. Thus far, all efforts to derive the properties of this disk have made the simplifying assumption that stars at the GC are single stars. Nevertheless, stellar binaries are prevalent in our Galaxy, and recent investigations suggested that they may also be abundant in the Galactic Center. Here, we show that binaries in the disk can largely alter the apparent orbital properties of the disk. The motion of binary members around each other adds a velocity component, which can be comparable to the magnitude of the velocity around the SMBH in the GC. Thus, neglecting the contribution of binaries can significantly vary the inferred stars’ orbital properties. While the disk orientation is unaffected, the apparent disk’s 2D width will be increased to about 11.°2, similar to the observed width. For a population of stars orbiting the SMBH with zero eccentricity, unaccounted for binaries will create a wide apparent eccentricity distribution with an average of 0.23. This is consistent with the observed average eccentricity of the stars’ in the disk. We suggest that this high eccentricity value, which poses a theoretical challenge, may be an artifact of binary stars. Finally, our results suggest that the actual disk membership might be significantly higher than the one inferred by observations that ignore the contribution of binaries, alleviating another theoretical challenge.

Automatic adjustment of astrochronologic correlations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zeeden, Christian; Kaboth, Stefanie; Hilgen, Frederik; Laskar, Jacques

2017-04-01

Here we present an algorithm for the automated adjustment and optimisation of correlations between proxy data and an orbital tuning target (or similar datasets as e.g. ice models) for the R environment (R Development Core Team 2008), building on the 'astrochron' package (Meyers et al.2014). The basis of this approach is an initial tuning on orbital (precession, obliquity, eccentricity) scale. We use filters of orbital frequency ranges related to e.g. precession, obliquity or eccentricity of data and compare these filters to an ensemble of target data, which may consist of e.g. different combinations of obliquity and precession, different phases of precession and obliquity, a mix of orbital and other data (e.g. ice models), or different orbital solutions. This approach allows for the identification of an ideal mix of precession and obliquity to be used as tuning target. In addition, the uncertainty related to different tuning tie points (and also precession- and obliquity contributions of the tuning target) can easily be assessed. Our message is to suggest an initial tuning and then obtain a reproducible tuned time scale, avoiding arbitrary chosen tie points and replacing these by automatically chosen ones, representing filter maxima (or minima). We present and discuss the above outlined approach and apply it to artificial and geological data. Artificial data are assessed to find optimal filter settings; real datasets are used to demonstrate the possibilities of such an approach. References: Meyers, S.R. (2014). Astrochron: An R Package for Astrochronology. http://cran.r-project.org/package=astrochron R Development Core Team (2008). R: A language and environment for statistical computing. R Foundation for Statistical Computing, Vienna, Austria. ISBN 3-900051-07-0, URL http://www.R-project.org.

Tilted Thick-Disk Accretion onto a Kerr Black Hole

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Fragile, P C; Anninos, P

2003-12-12

We present the first results from fully general relativistic numerical studies of thick-disk accretion onto a rapidly-rotating (Kerr) black hole with a spin axis that is tilted (not aligned) with the angular momentum vector of the disk. We initialize the problem with the solution for an aligned, constant angular momentum, accreting thick disk around a black hole with spin a/M = J/M{sup 2} = +0.9 (prograde disk). The black hole is then instantaneously tilted, through a change in the metric, by an angle {beta}{sub 0}. In this Letter we report results with {beta}{sub 0} = 0, 15, and 30{sup o}.more » The disk is allowed to respond to the Lense-Thirring precession of the tilted black hole. We find that the disk settles into a quasi-static, twisted, warped configuration with Lense-Thirring precession dominating out to a radius analogous to the Bardeen-Petterson transition in tilted Keplerian disks.« less

Bi-directional planar slide mechanism

DOEpatents

Bieg, Lothar F.

2003-11-04

A bi-directional slide mechanism. A pair of master and slave disks engages opposite sides of the platform. Rotational drivers are connected to master disks so the disks rotate eccentrically about their respective axes of rotation. Opposing slave disks are connected to master disks on opposite sides of the platform by a circuitous mechanical linkage, or are electronically synchronized together using stepper motors, to effect coordinated motion. The synchronized eccentric motion of the pairs of master/slave disks compels smooth linear motion of the platform forwards and backwards without backlash. The apparatus can be incorporated in a MEMS device.

Planetary Systems Dynamics Eccentric patterns in debris disks & Planetary migration in binary systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Faramaz, V.; Beust, H.; Augereau, J.-C.; Bonsor, A.; Thébault, P.; Wu, Y.; Marshall, J. P.; del Burgo, C.; Ertel, S.; Eiroa, C.; Montesinos, B.; Mora, A.

2014-01-01

We present some highlights of two ongoing investigations that deal with the dynamics of planetary systems. Firstly, until recently, observed eccentric patterns in debris disks were found in young systems. However recent observations of Gyr-old eccentric debris disks leads to question the survival timescale of this type of asymmetry. One such disk was recently observed in the far-IR by the Herschel Space Observatory around ζ2 Reticuli. Secondly, as a binary companion orbits a circumprimary disk, it creates regions where planet formation is strongly handicapped. However, some planets were detected in this zone in tight binary systems (γ Cep, HD 196885). We aim to determine whether a binary companion can affect migration such that planets are brought in these regions and focus in particular on the planetesimal-driven migration mechanism.

Eccentricities and inclinations of multiplanet systems with external perturbers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pu, Bonan; Lai, Dong

2018-07-01

Compact multiplanet systems containing super-Earths or sub-Neptunes, commonly found around solar-type stars, may be surrounded by external giant planet or stellar companions, which can shape the architecture and observability of the inner systems. We present a comprehensive study on the evolution of the inner planetary system subject to the gravitational influence of an eccentric, misaligned outer perturber. Analytic results are derived for the inner planet eccentricities (ei) and mutual inclination (θ12) of the `two-planet + perturber' system, calibrated with numerical secular and N-body integrations, as a function of the perturber mass mp, semimajor axis ap, and inclination angle θp. We find that the dynamics of the inner system is determined by the dimensionless parameter ɛ12, given by the ratio between the differential precession rate driven by the perturber and the mutual precession rate of the inner planets. Loosely packed systems (corresponding to ɛ12 ≫ 1) are more susceptible to eccentricity/inclination excitations by the perturber than tightly packed inner systems (with ɛ12 ≪ 1) (or singletons), although resonance may occur around ɛ12 ˜ 1, leading to large ei and θ12. Dynamical instability may set in for inner planet systems with large excited eccentricities and mutual inclinations. We present a formalism to extend our analytical results to general inner systems with N > 2 planets and apply our results to constrain possible external companions to the Kepler-11 system. Eccentricity and inclination excitation by external companions may help explain the observational trend that systems with fewer transiting planets are dynamically hotter than those with more transiting planets.

Eccentricities and Inclinations of Multi-Planet Systems with External Perturbers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pu, Bonan; Lai, Dong

2018-05-01

Compact multi-planet systems containing super-Earths or sub-Neptunes, commonly found around solar-type stars, may be surrounded by external giant planet or stellar companions, which can shape the architechture and observability of the inner systems. We present a comprehensive study on the evolution of the inner planetary system subject to the gravitational influence of an eccentric, misaligned outer perturber. Analytic results are derived for the inner planet eccentricities (ei) and mutual inclination (θ12) of the "2-planet + perturber" system, calibrated with numerical secular and N-body integrations, as a function of the perturber mass mp, semi-major axis ap and inclination angle θp. We find that the dynamics of the inner system is determined by the dimensionless parameter ɛ12, given by the ratio between the differential precession rate driven by the perturber and the mutual precession rate of the inner planets. Loosely packed systems (corresponding to ɛ12 ≫ 1) are more susceptible to eccentricity/inclination excitations by the perturber than tightly packed inner systems (with ɛ12 ≪ 1) (or singletons), although resonance may occur around ɛ12 ˜ 1, leading to large ei and θ12. Dynamical instability may set in for inner planet systems with large excited eccentricities and mutual inclinations. We present a formalism to extend our analytical results to general inner systems with N > 2 planets and apply our results to constrain possible external companions to the Kepler-11 system. Eccentricity and inclination excitation by external companions may help explain the observational trend that systems with fewer transiting planets are dynamically hotter than those with more transiting planets.

Frequency variations of the earth's obliquity and the 100-kyr ice-age cycles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Liu, Han-Shou

1992-01-01

Changes in the earth's climate are induced by variations in the earth's orbital parameters which modulate the seasonal distribution of solar radiation. Periodicities in the geological climate record with cycles of 100, 41, and 23 kyr have been linked with changes in obliquity, eccentricity, and precession of the equinoxes. The effect of variations of eccentricity during a 100 kyr period is weak relative to the signals from obliquity and precession variations and it may therefore be expected that the 100 kyr signal in the climate record would be of low intensity. However, this signal dominates the climate record and internal nonlinear processes within the climate system have previously been proposed to account for this fact. The author shows that variations in the frequency of the obliquity cycle can give rise to strong 100-kyr forcing of climate.

X-Ray Quasi-periodic Oscillations in the Lense–Thirring Precession Model. I. Variability of Relativistic Continuum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

You, Bei; Bursa, Michal; Życki, Piotr T.

2018-05-01

We develop a Monte Carlo code to compute the Compton-scattered X-ray flux arising from a hot inner flow that undergoes Lense–Thirring precession. The hot flow intercepts seed photons from an outer truncated thin disk. A fraction of the Comptonized photons will illuminate the disk, and the reflected/reprocessed photons will contribute to the observed spectrum. The total spectrum, including disk thermal emission, hot flow Comptonization, and disk reflection, is modeled within the framework of general relativity, taking light bending and gravitational redshift into account. The simulations are performed in the context of the Lense–Thirring precession model for the low-frequency quasi-periodic oscillations, so the inner flow is assumed to precess, leading to periodic modulation of the emitted radiation. In this work, we concentrate on the energy-dependent X-ray variability of the model and, in particular, on the evolution of the variability during the spectral transition from hard to soft state, which is implemented by the decrease of the truncation radius of the outer disk toward the innermost stable circular orbit. In the hard state, where the Comptonizing flow is geometrically thick, the Comptonization is weakly variable with a fractional variability amplitude of ≤10% in the soft state, where the Comptonizing flow is cooled down and thus becomes geometrically thin, the fractional variability of the Comptonization is highly variable, increasing with photon energy. The fractional variability of the reflection increases with energy, and the reflection emission for low spin is counterintuitively more variable than the one for high spin.

Noncircular features in Saturn's rings III: The Cassini Division

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

French, Richard G.; Nicholson, Philip D.; McGhee-French, Colleen A.; Lonergan, Katherine; Sepersky, Talia; Hedman, Mathew M.; Marouf, Essam A.; Colwell, Joshua E.

2016-08-01

We have conducted a comprehensive survey of 22 sharp-edged ringlets and gaps in the Cassini Division of Saturn's rings, making use of nearly 200 high-SNR stellar and radio occultation chords obtained by the Cassini VIMS, UVIS, and RSS instruments between 2005 and 2013. We measure eccentricities from as small as ae = 80 m to nearly 30 km, free normal modes with amplitudes from ∼ 0.1 to 4.1 km, and detectable inclinations as small as asini = 0.2 km. Throughout the entire region, the Mimas 2.1 ILR (inner Lindblad resonance) produces systematic forced m = 2 distortions that quantitatively match the expected amplitudes, phases, and pattern speed. The narrow Russell, Jeffreys, Kuiper, Bessel, and Barnard gaps are simplest, and do not contain dense ringlets. Their outer edges are generally quite sharp and four of them are circular to within ∼0.25 km, whereas most of the inner gap edges have significant eccentricities. Three gaps are more complex, containing one or more isolated ringlets. First among these is the 361 km-wide Huygens gap, containing two ringlets. The wider Huygens ringlet has nearly identical eccentricities on the two edges, in addition to OLR-type (outer Lindblad resonance) normal modes on the inner edge and ILR-type modes on the outer edge. A secondary m = 1 (eccentric) mode is present on the outer edge of the ringlet, with a pattern speed similar to that of the B ring's outer edge. Variations in the ringlet's width are complex, but are statistically consistent with the expected magnitudes resulting from the random superposition of the multiple normal modes on the two edges. Also present in the Huygens gap is the very narrow so-called Strange ringlet, with a substantial eccentricity and inclination, as well as both ILR- and OLR-type normal modes. The 100 km-wide Herschel gap's inner edge is highly eccentric, with at least seven ILR-type normal modes. The outer gap edge is also eccentric, and hosts four OLR-type normal modes, and a secondary m = 1 mode with a pattern speed quite close to that of the B ring's outer edge. The Herschel ringlet itself is eccentric and inclined, but neither the pericenters nor the nodes are well-aligned. The third of the complex gaps is the 241 km-wide Laplace gap, containing the Laplace ringlet. Both gap edges are eccentric, with very similar pericenter longitudes and apsidal precession rates, in spite of their large radial separation. The Laplace ringlet has eccentric edges and an abundance of normal modes. Like the Herschel ringlet, the Laplace ringlet does not precess rigidly and does not conform to the usual dynamical picture of an eccentric ringlet. Normal modes are abundant in the Cassini Division. Consistently, we find free ILR-type normal modes (m > 0) at the outer edges of ringlets and the inner edges of gaps, and free OLR-type normal modes (m ≤ 0) at inner ringlet edges and outer edges of gaps, as expected from the resonant cavity model of normal modes. We estimate the surface density of ring features from the resonance locations of the normal modes. The Cassini Division exhibits apsidal precession rates that are anomalously large, compared to the predicted values based on Saturn's zonal gravity field. The overall radial trend matches the secular contribution expected from the nearby B ring, assuming a surface mass density of Σ = 100 gm cm-2. However, the outer edges of the Huygens and Laplace gaps, and the outer edge of the Laplace ringlet, have conspicuously large residuals, exceeding their predicted precession rates by more than 0 .03∘d-1 . These patterns are probably the result of forcing by nearby ring material, but at present we cannot account for them in detail.

The astronomical rhythm of Late-Devonian climate change (Kowala section, Holy Cross Mountains, Poland)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

De Vleeschouwer, David; Rakociński, Michał; Racki, Grzegorz; Bond, David P. G.; Sobień, Katarzyna; Claeys, Philippe

2013-03-01

Rhythmical alternations between limestone and shales or marls characterize the famous Kowala section, Holy Cross Mountains, Poland. Two intervals of this section were studied for evidence of orbital cyclostratigraphy. The oldest interval spans the Frasnian-Famennian boundary, deposited under one of the hottest greenhouse climates of the Phanerozoic. The youngest interval encompasses the Devonian-Carboniferous (D-C) boundary, a pivotal moment in Earth's climatic history that saw a transition from greenhouse to icehouse. For the Frasnian-Famennian sequence, lithological variations are consistent with 405-kyr and 100-kyr eccentricity forcing and a cyclostratigraphic floating time-scale is presented. The interpretation of observed lithological rhythms as eccentricity cycles is confirmed by amplitude modulation patterns in agreement with astronomical theory and by the recognition of precession cycles in high-resolution stable isotope records. The resulting relative time-scale suggests that ˜800 kyr separate the Lower and Upper Kellwasser Events (LKE and UKE, respectively), two periods of anoxia that culminated in massive biodiversity loss at the end of the Frasnian. Th/U and pyrite framboid analyses indicate that during the UKE, oxygen levels remained low for 400 kyr and δ13Corg measurements demonstrate that more than 600 kyr elapsed before the carbon cycle reached a steady state after a +3‰ UKE excursion. The Famennian-Tournaisian (D-C) interval also reveals eccentricity and precession-related lithological variations. Precession-related alternations clearly demonstrate grouping into 100-kyr bundles. The Famennian part of this interval is characterized by several distinctive anoxic black shales, including the Annulata, Dasberg and Hangenberg shales. Our high-resolution cyclostratigraphic framework indicates that those shales were deposited at 2.2 and 2.4 Myr intervals respectively. These durations strongly suggest a link between the long-period (˜2.4 Myr) eccentricity cycle and the development of the Annulata, Dasberg and Hangenberg anoxic shales. It is assumed that these black shales form under transgressive conditions, when extremely high eccentricity promoted the collapse of small continental ice-sheets at the most austral latitudes of western Gondwana.

Pluto and Charon: A Case of Precession-Orbit Resonance?

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rubincam, David Parry; Smith, David E. (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

Pluto may be the only known case of precession-orbit resonance in the solar system. The Pluto-Charon system orbits the Sun with a period of 1 Plutonian year, which is 250.8 Earth years. The observed parameters of the system are such that Charon may cause Pluto to precess with a period near 250.8 Earth years. This gives rise to two possible resonances, heretofore unrecognized. The first is due to Pluto's orbit being highly eccentric, giving solar torques on Charon with a period of 1 Plutonian year. Charon in turn drives Pluto near its precession period. Volatiles, which are expected to shuttle across Pluto's surface between equator and pole as Pluto's obliquity oscillates, might change the planet's dynamical flattening enough so that Pluto crosses the nearby resonance, forcing the planet's equatorial plane to depart from Charon's orbital plane. The mutual tilt can reach as much as 2 deg after integrating over 5.6 x 10(exp 6) years, depending upon how close Pluto is to the resonance and the supply of volatiles. The second resonance is due to the Sun's traveling above and below Charon's orbital plane; it has a period half that of the eccentricity resonance. Reaching this half-Plutonian year resonance requires a much larger but still theoretically possible amount of volatiles. In this case the departure of Charon from an equatorial orbit is about 1 deg after integrating for 5.6 x 10(exp 6) years. The calculations ignore libration and tidal friction. It is not presently known how large the mutual tilt can grow over the age of the solar system, but if it remains only a few degrees, then observing such small angles from a Pluto flyby mission would be difficult. It is not clear why the parameters of the Pluto-Charon system are so close to the eccentricity resonance.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Yagi, Kent; Tanaka, Takahiro; Yukawa Institute for Theoretical Physics, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8502

We calculate how strongly one can put constraints on alternative theories of gravity such as Brans-Dicke and massive graviton theories with LISA. We consider inspiral gravitational waves from a compact binary composed of a neutron star and an intermediate mass black hole in Brans-Dicke (BD) theory and that composed of a super massive black hole in massive graviton theories. We use the restricted second post-Newtonian waveforms including the effects of spins. We also take both precession and eccentricity of the orbit into account. For simplicity, we set the fiducial value for the spin of one of the binary constituents tomore » zero so that we can apply the approximation called simple precession. We perform the Monte Carlo simulations of 10{sup 4} binaries, estimating the determination accuracy of binary parameters including the BD parameter {omega}{sub BD} and the Compton wavelength of graviton {lambda}{sub g} for each binary using the Fisher matrix method. We find that including both the spin-spin coupling {sigma} and the eccentricity e into the binary parameters reduces the determination accuracy by an order of magnitude for the Brans-Dicke case, while it has less influence on massive graviton theories. On the other hand, including precession enhances the constraint on {omega}{sub BD} only 20% but it increases the constraint on {lambda}{sub g} by several factors. Using a (1.4+1000)M{sub {center_dot}}neutron star/black hole binary of SNR={radical}(200), one can put a constraint {omega}{sub BD}>6944, while using a (10{sup 7}+10{sup 6})M{sub {center_dot}}black hole/black hole binary at 3 Gpc, one can put {lambda}{sub g}>3.10x10{sup 21} cm, on average. The latter is 4 orders of magnitude stronger than the one obtained from the solar system experiment. These results are consistent with previous results within uncontrolled errors and indicate that the effects of precession and eccentricity must be taken carefully in the parameter estimation analysis.« less

ECCENTRIC JUPITERS VIA DISK–PLANET INTERACTIONS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Duffell, Paul C.; Chiang, Eugene, E-mail: duffell@berkeley.edu, E-mail: echiang@astro.berkeley.edu

2015-10-20

Numerical hydrodynamics calculations are performed to determine the conditions under which giant planet eccentricities can be excited by parent gas disks. Unlike in other studies, Jupiter-mass planets are found to have their eccentricities amplified—provided their orbits start off as eccentric. We disentangle the web of co-rotation, co-orbital, and external resonances to show that this finite-amplitude instability is consistent with that predicted analytically. Ellipticities can grow until they reach of order of the disk's aspect ratio, beyond which the external Lindblad resonances that excite eccentricity are weakened by the planet's increasingly supersonic epicyclic motion. Forcing the planet to still larger eccentricitiesmore » causes catastrophic eccentricity damping as the planet collides into gap walls. For standard parameters, the range of eccentricities for instability is modest; the threshold eccentricity for growth (∼0.04) is not much smaller than the final eccentricity to which orbits grow (∼0.07). If this threshold eccentricity can be lowered (perhaps by non-barotropic effects), and if the eccentricity driving documented here survives in 3D, it may robustly explain the low-to-moderate eccentricities ≲0.1 exhibited by many giant planets (including Jupiter and Saturn), especially those without planetary or stellar companions.« less

Multi-axis planar slide system

DOEpatents

Bieg, Lothar F.

2002-01-01

An apparatus for positioning an item that provides two-dimensional, independent orthogonal motion of a platform in a X-Y plane. A pair of master and slave disks engages opposite sides of the platform. Rotational drivers are connected to master disks so the disks rotate eccentrically about axes of rotation. Opposing slave disks are connected to master disks on opposite sides of the platform by a timing belt, or are electronically synchronized together using stepper motors, to effect coordinated motion. The coordinated eccentric motion of the pairs of master/slave disks compels smooth linear motion of the platform in the X-Y plane without backlash. The apparatus can be a planar mechanism implemented in a MEMS device.

On The Detachment of Massive Trans-Neptunian Objects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fleisig, Jacob; Madigan, Ann-Marie; Zderic, Alexander

2018-06-01

Our Solar System contains a large population of icy bodies stretching well beyond the orbit of Neptune. These objects, known collectively as the Scattered Disk, are remnants from the early formation of the Solar System that were scattered outward from their birth location by Neptune. But not all fit the bill.Sedna, one particularly massive Trans-Neptunian Object (TNO), does not conform to the scattering pattern. Its orbital eccentricity (e) is much lower than expected for a scattered object. This means its perihelion distance (proportional to 1-e) is much larger than the orbit of Neptune, or that it is “detached” from the main Solar System. Many more TNOs share similarities with Sedna. These observations suggest that there is a large population of detached TNOs that have a dynamical history different than that of the objects scattered by Neptune.The physical mechanism by which these massive minor planets become detached is currently unknown. However, we have discovered a phenomenon, driven by differential precession between TNOs of different masses and mutual secular gravitational torques, that naturally detach massive minor planets. This mechanism could have notable consequences for the outer Solar System and may shed some light on the origin of the detached population of minor planets near the Scattered Disk.

The disruption of multiplanet systems through resonance with a binary orbit.

PubMed

Touma, Jihad R; Sridhar, S

2015-08-27

Most exoplanetary systems in binary stars are of S-type, and consist of one or more planets orbiting a primary star with a wide binary stellar companion. Planetary eccentricities and mutual inclinations can be large, perhaps forced gravitationally by the binary companion. Earlier work on single planet systems appealed to the Kozai-Lidov instability wherein a sufficiently inclined binary orbit excites large-amplitude oscillations in the planet's eccentricity and inclination. The instability, however, can be quenched by many agents that induce fast orbital precession, including mutual gravitational forces in a multiplanet system. Here we report that orbital precession, which inhibits Kozai-Lidov cycling in a multiplanet system, can become fast enough to resonate with the orbital motion of a distant binary companion. Resonant binary forcing results in dramatic outcomes ranging from the excitation of large planetary eccentricities and mutual inclinations to total disruption. Processes such as planetary migration can bring an initially non-resonant system into resonance. As it does not require special physical or initial conditions, binary resonant driving is generic and may have altered the architecture of many multiplanet systems. It can also weaken the multiplanet occurrence rate in wide binaries, and affect planet formation in close binaries.

Milankovitch Modulated Eocene Growth Strata From the Jaca Piggyback Basin, Spanish Pyrenees

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anastasio, D. J.; Hinnov, L. A.; Newton, M. L.; Kodama, K. P.

2005-12-01

New stratigraphic and rock magnetic data from the southern margin of the Jaca basin, Spanish Pyrenees, shows evidence of Eocene sedimentary cycles modulated by the climatic effects of Milankovitch orbital forcing. Tectonic processes simultaneously controlled larger-scale stratigraphic sequences and overall wedge-top basin development. Within the context of existing magnetostratigraphy, we described 1 km of marine basinal and prodeltaic rocks near Pico del Aguila, a large-scale synsedimentary fold, and collected samples every ~4krs for ~4myrs for lithologic and rock magnetic analysis. In magnetochrons C17r, C18n.1n, and C18n.1r (1.27myrs) anhysteretic remanent magnetization (ARM) variations occur with strong hierarchical bundling patterns suggestive of precession-scale cycles grouped into 100 kyr eccentricity cycles, and "super bundled" into 400 kyr eccentricity cycles. This pattern was exploited to construct an "eccentricity time scale" for the series producing a minimally tuned time series that is 1.3 myrs in duration; comparing well with the magnetochron calibration. Spectral analysis of this ARM time series shows that the 100-kyr tuning has aligned power into all of the principal orbital frequency bands: long eccentricity (1/(400 kyrs)), obliquity (1/(40.4 kyrs)), long precession (1/(24.4 kyrs)), and short precession (1/(20 kyrs)). Lithologic data, including bed thickness and grain size also shows high frequency periodicity we attribute to precessional forcing. ARM variations may result from climate modulated carbonate production or more likely, variable detrital inputs such as atmospheric dust (varying wind intensity or aridity) or watershed erosion (runoff variation) rather than diagenetic sources. The Milankovitch based chronology within the growth stratigraphy was then used to calculate deformation rates. Tilt rates of 9 degrees / myr for folding are comparable to other studies in which deformation was averaged over more time. We show that Milankovitch rhythms in growth strata can be used to develop novel high resolution, long-term deformation histories.

Quantifying the Mediterranean freshwater budget throughout the late Miocene: New implications for sapropel formation and the Messinian Salinity Crisis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Simon, Dirk; Marzocchi, Alice; Flecker, Rachel; Lunt, Daniel J.; Hilgen, Frits J.; Meijer, Paul Th.

2017-08-01

The cyclic sedimentary record of the late Miocene Mediterranean shows a clear transition from open marine to restricted conditions and finally to evaporitic environments associated with the Messinian Salinity Crisis. This evolution has been attributed to changes in Mediterranean-Atlantic connectivity and regional climate, which has a strong precessional pulse. 31 Coupled climate simulations with different orbital configurations have been combined in a regression model that estimates the evolution of the freshwater budget of the Mediterranean throughout the late Miocene. The study suggests that wetter conditions occur at precession minima and are enhanced at eccentricity maxima. We use the wetter peaks to predict synthetic sapropel records. Using these to retune two Mediterranean sediment successions indicates that the overall net freshwater budget is the most likely mechanism driving sapropel formation in the late Miocene. Our sapropel timing is offset from precession minima and boreal summer insolation maxima during low eccentricity if the present-day drainage configuration across North Africa is used. This phase offset is removed if at least 50% more water drained into the Mediterranean during the late Miocene, capturing additional North African monsoon precipitation, for example via the Chad-Eosahabi catchment in Libya. In contrast with the clear expression of precession and eccentricity in the model results, obliquity, which is visible in the sapropel record during minimum eccentricity, does not have a strong signal in our model. By exploring the freshwater evolution curve in a box model that also includes Mediterranean-Atlantic exchange, we are able, for the first time, to estimate the Mediterranean's salinity evolution, which is quantitatively consistent with precessional control. Additionally, we separate and quantify the distinct contributions regional climate and tectonic restriction make to the lithological changes associated with the Messinian Salinity Crisis. The novel methodology and results of this study have numerous potential applications to other regions and geological scenarios, as well as to astronomical tuning.

Effects of Accretion Disks on Spins and Eccentricities of Binaries, and Implications for Gravitational Waves

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Baker, John

2012-01-01

Effects of accretion disks on spins and eccentricities of binaries, and implications for gravitational waves. John Baker Space-based gravitational wave observations will allow exquisitely precise measurements of massive black hole binary properties. Through several recently suggested processes, these properties may depend on interactions with accretion disks through the merger process. I will discuss ways that accretion may influence those binary properties which may be probed by gravitational-wave observations.

THE KOZAI–LIDOV MECHANISM IN HYDRODYNAMICAL DISKS. II. EFFECTS OF BINARY AND DISK PARAMETERS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Fu, Wen; Lubow, Stephen H.; Martin, Rebecca G., E-mail: wf5@rice.edu

2015-07-01

Martin et al. showed that a substantially misaligned accretion disk around one component of a binary system can undergo global damped Kozai–Lidov (KL) oscillations. During these oscillations, the inclination and eccentricity of the disk are periodically exchanged. However, the robustness of this mechanism and its dependence on the system parameters were unexplored. In this paper, we use three-dimensional hydrodynamical simulations to analyze how various binary and disk parameters affect the KL mechanism in hydrodynamical disks. The simulations include the effect of gas pressure and viscosity, but ignore the effects of disk self-gravity. We describe results for different numerical resolutions, binarymore » mass ratios and orbital eccentricities, initial disk sizes, initial disk surface density profiles, disk sound speeds, and disk viscosities. We show that the KL mechanism can operate for a wide range of binary-disk parameters. We discuss the applications of our results to astrophysical disks in various accreting systems.« less

The Kozai-Lidov mechanism in hydrodynamical disks. II. Effects of binary and disk parameters

DOE PAGES

Fu, Wen; Lubow, Stephen H.; Martin, Rebecca G.

2015-07-01

Martin et al. (2014b) showed that a substantially misaligned accretion disk around one component of a binary system can undergo global damped Kozai–Lidov (KL) oscillations. During these oscillations, the inclination and eccentricity of the disk are periodically exchanged. However, the robustness of this mechanism and its dependence on the system parameters were unexplored. In this paper, we use three-dimensional hydrodynamical simulations to analyze how various binary and disk parameters affect the KL mechanism in hydrodynamical disks. The simulations include the effect of gas pressure and viscosity, but ignore the effects of disk self-gravity. We describe results for different numerical resolutions,more » binary mass ratios and orbital eccentricities, initial disk sizes, initial disk surface density profiles, disk sound speeds, and disk viscosities. We show that the KL mechanism can operate for a wide range of binary-disk parameters. We discuss the applications of our results to astrophysical disks in various accreting systems.« less

Circumstellar and circumplanetary disks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chiang, Eugene

2000-11-01

This thesis studies disks in three astrophysical contexts: (1)protoplanetary disks; (2)the Edgeworth-Kuiper Belt; and (3)planetary rings. We derive hydrostatic, radiative equilibrium models of passive protoplanetary disks surrounding T Tauri and Herbig Ae/Be stars. Each disk is encased by an optically thin layer of superheated dust grains. This layer is responsible for up to ~70% of the disk luminosity at wavelengths between ~5 and 60 μm. The heated disk flares and absorbs more stellar radiation at a given stellocentric distance than a flat disk would. Spectral energy distributions are computed and found to compare favorably with the observed flattish infrared excesses of several young stellar objects. Spectral features from dust grains in the superheated layer appear in emission if the disk is viewed nearly face-on. We present the results of a pencil-beam survey of the Kuiper Belt using the Keck 10-m telescope. Two new objects are discovered. Data from all surveys are pooled to construct the luminosity function from mR = 20 to 27. The cumulative number of objects per square degree, Σ(< mR), is such that log10Σ (< mR) = 0.52(mR - 23.5). The luminosity function is consistent with a power-law size distribution for which the smallest objects possess most of the surface area but the largest bodies contain most of the mass. To order-of-magnitude, 0.2 M⊕ and 1 × 1010 comet progenitors lie between 30 and 50 AU. The classical Kuiper Belt appears truncated at a distance of 50 AU. We propose that rigid precession of narrow eccentric planetary rings surrounding Uranus and Saturn is maintained by a balance of forces due to ring self- gravity, planetary oblateness, and interparticle collisions. Collisional impulses play an especially dramatic role near ring edges. Pressure-induced accelerations are maximal near edges because there (1)velocity dispersions are enhanced by resonant satellite perturbations, and (2)the surface density declines steeply. Remarkably, collisional forces felt by material in the last ~100 m of a ~10 km wide ring can increase equilibrium masses up to a factor of ~100. New ring surface densities are derived which accord with Voyager radio measurements.

A PRIMER ON UNIFYING DEBRIS DISK MORPHOLOGIES

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lee, Eve J.; Chiang, Eugene, E-mail: evelee@berkeley.edu, E-mail: echiang@astro.berkeley.edu

A “minimum model” for debris disks consists of a narrow ring of parent bodies, secularly forced by a single planet on a possibly eccentric orbit, colliding to produce dust grains that are perturbed by stellar radiation pressure. We demonstrate how this minimum model can reproduce a wide variety of disk morphologies imaged in scattered starlight. Five broad categories of disk shape can be captured: “rings,” “needles,” “ships-and-wakes,” “bars,” and “moths (a.k.a. fans),” depending on the viewing geometry. Moths can also sport “double wings.” We explain the origin of morphological features from first principles, exploring the dependence on planet eccentricity, diskmore » inclination dispersion, and the parent body orbital phases at which dust grains are born. A key determinant in disk appearance is the degree to which dust grain orbits are apsidally aligned. Our study of a simple steady-state (secularly relaxed) disk should serve as a reference for more detailed models tailored to individual systems. We use the intuition gained from our guidebook of disk morphologies to interpret, informally, the images of a number of real-world debris disks. These interpretations suggest that the farthest reaches of planetary systems are perturbed by eccentric planets, possibly just a few Earth masses each.« less

Variations of the Milankovitch frequencies in time

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Loutre, Marie-France; Berger, A.

1992-01-01

The sensitivity of the amplitudes and frequencies in the development of the Earth's orbital and rotational elements involved in the astronomical theory of paleoclimates (eccentricity, obliquity, and climate precession), to the Earth-Moon distance and consequently to the length of the day and to the dynamical ellipticity of the Earth has been discussed for the last billions of years. The shortening of the Earth-Moon distance and of the length of the day, as well as the lengthening of the dynamical ellipticity of the Earth back in time induce a shortening of the fundamental astronomical periods for precession and obliquity. At the same time, the amplitudes of the different terms in the development of the obliquity are undergoing a relative enlargement of about 50 percent at 2 x 10(exp 9) yr BP but the independent term is increasing very weakly (less than 0.1 percent). In other words, the value of the obliquity, which lies within a range of 21.7 to 24.9 deg over the Quarternary was restricted to a range of 22.5 to 24.1 deg at 2 x 10(exp 9) yr BP. On the other hand, the amplitudes in the development of the climatic precession do not change. Moreover, these changes in the frequencies and amplitudes for both obliquity and climatic precession are larger for longer period terms. Finally, the periods in the eccentricity development are not influenced by the variation of the lunar distance. But the motion of the solar system, especially of the inner planets, was shown to be chaotic. It means that it is impossible to compute the exact motion of the planets over more than about 100 Myr, and the fundamental frequencies of the systems are not fixed quantities, but are slowly varying with time. As long as we consider the most important terms, the maximum deviation from the present-day value of the 19-kyr precessional period due to the chaotic motion of the solar system only does not reach more than a few tens of years around 80 Myr BP. Therefore the shortening of the obliquity and climatic precession periods is mostly driven by the change in the lunar distance and the consequent variations in the dynamical ellipticity of the Earth's angular speed. At first sight, the deviation in the period for the eccentricity can be neglected, as the chaotic behavior of the solar system implies a relative change of the main periods by less than 0.2 percent, 1.4 percent, and 1.9 percent respectively, this maximum change being achieved around 80 Myr BP. This implies, in particular, that the eccentricity periods for Quarternary climate studies may be considered more or less constant for pre-Quaternay times and equal to their Quaternary values.

Radiative Grain Alignment in Protoplanetary Disks: Implications for Polarimetric Observations

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tazaki, Ryo; Lazarian, Alexandre; Nomura, Hideko, E-mail: rtazaki@kusastro.kyoto-u.ac.jp

2017-04-10

We apply the theory of radiative torque (RAT) alignment for studying protoplanetary disks around a T-Tauri star and perform 3D radiative transfer calculations to provide the expected maps of polarized radiation to be compared with observations, such as with ALMA. We revisit the issue of grain alignment for large grains expected in the protoplanetary disks and find that mm-sized grains at the midplane do not align with the magnetic field since the Larmor precession timescale for such large grains becomes longer than the gaseous damping timescale. Hence, for these grains the RAT theory predicts that the alignment axis is determinedmore » by the grain precession with respect to the radiative flux. As a result, we expect that the polarization will be in the azimuthal direction for a face-on disk. It is also shown that if dust grains have superparamagnetic inclusions, magnetic field alignment is possible for (sub-)micron grains at the surface layer of disks, and this can be tested by mid-infrared polarimetric observations.« less

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tabeshian, Maryam; Wiegert, Paul A., E-mail: mtabeshi@uwo.ca

Structures observed in debris disks may be caused by gravitational interaction with planetary or stellar companions. These perturbed disks are often thought to indicate the presence of planets and offer insights into the properties of both the disk and the perturbing planets. Gaps in debris disks may indicate a planet physically present within the gap, but such gaps can also occur away from the planet’s orbit at mean-motion resonances (MMRs), and this is the focus of our interest here. We extend our study of planet–disk interaction through MMRs, presented in an earlier paper, to systems in which the perturbing planetmore » has moderate orbital eccentricity, a common occurrence in exoplanetary systems. In particular, a new result is that the 3:1 MMR becomes distinct at higher eccentricity, while its effects are absent for circular planetary orbits. We also only consider gravitational interaction with a planetary body of at least 1 M {sub J}. Our earlier work shows that even a 1 Earth mass planet can theoretically open an MMR gap; however, given the narrow gap that can be opened by a low-mass planet, its observability would be questionable. We find that the widths, locations, and shapes of two prominent structures, the 2:1 and 3:1 MMRs, could be used to determine the mass, semimajor axis, and eccentricity of the planetary perturber and present an algorithm for doing so. These MMR structures can be used to narrow the position and even determine the planetary properties (such as mass) of any inferred but as-yet-unseen planets within a debris disk. We also briefly discuss the implications of eccentric disks on brightness asymmetries and their dependence on the wavelengths with which these disks are observed.« less

Formation of Sharp Eccentric Rings in Debris Disks with Gas but Without Planets

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lyra, W.; Kuchner, M.

2013-01-01

'Debris disks' around young stars (analogues of the Kuiper Belt in our Solar System) show a variety of non-trivial structures attributed to planetary perturbations and used to constrain the properties of those planets. However, these analyses have largely ignored the fact that some debris disks are found to contain small quantities of gas, a component that all such disks should contain at some level. Several debris disks have been measured with a dust-to-gas ratio of about unity, at which the effect of hydrodynamics on the structure of the disk cannot be ignored. Here we report linear and nonlinear modelling that shows that dust-gas interactions can produce some of the key patterns attributed to planets. We find a robust clumping instability that organizes the dust into narrow, eccentric rings, similar to the Fomalhaut debris disk. The conclusion that such disks might contain planets is not necessarily required to explain these systems.

High-resolution scanning precession electron diffraction: Alignment and spatial resolution.

PubMed

Barnard, Jonathan S; Johnstone, Duncan N; Midgley, Paul A

2017-03-01

Methods are presented for aligning the pivot point of a precessing electron probe in the scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM) and for assessing the spatial resolution in scanning precession electron diffraction (SPED) experiments. The alignment procedure is performed entirely in diffraction mode, minimising probe wander within the bright-field (BF) convergent beam electron diffraction (CBED) disk and is used to obtain high spatial resolution SPED maps. Through analysis of the power spectra of virtual bright-field images extracted from the SPED data, the precession-induced blur was measured as a function of precession angle. At low precession angles, SPED spatial resolution was limited by electronic noise in the scan coils; whereas at high precession angles SPED spatial resolution was limited by tilt-induced two-fold astigmatism caused by the positive spherical aberration of the probe-forming lens. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Orbital dynamics of multi-planet systems with eccentricity diversity

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kane, Stephen R.; Raymond, Sean N., E-mail: skane@sfsu.edu

2014-04-01

Since exoplanets were detected using the radial velocity method, they have revealed a diverse distribution of orbital configurations. Among these are planets in highly eccentric orbits (e > 0.5). Most of these systems consist of a single planet but several have been found to also contain a longer period planet in a near-circular orbit. Here we use the latest Keplerian orbital solutions to investigate four known systems which exhibit this extreme eccentricity diversity; HD 37605, HD 74156, HD 163607, and HD 168443. We place limits on the presence of additional planets in these systems based on the radial velocity residuals.more » We show that the two known planets in each system exchange angular momentum through secular oscillations of their eccentricities. We calculate the amplitude and timescale for these eccentricity oscillations and associated periastron precession. We further demonstrate the effect of mutual orbital inclinations on the amplitude of high-frequency eccentricity oscillations. Finally, we discuss the implications of these oscillations in the context of possible origin scenarios for unequal eccentricities.« less

Proterozoic Milankovitch cycles and the history of the solar system.

PubMed

Meyers, Stephen R; Malinverno, Alberto

2018-06-19

The geologic record of Milankovitch climate cycles provides a rich conceptual and temporal framework for evaluating Earth system evolution, bestowing a sharp lens through which to view our planet's history. However, the utility of these cycles for constraining the early Earth system is hindered by seemingly insurmountable uncertainties in our knowledge of solar system behavior (including Earth-Moon history), and poor temporal control for validation of cycle periods (e.g., from radioisotopic dates). Here we address these problems using a Bayesian inversion approach to quantitatively link astronomical theory with geologic observation, allowing a reconstruction of Proterozoic astronomical cycles, fundamental frequencies of the solar system, the precession constant, and the underlying geologic timescale, directly from stratigraphic data. Application of the approach to 1.4-billion-year-old rhythmites indicates a precession constant of 85.79 ± 2.72 arcsec/year (2σ), an Earth-Moon distance of 340,900 ± 2,600 km (2σ), and length of day of 18.68 ± 0.25 hours (2σ), with dominant climatic precession cycles of ∼14 ky and eccentricity cycles of ∼131 ky. The results confirm reduced tidal dissipation in the Proterozoic. A complementary analysis of Eocene rhythmites (∼55 Ma) illustrates how the approach offers a means to map out ancient solar system behavior and Earth-Moon history using the geologic archive. The method also provides robust quantitative uncertainties on the eccentricity and climatic precession periods, and derived astronomical timescales. As a consequence, the temporal resolution of ancient Earth system processes is enhanced, and our knowledge of early solar system dynamics is greatly improved.

Self-force correction to geodetic spin precession in Kerr spacetime

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Akcay, Sarp

2017-08-01

We present an expression for the gravitational self-force correction to the geodetic spin precession of a spinning compact object with small, but non-negligible mass in a bound, equatorial orbit around a Kerr black hole. We consider only conservative backreaction effects due to the mass of the compact object (m1), thus neglecting the effects of its spin s1 on its motion; i.e., we impose s1≪G m12/c and m1≪m2, where m2 is the mass parameter of the background Kerr spacetime. We encapsulate the correction to the spin precession in ψ , the ratio of the accumulated spin-precession angle to the total azimuthal angle over one radial orbit in the equatorial plane. Our formulation considers the gauge-invariant O (m1) part of the correction to ψ , denoted by Δ ψ , and is a generalization of the results of Akcay et al. [Classical Quantum Gravity 34, 084001 (2017), 10.1088/1361-6382/aa61d6] to Kerr spacetime. Additionally, we compute the zero-eccentricity limit of Δ ψ and show that this quantity differs from the circular orbit Δ ψcirc by a gauge-invariant quantity containing the gravitational self-force correction to general relativistic periapsis advance in Kerr spacetime. Our result for Δ ψ is expressed in a manner that readily accommodates numerical/analytical self-force computations, e.g., in the radiation gauge, and paves the way for the computation of a new eccentric-orbit Kerr gauge invariant beyond the generalized redshift.

Hybrid insolation forcing of Pliocene monsoon dynamics in West Africa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuechler, Rony R.; Dupont, Lydie M.; Schefuß, Enno

2018-01-01

The Pliocene is regarded as a potential analogue for future climate with conditions generally warmer-than-today and higher-than-preindustrial atmospheric CO2 levels. Here we present the first orbitally resolved records of continental hydrology and vegetation changes from West Africa for two Pliocene time intervals (5.0-4.6 Ma, 3.6-3.0 Ma), which we compare with records from the last glacial cycle (Kuechler et al., 2013). Our results indicate that changes in local insolation alone are insufficient to explain the full degree of hydrologic variations. Generally two modes of interacting insolation forcings are observed: during eccentricity maxima, when precession was strong, the West African monsoon was driven by summer insolation; during eccentricity minima, when precession-driven variations in local insolation were minimal, obliquity-driven changes in the summer latitudinal insolation gradient became dominant. This hybrid monsoonal forcing concept explains orbitally controlled tropical climate changes, incorporating the forcing mechanism of latitudinal gradients for the Pliocene, which probably increased in importance during subsequent Northern Hemisphere glaciations.

The Obliquities of the Giant Planets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hamilton, D. P.; Ward, Wm. R.

2002-09-01

Jupiter has by far the smallest obliquity ( ~ 3o) of the planets (not counting tidally de-spun Mercury and Venus) which may be reflective of its formation by hydrodynamic gas flow rather than stochastic impacts. Saturn's obliquity ( ~ 26o), however, seems to belie this simple formation picture. But since the spin angular momentum of any planet is much smaller than its orbital angular momentum, post-formation obliquity can be strongly modified by passing through secular spin-orbit resonances, i.e., when the spin axis precession rate of the planet matches one of the frequencies describing the precession of the orbit plane. Spin axis precession is due to the solar torque on both the oblate figure of the planet and any orbiting satellites. In the case of Jupiter, the torque on the Galilean satellites is the principal cause of its 4.5*105 year precession; Saturn's precession of 1.8*106 years is dominated by Titan. In the past, the planetary spin axis precession rates should have been much faster due to the massive circumplanetary disks from which the current satellites condensed. The regression of the orbital node of a planet is due to the gravitational perturbations of the other planets. Nodal regression is not uniform, but is instead a composite of the planetary system's normal modes. For Jupiter and Saturn, the principal frequency is the nu16, with a period of ~ 49,000 years; the amplitude of this term is I ~ 0o.36 for Jupiter and I ~ 0o.90 for Saturn. In spite of the small amplitudes, slow adiabatic passages through this resonance (due to circumplanetary disk dispersal) could increase planetary obliquities from near zero to ~ [tan1/3 I] ~ 10o. We will discuss scenarios in which giant planet obliquities are affected by this and other resonances, and will use Jupiter's low obliquity to constrain the mass and duration of a satellite precursor disk. DPH acknowledges support from NSF Career Grant AST 9733789 and WRW is grateful to the NASA OSS and PGG programs.

Fine-Tuning the Accretion Disk Clock in Hercules X-1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Still, M.; Boyd, P.

2004-01-01

RXTE ASM count rates from the X-ray pulsar Her X-1 began falling consistently during the late months of 2003. The source is undergoing another state transition similar to the anomalous low state of 1999. This new event has triggered observations from both space and ground-based observatories. In order to aid data interpretation and telescope scheduling, and to facilitate the phase-connection of cycles before and after the state transition, we have re-calculated the precession ephemeris using cycles over the last 3.5 years. We report that the source has displayed a different precession period since the last anomalous event. Additional archival data from CGRO suggests that each low state is accompanied by a change in precession period and that the subsequent period is correlated with accretion flux. Consequently our analysis reveals long-term accretion disk behaviour which is predicted by theoretical models of radiation-driven warping.

Perceived duration decreases with increasing eccentricity.

PubMed

Kliegl, Katrin M; Huckauf, Anke

2014-07-01

Previous studies examining the influence of stimulus location on temporal perception yield inhomogeneous and contradicting results. Therefore, the aim of the present study is to soundly examine the effect of stimulus eccentricity. In a series of five experiments, subjects compared the duration of foveal disks to disks presented at different retinal eccentricities on the horizontal meridian. The results show that the perceived duration of a visual stimulus declines with increasing eccentricity. The effect was replicated with various stimulus orders (Experiments 1-3), as well as with cortically magnified stimuli (Experiments 4-5), ruling out that the effect was merely caused by different cortical representation sizes. The apparent decreasing duration of stimuli with increasing eccentricity is discussed with respect to current models of time perception, the possible influence of visual attention and respective underlying physiological characteristics of the visual system. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Dynamics of quadruple systems composed of two binaries: stars, white dwarfs, and implications for Ia supernovae

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fang, Xiao; Thompson, Todd A.; Hirata, Christopher M.

2018-05-01

We investigate the long-term secular dynamics and Lidov-Kozai (LK) eccentricity oscillations of quadruple systems composed of two binaries at quadrupole and octupole orders in the perturbing Hamiltonian. We show that the fraction of systems reaching high eccentricities is enhanced relative to triple systems, over a broader range of parameter space. We show that this fraction grows with time, unlike triple systems evolved at quadrupole order. This is fundamentally because with their additional degrees of freedom, quadruple systems do not have a maximal set of commuting constants of the motion, even in secular theory at quadrupole order. We discuss these results in the context of star-star and white dwarf-white dwarf (WD) binaries, with emphasis on WD-WD mergers and collisions relevant to the Type Ia supernova problem. For star-star systems, we find that more than 30 per cent of systems reach high eccentricity within a Hubble time, potentially forming triple systems via stellar mergers or close binaries. For WD-WD systems, taking into account general relativistic and tidal precession and dissipation, we show that the merger rate is enhanced in quadruple systems relative to triple systems by a factor of 3.5-10, and that the long-term evolution of quadruple systems leads to a delay-time distribution ˜1/t for mergers and collisions. In gravitational wave-driven mergers of compact objects, we classify the mergers by their evolutionary patterns in phase space and identify a regime in about 8 per cent of orbital shrinking mergers, where eccentricity oscillations occur on the general relativistic precession time-scale, rather than the much longer LK time-scale. Finally, we generalize previous treatments of oscillations in the inner binary eccentricity (evection) to eccentric mutual orbits. We assess the merger rate in quadruple and triple systems and the implications for their viability as progenitors of stellar mergers and Type Ia supernovae.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Naoz, Smadar; Li, Gongjie; Zanardi, Macarena

The secular approximation of the hierarchical three body systems has been proven to be very useful in addressing many astrophysical systems, from planets to stars to black holes. In such a system, two objects are on a tight orbit and the tertiary is on a much wider orbit. Here, we study the dynamics of a system by taking the tertiary mass to zero and solve the hierarchical three body system up to the octupole level of approximation. We find a rich dynamics that the outer orbit undergoes due to gravitational perturbations from the inner binary. The nominal result of themore » precession of the nodes is mostly limited for the lowest order of approximation; however, when the octupole level of approximation is introduced, the system becomes chaotic, as expected, and the tertiary oscillates below and above 90°, similarly to the non-test particle flip behavior. We provide the Hamiltonian of the system and investigate the dynamics of the system from the quadrupole to the octupole level of approximations. We also analyze the chaotic and quasi-periodic orbital evolution by studying the surfaces of sections. Furthermore, including general relativity, we showcase the long-term evolution of individual debris disk particles under the influence of a far-away interior eccentric planet. We show that this dynamics can naturally result in retrograde objects and a puffy disk after a long timescale evolution (a few Gyr) for initially aligned configuration.« less

Planet-Planet Scattering in Planetesimal Disks. II. Predictions for Outer Extrasolar Planetary Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Raymond, Sean N.; Armitage, Philip J.; Gorelick, Noel

2010-03-01

We develop an idealized dynamical model to predict the typical properties of outer extrasolar planetary systems, at radii comparable to the Jupiter-to-Neptune region of the solar system. The model is based upon the hypothesis that dynamical evolution in outer planetary systems is controlled by a combination of planet-planet scattering and planetary interactions with an exterior disk of small bodies ("planetesimals"). Our results are based on 5000 long duration N-body simulations that follow the evolution of three planets from a few to 10 AU, together with a planetesimal disk containing 50 M ⊕ from 10 to 20 AU. For large planet masses (M >~ M Sat), the model recovers the observed eccentricity distribution of extrasolar planets. For lower-mass planets, the range of outcomes in models with disks is far greater than that which is seen in isolated planet-planet scattering. Common outcomes include strong scattering among massive planets, sudden jumps in eccentricity due to resonance crossings driven by divergent migration, and re-circularization of scattered low-mass planets in the outer disk. We present the distributions of the eccentricity and inclination that result, and discuss how they vary with planet mass and initial system architecture. In agreement with other studies, we find that the currently observed eccentricity distribution (derived primarily from planets at a <~ 3 AU) is consistent with isolated planet-planet scattering. We explain the observed mass dependence—which is in the opposite sense from that predicted by the simplest scattering models—as a consequence of strong correlations between planet masses in the same system. At somewhat larger radii, initial planetary mass correlations and disk effects can yield similar modest changes to the eccentricity distribution. Nonetheless, strong damping of eccentricity for low-mass planets at large radii appears to be a secure signature of the dynamical influence of disks. Radial velocity measurements capable of detecting planets with K ≈ 5 m s-1 and periods in excess of 10 years will provide constraints on this regime. Finally, we present an analysis of the predicted separation of planets in two-planet systems, and of the population of planets in mean-motion resonances (MMRs). We show that, if there are systems with ~ Jupiter-mass planets that avoid close encounters, the planetesimal disk acts as a damping mechanism and populates MMRs at a very high rate (50%-80%). In many cases, resonant chains (in particular the 4:2:1 Laplace resonance) are set up among all three planets. We expect such resonant chains to be common among massive planets in outer planetary systems.

Spectrum of 100-kyr glacial cycle: Orbital inclination, not eccentricity

PubMed Central

Muller, Richard A.; MacDonald, Gordon J.

1997-01-01

Spectral analysis of climate data shows a strong narrow peak with period ≈100 kyr, attributed by the Milankovitch theory to changes in the eccentricity of the earth’s orbit. The narrowness of the peak does suggest an astronomical origin; however the shape of the peak is incompatible with both linear and nonlinear models that attribute the cycle to eccentricity or (equivalently) to the envelope of the precession. In contrast, the orbital inclination parameter gives a good match to both the spectrum and bispectrum of the climate data. Extraterrestrial accretion from meteoroids or interplanetary dust is proposed as a mechanism that could link inclination to climate, and experimental tests are described that could prove or disprove this hypothesis. PMID:11607741

Sharp Eccentric Rings in Planetless Hydrodynamical Models of Debris Disks

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lyra, W.; Kuchner, M. J.

2013-01-01

Exoplanets are often associated with disks of dust and debris, analogs of the Kuiper Belt in our solar system. These "debris disks" show a variety of non-trivial structures attributed to planetary perturbations and utilized to constrain the properties of the planets. However, analyses of these systems have largely ignored the fact that, increasingly, debris disks are found to contain small quantities of gas, a component all debris disks should contain at some level. Several debris disks have been measured with a dust-to-gas ratio around unity where the effect of hydrodynamics on the structure of the disk cannot be ignored. Here we report that dust-gas interactions can produce some of the key patterns seen in debris disks that were previously attributed to planets. Through linear and nonlinear modeling of the hydrodynamical problem, we find that a robust clumping instability exists in this configuration, organizing the dust into narrow, eccentric rings, similar to the Fomalhaut debris disk. The hypothesis that these disks might contain planets, though thrilling, is not necessarily required to explain these systems.

N-Body Simulations of Planetary Accretion Around M Dwarf Stars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ogihara, Masahiro; Ida, Shigeru

2009-07-01

We have investigated planetary accretion from planetesimals in terrestrial planet regions inside the ice line around M dwarf stars through N-body simulations including tidal interactions with disk gas. Because of low luminosity of M dwarfs, habitable zones (HZs) are located in inner regions (~0.1 AU). In the close-in HZ, type-I migration and the orbital decay induced by eccentricity damping are efficient according to the high disk gas density in the small orbital radii. Since the orbital decay is terminated around the disk inner edge and the disk edge is close to the HZ, the protoplanets accumulated near the disk edge affect formation of planets in the HZ. Ice lines are also in relatively inner regions at ~0.3 AU. Due to the small orbital radii, icy protoplanets accrete rapidly and undergo type-I migration before disk depletion. The rapid orbital decay, the proximity of the disk inner edge, and large amount of inflow of icy protoplanets are characteristic in planetary accretion in terrestrial planet regions around M dwarfs. In the case of full efficiency of type-I migration predicted by the linear theory, we found that protoplanets that migrate to the vicinity of the host star undergo close scatterings and collisions, and four to six planets eventually remain in mutual mean-motion resonances and their orbits have small eccentricities (lsim0.01) and they are stable both before and after disk gas decays. In the case of slow migration, the resonant capture is so efficient that densely packed ~40 small protoplanets remain in mutual mean-motion resonances. In this case, they start orbit crossing, after the disk gas decays and eccentricity damping due to tidal interaction with gas is no more effective. Through merging of the protoplanets, several planets in widely separated non-resonant orbits with relatively large eccentricities (~0.05) are formed. Thus, the final orbital configurations (separations, resonant or non-resonant, eccentricity, and distribution) of the terrestrial planets around M dwarfs sensitively depend on strength of type-I migration. We also found that large amount of water-ice is delivered by type-I migration from outer regions and final planets near the inner disk edge around M dwarfs are generally abundant in water-ice except for the innermost one that is shielded by the outer planets, unless type-I migration speed is reduced by a factor of more than 100 from that predicted by the linear theory.

The Study of Galactic Disk Kinematics with SCUSS and SDSS Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peng, Xiyan; Wu, Zhenyu; Qi, Zhaoxiang; Du, Cuihua; Ma, Jun; Zhou, Xu; Jia, Yunpeng; Wang, Songhu

2018-07-01

We derive chemical and kinematics properties of G and K dwarfs from the SCUSS and SDSS data. We aim to characterize and explore the properties of the Galactic disk in order to understand their origins and evolutions. A kinematics approach is used to separate Galactic stellar populations into the likely thin disk and thick disk sample. Then, we explore rotational velocity gradients with metallicity of the Galactic disks to provide constraints on the various formation models. We identify a negative gradient of the rotational velocity of the thin disk stars with [Fe/H], ‑18.2 ± 2.3 km s‑1 dex‑1. For the thick disk, we identify a positive gradient of the rotational velocity with [Fe/H], 41.7 ± 6.1 km s‑1 dex‑1. The eccentricity does not change with metallicity for the thin disk sample. Thick disk stars exhibit a trend of orbital eccentricity with metallicity (‑0.13 dex‑1). The thin disk shows a negative metallicity gradient with Galactocentric radial distance R, while the thick disk shows a flat radial metallicity gradient. Our results suggest that radial migration may play an important role in the formation and evolution of the thin disk.

Voyager radio occultation by the Uranian rings: Structure, dynamics, and particle sizes. Ph.D. Thesis Final Technical Report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gresh, Donna Leigh

1990-01-01

Diffraction of Voyager 2's 3.6 and 13 cm wavelength microwaves by the Uranian rings is removed through an inverse Fresnel transform filtering procedure that accommodates the significant eccentricity of the rings. Resulting 50 m resolution profiles at two observation longitudes: (1) reveal remarkably detailed and longitudinally varying structure, (2) provide eccentricity gradient profiles of Rings alpha, beta, and epsilon which bring into question current theoretical models for observed rigid precession, and (3) suggest that two possible unseen satellites may confine some of the very sharp edges observed via resonant interactions.

Accuracy of Estimating Highly Eccentric Binary Black Hole Parameters with Gravitational-wave Detections

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gondán, László; Kocsis, Bence; Raffai, Péter; Frei, Zsolt

2018-03-01

Mergers of stellar-mass black holes on highly eccentric orbits are among the targets for ground-based gravitational-wave detectors, including LIGO, VIRGO, and KAGRA. These sources may commonly form through gravitational-wave emission in high-velocity dispersion systems or through the secular Kozai–Lidov mechanism in triple systems. Gravitational waves carry information about the binaries’ orbital parameters and source location. Using the Fisher matrix technique, we determine the measurement accuracy with which the LIGO–VIRGO–KAGRA network could measure the source parameters of eccentric binaries using a matched filtering search of the repeated burst and eccentric inspiral phases of the waveform. We account for general relativistic precession and the evolution of the orbital eccentricity and frequency during the inspiral. We find that the signal-to-noise ratio and the parameter measurement accuracy may be significantly higher for eccentric sources than for circular sources. This increase is sensitive to the initial pericenter distance, the initial eccentricity, and the component masses. For instance, compared to a 30 {M}ȯ –30 {M}ȯ non-spinning circular binary, the chirp mass and sky-localization accuracy can improve by a factor of ∼129 (38) and ∼2 (11) for an initially highly eccentric binary assuming an initial pericenter distance of 20 M tot (10 M tot).

TOWARD A DETERMINISTIC MODEL OF PLANETARY FORMATION. VII. ECCENTRICITY DISTRIBUTION OF GAS GIANTS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ida, S.; Lin, D. N. C.; Nagasawa, M., E-mail: ida@geo.titech.ac.jp, E-mail: lin@ucolick.org, E-mail: nagasawa.m.ad@m.titech.ac.jp

2013-09-20

The ubiquity of planets and diversity of planetary systems reveal that planet formation encompasses many complex and competing processes. In this series of papers, we develop and upgrade a population synthesis model as a tool to identify the dominant physical effects and to calibrate the range of physical conditions. Recent planet searches have led to the discovery of many multiple-planet systems. Any theoretical models of their origins must take into account dynamical interactions between emerging protoplanets. Here, we introduce a prescription to approximate the close encounters between multiple planets. We apply this method to simulate the growth, migration, and dynamicalmore » interaction of planetary systems. Our models show that in relatively massive disks, several gas giants and rocky/icy planets emerge, migrate, and undergo dynamical instability. Secular perturbation between planets leads to orbital crossings, eccentricity excitation, and planetary ejection. In disks with modest masses, two or less gas giants form with multiple super-Earths. Orbital stability in these systems is generally maintained and they retain the kinematic structure after gas in their natal disks is depleted. These results reproduce the observed planetary mass-eccentricity and semimajor axis-eccentricity correlations. They also suggest that emerging gas giants can scatter residual cores to the outer disk regions. Subsequent in situ gas accretion onto these cores can lead to the formation of distant (∼> 30 AU) gas giants with nearly circular orbits.« less

The Climate Response to the Astronomical Forcing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Crucifix, M.; Loutre, M. F.; Berger, A.

2006-08-01

Links between climate and Earth’s orbit have been proposed for about 160 years. Two decisive advances towards an astronomical theory of palæoclimates were Milankovitch’s theory of insolation (1941) and independent findings, in 1976, of a double precession frequency peak in marine sediment data and from celestial mechanics calculations. The present chapter reviews three essential elements of any astronomical theory of climate: (1) to calculate the orbital elements, (2) to infer insolation changes from climatic precession, obliquity and eccentricity, and (3) to estimate the impact of these variations on climate. The Louvain-la-Neuve climate-ice sheet model has been an important instrument for confirming the relevance of Milankovitch’s theory, but it also evidences the critical role played by greenhouse gases during periods of low eccentricity. It is recognised today that climatic interactions at the global scale were involved in the processes of glacial inception and deglaciation. Three examples are given, related to the responses of the carbon cycle, hydrological cycle, and the terrestrial biosphere, respectively. The chapter concludes on an outlook on future research directions on this topic.

Rapid Evolution of the Gaseous Exoplanetary Debris around the White Dwarf Star HE 1349–2305

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dennihy, E.; Clemens, J. C.; Dunlap, B. H.; Fanale, S. M.; Fuchs, J. T.; Hermes, J. J.

2018-02-01

Observations of heavy metal pollution in white dwarf stars indicate that metal-rich planetesimals are frequently scattered into star-grazing orbits, tidally disrupted, and accreted onto the white dwarf surface, offering direct insight into the dynamical evolution of post-main-sequence exoplanetary systems. Emission lines from the gaseous debris in the accretion disks of some of these systems show variations on timescales of decades, and have been interpreted as the general relativistic precession of a recently formed, elliptical disk. Here we present a comprehensive spectroscopic monitoring campaign of the calcium infrared triplet emission in one system, HE 1349–2305, which shows morphological emission profile variations suggestive of a precessing, asymmetric intensity pattern. The emission profiles are shown to vary on a timescale of one to two years, which is an order of magnitude shorter than what has been observed in other similar systems. We demonstrate that this timescale is likely incompatible with general relativistic precession, and consider alternative explanations for the rapid evolution, including the propagation of density waves within the gaseous debris. We conclude with recommendations for follow-up observations, and discuss how the rapid evolution of the gaseous debris in HE 1349–2305 could be leveraged to test theories of exoplanetary debris disk evolution around white dwarf stars.

Laser optical disk position encoder with active heads

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Osborne, Eric P.

1991-01-01

An angular position encoder that minimizes the effects of eccentricity and other misalignments between the disk and the read stations by employing heads with beam steering optics that actively track the disk in directions along the disk radius and normal to its surface is discussed. The device adapts features prevalent in optical disk technology to the application of angular position sensing.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Key, Joey Shapiro; Cornish, Neil J.

The Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) is designed to detect gravitational wave signals from astrophysical sources, including those from coalescing binary systems of compact objects such as black holes. Colliding galaxies have central black holes that sink to the center of the merged galaxy and begin to orbit one another and emit gravitational waves. Some galaxy evolution models predict that the binary black hole system will enter the LISA band with significant orbital eccentricity, while other models suggest that the orbits will already have circularized. Using a full 17 parameter waveform model that includes the effects of orbital eccentricity, spinmore » precession, and higher harmonics, we investigate how well the source parameters can be inferred from simulated LISA data. Defining the reference eccentricity as the value one year before merger, we find that for typical LISA sources, it will be possible to measure the eccentricity to an accuracy of parts in a thousand. The accuracy with which the eccentricity can be measured depends only very weakly on the eccentricity, making it possible to distinguish circular orbits from those with very small eccentricities. LISA measurements of the orbital eccentricity can help constraints theories of galaxy mergers in the early universe. Failing to account for the eccentricity in the waveform modeling can lead to a loss of signal power and bias the estimation of parameters such as the black hole masses and spins.« less

PLANETARY MIGRATION AND ECCENTRICITY AND INCLINATION RESONANCES IN EXTRASOLAR PLANETARY SYSTEMS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lee, Man Hoi; Thommes, Edward W.

2009-09-10

The differential migration of two planets due to planet-disk interaction can result in capture into the 2:1 eccentricity-type mean-motion resonances. Both the sequence of 2:1 eccentricity resonances that the system is driven through by continued migration and the possibility of a subsequent capture into the 4:2 inclination resonances are sensitive to the migration rate within the range expected for type II migration due to planet-disk interaction. If the migration rate is fast, the resonant pair can evolve into a family of 2:1 eccentricity resonances different from those found by Lee. This new family has outer orbital eccentricity e {sub 2}more » {approx}> 0.4-0.5, asymmetric librations of both eccentricity resonance variables, and orbits that intersect if they are exactly coplanar. Although this family exists for an inner-to-outer planet mass ratio m {sub 1}/m {sub 2} {approx}> 0.2, it is possible to evolve into this family by fast migration only for m {sub 1}/m {sub 2} {approx}> 2. Thommes and Lissauer have found that a capture into the 4:2 inclination resonances is possible only for m {sub 1}/m {sub 2} {approx}< 2. We show that this capture is also possible for m {sub 1}/m {sub 2} {approx}> 2 if the migration rate is slightly slower than that adopted by Thommes and Lissauer. There is significant theoretical uncertainty in both the sign and the magnitude of the net effect of planet-disk interaction on the orbital eccentricity of a planet. If the eccentricity is damped on a timescale comparable to or shorter than the migration timescale, e {sub 2} may not be able to reach the values needed to enter either the new 2:1 eccentricity resonances or the 4:2 inclination resonances. Thus, if future observations of extrasolar planetary systems were to reveal certain combinations of mass ratio and resonant configuration, they would place a constraint on the strength of eccentricity damping during migration, as well as on the rate of the migration itself.« less

Coupling between corotation and Lindblad resonances in the presence of secular precession rates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

El Moutamid, Maryame; Sicardy, Bruno; Renner, Stéfan

2014-03-01

We investigate the dynamics of two satellites with masses and orbiting a massive central planet in a common plane, near a first order mean motion resonance ( m integer). We consider only the resonant terms of first order in eccentricity in the disturbing potential of the satellites, plus the secular terms causing the orbital apsidal precessions. We obtain a two-degrees-of-freedom system, associated with the two critical resonant angles and , where and are the mean longitude and longitude of periapsis of , respectively, and where the primed quantities apply to . We consider the special case where (restricted problem). The symmetry between the two angles and is then broken, leading to two different kinds of resonances, classically referred to as corotation eccentric resonance (CER) and Lindblad eccentric Resonance (LER), respectively. We write the four reduced equations of motion near the CER and LER, that form what we call the CoraLin model. This model depends upon only two dimensionless parameters that control the dynamics of the system: the distance between the CER and LER, and a forcing parameter that includes both the mass and the orbital eccentricity of the disturbing satellite. Three regimes are found: for the system is integrable, for of order unity, it exhibits prominent chaotic regions, while for large compared to 2, the behavior of the system is regular and can be qualitatively described using simple adiabatic invariant arguments. We apply this model to three recently discovered small Saturnian satellites dynamically linked to Mimas through first order mean motion resonances: Aegaeon, Methone and Anthe. Poincaré surfaces of section reveal the dynamical structure of each orbit, and their proximity to chaotic regions. This work may be useful to explore various scenarii of resonant capture for those satellites.

Non-equilibrium dynamic reversal of in-plane ferromagnetic elliptical disk

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, June-Seo; Hwang, Hee-Kyeong; You, Chun-Yeol

2018-01-01

The ultrafast switching mechanism of an in-plane magnetized elliptical magnetic disk by applying dynamic out-of-plane magnetic field pulses is investigated by performing micromagnetic simulations. For the in-plane magnetized nanostructures, the out-of-plane magnetic field is able to rotate the direction of magnetization when the precession torque overcomes the shape anisotropy of the system. This type magnetization reversal is one of non-equilibrium dynamic within a certain transition time util the precession torque is equivalent to the damping torque. By controlling the rise time or fall times of dynamic out-of-plane field pulses, the transition time can be also successively tuned and then an ultrafast switching of an elliptical magnetic nano-disk is clearly achieved by controlling the precessional torque. As another reversal approach, sinusoidal magnetic fields in gigahertz range are applied to the system. Consequently, the thresholds of switching fields are drastically decreased. We also reveal that the ferromagnetic resonance frequencies at the center and the edge of the elliptical disk are most important for microwave sinusoidal out-of-plane magnetic field induced magnetization reversal.

On the observability of resonant structures in planetesimal disks due to planetary migration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reche, R.; Beust, H.; Augereau, J.-C.; Absil, O.

2008-03-01

Context: The observed clumpy structures in debris disks are commonly interpreted as particles trapped in mean-motion resonances with an unseen exo-planet. Populating the resonances requires a migrating process of either the particles (spiraling inward due to drag forces) or the planet (moving outward). Because the drag time-scale in resolved debris disks is generally long compared to the collisional time-scale, the planet migration scenario might be more likely, but this model has so far only been investigated for planets on circular orbits. Aims: We present a thorough study of the impact of a migrating planet on a planetesimal disk, by exploring a broad range of masses and eccentricities for the planet. We discuss the sensitivity of the structures generated in debris disks to the basic planet parameters. Methods: We perform many N-body numerical simulations, using the symplectic integrator SWIFT, taking into account the gravitational influence of the star and the planet on massless test particles. A constant migration rate is assumed for the planet. Results: The effect of planetary migration on the trapping of particles in mean motion resonances is found to be very sensitive to the initial eccentricity of the planet and of the planetesimals. A planetary eccentricity as low as 0.05 is enough to smear out all the resonant structures, except for the most massive planets. The planetesimals also initially have to be on orbits with a mean eccentricity of less than than 0.1 in order to keep the resonant clumps visible. Conclusions: This numerical work extends previous analytical studies and provides a collection of disk images that may help in interpreting the observations of structures in debris disks. Overall, it shows that stringent conditions must be fulfilled to obtain observable resonant structures in debris disks. Theoretical models of the origin of planetary migration will therefore have to explain how planetary systems remain in a suitable configuration to reproduce the observed structures. Figures 4-7 and Tables 2-4 are only available in electronic form at http://www.aanda.org

Quipus and System of Coordinated Precession

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Campos, T. C.

2004-05-01

The Incas of ancient Peru possessed no writing. Instead, they developed a unique system expressed on spatial arrays of colored knotted cords called Quipus to record and transmit information throughout their vast empire. In their thorough description of quipus, Ascher & Ascher observed that in two cases the numbers registered in their strings have a very special relationship to each other. For this to occur the numbers must have been obtained through the multiplication of whole numbers by fractions or decimals, operations apparently beyond the arithmetic knowledge of the Incas. The quipus AS120 and AS143, coming from Ica (Peru) and conserved in the Museum of Berlin has the suitable characteristics previously. In the AS143 there is a the relationship with the systems of coordinated precession (tilt of Earth's spin axis (40036); eccentricity of Earth's orbit (97357); and precession of equinoxes (between 18504 and 23098)). For the history of the Earth are necessary an chronometer natural to coordinate and to classify the observations and this chronometer comes to be the vernal point, defining the vernal point as" a sensitive axis of maximum conductivity" as itdemonstrates it the stability of the geomagnetic equator (inclination of the field is zero grades), in the year 1939 calculated with the IGRF from the year 1900 up to the 2004 and that it is confirmed with tabulated data of the Geophysical Institute of Huancayo (Peru),from that date until this year (2004) and this fluctuating between the 12-14 South.,on the other hand in the area of Brazil it has advanced very quickly toward the north, and above to 108 km. approximately it is located the equatorial electrojet that is but intense in the equinoxes in South America. And this stability from the point of view of the precession of the equinoxes this coinciding with the entrance of the apparent sun for the constellation of Aquarius, being this mechanism the base to establish a system of coordinated precession where it is also considered tilt of Earth's spin axis; eccentricity of Earth's orbit; and precession of equinoxes:Together these, yield a complex curve for the solar constant at different latitudes,as first suggested by Croll( 1875) y Milankovitch (1920, 1930), Zeuner ( e. g. 1945), and other.

Eccentricity and inclination of Miranda's orbit

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Whitaker, E.; Greenberg, R.

1973-01-01

Careful re-measurement of all available plates showing Uranus V (Miranda), supplemented by some recently obtained images, shows that this satellite has both a pronounced orbital eccentricity and inclination (to the plane of the other satellites). Observations are sufficient in number and distribution to allow determinations of the precession rates of both pericenter and node, with implications for the dynamical oblateness of Uranus and the gravitational interaction of the satellites. An improved value for the revolution period is a byproduct of the investigation. The success of the study is due to the improved precision of the measures resulting from the adoption of a very simple, direct method of measurement.

Eccentricity and inclination of Miranda's orbit

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Whitaker, E.; Greenberg, R.

1973-01-01

Careful re-measurement of all available plates showing Uranus V (Miranda), supplemented by some recently obtained images, shows that this satellite has both a pronounced orbital eccentricity and inclination (to the plane of the other satellites). Observations are sufficient in number and distribution to allow determinations of the precession rates of both pericenter and node, with implications for the dynamical oblateness of Uranus and the gravitational interaction of the satellites. An improved value for the revolution period is a by-product of the investigation. The success of this study is due to the improved precision of the measures resulting from the adoption of a very simple, direct method of measurement.

Microbially mediated carbon cycling at the Cenomanian-Turonian transition in lacustrine environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, H.; Zhang, S.; Jiang, G.; Underwood, M.; Wan, X.

2009-12-01

The Late Cretaceous Cenomanian-Turonian (C-T) transition records a major ocean anoxic event (OAE2) and a positive carbon isotope excursion. These events have been documented mostly from marine successions and their expression in terrestrial environments is highly desirable. Here we report a high-resolution organic carbon isotope record across the C-T boundary from the Qingshankou Formation (K2qn) of the terrestrial Songliao Basin (SLB) in northeastern China. Samples were collected from the drilled core (SK-1) and cover the bottom 60 m of the K2qn that has been correlated to the C-T transition using the astronomical time scale. The results show a long-term negative δ13Corg excursion superimposed on short-term δ13Corg cycles. Most δ13Corg cycles have a reverse relationship with total organic carbon (TOC) concentration, except at the beginning and the end of the long-term δ13Corg excursion. Spectral analysis of the δ13Corg, TOC and Gamma Ray Logging curves (GR) reveals three distinct cycle bands with the thickness of 14.5-9.0m, 5.8-3.4m and 2.2-1.5m, which were interpreted as the short eccentricity, obliquity, and precession cycles, respectively. The investigated section recorded about 7 short eccentricity and 39 precession cycles. The reverse relationship between TOC and δ13Corg is inconsistent with the general TOC-δ13Corg pattern seen in most lacustrine environments, in which increasing primary productivity (and thus TOC) in the epilimnion results in higher δ13Corg values. In combination with existing biomarker data from K2qn, the TOC-δ13Corg pattern in SLB is better explained by microbially mediated carbon cycling that is astronomically controlled by the precession cycles. During precession minima (summer insolation maxima) periods, intensified precipitation and increased chemical weathering may have led to sustained eutrophication in SLB and the bloom of chemoautotrophic and methanotrophic organisms in the basin. Significant biomass contribution from chemoautotrophic and methanotrophic organisms resulted in lower δ13Corg values. During precession maximum, seasonal changes and reduced nutrient supply kept better water circulation and a lower chemocline. Most organic carbon contribution was from photosynthetic organisms and has relatively higher δ13Corg values. The positive TOC-δ13Corg correlation at the beginning and end of the long-term negative δ13Corg excursion can be interpreted as resulting from the algal/diatom blooms at the onset and ending of the eccentricity cycle, during which high surface water production and a lower chemocline were maintained. The data indicate sustained anoxia/euxinia in the SLB during the time of OAE2, suggesting a paleoclimate event influencing both the marine and terrestrial systems.

Eccentricity evolution during planet-disc interaction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ragusa, Enrico; Rosotti, Giovanni; Teyssandier, Jean; Booth, Richard; Clarke, Cathie J.; Lodato, Giuseppe

2018-03-01

During the process of planet formation, the planet-disc interactions might excite (or damp) the orbital eccentricity of the planet. In this paper, we present two long (t ˜ 3 × 105 orbits) numerical simulations: (a) one (with a relatively light disc, Md/Mp = 0.2), where the eccentricity initially stalls before growing at later times and (b) one (with a more massive disc, Md/Mp = 0.65) with fast growth and a late decrease of the eccentricity. We recover the well-known result that a more massive disc promotes a faster initial growth of the planet eccentricity. However, at late times the planet eccentricity decreases in the massive disc case, but increases in the light disc case. Both simulations show periodic eccentricity oscillations superimposed on a growing/decreasing trend and a rapid transition between fast and slow pericentre precession. The peculiar and contrasting evolution of the eccentricity of both planet and disc in the two simulations can be understood by invoking a simple toy model where the disc is treated as a second point-like gravitating body, subject to secular planet-planet interaction and eccentricity pumping/damping provided by the disc. We show how the counterintuitive result that the more massive simulation produces a lower planet eccentricity at late times can be understood in terms of the different ratios of the disc-to-planet angular momentum in the two simulations. In our interpretation, at late times the planet eccentricity can increase more in low-mass discs rather than in high-mass discs, contrary to previous claims in the literature.

The Apparently Decaying Orbit of WASP-12b

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Patra, Kishore C.; Winn, Joshua N.; Holman, Matthew J.; Yu, Liang; Deming, Drake; Dai, Fei

2017-07-01

We present new transit and occultation times for the hot Jupiter WASP-12b. The data are compatible with a constant period derivative: \\dot{P}=-29+/- 3 ms yr-1 and P/\\dot{P}=3.2 {Myr}. However, it is difficult to tell whether we have observed orbital decay or a portion of a 14-year apsidal precession cycle. If interpreted as decay, the star’s tidal quality parameter {Q}\\star is about 2× {10}5. If interpreted as precession, the planet’s Love number is 0.44 ± 0.10. Orbital decay appears to be the more parsimonious model: it is favored by {{Δ }}{χ }2=5.5 despite having two fewer free parameters than the precession model. The decay model implies that WASP-12 was discovered within the final ˜0.2% of its existence, which is an unlikely coincidence but harmonizes with independent evidence that the planet is nearing disruption. Precession does not invoke any temporal coincidence, but it does require some mechanism to maintain an eccentricity of ≈ 0.002 in the face of rapid tidal circularization. To distinguish unequivocally between decay and precession will probably require a few more years of monitoring. Particularly helpful will be occultation timing in 2019 and thereafter.

Gaseous Inner Disks

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-01-01

planetary systems (i.e., planetary masses, orbital radii, and eccentricities). For example, the lifetime of gas in the inner disk (limited by accretion onto...2002). Thus, understanding how inner disks dissipate may impact our understanding of the origin of planetary orbital radii. Similarly, residual gas...which the orbiting giant planet carves out a “ gap ” in the disk . Low column densities would also be characteristic of a dissipating disk . Thus, we should

The connection between the giant optical outbursts of the flat spectrum radio quasars and the black hole precession

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bachev, Rumen

2018-02-01

Flat Spectrum Radio Quasars (FSRQ) are a part of the blazar family, which in addition to the dominated nonthermal jet emission shows signatures, normally associated with the presence of a standard thin accretion disk, such like thermal continuum and broad emission lines. Furthermore, there is emerging evidence that the FSRQ are more likely to exhibit giant outbursts in the optical, with amplitudes reaching sometimes up to five magnitudes, compared to their quiescent state. We give examples, compiled from the literature and public archives in support of this statement. The most promising mechanism to account for such outbursts appears to be the changing Doppler factor (orientation with respect to the line of sights) of the jet. We attribute such orientation changes of the jet to the presence of misaligned thin accretion disk, leading to a black hole/accretion disk precession. Such a scheme can explain why FSRQ tend to produce large outbursts while other blazar types do not.

Systems of Multiple Planets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marcy, G. W.; Fischer, D. A.; Butler, R. P.; Vogt, S. S.

To date, 10 stars are known which harbor two or three planets. These systems reveal secular and mean motion resonances in some systems and consist of widely separated, eccentric orbits in others. Both of the triple planet systems, namely Upsilon And and 55 Cancri, exhibit evidence of resonances. The two planets orbiting GJ 876 exhibit both mean-motion and secular resonances and they perturb each other so strongly that the evolution of the orbits is revealed in the Doppler measurements. The common occurrence of resonances suggests that delicate dynamical processes often shape the architecture of planetary systems. Likely processes include planet migration in a viscous disk, eccentricity pumping by the planet-disk interaction, and resonance capture of two planets. We find a class of "hierarchical" double-planet systems characterized by two planets in widely separated orbits, defined to have orbital period ratios greater than 5 to 1. In such systems, resonant interactions are weak, leaving high-order interactions and Kozai resonances plausibly important. We compare the planets that are single with those in multiple systems. We find that neither the two mass distributions nor the two eccentricity distributions are significantly different. This similarity in single and multiple systems suggests that similar dynamical processes may operate in both. The origin of eccentricities may stem from a multi-planet past or from interactions between planets and disk. Multiple planets in resonances can pump their eccentricities pumping resulting in one planet being ejected from the system or sent into the star, leaving a (more massive) single planet in an eccentric orbit. The distribution of semimajor axes of all known extrasolar planets shows a rise toward larger orbits, portending a population of gas-giant planets that reside beyond 3 AU, arguably in less perturbed, more circular orbits.

The gaseous debris disk of the white dwarf SDSS J1228+1040. HST/COS search for far-ultraviolet signatures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hartmann, S.; Nagel, T.; Rauch, T.; Werner, K.

2016-09-01

Context. Gaseous and dust debris disks around white dwarfs (WDs) are formed from tidally disrupted planetary bodies. This offers an opportunity to determine the composition of exoplanetary material by measuring element abundances in the accreting WD's atmosphere. A more direct way to do this is through spectral analysis of the disks themselves. Aims: Currently, the number of chemical elements detected through disk emission-lines is smaller than that of species detected through lines in the WD atmospheres. We assess the far-ultraviolet (FUV) spectrum of one well-studied object (SDSS J122859.93+104032.9) to search for disk signatures at wavelengths < 1050 Å, where the broad absorption lines of the Lyman series effectively block the WD photospheric flux. In addition, we investigate the Ca II infrared triplet (IRT) line profiles to constrain disk geometry and composition. Methods: We performed FUV observations (950-1240 Å) with the Hubble Space Telescope/Cosmic Origins Spectrograph and used archival optical spectra. We compared them with non-local thermodynamic equilibrium model spectra. Results: No disk emission-lines were detected in the FUV spectrum, indicating that the disk effective temperature is Teff ≈ 5000 K. The long-time variability of the Ca II IRT was reproduced with a precessing disk model of bulk Earth-like composition, having a surface mass density of 0.3 g cm-2 and an extension from 55 to 90 WD radii. The disk has a spiral shape that precesses with a period of approximately 37 years, confirming previous results. Based on observations with the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, obtained at the Space Telescope Science Institute, which is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc., under NASA contract NAS5-26666.

CORRELATIONS BETWEEN COMPOSITIONS AND ORBITS ESTABLISHED BY THE GIANT IMPACT ERA OF PLANET FORMATION

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dawson, Rebekah I.; Lee, Eve J.; Chiang, Eugene, E-mail: rdawson@psu.edu

The giant impact phase of terrestrial planet formation establishes connections between super-Earths’ orbital properties (semimajor axis spacings, eccentricities, mutual inclinations) and interior compositions (the presence or absence of gaseous envelopes). Using N -body simulations and analytic arguments, we show that spacings derive not only from eccentricities, but also from inclinations. Flatter systems attain tighter spacings, a consequence of an eccentricity equilibrium between gravitational scatterings, which increase eccentricities, and mergers, which damp them. Dynamical friction by residual disk gas plays a critical role in regulating mergers and in damping inclinations and eccentricities. Systems with moderate gas damping and high solid surfacemore » density spawn gas-enveloped super-Earths with tight spacings, small eccentricities, and small inclinations. Systems in which super-Earths coagulate without as much ambient gas, in disks with low solid surface density, produce rocky planets with wider spacings, larger eccentricities, and larger mutual inclinations. A combination of both populations can reproduce the observed distributions of spacings, period ratios, transiting planet multiplicities, and transit duration ratios exhibited by Kepler super-Earths. The two populations, both formed in situ, also help to explain observed trends of eccentricity versus planet size, and bulk density versus method of mass measurement (radial velocities versus transit timing variations). Simplifications made in this study—including the limited time span of the simulations, and the approximate treatments of gas dynamical friction and gas depletion history—should be improved on in future work to enable a detailed quantitative comparison to the observations.« less

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nelson, Andrew F.; Marzari, F., E-mail: andy.nelson@lanl.gov, E-mail: francesco.marzari@pd.infn.it

We present two-dimensional hydrodynamic simulations using the Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamic code, VINE, to model a self-gravitating binary system. We model configurations in which a circumbinary torus+disk surrounds a pair of stars in orbit around each other and a circumstellar disk surrounds each star, similar to that observed for the GG Tau A system. We assume that the disks cool as blackbodies, using rates determined independently at each location in the disk by the time dependent temperature of the photosphere there. We assume heating due to hydrodynamical processes and to radiation from the two stars, using rates approximated from a measuremore » of the radiation intercepted by the disk at its photosphere. We simulate a suite of systems configured with semimajor axes of either a = 62 AU (“wide”) or a = 32 AU (“close”), and with assumed orbital eccentricity of either e = 0 or e = 0.3. Each simulation follows the evolution for ∼6500–7500 yr, corresponding to about three orbits of the torus around the center of mass. Our simulations show that strong, sharply defined spiral structures are generated from the stirring action of the binary and that, in some cases, these structures fragment into 1–2 massive clumps. The torus quickly fragments into several dozen such fragments in configurations in which either the binary is replaced by a single star of equal mass, or radiative heating is neglected. The spiral structures extend inwards to the circumstellar environment as large scale material streams for which most material is found on trajectories that return it to the torus on a timescale of 1–200 yr, with only a small fraction accreting into the circumstellar environment. The spiral structures also propagate outwards through the torus, generating net outwards mass flow, and eventually losing coherence at large distances from the stars. The torus becomes significantly eccentric in shape over most of its evolution. In all configurations, accretion onto the stars occurs at a steady rate of a few ×10{sup −8} M {sub ⊙} yr{sup −1}, with the net result that, without replenishment, the disk lifetimes would be shorter than ∼10{sup 4} yr. Our simulations show that only wide orbit configurations are able to retain circumstellar disks, by virtue of accretion driven from the robust material streams generated in wide configurations, which are very weak in close configurations. In wide, eccentric orbit configurations, accretion is episodic and occurs preferentially onto the secondary, with rates strongly peaked near the binary periapse. Based on our results, we conclude that the GG Tau A torus is strongly self gravitating and that a major contribution to its thermal energy input is the shock dissipation associated with spiral structures generated both by self gravitating disturbances and by the stirring action of the binary. We interpret the sharply defined features observed in the torus as manifestations of such spiral structures. We interpret the low density disk surrounding it as an excretion disk created by the outward mass flux generated by the spiral arms as they propagate outwards. Typical eccentricities calculated for the shape of the tori modeled in our simulations are large enough to account for the supposed ∼20° mutual inclination between the stellar orbit plane of GG Tau A and its surrounding torus through a degeneracy between the interpretation of inclination of the torus and its eccentricity. We therefore interpret the observations in favor of a coplanar system with an eccentric torus. Because accretion onto the disks occurs at rates sufficient to sustain them only in wide orbit configurations, we conclude that the gas currently resident in the circumstellar disks of the GG Tau A system has been accreted from the torus within the past few thousand years. Although circumstellar disks will persist over time spans long enough to permit planet formation, the overall environment remains unfavorable due to high temperatures and other conditions. Given the presence of circumstellar disks, robust accretion streams, and our interpretation of the GG Tau A stellar orbit plane as coplanar with the torus surrounding it, we conclude that the GG Tau A system is in an eccentric, a ∼ 62 AU orbit, resolving questions in the literature regarding its orbit parameters.« less

Precession of orbits around the stellar-mass black hole in H 1743-322

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ingram, Adam

2016-07-01

Accreting stellar-mass black holes often show a quasi-periodic oscillation (QPO) in their X-ray flux with a period that slowly drifts from ~10s to ~0.05s, and an iron emission line in their X-ray spectrum. The iron line is generated by fluorescent re-emission, by the accretion disk, of X-ray photons originating in the innermost hot flow. The line shape is distorted by relativistic motion of the orbiting plasma and the gravitational pull of the black hole. The QPO arises from the immediate vicinity of the black hole, but its physical origin has long been debated. It has been suggested that the QPO originates via Lense-Thirring precession, a General Relativistic effect causing the inner flow to precess as the spinning black hole twists up the surrounding space-time. This predicts a characteristic rocking of the iron line between red and blue shift as the receding and approaching sides of the disk are respectively illuminated. I will talk about our observations of the black hole binary H 1743-322 in which the line energy varies in step with the ~4.5s QPO cycle, providing strong evidence that such QPOs originate via Lense-Thirring precession. This effect has previously been measured in our Solar System but our detection is in the strong field regime of General Relativity, at a precession rate 14 orders of magnitude faster than possible in the Earth's gravitational field. Our result enables the application of tomographic techniques to map the motion of matter in the strong gravity near black hole event horizons.

Near-resonant excitation and propagation of eccentric density waves by external forcing. [in accretion disks

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ostriker, Eve C.; Shu, Frank H.; Adams, Fred C.

1992-01-01

An overview is presented of the astronomical evidence that relatively massive, distended, gaseous disks form as a natural by-product of the process of star formation, and also the numerical evidence that SLING-amplified eccentric modes in the outer parts of such disks can drive one-armed spiral density waves in the inner parts by near-resonant excitation and propagation. An ordinary differential equation (ODE) of the second order that approximately governs the nonlocalized forcing of waves in a disk satisfying Lindblad resonance almost everywhere is derived. When transformed and appended with an extra model term, this ODE implies, for free waves, the usual asymptotic results of the WKBJ dispersion relationship and the propagation Goldreich-Tremaine (1978) formula for the resonant torque exerted on a localized Lindblad resonance. An analytical solution is given for the rate of energy and angular momentum transfer by nonlocalized near-resonant forcing in the case when the disk has power-law dependences on the radius of the surface density and temperature.

Evidence for Residual Material in Accretion Disk Gaps: CO Fundamental Emission from the T Tauri Spectroscopic Binary DQ Tauri

DTIC Science & Technology

2001-04-10

for gas from the circumbinary disk to cross disk gaps in the...00-00-2001 to 00-00-2001 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE Evidence for Residual Material in Accretion Disk Gaps : CO Fundamental Emission from the T Tauri...MATERIAL IN ACCRETION DISK GAPS 455 type of modulated, or pulsed, accretion predicted by Arty- mowicz & Lubow (1996) for an eccentric, equal mass

Binary model of Circinus X-1. I - Eccentricity from combined X-ray and radio observations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Murdin, P.; Jauncey, D. L.; Lerche, I.; Nicolson, G. D.; Kaluzienski, L. J.; Holt, S. S.; Haynes, R. F.

1980-01-01

A binary star model is used to account for the 16.59-d flaring behavior of the X-ray emission from Circinus X-1. The orbital eccentricity of 0.8 + or - 0.1 is derived from the X-ray light curve by assuming that the sharp X-ray cut-off every 16.59-d is a result of bound-free absorption in the primary star's stellar wind. The shape of the light curve has changed over the last eight years, and this is interpreted as due to orbital precession of the binary system. Simultaneous radio and X-ray observations of the flare from Circinus X-1 on February 1-5, 1978 are reported. These are accounted for within the framework of the model. The radio observations at 5 GHz are used independently to derive a high value of the orbital eccentricity (e = 0.7).

RESONANT POST-NEWTONIAN ECCENTRICITY EXCITATION IN HIERARCHICAL THREE-BODY SYSTEMS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Naoz, Smadar; Kocsis, Bence; Loeb, Abraham

2013-08-20

We study the secular, hierarchical three-body problem to first-order in a post-Newtonian expansion of general relativity (GR). We expand the first-order post-Newtonian Hamiltonian to leading-order in the ratio of the semi-major axis of the two orbits. In addition to the well-known terms that correspond to the GR precession of the inner and outer orbits, we find a new secular post-Newtonian interaction term that can affect the long-term evolution of the triple. We explore the parameter space for highly inclined and eccentric systems, where the Kozai-Lidov mechanism can produce large-amplitude oscillations in the eccentricities. The standard lore, i.e., that GR effectsmore » suppress eccentricity, is only consistent with the parts of phase space where the GR timescales are several orders of magnitude shorter than the secular Newtonian one. In other parts of phase space, however, post-Newtonian corrections combined with the three-body ones can excite eccentricities. In particular, for systems where the GR timescale is comparable to the secular Newtonian timescales, the three-body interactions give rise to a resonant-like eccentricity excitation. Furthermore, for triples with a comparable-mass inner binary, where the eccentric Kozai-Lidov mechanism is suppressed, post-Newtonian corrections can further increase the eccentricity and lead to orbital flips even when the timescale of the former is much longer than the timescale of the secular Kozai-Lidov quadrupole perturbations.« less

WASP-12b: Orbital Decay or Apsidal Precession?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Winn, Joshua; Knutson, Heather

2018-05-01

Over the last decade, the interval between the transits of the hot Jupiter WASP-12b has been steadily shrinking by 29 milliseconds per year. This may represent the first direct detection of tidal orbital decay, a phenomenon that has long been predicted to occur for hot Jupiters and that features in many theories to explain their properties. Another viable explanation for the apparent period decrease is that the orbit is slightly eccentric and apsidally precessing, in which case the data could be used to measure the planet's Love number. This would be a rare and precious constraint on its interior density distribution. The best way to tell the difference is to combine new Spitzer observations of secondary eclipses with ongoing ground-based transit observations. Orbital decay predicts that the transit and eclipse timing residuals will have the same sign, while apsidal precession would produce anti-correlated residuals. We propose to observe 4 eclipses with Spitzer during Cycle 14, which will allow the two hypotheses to be distinguished with high confidence.

Milankovitch Cyclicity in the Eocene Green River Formation of Colorado and Wyoming

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Machlus, M.; Olsen, P. E.; Christie-Blick, N.; Hemming, S. R.

2001-12-01

The Eocene Green River Formation is a classic example of cyclic lacustrine sediments. Following Bradley (1929, U.S.G.S. Prof. Paper 158-E), many descriptive studies suggested precession and eccentricity as the probable climatic forcing to produce the cyclic pattern. Here we report spectral analysis results that confirm this hypothesis. Furthermore, we have identified the presence of a surprisingly large amplitude obliquity cycle, the long-period eccentricity cycle (400 k.y.) and the long period modulators of obliquity. Spectral analyses of data from Colorado were undertaken on an outcrop section and core data using two different proxies for lake depth. In a section measured in the west Piceance Creek basin, three lithologies (ranks) were used as a proxy for relative water depth, from relatively shallow to deep water: laminated marlstones; microlaminated, light-colored oil-shales; and microlaminated black oil shales. A multi-tapered spectrum of the 190-m-thick record in the depth domain shows significant peaks at periods of 2.1, 3.4, 12 and 39 m. These are interpreted as the precession, obliquity and eccentricity cycles. The precession cycle confirms Bradley's independent estimate of 2.4 m per 20 k.y. cycle, based on varve counts at the same location. A high-amplitude, continuous 3.4 m (obliquity) cycle exists in the evolutive spectrum of this record. A second spectral analysis of an oil-shale-yield record was made on a 530 m core near the basin depocenter. This record includes the time-equivalent of the outcrop section, spans a longer interval of time, and has a higher sedimentation rate. Peaks are found at 5, 10, 25 and 79 m. Again, the probable obliquity peak, at 10 m, is continuous along the record. Initial tuning of this record to a 39.9 k.y. cosine wave improves the resolution of the precession, short and long eccentricity cycles. Spectral analysis of oil shale yield and sonic velocity data of cores from the Green River basin, Wyoming, gives similar results. Spectral peaks at 6, 13, 31 and 122 m appear mainly in the Tipton and the Wilkins Peak members. The correlation between oil shale yield, lithology and relative water depth was examined in the upper part of the Wilkins Peak Member and the Lower part of the Laney Member. The succession from microlaminated black oil shale to laminated micrite corresponds with documented lateral changes in facies from deep to shallow environments, thus confirming the use of these facies as relative water-depth proxies. Furthermore, the upsection record of oil shale yields correlates with these facies, with higher yields corresponding to deeper water facies. This correlation supports the use of the oil shale yield record as a proxy for short-term lake-level changes, and therefore a proxy for climate. The spectral analysis results from both basins show the importance of the obliquity cycle in these continental records. This cycle cannot be identified by cycle-counting, and therefore was not previously recognized. Earlier published attempts at spectral analysis of short records from the Piceance Creek and Uinta basins misinterpreted the observed cycles. This is the first time both the obliquity cycle and the long-term eccentricity cycle have been identified in the Green River and Piceance Creek basins.

Forming Different Planetary Architectures. I. The Formation Efficiency of Hot Jupiters from High-eccentricity Mechanisms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Ying; Zhou, Ji-lin; hui-gen, Liu; Meng, Zeyang

2017-10-01

Exoplanets discovered over the past decades have provided a new sample of giant exoplanets: hot Jupiters. For lack of enough materials in the current locations of hot Jupiters, they are perceived to form outside the snowline. Then, they migrate to the locations observed through interactions with gas disks or high-eccentricity mechanisms. We examined the efficiencies of different high-eccentricity mechanisms for forming hot Jupiters in near-coplanar multi-planet systems. These mechanisms include planet-planet scattering, the Kozai-Lidov mechanism, coplanar high-eccentricity migration, and secular chaos, as well as other two new mechanisms that we present in this work, which can produce hot Jupiters with high inclinations even in retrograde. We find that the Kozai-Lidov mechanism plays the most important role in producing hot Jupiters among these mechanisms. Secular chaos is not the usual channel for the formation of hot Jupiters due to the lack of an angular momentum deficit within {10}7{T}{in} (periods of the inner orbit). According to comparisons between the observations and simulations, we speculate that there are at least two populations of hot Jupiters. One population migrates into the boundary of tidal effects due to interactions with the gas disk, such as ups And b, WASP-47 b, and HIP 14810 b. These systems usually have at least two planets with lower eccentricities, and remain dynamically stable in compact orbital configurations. Another population forms through high-eccentricity mechanisms after the excitation of eccentricity due to dynamical instability. These kinds of hot Jupiters usually have Jupiter-like companions in distant orbits with moderate or high eccentricities.

Circumbinary discs: Numerical and physical behaviour

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thun, Daniel; Kley, Wilhelm; Picogna, Giovanni

2017-08-01

Aims: Discs around a central binary system play an important role in star and planet formation and in the evolution of galactic discs. These circumbinary discs are strongly disturbed by the time varying potential of the binary system and display a complex dynamical evolution that is not well understood. Our goal is to investigate the impact of disc and binary parameters on the dynamical aspects of the disc. Methods: We study the evolution of circumbinary discs under the gravitational influence of the binary using two-dimensional hydrodynamical simulations. To distinguish between physical and numerical effects we apply three hydrodynamical codes. First we analyse in detail numerical issues concerning the conditions at the boundaries and grid resolution. We then perform a series of simulations with different binary parameters (eccentricity, mass ratio) and disc parameters (viscosity, aspect ratio) starting from a reference model with Kepler-16 parameters. Results: Concerning the numerical aspects we find that the length of the inner grid radius and the binary semi-major axis must be comparable, with free outflow conditions applied such that mass can flow onto the central binary. A closed inner boundary leads to unstable evolutions. We find that the inner disc turns eccentric and precesses for all investigated physical parameters. The precession rate is slow with periods (Tprec) starting at around 500 binary orbits (Tbin) for high viscosity and a high aspect ratio H/R where the inner hole is smaller and more circular. Reducing α and H/R increases the gap size and Tprec reaches 2500 Tbin. For varying binary mass ratios qbin the gap size remains constant, whereas Tprec decreases with increasing qbin. For varying binary eccentricities ebin we find two separate branches in the gap size and eccentricity diagram. The bifurcation occurs at around ecrit ≈ 0.18 where the gap is smallest with the shortest Tprec. For ebin lower and higher than ecrit, the gap size and Tprec increase. Circular binaries create the most eccentric discs. Movies associated to Figs. 1 and 8 are available at http://www.aanda.org

Jetted Tidal Disruption Gone MAD: Case of Dynamically Important Magnetic Field Near the Black Hole in Sw J1644+57

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tchekhovskoy, Alexander; Metzger, B.; Giannios, D.; Kelley, L. Z.

2013-04-01

It is likely that the unusual gamma-ray/X-ray/radio transient Swift J1644+57 was produced by a collimated relativistic jet formed in the aftermath of a tidal disruption (TD) of a star by a massive black hole (BH). Some of the properties of the event are, however, difficult to explain within the TD scenario: (1) extreme flaring and `plateau' shape of the gamma-ray/X-ray light curve during the first 10 days after the gamma-ray trigger; (2) unexpected rebrightening of the forward shock radio emission months after trigger; (3) no obvious evidence for jet precession, despite misalignment typically expected between the angular momentum of the accretion disk and BH; (4) recent abrupt shut-off in jet X-ray emission after 1.5 years. Here we show that all of these seemingly disparate mysteries are naturally resolved by one assumption: the presence of strong magnetic flux Phi threading the BH. Initially, Phi is weak relative to high fall-back mass accretion rate, Mdot, and the disk and jets precess about the BH axis = our line of sight. As Mdot drops, Phi becomes dynamically important and leads to a magnetically-arrested disk (MAD). MAD naturally aligns disk and jet axis along the BH spin axis, but only after a violent rearrangement phase (jet wobbling). This explains the erratic light curve at early times and the lack of precession at later times. We use our model for Swift J1644+57 to constrain BH and disrupted star properties, finding that a solar-mass main sequence star disrupted by a relatively low mass, 10^5-10^6 Msun, BH is consistent with the data, while a WD disruption (though still possible) is disfavored. The magnetic flux required to power Swift J1644+57 is too large to be supplied by the star itself, but it could be collected from a quiescent `fossil' accretion disk present in the galactic nucleus prior to the TD. The presence (lack of) of such a fossil disk could be a deciding factor in what TD events are accompanied by powerful jets.

The role of disc self-gravity in circumbinary planet systems - I. Disc structure and evolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mutter, Matthew M.; Pierens, Arnaud; Nelson, Richard P.

2017-03-01

We present the results of two-dimensional hydrodynamic simulations of self-gravitating circumbinary discs around binaries whose parameters match those of the circumbinary planet-hosting systems Kepler-16, Kepler-34 and Kepler-35. Previous work has shown that non-self-gravitating discs in these systems form an eccentric precessing inner cavity due to tidal truncation by the binary, and planets which form at large radii migrate until stalling at this cavity. Whilst this scenario appears to provide a natural explanation for the observed orbital locations of the circumbinary planets, previous simulations have failed to match the observed planet orbital parameters. The aim of this work is to examine the role of self-gravity in modifying circumbinary disc structure as a function of disc mass, prior to considering the evolution of embedded circumbinary planets. In agreement with previous work, we find that for disc masses between one and five times the minimum mass solar nebula (MMSN), disc self-gravity affects modest changes in the structure and evolution of circumbinary discs. Increasing the disc mass to 10 or 20 MMSN leads to two dramatic changes in disc structure. First, the scale of the inner cavity shrinks substantially, bringing its outer edge closer to the binary. Secondly, in addition to the eccentric inner cavity, additional precessing eccentric ring-like features develop in the outer regions of the discs. If planet formation starts early in the disc lifetime, these changes will have a significant impact on the formation and evolution of planets and precursor material.

Misaligned Accretion and Jet Production

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

King, Andrew; Nixon, Chris

2018-04-01

Disk accretion onto a black hole is often misaligned from its spin axis. If the disk maintains a significant magnetic field normal to its local plane, we show that dipole radiation from Lense–Thirring precessing disk annuli can extract a significant fraction of the accretion energy, sharply peaked toward small disk radii R (as R ‑17/2 for fields with constant equipartition ratio). This low-frequency emission is immediately absorbed by surrounding matter or refracted toward the regions of lowest density. The resultant mechanical pressure, dipole angular pattern, and much lower matter density toward the rotational poles create a strong tendency to drive jets along the black hole spin axis, similar to the spin-axis jets of radio pulsars, also strong dipole emitters. The coherent primary emission may explain the high brightness temperatures seen in jets. The intrinsic disk emission is modulated at Lense–Thirring frequencies near the inner edge, providing a physical mechanism for low-frequency quasi-periodic oscillations (QPOs). Dipole emission requires nonzero hole spin, but uses only disk accretion energy. No spin energy is extracted, unlike the Blandford–Znajek process. Magnetohydrodynamic/general-relativistic magnetohydrodynamic (MHD/GRMHD) formulations do not directly give radiation fields, but can be checked post-process for dipole emission and therefore self-consistency, given sufficient resolution. Jets driven by dipole radiation should be more common in active galactic nuclei (AGN) than in X-ray binaries, and in low accretion-rate states than high, agreeing with observation. In non-black hole accretion, misaligned disk annuli precess because of the accretor’s mass quadrupole moment, similarly producing jets and QPOs.

Planet formation in binary systems: simulating coagulation using analytically determined collision velocities.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Silsbee, Kedron; Rafikov, Roman

2017-06-01

The existence of planets in tight binary systems presents an interesting puzzle. It is thought that cores of giant planets form via agglomeration of planetesimals in mutual collisions. However, in tight binary systems, one would naïvely expect the collision velocities between planetesimals to be so high that even 100 km bodies would be destroyed, rather than growing in mutual collisions. In these systems, planetesimals are perturbed by gravity from the companion star, and gravity and gas drag from a massive eccentric gas disk. There is a damaging secular resonance that occurs due to the combination of disk gravity and gravity from the binary companion, however the disk gravity can also create locations of low relative eccentricity between planetesimals of different sizes that would not exist if the disk gravity were ignored. Because the gas drag acts more strongly on smaller planetesimals, orbital eccentricity and apsidal angle depend on planetesimal size. Consequently, planetesimal collision velocities depend on the sizes of the collision partners. Same-size bodies collide at low velocity because their orbits are apsidally aligned. Therefore, often in a given environment some collisions will lead to planetesimal growth, and some to erosion or destruction. This variety of collisional outcomes makes it difficult to determine whether any planetesimals can grow to large sizes. We run a multi-annulus coagulation/fragmentation simulation that also includes the effect of size-dependent radial drift of planetesimals to determine the minimum size of initial planetesimal necessary for growth to large sizes in collisions. The minimum initial size of planetesimal necessary for growth depends greatly on the disk mass, eccentricity and the degree of apsidal alignment with the binary. We find that in a wide variety of situations, it is a reasonable approximation that growth occurs as long as there are no collisions capable of completely destroying a planetesimal, but erosion by moderately damaging collisions can also prevent growth from occurring.

Overstable librations can account for the paucity of mean motion resonances among exoplanet pairs

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Goldreich, Peter; Schlichting, Hilke E., E-mail: pmg@ias.edu, E-mail: hilke@mit.edu

2014-02-01

We assess the multi-planet systems discovered by the Kepler satellite in terms of current ideas about orbital migration and eccentricity damping due to planet-disk interactions. Our primary focus is on first order mean motion resonances, which we investigate analytically to lowest order in eccentricity. Only a few percent of planet pairs are in close proximity to a resonance. However, predicted migration rates (parameterized by τ{sub n}=n/| n-dot |) imply that during convergent migration most planets would have been captured into first order resonances. Eccentricity damping (parameterized by τ{sub e}=e/| e-dot |) offers a plausible resolution. Estimates suggest τ {sub e}/τmore » {sub n} ∼ (h/a){sup 2} ∼ 10{sup –2}, where h/a is the ratio of disk thickness to radius. Together, eccentricity damping and orbital migration give rise to an equilibrium eccentricity, e {sub eq} ∼ (τ {sub e}/τ {sub n}){sup 1/2}. Capture is permanent provided e {sub eq} ≲ μ{sup 1/3}, where μ denotes the planet to star mass ratio. But for e {sub eq} ≳ μ{sup 1/3}, capture is only temporary because librations around equilibrium are overstable and lead to passage through resonance on timescale τ {sub e}. Most Kepler planet pairs have e {sub eq} > μ{sup 1/3}. Since τ {sub n} >> τ {sub e} is the timescale for migration between neighboring resonances, only a modest percentage of pairs end up trapped in resonances after the disk disappears. Thus the paucity of resonances among Kepler pairs should not be taken as evidence for in situ planet formation or the disruptive effects of disk turbulence. Planet pairs close to a mean motion resonance typically exhibit period ratios 1%-2% larger than those for exact resonance. The direction of this shift undoubtedly reflects the same asymmetry that requires convergent migration for resonance capture. Permanent resonance capture at these separations from exact resonance would demand μ(τ {sub n}/τ {sub e}){sup 1/2} ≳ 0.01, a value that estimates of μ from transit data and (τ {sub e}/τ {sub n}){sup 1/2} from theory are insufficient to match. Plausible alternatives involve eccentricity damping during or after disk dispersal. The overstability referred to above has applications beyond those considered in this investigation. It was discovered numerically by Meyer and Wisdom in their study of the tidal evolution of Saturn's satellites.« less

A Study on the Characteristics of the Structure of Vega's Debris Disk

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lu, Tao; Ji, Jiang-hui

2013-10-01

The clumpy structure in the Vega's debris disk was reported at millimeter wavelengths previously, and attributed to the concentration of dust grains trapped in resonances with a potential high-eccentricity planet. However, current imaging at multi-wavelengths with higher sensitivity indicates that the Vega's debris disk has a smooth structure. But a planet orbiting Vega could not be neglected, and the present-day observations may place a severe constraint on the orbital parameters for the potential planet. Herein, we utilize the modi- fied MERCURY codes to numerically simulate the Vega system, which consists of a debris disk and a planet. In our simulations, the initial inner and outer boundaries of the debris disk are assumed to be 80 AU and 120 AU, respectively. The dust grains in the disk have the sizes from 10 μm to 100 μm, and the nearly coplanar orbits. From the outcomes, we show that the evolution of debris disk is consistent with recent observations, if there is no planet orbiting Vega. However, if Vega owns a planet with a high eccentricity (e.g., e = 0.6), the planet's semi- major axis cannot be larger than 60 AU, otherwise, an aggregation phenomenon will occur in the debris disk due to the existence of the postulated planet. In addition, the 2:1 mean motion resonances may play a significant role in forming the structure of debris disk.

The fate of scattered planets

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bromley, Benjamin C.; Kenyon, Scott J., E-mail: bromley@physics.utah.edu, E-mail: skenyon@cfa.harvard.edu

2014-12-01

As gas giant planets evolve, they may scatter other planets far from their original orbits to produce hot Jupiters or rogue planets that are not gravitationally bound to any star. Here, we consider planets cast out to large orbital distances on eccentric, bound orbits through a gaseous disk. With simple numerical models, we show that super-Earths can interact with the gas through dynamical friction to settle in the remote outer regions of a planetary system. Outcomes depend on planet mass, the initial scattered orbit, and the evolution of the time-dependent disk. Efficient orbital damping by dynamical friction requires planets atmore » least as massive as the Earth. More massive, longer-lived disks damp eccentricities more efficiently than less massive, short-lived ones. Transition disks with an expanding inner cavity can circularize orbits at larger distances than disks that experience a global (homologous) decay in surface density. Thus, orbits of remote planets may reveal the evolutionary history of their primordial gas disks. A remote planet with an orbital distance ∼100 AU from the Sun is plausible and might explain correlations in the orbital parameters of several distant trans-Neptunian objects.« less

Star formation around supermassive black holes.

PubMed

Bonnell, I A; Rice, W K M

2008-08-22

The presence of young massive stars orbiting on eccentric rings within a few tenths of a parsec of the supermassive black hole in the galactic center is challenging for theories of star formation. The high tidal shear from the black hole should tear apart the molecular clouds that form stars elsewhere in the Galaxy, and transport of stars to the galactic center also appears unlikely during their lifetimes. We conducted numerical simulations of the infall of a giant molecular cloud that interacts with the black hole. The transfer of energy during closest approach allows part of the cloud to become bound to the black hole, forming an eccentric disk that quickly fragments to form stars. Compressional heating due to the black hole raises the temperature of the gas up to several hundred to several thousand kelvin, ensuring that the fragmentation produces relatively high stellar masses. These stars retain the eccentricity of the disk and, for a sufficiently massive initial cloud, produce an extremely top-heavy distribution of stellar masses. This potentially repetitive process may explain the presence of multiple eccentric rings of young stars in the presence of a supermassive black hole.

An anchored astronomical time-scale for the Turonian reference sections in the Umbria-Marche Basin, Italy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

De Vleeschouwer, D.; Montanari, A.; Coccioni, R.

2012-04-01

In the Umbria-Marche basin, the aftermath of Ocean Anoxic Event 2 (OAE2, Bonarelli Level) is represented by the Turonian part of the Scaglia Rossa Formation. The Scaglia Rossa pelagic limestones were studied in the classic Contessa and Bottaccione sections near Gubbio, in the Umbria-Marche region of the northeastern Apennines of Italy. Oscillations between radiolarian cherts interbedded with foram-coccolith pelagic limestones are interpreted to follow the rhythm of precession and show hierarchical bundles, which are suggestive of eccentricity-related grouping. Eccentricity-bundles are correlated amongst the two studied sections. Moreover, the magnetic susceptibility signal of the Bottaccione section and the δ18O and δ13C record of both sections clearly demonstrate the imprint of precession and eccentricity. Eccentricity minima are associated with relatively warm periods (δ18O minima), characterized by an increased magnetic susceptibility signal and radiolarian blooms, which are expressed by frequent chert beds. Radiolarian blooms seem to hamper primary productivity, given that they correlate with δ13C minima. The delineated astronomical cycles constitute an eccentricity-based cyclostratigraphy for the Turonian part of the Scaglia Rossa. Moreover, the constructed cyclostratigraphy is anchored to numerical time by calibration with the astronomical solution La2010 (Laskar et al., 2011) and with recent radioisotopic ages from the Cenomanian-Turonian boundary interval near the GSSP in Colorado, USA (Meyers et al., 2012). The numerical age (93.9 ± 0.15 Ma; Meyers et al., 2012) of the Cenomanian-Turonian boundary (0.75 m above the top of the Bonarelli Level in the Contessa section; Tsikos et al., 2004; Kennedy et al., 2005) is used as the pinpoint to which our astronomical time-scale is anchored. Using the anchored astronomical time-scale for the Turonian of the Umbria-Marche basin, the top of the Bonarelli Level is placed at 93.97 ± 0.25 Ma, and the boundary between the Whiteinella archaeocretacea and Helvetoglobotruncana helvetica planktonic foraminiferal zones is put at 93.48 ± 0.25 Ma. These ages are consistent with the numerical ages obtained from radioisotopic dating of the near-GSSP USGS #1 Portland core (Meyers et al., 2012). High-resolution XRF geochemical analysis through the 82 cm thick Bonarelli Level in the Bottaccione section at Gubbio, reveals four strong ~21 cm thick cycles. Spectral analyses on the SiO2 and Al2O3 concentration and in the Si/Al ratio suggest an eccentricity and precession signature if one assumes an average sedimentation rate of 2.0 m/Myr during the OAE2 in this pelagic basin. These results indicate a duration of ~410 kyr for the Bonarelli Level and place the bottom of this anoxic interval at 94.38 ± 0.25 Ma. In the near future, the latter marker-bed could be used to connect the astronomical time-scale presented in this abstract to the Cenomanian astronomical time-scale based on the nearby Furlo section (Batenburg et al., this session), in order to obtain a considerably long (> 5 Myr) astronomically calibrated time-scale across a an intriguing time interval in Earth history, with unprecedented precision and accuracy.

System Architectures Near the 2:1 Resonance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boisvert, John; Steffen, Jason H.; Nelson, Benjamin E.

2018-01-01

Uncovering the architectures of planetary systems give insight into their formation and evolution. For example, the protoplanetary disk in multi-planet systems can drive adjacent planets into mean-motion resonances (such as the 2:1), while simultaneously damping their eccentricities. On the other hand, planet-planet scattering will produce single planets with eccentric orbits.In the RV signal, there is a degeneracy between models with two planets on circular orbits near the 2:1 period ratio and single planets on eccentric orbits. Historically, single planet models have been favored on simplicity grounds. However, the prominence of the 2:1 period ratio for systems observed by Kepler motivates additional scrutiny for single eccentric systems.We analyzed 95 planetary systems from the NASA Exoplanet Archive that are reported as single planet systems. We fit models of single eccentrics, circular doubles with a period ratio of 2:1, and circular doubles with a period ratio near 2.17:1 to the data. We computed the Bayes factors between each model in order to determine which is more likely given the current data. We find a significant fraction of these systems prefer double planet models. New observations are being planned to further break the degeneracy for these systems. This fraction suggests that disk-migration may be more important than the currently reported parameters propose.

Dynamical models to explain observations with SPHERE in planetary systems with double debris belts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lazzoni, C.; Desidera, S.; Marzari, F.; Boccaletti, A.; Langlois, M.; Mesa, D.; Gratton, R.; Kral, Q.; Pawellek, N.; Olofsson, J.; Bonnefoy, M.; Chauvin, G.; Lagrange, A. M.; Vigan, A.; Sissa, E.; Antichi, J.; Avenhaus, H.; Baruffolo, A.; Baudino, J. L.; Bazzon, A.; Beuzit, J. L.; Biller, B.; Bonavita, M.; Brandner, W.; Bruno, P.; Buenzli, E.; Cantalloube, F.; Cascone, E.; Cheetham, A.; Claudi, R. U.; Cudel, M.; Daemgen, S.; De Caprio, V.; Delorme, P.; Fantinel, D.; Farisato, G.; Feldt, M.; Galicher, R.; Ginski, C.; Girard, J.; Giro, E.; Janson, M.; Hagelberg, J.; Henning, T.; Incorvaia, S.; Kasper, M.; Kopytova, T.; LeCoroller, H.; Lessio, L.; Ligi, R.; Maire, A. L.; Ménard, F.; Meyer, M.; Milli, J.; Mouillet, D.; Peretti, S.; Perrot, C.; Rouan, D.; Samland, M.; Salasnich, B.; Salter, G.; Schmidt, T.; Scuderi, S.; Sezestre, E.; Turatto, M.; Udry, S.; Wildi, F.; Zurlo, A.

2018-03-01

Context. A large number of systems harboring a debris disk show evidence for a double belt architecture. One hypothesis for explaining the gap between the debris belts in these disks is the presence of one or more planets dynamically carving it. For this reason these disks represent prime targets for searching planets using direct imaging instruments, like the Spectro-Polarimetric High-constrast Exoplanet Research (SPHERE) at the Very Large Telescope. Aim. The goal of this work is to investigate this scenario in systems harboring debris disks divided into two components, placed, respectively, in the inner and outer parts of the system. All the targets in the sample were observed with the SPHERE instrument, which performs high-contrast direct imaging, during the SHINE guaranteed time observations. Positions of the inner and outer belts were estimated by spectral energy distribution fitting of the infrared excesses or, when available, from resolved images of the disk. Very few planets have been observed so far in debris disks gaps and we intended to test if such non-detections depend on the observational limits of the present instruments. This aim is achieved by deriving theoretical predictions of masses, eccentricities, and semi-major axes of planets able to open the observed gaps and comparing such parameters with detection limits obtained with SPHERE. Methods: The relation between the gap and the planet is due to the chaotic zone neighboring the orbit of the planet. The radial extent of this zone depends on the mass ratio between the planet and the star, on the semi-major axis, and on the eccentricity of the planet, and it can be estimated analytically. We first tested the different analytical predictions using a numerical tool for the detection of chaotic behavior and then selected the best formula for estimating a planet's physical and dynamical properties required to open the observed gap. We then apply the formalism to the case of one single planet on a circular or eccentric orbit. We then consider multi-planetary systems: two and three equal-mass planets on circular orbits and two equal-mass planets on eccentric orbits in a packed configuration. As a final step, we compare each couple of values (Mp, ap), derived from the dynamical analysis of single and multiple planetary models, with the detection limits obtained with SPHERE. Results: For one single planet on a circular orbit we obtain conclusive results that allow us to exclude such a hypothesis since in most cases this configuration requires massive planets which should have been detected by our observations. Unsatisfactory is also the case of one single planet on an eccentric orbit for which we obtained high masses and/or eccentricities which are still at odds with observations. Introducing multi planetary architectures is encouraging because for the case of three packed equal-mass planets on circular orbits we obtain quite low masses for the perturbing planets which would remain undetected by our SPHERE observations. The case of two equal-mass planets on eccentric orbits is also of interest since it suggests the possible presence of planets with masses lower than the detection limits and with moderate eccentricity. Our results show that the apparent lack of planets in gaps between double belts could be explained by the presence of a system of two or more planets possibly of low mass and on eccentric orbits whose sizes are below the present detection limits. Based on observations collected at Paranal Observatory, ESO (Chile) Program ID: 095.C-0298, 096.C-0241, 097.C-0865, and 198.C-0209.

Gas Debris Disks: A New Way to Produce Dust Patterns

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kuchner, Marc J.

2012-01-01

Debris disks like those around Fomalhaut and Beta Pictoris show striking dust patterns often attributed to planets. But adding a bit of gas to our models of these disks--too little to detect-could alter this interpretation. Small amounts of gas lead to new dynamical instabilities that may mimic the narrow eccentric rings and other structures planets would create in a gas-free disk. rll discuss these phenomena and whether or not we can still use dust patterns as indicators of hidden exoplanets.

Frequency modulation reveals the phasing of orbital eccentricity during Cretaceous Oceanic Anoxic Event II and the Eocene hyperthermals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Laurin, Jiří; Meyers, Stephen R.; Galeotti, Simone; Lanci, Luca

2016-05-01

Major advances in our understanding of paleoclimate change derive from a precise reconstruction of the periods, amplitudes and phases of the 'Milankovitch cycles' of precession, obliquity and eccentricity. While numerous quantitative approaches exist for the identification of these astronomical cycles in stratigraphic data, limitations in radioisotopic dating, and instability of the theoretical astronomical solutions beyond ∼50 Myr ago, can challenge identification of the phase relationships needed to constrain climate response and anchor floating astrochronologies. Here we demonstrate that interference patterns accompanying frequency modulation (FM) of short eccentricity provide a robust basis for identifying the phase of long eccentricity forcing in stratigraphic data. One- and two-dimensional models of sedimentary distortion of the astronomical signal are used to evaluate the veracity of the FM method, and indicate that pristine eccentricity FM can be readily distinguished in paleo-records. Apart from paleoclimatic implications, the FM approach provides a quantitative technique for testing and calibrating theoretical astronomical solutions, and for refining chronologies for the deep past. We present two case studies that use the FM approach to evaluate major carbon-cycle perturbations of the Eocene and Late Cretaceous. Interference patterns in the short-eccentricity band reveal that Eocene hyperthermals ETM2 ('Elmo'), H2, I1 and ETM3 (X; ∼52-54 Myr ago) were associated with maxima in the 405-kyr cycle of orbital eccentricity. The same eccentricity configuration favored regional anoxic episodes in the Mediterranean during the Middle and Late Cenomanian (∼94.5-97 Myr ago). The initial phase of the global Oceanic Anoxic Event II (OAE II; ∼93.9-94.5 Myr ago) coincides with maximum and falling 405-kyr eccentricity, and the recovery phase occurs during minimum and rising 405-kyr eccentricity. On a Myr scale, the event overlaps with a node in eccentricity amplitudes. Both studies underscore the importance of seasonality in pacing major climatic perturbations during greenhouse times.

HIDING IN THE SHADOWS. II. COLLISIONAL DUST AS EXOPLANET MARKERS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dobinson, Jack; Leinhardt, Zoë M.; Lines, Stefan

Observations of the youngest planets (∼1–10 Myr for a transitional disk) will increase the accuracy of our planet formation models. Unfortunately, observations of such planets are challenging and time-consuming to undertake, even in ideal circumstances. Therefore, we propose the determination of a set of markers that can preselect promising exoplanet-hosting candidate disks. To this end, N-body simulations were conducted to investigate the effect of an embedded Jupiter-mass planet on the dynamics of the surrounding planetesimal disk and the resulting creation of second-generation collisional dust. We use a new collision model that allows fragmentation and erosion of planetesimals, and dust-sized fragmentsmore » are simulated in a post-process step including non-gravitational forces due to stellar radiation and a gaseous protoplanetary disk. Synthetic images from our numerical simulations show a bright double ring at 850 μm for a low-eccentricity planet, whereas a high-eccentricity planet would produce a characteristic inner ring with asymmetries in the disk. In the presence of first-generation primordial dust these markers would be difficult to detect far from the orbit of the embedded planet, but would be detectable inside a gap of planetary origin in a transitional disk.« less

Black Hole with Wobbling Disk Artist Concept

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-07-12

This artist's impression depicts the accretion disc surrounding a black hole, in which the inner region of the disc precesses. "Precession" means that the orbit of material surrounding the black hole changes orientation around the central object. In these three views, the precessing inner disc shines high-energy radiation that strikes the matter in the surrounding accretion disc. This causes the iron atoms in that disc to emit X-rays, depicted as the glow on the accretion disc to the right (in view a), to the front (in view b) and to the left (in view c) (see Figure 1). In a study published in July 2016, astronomers used data from ESA's XMM-Newton X-ray Observatory and NASA's NuSTAR telescope to measure this "wobble" in X-ray emission from excited iron atoms. Scientists interpreted this as evidence for the Lense-Thirring effect -- a name for the precession phenomenon -- in the strong gravitational field of a black hole. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA20697

On the Obliquities of Planets in Close-in, Compact Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Millholland, Sarah; Laughlin, Gregory

2018-04-01

Secular spin-orbit resonances can be encountered when planets sweep through commensurabilities between nodal and spin-axis precession frequencies, for example, during disk-driven migration. These encounters can induce significant planetary spin-axis misalignment and capture into a “Cassini state”, a configuration involving synchronous precession of the planetary spin and orbital angular momentum vectors. We show that typical extrasolar systems – exemplified by the Kepler close-in, coplanar multiple-planet systems – frequently have nodal and spin-axis precession frequencies that are near-commensurable. This implies that obliquity-pumping should be common if the planets undergo any migration. We present analytic and numerical models of the spin evolution of typical Kepler-multi-type systems subject to the influences of disk migration, the quadrupole potential of an oblate young star, and tidal dissipation. Among other consequences of large obliquities, we find that the several orders of magnitude enhancement in tidal dissipation strength at non-zero obliquity may be able to generate the observed excess of planet pairs with period ratios just wide of 2:1 and 3:2. Though tidal origins of these excesses have previously been discussed, tidal dissipation is insufficient to reproduce the observations unless planets have non-negligible obliquities at some time in their history.

On the Nature of Part-Time Radio Pulsars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Xiang-Dong

2006-08-01

The recent discovery of rotating radio transients and the quasi-periodicity of pulsar activity in the radio pulsar PSR B1931+24 has challenged the conventional theory of radio pulsar emission. Here we suggest that these phenomena could be due to the interaction between the neutron star magnetosphere and the surrounding debris disk. The pattern of pulsar emission depends on whether the disk can penetrate the light cylinder and efficiently quench the processes of particle production and acceleration inside the magnetospheric gap. A precessing disk may naturally account for the switch-on/off behavior in PSR B1931+24.

Tilted-ring models of the prolate spiral galaxies NGC 5033 and 5055

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Christodoulou, Dimitris M.; Tohline, Joel E.; Steiman-Cameron, Thomas Y.

1988-01-01

Observations of the kinematics of H I in the disks of spiral galaxies have shown that isovelocity contours often exhibit a twisted pattern. The shape of a galaxy's gravitational potential well (whether due to luminous matter or dark matter) can be determined from the direction of the twist. If this twist is a manifestation of the precession of a nonsteady-state disk, it is shown that the twists of NGC 5033 and 5055 imply an overall prolate shape, with the major axis of the potential well aligned along the rotation axis of the disk. Therefore, the luminous disks of these galaxies must be embedded in dark halos that are prolate spheroids or prolatelike triaxial figures.

Dynamics and Origin of the 2:1 Orbital Resonances of the GJ 876 Planets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Man Hoi; Peale, S. J.

2002-03-01

The discovery by Marcy and coworkers of two planets in 2:1 orbital resonance about the star GJ 876 has been supplemented by a dynamical fit to the data by Laughlin & Chambers, which places the planets in coplanar orbits deep in three resonances at the 2:1 mean-motion commensurability. The selection of this almost singular state by the dynamical fit means that the resonances are almost certainly real, and with the small amplitudes of libration of the resonance variables, indefinitely stable. Several unusual properties of the 2:1 resonances are revealed by the GJ 876 system. The libration of both lowest order mean-motion resonance variables and the secular resonance variable, θ1=λ1- 2λ2+ϖ1, θ2=λ1- 2λ2+ϖ2, and θ3=ϖ1-ϖ2, about 0° (where λ1,2 are the mean longitudes of the inner and outer planet and ϖ1,2 are the longitudes of periapse) differs from the familiar geometry of the Io-Europa pair, where θ2 and θ3 librate about 180°. By considering the condition that ϖ1=ϖ2 for stable simultaneous librations of θ1 and θ2, we show that the GJ 876 geometry results from the large orbital eccentricities ei, whereas the very small eccentricities in the Io-Europa system lead to the latter's geometry. Surprisingly, the GJ 876 configuration, with θ1, θ2, and θ3 all librating, remains stable for e1 up to 0.86 and for amplitude of libration of θ1 approaching 45° with the current eccentricities-further supporting the indefinite stability of the existing system. Any process that drives originally widely separated orbits toward each other could result in capture into the observed resonances at the 2:1 commensurability. We find that forced inward migration of the outer planet of the GJ 876 system results in certain capture into the observed resonances if initially e1<~0.06 and e2<~0.03 and the migration rate |a2/a2|<~3×10- 2(a2/AU)-3/2yr-1. Larger eccentricities lead to likely capture into higher order resonances before the 2:1 commensurability is reached. The planets are sufficiently massive to open gaps in the nebular disk surrounding the young GJ 876 and to clear the disk material between them, and the resulting planet-nebular interaction typically forces the outer planet to migrate inward on the disk viscous timescale, whose inverse is about 3 orders of magnitude less than the above upper bound on |a2/a2| for certain capture. If there is no eccentricity damping, eccentricity growth is rapid with continued migration within the resonance, with ei exceeding the observed values after a further reduction in the semimajor axes ai of only 7%. With eccentricity damping ei/ei=-K|ai/ai|, the eccentricities reach equilibrium values that remain constant for arbitrarily long migration within the resonances. The equilibrium eccentricities are close to the observed eccentricities for K~100 if there is migration and damping of the outer planet only, but for K~10 if there is also migration and damping of the inner planet. This result is independent of the magnitude or functional form of the migration rate ai as long as ei/ei=-K|ai/ai|. Although existing analytic estimates of the effects of planet-nebula interaction are consistent with this form of eccentricity damping for certain disk parameter values, it is as yet unclear that such interaction can produce the large value of K required to obtain the observed eccentricities. The alternative eccentricity damping by tidal dissipation within the star or the planets is completely negligible, so the observed dynamical properties of the GJ 876 system may require an unlikely fine-tuning of the time of resonance capture to be near the end of the nebula lifetime.

A Method to Constrain the Size of the Protosolar Nebula

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kretke, K. A.; Levison, H. F.; Buie, M. W.; Morbidelli, A.

2012-04-01

Observations indicate that the gaseous circumstellar disks around young stars vary significantly in size, ranging from tens to thousands of AU. Models of planet formation depend critically upon the properties of these primordial disks, yet in general it is impossible to connect an existing planetary system with an observed disk. We present a method by which we can constrain the size of our own protosolar nebula using the properties of the small body reservoirs in the solar system. In standard planet formation theory, after Jupiter and Saturn formed they scattered a significant number of remnant planetesimals into highly eccentric orbits. In this paper, we show that if there had been a massive, extended protoplanetary disk at that time, then the disk would have excited Kozai oscillations in some of the scattered objects, driving them into high-inclination (i >~ 50°), low-eccentricity orbits (q >~ 30 AU). The dissipation of the gaseous disk would strand a subset of objects in these high-inclination orbits; orbits that are stable on Gyr timescales. To date, surveys have not detected any Kuiper-belt objects with orbits consistent with this dynamical mechanism. Using these non-detections by the Deep Ecliptic Survey and the Palomar Distant Solar System Survey we are able to rule out an extended gaseous protoplanetary disk (RD >~ 80 AU) in our solar system at the time of Jupiter's formation. Future deep all sky surveys such as the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope will allow us to further constrain the size of the protoplanetary disk.

Astronomical cycle origin of bedded chert: A middle Triassic bedded chert sequence, Inuyama, Japan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ikeda, Masayuki; Tada, Ryuji; Sakuma, Hironobu

2010-09-01

Astronomical forcing is one of the main drivers of climate change, and astronomical cyclicity recorded in sediments provides a clue to understand the dynamics of the global climate system. Bedded cherts consist of rhythmic alternations of chert and shale beds. Although previous studies have hypothesized that the origin of bedded chert is related to astronomical cycles (e.g. Fischer, 1976; Hori et al., 1993), conclusive proof remains elusive. To explore this possibility, we established a continuous, high-resolution lithostratigraphy of middle Triassic bedded chert in Central Japan. The average duration of each chert-shale couplet is 20 kyr, similar to that of the precession cycle. Spectral analysis of a bed number series of thickness variations in chert beds was performed assuming that each chert-shale couplet represents a 20-kyr precession cycle. The results reveal cycles involving approximately 200, 20, 5, and 2-3 beds, corresponding to periodicities of approximately 4000, 400, 100, and 40-60 kyr, respectively. By further assuming that the 20-bed cycle represents a 405-kyr eccentricity cycle of constant and stable periodicity, we converted the bed number series to a time series. Spectral analysis of the time series revealed distinct periodicities of 3600, 117, 97, and 38 kyr, in addition to 405 kyr. Besides 3600 kyr, these periodicities agree well with the 120, 95, and 37 kyr periodicities for eccentricity cycles and the obliquity cycle during the Triassic. Moreover, we detected amplitude modulation of the approximately 100-kyr cycle of thickness variations in chert beds with a 405-kyr periodicity, which may correspond to amplitude modulation of 100-kyr climatic precession cycle with the 405-kyr periodicity. The approximately 3600-kyr periodicity described above and 1800-kyr periodicity manifested as the amplitude modulation of the 405-kyr cycle are correlated to present-day long-term eccentricity cycles of 2400 and 4800 kyr evolved by chaotic behavior of solar planets. Collectively, these similarities in the periodicities of dominant cycles, their hierarchy, and the nature of amplitude modulation of cycles in chert bed thickness with those of astronomical cycles strongly support the hypothesis that the sedimentary rhythm of bedded chert is paced by astronomical cycles, thereby indicating the potential of bedded chert as a template for a Mesozoic cyclostratigraphy.

MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMIC SIMULATION OF A DISK SUBJECTED TO LENSE-THIRRING PRECESSION

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sorathia, Kareem A.; Krolik, Julian H.; Hawley, John F.

2013-11-01

When matter orbits around a central mass obliquely with respect to the mass's spin axis, the Lense-Thirring effect causes it to precess at a rate declining sharply with radius. Ever since the work of Bardeen and Petterson, it has been expected that when a fluid fills an orbiting disk, the orbital angular momentum at small radii should then align with the mass's spin. Nearly all previous work has studied this alignment under the assumption that a phenomenological 'viscosity' isotropically degrades fluid shears in accretion disks, even though it is now understood that internal stress in flat disks is due tomore » anisotropic MHD turbulence. In this paper we report a pair of matched simulations, one in MHD and one in pure (non-viscous) HD in order to clarify the specific mechanisms of alignment. As in the previous work, we find that disk warps induce radial flows that mix angular momentum of different orientation; however, we also show that the speeds of these flows are generically transonic and are only very weakly influenced by internal stresses other than pressure. In particular, MHD turbulence does not act in a manner consistent with an isotropic viscosity. When MHD effects are present, the disk aligns, first at small radii and then at large; alignment is only partial in the HD case. We identify the specific angular momentum transport mechanisms causing alignment and show how MHD effects permit them to operate more efficiently. Last, we relate the speed at which an alignment front propagates outward (in the MHD case) to the rate at which Lense-Thirring torques deliver angular momentum at smaller radii.« less

Teetering Stars: Resonant Excitation of Stellar Obliquities by Hot and Warm Jupiters with External Companions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anderson, Kassandra; Lai, Dong

2018-04-01

Stellar spin-orbit misalignments (obliquities) in hot Jupiter systems have been extensively probed in recent years thanks to Rossiter-McLaughlin observations. Such obliquities may reveal clues about hot Jupiter dynamical and migration histories. Common explanations for generating stellar obliquities include high-eccentricity migration, or primordial disk misalignment. This talk investigates another mechanism for producing stellar spin-orbit misalignments in systems hosting a close-in giant planet with an external, inclined planetary companion. Spin-orbit misalignment may be excited due to a secular resonance, occurring when the precession rate of the stellar spin axis (due to the inner orbit) becomes comparable to the precession rate of the inner orbital axis (due to the outer companion). Due to the spin-down of the host star via magnetic braking, this resonance may be achieved at some point during the star's main sequence lifetime for a wide range of giant planet masses and orbital architectures. We focus on both hot Jupiters (with orbital periods less than ten days) and warm Jupiters (with orbital periods around tens of days), and identify the outer perburber properties needed to generate substantial obliquities via resonant excitation, in terms of mass, separation, and inclination. For hot Jupiters, the stellar spin axis is strongly coupled to the orbital axis, and resonant excitation of obliquity requires a close perturber, located within 1-2 AU. For warm Jupiters, the spin and orbital axes are more weakly coupled, and the resonance may be achieved for more distant perturbers (at several to tens of AU). Resonant excitation of the stellar obliquity is accompanied by a decrease in the planets' mutual orbital inclination, and can thus erase high mutual inclinations in two-planet systems. Since many warm Jupiters are known to have outer planetary companions at several AU or beyond, stellar obliquities in warm Jupiter systems may be common, regardless of the formation/migration mechanism. Future observations probing warm Jupiter obliquities may indicate the presence of a hitherto undetected outer companion.

Effects of rolling friction on a spinning coin or disk

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cross, Rod

2018-05-01

Experimental and theoretical results are presented concerning the motion of a spinning disk on a horizontal surface. The disk precesses about a vertical axis while falling either quickly or slowly onto the surface depending on the coefficient of rolling friction. The rate of fall also depends on the offset distance, in the rolling direction, between the centre of mass and the line of action of the normal reaction force. Euler’s angular momentum equations are solved to obtain estimates of both the coefficient of friction and the offset distance for a 50.6 mm diameter brass disk spinning on three different surfaces. The fall times varied from about 3 s on P800 emery paper to about 30 s on glass.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Esposito, Thomas M.; Fitzgerald, Michael P.; Graham, James R.

Here, the HD 61005 debris disk ("The Moth") stands out from the growing collection of spatially resolved circumstellar disks by virtue of its unusual swept-back morphology, brightness asymmetries, and dust ring offset. Despite several suggestions for the physical mechanisms creating these features, no definitive answer has been found. In this work, we demonstrate the plausibility of a scenario in which the disk material is shaped dynamically by an eccentric, inclined planet. We present new Keck NIRC2 scattered-light angular differential imaging of the disk at 1.2–2.3 μm that further constrains its outer morphology (projected separations of 27–135 au). We also presentmore » complementary Gemini Planet Imager 1.6 μm total intensity and polarized light detections that probe down to projected separations less than 10 au. To test our planet-sculpting hypothesis, we employed secular perturbation theory to construct parent body and dust distributions that informed scattered-light models. We found that this method produced models with morphological and photometric features similar to those seen in the data, supporting the premise of a planet-perturbed disk. Briefly, our results indicate a disk parent body population with a semimajor axis of 40–52 au and an interior planet with an eccentricity of at least 0.2. Many permutations of planet mass and semimajor axis are allowed, ranging from an Earth mass at 35 au to a Jupiter mass at 5 au.« less

Bringing "The Moth" to light: A planet-sculpting scenario for the HD 61005 debris disk

DOE PAGES

Esposito, Thomas M.; Fitzgerald, Michael P.; Graham, James R.; ...

2016-09-16

Here, the HD 61005 debris disk ("The Moth") stands out from the growing collection of spatially resolved circumstellar disks by virtue of its unusual swept-back morphology, brightness asymmetries, and dust ring offset. Despite several suggestions for the physical mechanisms creating these features, no definitive answer has been found. In this work, we demonstrate the plausibility of a scenario in which the disk material is shaped dynamically by an eccentric, inclined planet. We present new Keck NIRC2 scattered-light angular differential imaging of the disk at 1.2–2.3 μm that further constrains its outer morphology (projected separations of 27–135 au). We also presentmore » complementary Gemini Planet Imager 1.6 μm total intensity and polarized light detections that probe down to projected separations less than 10 au. To test our planet-sculpting hypothesis, we employed secular perturbation theory to construct parent body and dust distributions that informed scattered-light models. We found that this method produced models with morphological and photometric features similar to those seen in the data, supporting the premise of a planet-perturbed disk. Briefly, our results indicate a disk parent body population with a semimajor axis of 40–52 au and an interior planet with an eccentricity of at least 0.2. Many permutations of planet mass and semimajor axis are allowed, ranging from an Earth mass at 35 au to a Jupiter mass at 5 au.« less

ON THE LIKELIHOOD OF PLANET FORMATION IN CLOSE BINARIES

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jang-Condell, Hannah, E-mail: hjangcon@uwyo.edu

2015-02-01

To date, several exoplanets have been discovered orbiting stars with close binary companions (a ≲ 30 AU). The fact that planets can form in these dynamically challenging environments implies that planet formation must be a robust process. The initial protoplanetary disks in these systems from which planets must form should be tidally truncated to radii of a few AU, which indicates that the efficiency of planet formation must be high. Here, we examine the truncation of circumstellar protoplanetary disks in close binary systems, studying how the likelihood of planet formation is affected over a range of disk parameters. If themore » semimajor axis of the binary is too small or its eccentricity is too high, the disk will have too little mass for planet formation to occur. However, we find that the stars in the binary systems known to have planets should have once hosted circumstellar disks that were capable of supporting planet formation despite their truncation. We present a way to characterize the feasibility of planet formation based on binary orbital parameters such as stellar mass, companion mass, eccentricity, and semimajor axis. Using this measure, we can quantify the robustness of planet formation in close binaries and better understand the overall efficiency of planet formation in general.« less

Nodding motions of accretion rings and disks - A short-term period in SS 433

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Katz, J. I.; Anderson, S. F.; Grandi, S. A.; Margon, B.

1982-01-01

It is pointed out that accretion disks and rings in mass transfer binaries have been observed spectroscopically and calculated theoretically for many years. The present investigation is partly based on the availability of several years of spectroscopic observations of the Doppler shifts of the moving lines in SS433. A formalism is presented to compute frequencies and amplitudes of short-term 'nodding' motions in precessing accretion disks in close binary systems. This formalism is applied to an analysis of the moving-line Doppler shifts in SS433. The 35d X-ray cycle of Hercules X-1 is also discussed. In the considered model, the companion star exerts a gravitational torque on the disk rim. Averaged over the binary orbit, this yields a steady torque which results in the mean driven counterprecession of the disk.

Tidal torques on infrequently colliding particle disks in binary systems and the truncation of the asteroid belt

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Franklin, F. A.; Lecar, M.; Lin, D. N. C.; Papaloizou, J.

1980-01-01

Conditions leading to the truncation, at the 2:1 resonance, of a disk of infrequently colliding particles surrounding the primary of a binary system are studied numerically and analytically. Attention is given to the case in which the mass ratio, q, is sufficiently small (less than about 0.1) and the radius of the disk centered on the primary allowably larger, so that first-order orbit-orbit resonances between ring material and the secondary can lie within it. Collisions are found to be less frequent than q to the -2/3 power orbital periods (the period of the forced eccentricity at the 2:1 resonance), and truncation occurs and Kirkwood gaps are produced only if the particle eccentricity is less than some critical value, estimated to be of order q to the 5/9 power, or approximately 0.02 for the sun-Jupiter case having q equal to 10 to the -3rd power.

Corkscrew Structures and Precessing Jets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sahai, Raghvendra

2005-07-01

Collimated jets are one of the most intriguing, yet poorly understood phenomena in astrophysics. Jets have been found in a wide variety of object classes which include AGNs, YSOs, massive X-ray binaries {e.g. SS433}, black hole X-ray transients, symbiotic stars, supersoft X-ray sources, and finally, planetary and preplanetary nebulae {PNs & PPNs}. In the case of PNs and PPNs, we have propsoed that wobbling collimated jets are the universal mechanism which can shape the wide variety of bipolar and multipolar morphologies seen in these objects. Most of our knowledge of post-AGB jets is indirectly inferred from their effects on the circumstellar envelopes of the progenitor AGB stars and, for that reason, these jets remain very poorly understood. Thus the mechanism that powers and collimates these jet-like post-AGB outflows remains as one of the most important, unsolved issues in post-AGB evolution. We propose an archival study of two bipolar PPNs, motivated by two recent discoveries which indicate that precessing jets are likely to be operational in them, and that the properties of the jets and the bipolar lobes produced by them, may be directly measured. One of these is IRAS16342-3814 {IRAS1634}, previously imaged with WPFC2, in which new Adaptive Optics {AO} observations at near-IR wavelengths show a remarkable corkscrew-shaped structure, the tell-tale signature of a precessing jet. Inspection of WFPC2 images of another PPN, OH231.8+4.2 in which we have recently discovered a A-type companion to the central mass-losing star, shows a sinuous nebulosity in a broad-band continuum image, resembling a corkscrew structure. We will use the latter to constrain the phsyical properties of the jet {precession period, opening angle, jet beam diameter, temporal history} in OH231.8. Using the multi-wavelength data on both sources, we will build models of the density distribution of the lobes and their interiors. In the case of IRAS1634, these models will be used to investigate the hypothesis that the HST images do not show the corkscrew structure because of opacity effects. Under the assumption that the jets are driven by an accretion disk around the companion, we will use theoretical relationships between disk precession and binary rotation period to estimate the properties of the binary {period, separation}. The results of this study will provide quantitative constraints for jet-driven shaping of PNs and inspire new models for the launching of jets from accretion disks in dying stars with binary companions.

Orbital pacing of carbon fluxes by a ∼9-My eccentricity cycle during the Mesozoic.

PubMed

Martinez, Mathieu; Dera, Guillaume

2015-10-13

Eccentricity, obliquity, and precession are cyclic parameters of the Earth's orbit whose climatic implications have been widely demonstrated on recent and short time intervals. Amplitude modulations of these parameters on million-year time scales induce "grand orbital cycles," but the behavior and the paleoenvironmental consequences of these cycles remain debated for the Mesozoic owing to the chaotic diffusion of the solar system in the past. Here, we test for these cycles from the Jurassic to the Early Cretaceous by analyzing new stable isotope datasets reflecting fluctuations in the carbon cycle and seawater temperatures. Our results document a prominent cyclicity of ∼9 My in the carbon cycle paced by changes in the seasonal dynamics of hydrological processes and long-term sea level fluctuations. These paleoenvironmental changes are linked to a great eccentricity cycle consistent with astronomical solutions. The orbital forcing signal was mainly amplified by cumulative sequestration of organic matter in the boreal wetlands under greenhouse conditions. Finally, we show that the ∼9-My cycle faded during the Pliensbachian, which could either reflect major paleoenvironmental disturbances or a chaotic transition affecting this cycle.

The doubling of stellar black hole nuclei

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kazandjian, Mher V.; Touma, J. R.

2013-04-01

It is strongly believed that Andromeda's double nucleus signals a disc of stars revolving around its central supermassive black hole on eccentric Keplerian orbits with nearly aligned apsides. A self-consistent stellar dynamical origin for such apparently long-lived alignment has so far been lacking, with indications that cluster self-gravity is capable of sustaining such lopsided configurations if and when stimulated by external perturbations. Here, we present results of N-body simulations which show unstable counter-rotating stellar clusters around supermassive black holes saturating into uniformly precessing lopsided nuclei. The double nucleus in our featured experiment decomposes naturally into a thick eccentric disc of apo-apse aligned stars which is embedded in a lighter triaxial cluster. The eccentric disc reproduces key features of Keplerian disc models of Andromeda's double nucleus; the triaxial cluster has a distinctive kinematic signature which is evident in Hubble Space Telescope observations of Andromeda's double nucleus, and has been difficult to reproduce with Keplerian discs alone. Our simulations demonstrate how the combination of an eccentric disc and a triaxial cluster arises naturally when a star cluster accreted over a preexisting and counter-rotating disc of stars drives disc and cluster into a mutually destabilizing dance. Such accretion events are inherent to standard galaxy formation scenarios. They are here shown to double stellar black hole nuclei as they feed them.

Black Hole Mergers in Galactic Nuclei Induced by the Eccentric Kozai–Lidov Effect

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hoang, Bao-Minh; Naoz, Smadar; Kocsis, Bence; Rasio, Frederic A.; Dosopoulou, Fani

2018-04-01

Nuclear star clusters around a central massive black hole (MBH) are expected to be abundant in stellar black hole (BH) remnants and BH–BH binaries. These binaries form a hierarchical triple system with the central MBH, and gravitational perturbations from the MBH can cause high-eccentricity excitation in the BH–BH binary orbit. During this process, the eccentricity may approach unity, and the pericenter distance may become sufficiently small so that gravitational-wave emission drives the BH–BH binary to merge. In this work, we construct a simple proof-of-concept model for this process, and specifically, we study the eccentric Kozai–Lidov mechanism in unequal-mass, soft BH–BH binaries. Our model is based on a set of Monte Carlo simulations for BH–BH binaries in galactic nuclei, taking into account quadrupole- and octupole-level secular perturbations, general relativistic precession, and gravitational-wave emission. For a typical steady-state number of BH–BH binaries, our model predicts a total merger rate of ∼1–3 {Gpc} ‑3 {yr} ‑1, depending on the assumed density profile in the nucleus. Thus, our mechanism could potentially compete with other dynamical formation processes for merging BH–BH binaries, such as the interactions of stellar BHs in globular clusters or in nuclear star clusters without an MBH.

Free-fall dynamics of a pair of rigidly linked disks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Taehyun; Chang, Jaehyeock; Kim, Daegyoum

2018-03-01

We investigate experimentally the free-fall motion of a pair of identical disks rigidly connected to each other. The three-dimensional coordinates of the pair of falling disks were constructed to quantitatively describe its trajectory, and the flow structure formed by the disk pair was identified by using dye visualization. The rigidly linked disk pair exhibits a novel falling pattern that creates a helical path with a conical configuration in which the lower disk rotates in a wider radius than the upper disk with respect to a vertical axis. The helical motion occurs consistently for the range of disk separation examined in this study. The dye visualization reveals that a strong, noticeable helical vortex core is generated from the outer tip of the lower disk during the helical motion. With an increasing length ratio, which is the ratio of the disk separation to the diameter of the disks, the nutation angle and the rate of change in the precession angle that characterize the combined helical and conical kinematics decrease linearly, whereas the pitch of the helical path increases linearly. Although all disk pairs undergo this helical motion, the horizontal-drift patterns of the disk pair depend on the length ratio.

Orbital forced frequencies in the 975000 year pollen record from Tenagi Philippon (Greece)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mommersteeg, H.J.P.M.; Young, R.; Wijmstra, T.A.

Frequency analysis was applied to different time series obtained from the 975 ka pollen record of Tenagi Philippon (Macedonia, Greece). These time series are characteristic of different vegetation types related to specific climatic conditions. Time control of the 196 m deep core was based on 11 finite {sup 14}C dates in the upper 17 m, magnetostratigraphy and correlation with the marine oxygen isotope stratigraphy. Maximum entropy spectrum analyses and thomson multi-taper spectrum analysis were applied using the complete time series. Periods of 95-99, 40-45. 24.0-25.5 and 19-21 ka which can be related to orbital forcing, as well as periods ofmore » about 68, 30 ka and of about 15.5, 13.5, 12 and 10.5 ka were detected. The detected periods of about 68, 30 ka and 16, 14, 12, 10.5 ka are likely to be harmonics and combination tones of the periods related to orbital forcing. The period of around 30 ka is possibly a secondary peak of obliquity. To study the stability of the detected periods through time, analysis with a moving window was employed. Signals in the eccentricity band were detected clearly during the last 650 ka. In the precession band, detected periods of about 24 ka show an increase in amplitude during the last 650 ka. The evolution of orbital frequencies during the last 1.0 Ma is in general agreement with the results of other marine and continental time series. Time series related to different climatic settings showed a different response to orbital forcing. Time series of vegetational elements sensitive to changes in net precipitation were forced in the precession and obliquity bands. Changes in precession caused changes in the monsoon system, which indirectly had a strong influence on the climatic history of Greece. Time series of vegetational elements which are more indicative of changes in annual temperature are forced in the eccentricity band. 54 refs., 12 figs., 3 tabs.« less

Binary system and jet precession and expansion in G35.20-0.74N

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beltrán, M. T.; Cesaroni, R.; Moscadelli, L.; Sánchez-Monge, Á.; Hirota, T.; Kumar, M. S. N.

2016-09-01

Context. Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) observations of the high-mass star-forming region G35.20-0.74N have revealed the presence of a Keplerian disk in core B rotating about a massive object of 18 M⊙, as computed from the velocity field. The luminosity of such a massive star would be comparable to (or higher than) the luminosity of the whole star-forming region. To solve this problem it has been proposed that core B could harbor a binary system. This could also explain the possible precession of the radio jet associated with this core, which has been suggested by its S-shaped morphology. Aims: We establish the origin of the free-free emission from core B and investigate the existence of a binary system at the center of this massive core and the possible precession of the radio jet. Methods: We carried out VLA continuum observations of G35.20-0.74N at 2 cm in the B configuration and at 1.3 cm and 7 mm in the A and B configurations. The bandwidth at 7 mm covers the CH3OH maser line at 44.069 GHz. Continuum images at 6 and 3.6 cm in the A configuration were obtained from the VLA archive. We also carried out VERA observations of the H2O maser line at 22.235 GHz. Results: The observations have revealed the presence of a binary system of UC/HC Hii regions at the geometrical center of the radio jet in G35.20-0.74N. This binary system, which is associated with a Keplerian rotating disk, consists of two B-type stars of 11 and 6 M⊙. The S-shaped morphology of the radio jet has been successfully explained as being due to precession produced by the binary system. The analysis of the precession of the radio jet has allowed us to better interpret the IR emission in the region, which would be not tracing a wide-angle cavity open by a single outflow with a position angle of ~55°, but two different flows: a precessing one in the NE-SW direction associated with the radio jet, and a second one in an almost E-W direction. Comparison of the radio jet images obtained at different epochs suggests that the jet is expanding at a maximum speed on the plane of the sky of 300 km s-1. The proper motions of the H2O maser spots measured in the region also indicate expansion in a direction similar to that of the radio jet. Conclusions: We have revealed a binary system of high-mass young stellar objects embedded in the rotating disk in G35.20-0.74N. The presence of a massive binary system is in agreement with the theoretical predictions of high-mass star formation, according to which the gravitational instabilities during the collapse would produce the fragmentation of the disk and the formation of such a system. For the first time, we have detected a high-mass young star associated with an UC/HC Hii region and at the same time powering a radio jet. The reduced images (FITS files) is only available at the CDS via anonymous ftp to http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (http://130.79.128.5) or via http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr/viz-bin/qcat?J/A+A/593/A49

THE ARCHITECTURE OF THE CASSINI DIVISION

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hedman, M. M.; Nicholson, P. D.; Baines, K. H.

2010-01-15

The Cassini Division in Saturn's rings contains a series of eight named gaps, three of which contain dense ringlets. Observations of stellar occultations by the Visual and Infrared Mapping Spectrometer onboard the Cassini spacecraft have yielded {approx}40 accurate and precise measurements of the radial position of the edges of all of these gaps and ringlets. These data reveal suggestive patterns in the shapes of many of the gap edges: the outer edges of the five gaps without ringlets are circular to within 1 km, while the inner edges of six of the gaps are eccentric, with apsidal precession rates consistentmore » with those expected for eccentric orbits near each edge. Intriguingly, the pattern speeds of these eccentric inner gap edges, together with that of the eccentric Huygens Ringlet, form a series with a characteristic spacing of 0.{sup 0}06 day{sup -1}. The two gaps with non-eccentric inner edges lie near first-order inner Lindblad resonances (ILRs) with moons. One such edge is close to the 5:4 ILR with Prometheus, and the radial excursions of this edge do appear to have an m = 5 component aligned with that moon. The other resonantly confined edge is the outer edge of the B ring, which lies near the 2:1 Mimas ILR. Detailed investigation of the B-ring-edge data confirm the presence of an m = 2 perturbation on the B-ring edge, but also show that during the course of the Cassini Mission, this pattern has drifted backward relative to Mimas. Comparisons with earlier occultation measurements going back to Voyager suggest the possibility that the m = 2 pattern is actually librating relative to Mimas with a libration frequency L {approx} 0.{sup 0}06 day{sup -1} (or possibly 0.{sup 0}12 day{sup -1}). In addition to the m = 2 pattern, the B-ring edge also has an m = 1 component that rotates around the planet at a rate close to the expected apsidal precession rate. Thus, the pattern speeds of the eccentric edges in the Cassini Division can be generated from various combinations of the pattern speeds of structures observed on the edge of the B ring. We therefore suggest that most of the gaps in the Cassini Division are produced by resonances involving perturbations from the massive edge of the B ring. We find that a combination of gravitational perturbations generated by the radial excursions in the B-ring edge and the gravitational perturbations from the Mimas 2:1 ILR yields terms in the equations of motion that should act to constrain the pericenter location of particle orbits in the vicinity of each of the eccentric inner gap edges in the Cassini Division. This alignment of pericenters could be responsible for forming the Cassini-Division Gaps and thus explain why these gaps are located where they are.« less

The architecture of the Cassini division

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hedman, M.M.; Nicholson, P.D.; Baines, K.H.; Buratti, B.J.; Sotin, Christophe; Clark, R.N.; Brown, R.H.; French, R.G.; Marouf, E.A.

2010-01-01

The Cassini Division in Saturn's rings contains a series of eight named gaps, three of which contain dense ringlets. Observations of stellar occultations by the Visual and Infrared Mapping Spectrometer onboard the Cassini spacecraft have yielded 40 accurate and precise measurements of the radial position of the edges of all of these gaps and ringlets. These data reveal suggestive patterns in the shapes of many of the gap edges: the outer edges of the five gaps without ringlets are circular to within 1 km, while the inner edges of six of the gaps are eccentric, with apsidal precession rates consistent with those expected for eccentric orbits near each edge. Intriguingly, the pattern speeds of these eccentric inner gap edges, together with that of the eccentric Huygens Ringlet, form a series with a characteristic spacing of 006 day-1. The two gaps with non-eccentric inner edges lie near first-order inner Lindblad resonances (ILRs) with moons. One such edge is close to the 5:4 ILR with Prometheus, and the radial excursions of this edge do appear to have an m = 5 component aligned with that moon. The other resonantly confined edge is the outer edge of the B ring, which lies near the 2:1 Mimas ILR. Detailed investigation of the B-ring-edge data confirm the presence of an m = 2 perturbation on the B-ring edge, but also show that during the course of the Cassini Mission, this pattern has drifted backward relative to Mimas. Comparisons with earlier occultation measurements going back to Voyager suggest the possibility that the m = 2 pattern is actually librating relative to Mimas with a libration frequency L 006 day-1 (or possibly 012 day -1). In addition to the m = 2 pattern, the B-ring edge also has an m = 1 component that rotates around the planet at a rate close to the expected apsidal precession rate (?? ?? ?? B ??? 5.??06 day -1). Thus, the pattern speeds of the eccentric edges in the Cassini Division can be generated from various combinations of the pattern speeds of structures observed on the edge of the B ring: ??p = ?? ?? ??B -jL for j = 1, 2, 3, ???, 7. We therefore suggest that most of the gaps in the Cassini Division are produced by resonances involving perturbations from the massive edge of the B ring. We find that a combination of gravitational perturbations generated by the radial excursions in the B-ring edge and the gravitational perturbations from the Mimas 2:1 ILR yields terms in the equations of motion that should act to constrain the pericenter location of particle orbits in the vicinity of each of the eccentric inner gap edges in the Cassini Division. This alignment of pericenters could be responsible for forming the Cassini-Division Gaps and thus explain why these gaps are located where they are. ?? 2010. The American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved.

Debris disks as signposts of terrestrial planet formation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Raymond, S. N.; Armitage, P. J.; Moro-Martín, A.; Booth, M.; Wyatt, M. C.; Armstrong, J. C.; Mandell, A. M.; Selsis, F.; West, A. A.

2011-06-01

There exists strong circumstantial evidence from their eccentric orbits that most of the known extra-solar planetary systems are the survivors of violent dynamical instabilities. Here we explore the effect of giant planet instabilities on the formation and survival of terrestrial planets. We numerically simulate the evolution of planetary systems around Sun-like stars that include three components: (i) an inner disk of planetesimals and planetary embryos; (ii) three giant planets at Jupiter-Saturn distances; and (iii) an outer disk of planetesimals comparable to estimates of the primitive Kuiper belt. We calculate the dust production and spectral energy distribution of each system by assuming that each planetesimal particle represents an ensemble of smaller bodies in collisional equilibrium. Our main result is a strong correlation between the evolution of the inner and outer parts of planetary systems, i.e. between the presence of terrestrial planets and debris disks. Strong giant planet instabilities - that produce very eccentric surviving planets - destroy all rocky material in the system, including fully-formed terrestrial planets if the instabilities occur late, and also destroy the icy planetesimal population. Stable or weakly unstable systems allow terrestrial planets to accrete in their inner regions and significant dust to be produced in their outer regions, detectable at mid-infrared wavelengths as debris disks. Stars older than ~100 Myr with bright cold dust emission (in particular at λ ~ 70 μm) signpost dynamically calm environments that were conducive to efficient terrestrial accretion. Such emission is present around ~16% of billion-year old Solar-type stars. Our simulations yield numerous secondary results: 1) the typical eccentricities of as-yet undetected terrestrial planets are ~0.1 but there exists a novel class of terrestrial planet system whose single planet undergoes large amplitude oscillations in orbital eccentricity and inclination; 2) by scaling our systems to match the observed semimajor axis distribution of giant exoplanets, we predict that terrestrial exoplanets in the same systems should be a few times more abundant at ~0.5 AU than giant or terrestrial exoplanets at 1 AU; 3) the Solar System appears to be unusual in terms of its combination of a rich terrestrial planet system and a low dust content. This may be explained by the weak, outward-directed instability that is thought to have caused the late heavy bombardment. The movie associated to Fig. 2 is available in electronic form at http://www.aanda.org

Accretion rates of protoplanets 2: Gaussian distribution of planestesimal velocities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Greenzweig, Yuval; Lissauer, Jack J.

1991-01-01

The growth rate of a protoplanet embedded in a uniform surface density disk of planetesimals having a triaxial Gaussian velocity distribution was calculated. The longitudes of the aspses and nodes of the planetesimals are uniformly distributed, and the protoplanet is on a circular orbit. The accretion rate in the two body approximation is enhanced by a factor of approximately 3, compared to the case where all planetesimals have eccentricity and inclination equal to the root mean square (RMS) values of those variables in the Gaussian distribution disk. Numerical three body integrations show comparable enhancements, except when the RMS initial planetesimal eccentricities are extremely small. This enhancement in accretion rate should be incorporated by all models, analytical or numerical, which assume a single random velocity for all planetesimals, in lieu of a Gaussian distribution.

Terrestrial Planet Formation in Binary Star Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lissauer, J. J.; Quintana, E. V.; Adams, F. C.; Chambers, J. E.

2006-01-01

Most stars reside in binary/multiple star systems; however, previous models of planet formation have studied growth of bodies orbiting an isolated single star. Disk material has been observed around one or both components of various young close binary star systems. If planets form at the right places within such disks, they can remain dynamically stable for very long times. We have simulated the late stages of growth of terrestrial planets in both circumbinary disks around 'close' binary star systems with stellar separations ($a_B$) in the range 0.05 AU $\\le a_B \\le$ 0.4 AU and binary eccentricities in the range $0 \\le e \\le 0.8$ and circumstellar disks around individual stars with binary separations of tens of AU. The initial disk of planetary embryos is the same as that used for simulating the late stages of terrestrial planet growth within our Solar System and around individual stars in the Alpha Centauri system (Quintana et al. 2002, A.J., 576, 982); giant planets analogous to Jupiter and Saturn are included if their orbits are stable. The planetary systems formed around close binaries with stellar apastron distances less than or equal to 0.2 AU with small stellar eccentricities are very similar to those formed in the Sun-Jupiter-Saturn, whereas planetary systems formed around binaries with larger maximum separations tend to be sparser, with fewer planets, especially interior to 1 AU. Likewise, when the binary periastron exceeds 10 AU, terrestrial planets can form over essentially the entire range of orbits allowed for single stars with Jupiter-like planets, although fewer terrestrial planets tend to form within high eccentricity binary systems. As the binary periastron decreases, the radial extent of the terrestrial planet systems is reduced accordingly. When the periastron is 5 AU, the formation of Earth-like planets near 1 AU is compromised.

Possible quasi-periodic ejections in quasar B1308+326

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qian, S. J.; Britzen, S.; Witzel, A.; Krichbaum, T. P.; Gan, H. Q.

2017-08-01

Context. The search for periodic features in flux variability and kinematics of superluminal components in blazars is capable of providing significant clues for the understanding of the physical processes in their central engines (black-hole/accretion-disk systems), especially concerning the formation and structure of their relativistic jets and radiation mechanisms. Aims: The jet swing on parsec-scales and the change of the ejection position angle of the superluminal components with time in the quasar B1308+326 (z = 0.997) are investigated as quasi-periodic behaviors. Methods: A previously published precessing jet nozzle model is applied to model the source kinematics and a possible jet precession period is found. Results: Based on the model fitting of the kinematics for a subset of components, it is shown that their kinematics, including the shape of the inner trajectories and the motion of the components, could be well fitted in terms of the precessing jet nozzle model and a precession period of 16.9 ± 0.3 yr is derived. Different precession mechanisms are discussed and compared. Conclusions: It is shown that the swing of the ejection position angle of the superluminal knots observed in B1308+326 may be due to the orbital motion of a putative supermassive black hole binary in its nucleus. Some relevant parameters of the binary model are estimated. We also discuss the spin-induced precession mechanism in the single black hole scenario and an estimate for the spin of the Kerr black hole is obtained.

Evolution of migrating protoplanets heated by pebble accretion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chrenko, Ondrej; Broz, Miroslav; Lambrechts, Michiel

2017-10-01

We study the interactions in a protoplanetary system consisting of a gas disk, a pebble disk and embedded low-mass protoplanets. The hydrodynamic simulations are performed using a new code based on 2D FARGO (Masset 2000) which we call FARGO_THORIN (http://sirrah.troja.mff.cuni.cz/~chrenko/). The code treats the hydrodynamics of gas and pebbles within a two-fluid approximation, accounts for the heating and cooling processes in the gaseous component (including heating due to pebble accretion) and propagates the planets in 3D using a high-order integration scheme (IAS15; Rein & Spiegel 2015). Our aim is to investigate how pebble accretion alters the orbital evolution of protoplanets undergoing Type-I migration.First, we demonstrate that pebble accretion can heat the protoplanets so that their luminosity induces the heating torque (Benítez-Llambay et al. 2015) and the hot-trail effect (Chrenko et al. 2017; Eklund & Masset 2017). The heating torque is always positive and alters the migration rates and directions profoundly, thus changing the position of planet traps and deserts. The hot-trail effect, on the other hand, pumps the eccentricity of initially circular orbits up to e ~ h. After becoming eccentric, the protoplanets exhibit reduced probability of resonant locking during the migration and moreover, their close encounters become more frequent and provide more opportunities for scattering or merger events. The mergers can be massive enough to become giant planet cores. We discuss the importance of the excited eccentricities and violent orbital evolution for the extrasolar planet population synthesis. Finally, we present an extended model with flux-mean opacities caused by a coupled disk of coagulating dust grains with a realistic size distribution. The aim of this model is to constrain possible pathways of migrating planets towards the inner rim of the protoplanetary disk.

Probing Signatures of a Distant Planet around the Young T-Tauri Star CI Tau Hosting a Possible Hot Jupiter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Konishi, Mihoko; Hashimoto, Jun; Hori, Yasunori

2018-06-01

We search for signatures of a distant planet around the two million-year-old classical T-Tauri star CI Tau hosting a hot-Jupiter candidate ({M}{{p}}\\sin i∼ 8.1 {M}Jupiter}) in an eccentric orbit (e ∼ 0.3). To probe the existence of an outer perturber, we reanalyzed 1.3 mm dust continuum observations of the protoplanetary disk around CI Tau obtained by the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA). We found a gap structure at ∼0.″8 in CI Tau’s disk. Our visibility fitting assuming an axisymmetric surface brightness profile suggested that the gap is located at a deprojected radius of 104.5 ± 1.6 au and has a width of 36.9 ± 2.9 au. The brightness temperature around the gap was calculated to be ∼2.3 K lower than that of the ambient disk. Gap-opening mechanisms such as secular gravitational instability (GI) and dust trapping can explain the gap morphology in the CI Tau disk. The scenario that an unseen planet created the observed gap structure cannot be ruled out, although the coexistence of an eccentric hot Jupiter and a distant planet around the young CI Tau would be challenging for gravitational scattering scenarios. The mass of the planet was estimated to be between ∼0.25 M Jupiter and ∼0.8 M Jupiter from the gap width and depth ({0.41}-0.06+0.04) in the modeled surface brightness image, which is lower than the current detection limits of high-contrast direct imaging. The young classical T-Tauri CI Tau may be a unique system for exploring the existence of a potential distant planet as well as the origin of an eccentric hot Jupiter.

Abiotic and biotic responses to Milankovitch-forced megamonsoon and glacial cycles recorded in South China at the end of the Late Paleozoic Ice Age

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fang, Qiang; Wu, Huaichun; Hinnov, Linda A.; Tian, Wenqian; Wang, Xunlian; Yang, Tianshui; Li, Haiyan; Zhang, Shihong

2018-04-01

At the end of the Late Paleozoic Ice Age (LPIA) from late Early Permian to early Late Permian, the global climate was impacted by a prevailing megamonsoon and Gondwanan deglaciation. To better understand the abiotic and biotic responses to Milankovitch-forced climate changes during this time period, multi-element X-ray fluorescence (XRF) geochemistry analyses were conducted on 948 samples from the late Early-late Middle Permian Maokou Formation at Shangsi, South China. The Fe/Ti, S/Ti, Ba/Ti and Ca time series, which were calibrated with an existing "floating" astronomical time scale (ATS), show the entire suite of Milankovitch rhythms including 405 kyr long eccentricity, 128 and 95 kyr short eccentricity, 33 kyr obliquity and 20 kyr precession. Spectral coherency and cross-phase analysis reveals that chemical weathering (monitored by Fe/Ti) and upwelling (captured by S/Ti and Ba/Ti) are nearly antiphase in the precession band, which suggests a contrast between summer and winter monsoon intensities. Strong obliquity signal in the Ba/Ti series is proposed to derive from changes in thermohaline circulation intensity from glaciation dynamics in southern Gondwana. The abundance of foraminifer, brachiopod and ostracod faunas within the Maokou Formation were mainly controlled by the 1.1 Myr obliquity modulation cycle. The obliquity-forced high-nutrient and oxygen-depleted conditions generally produced a benthic foraminifer bloom, but threatened the brachiopod and ostracod faunas.

The Occurrence of Additional Giant Planets Inside the Water-Ice Line in Systems with Hot Jupiters: Evidence Against High-Eccentricity Migration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schlaufman, Kevin C.; Winn, Joshua N.

2016-07-01

The origin of Jupiter-mass planets with orbital periods of only a few days is still uncertain. It is widely believed that these planets formed near the water-ice line of the protoplanetary disk, and subsequently migrated into much smaller orbits. Most of the proposed migration mechanisms can be classified either as disk-driven migration, or as excitation of a very high eccentricity followed by tidal circularization. In the latter scenario, the giant planet that is destined to become a hot Jupiter spends billions of years on a highly eccentric orbit, with apastron near the water-ice line. Eventually, tidal dissipation at periastron shrinks and circularizes the orbit. If this is correct, then it should be especially rare for hot Jupiters to be accompanied by another giant planet interior to the water-ice line. Using the current sample of giant planets discovered with the Doppler technique, we find that hot Jupiters with P orb < 10 days are no more or less likely to have exterior Jupiter-mass companions than longer-period giant planets with P orb ≥ 10 days. This result holds for exterior companions both inside and outside of the approximate location of the water-ice line. These results are difficult to reconcile with the high-eccentricity migration scenario for hot Jupiter formation.

The behavior of cold gas in spheroidal galactic potentials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Simonson, G. F.

1982-03-01

The motions of cold gas residing in various spheroidal galactic potential wells are investigated, both analytically and through extensive numerical calculations. It is found that a gaseous layer embedded in the potential has a preferred orientation, in which individual gas clouds have orbits which do not precess. The gas will damp to the preferred orbits, through the combined effects of differential precession and radial excursions from circular trajectories, on time scales of less than one to two billion years for orbits of moderate radius. For elliptical galaxies with embedded gas disks this work provides a clear discriminator between prolate and oblate mass distributions. The preferred gas orbits lie in the equatorial planes of both of these potentials, so if a gas disk is seen projected against the minor axis of an elliptical, that galaxy is truly prolate, while if the lane is aligned with the major axis, the system is oblate. Tabulated observations show that both prolate and oblate ellipticals exist, in perhaps equal numbers. True axial ratios and spatial orientations can also be determined for these objects.

Theoretical interpretation of the HEAO-3 observations of Cygnus X-3 under the HEAO-3 Guest Investigator Program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Marscher, Alan P.

1987-01-01

A model of the galactic X-ray source Cygnus X-3 (Cyg X-3) is presented which deviates from previous models by positing that the X-rays originate in a jet rather than a binary system consiting of an ordinary star and a collapsed object. In the new model, the 4.8 hour period of Cyg X-3 is caused by variable absorption which occurs as the jet precesses. The primary role of the accretion disk corona (ADC) in modulating Cyg X-3 radiation is to make the observed intensity of a blob of material in a jet appear dimmer by absorption. The needed derivation of the positional dependence of the density of the ADC is freed of some complications by assuming that only the inner regions of the disk are precessing, with a period shorter than 4.8 hours. This model permits the secondary star to be a supergiant, as indicated by the luminosity of the system. The model is especially helpful in interpreting production of radio outbursts and very high energy gamma rays.

THE PROPERTIES OF HYPERVELOCITY STARS AND S-STARS ORIGINATING FROM AN ECCENTRIC DISK AROUND A SUPERMASSIVE BLACK HOLE

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Šubr, Ladislav; Haas, Jaroslav, E-mail: subr@sirrah.troja.mff.cuni.cz, E-mail: haas@sirrah.troja.mff.cuni.cz

2016-09-01

Hypervelocity stars (HVSs), which are observed in the Galactic halo, are believed to be accelerated to large velocities by a process of tidal disruption of binary stars passing close to the supermassive black hole (SMBH) which resides in the center of the Galaxy. It is, however, still unclear where these relatively young stars were born and what dynamical process pushed them to nearly radial orbits around the SMBH. In this paper we investigate the possibility that the young binaries originated from a thin eccentric disk, similar to the one currently observed in the Galactic center. By means of direct Nmore » -body simulations, we follow the dynamical evolution of an initially thin and eccentric disk of stars with a 100% binary fraction orbiting around the SMBH. Such a configuration leads to Kozai–Lidov oscillations of orbital elements, bringing a considerable number of binaries to the close vicinity of the black hole. Subsequent tidal disruption of these binaries accelerates one of their components to velocities well above the escape velocity from the SMBH, while the second component becomes tightly bound to the SMBH. We describe the main kinematic properties of the escaping and tightly bound stars within our model, and compare them qualitatively to the properties of the observed HVSs and S-stars, respectively. The most prominent feature is strong anisotropy in the directions of the escaping stars, which is observed for Galactic HVSs but has not yet been explained.« less

Can the 62 Day X-ray Period of ULX M82 X-1 Be Due to a Precessing Accretion Disk?

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pasham, Dheeraj R.; Strohmayer, Tod E.

2013-01-01

We have analyzed all the archival RXTE/PCA monitoring observations of the ultraluminous X-ray source (ULX) M82 X-1 in order to study the properties of its previously discovered 62 day X-ray period (Kaaret & Feng 2007). Based on the high coherence of the modulation it has been argued that the observed period is the orbital period of the binary. Utilizing a much longer data set than in previous studies we find: (1) The phase-resolved X-ray (3-15 keV) energy spectra - modeled with a thermal accretion disk and a power-law corona - suggest that the accretion disk's contribution to the total flux is responsible for the overall periodic modulation while the power-law flux remains approximately constant with phase. (2) Suggestive evidence for a sudden phase shift-of approximately 0.3 in phase (20 days)-between the first and the second halves of the light curve separated by roughly 1000 days. If confirmed, the implied timescale to change the period is approx. = 10 yrs, which is exceptionally fast for an orbital phenomenon. These independent pieces of evidence are consistent with the 62 day period being due to a precessing accretion disk, similar to the so-called super-orbital periods observed in systems like Her X-1, LMC X-4, and SS433. However, the timing evidence for a change in the period needs to be confirmed with additional observations. This should be possible with further monitoring of M82 with instruments such as the X-ray telescope (XRT) on board Swift.

The Discovery of an Eccentric Millisecond Pulsar in the Galactic Plane

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Champion, David J.; Ransom, Scott M.; Lazarus, Patrick; Camilo, Fernando; Kaspi, Victoria M.; Nice, David J.; Freire, Paulo C. C.; Cordes, James M.; Hessels, Jason W. T.; Bassa, Cees; Lorimer, Duncan R.; Stairs, Ingrid H.; van Leeuwen, Joeri; Arzoumnian, Zaven; Backer, Don C.; Bhat, N. D. Ramesh; Chatterjee, Shami; Crawford, Fronefield; Deneva, Julia S.; Faucher-Giguère, Claude-André; Gaensler, B. M.; Han, Jinlin; Jenet, Fredrick A.; Kasian, Laura; Kondratiev, Vlad I.; Kramer, Michael; Lazio, Joseph; McLaughlin, Maura A.; Stappers, Ben W.; Venkataraman, Arun; Vlemmings, Wouter

2008-02-01

The evolution of binary systems is governed by their orbital properties and the stellar density of the local environment. Studies of neutron stars in binary star systems offer unique insights into both these issues. In an Arecibo survey of the Galactic disk, we have found PSR J1903+0327, a radio emitting neutron star (a ``pulsar'') with a 2.15 ms rotation period, in a 95-day orbit around a massive companion. Observations in the infra-red suggests that the companion may be a main-sequence star. Theories requiring an origin in the Galactic disk cannot account for the extraordinarily high orbital eccentricity observed (0.44) or a main-sequence companion of a pulsar that has spin properties suggesting a prolonged accretion history. The most likely formation mechanism is an exchange interaction in a globular star cluster. This requires that the binary was either ejected from its parent globular cluster as a result of a three-body interaction, or that that cluster was disrupted by repeated passages through the disk of the Milky Way.

A disk of scattered icy objects and the origin of Jupiter-family comets.

PubMed

Duncan, M J; Levison, H F

1997-06-13

Orbital integrations carried out for 4 billion years produced a disk of scattered objects beyond the orbit of Neptune. Objects in this disk can be distinguished from Kuiper belt objects by a greater range of eccentricities and inclinations. This disk was formed in the simulations by encounters with Neptune during the early evolution of the outer solar system. After particles first encountered Neptune, the simulations show that about 1 percent of the particles survive in this disk for the age of the solar system. A disk currently containing as few as approximately 6 x 10(8) objects could supply all of the observed Jupiter-family comets. Two recently discovered objects, 1996 RQ20 and 1996 TL66, have orbital elements similar to those predicted for objects in this disk, suggesting that they are thus far the only members of this disk to be identified.

Formation of Close-in Super-Earths by Giant Impacts: Effects of Initial Eccentricities and Inclinations of Protoplanets

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Matsumoto, Yuji; Kokubo, Eiichiro, E-mail: ymatsumoto@cfca.nao.ac.jp

Recent observations have revealed the eccentricity and inclination distributions of close-in super-Earths. These distributions have the potential to constrain their formation processes. In the in situ formation scenario, the eccentricities and inclinations of planets are determined by gravitational scattering and collisions between protoplanets on the giant impact stage. We investigate the effect of the initial eccentricities and inclinations of protoplanets on the formation of close-in super-Earths. We perform N -body simulations of protoplanets in gas-free disks, changing the initial eccentricities and inclinations systematically. We find that while the eccentricities of protoplanets are well relaxed through their evolution, the inclinations aremore » not. When the initial inclinations are small, they are not generally pumped up since scattering is less effective and collisions occur immediately after orbital crossing. On the other hand, when the initial inclinations are large, they tend to be kept large since collisional damping is less effective. Not only the resultant inclinations of planets, but also their number, eccentricities, angular momentum deficit, and orbital separations are affected by the initial inclinations of protoplanets.« less

Orbital pacing of carbon fluxes by a ∼9-My eccentricity cycle during the Mesozoic

PubMed Central

Martinez, Mathieu; Dera, Guillaume

2015-01-01

Eccentricity, obliquity, and precession are cyclic parameters of the Earth’s orbit whose climatic implications have been widely demonstrated on recent and short time intervals. Amplitude modulations of these parameters on million-year time scales induce ‟grand orbital cycles,” but the behavior and the paleoenvironmental consequences of these cycles remain debated for the Mesozoic owing to the chaotic diffusion of the solar system in the past. Here, we test for these cycles from the Jurassic to the Early Cretaceous by analyzing new stable isotope datasets reflecting fluctuations in the carbon cycle and seawater temperatures. Our results document a prominent cyclicity of ∼9 My in the carbon cycle paced by changes in the seasonal dynamics of hydrological processes and long-term sea level fluctuations. These paleoenvironmental changes are linked to a great eccentricity cycle consistent with astronomical solutions. The orbital forcing signal was mainly amplified by cumulative sequestration of organic matter in the boreal wetlands under greenhouse conditions. Finally, we show that the ∼9-My cycle faded during the Pliensbachian, which could either reflect major paleoenvironmental disturbances or a chaotic transition affecting this cycle. PMID:26417080

Massive stars, disks, and clustered star formation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moeckel, Nickolas Barry

The formation of an isolated massive star is inherently more complex than the relatively well-understood collapse of an isolated, low-mass star. The dense, clustered environment where massive stars are predominantly found further complicates the picture, and suggests that interactions with other stars may play an important role in the early life of these objects. In this thesis we present the results of numerical hydrodynamic experiments investigating interactions between a massive protostar and its lower-mass cluster siblings. We explore the impact of these interactions on the orientation of disks and outflows, which are potentially observable indications of encounters during the formation of a star. We show that these encounters efficiently form eccentric binary systems, and in clusters similar to Orion they occur frequently enough to contribute to the high multiplicity of massive stars. We suggest that the massive protostar in Cepheus A is currently undergoing a series of interactions, and present simulations tailored to that system. We also apply the numerical techniques used in the massive star investigations to a much lower-mass regime, the formation of planetary systems around Solar- mass stars. We perform a small number of illustrative planet-planet scattering experiments, which have been used to explain the eccentricity distribution of extrasolar planets. We add the complication of a remnant gas disk, and show that this feature has the potential to stabilize the system against strong encounters between planets. We present preliminary simulations of Bondi-Hoyle accretion onto a protoplanetary disk, and consider the impact of the flow on the disk properties as well as the impact of the disk on the accretion flow.

THE WELL-ALIGNED ORBIT OF WASP-84b: EVIDENCE FOR DISK MIGRATION OF A HOT JUPITER

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Anderson, D. R.; Triaud, A. H. M. J.; Turner, O. D.

We report the sky-projected orbital obliquity (spin–orbit angle) of WASP-84 b, a 0.69M{sub Jup} planet in an 8.52 day orbit around a G9V/K0V star, to be λ = −0.3 ± 1.7°. We obtain a true obliquity of ψ = 17.3 ± 7.7° from a measurement of the inclination of the stellar spin axis with respect to the sky plane. Due to the young age and the weak tidal forcing of the system, we suggest that the orbit of WASP-84b is unlikely to have both realigned and circularized from the misaligned and/or eccentric orbit likely to have arisen from high-eccentricity migration.more » Therefore we conclude that the planet probably migrated via interaction with the protoplanetary disk. This would make it the first “hot Jupiter” (P<10 d) to have been shown to have migrated via this pathway. Further, we argue that the distribution of obliquities for planets orbiting cool stars (T{sub eff} < 6250 K) suggests that high-eccentricity migration is an important pathway for the formation of short-orbit, giant planets.« less

The Late-Time Formation and Dynamical Signatures of Small Planets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Eve Jihyun

The riddle posed by super-Earths is that they are not Jupiters: their core masses are large enough to trigger runaway gas accretion, yet somehow super-Earths accreted atmospheres that weigh only a few percent of their total mass. In this thesis, I demonstrate that this puzzle is solved if super-Earths formed late, in the inner cavities of transitional disks. Super-puffs present the inverse problem of being too voluminous for their small masses. I show that super-puffs most easily acquire their thick atmospheres as dust-free, rapidly cooling worlds outside 1 AU, and then migrate in just after super-Earths appear. Super-Earths and Earth-sized planets around FGKM dwarfs are evenly distributed in log orbital period down to 10 days, but dwindle in number at shorter periods. I demonstrate that both the break at 10 days and the slope of the occurrence rate down to 1 day can be reproduced if planets form in disks that are truncated by their host star magnetospheres at co-rotation. Planets can be brought from disk edges to ultra-short (<1 day) periods by asynchronous equilibrium tides raised on their stars. Small planets may remain ubiquitous out to large orbital distances. I demonstrate that the variety of debris disk morphologies revealed by scattered light images can be explained by viewing an eccentric disk, secularly forced by a planet of just a few Earth masses, from different observing angles. The farthest reaches of planetary systems may be perturbed by eccentric super-Earths.

The role of North African rivers in driving Mediterranean-Atlantic exchange

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Flecker, Rachel; Marzocchi, Alice; van der Schee, Marlies; Meijer, Paul; Lofi, Johanna; Lunt, Dan

2014-05-01

The main driver for exchange through the Gibraltar Strait today is the density contrast between Mediterranean and Atlantic water. Mediterranean water is more saline than Atlantic water because the amount of water the Mediterranean loses through evaporation exceeds both precipitation and freshwater input from rivers. This means it has a negative hydrologic budget. In the Late Miocene however, a very large river known as the Esohabi River drained across North Africa and had its mouth in the Gulf of Sirt. This river was sourced in palaeo-Lake Chad and was strongly influenced by precession-driven monsoonal rainfall. Multiple General Circulation Model simulations through a single precessional cycle indicate that river water may only have reached the Mediterranean in significant quantities in summer during particular orbital configurations e.g. precession minima combined with eccentricity maxima. However, during high amplitude eccentricity maxima, the volume of water supplied through the Esohabi and Nile rivers may have been sufficient to switch the hydrologic budget from negative to positive. In doing so, the fresh water supply should have reduced the salinity of the Mediterranean and consequently the density contrast with adjacent Atlantic water leading to a reduction in exchange. In this presentation we explore the evidence for the timing and nature of freshwater input to the Mediterranean from North Africa. We also consider how relevant this freshwater flux may be in determining some of the major environmental and sedimentological changes in the Late Miocene to early Pliocene including some of the salinity changes that occurred during the Messinian Salinity Crisis.

Debris Disks as Tracers of Nearby Planetary Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stapelfeldt, Karl

2012-01-01

Many main-sequence stars possess tenuous circumstellar dust clouds believed to trace extrasolar analogs of the Sun's asteroid and Kuiper Belts. While most of these "debris disks" are known only from far-infrared photometry, dozens are now spatially resolved. In this talk, I'll review the observed structural properties of debris disks as revealed by imaging with the Hubble, Spitzer, and Herschel Space Telescopes. I will show how modeling of the far-infrared spectral energy distributions of resolved disks can be used to constrain their dust particle sizes and albedos. I will review cases of disks whose substructures suggest planetary perturbations, including a newly-discovered eccentric ring system. I'll conclude with thoughts on the potential of upcoming and proposed facilities to resolve similar structures around a greatly expanded sample of nearby debris systems.

A High Resolution View of Galactic Centers: Arp 220 and M31

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lockhart, Kelly E.

The centers of galaxy are small in size and yet incredibly complex. They play host to supermassive black holes and nuclear star clusters (NSCs) and are subject to large gas inows, nuclear starbursts, and active galactic nuclear (AGN) activity. They can also be the launching site for large-scale galactic outows. However, though these systems are quite important to galactic evolution, observations are quite difficult due to their small size. Using high spatial resolution narrowband imaging with HST/WFC3 of Arp 220, a latestage galaxy merger, I discover an ionized gas bubble feature ( r = 600 pc) just off the nucleus. The bubble is aligned with both the western nucleus and with the large-scale galactic outflow. Using energetics arguments, I link the bubble with a young, obscured AGN or with an intense nuclear starburst. Given its alignment along the large-scale outflow axis, I argue that the bubble presents evidence for a link between the galactic center and the large-scale outflow. I also present new observations of the NSC in M31, the closest large spiral galaxy to our own. Using the OSIRIS near-infrared integral field spectrograph (IFS) on Keck, I map the kinematics of the old stellar population in the eccentric disk of the NSC. I compare the observations to models to derive a precession speed of the disk of 0+/-5 km s-1 pc-1 , and hence confirm that winds from the old stellar population may be the source of gas needed to form the young stellar population in the NSC. Studies of galactic centers are dependent on high spatial resolution observations. In particular, IFSs are ideal instruments for these studies as they provide two-dimensional spectroscopy of the field of view, enabling 2D kinematic studies. I report on work to characterize and improve the data reduction pipeline of the OSIRIS IFS, and discuss implications for future generations of IFS instrumentation.

High-Contrast Imaging of Epsilon Eridani with Ground-Based Instruments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mizuki, T.; Yamada, T.; Carson, J. C.; Kuzuhara, M.; Nakagawa, T.; Nishikawa, J.; Sitko, M. L.; Kudo, T.; Kusakabe, N.; Hashimoto, J.;

The Scattering Outcomes of Kepler Circumbinary Planets: Planet Mass Ratio

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gong, Yan-Xiang; Ji, Jianghui, E-mail: yxgong@pmo.ac.cn, E-mail: jijh@pmo.ac.cn

Recent studies reveal that the free eccentricities of Kepler-34b and Kepler-413b are much larger than their forced eccentricities, implying that scattering events may take place in their formation. The observed orbital configuration of Kepler-34b cannot be well reproduced in disk-driven migration models, whereas a two-planet scattering scenario can play a significant role of shaping the planetary configuration. These studies indicate that circumbinary planets discovered by Kepler may have experienced scattering process. In this work, we extensively investigate the scattering outcomes of circumbinary planets focusing on the effects of planet mass ratio . We find that the planetary mass ratio andmore » the the initial relative locations of planets act as two important parameters that affect the eccentricity distribution of the surviving planets. As an application of our model, we discuss the observed orbital configurations of Kepler-34b and Kepler-413b. We first adopt the results from the disk-driven models as the initial conditions, then simulate the scattering process that occurs in the late evolution stage of circumbinary planets. We show that the present orbital configurations of Kepler-34b and Kepler-413b can be well reproduced when considering a two unequal-mass planet ejection model. Our work further suggests that some of the currently discovered circumbinary single-planet systems may be survivors of original multiple-planet systems. The disk-driven migration and scattering events occurring in the late stage both play an irreplaceable role in sculpting the final systems.« less

The Precession Index and a Nonlinear Energy Balance Climate Model

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rubincam, David

2004-01-01

A simple nonlinear energy balance climate model yields a precession index-like term in the temperature. Despite its importance in the geologic record, the precession index e sin (Omega)S, where e is the Earth's orbital eccentricity and (Omega)S is the Sun's perigee in the geocentric frame, is not present in the insolation at the top of the atmosphere. Hence there is no one-for-one mapping of 23,000 and 19,000 year periodicities from the insolation to the paleoclimate record; a nonlinear climate model is needed to produce these long periods. A nonlinear energy balance climate model with radiative terms of form T n, where T is surface temperature and n less than 1, does produce e sin (omega)S terms in temperature; the e sin (omega)S terms are called Seversmith psychroterms. Without feedback mechanisms, the model achieves extreme values of 0.64 K at the maximum orbital eccentricity of 0.06, cooling one hemisphere while simultaneously warming the other; the hemisphere over which perihelion occurs is the cooler. In other words, the nonlinear energy balance model produces long-term cooling in the northern hemisphere when the Sun's perihelion is near northern summer solstice and long-term warming in the northern hemisphere when the aphelion is near northern summer solstice. (This behavior is similar to the inertialess gray body which radiates like T 4, but the amplitude is much lower for the energy balance model because of its thermal inertia.) This seemingly paradoxical behavior works against the standard Milankovitch model, which requires cool northern summers (Sun far from Earth in northern summer) to build up northern ice sheets, so that if the standard model is correct it must be more efficient than previously thought. Alternatively, the new mechanism could possibly be dominant and indicate southern hemisphere control of the northern ice sheets, wherein the southern oceans undergo a long-term cooling when the Sun is far from the Earth during northern summer. The cold water eventually flows north, cooling the northern hemisphere. This might explain why the northern oceans lag the southern ones when it comes to orbital forcing.

Extreme secular excitation of eccentricity inside mean motion resonance. Small bodies driven into star-grazing orbits by planetary perturbations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pichierri, Gabriele; Morbidelli, Alessandro; Lai, Dong

2017-09-01

Context. It is well known that asteroids and comets fall into the Sun. Metal pollution of white dwarfs and transient spectroscopic signatures of young stars like β-Pic provide growing evidence that extra solar planetesimals can attain extreme orbital eccentricities and fall into their parent stars. Aims: We aim to develop a general, implementable, semi-analytical theory of secular eccentricity excitation of small bodies (planetesimals) in mean motion resonances with an eccentric planet valid for arbitrary values of the eccentricities and including the short-range force due to General Relativity. Methods: Our semi-analytic model for the restricted planar three-body problem does not make use of series expansion and therefore is valid for any eccentricity value and semi-major axis ratio. The model is based on the application of the adiabatic principle, which is valid when the precession period of the longitude of pericentre of the planetesimal is much longer than the libration period in the mean motion resonance. In resonances of order larger than 1 this is true except for vanishingly small eccentricities. We provide prospective users with a Mathematica notebook with implementation of the model allowing direct use. Results: We confirm that the 4:1 mean motion resonance with a moderately eccentric (e' ≲ 0.1) planet is the most powerful one to lift the eccentricity of planetesimals from nearly circular orbits to star-grazing ones. However, if the planet is too eccentric, we find that this resonance is unable to pump the planetesimal's eccentricity to a very high value. The inclusion of the General Relativity effect imposes a condition on the mass of the planet to drive the planetesimals into star-grazing orbits. For a planetesimal at 1 AU around a solar mass star (or white dwarf), we find a threshold planetary mass of about 17 Earth masses. We finally derive an analytical formula for this critical mass. Conclusions: Planetesimals can easily fall into the central star even in the presence of a single moderately eccentric planet, but only from the vicinity of the 4:1 mean motion resonance. For sufficiently high planetary masses the General Relativity effect does not prevent the achievement of star-grazing orbits. The Mathematica notebook is only available at the CDS via anonymous ftp to http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (http://130.79.128.5) or via http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr/viz-bin/qcat?J/A+A/605/A23

Sources of Shock Waves in the Protoplanetary Disk

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boss, A. P.; Durisen, R. H.

2005-12-01

Finding an appropriate heat source for melting the chondrules that constitute the bulk of many primitive meteorites is perhaps the most important outstanding problem in all of meteoritics. Shock waves within the Solar Nebula are one possible means for accomplishing this provided that they move with respect to the precursor aggregates at speeds of ~ 6 to 9 km s-1 in environments with appropriate nebular pressures and densities. Here we briefly review the status of four different mechanisms which have been proposed as sources of such shock fronts. We argue that two of them, the accretion shock at the nebular surface and shocks propagating inside the nebula launched by the impact of gas clumps falling onto the disk, are unlikely to work. Bow shocks driven by 1000-km-size planetesimals show more promise, but require the presence of Jupiter to raise the eccentricities of the planetesimals. We then focus this chapter on the fourth mechanism, which may be the dominant source of shocks in the early nebula. Wood (1996) proposed that the chondrule-producing shocks were due to nebular spiral arms. This hypothesis is now strongly supported by recent calculations of the evolution of gravitationally unstable disks. In a gaseous disk capable of forming Jupiter, the disk gas must have been close to marginal gravitational instability near or beyond Jupiter's orbit. Massive clumps and spirals due to such instability can drive spiral shock fronts inward with shock speeds as large as ~ 10 km s-1 at asteroidal orbits, sufficient to account for chondrule formation. Once Jupiter forms, it may either continue to drive strong shock fronts at asteroidal distances, or it may pump up the eccentricity of planetesimals, leading to chondrule processing for as long as the inner disk gas survives, a few Myr or so. Mixing and transport of solids in an unstable disk results in a scenario that unifies chondrite formation from chondrules, refractory inclusions, and matrix grains with disk processes associated with gas giant planet formation.

The impact of precession and obliquity on the Late-Devonian greenhouse climate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

De Vleeschouwer, D.; Crucifix, M.; Bounceur, N.; Claeys, P. F.

2012-12-01

To date, only few general circulation model (GCM) have been used to simulate the extremely warm greenhouse climate of the Late-Devonian (~370 Ma). As a consequence, the current knowledge on Devonian climate dynamics comes almost exclusively from geological proxy data. Given the fragmentary nature of these data sources, the understanding of the Devonian climate is rather limited. Nonetheless, the Late-Devonian is a key-period in the evolution of life on Earth: the continents were no longer bare but were invaded by land plants, the first forests appeared, soils were formed, fish evolved to amphibians and 70-80% of all animal species were wiped out during the Late Devonian extinction (~376 Ma). In order to better understand the functioning of the climate system during this highly important period in Earth's history, we applied the HadSM3 climate model to the Devonian period under different astronomical configurations. This approach provides insight into the response of Late-Devonian climate to astronomical forcing due to precession and obliquity. Moreover, the assessment of the sensitivity of the Late-Devonian climate to astronomical forcing, presented here, will allow cyclostratigraphers to make better and more detailed interpretations of recurring patterns often observed in Late-Devonian sections. We simulated Late-Devonian climates by prescribing palaeogeography, vegetation distribution and pCO2 concentration (2180 ppm). Different experiments were carried out under 31 different astronomical configurations: three levels for obliquity (ɛ = 22°; 23.5° and 24.5°) and eccentricity (e = 0; 0.03 and 0.07) were chosen. For precession, 8 levels were considered (longitude of the perihelion= 0°; 45°; 90°; 135°; 180°; 235°; 270°). First results suggest that the intensity of precipitation on the tropical Euramerican continent (also known as Laurussia) is highly dependent on changes in precession: During precession maxima (= maximal insolation in SH during winter solstice), precipitation is up to 300 mm/month higher compared to precession minima during the wet season (September - May). During the dry season (June-July-August), the climate is up to 7°C colder during a precession maxima compared to a precession minima. Obliquity doesn't show a significant influence on the climate of the tropical Euramerican continent. However, the imprint of obliquity on the polar climates is extensive with up to 6°C temperature-differences between obliquity maxima and minima at both poles.

Binary Neutron Stars with Arbitrary Spins in Numerical Relativity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pfeiffer, Harald; Tacik, Nick; Foucart, Francois; Haas, Roland; Kaplan, Jeffrey; Muhlberger, Curran; Duez, Matt; Kidder, Lawrence; Scheel, Mark; Szilagyi, Bela

2015-04-01

We present a code to construct initial data for binary neutron star where the stars are rotating. Our code, based on the formalism developed by Tichy, allows for arbitrary rotation axes of the neutron stars and is able to achieve rotation rates near rotational breakup. We demonstrate that orbital eccentricity of the binary neutron stars can be controlled to ~ 0 . 1 % . Preliminary evolutions show that spin- and orbit-precession of Neutron stars is well described by post-Newtonian approximation. The neutron stars show quasi-normal mode oscillations at an amplitude which increases with the rotation rate of the stars.

Sedimentation rhythmicity as a reflection of astronomical cyclicity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Avsyuk, Yu. N.; Saltykovskii, A. Ya.; Sokolova, Yu. F.

2011-05-01

The Mesozoic-Cenozoic rhythmic continental sedimentary rocks are analyzed for every particular period and epoch from the Triassic to the Pliocene. The maximal distribution areas of rhythmic deposits are within the latitudinal zone of 20°-40°. Investigation of rhythmic Mesozoic-Cenozoic carbonate-containing deposits of Europe and North America enables us to attribute rhythmicity to climate change owing to insolation and eustatic variations of oceanosphere's level, on the one hand, and to compare duration values of the rhythmic unit and rhythmic sequence with cycles of orbital precession, ecliptic plane inclination, and the eccentricity of the Earth's orbit, on the other hand.

Formulas for precession. [motion of mean equator

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kinoshita, H.

1975-01-01

Literal expressions for the precessional motion of the mean equator referred to an arbitrary epoch are constructed. Their numerical representations, based on numerical values recommended at the working meeting of the International Astronomical Union Commission held in Washington in September 1974, are obtained. In constructing the equations of motion, the second-order secular perturbation and the secular perturbation due to the long-periodic terms in the motions of the moon and the sun are taken into account. These perturbations contribute more to the motion of the mean equator than does the term due to the secular perturbation of the orbital eccentricity of the sun.

The Geometry of Resonant Signatures in Debris Disks with Planets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuchner, M. J.; Holman, M. J.

2002-09-01

Using simple geometrical arguments, we paint an overview of the variety of resonant structures a single planet with moderate eccentricity (e < 0.6) can create in a dynamically cold, optically thin dust disk. This overview may serve as a key for interpreting images of perturbed debris disks and inferring the dynamical properties of the planets responsible for the perturbations. We compare the resonant structures found in the solar system with observations of planetary systems around Vega and other stars and we offer a new model for the asymmetries in the Epsilon Eridani disk. This work was performed in part under contract with the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) through the Michelson Fellowship program funded by NASA as an element of the Planet Finder Program.

EFFECTS OF TURBULENCE, ECCENTRICITY DAMPING, AND MIGRATION RATE ON THE CAPTURE OF PLANETS INTO MEAN MOTION RESONANCE

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ketchum, Jacob A.; Adams, Fred C.; Bloch, Anthony M.

2011-01-01

Pairs of migrating extrasolar planets often lock into mean motion resonance as they drift inward. This paper studies the convergent migration of giant planets (driven by a circumstellar disk) and determines the probability that they are captured into mean motion resonance. The probability that such planets enter resonance depends on the type of resonance, the migration rate, the eccentricity damping rate, and the amplitude of the turbulent fluctuations. This problem is studied both through direct integrations of the full three-body problem and via semi-analytic model equations. In general, the probability of resonance decreases with increasing migration rate, and with increasingmore » levels of turbulence, but increases with eccentricity damping. Previous work has shown that the distributions of orbital elements (eccentricity and semimajor axis) for observed extrasolar planets can be reproduced by migration models with multiple planets. However, these results depend on resonance locking, and this study shows that entry into-and maintenance of-mean motion resonance depends sensitively on the migration rate, eccentricity damping, and turbulence.« less

Spectroscopic monitoring of SS 433: A search for long-term variations of kinematic model parameters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Davydov, V. V.; Esipov, V. F.; Cherepashchuk, A. M.

2008-06-01

Between 1994 and 2006, we obtained uniform spectroscopic observations of SS 433 in the region of H α. We determined Doppler shifts of the moving emission lines, H α + and H α -, and studied various irregularities in the profiles for the moving emission lines. The total number of Doppler shifts measured in these 13 years is 488 for H α - and 389 for H α +. We have also used published data to study possible long-term variations of the SS 433 system, based on 755 Doppler shifts for H α - and 630 for H α + obtained over 28 years. We have derived improved kinematic model parameters for the precessing relativistic jets of S S 433 using five-and eight-parameter models. On average, the precession period was stable during the 28 years of observations (60 precession cycles), at 162.250d ± 0.003d. Phase jumps of the precession period and random variations of its length with amplitudes of ≈6% and ≈1%, respectively, were observed, but no secular changes in the precession period were detected. The nutation period, P nut = 6.2876d ± 0.00035d, and its phase were stable during 28 years (more than 1600 nutation cycles). We find no secular variations of the nutation cycle. The ejection speed of the relativistic jets, v, was, on average, constant during the 28 years, β = v/c = 0.2561 ± 0.0157. No secular variation of β is detected. In general, S S 433 demonstrates remarkably stable long-term characteristics of its precession and nutation, as well as of the central “engine” near the relativistic object that collimates the plasma in the jets and accelerates it to v = 0.2561 c. Our results support a model with a “slaved” accretion disk in S S 433, which follows the precession of the optical star’s rotation axis.

DETERMINATION OF THE INTERIOR STRUCTURE OF TRANSITING PLANETS IN MULTIPLE-PLANET SYSTEMS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Batygin, Konstantin; Bodenheimer, Peter; Laughlin, Gregory, E-mail: kbatygin@gps.caltech.ed

Tidal dissipation within a short-period transiting extrasolar planet perturbed by a companion object can drive orbital evolution of the system to a so-called tidal fixed point, in which the apses of the transiting planet and its perturber are aligned, and variations in orbital eccentricities vanish. Significant contribution to the apsidal precession rate is made by gravitational quadrupole fields, created by the transiting planets tidal and rotational distortions. The fixed-point orbital eccentricity of the inner planet is therefore a strong function of its interior structure. We illustrate these ideas in the specific context of the recently discovered HAT-P-13 exoplanetary system, andmore » show that one can already glean important insights into the physical properties of the inner transiting planet. We present structural models of the planet, which indicate that its observed radius can be maintained for a one-parameter sequence of models that properly vary core mass and tidal energy dissipation in the interior. We use an octupole-order secular theory of the orbital dynamics to derive the dependence of the inner planet's eccentricity, e{sub b} , on its tidal Love number, k {sub 2b}. We find that the currently measured eccentricity, e{sub b} = 0.021 +- 0.009, implies 0.116 < k {sub 2b} < 0.425, 0 M {sub +} < M {sub core} < 120 M {sub +}, and 10, 000 < Q{sub b} < 300, 000. Improved measurement of the eccentricity will soon allow for far tighter limits to be placed on all of these quantities, and will provide an unprecedented probe into the interior structure of an extrasolar planet.« less

Timing and pacing of the Late Devonian mass extinction event regulated by eccentricity and obliquity.

PubMed

De Vleeschouwer, David; Da Silva, Anne-Christine; Sinnesael, Matthias; Chen, Daizhao; Day, James E; Whalen, Michael T; Guo, Zenghui; Claeys, Philippe

2017-12-22

The Late Devonian envelops one of Earth's big five mass extinction events at the Frasnian-Famennian boundary (374 Ma). Environmental change across the extinction severely affected Devonian reef-builders, besides many other forms of marine life. Yet, cause-and-effect chains leading to the extinction remain poorly constrained as Late Devonian stratigraphy is poorly resolved, compared to younger cataclysmic intervals. In this study we present a global orbitally calibrated chronology across this momentous interval, applying cyclostratigraphic techniques. Our timescale stipulates that 600 kyr separate the lower and upper Kellwasser positive δ 13 C excursions. The latter excursion is paced by obliquity and is therein similar to Mesozoic intervals of environmental upheaval, like the Cretaceous Ocean-Anoxic-Event-2 (OAE-2). This obliquity signature implies coincidence with a minimum of the 2.4 Myr eccentricity cycle, during which obliquity prevails over precession, and highlights the decisive role of astronomically forced "Milankovitch" climate change in timing and pacing the Late Devonian mass extinction.

Investigation on the subsynchronous pseudo-vibration of rotating machinery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qu, Lei; Liao, Yuhe; Lin, Jing; Zhao, Ming

2018-06-01

Subsynchronous pseudo-vibration (SPV) of rotating machinery is one of the primary reasons for fault misdiagnosis. SPV has similar signal signatures to those of a real fault, which usually leads to excessive maintenance or even unscheduled shutdown. For this reason, it is essential to investigate the root causes of SPV so as to reduce unnecessary downtime and maintenance cost. Aiming at this issue, a novel signal model for rotor non-contact vibration is built to describe the generating mechanism of one kind of SPV by considering the combined effects of rotor axial motion and detection surface runout on vibration signal. To obtain more discriminative fault features from the vibration signals, the two-dimension holospectrum (2DH) is employed to integrate the phase information from two perpendicularly installed sensors. The characteristics of precession orbit used to describe the lateral motion of a rotor could be fully extracted by 2DH. It is shown that the precession orbit at the fault feature frequency will degenerate into a straight line when SPV occurs, and thus the eccentricity of precession orbit could be considered as a key feature for discriminating SPV from real subsynchronous vibration (RSV). The effectiveness of proposed method was validated on a rotor test rig. By using this method, the SPV problem of a real gearbox in a blast furnace blower set in a steel mill was successfully diagnosed.

Climate change and carbon-cycling during the latest Cretaceous-Early Paleogene; a new 13.5 million year-long, orbital-resolution, stable isotope record from the South Atlantic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barnet, J.; Littler, K.; Kroon, D.; Leng, M. J.; Westerhold, T.; Roehl, U.; Zachos, J. C.

2017-12-01

The "greenhouse" world of the latest Cretaceous-Early Paleogene ( 70-34 Ma) was characterised by multi-million year variability in climate and the carbon-cycle. Throughout this interval the pervasive imprint of orbital-cyclicity, particularly eccentricity and precession, is visible in elemental and stable isotope data obtained from multiple deep-sea sites. Periodic "hyperthermal" events, occurring largely in-step with these orbital cycles, have proved particularly enigmatic, and may be the closest, albeit imperfect, analogues for anthropogenic climate change. This project utilises CaCO3-rich marine sediments recovered from ODP Site 1262 at a paleo-depth of 3600 m on the Walvis Ridge, South Atlantic, of late Maastrichtian-mid Paleocene age ( 67-60 Ma). We have derived high-resolution (2.5-4 kyr) carbon and oxygen isotope data from the epifaunal benthic foraminifera species Nuttallides truempyi. Combining the new record with the existing Late Paleocene-Early Eocene record generated from the same site by Littler et al. (2014), yields a single-site reference curve detailing 13.5 million years of orbital cyclicity in paleoclimate and carbon cycle from the latest Cretaceous to near the peak warmth of the Early Paleogene greenhouse. Spectral analysis of this new combined dataset allows us to identify long (405-kyr) eccentricity, short (100-kyr) eccentricity, and precession (19-23-kyr) as the principle forcing mechanisms governing pacing of the background climate and carbon-cycle during this time period, with a comparatively weak obliquity (41-kyr) signal. Cross-spectral analysis suggests that changes in climate lead the carbon cycle throughout most of the record, emphasising the role of the release of temperature-sensitive carbon stores as a positive feedback to an initial warming induced by changes in orbital configuration. The expression of comparatively understudied Early Paleocene events, including the Dan-C2 Event, Latest Danian Event, and Danian/Selandian Transition Event, are also identified within this new record, confirming the global nature and orbital pacing of the Latest Danian Event and Danian/Selandian Transition Event, but questioning the Dan-C2 event as a global hyperthermal.

Constraints on the duration of the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum by orbitally-influenced fluvial sediment records of the northern Bighorn Basin, Wyoming, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van der Meulen, Bas; Abels, Hemmo; Meijer, Niels; Gingerich, Philip; Lourens, Lucas

2016-04-01

The addition of major amounts of carbon to the exogenic carbon pool caused rapid climate change and faunal turnover during the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM) around 56 million years ago. Constraints are still needed on the duration of the onset, main body, and recovery of the event. The Bighorn Basin in Wyoming provides expanded terrestrial sections spanning the PETM and lacking the carbonate dissolution present in many marine records. Here we provide new carbon isotope records for the Polecat Bench and Head of Big Sand Coulee sections, two parallel sites in the northern Bighorn Basin, at unprecedented resolution. Cyclostratigraphic analysis of these fluvial sediment records using descriptive sedimentology and proxy records allows subdivision into intervals dominated by avulsion deposits and intervals dominated by overbank deposits. These sedimentary sequences alternate in a regular fashion and are related to climatic precession. Correlation of the two, 8-km-spaced sections shows that the avulsion-overbank cycles are laterally consistent. The presence of longer-period alternations, related to modulation by the 100-kyr eccentricity cycle, corroborates the precession influence on the sediments. Sedimentary cyclicity is then used to develop a floating precession-scale age model for the PETM carbon isotope excursion (CIE). We find a CIE body encompassing 95 kyrs aligning with marine cyclostratigraphic age models. The duration of the CIE onset is estimated at 5 kyrs, but difficult to determine because sedimentation rates vary at the sub-precession scale. The CIE recovery starts with a 2 to 4 per mille step and lasts 40 or 90 kyrs, depending on what is considered the carbon isotope background state.

Triassic–Jurassic climate in continental high-latitude Asia was dominated by obliquity-paced variations (Junggar Basin, Ürümqi, China)

PubMed Central

Sha, Jingeng; Olsen, Paul E.; Pan, Yanhong; Xu, Daoyi; Wang, Yaqiang; Zhang, Xiaolin; Yao, Xiaogang; Vajda, Vivi

2015-01-01

Empirical constraints on orbital gravitational solutions for the Solar System can be derived from the Earth’s geological record of past climates. Lithologically based paleoclimate data from the thick, coal-bearing, fluvial-lacustrine sequences of the Junggar Basin of Northwestern China (paleolatitude ∼60°) show that climate variability of the warm and glacier-free high latitudes of the latest Triassic–Early Jurassic (∼198–202 Ma) Pangea was strongly paced by obliquity-dominated (∼40 ky) orbital cyclicity, based on an age model using the 405-ky cycle of eccentricity. In contrast, coeval low-latitude continental climate was much more strongly paced by climatic precession, with virtually no hint of obliquity. Although this previously unknown obliquity dominance at high latitude is not necessarily unexpected in a high CO2 world, these data deviate substantially from published orbital solutions in period and amplitude for eccentricity cycles greater than 405 ky, consistent with chaotic diffusion of the Solar System. In contrast, there are indications that the Earth–Mars orbital resonance was in today’s 2-to-1 ratio of eccentricity to inclination. These empirical data underscore the need for temporally comprehensive, highly reliable data, as well as new gravitational solutions fitting those data. PMID:25759439

Triassic-Jurassic climate in continental high-latitude Asia was dominated by obliquity-paced variations (Junggar Basin, Ürümqi, China).

PubMed

Sha, Jingeng; Olsen, Paul E; Pan, Yanhong; Xu, Daoyi; Wang, Yaqiang; Zhang, Xiaolin; Yao, Xiaogang; Vajda, Vivi

2015-03-24

Empirical constraints on orbital gravitational solutions for the Solar System can be derived from the Earth's geological record of past climates. Lithologically based paleoclimate data from the thick, coal-bearing, fluvial-lacustrine sequences of the Junggar Basin of Northwestern China (paleolatitude ∼60°) show that climate variability of the warm and glacier-free high latitudes of the latest Triassic-Early Jurassic (∼198-202 Ma) Pangea was strongly paced by obliquity-dominated (∼40 ky) orbital cyclicity, based on an age model using the 405-ky cycle of eccentricity. In contrast, coeval low-latitude continental climate was much more strongly paced by climatic precession, with virtually no hint of obliquity. Although this previously unknown obliquity dominance at high latitude is not necessarily unexpected in a high CO2 world, these data deviate substantially from published orbital solutions in period and amplitude for eccentricity cycles greater than 405 ky, consistent with chaotic diffusion of the Solar System. In contrast, there are indications that the Earth-Mars orbital resonance was in today's 2-to-1 ratio of eccentricity to inclination. These empirical data underscore the need for temporally comprehensive, highly reliable data, as well as new gravitational solutions fitting those data.

APPARATUS FOR GRINDING SPHERICAL BODIES

DOEpatents

Burch, R.F. Jr.

1963-09-24

A relatively inexpensive device is described for grinding rough ceramic bodies into accurate spherical shapes using a conventional drill press and a belt sander. A horizontal disk with an abrasive-surfaced recess in its lower face is mounted eccentrically on a vertical shaft which is forced downward against a stop by a spring. Bodies to be ground are placed in the recess and are subjected to the abrasive action of the belt sander as the disk is rotated by the drill press. (AEC)

An Eccentric Binary Millisecond Pulsar in the Galactic Plane

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Champion, David J.; Ransom, Scott M.; Lazarus, Patrick; Camilo, Fernando; Bassa, Cess; Kaspi, Victoria M.; Nice, David J.; Freire, Paulo C. C.; Stairs, Ingrid H.; vanLeeuwen, Joeri;

Change in General Relativistic precession rates due to Lidov-Kozai oscillations in the Solar System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sekhar, Aswin; Asher, David J.; Werner, Stephanie C.; Vaubaillon, Jeremie; Li, Gongjie

2017-04-01

Introduction: Two well known phenomena associated with low perihelion distance bodies in orbital dynamics are general relativistic (GR) precession and Lidov-Kozai (LK) oscillations. The accurate prediction of the perihelion shift of Mercury in accord with real observations is one of the significant triumphs of the general theory of relativity developed by Einstein. The Lidov-Kozai mechanism was first proposed and derived by Kozai and independently by Lidov explaining the periodic exchange between eccentricities e and inclinations i thereby increasing or decreasing the perihelion distance q secularly in the orbiting body. Co-existence of GR Precession and LK Oscillations: In this work, we were interested to identify bodies evolving in the near future (i.e. thousands of years in this case) into rapid sungrazing and sun colliding phases and undergoing inclination flips, due to LK oscillations and being GR active at the same time. Of all the bodies we checked from the IAU-Minor Planet Center, and Marsden plus Kracht families from the comet catalogue, 96P/Machholz 1 stands out because it shows all these trends in the near future. LK leads to secular lowering of q which in turn leads to a huge increase in GR precession of argument of pericentre. This in turn gives feedback to the LK mechanism as the e,i and argument of pericentre in Kozai cycles are closely correlated. In this work, we find real examples of solar system bodies which show the continuum nature between GR precession domi-nant and LK mechanism dominant regimes. Results and Discussion: We have shown that there are bodies in the solar system in which both GR precession and LK mechanism can co-exist at the same time and for which these effects can be measured and identified using analytical and numerical techniques. Thus there is a continuum of bodies encompassing, firstly GR precession dominant, secondly GR precession plus LK mechanism co-existing and finally LK mechanism dominant states which are all permissible in nature. A real solar system body in this intermediate state is identified using compiled observational records from IAU-Minor Planet Center, Cometary Catalogue, IAU-Meteor Data Center and performing analytical plus numerical tests on them. This intermediate state brings up the interesting possibility of drastic changes in GR precession rates (at some points peaking to about 60 times that of Mercury's GR precession) during orbital evolution due to sungrazing and sun colliding phases induced by the LK mechanism, thus combining both these important effects in a unique and dynamically interesting way. Comet 96P/Machholz 1 stands out as the only real body identified (from our simulations) to be exhibiting these interesting traits, as well as inclination flips, in the near future. Both these phenomena complimenting and co-existing at the same time has interesting implications in the long term impact studies of small bodies in general.

Experimental dynamic characterizations and modelling of disk vibrations for HDDs.

PubMed

Pang, Chee Khiang; Ong, Eng Hong; Guo, Guoxiao; Qian, Hua

2008-01-01

Currently, the rotational speed of spindle motors in HDDs (Hard-Disk Drives) are increasing to improve high data throughput and decrease rotational latency for ultra-high data transfer rates. However, the disk platters are excited to vibrate at their natural frequencies due to higher air-flow excitation as well as eccentricities and imbalances in the disk-spindle assembly. These factors contribute directly to TMR (Track Mis-Registration) which limits achievable high recording density essential for future mobile HDDs. In this paper, the natural mode shapes of an annular disk mounted on a spindle motor used in current HDDs are characterized using FEM (Finite Element Methods) analysis and verified with SLDV (Scanning Laser Doppler Vibrometer) measurements. The identified vibration frequencies and amplitudes of the disk ODS (Operating Deflection Shapes) at corresponding disk mode shapes are modelled as repeatable disturbance components for servo compensation in HDDs. Our experimental results show that the SLDV measurements are accurate in capturing static disk mode shapes without the need for intricate air-flow aero-elastic models, and the proposed disk ODS vibration model correlates well with experimental measurements from a LDV.

Astronomically Forced Hydrology of the Late Cretaceous Sub-tropical Potosí Basin, Bolivia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tasistro-Hart, A.; Maloof, A. C.; Schoene, B.; Eddy, M. P.

2017-12-01

Orbital forcings paced the ice ages of the Pleistocene, demonstrating that periodic variations in the latitudinal distribution of insolation amplified by ice-albedo feedbacks can guide global climate. How these forcings operate in the hot-houses that span most of the planet's history, however, is unknown. The lacustrine El Molino formation of the late Cretaceous-early Paleogene Potosí Basin in present-day Bolivia contains carbonate-mud parasequences that record fluctuating hydrological conditions from 73 to 63 Ma. This study presents the first cyclostratigraphic analysis using high-resolution drone-derived imagery and 3D elevation models, combined with conventional stratigraphic measurements and magnetic susceptibility data. The drone-derived data are integrated over the entire outcrop at two field areas using a novel application of stratigraphic potential field modeling that increases signal-to-noise ratios prior to spectral analysis. We demonstrate that these parasequences exhibit significant periodicities consistent with eccentricity (400 and 100 kyr), obliquity (50 kyr, 40 kyr, and 29 kyr), precession (17-23 kyr), and semi-precession (9-11 kyr). New U-Pb ID-TIMS zircon ages from intercalacted ash beds corroborate the interpreted sedimentation rates at two sites, indicating that the Potosí Basin contains evidence for hot-house astronomical forcing of sub-tropical lacustrine hydrology. Global climate simulations of late Cretaceous orbital end-member configurations demonstrate precessional-eccentricity and obliquity driven modulation of basin hydrology. In model simulations, the forcings drive long-term shifts in the location of the intertropical convergence zone, changing precipitation along the northern extent of the Potosí Basin's catchment area. This study is the first to demonstrate orbital forcing of a lacustrine system during the Maastrichtian and could ultimately contribute to a precise age for the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary.

Evolution of the early Antarctic ice ages

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liebrand, Diederik; de Bakker, Anouk T. M.; Beddow, Helen M.; Wilson, Paul A.; Bohaty, Steven M.; Ruessink, Gerben; Pälike, Heiko; Batenburg, Sietske J.; Hilgen, Frederik J.; Hodell, David A.; Huck, Claire E.; Kroon, Dick; Raffi, Isabella; Saes, Mischa J. M.; van Dijk, Arnold E.; Lourens, Lucas J.

2017-04-01

Understanding the stability of the early Antarctic ice cap in the geological past is of societal interest because present-day atmospheric CO2 concentrations have reached values comparable to those estimated for the Oligocene and the Early Miocene epochs. Here we analyze a new high-resolution deep-sea oxygen isotope (δ18O) record from the South Atlantic Ocean spanning an interval between 30.1 My and 17.1 My ago. The record displays major oscillations in deep-sea temperature and Antarctic ice volume in response to the ˜110-ky eccentricity modulation of precession. Conservative minimum ice volume estimates show that waxing and waning of at least ˜85 to 110% of the volume of the present East Antarctic Ice Sheet is required to explain many of the ˜110-ky cycles. Antarctic ice sheets were typically largest during repeated glacial cycles of the mid-Oligocene (˜28.0 My to ˜26.3 My ago) and across the Oligocene-Miocene Transition (˜23.0 My ago). However, the high-amplitude glacial-interglacial cycles of the mid-Oligocene are highly symmetrical, indicating a more direct response to eccentricity modulation of precession than their Early Miocene counterparts, which are distinctly asymmetrical—indicative of prolonged ice buildup and delayed, but rapid, glacial terminations. We hypothesize that the long-term transition to a warmer climate state with sawtooth-shaped glacial cycles in the Early Miocene was brought about by subsidence and glacial erosion in West Antarctica during the Late Oligocene and/or a change in the variability of atmospheric CO2 levels on astronomical time scales that is not yet captured in existing proxy reconstructions.

Evolution of the early Antarctic ice ages

PubMed Central

de Bakker, Anouk T. M.; Beddow, Helen M.; Wilson, Paul A.; Bohaty, Steven M.; Pälike, Heiko; Batenburg, Sietske J.; Hilgen, Frederik J.; Hodell, David A.; Huck, Claire E.; Kroon, Dick; Raffi, Isabella; Saes, Mischa J. M.; van Dijk, Arnold E.; Lourens, Lucas J.

2017-01-01

Understanding the stability of the early Antarctic ice cap in the geological past is of societal interest because present-day atmospheric CO2 concentrations have reached values comparable to those estimated for the Oligocene and the Early Miocene epochs. Here we analyze a new high-resolution deep-sea oxygen isotope (δ18O) record from the South Atlantic Ocean spanning an interval between 30.1 My and 17.1 My ago. The record displays major oscillations in deep-sea temperature and Antarctic ice volume in response to the ∼110-ky eccentricity modulation of precession. Conservative minimum ice volume estimates show that waxing and waning of at least ∼85 to 110% of the volume of the present East Antarctic Ice Sheet is required to explain many of the ∼110-ky cycles. Antarctic ice sheets were typically largest during repeated glacial cycles of the mid-Oligocene (∼28.0 My to ∼26.3 My ago) and across the Oligocene−Miocene Transition (∼23.0 My ago). However, the high-amplitude glacial−interglacial cycles of the mid-Oligocene are highly symmetrical, indicating a more direct response to eccentricity modulation of precession than their Early Miocene counterparts, which are distinctly asymmetrical—indicative of prolonged ice buildup and delayed, but rapid, glacial terminations. We hypothesize that the long-term transition to a warmer climate state with sawtooth-shaped glacial cycles in the Early Miocene was brought about by subsidence and glacial erosion in West Antarctica during the Late Oligocene and/or a change in the variability of atmospheric CO2 levels on astronomical time scales that is not yet captured in existing proxy reconstructions. PMID:28348211

Gravitational Instabilities in a Young Protoplanetary Disk with Embedded Objects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Desai, Karna M.; Steiman-Cameron, Thomas Y.; Durisen, Richard H.

2018-01-01

Gravitational Instabilities (GIs), a mechanism for angular momentum transport, are more prominent during the early phases of protoplanetary disk evolution when the disk is relatively massive. In my dissertation work, I performed radiative 3D hydrodynamics simulations (by employing the code, CHYMERA) and extensively studied GIs by inserting different objects in the ‘control disk’ (a 0.14 M⊙ protoplanetary disk around a 1 M⊙ star).Studying planetary migration helps us better constrain planet formation models. To study the migration of Jovian planets, in 9 separate simulations, each of the 0.3 MJ, 1 MJ, and 3 MJ planets was inserted near the Inner and Outer Lindblad Resonances and the Corotation Radius (CR) of the dominant GI-induced two-armed spiral density wave in the disk. I found the migration timescales to be longer in a GI-active disk when compared to laminar disks. The 3 MJ planet controls its own orbital evolution, while the migration of a 0.3 MJ planet is stochastic in nature. I defined a ‘critical mass’ as the mass of an arm of the dominant two-armed spiral density wave within the planet’s Hill diameter. Planets above this mass control their own destiny, and planets below this mass are scattered by the disk. This critical mass could provide a recipe for predicting the migration behavior of planets in GI-active disks.To understand the stochastic migration of low-mass planets, I performed a simulation of 240 zero-mass planet-tracers (hereafter, planets) by inserting these at a range of locations in the control disk (an equivalent of 240 simulations of Saturn-mass or lower-mass objects). I calculated a Diffusion Coefficient (3.6 AU2/ 1000 yr) to characterize the stochastic migration of planets. I analyzed the increase in the eccentricity dispersion and compared it with the observed exoplanet eccentricities. The diffusion of planets can be a slow process, resulting in the survival of small planetary cores. Stochastic migration of planets is dynamically similar to the radial migration of stars in the Milky Way (MW). In MW, the CR of transient spiral arms can cause radial migration of stars.Also, to determine the effects of a companion, I studied GIs in a circumbinary disk with a 0.2 M⊙ brown dwarf companion.

Fomalhaut's Debris Disk and Planet: Constraining the Mass of Formalhaut B from Disk Morphology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chiang, E.; Kite, E.; Kalas, P.; Graham, J. R.; Clampin, M.

2008-01-01

Following the optical imaging of exoplanet candidate Fomalhaut b (Fom b), we present a numerical model of how Fomalhaut's debris disk is gravitationally shaped by a single interior planet. The model is simple, adaptable to other debris disks, and can be extended to accommodate multiple planets. If Fom b is the dominant perturber of the belt, then to produce the observed disk morphology it must have a mass M(sub pl) < 3M(sub J), an orbital semimajor axis a(sub pl) > 101.5AU, and an orbital eccentricity e(sub pl) = 0.11 - 0.13. These conclusions are independent of Fom b's photometry. To not disrupt the disk, a greater mass for Fom b demands a smaller orbit farther removed from the disk; thus, future astrometric measurement of Fom b's orbit, combined with our model of planet-disk interaction, can be used to determine the mass more precisely. The inner edge of the debris disk at a approximately equals 133AU lies at the periphery of Fom b's chaotic zone, and the mean disk eccentricity of e approximately equals 0.11 is secularly forced by the planet, supporting predictions made prior to the discovery of Fom b. However, previous mass constraints based on disk morphology rely on several oversimplifications. We explain why our constraint is more reliable. It is based on a global model of the disk that is not restricted to the planet's chaotic zone boundary. Moreover, we screen disk parent bodies for dynamical stability over the system age of approximately 100 Myr, and model them separately from their dust grain progeny; the latter's orbits are strongly affected by radiation pressure and their lifetimes are limited to approximately 0.1 Myr by destructive grain-grain collisions. The single planet model predicts that planet and disk orbits be apsidally aligned. Fomalhaut b's nominal space velocity does not bear this out, but the astrometric uncertainties are difficult to quantify. Even if the apsidal misalignment proves real, our calculated upper mass limit of 3 M(sub J) still holds. Parent bodies are evacuated from mean-motion resonances with Fom b; these empty resonances are akin to the Kirkwood gaps opened by Jupiter. The belt contains at least 3M(sub Earth) of solids that are grinding down to dust, their velocity dispersions stirred so strongly by Fom b that collisions are destructive. Such a large mass in solids is consistent with Fom b having formed in situ.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kikuchi, Akihiro; Higuchi, Arika; Ida, Shigeru, E-mail: kikuchi.a@geo.titech.ac.jp, E-mail: higuchia@geo.titech.ac.jp, E-mail: ida@elsi.jp

Recently, gas giant planets in nearly circular orbits with large semimajor axes (a ∼ 30-1000 AU) have been detected by direct imaging. We have investigated orbital evolution in a formation scenario for such planets, based on a core accretion model. (1) Icy cores accrete from planetesimals at ≲ 30 AU, (2) they are scattered outward by an emerging nearby gas giant to acquire highly eccentric orbits, and (3) their orbits are circularized through the accretion of disk gas in outer regions, where they spend most of their time. We analytically derived equations to describe the orbital circularization through gas accretion.more » Numerical integrations of these equations show that the eccentricity decreases by a factor of more than 5 while the planetary mass increases by a factor of 10. Because runaway gas accretion increases planetary mass by ∼10-300, the orbits are sufficiently circularized. On the other hand, a is reduced at most only by a factor of two, leaving the planets in the outer regions. If the relative velocity damping by shock is considered, the circularization slows down, but is still efficient enough. Therefore, this scenario potentially accounts for the formation of observed distant jupiters in nearly circular orbits. If the apocenter distances of the scattered cores are larger than the disk sizes, their a shrink to a quarter of the disk sizes; the a-distribution of distant giants could reflect the outer edges of the disks in a similar way that those of hot jupiters may reflect inner edges.« less

Featured Image: A New Look at Fomalhaut

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kohler, Susanna

2017-06-01

ALMA continuum image overlaid as contours on the Hubble STIS image of Fomalhaut. [MacGregor et al. 2017]This stunning image of the Fomalhaut star system was taken by the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) in Chile. This image maps the 1.3-mm continuum emission from the dust around the central star, revealing a ring that marks the outer edge of the planet-forming debris disk surrounding the star. In a new study, a team of scientists led by Meredith MacGregor (Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics) examines these ALMA observations of Fomalhaut, which beautifully complement former Hubble images of the system. ALMAs images provide the first robust detection of apocenter glow the brightening of the ring at the point farthest away from the central star, a side effect of the rings large eccentricity. The authors use ALMAsobservations to measure properties of the disk, such as its span (roughly 136 x 14 AU), eccentricity (e 0.12), and inclination angle ( 66). They then explore the implications for Fomalhaut b, the planet located near the outer disk. To read more about the teams observations, check out the paper below.CitationMeredith A. MacGregor et al 2017 ApJ 842 8. doi:10.3847/1538-4357/aa71ae

A Complete ALMA Map of the Fomalhaut Debris Disk

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

MacGregor, Meredith A.; Wilner, David J.; Matrà, Luca

We present ALMA mosaic observations at 1.3 mm (223 GHz) of the Fomalhaut system with a sensitivity of 14 μ Jy/beam. These observations provide the first millimeter map of the continuum dust emission from the complete outer debris disk with uniform sensitivity, enabling the first conclusive detection of apocenter glow. We adopt an MCMC modeling approach that accounts for the eccentric orbital parameters of a collection of particles within the disk. The outer belt is radially confined with an inner edge of 136.3 ± 0.9 au and width of 13.5 ± 1.8 au. We determine a best-fit eccentricity of 0.12more » ± 0.01. Assuming a size distribution power-law index of q = 3.46 ± 0.09, we constrain the dust absorptivity power-law index β to be 0.9 < β < 1.5. The geometry of the disk is robustly constrained with inclination 65.°6 ± 0.°3, position angle 337.°9 ± 0.°3, and argument of periastron 22.°5 ± 4.°3. Our observations do not confirm any of the azimuthal features found in previous imaging studies of the disk with Hubble Space Telescope , SCUBA, and ALMA. However, we cannot rule out structures ≤10 au in size or that only affect smaller grains. The central star is clearly detected with a flux density of 0.75 ± 0.02 mJy, significantly lower than predicted by current photospheric models. We discuss the implications of these observations for the directly imaged Fomalhaut b and the inner dust belt detected at infrared wavelengths.« less

DETECTION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF EXTRASOLAR PLANETS THROUGH MEAN-MOTION RESONANCES. I. SIMULATIONS OF HYPOTHETICAL DEBRIS DISKS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tabeshian, Maryam; Wiegert, Paul A., E-mail: mtabeshi@uwo.ca

2016-02-20

The gravitational influence of a planet on a nearby disk provides a powerful tool for detecting and studying extrasolar planetary systems. Here we demonstrate that gaps can be opened in dynamically cold debris disks at the mean-motion resonances of an orbiting planet. The gaps are opened away from the orbit of the planet itself, revealing that not all disk gaps need contain a planetary body. These gaps are large and deep enough to be detectable in resolved disk images for a wide range of reasonable disk-planet parameters, though we are not aware of any such gaps detected to date. Themore » gap shape and size are diagnostic of the planet location, eccentricity and mass, and allow one to infer the existence of unseen planets, as well as many important parameters of both seen and unseen planets in these systems. We present expressions to allow the planetary mass and semimajor axis to be calculated from observed gap width and location.« less

Mediterranean (Annually?) Laminated Sediments of Miocene to Pleistocene age; a Study of Seasonal Variability During Precession Minima.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huiskamp, F. P.; Hilgen, F. J.; Lourens, L. J.

2001-05-01

Laminated sediments are increasingly sought as an excellent archive of paleo-environmental change at a very high temporal resolution comparable to that of ice cores, tree rings and corals. They are found in widely different settings ranging from lacustrine and shallow to deep marine depositional environments. Laminated sediments dominantly reflect the annual cycle, but they can also have a daily or interannual origin or record episodic events such as storm floods. In the Mediterranean Neogene the most conspicuous type of sedimentary cycles is the alternation of homogeneous marls and brown to black coloured, often well-laminated beds enriched in organic carbon, termed sapropels. Sapropels are not distributed evenly or randomly in the stratigraphic succession but display characteristic cycle patterns which reflect the influence of the three orbital parameters (precession, obliquity, and eccentricity). Individual sapropels are related to precession minima and sapropel clusters to eccentricity maxima. Besides sapropels, several other types of laminites are found throughout the Mediterranean. We intend to study diatomites and diatomitic sapropels of Messinian to Pleistocene age which are present in several land sections in Southern Italy. Initial research focuses on the description and classification of laminations found in two Late Pliocene sapropels from the Vrica section of southern Italy. They may provide considerable insight into the biological and sedimentation responses to climate forcing at times of maximum seasonal contrast (i.e. precession minima). In this respect, it is of crucial importance to determine whether the laminations are of annual origin. At a later stage research will also focus on diatomites of various ages in order to compare the different types of laminations present. Such laminated sapropels and diatomites may be used as an excellent geochronometer to detect multi-annual to centennial periodicities in the Mediterranean paleoclimate. Image analysis of the Vrica d and e sapropels will further provide a clearer insight into the duration of sapropel formation. Back scattered electron microscopy has been used extensively by several workers for the analyses of fine laminations, e.g. Dean et al. (1999). Images produced using this method may provide valuable information regarding sedimentological and oceanographical processes at the the time of depositioning. A major problem in this study is the impregnation of the sediment due to the very low porosity of the clays (i.e. poor penetration). First results, however, show that impregnation with Synolite resin is fairly successful. Other types of resin are currently being tested for the impregnation of diatomites. Dean, J. M., A. E. S. Kemp, et al. (1999). "Taking varves to bits: Scanning electron microscopy in the study of laminated sediments and varves." Journal of Paleolimnology 22: pp. 121-136.

The climatic and hydrologic history of southern Nevada during the late Quaternary

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Forester, R.M.; Bradbury, J.P.; Carter, C.

Understanding climate change during the expected life span of a potential high-level nuclear-waste repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, requires estimates of future climate boundary conditions. These climate boundary conditions are governed by changes in the Earth's orbital properties (eccentricity, obliquity, precession) that determine insolation. Subcycles of the 400,000 year insolation-controlled climate cycles last approximately 100,000 years. This report describes the changes which have occurred in the climatic history of Southern Nevada during the past 400,000 years. These changes provide a basis for understanding the changes which may occur during the long-term future in this area.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gong, Yan-Xiang, E-mail: yxgong@sina.com

A hydrodynamical simulation shows that a circumbinary planet will migrate inward to the edge of the disk cavity. If multiple planets form in a circumbinary disk, successive migration will lead to planet–planet scattering (PPS). PPS of Kepler -like circumbinary planets is discussed in this paper. The aim of this paper is to answer how PPS affects the formation of these planets. We find that a close binary has a significant influence on the scattering process. If PPS occurs near the unstable boundary of a binary, about 10% of the systems can be completely destroyed after PPS. In more than 90%more » of the systems, there is only one planet left. Unlike the eccentricity distribution produced by PPS in a single star system, the surviving planets generally have low eccentricities if PPS take place near the location of the currently found circumbinary planets. In addition, the ejected planets are generally the innermost of two initial planets. The above results depend on the initial positions of the two planets. If the initial positions of the planets are moved away from the binary, the evolution tends toward statistics similar to those around single stars. In this process, the competition between the planet–planet force and the planet-binary force makes the eccentricity distribution of surviving planets diverse. These new features of P-type PPS will deepen our understanding of the formation of these circumbinary planets.« less

An independent determination of Fomalhaut b's orbit and the dynamical effects on the outer dust belt

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beust, H.; Augereau, J.-C.; Bonsor, A.; Graham, J. R.; Kalas, P.; Lebreton, J.; Lagrange, A.-M.; Ertel, S.; Faramaz, V.; Thébault, P.

2014-01-01

Context. The nearby star Fomalhaut harbors a cold, moderately eccentric (e ~ 0.1) dust belt with a sharp inner edge near 133 au. A low-mass, common proper motion companion, Fomalhaut b (Fom b), was discovered near the inner edge and was identified as a planet candidate that could account for the belt morphology. However, the most recent orbit determination based on four epochs of astrometry over eight years reveals a highly eccentric orbit (e = 0.8 ± 0.1) that appears to cross the belt in the sky plane projection. Aims: We perform here a full orbital determination based on the available astrometric data to independently validate the orbit estimates previously presented. Adopting our values for the orbital elements and their associated uncertainties, we then study the dynamical interaction between the planet and the dust ring, to check whether the proposed disk sculpting scenario by Fom b is plausible. Methods: We used a dedicated MCMC code to derive the statistical distributions of the orbital elements of Fom b. Then we used symplectic N-body integration to investigate the dynamics of the dust belt, as perturbed by a single planet. Different attempts were made assuming different masses for Fom b. We also performed a semi-analytical study to explain our results. Results: Our results are in good agreement with others regarding the orbit of Fom b. We find that the orbit is highly eccentric, is close to apsidally aligned with the belt, and has a mutual inclination relative to the belt plane of <29° (67% confidence). If coplanar, this orbit crosses the disk. Our dynamical study then reveals that the observed planet could sculpt a transient belt configuration with a similar eccentricity to what is observed, but it would not be simultaneously apsidally aligned with the planet. This transient configuration only occurs a short time after the planet is placed on such an orbit (assuming an initially circular disk), a time that is inversely proportional to the planet's mass, and that is in any case much less than the 440 Myr age of the star. Conclusions: We constrain how long the observed dust belt could have survived with Fom b on its current orbit, as a function of its possible mass. This analysis leads us to conclude that Fom b is likely to have low mass, that it is unlikely to be responsible for the sculpting of the belt, and that it supports the hypothesis of a more massive, less eccentric planet companion Fomalhaut c.

Application of the Cubed-Sphere Grid to Tilted Black-Hole Accretion Disks

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Fragile, P C; Lindner, C C; Anninos, P

2008-09-24

In recent work we presented the first results of global general relativistic magnetohydrodynamic (GRMHD) simulations of tilted (or misaligned) accretion disks around rotating black holes. The simulated tilted disks showed dramatic differences from comparable untilted disks, such as asymmetrical accretion onto the hole through opposing 'plunging streams' and global precession of the disk powered by a torque provided by the black hole. However, those simulations used a traditional spherical-polar grid that was purposefully underresolved along the pole, which prevented us from assessing the behavior of any jets that may have been associated with the tilted disks. To address this shortcomingmore » we have added a block-structured 'cubed-sphere' grid option to the Cosmos++ GRMHD code, which will allow us to simultaneously resolve the disk and polar regions. Here we present our implementation of this grid and the results of a small suite of validation tests intended to demonstrate that the new grid performs as expected. The most important test in this work is a comparison of identical tilted disks, one evolved using our spherical-polar grid and the other with the cubed-sphere grid. We also demonstrate an interesting dependence of the early-time evolution of our disks on their orientation with respect to the grid alignment. This dependence arises from the differing treatment of current sheets within the disks, especially whether they are aligned with symmetry planes of the grid or not.« less

Gaps in Protoplanetary Disks as Signatures of Planets. III. Polarization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jang-Condell, Hannah

2017-01-01

Polarimetric observations of T Tauri and Herbig Ae/Be stars are a powerful way to image protoplanetary disks. However, interpretation of these images is difficult because the degree of polarization is highly sensitive to the angle of scattering of stellar light off the disk surface. We examine how disks with and without gaps created by planets appear in scattered polarized light as a function of inclination angle. Isophotes of inclined disks without gaps are distorted in polarized light, giving the appearance that the disks are more eccentric or more highly inclined than they truly are. Apparent gap locations are unaffected by polarization, but the gap contrast changes. In face-on disks with gaps, we find that the brightened far edge of the gap scatters less polarized light than the rest of the disk, resulting in slightly decreased contrast between the gap trough and the brightened far edge. In inclined disks, gaps can take on the appearance of being localized “holes” in brightness rather than full axisymmetric structures. Photocenter offsets along the minor axis of the disk in both total intensity and polarized intensity images can be readily explained by the finite thickness of the disk. Alone, polarized scattered light images of disks do not necessarily reveal intrinsic disk structure. However, when combined with total intensity images, the orientation of the disk can be deduced and much can be learned about disk structure and dust properties.

Exoplanet orbital eccentricities derived from LAMOST-Kepler analysis.

PubMed

Xie, Ji-Wei; Dong, Subo; Zhu, Zhaohuan; Huber, Daniel; Zheng, Zheng; De Cat, Peter; Fu, Jianning; Liu, Hui-Gen; Luo, Ali; Wu, Yue; Zhang, Haotong; Zhang, Hui; Zhou, Ji-Lin; Cao, Zihuang; Hou, Yonghui; Wang, Yuefei; Zhang, Yong

2016-10-11

The nearly circular (mean eccentricity [Formula: see text]) and coplanar (mean mutual inclination [Formula: see text]) orbits of the solar system planets motivated Kant and Laplace to hypothesize that planets are formed in disks, which has developed into the widely accepted theory of planet formation. The first several hundred extrasolar planets (mostly Jovian) discovered using the radial velocity (RV) technique are commonly on eccentric orbits ([Formula: see text]). This raises a fundamental question: Are the solar system and its formation special? The Kepler mission has found thousands of transiting planets dominated by sub-Neptunes, but most of their orbital eccentricities remain unknown. By using the precise spectroscopic host star parameters from the Large Sky Area Multi-Object Fiber Spectroscopic Telescope (LAMOST) observations, we measure the eccentricity distributions for a large (698) and homogeneous Kepler planet sample with transit duration statistics. Nearly half of the planets are in systems with single transiting planets (singles), whereas the other half are multiple transiting planets (multiples). We find an eccentricity dichotomy: on average, Kepler singles are on eccentric orbits with [Formula: see text] 0.3, whereas the multiples are on nearly circular [Formula: see text] and coplanar [Formula: see text] degree) orbits similar to those of the solar system planets. Our results are consistent with previous studies of smaller samples and individual systems. We also show that Kepler multiples and solar system objects follow a common relation [[Formula: see text](1-2)[Formula: see text

The gas drag in a circular binary system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ciecielä G, P.; Ida, S.; Gawryszczak, A.; Burkert, A.

2007-07-01

We investigate the motion of massless particles orbiting the primary star in a close circular binary system with particular focus on the gas drag effects. These are the first calculations with particles ranging in size from 1 m to 10 km, which account for the presence of a tidally perturbed gaseous disk. We have found numerically that the radial mass transport by the tidal waves plays a crucial role in the orbital evolution of particles. In the outer region of the gaseous disk, where its perturbation is strongest, the migration rate of a particle for all considered sizes is enhanced by a factor of 3 with respect to the axisymmetric disk in radial equilibrium. Similar enhancement is observed in the damping rate of inclinations. We present a simple analytical argument proving that the migration rate of a particle in such a disk is enhanced due to the enhanced mass flux of gas colliding with the particle. Thus the enhancement factor does not depend on the sign of the radial gas velocity, and the migration is always directed inward. Within the framework of the perturbation theory, we derive more general, approximate formulae for short-term variations of the particle semi-major axis, eccentricity, and inclination in a disk out of radial equilibrium. The basic version of the formulae applies to the axisymmetric disk, but we present how to account for departures from axial symmetry by introducing effective components of the gas velocity. Comparison with numerical results proves that our formulae are correct within several percent. We have also found in numerical simulations that the tidal waves introduce coherence in periastron longitude and eccentricity for particles on neighboring orbits. The degree of the coherence depends on the particle size and on the distance from the primary star, being most prominent for particles with 10 m radius. The results are important mainly in the context of planetesimal formation and, to a lesser degree, during the early planetesimal accretion stage.

Exploring Our Galaxy's Thick Disk

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kohler, Susanna

2017-12-01

What is the structure of the Milky Ways disk, and how did it form? A new study uses giant stars to explore these questions.A View from the InsideSchematic showing an edge-on, not-to-scale view of what we think the Milky Ways structurelookslike. The thick disk is shown in yellow and the thin disk is shown in green. [Gaba p]Spiral galaxies like ours are often observed to have disks consisting of two components: a thin disk that lies close to the galactic midplane, and a thick disk that extends above and below this. Past studies have suggested that the Milky Ways disk hosts the same structure, but our position embedded in the Milky Way makes this difficult to confirm.If we can measure the properties of a broad sample of distant tracer stars and use this to better understand the construction of the Milky Ways disk, then we can start to ask additional questions like, how did the disk components form? Formation pictures for the thick disk generally fall into two categories:Stars in the thick disk formed within the Milky Way either in situ or by migrating to their current locations.Stars in the thick disk formed in satellite galaxies around the Milky Way and then accreted when the satellites were disrupted.Scientists Chengdong Li and Gang Zhao (NAO Chinese Academy of Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences) have now used observations of giant stars which can be detected out to great distances due to their brightness to trace the properties of the Milky Ways thick disk and address the question of its origin.Best fits for the radial (top) and vertical (bottom) metallicity gradients of the thick-disk stars. [Adapted from Li Zhao 2017]Probing OriginsLi and Zhao used data from the Large Sky Area Multi-Object Fiber Spectroscopic Telescope (LAMOST) in China to examine a sample of 35,000 giant stars. The authors sorted these stars into different disk components halo, thin disk, and thick disk based on their kinematic properties, and then explored how the orbital and chemical properties of these stars differed in the different components.Li and Zhao found that the scale length for the thick disk is roughly the same as that of the thin disk ( 3 kpc), i.e., both disk components extend out to the same radial distance. The scale height found for the thick disk is 1 kpc, compared to the thin disks few hundred parsecs or so.The metallicity of the thick-disk stars is roughly constant with radius; this could be a consequence of radial migration of the stars within the disk, which blurs any metallicity distribution that might have once been there. The metallicity of the stars decreases with distance above or below the galactic midplane, however a result consistent with formation of the thick disk via heating or radial migration of stars formed within the galaxy.Orbital eccentricity distribution for the thick-disk stars. [Li Zhao 2017]Further supporting these formation scenarios, the orbital eccentricities of the stars in the authors thick-disk sample indicate that they were born in the Milky Way, not accreted from disrupted satellites.The authors acknowledge that the findings in this study may still be influenced by selection effects resulting from our viewpoint within our galaxy. Nonetheless, this is interesting new data to add to our understanding of the structure and origins of the Milky Ways disk.CitationChengdong Li and Gang Zhao 2017 ApJ 850 25. doi:10.3847/1538-4357/aa93f4

DYNAMICS OF TIDALLY CAPTURED PLANETS IN THE GALACTIC CENTER

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Trani, Alessandro A.; Bressan, Alessandro; Mapelli, Michela

2016-11-01

Recent observations suggest ongoing planet formation in the innermost parsec of the Galactic center. The supermassive black hole (SMBH) might strip planets or planetary embryos from their parent star, bringing them close enough to be tidally disrupted. Photoevaporation by the ultraviolet field of young stars, combined with ongoing tidal disruption, could enhance the near-infrared luminosity of such starless planets, making their detection possible even with current facilities. In this paper, we investigate the chance of planet tidal captures by means of high-accuracy N -body simulations exploiting Mikkola's algorithmic regularization. We consider both planets lying in the clockwise (CW) disk andmore » planets initially bound to the S-stars. We show that tidally captured planets remain on orbits close to those of their parent star. Moreover, the semimajor axis of the planetary orbit can be predicted by simple analytic assumptions in the case of prograde orbits. We find that starless planets that were initially bound to CW disk stars have mild eccentricities and tend to remain in the CW disk. However, we speculate that angular momentum diffusion and scattering by other young stars in the CW disk might bring starless planets into orbits with low angular momentum. In contrast, planets initially bound to S-stars are captured by the SMBH on highly eccentric orbits, matching the orbital properties of the clouds G1 and G2. Our predictions apply not only to planets but also to low-mass stars initially bound to the S-stars and tidally captured by the SMBH.« less

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rodigas, Timothy J.; Hinz, Philip M.; Malhotra, Renu, E-mail: rodigas@as.arizona.edu

Planets can affect debris disk structure by creating gaps, sharp edges, warps, and other potentially observable signatures. However, there is currently no simple way for observers to deduce a disk-shepherding planet's properties from the observed features of the disk. Here we present a single equation that relates a shepherding planet's maximum mass to the debris ring's observed width in scattered light, along with a procedure to estimate the planet's eccentricity and minimum semimajor axis. We accomplish this by performing dynamical N-body simulations of model systems containing a star, a single planet, and an exterior disk of parent bodies and dustmore » grains to determine the resulting debris disk properties over a wide range of input parameters. We find that the relationship between planet mass and debris disk width is linear, with increasing planet mass producing broader debris rings. We apply our methods to five imaged debris rings to constrain the putative planet masses and orbits in each system. Observers can use our empirically derived equation as a guide for future direct imaging searches for planets in debris disk systems. In the fortuitous case of an imaged planet orbiting interior to an imaged disk, the planet's maximum mass can be estimated independent of atmospheric models.« less

Possible Rapid Gas Giant Planet Formation in the Solar Nebula and Other Protoplanetary Disks.

PubMed

Boss

2000-06-20

Gas giant planets have been detected in orbit around an increasing number of nearby stars. Two theories have been advanced for the formation of such planets: core accretion and disk instability. Core accretion, the generally accepted mechanism, requires several million years or more to form a gas giant planet in a protoplanetary disk like the solar nebula. Disk instability, on the other hand, can form a gas giant protoplanet in a few hundred years. However, disk instability has previously been thought to be important only in relatively massive disks. New three-dimensional, "locally isothermal," hydrodynamical models without velocity damping show that a disk instability can form Jupiter-mass clumps, even in a disk with a mass (0.091 M middle dot in circle within 20 AU) low enough to be in the range inferred for the solar nebula. The clumps form with initially eccentric orbits, and their survival will depend on their ability to contract to higher densities before they can be tidally disrupted at successive periastrons. Because the disk mass in these models is comparable to that apparently required for the core accretion mechanism to operate, the models imply that disk instability could obviate the core accretion mechanism in the solar nebula and elsewhere.

SWIFT REVEALS A ∼5.7 DAY SUPER-ORBITAL PERIOD IN THE M31 GLOBULAR CLUSTER X-RAY BINARY XB158

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Barnard, R.; Garcia, M. R.; Murray, S. S.

2015-03-01

The M31 globular cluster X-ray binary XB158 (a.k.a. Bo 158) exhibits intensity dips on a 2.78 hr period in some observations, but not others. The short period suggests a low mass ratio, and an asymmetric, precessing disk due to additional tidal torques from the donor star since the disk crosses the 3:1 resonance. Previous theoretical three-dimensional smoothed particle hydrodynamical modeling suggested a super-orbital disk precession period 29 ± 1 times the orbital period, i.e., ∼81 ± 3 hr. We conducted a Swift monitoring campaign of 30 observations over ∼1 month in order to search for evidence of such a super-orbital period. Fitting the 0.3-10 keV Swift X-Ray Telescopemore » luminosity light curve with a sinusoid yielded a period of 5.65 ± 0.05 days, and a >5σ improvement in χ{sup 2} over the best fit constant intensity model. A Lomb-Scargle periodogram revealed that periods of 5.4-5.8 days were detected at a >3σ level, with a peak at 5.6 days. We consider this strong evidence for a 5.65 day super-orbital period, ∼70% longer than the predicted period. The 0.3-10 keV luminosity varied by a factor of ∼5, consistent with variations seen in long-term monitoring from Chandra. We conclude that other X-ray binaries exhibiting similar long-term behavior are likely to also be X-ray binaries with low mass ratios and super-orbital periods.« less

HIDING IN THE SHADOWS: SEARCHING FOR PLANETS IN PRE-TRANSITIONAL AND TRANSITIONAL DISKS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dobinson, Jack; Leinhardt, Zoë M.; Dodson-Robinson, Sarah E.

Transitional and pre-transitional disks can be explained by a number of mechanisms. This work aims to find a single observationally detectable marker that would imply a planetary origin for the gap and, therefore, indirectly indicate the presence of a young planet. N-body simulations were conducted to investigate the effect of an embedded planet of one Jupiter mass on the production of instantaneous collisional dust derived from a background planetesimal disk. Our new model allows us to predict the dust distribution and resulting observable markers with greater accuracy than previous works. Dynamical influences from a planet on a circular orbit aremore » shown to enhance dust production in the disk interior and exterior to the planet orbit, while removing planetesimals from the orbit itself, creating a clearly defined gap. In the case of an eccentric planet, the gap opened by the planet is not as clear as the circular case, but there is a detectable asymmetry in the dust disk.« less

Exoplanet orbital eccentricities derived from LAMOST-Kepler analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xie, Ji-Wei; Dong, Subo; Zhu, Zhaohuan; Huber, Daniel; Zheng, Zheng; De Cat, Peter; Fu, Jianning; Liu, Hui-Gen; Luo, Ali; Wu, Yue; Zhang, Haotong; Zhang, Hui; Zhou, Ji-Lin; Cao, Zihuang; Hou, Yonghui; Wang, Yuefei; Zhang, Yong

2016-10-01

The nearly circular (mean eccentricity e¯≈0.06) and coplanar (mean mutual inclination i¯≈3°) orbits of the solar system planets motivated Kant and Laplace to hypothesize that planets are formed in disks, which has developed into the widely accepted theory of planet formation. The first several hundred extrasolar planets (mostly Jovian) discovered using the radial velocity (RV) technique are commonly on eccentric orbits (e¯≈0.3). This raises a fundamental question: Are the solar system and its formation special? The Kepler mission has found thousands of transiting planets dominated by sub-Neptunes, but most of their orbital eccentricities remain unknown. By using the precise spectroscopic host star parameters from the Large Sky Area Multi-Object Fiber Spectroscopic Telescope (LAMOST) observations, we measure the eccentricity distributions for a large (698) and homogeneous Kepler planet sample with transit duration statistics. Nearly half of the planets are in systems with single transiting planets (singles), whereas the other half are multiple transiting planets (multiples). We find an eccentricity dichotomy: on average, Kepler singles are on eccentric orbits with e¯≈0.3, whereas the multiples are on nearly circular (e¯=0.04-0.04+0.03) and coplanar (i¯=1.4-1.1+0.8 degree) orbits similar to those of the solar system planets. Our results are consistent with previous studies of smaller samples and individual systems. We also show that Kepler multiples and solar system objects follow a common relation [×i¯] between mean eccentricities and mutual inclinations. The prevalence of circular orbits and the common relation may imply that the solar system is not so atypical in the galaxy after all.

Exoplanet orbital eccentricities derived from LAMOST–Kepler analysis

PubMed Central

Xie, Ji-Wei; Dong, Subo; Zhu, Zhaohuan; Huber, Daniel; Zheng, Zheng; De Cat, Peter; Fu, Jianning; Liu, Hui-Gen; Luo, Ali; Wu, Yue; Zhang, Haotong; Zhang, Hui; Zhou, Ji-Lin; Cao, Zihuang; Hou, Yonghui; Wang, Yuefei; Zhang, Yong

2016-01-01

The nearly circular (mean eccentricity e¯≈0.06) and coplanar (mean mutual inclination i¯≈3°) orbits of the solar system planets motivated Kant and Laplace to hypothesize that planets are formed in disks, which has developed into the widely accepted theory of planet formation. The first several hundred extrasolar planets (mostly Jovian) discovered using the radial velocity (RV) technique are commonly on eccentric orbits (e¯≈0.3). This raises a fundamental question: Are the solar system and its formation special? The Kepler mission has found thousands of transiting planets dominated by sub-Neptunes, but most of their orbital eccentricities remain unknown. By using the precise spectroscopic host star parameters from the Large Sky Area Multi-Object Fiber Spectroscopic Telescope (LAMOST) observations, we measure the eccentricity distributions for a large (698) and homogeneous Kepler planet sample with transit duration statistics. Nearly half of the planets are in systems with single transiting planets (singles), whereas the other half are multiple transiting planets (multiples). We find an eccentricity dichotomy: on average, Kepler singles are on eccentric orbits with e¯≈ 0.3, whereas the multiples are on nearly circular (e¯=0.04−0.04+0.03) and coplanar (i¯=1.4−1.1+0.8 degree) orbits similar to those of the solar system planets. Our results are consistent with previous studies of smaller samples and individual systems. We also show that Kepler multiples and solar system objects follow a common relation [e¯≈(1–2)×i¯] between mean eccentricities and mutual inclinations. The prevalence of circular orbits and the common relation may imply that the solar system is not so atypical in the galaxy after all. PMID:27671635

GAPS IN PROTOPLANETARY DISKS AS SIGNATURES OF PLANETS. III. POLARIZATION

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jang-Condell, Hannah

2017-01-20

Polarimetric observations of T Tauri and Herbig Ae/Be stars are a powerful way to image protoplanetary disks. However, interpretation of these images is difficult because the degree of polarization is highly sensitive to the angle of scattering of stellar light off the disk surface. We examine how disks with and without gaps created by planets appear in scattered polarized light as a function of inclination angle. Isophotes of inclined disks without gaps are distorted in polarized light, giving the appearance that the disks are more eccentric or more highly inclined than they truly are. Apparent gap locations are unaffected bymore » polarization, but the gap contrast changes. In face-on disks with gaps, we find that the brightened far edge of the gap scatters less polarized light than the rest of the disk, resulting in slightly decreased contrast between the gap trough and the brightened far edge. In inclined disks, gaps can take on the appearance of being localized “holes” in brightness rather than full axisymmetric structures. Photocenter offsets along the minor axis of the disk in both total intensity and polarized intensity images can be readily explained by the finite thickness of the disk. Alone, polarized scattered light images of disks do not necessarily reveal intrinsic disk structure. However, when combined with total intensity images, the orientation of the disk can be deduced and much can be learned about disk structure and dust properties.« less

Modeling the imprint of Milankovitch cycles on early Pleistocene ice volume

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roychowdhury, R.; DeConto, R.; Pollard, D.

2017-12-01

Global climate during Quaternary and Late Pliocene (present-3.1 Ma) is characterized by alternating glacial and interglacial conditions. Several proposed theories associate these cycles with variations in the Earth's orbital configuration. In this study, we attempt to address the anomalously strong obliquity forcing in the Late Pliocene/Early Pleistocene ice volume records (41 kyr world), which stands in sharp contrast to the primary cyclicity of insolation, which is at precessional periods (23 kyr). Model results from GCM simulations show that at low eccentricities (e<0.015), the effect of precession is minimal, and the integrated insolation metrics (such as summer metric, PDD, etc.) vary in-phase between the two hemispheres. At higher eccentricities (e>0.015), precessional response is important, and the insolation metrics vary out-of-phase between the two hemispheres. Using simulations from a GCM-driven ice sheet model, we simulate time continuous ice volume changes from Northern and Southern Hemispheres. Under eccentricities lower than 0.015, ice sheets in both hemispheres respond only to obliquity cycle, and grow and melt together (in-phase). If the ice sheet is simulated with eccentricity higher than 0.015, both hemispheres become more sensitive to precessional variation, and vary out-of-phase with each other, which is consistent with proxy observations from the late Pleistocene glaciations. We use the simulated ice volumes from 2.0 to 1.0 ma to empirically calculate global benthic δ18O variations based on the assumption that relationships between collapse and growth of ice-sheets and sea level is linear and symmetric and that the isotopic signature of the individual ice-sheets has not changed with time. Our modeled global benthic δ18O values are broadly consistent with the paleoclimate proxy records such as the LR04 stack.

A Pulsar and White Dwarf in an Unexpected Orbit

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kohler, Susanna

2016-11-01

Astronomers have discovered a binary system consisting of a low-mass white dwarf and a millisecond pulsar but its eccentric orbit defies all expectations of how such binaries form.Observed orbital periods and binary eccentricities for binary millisecond pulsars. PSR J2234+0511 is the furthest right of the green stars that mark the five known eccentric systems. [Antoniadis et al. 2016]Unusual EccentricityIt would take a low-mass (0.4 solar masses) white dwarf over 100 billion years to form from the evolution of a single star. Since this is longer than the age of the universe, we believe that these lightweights are instead products of binary-star evolution and indeed, we observe many of these stars to still be in binary systems.But the binary evolution that can create a low-mass white dwarf includes a period of mass transfer, in which efficient tidal dissipation damps the systems orbital eccentricity. Because of this, we would expect all systems containing low-mass white dwarfs to have circular orbits.In the past, our observations of low-mass white dwarfmillisecond pulsar binaries have all been consistent with this expectation. But a new detection has thrown a wrench in the works: the unambiguous identification of a low-mass white dwarf thats in an eccentric (e=0.13) orbit with the millisecond pulsar PSR J2234+0511. How could this system have formed?Eliminating Formation ModelsLed by John Antoniadis (Dunlap Institute at University of Toronto), a team of scientists has used newly obtained optical photometry (from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey) and spectroscopy (from the Very Large Telescope in Chile) of the white dwarf to confirm the identification of this system.Antoniadis and collaborators then use measurements of the bodies masses (0.28 and 1.4 solar masses for the white dwarf and pulsar, respectively) and velocities, and constraints on the white dwarfs temperature, radius and surface gravity, to address three proposed models for the formation of this system.The 3D motion of the pulsar (black solid lines; current position marked with diamond) in our galaxy over the past 1.5 Gyr. This motion is typical for low-mass X-ray binary descendants, favoring a binary-evolution model over a 3-body-interaction model. [Antoniadis et al. 2016]In the first model, the eccentric binary was created via adynamic three-body formation channel. This possibility is deemed unlikely, as the white-dwarf properties and all the kinematic properties of the system point to normal binary evolution.In the secondmodel, the binary system gains its high eccentricity after mass transfer ends, when the pulsar progenitor experiences a spontaneous phase transition. The authors explore two options for this: one in which the neutron star implodes into a strange-quark star, and the other in which an over-massive white dwarf suffers a delayed collapse into a neutron star. Both cases are deemed unlikely, because the mass inferred for the pulsar progenitor is not consistent with either model.In the third model, the system forms a circumbinary disk fueled by material escaping the proto-white dwarf. After mass transfer has ended, interactions between the binary and its disk gradually increase the eccentricity of the system, pumping it up to what we observe today. All of the properties of the system measured by Antoniadis and collaborators are thus far consistent with this model.Further observations of this system and systems like it (several others have been detected, though not yet confirmed) will help determine whether binary evolution combined with interactions with a disk can indeed explain the formation of this unexpectedly eccentricsystem.CitationJohn Antoniadis et al 2016 ApJ 830 36. doi:10.3847/0004-637X/830/1/36

Tilting Styx and Nix but not Uranus with a Spin-Precession-Mean-motion resonance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Quillen, Alice C.; Chen, Yuan-Yuan; Noyelles, Benoît; Loane, Santiago

2018-02-01

A Hamiltonian model is constructed for the spin axis of a planet perturbed by a nearby planet with both planets in orbit about a star. We expand the planet-planet gravitational potential perturbation to first order in orbital inclinations and eccentricities, finding terms describing spin resonances involving the spin precession rate and the two planetary mean motions. Convergent planetary migration allows the spinning planet to be captured into spin resonance. With initial obliquity near zero, the spin resonance can lift the planet's obliquity to near 90° or 180° depending upon whether the spin resonance is first or zeroth order in inclination. Past capture of Uranus into such a spin resonance could give an alternative non-collisional scenario accounting for Uranus's high obliquity. However, we find that the time spent in spin resonance must be so long that this scenario cannot be responsible for Uranus's high obliquity. Our model can be used to study spin resonance in satellite systems. Our Hamiltonian model explains how Styx and Nix can be tilted to high obliquity via outward migration of Charon, a phenomenon previously seen in numerical simulations.

A periodic table for black hole orbits

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Levin, Janna; Institute for Strings, Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027; Perez-Giz, Gabe

2008-05-15

Understanding the dynamics around rotating black holes is imperative to the success of future gravitational wave observatories. Although integrable in principle, test-particle orbits in the Kerr spacetime can also be elaborate, and while they have been studied extensively, classifying their general properties has been a challenge. This is the first in a series of papers that adopts a dynamical systems approach to the study of Kerr orbits, beginning with equatorial orbits. We define a taxonomy of orbits that hinges on a correspondence between periodic orbits and rational numbers. The taxonomy defines the entire dynamics, including aperiodic motion, since every orbitmore » is in or near the periodic set. A remarkable implication of this periodic orbit taxonomy is that the simple precessing ellipse familiar from planetary orbits is not allowed in the strong-field regime. Instead, eccentric orbits trace out precessions of multileaf clovers in the final stages of inspiral. Furthermore, for any black hole, there is some point in the strong-field regime past which zoom-whirl behavior becomes unavoidable. Finally, we sketch the potential application of the taxonomy to problems of astrophysical interest, in particular its utility for computationally intensive gravitational wave calculations.« less

Astronomical calibration of Gauss to Matuyama sapropels in the Mediterranean and implication for the Geomagnetic Polarity Time Scale

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hilgen, F. J.

1991-06-01

The astronomically calibrated age of the Olduvai Subchron is established by correlating the cyclic sapropel patterns in the Vrica section and in the sections of Semaforo (Italy), Singa (Italy), Punta Piccola (Sicily), and Francocastello (Crete) to the new astronomical solutions for the precession of the equinox and eccentricity of the earth's orbit, using inferred phase relationships between the sapropel cycles and orbital cycles. The resultant ages for the Olduvai and for older boundaries are then compared with conventional, as well as other orbitally tuned ages, for these polarity transitions. It is shown that this astronomically calibrated time scale can be extended back to the Miocene/Pliocene boundary.

The Evolution of the Galactic Thick Disk with the LAMOST Survey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Chengdong; Zhao, Gang

2017-11-01

We select giant stars from LAMOST data release 3 (hereafter DR3) based on their spectral properties and atmospheric parameters in order to detect the structure and kinematic properties of the Galactic thick disk. The spatial motions of our sample stars are calculated. We obtain 2035 thick-disk giant stars by using a kinematic criterion. We confirm the existence of the metal-weak thick disk. The most metal-deficient star in our sample has [{Fe}/{{H}}]=-2.34. We derive the radial and vertical metallicity gradients, which are +0.035 ± 0.010 and -0.164 ± 0.010 dex kpc-1respectively. Then we estimate the scale length and scale height of the thick disk using the Jeans equation, and the results are {h}R=3.0+/- 0.1 {kpc} and {h}Z=0.9+/- 0.1 {kpc}. The scale length of the thick disk is approximately equal to that of the thin disk from several previous works. Finally, we calculate the orbital parameters of our sample stars, and discuss the formation scenario of the thick disk. Our result for the distribution of stellar orbital eccentricity excludes the accretion scenario. We conclude that the thick disk stars are mainly born inside the Milky Way.

ORIGIN OF THE COMPLEX RADIO STRUCTURE IN BAL QSO 1045+352

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kunert-Bajraszewska, Magdalena; Gawronski, Marcin P.; Janiuk, Agnieszka

2010-08-01

We present new, more sensitive, high-resolution radio observations of a compact broad absorption line (BAL) quasar, 1045+352, made with the EVN+MERLIN at 5 GHz. These observations allowed us to trace the connection between the arcsecond structure and the radio core of the quasar. The radio morphology of 1045+352 is dominated by a knotty jet showing several bends. We discuss possible scenarios that could explain such a complex morphology: galaxy merger, accretion disk instability, precession of the jet, and jet-cloud interactions. It is possible that we are witnessing an ongoing jet precession in this source due to internal instabilities within themore » jet flow; however, a dense environment detected in the submillimeter band and an outflowing material suggested by the X-ray absorption could strongly interact with the jet. It is difficult to establish the orientation between the jet axis and the observer in 1045+352 because of the complex structure. Nevertheless, taking into account the most recent inner radio structure, we conclude that the radio jet is oriented close to the line of sight, which can mean that the opening angle of the accretion disk wind can be large in this source. We also suggest that there is no direct correlation between the jet-observer orientation and the possibility of observing BALs.« less

What is the Time Scale for Orbital Forcing of the Martian Water Cycle?

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hecht, M. H.

2003-01-01

Calculation of the periodic variations in the martian orbital parameters by Ward and subsequent refinements to the theory have inspired numerous models of variation of the martian water cycle. Most of these models have focused on variations in planetary obliquity on a both a short-term (110 kyr) time scale as well as larger oscillations occuring over millions of years. To a lesser extent, variations in planetary eccentricity have also been considered. The third and fastest mode of variation, the precession of the longitude of perihelion, has generally been deemphasized because, among the three parameters, it is the only one that does not change the integrated annual insolation. But as a result of this precession, the asymmetry in peak summer insolation between the poles exceeds 50%, with the maximum cycling between poles every 25.5 kyrs. The relative contribution of these different elements to orbital forcing of climate takes on particular importance in the context of apparently recent waterrelated features such as gullies or polar layered deposits (PLD). Christensen, for example, recently indentified mantling of heavily gullied crater walls as residual dust-covered snow deposits that were responsible for the formation of the gullies in a previous epoch. Christensen assumed that the snow was originally deposited at a period of high obliquity which was stabilized against sublimation by a lag deposit of dust. It is suggested here that not obliquity, but the shortterm oscillations associated with precession of the perihelion may play the dominant role in the formation of gullies, major strata in the polar layered deposits (PLD), and other water-related features.

Binary Pulsar PSR J1518+4904: Orbital Precession and Mass Estimates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nice, D. J.; Sayer, R. W.; Taylor, J. H.

1995-03-01

We have made timing observations of newly discovered binary pulsar PSR J1518+4904 over a span of five months using the 140ft telescope of NRAO/Green Bank at frequencies between 320 and 800 MHz. Typical precision of a pulse time of arrival is 15 mu s in a 1 hour integration (using a 40 MHz passband at 370 or 575 MHz). The timing data were reduced using standard techniques, and they fit well to a standard model of neutron star and orbital behavior. The pulse period is 40.934 ms, and the period derivative is at most 10(-18) , implying an age of at least 600 Myr and a surface magnetic field no stronger than 6*E(9) Gauss. The pulsar is in an 8.6 day, eccentric (e=0.249) orbit, with semi-major axis 0.040 AU. Orbital precession of 0.0110+/-0.0008 deg/yr (2sigma uncertainty) has been detected. This implies a total system mass of 2.6+/-0.3 M_sun. The masses of the pulsar and companion (quite possibly another neutron star) cannot be fully separated. However, the system mass, combined with other orbital parameters, implies a pulsar mass of at most 1.9 M_sun and a companion mass of at least 0.9 M_sun. Precision of the precession measurement increases at least linearly with the length of the data series, so further observations of this system will provide a better measure of the total system mass. It is unlikely that the estimates of the individual component masses will improve.

Numerical Modeling of Tidal Effects in Polytropic Accretion Disks

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Godon, Patrick

1997-01-01

A two-dimensional time-dependent hybrid Fourier-Chebyshev method of collocation is developed and used for the study of tidal effects in accretion disks, under the assumptions of a polytropic equation of state and a standard alpha viscosity prescription. Under the influence of the m = 1 azimuthal component of the tidal potential, viscous oscillations in the outer disk excite an m = 1 eccentric instability in the disk. While the m = 2 azimuthal component of the tidal potential excites a Papaloizou-Pringle instability in the inner disk (a saturated m = 2 azimuthal mode), with an elliptic pattern rotating at about a fraction (approx. = 1/3) of the local Keplerian velocity in the inner disk. The period of the elliptic mode corresponds well to the periods of the short-period oscillations observed in cataclysmic variables. In cold disks (r(Omega)/c(sub s) = M approx. = 40) we also find a critical value of the viscosity parameter (alpha approx. = 0.01), below which shock dissipation dominates and is balanced by the wave amplification due to the wave action conservation. In this case the double spiral shock propagates all the way to the inner boundary with a Mach number M(sub s) approx. = 1.3.

On the Formation of Extended Galactic Disks by Tidally Disrupted Dwarf Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peñarrubia, Jorge; McConnachie, Alan; Babul, Arif

2006-10-01

We explore the possibility that extended disks, such as that recently discovered in M31, are the result of a single dwarf (109-1010 Msolar) satellite merger. We conduct N-body simulations of dwarf NFW halos with embedded spheroidal stellar components on coplanar, prograde orbits in an M31-like host galaxy. As the orbit decays due to dynamical friction and the system is disrupted, the stellar particles relax to form an extended, exponential-disk-like structure that spans the radial range 30-200 kpc. The disk scale length Rd correlates with the initial extent of the stellar component within the satellite halo: the more embedded the stars, the smaller the resulting disk scale length. If the progenitors start on circular orbits, the kinematics of the stars that make up the extended disk have an average rotational motion that is 30-50 km s-1 lower than the host's circular velocity. For dwarf galaxies moving on highly eccentric orbits (e~=0.7), the stellar debris exhibits a much lower rotational velocity. Our results imply that extended galactic disks might be a generic feature of the hierarchical formation of spiral galaxies such as M31 and the Milky Way.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Muñoz-Gutiérrez, M. A.; Pichardo, B.; Peimbert, A., E-mail: mmunoz.astro@gmail.com

We have explored the evolution of a cold debris disk under the gravitational influence of dwarf-planet-sized objects (DPs), both in the presence and absence of an interior giant planet. Through detailed long-term numerical simulations, we demonstrate that when the giant planet is not present, DPs can stir the eccentricities and inclinations of disk particles, in linear proportion to the total mass of the DPs; on the other hand, when the giant planet is included in the simulations, the stirring is approximately proportional to the mass squared. This creates two regimes: below a disk mass threshold (defined by the total massmore » of DPs), the giant planet acts as a stabilizing agent of the orbits of cometary nuclei, diminishing the effect of the scatterers; above the threshold, the giant contributes to the dispersion of the particles.« less

APPLICATION OF GAS DYNAMICAL FRICTION FOR PLANETESIMALS. II. EVOLUTION OF BINARY PLANETESIMALS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Grishin, Evgeni; Perets, Hagai B.

2016-04-01

One of the first stages of planet formation is the growth of small planetesimals and their accumulation into large planetesimals and planetary embryos. This early stage occurs long before the dispersal of most of the gas from the protoplanetary disk. At this stage gas–planetesimal interactions play a key role in the dynamical evolution of single intermediate-mass planetesimals (m{sub p} ∼ 10{sup 21}–10{sup 25} g) through gas dynamical friction (GDF). A significant fraction of all solar system planetesimals (asteroids and Kuiper-belt objects) are known to be binary planetesimals (BPs). Here, we explore the effects of GDF on the evolution of BPs embedded inmore » a gaseous disk using an N-body code with a fiducial external force accounting for GDF. We find that GDF can induce binary mergers on timescales shorter than the disk lifetime for masses above m{sub p} ≳ 10{sup 22} g at 1 au, independent of the binary initial separation and eccentricity. Such mergers can affect the structure of merger-formed planetesimals, and the GDF-induced binary inspiral can play a role in the evolution of the planetesimal disk. In addition, binaries on eccentric orbits around the star may evolve in the supersonic regime, where the torque reverses and the binary expands, which would enhance the cross section for planetesimal encounters with the binary. Highly inclined binaries with small mass ratios, evolve due to the combined effects of Kozai–Lidov (KL) cycles with GDF which lead to chaotic evolution. Prograde binaries go through semi-regular KL evolution, while retrograde binaries frequently flip their inclination and ∼50% of them are destroyed.« less

Statistical Study of the Early Solar System's Instability with Four, Five, and Six Giant Planets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nesvorný, David; Morbidelli, Alessandro

2012-10-01

Several properties of the solar system, including the wide radial spacing and orbital eccentricities of giant planets, can be explained if the early solar system evolved through a dynamical instability followed by migration of planets in the planetesimal disk. Here we report the results of a statistical study, in which we performed nearly 104 numerical simulations of planetary instability starting from hundreds of different initial conditions. We found that the dynamical evolution is typically too violent, if Jupiter and Saturn start in the 3:2 resonance, leading to ejection of at least one ice giant from the solar system. Planet ejection can be avoided if the mass of the transplanetary disk of planetesimals was large (M disk >~ 50 M Earth), but we found that a massive disk would lead to excessive dynamical damping (e.g., final e 55 <~ 0.01 compared to present e 55 = 0.044, where e 55 is the amplitude of the fifth eccentric mode in the Jupiter's orbit), and to smooth migration that violates constraints from the survival of the terrestrial planets. Better results were obtained when the solar system was assumed to have five giant planets initially, and one ice giant, with mass comparable to that of Uranus and Neptune, was ejected into interstellar space by Jupiter. The best results were obtained when the ejected planet was placed into the external 3:2 or 4:3 resonance with Saturn and M disk ~= 20 M Earth. The range of possible outcomes is rather broad in this case, indicating that the present solar system is neither a typical nor expected result for a given initial state, and occurs, in best cases, with only a sime5% probability (as defined by the success criteria described in the main text). The case with six giant planets shows interesting dynamics but does offer significant advantages relative to the five-planet case.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Barnes, Jason W.; Van Eyken, Julian C.; Jackson, Brian K.

PTFO 8-8695b represents the first transiting exoplanet candidate orbiting a pre-main-sequence star (van Eyken et al. 2012, ApJ, 755, 42). We find that the unusual lightcurve shapes of PTFO 8-8695 can be explained by transits of a planet across an oblate, gravity-darkened stellar disk. We develop a theoretical framework for understanding precession of a planetary orbit's ascending node for the case when the stellar rotational angular momentum and the planetary orbital angular momentum are comparable in magnitude. We then implement those ideas to simultaneously and self-consistently fit two separate lightcurves observed in 2009 December and 2010 December. Our two self-consistentmore » fits yield M{sub p} = 3.0 M{sub Jup} and M{sub p} = 3.6 M{sub Jup} for assumed stellar masses of M{sub *} = 0.34 M{sub Sun} and M{sub *} = 0.44 M{sub Sun} respectively. The two fits have precession periods of 293 days and 581 days. These mass determinations (consistent with previous upper limits) along with the strength of the gravity-darkened precessing model together validate PTFO 8-8695b as just the second hot Jupiter known to orbit an M-dwarf. Our fits show a high degree of spin-orbit misalignment in the PTFO 8-8695 system: 69 Degree-Sign {+-} 2 Degree-Sign or 73. Degree-Sign 1 {+-} 0. Degree-Sign 5, in the two cases. The large misalignment is consistent with the hypothesis that planets become hot Jupiters with random orbital plane alignments early in a system's lifetime. We predict that as a result of the highly misaligned, precessing system, the transits should disappear for months at a time over the course of the system's precession period. The precessing, gravity-darkened model also predicts other observable effects: changing orbit inclination that could be detected by radial velocity observations, changing stellar inclination that would manifest as varying vsin i, changing projected spin-orbit alignment that could be seen by the Rossiter-McLaughlin effect, changing transit shapes over the course of the precession, and differing lightcurves as a function of wavelength. Our measured planet radii of 1.64 R{sub Jup} and 1.68 R{sub Jup} in each case are consistent with a young, hydrogen-dominated planet that results from a ''hot-start'' formation mechanism.« less

Kozai-Lidov disc instability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lubow, Stephen H.; Ogilvie, Gordon I.

2017-08-01

Recent results by Martin et al. showed in 3D smoothed particle hydrodynamics simulations that tilted discs in binary systems can be unstable to the development of global, damped Kozai-Lidov (KL) oscillations in which the discs exchange tilt for eccentricity. We investigate the linear stability of KL modes for tilted inviscid discs under the approximations that the disc eccentricity is small and the disc remains flat. By using 1D equations, we are able to probe regimes of large ratios of outer to inner disc edge radii that are realistic for binary systems of hundreds of astronomical unit separations and are not easily probed by multidimensional simulations. For order unity binary mass ratios, KL instability is possible for a window of disc aspect ratios H/r in the outer parts of a disc that roughly scale as (nb/n)2 ≲ H/r ≲ nb/n, for binary orbital frequency nb and orbital frequency n at the disc outer edge. We present a framework for understanding the zones of instability based on the determination of branches of marginally unstable modes. In general, multiple growing eccentric KL modes can be present in a disc. Coplanar apsidal-nodal precession resonances delineate instability branches. We determine the range of tilt angles for unstable modes as a function of disc aspect ratio. Unlike the KL instability for free particles that involves a critical (minimum) tilt angle, disc instability is possible for any non-zero tilt angle depending on the disc aspect ratio.

Insolation-driven 100,000-year glacial cycles and hysteresis of ice-sheet volume.

PubMed

Abe-Ouchi, Ayako; Saito, Fuyuki; Kawamura, Kenji; Raymo, Maureen E; Okuno, Jun'ichi; Takahashi, Kunio; Blatter, Heinz

2013-08-08

The growth and reduction of Northern Hemisphere ice sheets over the past million years is dominated by an approximately 100,000-year periodicity and a sawtooth pattern (gradual growth and fast termination). Milankovitch theory proposes that summer insolation at high northern latitudes drives the glacial cycles, and statistical tests have demonstrated that the glacial cycles are indeed linked to eccentricity, obliquity and precession cycles. Yet insolation alone cannot explain the strong 100,000-year cycle, suggesting that internal climatic feedbacks may also be at work. Earlier conceptual models, for example, showed that glacial terminations are associated with the build-up of Northern Hemisphere 'excess ice', but the physical mechanisms underpinning the 100,000-year cycle remain unclear. Here we show, using comprehensive climate and ice-sheet models, that insolation and internal feedbacks between the climate, the ice sheets and the lithosphere-asthenosphere system explain the 100,000-year periodicity. The responses of equilibrium states of ice sheets to summer insolation show hysteresis, with the shape and position of the hysteresis loop playing a key part in determining the periodicities of glacial cycles. The hysteresis loop of the North American ice sheet is such that after inception of the ice sheet, its mass balance remains mostly positive through several precession cycles, whose amplitudes decrease towards an eccentricity minimum. The larger the ice sheet grows and extends towards lower latitudes, the smaller is the insolation required to make the mass balance negative. Therefore, once a large ice sheet is established, a moderate increase in insolation is sufficient to trigger a negative mass balance, leading to an almost complete retreat of the ice sheet within several thousand years. This fast retreat is governed mainly by rapid ablation due to the lowered surface elevation resulting from delayed isostatic rebound, which is the lithosphere-asthenosphere response. Carbon dioxide is involved, but is not determinative, in the evolution of the 100,000-year glacial cycles.

Linking Europa’s Plume Activity to Tides, Tectonics, and Liquid Water

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rhoden, Alyssa R.; Hurford, Terry; Roth, Lorenz; Retherford, Kurt

2014-11-01

Much of the geologic activity preserved on Europa’s icy surface has been attributed to tidal deformation, mainly due to Europa’s eccentric orbit. Although the surface is geologically young, evidence of ongoing tidally-driven processes has been lacking. However, a recent observation of water vapor near Europa’s south pole suggests that it may be geologically active. Non-detections in previous and follow-up observations indicate a temporal variation in plume visibility and suggests a relationship to Europa’s tidal cycle. Similarly, the Cassini spacecraft has observed plumes emanating from the south pole of Saturn’s moon, Enceladus, and variability in the intensity of eruptions has been linked to its tidal cycle. The inference that a similar mechanism controls plumes at both Europa and Enceladus motivates further analysis of Europa’s plume behavior and the relationship between plumes, tides, and liquid water on these two satellites.We determine the locations and orientations of hypothetical tidally-driven fractures that best match the temporal variability of the plumes observed at Europa. Specifically, we identify model faults that are in tension at the time in Europa’s orbit when a plume was detected and in compression at times when the plume was not detected. We find that tidal stress driven solely by eccentricity is incompatible with the observations unless additional mechanisms are controlling the eruption timing or restricting the longevity of the plumes. In contrast, the addition of obliquity tides, and corresponding precession of the spin pole, can generate a number of model faults that are consistent with the pattern of plume detections. The locations and orientations of the model faults are robust across a broad range of precession rates and spin pole directions. Analysis of the stress variations across model faults suggests that the plumes would be best observed earlier in Europa’s orbit. Our results indicate that Europa’s plumes, if confirmed, differ in many respects from the Enceladean plumes and that either active fractures or volatile sources are rare.

Fomalhaut’s Stellar Companions as the Driver of its Morphology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaib, Nathan; White, Ethan; Izidoro, Andre

2018-01-01

Fomalhaut A is among the most well-studied nearby stars and has been discovered to possess a putative planetary object as well as a remarkable eccentric dust belt. This eccentric dust belt has often been interpreted as the dynamical signature of one or more planets that elude direct detection. However, the system also contains two other stellar companions residing ~100,000 AU from Fomalhaut A. Using numerical simulations of the system's dynamical evolution, we find that close encounters between Fomalhaut A and B are expected, with a ~25% probability that the two stars have passed within at least 400 AU of each other at some point. Although the outcomes of such encounter histories are extremely varied, these close encounters nearly always excite the eccentricity of Fomalhaut A's dust belt and occasionally yield morphologies very similar to the observed belt. With these results, we argue that close encounters with Fomalhaut A's stellar companions should be considered a plausible mechanism to explain its eccentric belt, especially in the absence of detected planets capable of sculpting the belt's morphology. More broadly, we can also conclude from this work that very wide binary stars may often generate asymmetries in the stellar debris disks they host.

Chasing Shadows: Rotation of the Azimuthal Asymmetry in the TW Hya Disk

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Debes, John H.; Poteet, Charles A.; Hines, Dean

2017-02-01

We have obtained new images of the protoplanetary disk orbiting TW Hya in visible, total intensity light with the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS) on the Hubble Space Telescope ( HST ), using the newly commissioned BAR5 occulter. These HST /STIS observations achieved an inner working angle of ∼0.″2, or 11.7 au, probing the system at angular radii coincident with recent images of the disk obtained by ALMA and in polarized intensity near-infrared light. By comparing our new STIS images to those taken with STIS in 2000 and with NICMOS in 1998, 2004, and 2005, we demonstrate that TW Hya’smore » azimuthal surface brightness asymmetry moves coherently in position angle. Between 50 au and 141 au we measure a constant angular velocity in the azimuthal brightness asymmetry of 22.°7 yr{sup −1} in a counterclockwise direction, equivalent to a period of 15.9 yr assuming circular motion. Both the (short) inferred period and lack of radial dependence of the moving shadow pattern are inconsistent with Keplerian rotation at these disk radii. We hypothesize that the asymmetry arises from the fact that the disk interior to 1 au is inclined and precessing owing to a planetary companion, thus partially shadowing the outer disk. Further monitoring of this and other shadows on protoplanetary disks potentially opens a new avenue for indirectly observing the sites of planet formation.« less

Origin of the orbital architecture of the giant planets of the Solar System.

PubMed

Tsiganis, K; Gomes, R; Morbidelli, A; Levison, H F

2005-05-26

Planetary formation theories suggest that the giant planets formed on circular and coplanar orbits. The eccentricities of Jupiter, Saturn and Uranus, however, reach values of 6 per cent, 9 per cent and 8 per cent, respectively. In addition, the inclinations of the orbital planes of Saturn, Uranus and Neptune take maximum values of approximately 2 degrees with respect to the mean orbital plane of Jupiter. Existing models for the excitation of the eccentricity of extrasolar giant planets have not been successfully applied to the Solar System. Here we show that a planetary system with initial quasi-circular, coplanar orbits would have evolved to the current orbital configuration, provided that Jupiter and Saturn crossed their 1:2 orbital resonance. We show that this resonance crossing could have occurred as the giant planets migrated owing to their interaction with a disk of planetesimals. Our model reproduces all the important characteristics of the giant planets' orbits, namely their final semimajor axes, eccentricities and mutual inclinations.

A RAPIDLY EVOLVING REGION IN THE GALACTIC CENTER: WHY S-STARS THERMALIZE AND MORE MASSIVE STARS ARE MISSING

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chen, Xian; Amaro-Seoane, Pau, E-mail: Xian.Chen@aei.mpg.de, E-mail: Pau.Amaro-Seoane@aei.mpg.de

2014-05-10

The existence of ''S-stars'' within a distance of 1'' from Sgr A* contradicts our understanding of star formation, due to Sgr A* 's forbiddingly violent environment. A suggested possibility is that they form far away and were brought in by some fast dynamical process, since they are young. Nonetheless, all conjectured mechanisms either fail to reproduce their eccentricities—without violating their young age—or cannot explain the problem of {sup i}nverse mass segregation{sup :} the fact that lighter stars (the S-stars) are closer to Sgr A* and more massive ones, Wolf-Rayet (WR) and O-stars, are farther out. In this Letter we proposemore » that the mechanism responsible for both the distribution of the eccentricities and the paucity of massive stars is the Kozai-Lidov-like resonance induced by a sub-parsec disk recently discovered in the Galactic center. Considering that the disk probably extended to a smaller radius in the past, we show that in as short as (a few) 10{sup 6} yr, the stars populating the innermost 1'' region would redistribute in angular-momentum space and recover the observed ''super-thermal'' distribution. Meanwhile, WR and O-stars in the same region intermittently attain ample eccentricities that will lead to their tidal disruptions by the central massive black hole. Our results provide new evidences that Sgr A* was powered several millions years ago by an accretion disk as well as by tidal stellar disruptions.« less

Accretion rates of protoplanets. II - Gaussian distributions of planetesimal velocities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Greenzweig, Yuval; Lissauer, Jack J.

1992-01-01

In the present growth-rate calculations for a protoplanet that is embedded in a disk of planetesimals with triaxial Gaussian velocity dispersion and uniform surface density, the protoplanet is on a circular orbit. The accretion rate in the two-body approximation is found to be enhanced by a factor of about 3 relative to the case where all planetesimals' eccentricities and inclinations are equal to the rms values of those disk variables having locally Gaussian velocity dispersion. This accretion-rate enhancement should be incorporated by all models that assume a single random velocity for all planetesimals in lieu of a Gaussian distribution.

Planet formation in transition disks: Modeling, spectroscopy, and theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liskowsky, Joseph Paul

An important field of modern astronomy is the study of planets. Literally for millennia, careful observers of the night sky have tracked these 'wanderers', with their peculiar motions initiating avenues of inquiry not able to elucidated by a study of the stars alone: we have discovered that the planets (as well as Earth) orbit the sun and that the stars are so far away, even their relative positions do not seem to shift perceptibly when Earth's position moves hundreds of millions of miles. With the advent of the telescope, and subsequent improvements upon it over the course of centuries, accelerating to the dramatically immense telescopes available today and those on the horizon, we have been able to continuously probe farther and in more detail than the previous generation of scientists and telescopes allowed. Now, we are just entering the time when detection of planets outside of our own solar system has become possible, and we have found that planets are extraordinarily common in the galaxy (and by extrapolation, the universe). At the time of this document's composition, there are several thousand such examples of planets around other stars (being dubbed 'exoplanets'). We have discovered that planets are plentiful, but multiple open questions remain which are relevant to this work: How do planets form and, when a planet does form from its circumstellar envelope, what are the important processes that influence its formation? This work adds to the understanding of circumstellar disks, the intermediate stage between a cold collapsing cloud (of gas and dust) and a mature planetary system. Specifically, we study circumstellar disks in an evolved state termed 'transition disks'. This state corresponds to a time period where the dust in the disk has either undergone grain growth—where the microscopic grains have clumped together to form far fewer dust particles of much higher mass, or the inner portion (or an inner annulus) of the disk has lost a large amount of gas due to either a massive planet accreting the material onto it or via a photoevaporation process whereby the central star's radiation field ejects material from the inner disk out of the bound system in the the interstellar medium. It is presumed that this phase is the last gasp of the planetary disk's evolution before the debris disk stage and before a fully formed solar system evolves. Our work specifically focuses on one object of this transition disk class: HD100546. We add to the understanding of transition disks by showing that a model where ro-vibrational OH emission in the NIR is preferentially emitted along the 'wall' of the disk is consistent with observations, and furthermore that adding an eccentricity to this `wall' component is required to generate the necessary observed line shape. In conjunction with this observation we present supporting material which motivates the usage of such an eccentric wall component in light of predictions of the influence of giant planet formation occurring within the disk.

High-Speed Bullet Ejections during the AGB to Planetary Nebula Transition: A Study of the Carbon Star V Hydrae

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sahai, Raghvendra

2017-08-01

The carbon star V Hya is experiencing heavy mass loss as it undergoes the transition from an AGB star to a planetary nebula (PN). This is possibly the earliest object known in this brief phase, which is so short that few nearby stars are likely to be caught in the act. Molecular observations reveal that a bipolar nebula has been established even at this early stage. Using STIS, we obtained high spatial-resolution long-slit optical spectra of V Hya spanning 3 epochs spaced apart by a year during each of two periods (2002-2004, 2011-2013). These data reveal high-velocity emission in [SII] lines from compact blobs located both on- and off-source, with the ejection axis executing a flip-flop, both in, and perpendicular to, the sky-plane. We have proposed a detailed model in which V Hya ejects high-speed (200-250 km/s) bullets once every 8.5 yr associated with periastron passage of a binary companion in an eccentric orbit with an 8.5 yr period. We suggest that the jet driver is an accretion disk (produced by gravitational capture of material from the primary) that is warped and precessing. Our model predicts the locations of previously ejected bullets in V Hya and future epochs at which new bullets will emerge. We now propose new STIS observations of these remarkable bullet ejections over two new epochs well separated from previous ones, to robustly test our model. The proposed observations will provide us with an unprecedented opportunity to look on as V Hya's circumstellar envelope is sculpted by these bullets. Our study will help solve the long-standing puzzle of how the spherical mass-loss envelopes of AGB stars evolve into bipolar and multipolar PNe.

From Large-scale to Protostellar Disk Fragmentation into Close Binary Stars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sigalotti, Leonardo Di G.; Cruz, Fidel; Gabbasov, Ruslan; Klapp, Jaime; Ramírez-Velasquez, José

2018-04-01

Recent observations of young stellar systems with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) and the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array are helping to cement the idea that close companion stars form via fragmentation of a gravitationally unstable disk around a protostar early in the star formation process. As the disk grows in mass, it eventually becomes gravitationally unstable and fragments, forming one or more new protostars in orbit with the first at mean separations of 100 au or even less. Here, we report direct numerical calculations down to scales as small as ∼0.1 au, using a consistent Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics code, that show the large-scale fragmentation of a cloud core into two protostars accompanied by small-scale fragmentation of their circumstellar disks. Our results demonstrate the two dominant mechanisms of star formation, where the disk forming around a protostar (which in turn results from the large-scale fragmentation of the cloud core) undergoes eccentric (m = 1) fragmentation to produce a close binary. We generate two-dimensional emission maps and simulated ALMA 1.3 mm continuum images of the structure and fragmentation of the disks that can help explain the dynamical processes occurring within collapsing cloud cores.

DETECTION OF SHARP SYMMETRIC FEATURES IN THE CIRCUMBINARY DISK AROUND AK Sco

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Janson, Markus; Asensio-Torres, Ruben; Thalmann, Christian

The Search for Planets Orbiting Two Stars survey aims to study the formation and distribution of planets in binary systems by detecting and characterizing circumbinary planets and their formation environments through direct imaging. With the SPHERE Extreme Adaptive Optics instrument, a good contrast can be achieved even at small (<300 mas) separations from bright stars, which enables studies of planets and disks in a separation range that was previously inaccessible. Here, we report the discovery of resolved scattered light emission from the circumbinary disk around the well-studied young double star AK Sco, at projected separations in the ∼13–40 AU range. Themore » sharp morphology of the imaged feature is surprising, given the smooth appearance of the disk in its spectral energy distribution. We show that the observed morphology can be represented either as a highly eccentric ring around AK Sco, or as two separate spiral arms in the disk, wound in opposite directions. The relative merits of these interpretations are discussed, as well as whether these features may have been caused by one or several circumbinary planets interacting with the disk.« less

Operational characteristics of energy storage high temperature superconducting flywheels considering time dependent processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vajda, Istvan; Kohari, Zalan; Porjesz, Tamas; Benko, Laszlo; Meerovich, V.; Sokolovsky; Gawalek, W.

2002-08-01

Technical and economical feasibilities of short-term energy storage flywheels with high temperature superconducting (HTS) bearing are widely investigated. It is essential to reduce the ac losses caused by magnetic field variations in HTS bulk disks/rings (levitators) used in the magnetic bearings of flywheels. For the HTS bearings the calculation and measurement of the magnetic field distribution were performed. Effects like eccentricity, tilting were measured. Time dependency of the levitation force following a jumpwise movement of the permanent magnet was measured. The results were used to setup an engineering design algorithm for energy storage HTS flywheels. This algorithm was applied to an experimental HTS flywheel model with a disk type permanent magnet motor/generator unit designed and constructed by the authors. A conceptual design of the disk-type motor/generator with radial flux is shown.

The ice age cycle and the deglaciations: an application of nonlinear regression modelling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dalgleish, A. N.; Boulton, G. S.; Renshaw, E.

2000-03-01

We have applied the nonlinear regression technique known as additivity and variance stabilisation (AVAS) to time series which reflect Earth's climate over the last 600 ka. AVAS estimates a smooth, nonlinear transform for each variable, under the assumption of an additive model. The Earth's orbital parameters and insolation variations have been used as regression variables. Analysis of the contribution of each variable shows that the deglaciations are characterised by periods of increasing obliquity and perihelion approaching the vernal equinox, but not by any systematic change in eccentricity. The magnitude of insolation changes also plays no role. By approximating the transforms we can obtain a future prediction, with a glacial maximum at 60 ka AP, and a subsequent obliquity and precession forced deglaciation.

SPIRAL PATTERNS IN PLANETESIMAL CIRCUMBINARY DISKS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Demidova, Tatiana V.; Shevchenko, Ivan I., E-mail: iis@gao.spb.ru

Planet formation scenarios and the observed planetary dynamics in binaries pose a number of theoretical challenges, especially concerning circumbinary planetary systems. We explore the dynamical stirring of a planetesimal circumbinary disk in the epoch when the gas component disappears. For this purpose, following theoretical approaches by Heppenheimer and Moriwaki and Nakagawa, we develop a secular theory of the dynamics of planetesimals in circumbinary disks. If a binary is eccentric and its components have unequal masses, a spiral density wave is generated, engulfing the disk on a secular timescale, which may exceed 10{sup 7} yr, depending on the problem parameters. The spiralmore » pattern is transient; thus, its observed presence may betray a system’s young age. We explore the pattern both analytically and in numerical experiments. The derived analytical spiral is a modified lituus; it matches the numerical density wave in the gas-free case perfectly. Using the smoothed particle hydrodynamics scheme, we explore the effect of residual gas on the wave propagation.« less

Fast-moving features in the debris disk around AU Microscopii.

PubMed

Boccaletti, Anthony; Thalmann, Christian; Lagrange, Anne-Marie; Janson, Markus; Augereau, Jean-Charles; Schneider, Glenn; Milli, Julien; Grady, Carol; Debes, John; Langlois, Maud; Mouillet, David; Henning, Thomas; Dominik, Carsten; Maire, Anne-Lise; Beuzit, Jean-Luc; Carson, Joseph; Dohlen, Kjetil; Engler, Natalia; Feldt, Markus; Fusco, Thierry; Ginski, Christian; Girard, Julien H; Hines, Dean; Kasper, Markus; Mawet, Dimitri; Ménard, François; Meyer, Michael R; Moutou, Claire; Olofsson, Johan; Rodigas, Timothy; Sauvage, Jean-Francois; Schlieder, Joshua; Schmid, Hans Martin; Turatto, Massimo; Udry, Stephane; Vakili, Farrokh; Vigan, Arthur; Wahhaj, Zahed; Wisniewski, John

2015-10-08

In the 1980s, excess infrared emission was discovered around main-sequence stars; subsequent direct-imaging observations revealed orbiting disks of cold dust to be the source. These 'debris disks' were thought to be by-products of planet formation because they often exhibited morphological and brightness asymmetries that may result from gravitational perturbation by planets. This was proved to be true for the β Pictoris system, in which the known planet generates an observable warp in the disk. The nearby, young, unusually active late-type star AU Microscopii hosts a well-studied edge-on debris disk; earlier observations in the visible and near-infrared found asymmetric localized structures in the form of intensity variations along the midplane of the disk beyond a distance of 20 astronomical units. Here we report high-contrast imaging that reveals a series of five large-scale features in the southeast side of the disk, at projected separations of 10-60 astronomical units, persisting over intervals of 1-4 years. All these features appear to move away from the star at projected speeds of 4-10 kilometres per second, suggesting highly eccentric or unbound trajectories if they are associated with physical entities. The origin, localization, morphology and rapid evolution of these features are difficult to reconcile with current theories.

Simulations of nearly extremal binary black holes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Giesler, Matthew; Scheel, Mark; Hemberger, Daniel; Lovelace, Geoffrey; Kuper, Kevin; Boyle, Michael; Szilagyi, Bela; Kidder, Lawrence; SXS Collaboration

2015-04-01

Astrophysical black holes could have nearly extremal spins; therefore, nearly extremal black holes could be among the binaries that current and future gravitational-wave observatories will detect. Predicting the gravitational waves emitted by merging black holes requires numerical-relativity simulations, but these simulations are especially challenging when one or both holes have mass m and spin S exceeding the Bowen-York limit of S /m2 = 0 . 93 . Using improved methods we simulate an unequal-mass, precessing binary black hole coalescence, where the larger black hole has S /m2 = 0 . 99 . We also use these methods to simulate a nearly extremal non-precessing binary black hole coalescence, where both black holes have S /m2 = 0 . 994 , nearly reaching the Novikov-Thorne upper bound for holes spun up by thin accretion disks. We demonstrate numerical convergence and estimate the numerical errors of the waveforms; we compare numerical waveforms from our simulations with post-Newtonian and effective-one-body waveforms; and we compare the evolution of the black-hole masses and spins with analytic predictions.

Normal modes of synchronous rotation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Varadi, Ferenc; Musotto, Susanna; Moore, William; Schubert, Gerald

2005-07-01

The dynamics of synchronous rotation and physical librations are revisited in order to establish a conceptually simple and general theoretical framework applicable to a variety of problems. Our motivation comes from disagreements between the results of numerical simulations and those of previous theoretical studies, and also because different theoretical studies disagree on basic features of the dynamics. We approach the problem by decomposing the orientation matrix of the body into perfectly synchronous rotation and deviation from the equilibrium state. The normal modes of the linearized equations are computed in the case of a circular satellite orbit, yielding both the periods and the eigenspaces of three librations. Libration in longitude decouples from the other two, vertical modes. There is a fast vertical mode with a period very close to the average rotational period. It corresponds to tilting the body around a horizontal axis while retaining nearly principal-axis rotation. In the inertial frame, this mode appears as nutation and free precession. The other vertical mode, a slow one, is the free wobble. The effects of the nodal precession of the orbit are investigated from the point of view of Cassini states. We test our theory using numerical simulations of the full equations of the dynamics and discuss the disagreements among our study and previous ones. The numerical simulations also reveal that in the case of eccentric orbits large departures from principal-axis rotation are possible due to a resonance between free precession and wobble. We also revisit the history of the Moon's rotational state and show that it switched from one Cassini state to another when it was at 46.2 Earth radii. This number disagrees with the value 34.2 derived in a previous study.

Insolation and the Precession Index

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rubincam, David Parry

2000-01-01

Simple nonlinear climate models yield a precession index-like term in the temperature. Despite its importance in the geologic record, the precession index e sin omega, where e is the Earth's orbital eccentricity and omega is the Sun's perigee in the geocentric frame, is not present in the insolation at the top of the atmosphere. Hence there is no one-for-one mapping of 23,000 and 19,000 year periodicities from the insolation to the paleoclimate record; a nonlinear climate model is needed to produce these periods. Two such models, a grey body and an energy balance climate model with an added quadratic term, produce e sin omega terms in temperature. These terms, which without feedback mechanisms achieve extreme values of about plus or minus 0.48 K for the grey body and plus or minus 0.64 K for the energy balance model, simultaneously cool one hemisphere while they warm the other. Moreover, they produce long-term cooling in the northern hemisphere when the Sun's perigee is near northern solstice and long-term warming in the northern hemisphere when the perigee is near southern solstice. Thus this seemingly paradoxical mechanism works against the standard model which requires cool northern summers (Sun far from Earth in northern summer) to build up northern ice sheets, so that if the standard model is correct it may be more efficient than previously thought. Alternatively, the new mechanism could possibly be dominant and indicate southern hemisphere control of the northern ice sheets, wherein the southern oceans undergo a long-term cooling when the Sun is close to the Earth during southern summer. The cold water eventually flows north, cooling the northern hemisphere. This might explain why the northern oceans lag the southern ones when it comes to orbital forcing.

An Early Pleistocene 190 kyr pollen record from the ODP Site 976, Western Mediterranean region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Joannin, Sebastien; Combourieu Nebout, Nathalie

2010-05-01

The Mid-Pleistocene Transition (1.200 to 0.500 Ma) corresponded to a period of increased cooling and the shift from "41 kyr world" to "100 kyr world". Climate cycles were 41 kyr long as a response of the climate system to the obliquity orbital parameter forcing, then the climate system responded to a combination of eccentricity and precession resulting in 100 kyr long cycles. The Mediterranean region offers the opportunity to study climate response to orbital forcing at this particular period. It is usually done on marine proxies that are preserved in continuous sediments with good age attributions but may be affected by calorific inertia of marine environments. We investigate continental palaeoenvironment changes inferred from pollen analyses through time on a short interval of the ODP Site 976 (259.50 to 230.42 mcd). In order to search for short climate oscillations, the chronology has been refined according to the comparison between the pollen ratio "mesothermic vs. Caryophyllaceae, Amaranthaceae-Chenopodiaceae and steppe elements" curve and Mediterranean and LR04 oxygen isotope curves. The time slice runs from ~1.090 Ma (MIS 31) to ~0.900 Ma (MIS 23). Pollen analyses provide a new record of the south western Mediterranean vegetation and climate changes at the beginning of the Mid-Pleistocene Transition. Vegetation successions are evidenced in pollen diagram with replacement of mesothermic elements by mid- and high-altitude trees, ended by strengthening of Caryophyllaceae, Amaranthaceae-Chenopodiaceae, and steppe vegetation. These vegetation successions reveal two overlapping rhythms that may be related to climate responses to both obliquity and precession orbital parameters, while wavelet analyses on pollen ratio only indicate the shift from precession to obliquity dominance. The comparison of these two approaches raised the question of their own limit.

Dynamic separation of nanomagnet sublattices by orientation of elliptical elements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yahagi, Y.; Berk, C. R.; Harteneck, B. D.; Cabrini, S. D.; Schmidt, H.

2014-04-01

We report the separation of the magnetization dynamics of densely packed nanomagnets depending on their orientation. The arrays consist of interleaved sublattices of identical nickel elliptical disks. By controlling the orientation of the elliptic disks relative to the external field in each sublattice, we simultaneously analyzed the magnetization dynamics in each sublattice using a time-resolved magnetooptic Kerr effect (TR-MOKE) microscopy system. The Fourier spectra showed clearly separated precession modes for sublattices with different orientations. The spectra were shown to be robust against the error in applied field orientation. The sublattice response can be tuned to a single collective frequency by choosing a symmetric field orientation. We analyzed the effect of the interelement coupling with various spacing between nanomagnets and found a relatively weak dependence on dipolar interactions in good agreement with micromagnetic simulations.

Paleoproductivity evolution in the West Philippine Sea during the last 700 ka

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tang, Zheng; Li, Tiegang; Chang, Fengming; Nan, Qingyun; Li, Qing

2013-03-01

In order to reconstruct the paleoproductivity evolution history of the West Philippine Sea during the last 700 ka, the vertical gradient of Δδ13C in dissolved inorganic carbon (Δδ13C between those of foraminifera Pulleniatina obliquiloculata and Cibicidoides wuellerstorfi) and planktonic foraminiferal assemblages were analysed in piston Core MD06-3047 retrieved from the Benham Rise (east of the Luzon Island). Paleoproductivity evolution in the West Philippine Sea during the last 700 ka is closely related to glacial-interglacial cycles and precession-controlled insolation. Controlling factors of paleoproductivity could have been both thermocline fluctuations related with ENSO-like processes and eolian input associated with East Asian winter monsoon, and the former could have been the primary factor. A higher productivity and a shallower thermocline coeval with the occurrence of low CO2 concentrations in the EPICA Dome C ice core might indicate that biological export production in the low-latitude could act as a significant sink in the global carbon cycle, and modify atmospheric CO2 concentrations. Spectral analysis further reveals that the paleoproductivity is mainly controlled by thermocline fluctuations subjected to ENSO processes responding to processional variability of insolation. High coherences in eccentricity, obliquity and precession periods further revealing the close link between thermocline fluctuations, paleoproductivity and atmospheric CO2 levels.

Anatomy of biocalcarenitic units in the Plio-Pleistocene record of the Northern Apennines (Italy)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cau, Simone; Roveri, Marco; Taviani, Marco

2017-04-01

The Castell'Arquato Basin (CAB) in the foothills of the thrust-belt Northern Apennines is a foreland basin infilled by Plio-Quaternary sediments and a reference area for Plio-Pleistocene biostratigraphy. The CAB exposes plurimetric biodetrital carbonate units at discrete temporal intervals. Such shell-rich units are at places lithified, turning into conspicuous biodetritral carbonate rocks (biocalcarenites) that display a cyclical stacking motif highlighted by the regular alternation with finer-grained marine deposits. The cyclical nature of thick biocalcarenites has been hypothesized to be orbitally-controlled by obliquity and/or precession cyclicity. Furthermore, biocalcarenite-mudstone couplets form distinct clusters governed by 100-400 ka eccentricity maxima starting from 3.1 Ma at the inception of the Northern Hemisphere glaciation. They correlate with sapropels cycles formed at times of maximum insolation (precession minima). The CAB calcarenites are poorly known with respect to their environmental genetic context what motivated a detailed paleoecological analysis to unravel at best their formative context. Five distinct biofacies arranged in stacking patterns are identified through two-way cluster analysis based on the macrofossil content. Our quantitative and qualitative results suggest that these polytaxic shell concentrations and their bracketing marine mudstones developed in middle shelf settings being sensitive to climatically-driven changes.

The Architecture of the LkCa 15 Transitional Disk Revealed by High-contrast Imaging

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thalmann, C.; Mulders, G. D.; Hodapp, K.; Janson, M.; Grady, C. A.; Min, M.; deJuanOvelar, M.; Carson, J.; Brandt, T.; Bonnefoy, M.;

The Architecture of the LkCa 15 Transitional Disk Revealed By High-Contrast Imaging

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thalmann, C.; Mulders, G. D.; Hodapp, K.; Janson, M.; Grady, C.A.; Min, M.; de Juan Ovelar, M.; Carson, J.; Brandt, T.; Bonnefoy, M.;

A Study on the Characteristics of the Structure of Vega's Debris Disk

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lu, T.; Ji, J. H.

2013-03-01

Clumpy structure in the Vega's debris disk has been previously reported at millimeter wavelengths and attributed to the concentrations of dust grains trapped in resonances with a potential planet. However, current imaging at multi-wavelengths with higher sensitivity is against the former observed structure. The disk is now revealed to have a smooth structure. A planet orbiting Vega could not be neglected,but the present-day observations may place a severe constraint on the orbital parameters for the potential planet. Herein, we utilize modified MERCURY codes to numerically simulate Vega system, consisting of debris disk and a planet. In our simulations, the initial inner and outer boundaries of the debris disk are assumed to be 80~AU and 120~AU, respectively. The radius of dust grains distributes in the range from 10 μm to 100 μm, in nearly coplanar orbits. From the outcomes, we show that the evolution of debris disk is consistent with recent observations, if there is no planet orbiting Vega. However, if Vega owns a planet with a high eccentricity (e.g., e=0.6), the planetary semi-major axis cannot be larger than 60~AU, otherwise, the structure of debris disk will congregate due to the existence of the postulated planet. The 2:1 mean motion resonances may play a significant role in sculpting the debris disk.

ACCRETION KINEMATICS THROUGH THE WARPED TRANSITION DISK IN HD 142527 FROM RESOLVED CO(6–5) OBSERVATIONS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Casassus, S.; Marino, S.; Pérez, S.

2015-10-01

The finding of residual gas in the large central cavity of the HD 142527 disk motivates questions regarding the origin of its non-Keplerian kinematics and possible connections with planet formation. We aim to understand the physical structure that underlies the intra-cavity gaseous flows, guided by new molecular-line data in CO(6–5) with unprecedented angular resolutions. Given the warped structure inferred from the identification of scattered-light shadows cast on the outer disk, the kinematics are consistent, to first order, with axisymmetric accretion onto the inner disk occurring at all azimuths. A steady-state accretion profile, fixed at the stellar accretion rate, explains themore » depth of the cavity as traced in CO isotopologues. The abrupt warp and evidence for near free-fall radial flows in HD 142527 resemble theoretical models for disk tearing, which could be driven by the reported low-mass companion, whose orbit may be contained in the plane of the inner disk. The companion’s high inclination with respect to the massive outer disk could drive Kozai oscillations over long timescales; high-eccentricity periods may perhaps account for the large cavity. While shadowing by the tilted disk could imprint an azimuthal modulation in the molecular-line maps, further observations are required to ascertain the significance of azimuthal structure in the density field inside the cavity of HD 142527.« less

THE STRUCTURE OF PRE-TRANSITIONAL PROTOPLANETARY DISKS. II. AZIMUTHAL ASYMMETRIES, DIFFERENT RADIAL DISTRIBUTIONS OF LARGE AND SMALL DUST GRAINS IN PDS 70 {sup ,}

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hashimoto, J.; Wisniewski, J.; Tsukagoshi, T.

The formation scenario of a gapped disk, i.e., transitional disk, and its asymmetry is still under debate. Proposed scenarios such as disk-planet interaction, photoevaporation, grain growth, anticyclonic vortex, eccentricity, and their combinations would result in different radial distributions of the gas and the small (sub-μm size) and large (millimeter size) dust grains as well as asymmetric structures in a disk. Optical/near-infrared (NIR) imaging observations and (sub-)millimeter interferometry can trace small and large dust grains, respectively; therefore multi-wavelength observations could help elucidate the origin of complicated structures of a disk. Here we report Submillimeter Array observations of the dust continuum atmore » 1.3 mm and {sup 12}CO J = 2 → 1 line emission of the pre-transitional protoplanetary disk around the solar-mass star PDS 70. PDS 70, a weak-lined T Tauri star, exhibits a gap in the scattered light from its disk with a radius of ∼65 AU at NIR wavelengths. However, we found a larger gap in the disk with a radius of ∼80 AU at 1.3 mm. Emission from all three disk components (the gas and the small and large dust grains) in images exhibits a deficit in brightness in the central region of the disk, in particular, the dust disk in small and large dust grains has asymmetric brightness. The contrast ratio of the flux density in the dust continuum between the peak position to the opposite side of the disk reaches 1.4. We suggest the asymmetries and different gap radii of the disk around PDS 70 are potentially formed by several (unseen) accreting planets inducing dust filtration.« less

The Structure of Pre-Transitional Protoplanetary Disks. II Azimuthal Asymmetries, Different Radial Distributions of Large and Small Dust Grains in PDS 70

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hashimoto, J.; Tsukagoshi, T.; Brown, J. M.; Dong, R.; Muto, T.; Zhu, Z.; Wisniewski, J.; Ohashi, N.; Kudo, T.; Kusakabe, N.;

Theoretical Implications of the PSR B1620-26 Triple System and Its Planet

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ford, Eric B.; Joshi, Kriten J.; Rasio, Frederic A.; Zbarsky, Boris

2000-01-01

We present a new theoretical analysis of the PSR B1620-26 triple system in the globular cluster M4, based on the latest radio pulsar timing data, which now include measurements of five time derivatives of the pulse frequency. These data allow us to determine the mass and orbital parameters of the second companion completely (up to the usual unknown orbital inclination angle i2). The current best-fit parameters correspond to a second companion of planetary mass, m2sini2~=7×10-3 Msolar , in an orbit of eccentricity e2~=0.45 and semimajor axis a2~=60 AU. Using numerical scattering experiments, we study a possible formation scenario for the triple system, which involves a dynamical exchange interaction between the binary pulsar and a primordial star-planet system. The current orbital parameters of the triple are consistent with such a dynamical origin and suggest that the separation of the parent star-planet system was very large, >~50 AU. We also examine the possible origin of the anomalously high eccentricity of the inner binary pulsar. While this eccentricity could have been induced during the same dynamical interaction that created the triple, we find that it could equally well arise from long-term secular perturbation effects in the triple, combining the general relativistic precession of the inner orbit with the Newtonian gravitational perturbation of the planet. The detection of a planet in this system may be taken as evidence that large numbers of extrasolar planetary systems, not unlike those discovered recently in the solar neighborhood, also exist in old star clusters.

Stability and Occurrence Rate Constraints on the Planetary Sculpting Hypothesis for “Transitional” Disks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dong, Ruobing; Dawson, Rebekah

2016-07-01

Transitional disks, protoplanetary disks with deep and wide central gaps, may be the result of planetary sculpting. By comparing numerical planet-opening-gap models with observed gaps, we find systems of 3-6 giant planets are needed in order to open gaps with the observed depths and widths. We explore the dynamical stability of such multi-planet systems using N-body simulations that incorporate prescriptions for gas effects. We find they can be stable over a typical disk lifetime, with the help of eccentricity damping from the residual gap gas that facilitates planets locking into mean motion resonances. However, in order to account for the occurrence rate of transitional disks, the planet sculpting scenario demands gap-opening-friendly disk conditions, in particular, a disk viscosity α ≲ 0.001. In addition, the demography of giant planets at ˜3-30 au separations, poorly constrained by current data, has to largely follow occurrence rates extrapolated outward from radial velocity surveys, not the lower occurrence rates extrapolated inward from direct imaging surveys. Even with the most optimistic occurrence rates, transitional disks cannot be a common phase that most gas disks experience at the end of their life, as popularly assumed, simply because there are not enough planets to open these gaps. Finally, as consequences of demanding almost all giant planets at large separations participate in transitional disk sculpting, the majority of such planets must form early and end up in a chain of mean motion resonances at the end of disk lifetime.

Optimality based repetitive controller design for track-following servo system of optical disk drives.

PubMed

Chen, Wentao; Zhang, Weidong

2009-10-01

In an optical disk drive servo system, to attenuate the external periodic disturbances induced by inevitable disk eccentricity, repetitive control has been used successfully. The performance of a repetitive controller greatly depends on the bandwidth of the low-pass filter included in the repetitive controller. However, owing to the plant uncertainty and system stability, it is difficult to maximize the bandwidth of the low-pass filter. In this paper, we propose an optimality based repetitive controller design method for the track-following servo system with norm-bounded uncertainties. By embedding a lead compensator in the repetitive controller, both the system gain at periodic signal's harmonics and the bandwidth of the low-pass filter are greatly increased. The optimal values of the repetitive controller's parameters are obtained by solving two optimization problems. Simulation and experimental results are provided to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.

Planet Formation in Binary Star Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martin, Rebecca

About half of observed exoplanets are estimated to be in binary systems. Understanding planet formation and evolution in binaries is therefore essential for explaining observed exoplanet properties. Recently, we discovered that a highly misaligned circumstellar disk in a binary system can undergo global Kozai-Lidov (KL) oscillations of the disk inclination and eccentricity. These oscillations likely have a significant impact on the formation and orbital evolution of planets in binary star systems. Planet formation by core accretion cannot operate during KL oscillations of the disk. First, we propose to consider the process of disk mass transfer between the binary members. Secondly, we will investigate the possibility of planet formation by disk fragmentation. Disk self gravity can weaken or suppress the oscillations during the early disk evolution when the disk mass is relatively high for a narrow range of parameters. Thirdly, we will investigate the evolution of a planet whose orbit is initially aligned with respect to the disk, but misaligned with respect to the orbit of the binary. We will study how these processes relate to observations of star-spin and planet orbit misalignment and to observations of planets that appear to be undergoing KL oscillations. Finally, we will analyze the evolution of misaligned multi-planet systems. This theoretical work will involve a combination of analytic and numerical techniques. The aim of this research is to shed some light on the formation of planets in binary star systems and to contribute to NASA's goal of understanding of the origins of exoplanetary systems.

A New Model of Orbital Pacing for Pliocene Glaciations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Herbert, T.; Dowsett, H. J.; Caballero-Gill, R. P.

2015-12-01

The earth's climate system has gone through major changes over time that serve as natural experiments to test our understanding of linkages and feedbacks that may come into play if the Earth continues to warm, as expected from greenhouse gas forcing. Our project investigates patterns of climate change between the northern and southern hemispheres during the mid-Pliocene epoch (~3-4 Myr ago) when the overall climate state was warmer than today. Critically, evidence suggests that the amount of ice on Antarctica was similar to today, but that there was little or no permanent ice on land in the northern hemisphere. Most climate scientists have therefore supposed that orbitally-paced climate change would initiate in the region around the Antarctic, and be driven primarily by the 41,000 year obliquity cycle. Using distributed data sets on both sea surface temperature and the combination of deep sea temperature and global ice volume recorded by ð18O, we find a pervasive influence of eccentricity/precession on Pliocene paleoclimate that has been under-appreciated. We tentatively constrain the phase of the climate response by calibrating temperature patterns to the precessional "clock" of the Mediterranean sapropel sequence. Large Pliocene glacial events were paced by precession, and coincide with minimum northern hemisphere summer insolation. This mode is in many ways the opposite of the late Pleistocene, where climate positively follows the envelope of northern hemisphere precession. In the Pliocene case, glacial periods instead followed the lower envelope of precession and nodes of low precessional variance supported peak interglacial conditions. The observations can be explained by positing that during the warmer Pliocene, the high latitudes of the northern hemisphere could only support cryosphere expansion during times of minimal summer insolation. While the presence of ice-rafted debris in the North Atlantic and North Pacific unambiguously confirm a northern hemisphere component to peak Pliocene glaciations, the amplitude of the ð18O excursions in features such as isotope stage M2 almost certainly requires a significant coupling to Antarctic ice volume as well.

Modeling North American Ice Sheet Response to Changes in Precession and Obliquity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tabor, C.; Poulsen, C. J.; Pollard, D.

2012-12-01

Milankovitch theory proposes that changes in insolation due to orbital perturbations dictate the waxing and waning of the ice sheets (Hays et al., 1976). However, variations in solar forcing alone are insufficient to produce the glacial oscillations observed in the climate record. Non-linear feedbacks in the Earth system likely work in concert with the orbital cycles to produce a modified signal (e.g. Berger and Loutre, 1996), but the nature of these feedbacks remain poorly understood. To gain a better understand of the ice dynamics and climate feedbacks associated with changes in orbital configuration, we use a complex Earth system model consisting of the GENESIS GCM and land surface model (Pollard and Thompson, 1997), the Pennsylvania State University ice sheet model (Pollard and DeConto, 2009), and the BIOME vegetation model (Kaplan et al., 2001). We began this study by investigating ice sheet sensitivity to a range of commonly used ice sheet model parameters, including mass balance and albedo, to optimize simulations for Pleistocene orbital cycles. Our tests indicate that choice of mass balance and albedo parameterizations can lead to significant differences in ice sheet behavior and volume. For instance, use of an insolation-temperature mass balance scheme (van den Berg, 2008) allows for a larger ice sheet response to orbital changes than the commonly employed positive degree-day method. Inclusion of a large temperature dependent ice albedo, representing phenomena such as melt ponds and dirty ice, also enhances ice sheet sensitivity. Careful tuning of mass balance and albedo parameterizations can help alleviate the problem of insufficient ice sheet retreat during periods of high summer insolation (Horton and Poulsen, 2007) while still accurately replicating the modern climate. Using our optimized configuration, we conducted a series of experiments with idealized transient orbits in an asynchronous coupling scheme to investigate the influence of obliquity and precession on the Laurentide and Cordillera ice sheets of North America. Preliminary model results show that the ice sheet response to changes in obliquity are larger than for precession despite providing a smaller direct insolation variation in the Northern Hemisphere high latitudes. A combination of enhanced Northern Hemisphere mid-latitude temperature gradient and longer cycle duration allow for a larger ice sheet response to obliquity than would be expected from insolation forcing alone. Conversely, a shorter duration dampens the ice sheet response to precession. Nevertheless, the precession cycle does cause significant changes in ice volume, a feature not observed in the Early Pleistocene δ18O records (Raymo and Nisancioglu, 2003). Future work will examine the climate response to an idealized transient orbit that includes concurrent variations in obliquity, precession, and eccentricity.

Size dependence of vortex-type spin torque oscillation in a Co2Fe0.4Mn0.6Si Heusler alloy disk

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seki, T.; Kubota, T.; Yamamoto, T.; Takanashi, K.

2018-02-01

This paper reports the systematic investigation of vortex-type spin torque oscillation in circular disks of highly spin-polarized Co2Fe0.4Mn0.6Si (CFMS) Heusler alloys. We fabricated the current-perpendicular-to-plane giant magnetoresistance (CPP-GMR) devices with various disk diameters (D) using the layer stack of CFMS/Ag3Mg/CFMS. The gyrotropic motion of the vortex core was successfully excited for the CFMS circular disks with 0.2 µm  ⩽  D  ⩽  0.3 µm. The CPP-GMR device with D  =  0.2 µm exhibited the Q factor of more than 5000 and the large output power of 0.4 nW owing to the high coherency of vortex dynamics and the high spin-polarization of CFMS. However, the Q factor was remarkably decreased as D was reduced from 0.2 µm to 0.14 µm. The comparison with the calculated resonance frequencies suggested that this degradation of the Q factor was due to the transition of the oscillation mode from the vortex mode to other modes such as the low-coherent out-of-plane precession mode. The present experimental results also suggest that there exists an adequate disk size for the enhanced Q factor of the vortex-type spin torque oscillation.

Recent Origin of Titan's Orbital Eccentricity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cuk, Matija

2014-05-01

Saturn's regular satellite system contains several dynamical mysteries, including the high tidal heating of Enceladus and undamped eccentricity of Titan. Lainey et al.(2012) proposed that the tidal evolution of the system is much faster than previously thought, which would explain heating of Enceladus and implies that some of the current satellites are less than 1 Gyr old. Cuk et al.(2014) pointed out that this fast tidal evolution could also explain the Titan-Hyperion resonance. If the inner, mid-sized Saturnian moons were re-accreted within the last Gyr, then the same event could have generated the observed eccentricity of Titan. Titan-Hyperion resonance puts strong constraints on this event, as many scenarios lead to the loss of Hyperion (usually through collision with Titan). Here I report on the ongoing study of the history of the Saturnian system, using symplectic integrators SIMPL (for stable configurations) and COMPLEX (for situations when the moons' orbits crossed). I find that the past system of icy satellites could have naturally evolved into instability, by having Dione and Rhea-like moons enter the mutual 4:3 resonance. This resonance is chaotic due to overlap with the solar evection resonance (i.e. the moons' precession rates in the mean-motion resonance overlap with Saturn's mean motion). The outcome of such resonance is a collision between the mid-sized moons, likely followed by re-accretion, with Titan being largely unaffected. I also find that close encounters between a mid-sized moon and Titan could with significant probability both excite Titan and preserve its resonance with Hyperion (cf. Hamilton 2013). I will present possible scenarios in which the previous system had an additional moon exterior to Rhea. This additional moon would have been destabilized by resonances with the inner moons and eventually absorbed by Titan, which acquired its eccentricity in the process. This research is supported by NASA's Outer Planet Research Program.

Accretion and Magnetic Reconnection in the Classical T Tauri Binary DQ Tau

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tofflemire, Benjamin M.; Mathieu, Robert D.; Ardila, David R.; Akeson, Rachel L.; Ciardi, David R.; Johns-Krull, Christopher; Herczeg, Gregory J.; Quijano-Vodniza, Alberto

2017-01-01

The theory of binary star formation predicts that close binaries (a < 100 au) will experience periodic pulsed accretion events as streams of material form at the inner edge of a circumbinary disk (CBD), cross a dynamically cleared gap, and feed circumstellar disks or accrete directly onto the stars. The archetype for the pulsed accretion theory is the eccentric, short-period, classical T Tauri binary DQ Tau. Low-cadence (˜daily) broadband photometry has shown brightening events near most periastron passages, just as numerical simulations would predict for an eccentric binary. Magnetic reconnection events (flares) during the collision of stellar magnetospheres near periastron could, however, produce the same periodic, broadband behavior when observed at a one-day cadence. To reveal the dominant physical mechanism seen in DQ Tau’s low-cadence observations, we have obtained continuous, moderate-cadence, multiband photometry over 10 orbital periods, supplemented with 27 nights of minute-cadence photometry centered on four separate periastron passages. While both accretion and stellar flares are present, the dominant timescale and morphology of brightening events are characteristic of accretion. On average, the mass accretion rate increases by a factor of five near periastron, in good agreement with recent models. Large variability is observed in the morphology and amplitude of accretion events from orbit to orbit. We argue that this is due to the absence of stable circumstellar disks around each star, compounded by inhomogeneities at the inner edge of the CBD and within the accretion streams themselves. Quasiperiodic apastron accretion events are also observed, which are not predicted by binary accretion theory.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tofflemire, Benjamin M.; Mathieu, Robert D.; Ardila, David R.

The theory of binary star formation predicts that close binaries ( a < 100 au) will experience periodic pulsed accretion events as streams of material form at the inner edge of a circumbinary disk (CBD), cross a dynamically cleared gap, and feed circumstellar disks or accrete directly onto the stars. The archetype for the pulsed accretion theory is the eccentric, short-period, classical T Tauri binary DQ Tau. Low-cadence (∼daily) broadband photometry has shown brightening events near most periastron passages, just as numerical simulations would predict for an eccentric binary. Magnetic reconnection events (flares) during the collision of stellar magnetospheres nearmore » periastron could, however, produce the same periodic, broadband behavior when observed at a one-day cadence. To reveal the dominant physical mechanism seen in DQ Tau’s low-cadence observations, we have obtained continuous, moderate-cadence, multiband photometry over 10 orbital periods, supplemented with 27 nights of minute-cadence photometry centered on four separate periastron passages. While both accretion and stellar flares are present, the dominant timescale and morphology of brightening events are characteristic of accretion. On average, the mass accretion rate increases by a factor of five near periastron, in good agreement with recent models. Large variability is observed in the morphology and amplitude of accretion events from orbit to orbit. We argue that this is due to the absence of stable circumstellar disks around each star, compounded by inhomogeneities at the inner edge of the CBD and within the accretion streams themselves. Quasiperiodic apastron accretion events are also observed, which are not predicted by binary accretion theory.« less

Cellular adaptation to repeated eccentric exercise-induced muscle damage.

PubMed

Stupka, N; Tarnopolsky, M A; Yardley, N J; Phillips, S M

2001-10-01

Eccentrically biased exercise results in skeletal muscle damage and stimulates adaptations in muscle, whereby indexes of damage are attenuated when the exercise is repeated. We hypothesized that changes in ultrastructural damage, inflammatory cell infiltration, and markers of proteolysis in skeletal muscle would come about as a result of repeated eccentric exercise and that gender may affect this adaptive response. Untrained male (n = 8) and female (n = 8) subjects performed two bouts (bout 1 and bout 2), separated by 5.5 wk, of 36 repetitions of unilateral, eccentric leg press and 100 repetitions of unilateral, eccentric knee extension exercises (at 120% of their concentric single repetition maximum), the subjects' contralateral nonexercised leg served as a control (rest). Biopsies were taken from the vastus lateralis from each leg 24 h postexercise. After bout 2, the postexercise force deficit and the rise in serum creatine kinase (CK) activity were attenuated. Women had lower serum CK activity compared with men at all times (P < 0.05), but there were no gender differences in the relative magnitude of the force deficit. Muscle Z-disk streaming, quantified by using light microscopy, was elevated vs. rest only after bout 1 (P < 0.05), with no gender difference. Muscle neutrophil counts were significantly greater in women 24 h after bout 2 vs. rest and bout 1 (P < 0.05) but were unchanged in men. Muscle macrophages were elevated in men and women after bout 1 and bout 2 (P < 0.05). Muscle protein content of the regulatory calpain subunit remained unchanged whereas ubiquitin-conjugated protein content was increased after both bouts (P < 0.05), with a greater increase after bout 2. We conclude that adaptations to eccentric exercise are associated with attenuated serum CK activity and, potentially, an increase in the activity of the ubiquitin proteosome proteolytic pathway.

Individual Dynamical Masses of Ultracool Dwarfs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dupuy, Trent J.; Liu, Michael C.

2017-08-01

We present the full results of our decade-long astrometric monitoring programs targeting 31 ultracool binaries with component spectral types M7-T5. Joint analysis of resolved imaging from Keck Observatory and Hubble Space Telescope and unresolved astrometry from CFHT/WIRCam yields parallactic distances for all systems, robust orbit determinations for 23 systems, and photocenter orbits for 19 systems. As a result, we measure 38 precise individual masses spanning 30-115 {M}{Jup}. We determine a model-independent substellar boundary that is ≈70 {M}{Jup} in mass (≈L4 in spectral type), and we validate Baraffe et al. evolutionary model predictions for the lithium-depletion boundary (60 {M}{Jup} at field ages). Assuming each binary is coeval, we test models of the substellar mass-luminosity relation and find that in the L/T transition, only the Saumon & Marley “hybrid” models accounting for cloud clearing match our data. We derive a precise, mass-calibrated spectral type-effective temperature relation covering 1100-2800 K. Our masses enable a novel direct determination of the age distribution of field brown dwarfs spanning L4-T5 and 30-70 {M}{Jup}. We determine a median age of 1.3 Gyr, and our population synthesis modeling indicates our sample is consistent with a constant star formation history modulated by dynamical heating in the Galactic disk. We discover two triple-brown-dwarf systems, the first with directly measured masses and eccentricities. We examine the eccentricity distribution, carefully considering biases and completeness, and find that low-eccentricity orbits are significantly more common among ultracool binaries than solar-type binaries, possibly indicating the early influence of long-lived dissipative gas disks. Overall, this work represents a major advance in the empirical view of very low-mass stars and brown dwarfs.

DIRECT IMAGING AND SPECTROSCOPY OF A YOUNG EXTRASOLAR KUIPER BELT IN THE NEAREST OB ASSOCIATION

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Currie, Thayne; Lisse, Carey M.; Kuchner, Marc

2015-07-01

We describe the discovery of a bright, young Kuiper belt–like debris disk around HD 115600, a ∼1.4–1.5 M{sub ⊙}, ∼15 Myr old member of the Sco–Cen OB Association. Our H-band coronagraphy/integral field spectroscopy from the Gemini Planet Imager shows the ring has a (luminosity-scaled) semimajor axis of (∼22 AU) ∼ 48 AU, similar to the current Kuiper belt. The disk appears to have neutral-scattering dust, is eccentric (e ∼ 0.1–0.2), and could be sculpted by analogs to the outer solar system planets. Spectroscopy of the disk ansae reveal a slightly blue to gray disk color, consistent with major Kuiper beltmore » chemical constituents, where water ice is a very plausible dominant constituent. Besides being the first object discovered with the next generation of extreme adaptive optics systems (i.e., SCExAO, GPI, SPHERE), HD 115600's debris ring and planetary system provide a key reference point for the early evolution of the solar system, the structure, and composition of the Kuiper belt and the interaction between debris disks and planets.« less

Radial widths, optical depths, and eccentricities of the Uranian rings

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nicholson, P. D.; Matthews, K.; Goldreich, P.

1982-01-01

Observations of the stellar occultation by the Uranian rings of 15/16 August 1980 are used to estimate radial widths and normal optical depths for segments of rings 6, 5, 4, alpha, beta, eta, gamma, and delta. Synthetic occultation profiles are generated to match the observed light curves. A review of published data confirms the existence of width-radius relations for rings alpha and beta, and indicates that the optical depths of these two rings vary inversely with their radial widths. Masses are obtained for rings alpha and beta, on the assumption that differential precession is prevented by their self-gravity. A quantitative comparison of seven epsilon-ring occultation profiles obtained over a period of 3.4 yr reveals a consistent structure, which may reflect the presence of unresolved gaps and subrings.

Chaos in navigation satellite orbits caused by the perturbed motion of the Moon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rosengren, Aaron J.; Alessi, Elisa Maria; Rossi, Alessandro; Valsecchi, Giovanni B.

2015-06-01

Numerical simulations carried out over the past decade suggest that the orbits of the Global Navigation Satellite Systems are unstable, resulting in an apparent chaotic growth of the eccentricity. Here, we show that the irregular and haphazard character of these orbits reflects a similar irregularity in the orbits of many celestial bodies in our Solar system. We find that secular resonances, involving linear combinations of the frequencies of nodal and apsidal precession and the rate of regression of lunar nodes, occur in profusion so that the phase space is threaded by a devious stochastic web. As in all cases in the Solar system, chaos ensues where resonances overlap. These results may be significant for the analysis of disposal strategies for the four constellations in this precarious region of space.

Eclipsing Stellar Binaries in the Galactic Center

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Gongjie; Ginsburg, Idan; Naoz, Smadar; Loeb, Abraham

2017-12-01

Compact stellar binaries are expected to survive in the dense environment of the Galactic center. The stable binaries may undergo Kozai–Lidov oscillations due to perturbations from the central supermassive black hole (Sgr A*), yet the general relativistic precession can suppress the Kozai–Lidov oscillations and keep the stellar binaries from merging. However, it is challenging to resolve the binary sources and distinguish them from single stars. The close separations of the stable binaries allow higher eclipse probabilities. Here, we consider the massive star SO-2 as an example and calculate the probability of detecting eclipses, assuming it is a binary. We find that the eclipse probability is ∼30%–50%, reaching higher values when the stellar binary is more eccentric or highly inclined relative to its orbit around Sgr A*.

Constraints on the architecture of the HD 95086 planetary system with the Gemini Planet Imager

DOE PAGES

Rameau, Julien; Nielsen, Eric L.; De Rosa, Robert J.; ...

2016-05-06

Here, we present astrometric monitoring of the young exoplanet HD 95086 b obtained with the Gemini Planet Imager between 2013 and 2016. A small but significant position angle change is detected at constant separation; the orbital motion is confirmed with literature measurements. Efficient Monte Carlo techniques place preliminary constraints on the orbital parameters of HD 95086 b. With 68% confidence, a semimajor axis ofmore » $${61.7}_{-8.4}^{+20.7}$$ au and an inclination of $$153° {0}_{-13.5}^{+9.7}$$ are favored, with eccentricity less than 0.21. Under the assumption of a coplanar planet–disk system, the periastron of HD 95086 b is beyond 51 au with 68% confidence. Therefore, HD 95086 b cannot carve the entire gap inferred from the measured infrared excess in the SED of HD 95086. We use our sensitivity to additional planets to discuss specific scenarios presented in the literature to explain the geometry of the debris belts. We suggest that either two planets on moderately eccentric orbits or three to four planets with inhomogeneous masses and orbital properties are possible. As a result, the sensitivity to additional planetary companions within the observations presented in this study can be used to help further constrain future dynamical simulations of the planet–disk system.« less

On fast X-ray rotators with long-term periodicities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Naranan, S.; Elsner, R. F.; Darbro, W.; Ramsey, B. D.; Leahy, D. A.; Weisskopf, M. C.; Williams, A. C.; Hardee, P. E.; Sutherland, P. G.; Grindlay, J. E.

1985-01-01

The support of previous SAS 3 spacecraft observations by new data gathered by the Monitor Proportional Counter aboard the HEAO 2 spacecraft indicates that the pulse period history of the 13.5 sec-pulsing X-ray source LMC X-4 is consistent with standard accretion and torque models only if LMC X-4 is a fast rotator for which the accretion torques nearly cancel. This result leads to a neutron star magnetic field strength estimate of about 1.2 x 10 to the 13th G. Strong evidence is noted for Her X-1's status as a fast rotator, while SMC X-1 is probably an intermediate-to-fast rotator. In the context of slaved disk models for these objects, it is noted that the precession periods expected for the companion stars are significantly longer than the observed 1-2 month time scales; slaved disk models are thereby undermined.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bromley, Benjamin C.; Kenyon, Scott J., E-mail: bromley@physics.utah.edu, E-mail: skenyon@cfa.harvard.edu

Correlations in the orbits of several minor planets in the outer solar system suggest the presence of a remote, massive Planet Nine. With at least 10 times the mass of the Earth and a perihelion well beyond 100 au, Planet Nine poses a challenge to planet formation theory. Here we expand on a scenario in which the planet formed closer to the Sun and was gravitationally scattered by Jupiter or Saturn onto a very eccentric orbit in an extended gaseous disk. Dynamical friction with the gas then allowed the planet to settle in the outer solar system. We explore thismore » possibility with a set of numerical simulations. Depending on how the gas disk evolves, scattered super-Earths or small gas giants settle on a range of orbits, with perihelion distances as large as 300 au. Massive disks that clear from the inside out on million-year timescales yield orbits that allow a super-Earth or gas giant to shepherd the minor planets as observed. A massive planet can achieve a similar orbit in a persistent, low-mass disk over the lifetime of the solar system.« less

r-Process Nucleosynthesis in the Early Universe Through Fast Mergers of Compact Binaries in Triple Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bonetti, Matteo; Perego, Albino; Capelo, Pedro R.; Dotti, Massimo; Miller, M. Coleman

2018-05-01

Surface abundance observations of halo stars hint at the occurrence of r-process nucleosynthesis at low metallicity ([Fe/H] < -3), possibly within the first 108 yr after the formation of the first stars. Possible loci of early-Universe r-process nucleosynthesis are the ejecta of either black hole-neutron star or neutron star-neutron star binary mergers. Here, we study the effect of the inclination-eccentricity oscillations raised by a tertiary (e.g. a star) on the coalescence time-scale of the inner compact object binaries. Our results are highly sensitive to the assumed initial distribution of the inner binary semi-major axes. Distributions with mostly wide compact object binaries are most affected by the third object, resulting in a strong increase (by more than a factor of 2) in the fraction of fast coalescences. If instead the distribution preferentially populates very close compact binaries, general relativistic precession prevents the third body from increasing the inner binary eccentricity to very high values. In this last case, the fraction of coalescing binaries is increased much less by tertiaries, but the fraction of binaries that would coalesce within 108 yr even without a third object is already high. Our results provide additional support to the compact-binary merger scenario for r-process nucleosynthesis.

Gravitational Instabilities in a Young Protoplanetary Disk with Embedded Objects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Desai, Karna M.

Gravitational Instabilities (GIs), a mechanism for angular momentum transport, are prominent during the early phases of protoplanetary disk evolution when the disk is relatively massive. In this dissertation, I analyze GIs by inserting different objects in a disk by employing 3D hydrodynamics simulations. GIs in a circumbinary disks are studied to determine how the presence of the companion affects the nature and strength of GIs in the disk. The circumbinary disk achieves a state of sustained marginal instability similar to an identical disk without the companion. A realistic evolution of the binary is detected. Planet and disk interactions play an important role in the evolution of planetary systems. To study this interaction during the early phases of planet formation, a migration study of Jovian planets in a GI-active disk is conducted. I find the migration timescales to be longer in a GI-active disk, when compared to laminar disks. The 3 MJupiter planet controls its own orbital evolution, while the migration of a 0.3 MJupiter planet is stochastic in nature. I define a 'critical mass' as the mass of an arm of the dominant two-armed spiral density wave within the planet's Hill diameter. Planets above this mass control their own destiny, and planets below this mass are scattered by the disk. This critical mass could provide a recipe for predicting the migration behavior of planets in GI-active disks. To understand the stochastic migration of low-mass planets, I perform a simulation of 240 zero-mass planet-tracers by inserting these at a range of locations in the disk. A Diffusion Coefficient is calculated to characterize the stochastic migration of low-mass objects. The eccentricity dispersion for the sample is also studied. I find that the diffusion of planets can be a slow process, resulting in the survival of small planetary cores.

Cassini's motions and resonant librations of synchronous satellites of big planets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barkin, Yu. V.

2008-09-01

Introduction. In the paper the rotations of synchronous satellites of the Jupiter, Saturn, Uran and Neptune are studied. On the base theory of resonant rotation of the rigid satellite on precessing elliptical orbit [1], [2] parameters of Cassini's motions and periods of free resonant librations have been determined for big grope of satellites of planets considered as rigid non-spherical bodies. Here I use observed values of coefficients of second harmonics of gravitational potensials ( 2 J and 22 C ) and of dimension less moment of inertia I = C / ?mr 2 ? of Io, Europa, Ganimede, Callisto and also Rhea and Titan, obtained on the base of data of space missions to these bodies [3]. Here C is the polar moment of inertia, m and r is the mass and the mean radius of satellite. Mentioned parameters 2 J , 22 C and I also have been evaluated for a wide set of another's satellites of big planets for their models as homogeneous ellipsoids of known forms and sizes (www.nasa.gov). These models also have been obtained here effective applications. For corresponding models the notation (e) is used here. For another from considered satellites (without indexes) we use also ellipsoidal models of hydrostatic equilibrium state of synchronous satellite [4]. The full list of discussed parameters for satellites of planets is presented in the paper [5]. Perturbed orbital motions of considered satellites we discribe by mean orbital elements reffered to local Laplacian planes of corresponding satellites ( http://ssd.jpl.nasa. gov/sat_elem. html). From them: the eccentricity ( e ), the inclination of orbit plane ( i ), the mean orbital motion and its period ( n and n T ), the angular velocity and period of preseccion of orbit plane of satellite on local Laplacian plane ( n? and T? ). In our approach all mentioned parameters are considered as constants and more fine effects in orbital motions of satellites do not take into account in this paper. The purpose of paper is to study syncronous motions of satellites in Solar system and for each of them to determine the values of the basic Cassini's parameter 0 ? (it is the average angle of inclination of the axis of rotation relatively to normal of the precessing orbit plane) and the periods of resonant librations in the longitude ( g T ), in the pole wobble ( l T ) and period of space precession ( h T ) (and their errors). Here we use the analytical formulas for mentioned parameters which were developed by study of the Moon Cassini's motion in my early papers [1], [2]. Specially for the case of small eccentricities and inclinations of orbits of synchronous satellites we have obtained the simple reduced formulas for all four considered parameters.

Chondrule Formation in Bow Shocks around Eccentric Planetary Embryos

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morris, Melissa A.; Boley, Aaron C.; Desch, Steven J.; Athanassiadou, Themis

2012-06-01

Recent isotopic studies of Martian meteorites by Dauphas & Pourmand have established that large (~3000 km radius) planetary embryos existed in the solar nebula at the same time that chondrules—millimeter-sized igneous inclusions found in meteorites—were forming. We model the formation of chondrules by passage through bow shocks around such a planetary embryo on an eccentric orbit. We numerically model the hydrodynamics of the flow and find that such large bodies retain an atmosphere with Kelvin-Helmholtz instabilities allowing mixing of this atmosphere with the gas and particles flowing past the embryo. We calculate the trajectories of chondrules flowing past the body and find that they are not accreted by the protoplanet, but may instead flow through volatiles outgassed from the planet's magma ocean. In contrast, chondrules are accreted onto smaller planetesimals. We calculate the thermal histories of chondrules passing through the bow shock. We find that peak temperatures and cooling rates are consistent with the formation of the dominant, porphyritic texture of most chondrules, assuming a modest enhancement above the likely solar nebula average value of chondrule densities (by a factor of 10), attributable to settling of chondrule precursors to the midplane of the disk or turbulent concentration. We calculate the rate at which a planetary embryo's eccentricity is damped and conclude that a single planetary embryo scattered into an eccentric orbit can, over ~105 years, produce ~1024 g of chondrules. In principle, a small number (1-10) of eccentric planetary embryos can melt the observed mass of chondrules in a manner consistent with all known constraints.

Einstein@Home Discovery of a PALFA Millisecond Pulsar in an Eccentric Binary Orbit

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Knispel, B.; Lyne, A. G.; Stappers, B. W.; Freire, P. C. C.; Lazarus, P.; Allen, B.; Aulbert, C.; Bock, O.; Bogdanov, S.; Brazier, A.; Camilo, F.; Cardoso, F.; Chatterjee, S.; Cordes, J. M.; Crawford, F.; Deneva, J. S.; Eggenstein, H.-B.; Fehrmann, H.; Ferdman, R.; Hessels, J. W. T.; Jenet, F. A.; Karako-Argaman, C.; Kaspi, V. M.; van Leeuwen, J.; Lorimer, D. R.; Lynch, R.; Machenschalk, B.; Madsen, E.; McLaughlin, M. A.; Patel, C.; Ransom, S. M.; Scholz, P.; Siemens, X.; Spitler, L. G.; Stairs, I. H.; Stovall, K.; Swiggum, J. K.; Venkataraman, A.; Wharton, R. S.; Zhu, W. W.

2015-06-01

We report the discovery of the millisecond pulsar (MSP) PSR J1950+2414 (P = 4.3 ms) in a binary system with an eccentric (e = 0.08) 22 day orbit in Pulsar Arecibo L-band Feed Array survey observations with the Arecibo telescope. Its companion star has a median mass of 0.3 M⊙ and is most likely a white dwarf (WD). Fully recycled MSPs like this one are thought to be old neutron stars spun-up by mass transfer from a companion star. This process should circularize the orbit, as is observed for the vast majority of binary MSPs, which predominantly have orbital eccentricities e < 0.001. However, four recently discovered binary MSPs have orbits with 0. 027 < e < 0.44; PSR J1950+2414 is the fifth such system to be discovered. The upper limits for its intrinsic spin period derivative and inferred surface magnetic field strength are comparable to those of the general MSP population. The large eccentricities are incompatible with the predictions of the standard recycling scenario: something unusual happened during their evolution. Proposed scenarios are (a) initial evolution of the pulsar in a triple system which became dynamically unstable, (b) origin in an exchange encounter in an environment with high stellar density, (c) rotationally delayed accretion-induced collapse of a super-Chandrasekhar WD, and (d) dynamical interaction of the binary with a circumbinary disk. We compare the properties of all five known eccentric MSPs with the predictions of these formation channels. Future measurements of the masses and proper motion might allow us to firmly exclude some of the proposed formation scenarios.

Migration of the Antarctic Polar Front through the mid-Pleistocene transition: evidence and climatic implications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kemp, A. E. S.; Grigorov, I.; Pearce, R. B.; Naveira Garabato, A. C.

2010-08-01

The Antarctic Polar Front is an important biogeochemical divider in the Southern Ocean. Laminated diatom mat deposits record episodes of massive flux of the diatom Thalassiothrix antarctica beneath the Antarctic Polar Front and provide a marker for tracking the migration of the Front through time. Ocean Drilling Program Sites 1091, 1093 and 1094 are the only deep piston cored record hitherto sampled from the sediments of the circumpolar biogenic opal belt. Mapping of diatom mat deposits between these sites indicates a glacial-interglacial front migration of up to 6 degrees of latitude in the early/mid Pleistocene. The mid-Pleistocene transition marks a stepwise minimum 7° northward migration of the locus of the Polar Front sustained for about 450 kyr until an abrupt southward return to a locus similar to its modern position and further south than any mid-Pleistocene locus. This interval from a "900 ka event" that saw major cooling of the oceans and a δ 13C minimum through to the 424 ka Mid-Brunhes Event at Termination V is also seemingly characterised by 1) sustained decreased carbonate in the sub-tropical south Atlantic, 2) reduced strength of Antarctic deep meridional circulation, 3) lower interglacial temperatures and lower interglacial atmospheric CO 2 levels (by some 30 per mil) than those of the last 400 kyr, evidencing less complete deglaciation. This evidence is consistent with a prolonged period lasting 450 kyr of only partial ventilation of the deep ocean during interglacials and suggests that the mechanisms highlighted by recent hypotheses linking mid-latitude atmospheric conditions to the extent of deep ocean ventilation and carbon sequestration over glacial-interglacial cycles are likely in operation during the longer time scale characteristic of the mid-Pleistocene transition. The cooling that initiated the "900 ka event" may have been driven by minima in insolation amplitude related to eccentricity modulation of precession that also affected low latitude climates as marked by threshold changes in the African monsoon system. The major thresholds in earth system behaviour through the mid-Pleistocene transition were likely governed by an interplay of the 100 kyr and 400 kyr eccentricity modulation of precession.

Insolation-driven 100 kyr glacial cycles and millennial climate change

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abe-Ouchi, A.; Saito, F.; Kawamura, K.; Raymo, M. E.; Okuno, J.; Takahashi, K.; Blatter, H.

2013-12-01

The waxing and waning of Northern Hemisphere ice sheets over the past one million years is dominated by an approximately 100-kyr periodicity and a sawtooth pattern (gradual growth and fast termination). Milankovitch theory proposes that summer insolation at high northern latitudes drives the glacial cycles, and statistical tests demonstrated that the glacial cycles are indeed linked to eccentricity, obliquity and precession cycles. However, insolation alone cannot explain the strong 100 kyr cycle which presumably arises through internal climatic feedbacks. Prior work with conceptual models, for example, showed that glacial terminations are associated with the build-up of Northern Hemisphere 'excess ice', but the physical mechanisms of 100-kyr cycle at work remain unclear. Here, using comprehensive climate and ice sheet models, we show that the ~100-kyr periodicity is explained by insolation and internal feedback amongst the climate, ice sheet and lithosphere/asthenosphere system (reference). We found that equilibrium states of ice sheets exhibit hysteresis responses to summer insolation, and that the shape and position of the hysteresis loop play a key role in determining the periodicities of glacial cycles. The hysteresis loop of the North American ice sheet is such that, after its inception, the ice sheet mass balance remains mostly positive or neutral through several precession cycles whose amplitude decreases towards an eccentricity minimum. The larger the ice sheet grows and extends towards lower latitudes, the smaller is the insolation required to turn the mass balance to negative. Therefore, once the large ice sheet is established, only a moderate increase in insolation can trigger a negative mass balance, leading to a complete retreat within several thousand years, due to the delayed isostatic rebound. The effect of ocean circulation and millennial scale climate change are not playing the dominant role for determing the 100kyr cycle, but are effective for modifying the speed and geographical pattern of the waxing and waning of the Northern Hemisphere ice sheets and their melt water. (reference of the basic results: Abe-Ouchi et al, 2013, Insolation-driven 100,000 year glacial cycles and hysteresis of ice-sheet volume, Nature, 500, 190-193.)

Late Neogene sedimentary facies and sequences in the Pannonian Basin, Hungary

USGS Publications Warehouse

Juhasz, E.; Phillips, L.; Muller, P.; Ricketts, B.; Toth-Makk, A.; Lantos, M.; Kovacs, L.O.

1999-01-01

This paper is part of the special publication No.156, The Mediterranean basins: Tertiary extension within the Alpine Orogen. (eds B.Durand, L. Jolivet, F.Horvath and M.Seranne). Detailed sedimentological, facies and numerical cycle analysis, combined with magnetostratigraphy, have been made in a number of boreholes in the Pannonian Basin, in order to study the causes of relative water-level changes and the history of the basin subsidence. Subsidence and infilling of the Pannonian Basin, which was an isolated lake at that time occurred mainly during the Late Miocene and Pliocene. The subsidence history was remarkably different in the individual sub-basins: early thermal subsidence was interrupted in the southern part of the basin, while high sedimentation rate and continuous subsidence was detected in the northeastern sub-basin. Three regional unconformities were detected in the Late Neogene Pannonian Basin fill, which represent 0.5 and 7.5 Ma time spans corresponding to single and composite unconformities. Consequently two main sequences build up the Late Neogene Pannonian Basin fill: a Late Miocene and a Pliocene one. Within the Late Miocene sequence there are smaller sedimentary cycles most probably corresponding to climatically driven relative lake-level changes in the Milankovitch frequency band. Considering the periods, the estimated values for precession and eccentricity in this study (19 and 370 ka) are close to the usually cited ones. In the case of obliquity the calculated period (71 ka) slightly deviates from the generally accepted number. Based on the relative amplitudes of oscillations, precession (sixth order) and obliquity (fifth order) cycles had the most significant impact on the sedimentation. Eccentricity caused cycles (fourth order) are poorly detectable in the sediments. The longer term (third order) cycles had very slight influence on the sedimentation pattern. Progradation, recorded in the Late Miocene sequence, correlates poorly in time within the basin. The dominant controls of this process probably were changes of basin subsidence rate and the very high sedimentation rate. The slow, upward trend of silt and sand bed thickness as well as that of the grain size also reflects the local progradation.

Linking Europa's plume activity to tides, tectonics, and liquid water

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rhoden, Alyssa Rose; Hurford, Terry A.; Roth, Lorenz; Retherford, Kurt

2015-06-01

Much of the geologic activity preserved on Europa's icy surface has been attributed to tidal deformation, mainly due to Europa's eccentric orbit. Although the surface is geologically young (30-80 Myr), there is little information as to whether tidally-driven surface processes are ongoing. However, a recent detection of water vapor near Europa's south pole suggests that it may be geologically active. Initial observations indicated that Europa's plume eruptions are time-variable and may be linked to its tidal cycle. Saturn's moon, Enceladus, which shares many similar traits with Europa, displays tidally-modulated plume eruptions, which bolstered this interpretation. However, additional observations of Europa at the same time in its orbit failed to yield a plume detection, casting doubt on the tidal control hypothesis. The purpose of this study is to analyze the timing of plume eruptions within the context of Europa's tidal cycle to determine whether such a link exists and examine the inferred similarities and differences between plume activity on Europa and Enceladus. To do this, we determine the locations and orientations of hypothetical tidally-driven fractures that best match the temporal variability of the plumes observed at Europa. Specifically, we identify model faults that are in tension at the time in Europa's orbit when a plume was detected and in compression at times when the plume was not detected. We find that tidal stress driven solely by eccentricity is incompatible with the observations unless additional mechanisms are controlling the eruption timing or restricting the longevity of the plumes. The addition of obliquity tides, and corresponding precession of the spin pole, can generate a number of model faults that are consistent with the pattern of plume detections. The locations and orientations of these hypothetical source fractures are robust across a broad range of precession rates and spin pole directions. Analysis of the stress variations across the fractures suggests that the plumes would be best observed earlier in the orbit (true anomaly ∼120°). Our results indicate that Europa's plumes, if confirmed, differ in many respects from the Enceladean plumes and that either active fractures or volatile sources are rare.

[CII] emission from NGC 4258 with SOFIA/FIFI-LS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fadda, Dario; Appleton, Philip N.; Diaz Santos, Tanio; Togi, Aditya; Ogle, Patrick

2018-06-01

We present the [CII]157.7μm map of the NGC 4258 (M106) galaxy obtained with the FIFI-LS spectrometer onboard SOFIA.M106 contains an active nucleus classified as type 1.9 Seyfert with a warped inner rotating disk of water-vapor masers which allowed for the first high accuracy measurements of the mass of a supermassive black hole in any galaxy. A relativistic jet is thought to be responsible for anomalous radio-continuum spiral arms, which appear several kpc from the center, and extend outwards through the outer disk. These arms do not correlate with the galaxy's underlying stellar spiral structure, and their presence suggest that in the past, the jet has strongly interacted with the galaxy's outer disk , exciting synchrotron radiation. Since that time, a new burst of activity seems to have occurred, creating a compact jet at the core of the galaxy, and two radio hotspots further out associated with optical "bow-shocks". The position angle of this new "active" jet is different from that needed to excited the outer radio arms, presumably because the jet has precessed, perhaps as a result of precession of the axis of the inner warped accretion disk.Our observations reveal three main sources of [CII] emission: two associated with large regions of gas at the ends of the active jet, and a third minor axis filament associated with linear clumps of star formation and dust seen in HST images offset from the nucleus. We combine the SOFIA observations with previous Spitzer mid-IR, Chandra X-ray and VLA radio observations to explore the nature of the detected [CII] emission. In regions along the northern active jet, we see a significant deficiency in the [CII]/FIR ratio, and higher ratios near the ends of the jet. This implies that the jet has changed the conditions of the gas along its length. In several places near the jet, the [CII] emission shows very broad lines, suggestive of enhanced turbulence. Additionally, the minor-axis filament we discovered may represent gas in-falling towards the nucleus perpendicular to the jet. The results provide clues about how radio jets in active galaxies can influence the star formation properties of their host galaxies.

An asymmetric jet-launching model for the protoplanetary nebula CRL 618

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Velázquez, Pablo F.; Raga, Alejandro C.; Toledo-Roy, Juan C.

We propose an asymmetrical jet-ejection mechanism in order to model the mirror symmetry observed in the lobe distribution of some protoplanetary nebulae (pPNs), such as the pPN CRL 618. Three-dimensional hydrodynamical simulations of a precessing jet launched from an orbiting source were carried out, including an alternation in the ejections of the two outflow lobes, depending on which side of the precessing accretion disk is hit by the accretion column from a Roche lobe-filling binary companion. Both synthetic optical emission maps and position-velocity diagrams were obtained from the numerical results with the purpose of carrying out a direct comparison withmore » observations. Depending on the observer's point of view, multipolar morphologies are obtained that exhibit a mirror symmetry at large distances from the central source. The obtained lobe sizes and their spatial distributions are in good agreement with the observed morphology of the pPN CRL 618. We also obtain that the kinematic ages of the fingers are similar to those obtained in the observations.« less

Late Pliocene vegetation and orbital-scale climate changes from the western Mediterranean area

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiménez-Moreno, Gonzalo; Burjachs, Francesc; Expósito, Isabel; Oms, Oriol; Carrancho, Ángel; Villalaín, Juan José; Agustí, Jordi; Campeny, Gerard; Gómez de Soler, Bruno; van der Made, Jan

2013-09-01

The Late Pliocene is a very interesting period as climate deteriorated from a warm optimum at ca. 3.3-3.0 Ma to a progressive climate cooling. Simultaneously, the Mediterranean area witnessed the establishment of the Mediterranean-type seasonal precipitation rhythm (summer drought). These important climate changes produced significant vegetation changes, such as the extinction of several thermophilous and hygrophilous plant taxa from the European latitudes. Besides these long-term trends, climate was also characterized by cyclical variability (i.e., orbital changes) that forced vegetation changes (forested vs. open vegetation). In the Mediterranean area, cyclical changes in the vegetation were mostly forced by precession. In this study we analyzed pollen from a Late Pliocene maar lake core from NE Spain. An increase in aridity is observed as well as cyclic variations throughout the studied sequence. Cyclicity was mostly forced by precession but also by obliquity and eccentricity. Precipitation seems to be the main factor controlling these cycles. These data allowed estimating a sedimentary rate of ca. 0.19 mm/yr and the time duration covered by the studied core, close to 200 ka. The combination of biostratigraphy, palaeomagnetism and cyclostratigraphy allowed for a very precise dating of the sediments between ca. 3.3 and 3.1 Ma. Climate and paleobiogeographical implications are discussed within the context of the Late Pliocene Northern Hemisphere glacial intensification.

Laboratory Simulation of the Effect of Rocket Thrust on a Precessing Space Vehicle

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Alvarez, Oscar; Bausley, Henry; Cohen, Sam; Falcon-Martin, Miguel; Furumoto, Gary (Editor); Horio, Asikin; Levitt, David; Walsh, Amy

1990-01-01

Ground tests of solid propellant rocket motors have shown that metal-containing propellants produce various amounts of slag (primarily aluminum oxide) which is trapped in the motor case, causing a loss of specific impulse. Although not yet definitely established, the presence of a liquid pool of slag also may contribute to nutational instabilities that have been observed with certain spin-stabilized, upper-stage vehicles. Because of the rocket's axial acceleration, absent in the ground tests, estimates of in-flight slag mass have been very uncertain. Yet such estimates are needed to determine the magnitude of the control authority of the systems required for eliminating the instability. A test rig with an eccentrically mounted hemispherical bowl was designed and built which incorporates a follower force that properly aligns the thrust vector along the axis of spin. A program that computes the motion of a point mass in the spinning and precessing bowl was written. Using various RPMs, friction factors, and initial starting conditions, plots were generated showing the trace of the point mass around the inside of the fuel tank. The apparatus will incorporate future design features such as a variable nutation angle and a film height measuring instrument. Data obtained on the nutational instability characteristics will be used to determine order of magnitude estimates of control authority needed to minimize the sloshing effect.

ORBITS, MASSES, AND EVOLUTION OF MAIN BELT TRIPLE (87) SYLVIA

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Fang, Julia; Margot, Jean-Luc; Rojo, Patricio

Sylvia is a triple asteroid system located in the main belt. We report new adaptive optics observations of this system that extend the baseline of existing astrometric observations to a decade. We present the first fully dynamical three-body model for this system by fitting to all available astrometric measurements. This model simultaneously fits for individual masses, orbits, and primary oblateness. We find that Sylvia is composed of a dominant central mass surrounded by two satellites orbiting at 706.5 {+-} 2.5 km and 1357 {+-} 4.0 km, i.e., about 5 and nearly 10 primary radii. We derive individual masses of 1.484{supmore » +0.016}{sub -0.014} Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 19} kg for the primary (corresponding to a density of 1.29 {+-} 0.39 g cm{sup -3}), 7.33{sup +4.7}{sub -2.3} Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 14} kg for the inner satellite, and 9.32{sup +20.7}{sub -8.3} Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 14} kg for the outer satellite. The oblateness of the primary induces substantial precession and the J{sub 2} value can be constrained to the range of 0.0985-0.1. The orbits of the satellites are relatively circular with eccentricities less than 0.04. The spin axis of the primary body and the orbital poles of both satellites are all aligned within about 2 deg of each other, indicating a nearly coplanar configuration and suggestive of satellite formation in or near the equatorial plane of the primary. We also investigate the past orbital evolution of the system by simulating the effects of a recent passage through 3:1 mean-motion eccentricity-type resonances. In some scenarios this allow us to place constraints on interior structure and past eccentricities.« less

WARM JUPITERS NEED CLOSE ''FRIENDS'' FOR HIGH-ECCENTRICITY MIGRATION—A STRINGENT UPPER LIMIT ON THE PERTURBER'S SEPARATION

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dong, Subo; Katz, Boaz; Socrates, Aristotle

2014-01-20

We propose a stringent observational test on the formation of warm Jupiters (gas-giant planets with 10 days ≲ P ≲ 100 days) by high-eccentricity (high-e) migration mechanisms. Unlike hot Jupiters, the majority of observed warm Jupiters have pericenter distances too large to allow efficient tidal dissipation to induce migration. To access the close pericenter required for migration during a Kozai-Lidov cycle, they must be accompanied by a strong enough perturber to overcome the precession caused by general relativity, placing a strong upper limit on the perturber's separation. For a warm Jupiter at a ∼ 0.2 AU, a Jupiter-mass (solar-mass) perturbermore » is required to be ≲ 3 AU (≲ 30 AU) and can be identified observationally. Among warm Jupiters detected by radial velocities (RVs), ≳ 50% (5 out of 9) with large eccentricities (e ≳ 0.4) have known Jovian companions satisfying this necessary condition for high-e migration. In contrast, ≲ 20% (3 out of 17) of the low-e (e ≲ 0.2) warm Jupiters have detected additional Jovian companions, suggesting that high-e migration with planetary perturbers may not be the dominant formation channel. Complete, long-term RV follow-ups of the warm-Jupiter population will allow a firm upper limit to be put on the fraction of these planets formed by high-e migration. Transiting warm Jupiters showing spin-orbit misalignments will be interesting to apply our test. If the misalignments are solely due to high-e migration as commonly suggested, we expect that the majority of warm Jupiters with low-e (e ≲ 0.2) are not misaligned, in contrast with low-e hot Jupiters.« less

Solar oblateness from Archimedes to Dicke

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sigismondi, C.; Oliva, P.

2005-10-01

The non-spherical shape of the Sun has been invoked to explain the anomalous precession of Mercury. A brief history of some methods for measuring the solar diameter is presented. Archimedes was the first to give upper and lower values for the solar diameter in the third century before Christ. Then there followed the method of total eclipses, used after Halley's observative campaign of 1715 eclipse. We will also discuss the variant of partial eclipses, useful to measure different chords of the solar disk and the method of Dicke, which correlates oblateness with luminous excess in the equatorial zone.

WASP-12b and Its Possible Fiery Demise

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kohler, Susanna

2017-07-01

Jupiter-like planets on orbits close to their hosts are predicted to spiral ever closer to their hosts until they meet their eventual demise and yet weve never observed orbital decay. Could WASP-12b provide the first evidence?Undetected PredictionsSince the discovery of the first hot Jupiter more than 20 years ago, weve studied a number of these peculiar exoplanets. Despite our many observations, two phenomena predicted of hot Jupiters have not yet been detected, due to the long timescales needed to identify them:Tidal orbital decayTidal forces should cause a hot Jupiters orbit to shrink over time, causing the planet to eventually spiral into its host star. This phenomenon would explain a number of statistical properties of observed star-planet systems (for instance, the scarcity of gas giants with periods less than a day).An illustration of apsidal precession. [Mpfiz]Apsidal precessionThe orbits of hot Jupiters should be apsidally precessing on timescales of decades, as long as they are at least slightly eccentric. Since the precession rate depends on the planets tidally deformed mass distribution, measuring this would allow us to probe the interior of the planet.A team of scientists led by Kishore Patra (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) think that the hot Jupiter WASP-12b may be our first chance to study one of these two phenomena. The question is, which one?WASP-12bWASP-12b has orbital period of 1.09 days one of the shortest periods observed for a giant planet and weve monitored it for a decade, making it a great target to test for both of these long-term effects.Timing residuals for WASP-12b. Squares show the new data points, circles show previous data from the past decade. The data are better fit by the decay model than the precession model, but both are still consistent. [Patra et al. 2017]Patra and collaborators made transit observations with the 1.2-m telescope at the Fred Lawrence Whipple Observatory in Arizona and occultation observations with the Spitzer Space Telescope. These two new sets of observations, combined with the decade of previous observations, allowed the authors to fit models to WASP-12bs orbit over time.The results show that a constant period for WASP-12b is firmly ruled out this planets orbit is definitely changing over time. The observations are best fit by a model in which the planets orbit is tidally decaying, but a 14-year apsidal precession cycle cant be definitively ruled out.Future ProspectsPossible futures for WASP-12bs orbit, based on the decay model (red) and the precession model (blue). We should be able to differentiate between these models with a few more years of observations. [Patra et al. 2017]If the planets orbit is decaying, then the authors show that its period will shrink to zero within 3.2 million years, suggesting that were currently witnessing the last 0.2% of the planets lifetime. Supporting the orbital-decay hypothesis are independent observations that suggest WASP-12b is approaching a point of tidal disruption it appears to have an extended and escaping exosphere, for instance.While we cant yet state for certain that WASP-12bs orbit is decaying, the authors argue that we should be able to tell conclusively with a few more years of observations. Either of the two outcomes above orbital decay or apsidal precession would have exciting scientific implications, however: if WASP-12bs orbit is decaying, we can measure the tidal dissipation rate of the star. If its orbit is apsidally precessing, we may be able to measure the tidal deformability of an exoplanet. Future observations of this hot Jupiter should prove interesting!CitationKishore C. Patra et al 2017 AJ 154 4. doi:10.3847/1538-3881/aa6d75

Migration of Gas Giant Planets in Gravitationally Unstable Disks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Michael, Scott; Durisen, Richard H.; Boley, Aaron C.

2011-08-01

Characterization of migration in gravitationally unstable disks is necessary to understand the fate of protoplanets formed by disk instability. As part of a larger study, we are using a three-dimensional radiative hydrodynamics code to investigate how an embedded gas giant planet interacts with a gas disk that undergoes gravitational instabilities (GIs). This Letter presents results from simulations with a Jupiter-mass planet placed in orbit at 25 AU within a 0.14 M sun disk. The disk spans 5-40 AU around a 1 M sun star and is initially marginally unstable. In one simulation, the planet is inserted prior to the eruption of GIs; in another, it is inserted only after the disk has settled into a quasi-steady GI-active state, where heating by GIs roughly balances radiative cooling. When the planet is present from the beginning, its own wake stimulates growth of a particular global mode with which it strongly interacts, and the planet plunges inward 6 AU in about 103 years. In both cases with embedded planets, there are times when the planet's radial motion is slow and varies in direction. At other times, when the planet appears to be interacting with strong spiral modes, migration both inward and outward can be relatively rapid, covering several AUs over hundreds of years. Migration in both cases appears to stall near the inner Lindblad resonance of a dominant low-order mode. Planet orbit eccentricities fluctuate rapidly between about 0.02 and 0.1 throughout the GI-active phases of the simulations.

Astronomical cycles in the Serpukhovian-Moscovian (Carboniferous) marine sequence, South China and their implications for geochronology and icehouse dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fang, Qiang; Wu, Huaichun; Wang, Xunlian; Yang, Tianshui; Li, Haiyan; Zhang, Shihong

2018-05-01

The Late Paleozoic Ice Age (ca. 335-260 Ma, LPIA) has long been considered as an analogy for the Cenozoic ice age since the Oligocene. The impact of astronomical forcing on the LPIA glaciation has been hampered due to the low-resolution (multi-million year scale) time framework. In the present study, high-resolution cyclostratigraphy based on magnetic susceptibility (MS), covering the Serpukhovian to late Moscovian icehouse climate, has been investigated in the Luokun section of South China. Power spectral analysis of the MS series reveals 3.44-4 m, 0.8-1.07 m, 0.3-0.32 m, and 0.17-0.19 m thick sedimentary cycles. Based on the available biostratigraphic constraints, calibrating the 3.44-4 m cycles to the 405 kyr eccentricity cycles indicates short eccentricity (136 and 100 kyr), short obliquity (34 kyr), and precession (19 and 15.9 kyr) orbital bands in addition to long eccentricity (405 kyr) band. We assigned the basal Serpukhovian and Moscovian stages in Luokun with the numerical ages from Geological Time Scale 2012 to construct two floating time scales ranging from 331.55 ± 0.5 Ma to 323.2 ± 0.5 Ma, and from 315.34 ± 0.35 Ma to 310.17 ± 0.35 Ma, respectively. The modulation of main obliquity (s4-s3 term) has a main periodicity of ∼1200 kyr. The modulation of ∼100 kyr eccentricity (g4-g3 term) shows a main periodicity of ∼2400 kyr with subordinate periodicities of ∼1620 and ∼1200 kyr for the Serpukhovian, and a main periodicity of ∼1600 kyr for the Moscovian. They may provide the geological evidence for a chaotic resonance associated with interactions between the orbits of Mars and the Earth in the Carboniferous. A duration of 7.68 ± 0.15 Myr was estimated for the Serpukhovian Stage. Eight higher accumulation rate events due to glacioeustatic drawdown were temporally constrained, and show close correspondence to far-field and near-field reconstructions of the LPIA glaciation. Glacioeustasy was paced with 405-kyr-long eccentricity and 1.2-Myr obliquity amplitude cycles during the Serpukhovian and Moscovian stages, likely indicating the nature in the warmer icehouse world similar to that of the Oligocene to Pliocene.

The age of the galactic disk

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sandage, A.

The galactic disk is a dissipative structure and must, therefore be younger than the halo if galaxy formation generally proceeds by collapse. Just how much younger the oldest stars in the galactic disk are than the oldest halo stars remains an open question. A fast collapse (on a time scale no longer than the rotation period of the extended protogalaxy) permits an age gap of the order of approximately 10 to the 9th power years. A slow collapse, governed by the cooling rate of the partially pressure supported falling gas that formed into what is now the thick stellar disk,more » permits a longer age gap, claimed by some to be as long as 6 Gyr. Early methods of age dating the oldest components of the disk contain implicit assumptions concerning the details of the age-metallicity relation for stars in the solar neighborhood. The discovery that this relation for open clusters outside the solar circle is different that in the solar neighborhood (Geisler 1987), complicates the earlier arguments. The oldest stars in the galactic disk are at least as old as NGC 188. The new data by Janes on NGC 6791, shown first at this conference, suggest a disk age of at least 12.5 Gyr, as do data near the main sequence termination point of metal rich, high proper motion stars of low orbital eccentricity. Hence, a case can still be made that the oldest part of the galactic thick disk is similar in age to the halo globular clusters, if their ages are the same as 47 Tuc.« less

The age of the galactic disk

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sandage, Allan

1988-01-01

The galactic disk is a dissipative structure and must, therefore be younger than the halo if galaxy formation generally proceeds by collapse. Just how much younger the oldest stars in the galactic disk are than the oldest halo stars remains an open question. A fast collapse (on a time scale no longer than the rotation period of the extended protogalaxy) permits an age gap of the order of approximately 10 to the 9th power years. A slow collapse, governed by the cooling rate of the partially pressure supported falling gas that formed into what is now the thick stellar disk, permits a longer age gap, claimed by some to be as long as 6 Gyr. Early methods of age dating the oldest components of the disk contain implicit assumptions concerning the details of the age-metallicity relation for stars in the solar neighborhood. The discovery that this relation for open clusters outside the solar circle is different that in the solar neighborhood (Geisler 1987), complicates the earlier arguments. The oldest stars in the galactic disk are at least as old as NGC 188. The new data by Janes on NGC 6791, shown first at this conference, suggest a disk age of at least 12.5 Gyr, as do data near the main sequence termination point of metal rich, high proper motion stars of low orbital eccentricity. Hence, a case can still be made that the oldest part of the galactic thick disk is similar in age to the halo globular clusters, if their ages are the same as 47 Tuc.

New Observations of Subarcsecond Photospheric Bright Points

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Berger, T. E.; Schrijver, C. J.; Shine, R. A.; Tarbell, T. D.; Title, A. M.; Scharmer, G.

1995-01-01

We have used an interference filter centered at 4305 A within the bandhead of the CH radical (the 'G band') and real-time image selection at the Swedish Vacuum Solar Telescope on La Palma to produce very high contrast images of subarcsecond photospheric bright points at all locations on the solar disk. During the 6 day period of 15-20 Sept. 1993 we observed active region NOAA 7581 from its appearance on the East limb to a near-disk-center position on 20 Sept. A total of 1804 bright points were selected for analysis from the disk center image using feature extraction image processing techniques. The measured FWHM distribution of the bright points in the image is lognormal with a modal value of 220 km (0.30 sec) and an average value of 250 km (0.35 sec). The smallest measured bright point diameter is 120 km (0.17 sec) and the largest is 600 km (O.69 sec). Approximately 60% of the measured bright points are circular (eccentricity approx. 1.0), the average eccentricity is 1.5, and the maximum eccentricity corresponding to filigree in the image is 6.5. The peak contrast of the measured bright points is normally distributed. The contrast distribution variance is much greater than the measurement accuracy, indicating a large spread in intrinsic bright-point contrast. When referenced to an averaged 'quiet-Sun' area in the image, the modal contrast is 29% and the maximum value is 75%; when referenced to an average intergranular lane brightness in the image, the distribution has a modal value of 61% and a maximum of 119%. The bin-averaged contrast of G-band bright points is constant across the entire measured size range. The measured area of the bright points, corrected for pixelation and selection effects, covers about 1.8% of the total image area. Large pores and micropores occupy an additional 2% of the image area, implying a total area fraction of magnetic proxy features in the image of 3.8%. We discuss the implications of this area fraction measurement in the context of previously published measurements which show that typical active region plage has a magnetic filling factor on the order of 10% or greater. The results suggest that in the active region analyzed here, less than 50% of the small-scale magnetic flux tubes are demarcated by visible proxies such as bright points or pores.

Three-dimensional modeling of radiative disks in binaries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Picogna, G.; Marzari, F.

2013-08-01

Context. Circumstellar disks in binaries are perturbed by the companion gravity causing significant alterations of the disk morphology. Spiral waves due to the companion tidal force also develop in the vertical direction and affect the disk temperature profile. These effects may significantly influence the process of planet formation. Aims: We perform 3D numerical simulations of disks in binaries with different initial dynamical configurations and physical parameters. Our goal is to investigate their evolution and their propensity to grow planets. Methods: We use an improved version of the SPH code VINE modified to better account for momentum and energy conservation via variable smoothing and softening length. The energy equation includes a flux-limited radiative transfer algorithm. The disk cooling is obtained with the use of "boundary particles" populating the outer surfaces of the disk and radiating to infinity. We model a system made of star/disk + star/disk where the secondary star (and relative disk) is less massive than the primary. Results: The numerical simulations performed for different values of binary separation and disk density show that trailing spiral shock waves develop when the stars approach their pericenter. Strong hydraulic jumps occur at the shock front, in particular for small separation binaries, creating breaking waves, and a consistent mass stream between the two disks. Both shock waves and mass transfer cause significant heating of the disk. At apocenter these perturbations are reduced and the disks are cooled down and less eccentric. Conclusions: The disk morphology is substantially affected by the companion perturbations, in particular in the vertical direction. The hydraulic jumps may slow down or even halt the dust coagulation process. The disk is significantly heated up by spiral waves and mass transfer, and the high gas temperature may prevent the ice condensation by moving the "snow line" outward. The disordered motion triggered by the spiral waves may, on the other hand, favor direct formation of large planetesimals from pebbles. The strength of the hydraulic jumps, disk heating, and mass exchange depends on the binary separation, and for larger semi-major axes, the tidal spiral pattern is substantially reduced. The environment then appears less hostile to planet formation.

Annual, orbital, and enigmatic variations in tropical oceanography recorded by the Equatorial Atlantic amplifier

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mcintyre, Andrew

1992-01-01

Equatorial Atlantic surface waters respond directly to changes in zonal and meridional lower tropospheric winds forced by annual insolation. This mechanism has its maximum effect along the equatorial wave guide centered on 10 deg W. The result is to amplify even subtle tropical climate changes such that they are recorded by marked amplitude changes in the proxy signals. Model realizations, NCAR AGCM and OGCM for 0 Ka and 126 Ka (January and July), and paleoceanographic proxy data show that these winds are also forced by insolation changes at the orbital periods of precession and obliquity. Perhelion in boreal summer produces a strengthened monsoon, e.g., increase meridional and decrease zonal wind stress. This reduces oceanic Ekman divergence and thermocline/nutricline shallowing. The result, in the equatorial Atlantic, is reduced primary productivity and higher euphotic zone temperatures; vice versa for perihelion in boreal winter. Perihelion is controlled by precession. Thus, the dominant period in spectra from a stacked SST record (0-252 Ka BP) at the site of the equatorial Atlantic amplifier is 23 Ky (53 percent of the total variance). This precessional period is coherent (k = 0.920) and in phase with boreal summer insolation. Oscillations of shorter period are present in records from cores sited beneath the amplifier region. These occur between 12.5 and 74.5 Ka BP, when eccentricity modulation of precession is at a minimum. Within this time interval there are 21 cycles with mean periods of 3.0 plus or minus 0.5 Ky. Similar periods have been documented from high latitude regions, e.g., Greenland ice cores from Camp Century. The Camp Century signal in this same time interval contains 21 cycles. A subjective correlation was made between the Camp Century and the equatorial records; the signals were statistically similar, r = 0.722 and k = 0.960.

Einstein@Home DISCOVERY OF A PALFA MILLISECOND PULSAR IN AN ECCENTRIC BINARY ORBIT

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Knispel, B.; Allen, B.; Lyne, A. G.

2015-06-10

We report the discovery of the millisecond pulsar (MSP) PSR J1950+2414 (P = 4.3 ms) in a binary system with an eccentric (e = 0.08) 22 day orbit in Pulsar Arecibo L-band Feed Array survey observations with the Arecibo telescope. Its companion star has a median mass of 0.3 M{sub ⊙} and is most likely a white dwarf (WD). Fully recycled MSPs like this one are thought to be old neutron stars spun-up by mass transfer from a companion star. This process should circularize the orbit, as is observed for the vast majority of binary MSPs, which predominantly have orbitalmore » eccentricities e < 0.001. However, four recently discovered binary MSPs have orbits with 0. 027 < e < 0.44; PSR J1950+2414 is the fifth such system to be discovered. The upper limits for its intrinsic spin period derivative and inferred surface magnetic field strength are comparable to those of the general MSP population. The large eccentricities are incompatible with the predictions of the standard recycling scenario: something unusual happened during their evolution. Proposed scenarios are (a) initial evolution of the pulsar in a triple system which became dynamically unstable, (b) origin in an exchange encounter in an environment with high stellar density, (c) rotationally delayed accretion-induced collapse of a super-Chandrasekhar WD, and (d) dynamical interaction of the binary with a circumbinary disk. We compare the properties of all five known eccentric MSPs with the predictions of these formation channels. Future measurements of the masses and proper motion might allow us to firmly exclude some of the proposed formation scenarios.« less

Scattering of Planetesimals by a Planet

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Higuchi, A.; Kokubo, E.; Mukai, T.

2004-05-01

We investigate the scattering process of planetesimals by a planet by numerical orbital integration, aiming at construction of theory for the comet (Oort) cloud formation. The standard scenario of the formation of the Oort cloud can be divided into three dynamical stages:(1)The eccentricity and the aphelion distance of planetesimals are increased by planetary perturbation. (2)The eccentricity is reduced and the perihelion distance is increased by the external forces such as the galactic tide. (3)The inclination is randomized also by the external forces. We model the first stage of this scenario as the restricted three-body problem and calculate the orbital evolution of planetesimals scattered by a planet. There are 4 kinds of outcomes for scattering of planetesimals by a planet: to collide with the planet, to fall onto the central star, to escape from the planetary system, and to remain in bound orbits. Here we consider the escape efficiency as the efficiency of formation of highly eccentric planetesimals, which are candidates for the members of the comet cloud. We obtain the dependence of the escape/collision probability on orbital parameters of the planetesimals and the planet. Using these results, we calculate the efficiencies of escaping from the planetary system and collision with the planet. For example, for the minimum-mass disk model, the inner and massive planet is more efficient to eject planetesimals and increase their eccentricities. Planetesimals with high eccentricities and low inclinations are easier to be ejected from the planetary system. We preset the empirical fitting formulae of these efficiencies as a function of the orbital parameters of the planetesimals and the planets. We apply the results to the solar system and discuss the efficiency of the outer giant planets.

On the Early In Situ Formation of Pluto’s Small Satellites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Woo, Jason Man Yin; Lee, Man Hoi

2018-04-01

The formation of Pluto’s small satellites—Styx, Nix, Keberos, and Hydra—remains a mystery. Their orbits are nearly circular and are near mean-motion resonances and nearly coplanar with Charon’s orbit. One scenario suggests that they all formed close to their current locations from a disk of debris that was ejected from the Charon-forming impact before the tidal evolution of Charon. The validity of this scenario is tested by performing N-body simulations with the small satellites treated as test particles and Pluto–Charon evolving tidally from an initial orbit at a few Pluto radii with initial eccentricity e C = 0 or 0.2. After tidal evolution, the free eccentricities e free of the test particles are extracted by applying fast Fourier transformation to the distance between the test particles and the center of mass of the system and compared with the current eccentricities of the four small satellites. The only surviving test particles with e free matching the eccentricities of the current satellites are those not affected by mean-motion resonances during the tidal evolution in a model with Pluto’s effective tidal dissipation function Q = 100 and an initial e C = 0.2 that is damped down rapidly. However, these test particles do not have any preference to be in or near 4:1, 5:1, and 6:1 resonances with Charon. An alternative scenario may be needed to explain the formation of Pluto’s small satellites.

Accretion of Rocky Planets by Hot Jupiters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ketchum, Jacob A.; Adams, Fred C.; Bloch, Anthony M.

2011-11-01

The observed population of Hot Jupiters displays a stunning variety of physical properties, including a wide range of densities and core sizes for a given planetary mass. Motivated by the observational sample, this Letter studies the accretion of rocky planets by Hot Jupiters, after the Jovian planets have finished their principal migration epoch and become parked in ~4 day orbits. In this scenario, rocky planets form later and then migrate inward due to torques from the remaining circumstellar disk, which also damps the orbital eccentricity. This mechanism thus represents one possible channel for increasing the core masses and metallicities of Hot Jupiters. This Letter determines probabilities for the possible end states for the rocky planet: collisions with the Jovian planets, accretion onto the star, ejection from the system, and long-term survival of both planets. These probabilities depend on the mass of the Jovian planet and its starting orbital eccentricity, as well as the eccentricity damping rate for the rocky planet. Since these systems are highly chaotic, a large ensemble (N ~ 103) of simulations with effectively equivalent starting conditions is required. Planetary collisions are common when the eccentricity damping rate is sufficiently low, but are rare otherwise. For systems that experience planetary collisions, this work determines the distributions of impact velocities—both speeds and impact parameters—for the collisions. These velocity distributions help determine the consequences of the impacts, e.g., where energy and heavy elements are deposited within the giant planets.

A new pattern in Saturn's D ring created in late 2011

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hedman, M. M.; Showalter, M. R.

2016-11-01

Images obtained by the Cassini spacecraft between 2012 and 2015 reveal a periodic brightness variation in a region of Saturn's D ring that previously appeared to be rather featureless. Furthermore, the intensity and radial wavenumber of this pattern have decreased steadily with time since it was first observed. Based on analogies with similar structures elsewhere in the D ring, we propose that this structure was created by some event that disturbed the orbital motions of the ring particles, giving them finite orbital eccentricities and initially aligned pericenters. Differential orbital precession then transformed this structure into a spiral pattern in the ring's optical depth that became increasingly tightly wound over time. The observed trends in the pattern's radial wavenumber are roughly consistent with this basic model, and also indicate that the ring-disturbing event occurred in early December 2011. Similar events in 1979 may have generated the periodic patterns seen in this same region by the Voyager spacecraft. The 2011 event could have been caused by debris striking the rings, or by a disturbance in the planet's electromagnetic environment. The rapid reduction in the intensity of the brightness variations over the course of just a few years indicates that some process is either damping orbital eccentricities in this region or causing the orbital pericenters of particles with the same semi-major axis to become misaligned.

A progressively wetter climate in southern East Africa over the past 1.3 million years.

PubMed

Johnson, T C; Werne, J P; Brown, E T; Abbott, A; Berke, M; Steinman, B A; Halbur, J; Contreras, S; Grosshuesch, S; Deino, A; Scholz, C A; Lyons, R P; Schouten, S; Damsté, J S Sinninghe

2016-09-08

African climate is generally considered to have evolved towards progressively drier conditions over the past few million years, with increased variability as glacial-interglacial change intensified worldwide. Palaeoclimate records derived mainly from northern Africa exhibit a 100,000-year (eccentricity) cycle overprinted on a pronounced 20,000-year (precession) beat, driven by orbital forcing of summer insolation, global ice volume and long-lived atmospheric greenhouse gases. Here we present a 1.3-million-year-long climate history from the Lake Malawi basin (10°-14° S in eastern Africa), which displays strong 100,000-year (eccentricity) cycles of temperature and rainfall following the Mid-Pleistocene Transition around 900,000 years ago. Interglacial periods were relatively warm and moist, while ice ages were cool and dry. The Malawi record shows limited evidence for precessional variability, which we attribute to the opposing effects of austral summer insolation and the temporal/spatial pattern of sea surface temperature in the Indian Ocean. The temperature history of the Malawi basin, at least for the past 500,000 years, strongly resembles past changes in atmospheric carbon dioxide and terrigenous dust flux in the tropical Pacific Ocean, but not in global ice volume. Climate in this sector of eastern Africa (unlike northern Africa) evolved from a predominantly arid environment with high-frequency variability to generally wetter conditions with more prolonged wet and dry intervals.

A Christmas comet falling onto a neutron star

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Campana, S.

The Sun and the planets are the main, but not the only, bodies of the Solar System. There are thousands of asteroids and several tens of comets, many of which are still unknown. They are the remnants of the planetesimals that formed at the origin of our Solar System, and they are rocky objects of different dimensions and irregular shape. Sometimes these minor bodies fall onto the Sun or onto planets, like Jupiter. Less dramatic events occur when the infalling bodies do not directly impact onto the target but are tidally disrupted. The tidal disruption of solar mass stars around supermassive black holes has been extensively studied analytically and numerically. In these events the star, as it approaches the black hole, develops into an elongated banana-shaped structure, the most tightly bound debris being at the closer end to the compact object. After completing an (few) eccentric orbit(s), these bound debris fall onto the black hole, emitting energy. Orbital precession may lead to the crossing of the debris orbits producing an accretion disk. Observationally, these events will give rise to luminous events with different temporal decays in different energy bands. Tidal break-up events occur also in planetary systems around normal stars but these events are too faint to be detected. Things change when the star is a compact object. Indeed planets have been discovered around radio pulsars, making likely the existence also of orbiting minor bodies. The direct impact of minor bodies onto neutron stars has been studied in the past and it has been envisaged as a possible (local) explanation for Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs), producing short-duration (˜ seconds) events. To explain the peculiarities of GRB 101225A (Christmas burst) we propose that it resulted from the tidal disruption event of a minor body around a neutron star in our Galaxy.

Versatile low-Reynolds-number swimmer with three-dimensional maneuverability.

PubMed

Jalali, Mir Abbas; Alam, Mohammad-Reza; Mousavi, SeyyedHossein

2014-11-01

We design and simulate the motion of a swimmer, the Quadroar, with three-dimensional translation and reorientation capabilities in low-Reynolds-number conditions. The Quadroar is composed of an I-shaped frame whose body link is a simple linear actuator and four disks that can rotate about the axes of flange links. The time symmetry is broken by a combination of disk rotations and the one-dimensional expansion or contraction of the body link. The Quadroar propels on forward and transverse straight lines and performs full three-dimensional reorientation maneuvers, which enable it to swim along arbitrary trajectories. We find continuous operation modes that propel the swimmer on planar and three-dimensional periodic and quasiperiodic orbits. Precessing quasiperiodic orbits consist of slow lingering phases with cardioid or multiloop turns followed by directional propulsive phases. Quasiperiodic orbits allow the swimmer to access large parts of its neighboring space without using complex control strategies. We also discuss the feasibility of fabricating a nanoscale Quadroar by photoactive molecular rotors.

The Origin of Variability of the Intermediate-mass Black-hole ULX System HLX-1 in ESO 243-49

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lasota, J.-P.; Alexander, T.; Dubus, G.; Barret, D.; Farrell, S. A.; Gehrels, N.; Godet, O.; Webb, N. A.

2011-07-01

The ultra-luminous (LX <~ 1042 erg s-1) intermediate-mass black-hole (IMBH) system HLX-1 in the ESO 243-49 galaxy exhibits variability with a possible recurrence time of a few hundred days. Finding the origin of this variability would constrain the still largely unknown properties of this extraordinary object. Since it exhibits a hardness-intensity behavior characteristic of black-hole X-ray transients, we have analyzed the variability of HLX-1 in the framework of the disk instability model that explains outbursts of such systems. We find that the long-term variability of HLX-1 is unlikely to be explained by a model in which outbursts are triggered by thermal-viscous instabilities in an accretion disk. Possible alternatives include the instability in a radiation-pressure-dominated disk but we argue that a more likely explanation is a modulated mass transfer due to tidal stripping of a star in an eccentric orbit around the IMBH. We consider an evolutionary scenario leading to the creation of such a system and estimate the probability of its observation. We conclude, using a simplified dynamical model of the post-collapse cluster, that no more than 1/100 to 1/10 of M • <~ 104 M sun IMBHs—formed by runaway stellar mergers in the dense collapsed cores of young clusters—could have a few ×1 M sun main-sequence star evolve to an asymptotic giant branch on an orbit eccentric enough for mass transfer at periapse, while avoiding collisional destruction or being scattered into the IMBH by two-body encounters. The finite but low probability of this configuration is consistent with the uniqueness of HLX-1. We note, however, that the actual response of a standard accretion disk to bursts of mass transfer may be too slow to explain the observations unless the orbit is close to parabolic (and hence even rarer). Also, increased heating, presumably linked to the highly time-dependent gravitational potential, could shorten the relevant timescales.

The statistical mechanics of relativistic orbits around a massive black hole

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bar-Or, Ben; Alexander, Tal

2014-12-01

Stars around a massive black hole (MBH) move on nearly fixed Keplerian orbits, in a centrally-dominated potential. The random fluctuations of the discrete stellar background cause small potential perturbations, which accelerate the evolution of orbital angular momentum by resonant relaxation. This drives many phenomena near MBHs, such as extreme mass-ratio gravitational wave inspirals, the warping of accretion disks, and the formation of exotic stellar populations. We present here a formal statistical mechanics framework to analyze such systems, where the background potential is described as a correlated Gaussian noise. We derive the leading order, phase-averaged 3D stochastic Hamiltonian equations of motion, for evolving the orbital elements of a test star, and obtain the effective Fokker-Planck equation for a general correlated Gaussian noise, for evolving the stellar distribution function. We show that the evolution of angular momentum depends critically on the temporal smoothness of the background potential fluctuations. Smooth noise has a maximal variability frequency {{ν }max }. We show that in the presence of such noise, the evolution of the normalized angular momentum j=\\sqrt{1-{{e}2}} of a relativistic test star, undergoing Schwarzschild (in-plane) general relativistic precession with frequency {{ν }GR}/{{j}2}, is exponentially suppressed for j\\lt {{j}b}, where {{ν }GR}/jb2˜ {{ν }max }, due to the adiabatic invariance of the precession against the slowly varying random background torques. This results in an effective Schwarzschild precession-induced barrier in angular momentum. When jb is large enough, this barrier can have significant dynamical implications for processes near the MBH.

Phase-Resolved Spectroscopy of the Low-Mass X-ray Binary V801 Ara

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brauer, Kaley; Vrtilek, Saeqa Dil; Peris, Charith; McCollough, Michael

2018-06-01

We present phase-resolved optical spectra of the low mass X-ray binary system V801 Ara. The spectra, obtained in 2014 with IMACS on the Magellan/Baade telescope at Las Campanas Observatory, cover the full binary orbit of 3.8 hours. They contain strong emission features allowing us to map the emission of Hα, Hβ, He II λ4686, and the Bowen blend at λ4640. The radial velocity curves of the Bowen blend shows significantly stronger modulation at the orbital period than Hα as expected for the former originating on the secondary with the latter consistent with emission dominated by the disk. Our tomograms of Hα and Hβ are the most detailed studies of these lines for V801 to date and they clearly detect the accretion disk. The Hβ emission extends to higher velocities than Hα, suggesting emission from closer to the neutron star and differentiating temperature variance in the accretion disk for the first time. The center of the accretion disk appears offset from the center-of-mass of the neutron star as has been seen in several other X-ray binaries. This is often interpreted to imply disk eccentricity. Our tomograms do not show strong evidence for a hot spot at the point where the accretion stream hits the disk. This could imply a reduced accretion rate or could be due to the spot being drowned out by bright accretion flow around it. There is enhanced emission further along the disk, however, which implies gas stream interaction downstream of the hot spot.

An ALMA and MagAO Study of the Substellar Companion GQ Lup B*

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Ya-Lin; Sheehan, Patrick D.; Males, Jared R.; Close, Laird M.; Morzinski, Katie M.; Teske, Johanna K.; Haug-Baltzell, Asher; Merchant, Nirav; Lyons, Eric

2017-02-01

Multi-wavelength observations provide a complementary view of the formation of young, directly imaged planet-mass companions. We report the ALMA 1.3 mm and Magellan adaptive optics Hα, I\\prime , z\\prime , and Y S observations of the GQ Lup system, a classical T Tauri star with a 10{--}40 {M}{Jup} substellar companion at ˜110 au projected separation. We estimate the accretion rates for both components from the observed Hα fluxes. In our ˜0.″05 resolution ALMA map, we resolve GQ Lup A’s disk in the dust continuum, but no signal is found from the companion. The disk is compact, with a radius of ˜22 au, a dust mass of ˜6 M ⊕, an inclination angle of ˜56°, and a very flat surface density profile indicative of a radial variation in dust grain sizes. No gaps or inner cavity are found in the disk, so there is unlikely a massive inner companion to scatter GQ Lup B outward. Thus, GQ Lup B might have formed in situ via disk fragmentation or prestellar core collapse. We also show that GQ Lup A’s disk is misaligned with its spin axis, and possibly with GQ Lup B’s orbit. Our analysis on the tidal truncation radius of GQ Lup A’s disk suggests that GQ Lup B’s orbit might have a low eccentricity. This paper includes data gathered with the 6.5 m Magellan Clay Telescope at Las Campanas Observatory, Chile.

Dust distributions in debris disks: effects of gravity, radiation pressure and collisions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krivov, A. V.; Löhne, T.; Sremčević, M.

2006-08-01

We model a typical debris disk, treated as an idealized ensemble of dust particles, exposed to stellar gravity and direct radiation pressure and experiencing fragmenting collisions. Applying the kinetic method of statistical physics, written in orbital elements, we calculate size and spatial distibutions expected in a steady-state disk, investigate timescales needed to reach the steady state, and calculate mass loss rates. Particular numerical examples are given for the debris disk around Vega. The disk should comprise a population of larger grains in bound orbits and a population of smaller particles in hyperbolic orbits. The cross section area is dominated by the smallest grains that still can stay in bound orbits, for Vega about 10 {μ m} in radius. The size distribution is wavy, implying secondary peaks in the size distribution at larger sizes. The radial profile of the pole-on surface density or the optical depth in the steady-state disk has a power-law index between about -1 and -2. It cannot be much steeper even if dust production is confined to a narrow planetesimal belt, because collisional grinding produces smaller and smaller grains, and radiation pressure pumps up their orbital eccentricities and spreads them outward, which flattens the radial profile. The timescales to reach a steady state depend on grain sizes and distance from the star. For Vega, they are about 1 Myr for grains up to some hundred {μ m} at 100 AU. The total mass of the Vega disk needed to produce the observed amount of micron and submillimeter-sized dust does not exceed several earth masses for an upper size limit of parent bodies of about 1 km. The collisional depletion of the disk occurs on Gyr timescales.

A Resolved Debris Disk Around the Candidate Planet-hosting Star HD 95086

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Moor, A.; Abraham, P.; Kospal, A.; Szabo, Gy. M.; Apai, D.; Balog, Z.; Csengeri, T.; Grady, C.; Henning, Th.; Juhasz, J.;

On the Impact Origin of Phobos and Deimos. I. Thermodynamic and Physical Aspects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hyodo, Ryuki; Genda, Hidenori; Charnoz, Sébastien; Rosenblatt, Pascal

2017-08-01

Phobos and Deimos are the two small moons of Mars. Recent works have shown that they can accrete within an impact-generated disk. However, the detailed structure and initial thermodynamic properties of the disk are poorly understood. In this paper, we perform high-resolution SPH simulations of the Martian moon-forming giant impact that can also form the Borealis basin. This giant impact heats up the disk material (around ˜2000 K in temperature) with an entropy increase of ˜1500 J K-1 kg-1. Thus, the disk material should be mostly molten, though a tiny fraction of disk material (< 5 % ) would even experience vaporization. Typically, a piece of molten disk material is estimated to be meter sized owing to the fragmentation regulated by their shear velocity and surface tension during the impact process. The disk materials initially have highly eccentric orbits (e ˜ 0.6-0.9), and successive collisions between meter-sized fragments at high impact velocity (˜1-5 km s-1) can grind them down to ˜100 μm sized particles. On the other hand, a tiny amount of vaporized disk material condenses into ˜0.1 μm sized grains. Thus, the building blocks of the Martian moons are expected to be a mixture of these different sized particles from meter-sized down to ˜100 μm sized particles and ˜0.1 μm sized grains. Our simulations also suggest that the building blocks of Phobos and Deimos contain both impactor and Martian materials (at least 35%), most of which come from the Martian mantle (50-150 km in depth; at least 50%). Our results will give useful information for planning a future sample return mission to Martian moons, such as JAXA’s MMX (Martian Moons eXploration) mission.

Binary neutron stars with arbitrary spins in numerical relativity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tacik, Nick; Foucart, Francois; Pfeiffer, Harald P.; Haas, Roland; Ossokine, Serguei; Kaplan, Jeff; Muhlberger, Curran; Duez, Matt D.; Kidder, Lawrence E.; Scheel, Mark A.; Szilágyi, Béla

2015-12-01

We present a code to construct initial data for binary neutron star systems in which the stars are rotating. Our code, based on a formalism developed by Tichy, allows for arbitrary rotation axes of the neutron stars and is able to achieve rotation rates near rotational breakup. We compute the neutron star angular momentum through quasilocal angular momentum integrals. When constructing irrotational binary neutron stars, we find a very small residual dimensionless spin of ˜2 ×10-4 . Evolutions of rotating neutron star binaries show that the magnitude of the stars' angular momentum is conserved, and that the spin and orbit precession of the stars is well described by post-Newtonian approximation. We demonstrate that orbital eccentricity of the binary neutron stars can be controlled to ˜0.1 % . The neutron stars show quasinormal mode oscillations at an amplitude which increases with the rotation rate of the stars.

Analysis of orbital perturbations acting on objects in orbits near geosynchronous earth orbit

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Friesen, Larry J.; Jackson, Albert A., IV; Zook, Herbert A.; Kessler, Donald J.

1992-01-01

The paper presents a numerical investigation of orbital evolution for objects started in GEO or in orbits near GEO in order to study potential orbital debris problems in this region. Perturbations simulated include nonspherical terms in the earth's geopotential field, lunar and solar gravity, and solar radiation pressure. Objects simulated include large satellites, for which solar radiation pressure is insignificant, and small particles, for which solar radiation pressure is an important force. Results for large satellites are largely in agreement with previous GEO studies that used classical perturbation techniques. The orbit plane of GEO satellites placed in a stable plane orbit inclined approximately 7.3 deg to the equator experience very little precession, remaining always within 1.2 percent of their initial orientation. Solar radiation pressure generates two major effects on small particles: an orbital eccentricity oscillation anticipated from previous research, and an oscillation in orbital inclination.

Past climates primary productivity changes in the Indian Ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Le Mézo, P. K.; Kageyama, M.; Bopp, L.; Beaufort, L.; Braconnot, P.; Bassinot, F. C.

2016-02-01

Organic climate recorders, e.g., coccolithophorids and foraminifera, are widely used to reconstruct past climate conditions, such as the Indian monsoon intensity and variability, since they are sensitive to climate-induced fluctuations of their environment. In the Indian Ocean, it is commonly accepted that a stronger summer monsoon will enhance productivity in the Arabian Sea and therefore the amount of organisms in a sediment core should reflect monsoon intensity. In this study, we use the coupled Earth System Model IPSLCM5A, which has a biogeochemical component PISCES that simulates primary production. We use 8 climate simulations of the IPSL-CM5A model, from -72kyr BP climate conditions to a preindustrial state. Our simulations have different orbital forcing (precession, obliquity and eccentricity), greenhouse gas concentrations as well as different ice sheet covers. The objective of this work is to characterize the mechanisms behind the changes in primary productivity between the different time periods. Our model shows that in climates where monsoon is enhanced (due to changes in precession) we do not necessarily see an increase in summer productivity in the Arabian Sea, and inversely. It seems that the glacial-interglacial state of the simulation is important in driving productivity changes in this region of the world. We try to explain the changes in productivity in the Arabian Sea with the local climate and then to link the changes in local climate to large scale atmospheric forcing and commonly used Indian monsoon definitions.

Spin-orbit coupling and tidal dissipation in hot Jupiter systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shabaltas, Natalia Igorevna

Hot Jupiters are giant planets located extremely close to their host stars, with orbital periods less than 5 days. Many aspects of hot Jupiter (HJ) formation remain unclear, but several clues, such as the observed misalignment between their orbital axes and their hosts' spin axes, point to a dynamical origin. In the first portion of this work we explore the stellar spin-orbit dynamics of one such dynamical formation channel, the Lidov-Kozai mechanism. We show that the coupling between the stellar spin and the planet orbit can lead to complex, and sometimes chaotic, behavior of the stellar spin vector. Many features of this behavior arise due to a set of resonances between the stellar spin axis precession timescale and the Lidov-Kozai timescale. Under the assumption that the stellar quadrupole does not induce precession in the planet's orbit, given a system with a set of initial parameters, we show that it is possible to predict whether the system can attain high spin-orbit misalignments. In the second portion of this work, we discuss tidal dissipation in giant planets, another aspect that is crucial to dynamical HJ formation theories. We show that tidal dissipation in the cores of giant planets can be significant, and can help reconcile inconsistencies in the tidal dissipation efficiencies inferred from observations of Jupiter's moons and from high-eccentricity HJ migration theories. Finally, we improve upon existing core tidal dissipation theories by presenting semi-analytical formulae for dissipation in a core surrounded by a polytropic n = 1 envelope.

Exo-comet Detection in Debris Disks Around Young A-type Stars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Welsh, Barry; Montgomery, S. L.

2013-01-01

We present details of the successful search for comet-like bodies (i.e. exo-comets) in orbit around several nearby stars. These objects have been found in young stellar systems that are in the transitional stage of evolution between possession of a gaseous protoplanetary disk to that of a dust-rich debris disk. During this period it is thought that large planetesimals of ~ 1000 km diameter may cause dynamical perturbations in the population of smaller bodies (such as asteroids and comets), such that they are sent on highly eccentric orbits towards their parent star resulting in the liberation of large amounts of evaporating gas and dust. By observing the varying spectral absorption signature of the CaII K-line at 3933Å due to this liberated gas, we have been able to track the trajectory of these exo-comets over a time-frame of several nights as they approach (and sometimes pass around) the central star. The youngest debris disks (1 - 50 Myr) are thought to represent the last stage in the formation of planetary systems and they may resemble our solar system’s own debris disk at the time of the Late Heavy Bombardment when the terrestrial worlds were subject to frequent collisions with asteroids and comets. Collisions with water-rich comets from the outer regions of our solar system may have delivered water to thee Earth’s oceans.

X-ray variability of SS 433: Evidence for supercritical accretion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Atapin, K. E.; Fabrika, S. N.

2016-08-01

We study the X-ray variability of SS 433 based on data from the ASCA observatory and the MAXI and RXTE/ASM monitoring missions. Based on the ASCA data, we have constructed the power spectrum of SS 433 in the frequency range from 10-6 to 0.1 Hz, which confirms the presence of a flat portion in the spectrum at frequencies 3 × 10-5-10-3 Hz. The periodic variability (precession, nutation, eclipses) begins to dominate significantly over the stochastic variability at lower frequencies, which does not allow the stochastic variability to be studied reliably. The model in which the flat portion extends to 9.5 × 10-6 Hz, while a power-law rise with an index of 2.6 occurs below provides the best agreement with the observations. The nutational oscillations of the jets with a period of about three days suggests that the time for the passage of material through the disk is less than this value. At frequencies below 4 × 10-6 Hz, the shape of the power spectrum probably does not reflect the disk structure but is determined by external factors, for example, by a change in the amount of material supplied by the donor. The flat portion can arise from a rapid decrease in the viscous time in the supercritical or radiative disk zones. The flat spectrum is associated with the variability of the X-ray jets that are formed in the supercritical disk region.

Spin-Orbit Misalignment of Two-Planet-System KOI-89 Via Gravity Darkening

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ahlers, Jonathon; Barnes, Jason W.; Barnes, Rory

2015-12-01

We investigate the potential causes of spin-orbit misalignment in multiplanetary systems via two-planet-system KOI-89. We focus on this system because it can experimentally constrain the outstanding hypotheses that have been proposed to cause misalignments. Using gravity darkening, we constrain both the spin-orbit angles and the angle between the planes of the orbits. Our best-fit model shows that the 85-day-orbit and 208-day-orbit planets are misaligned from the host star's rotation axis by 72° ± 3° and 73° (+11 -5°), respectively. From these results, we limit KOI-89's potential causes of spin-orbit misalignment based on three criteria: agreement with KOI-89's fundamental parameters, the capability to cause extreme misalignment, and conformance with mutually aligned planets. Our results disfavor planet-embryo collisions, chaotic evolution of stellar spin, magnetic torquing, coplanar high-eccentricity migration, and inclination resonance, limiting possible causes to star-disk binary interactions, disk warping via planet-disk interactions, Kozai resonance, planet-planet scattering, or internal gravity waves in the convective interior of the star.

How Are MIS-5e And MIS-11 Different From Other Interglacials And the Future?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yin, Q.; Berger, A.

2017-12-01

MIS-5e and MIS-11 appear in many proxy records as the warmest interglacials of the last million years although their astronomical configurations are very different. To investigate how they are different from other interglacials and between themselves, the climate of nine interglacials of the past 800,000 years has been simulated using both snapshot and transient experiments. These simulations allow to investigate the relative contributions of insolation and CO2 to the intensity and duration of each interglacial as well as the differences and similarities between the interglacials. The transient simulations which cover a large range of precession, obliquity and eccentricity allow to investigate the response of different climate variables and different regions to the three astronomical parameters. My presentation will focus on the characteristics of the climate forcing and response of MIS-5e and MIS-11 in comparison with the other intergalcials. Their duration and intensity at global and regional scales will be shown and the causes will be discussed. Unique features in astronomical forcing as well as in regional climate response are found in MIS-5e and MIS-11, which might help to understand why they appear to be among the warmest interglacials. The model results also show that the warm interval of MIS-11 is the longest, confirming its long duration as found in many proxy records. The long duration of MIS-11 is related to a particular combination of eccentricity, obliquity and precession as well as to its long-lasting high CO2 concentration. The differences between the seasonal behaviour of the past interglacials highlight the importance of seasonal climate reconstruction and therefore the necessity to obtain seasonal proxies. The simulated climate of MIS-5e and MIS-11 will also be compared with the climate of today and of the future to investigate the differences and similarities between the past warm conditions and the projected future warming. Part of the results are published in: Yin Q.Z. and Berger A., 2015. Interglacial analogues of the Holocene and its natural near future. Quaternary Science Reviews, 120, 28-46. Yin Q.Z. and Berger A., 2012. Individual contribution of insolation and CO2 to the interglacial climates of the past 800,000 years. Climate Dynamics 38:709-724.

Alternating Southern and Northern Hemisphere climate response to astronomical forcing during the past 35 m.y.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

De Vleeschouwer, David; Vahlenkamp, Maximilian; Crucifix, Michel; Pälike, Heiko

2017-04-01

Earth's climate has undergone different intervals of gradual change as well as abrupt shifts between climate states. Here we aim to characterize the corresponding changes in climate response to astronomical forcing in the icehouse portion of the Cenozoic, from the latest Eocene to the present. As a tool, we use a 35-m.y.-long δ18Obenthic record compiled from different high-resolution benthic isotope records spliced together (what we refer to as a megasplice). An important feature of the evolutive spectrum of the megasplice is the sustained power at the frequency of the 405-kyr long eccentricity cycle throughout the Oligocene and early to middle Miocene. That power disappears after the mid-Miocene Climatic Transition, along with a weakening of the power of the 100-kyr short eccentricity cycles. While this general feature has been previously recognized, this is the first long record where this significant transition is clearly observed. We analyze the climate response to astronomical forcing during four 800-k.y.-long time windows. During the mid-Miocene Climatic Optimum (ca. 15.5 Ma), global climate variability was mainly dependent on Southern Hemisphere summer insolation, amplified by a dynamic Antarctic ice sheet; 2.5 m.y. later, relatively warm global climate states occurred during maxima in both Southern Hemisphere and Northern Hemisphere summer insolation. At that point, the Antarctic ice sheet grew too big to pulse on the beat of precession, and the Southern Hemisphere lost its overwhelming influence on the global climate state. Likewise, we juxtapose response regimes of the Miocene (ca. 19 Ma) and Oligocene (ca. 25.5 Ma) warming periods. Despite the similarity in δ18Obenthic values and variability, we find different responses to precession forcing. While Miocene warmth occurs during summer insolation maxima in both hemispheres, Oligocene global warmth is consistently triggered when Earth reaches perihelion in the Northern Hemisphere summer. The presence of a dynamic cryosphere in the Southern or Northern Hemisphere thus seems to exert the principal control on the response of global climate to astronomical forcing in the icehouse of the past 35 m.y. We report an alternation of the driving hemisphere from the Northern Hemisphere during the late Oligocene, to the Southern Hemisphere during the MMCO, and back to the Northern Hemisphere during the Quaternary.

New Observations of Subarcsecond Photospheric Bright Points

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Berger, T. E.; Schrijver, C. J.; Shine, R. A.; Tarbell, T. D.; Title, A. M.; Scharmer, G.

1995-01-01

We have used an interference filter centered at 4305 A within the bandhead of the CH radical (the 'G band') and real-time image selection at the Swedish Vacuum Solar Telescope on La Palma to produce very high contrast images of subarcsecond photospheric bright points at all locations on the solar disk. During the 6 day period of 1993 September 15-20 we observed active region NOAA 7581 from its appearance on the East limb to a near-disk-center position on September 20. A total of 1804 bright points were selected for analysis from the disk center image using feature extraction image processing techniques. The measured Full Width at Half Maximum (FWHM) distribution of the bright points in the image is lognormal with a modal value of 220 km (0 sec .30) and an average value of 250 km (0 sec .35). The smallest measured bright point diameter is 120 km (0 sec .17) and the largest is 600 km (O sec .69). Approximately 60% of the measured bright points are circular (eccentricity approx. 1.0), the average eccentricity is 1.5, and the maximum eccentricity corresponding to filigree in the image is 6.5. The peak contrast of the measured bright points is normally distributed. The contrast distribution variance is much greater than the measurement accuracy, indicating a large spread in intrinsic bright-point contrast. When referenced to an averaged 'quiet-Sun' area in the image, the modal contrast is 29% and the maximum value is 75%; when referenced to an average intergranular lane brightness in the image, the distribution has a modal value of 61% and a maximum of 119%. The bin-averaged contrast of G-band bright points is constant across the entire measured size range. The measured area of the bright points, corrected for pixelation and selection effects, covers about 1.8% of the total image area. Large pores and micropores occupy an additional 2% of the image area, implying a total area fraction of magnetic proxy features in the image of 3.8%. We discuss the implications of this area fraction measurement in the context of previously published measurements which show that typical active region plage has a magnetic filling factor on the order of 10% or greater. The results suggest that in the active region analyzed here, less than 50% of the small-scale magnetic flux tubes are demarcated by visible proxies such as bright points or pores.

Properties of the observed recycle radio pulsars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johnston, Simon

1994-04-01

Recent searches for pulsars have been highly successful in discovering recycle and binary pulsars, and we now know of approximately 25 recycled pulsars in the Galaxy and approximately 30 in globular cluster systems. These pulsars fall into four classes; those with high-mass stellar companions, with neutron star companions, with low-mass companions, and those whose evolutionary history has been affected by a companion since lost. There are two pulsars known to have high-mass stellar companions. Both systems contain approximately 10 solar mass B-star companions and have high eccentricities (e approximately 0.85). PSR B1259-63 has a spin period of 47 ms and an orbital period in excess of three years. In constrast, PSR J0045-7319 has a spin period close to 1 s and an orbital period of only 50 days. These systems originated from a binary system containing two massive stars. The supernova explosion (SN) creates the pulsar and is also responsible for the observed high eccentricity. There are five pulsars thought to have neutron star companions. All these systems have orbital eccentricities in excess of 0.2, and they fall into two classes. The first class contain the pulsars formed after the first SN, and which have been spun-up to approximately 50 ms periods during the giant phase of their companion star. This also reduces the orbital peirod to 0.3 day and the second SN induces the high eccentricity. The pulsars observed in the second class were born after the second SN and thus have periods more typical of the bulk of pulsars (greater than 250 ms). The bulk of the recycled pulsars have low-mass (probably white dwarf) companions. In general, these pulsars have very fast spin-rates (the 'millisecond' pulsars) and large apparent ages. The observed eccentricities are extremely small (less than 10-5). These pulsars are re-born as millisecond pulsars after accreting matter and angular momentum from their companion stars in their giant phase. The orbit is circularized during the accretion phase and, because the creation of the white dwarf is a non-violent event, the orbit remains circular.

Light Curves Analysis of Deeply Eclipsed Dwarf Nova GY Cnc

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Voloshina, I.; Khruzina, T.

2017-03-01

The results of photometric observations of the dwarf nova GY Cnc in the Rc filter in 2013-2016 are presented, including observations during its outburst in April 2014. The orbital ephemerides of the system have been determined more accurately using these numerous data. The orbital period has not significantly changed during the ˜ 30000 orbital cycles since the earlier observations; no systematic variations of O-C were found out. The fluctuations within the limits 0.004d on a timescale of 1500-2000 Porb were detected. A combined model is used to solve for the parameters of GY Cnc for both states of the system. The donor star temperature, T2˜ 3667 K (Sp M0.2 V) varies between 3440 and 3900 K (Sp K8.8-M1.7 V). The semi-major axis of the disk is a˜0.22a0, on average. In quiet state, a varies within ˜ 40%. The disk has a considerable eccentricity (e˜0.2-0.3) for the small a values, a≤0.2a0. With increasing a the disk shape becomes more circular (e<0.1). The GY Cnc outburst is due to a sharp growth of the disk luminosity because of a diminution of αg parameter (which is related to the viscosity of the disk material) up to 0.1-0.2, and the temperature of the disk interiors increasing twofold to Tin ˜ 95000 K. These changes were probably due to infall of matter onto the surface of white dwarf as the outburst developed. For all accretion disk parameters in a quiet state considerable variations about their mean values are typical.

The Dynamics of Tide and Resonances in Exoplanetary Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Y. Y.

2015-05-01

In recent years, the planet formation theory and planetary system dynamics have become an important area of astronomy. With more details of exoplanets being found, many characteristics quite different from the solar system have been found in the exoplanetary systems. A large number of planets are found to be very close to their host star, and their periods are only a few days, which brings strong tidal dissipation with the star. Many period ratios of adjacent planets in multi-planetary systems are close to the simple integer ratios, which indicates that the planets are likely in the mean motion resonances (MMRs). The range of the angles between the orbital plane of the planets and the equatorial plane of their hosts expands from ≤sssim 7(°) for the planets in the solar system to 0(°) ˜ 180(°) , and some retrograde hot Jupiters exist. These new phenomena are testing out the traditional planetary formation theory and planetary system dynamics, but also provide an unprecedented opportunity for their further improvement and development. Based on these latest observational data and statistical features, the thesis investigates some special configurations combining the resonances and tidal dissipation by the way of planetary system dynamics. The thesis first reviews the primary applications and the latest progress in the tide as well as various resonances of exoplanets. Then it gives some tidal model derivations, including the classic one and most popular one, in order to understand the assumptions of the equilibrium tide. Meanwhile, the average rates of change of orbital elements under tidal dissipation are exhibited. By both numerical simulation and theoretical analysis, the following three questions are investigated: the evolution of the eccentricity of planets in the non-synchronous spin-orbit resonances, the characteristics of nearly 2:1 MMR and Laplace resonance under tidal dissipation, and the promoting role of the gravity of outer gas disk for exciting the planets in its inner cavity. Chapter 3 takes into account the tidal dissipation and the gravity from planet deformation, and concludes that, the tidal dissipation rates in all the non-synchronous spin-orbit resonances are greater than that in the quasi-stationary state of the spin of the planet, so the eccentricity is also damped within a shorter duration. In order to explain the formation of two period ratios nearly 2:1 in the three planet HD40307 system, Chapter 4 simulates the evolution paths of planets in two different situations. If the planets are always stable during and after the dissipation of gas disk, their eccentricities directly from the interaction among planets are very small (˜ 10(-4) ). So the changing timescale of period ratios is much larger than the age of the system. On the contrary, if the planets have experienced unstable phases, their eccentricities would be excited, which can accelerate the evolution of the period ratios effectively. In this situation, three paths exist to achieve the current configuration, whose initial semi-major axes respectively correspond to three different regions on the plane of two period ratios. It can be inferred that the instability stage after the dissipation of the gas disk is a necessary condition for the system to achieve the evolution from 2:1 MMRs to the current configuration under tidal dissipation with the star. Chapter 5 proposes a mechanism to reduce the critical inclination of orbital pumping, in order to explain the retrograde hot Jupiters in latest observations. Considering the gravity of the outer gas disk, a secular resonance would occur between the planets in the inner cavity if they are in appropriate positions, which pumps the mutual inclination of the planets and induces the Kozai resonance between them in some situations. Then the eccentricity and inclination of the inner planet will be excited eventually. We develop the equation of the rates of change of orbital elements under the secular perturbation in hierarchical three-body system (with respect to an arbitrary plane rather than the invariant plane of the two orbits), as well as give the rates of change of orbital elements under a 2-D disk gravity equations. Combining the two parts, the results by integrating the evolution equations are good approximation of the N-body simulations. By scanning the parameter spaces using the evolution equations, we get the preliminary critical condition for the retrograde hot Jupiters formed, and give a complete discussion of the impact of relevant parameters.

Astronomical tuning of black cherts in the Cenomanian Scaglia Bianca as precursors of the Bonarelli level (OAE2) at Furlo, Italy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Batenburg, S. J.; Montanari, A.; Sprovieri, M.; Hilgen, F. J.; Coccioni, R.; Gale, A. S.

2012-04-01

Astronomical tuning of the Cenomanian Oceanic Anoxic Event (OAE2) critically depends on the phase relationship between eccentricity forcing and ocean-climate response. The mechanisms leading to oceanic anoxia are heavily debated, and both maxima and minima in eccentricity have been suggested to trigger the widespread deposition of organic-rich sediments. At the Furlo section in the north-eastern Apennines of Italy, the rhythmically bedded Scaglia Bianca formation forms a cyclic prologue to the Bonarelli level, the Tethyan sedimentary expression of OAE2. Regularly occurring black cherts are precursors of the extreme conditions leading to the oceanic anoxic event, and show the hierarchical stacking pattern of eccentricity modulated precession. Previous orbital tuning attempts have placed the occurrence of black cherts either in eccentricity maxima (Mitchell et al. 2008) or eccentricity minima (Lanci et al. 2010). These scenarios require distinctly different oceanographic regimes. Eccentricity maxima enhance the seasonal contrast, thereby intensifying monsoons, leading to an estuarine circulation in the Cretaceous North Atlantic with upwelling and increased productivity (Mitchell et al. 2008), potentially spurred by input of nutrients from volcanic activity (Trabucho Alexandre et al. 2010). Alternatively, it has been suggested that eccentricity minima could cause decreased seasonality, leading to stagnation and reduced ventilation of bottom waters (Lanci et al. 2010; Herbert and Fischer 1986), although eccentricity minima would not lower seasonality but rather avoid large seasonal extremes for a prolonged period of time. Lanci et al. (2010) attempted to establish this phase relation by measurements of CaCO3 content in carbonates, but failed to incorporate the cherts, which reflect a much larger variability in carbonate content. New high-resolution lithological, geophysical and stable isotope data from the Furlo section unequivocally indicate that the timing of black chert deposition, as well as the onset of the oceanic anoxic event itself, is related to eccentricity maxima. The stable 405-kyr periodicity of eccentricity is readily discernible in the data records and can be used for tuning to the astronomical solution (Laskar et al. 2011). A total of five and a half 405-kyr cycles can be identified below the Bonarelli level, which itself comprises a 405-kyr cycle. This cyclostratigraphy can potentially be anchored to the absolute time scale by using the newly determined Cenomanian-Turonian boundary age of 93.9 ± 0.15 Ma, which is based on intercalibration of astrochronological and radioisotopic data for the Cenomanian-Turonian boundary interval near the GSSP in Colorado, USA (Meyers et al., 2012). Correlation to the orbitally tuned Turonian interval of the nearby Gubbio and Contessa sections in Italy (De Vleeschouwer et al., this session) allows the construction of an anchored astronomical time scale for the Cenomanian-Turonian interval of > 5 Ma. Herbert, T. D., and A. G. Fischer. 1986. "Milankovitch climatic origin of mid-Cretaceous black shale rhythms in central Italy." Nature 321 (19): 739-743. Lanci, L., G. Muttoni, and E. Erba. 2010. "Astronomical tuning of the Cenomanian Scaglia Bianca Formation at Furlo, Italy." Earth and Planetary Science Letters. Laskar, J., A. Fienga, M. Gastineau, and H. Manche. 2011. "La2010: A new orbital solution for the long term motion of the Earth." Astronomy and Astrophysics arXiv:1103.1084v1. Mitchell, Ross N., David M. Bice, Alessandro Montanari, Laura C. Cleaveland, Keith T. Christianson, Rodolfo Coccioni, and Linda A. Hinnov. 2008. "Oceanic anoxic cycles? Orbital prelude to the Bonarelli Level (OAE 2)." Earth and Planetary Science Letters 267: 1-16. Trabucho Alexandre, J., E. Tuenter, G. A Henstra, K. J van der Zwan, R. S.W van de Wal, H. A Dijkstra, and P. L de Boer. 2010. "The mid-Cretaceous North Atlantic nutrient trap: Black shales and OAEs." Paleoceanography 25 (4).

Tempo and scale of late Paleocene and early Eocene carbon isotope cycles: Implications for the origin of hyperthermals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zachos, James C.; McCarren, Heather; Murphy, Brandon; Röhl, Ursula; Westerhold, Thomas

2010-10-01

The upper Paleocene and lower Eocene are marked by several prominent (> 1‰) carbon isotope (δ 13C) excursions (CIE) that coincide with transient global warmings, or thermal maxima, including the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM). The CIE, which are recorded mainly in marine sedimentary sequences, have also been identified in continental sequences, occurred episodically, and yet appear to be paced or triggered by orbital forcing. To constrain the timing and scale of the CIE relative to long-term baseline variability, we have constructed a 4.52 million year (myr) long, high-resolution (~ 3 kyr) bulk sediment carbon isotope record spanning the lower Eocene to upper Paleocene (C25r-C24n) from a pelagic sediment section recovered at ODP Site 1262 in the southeast Atlantic. This section, which was orbitally-tuned utilizing high-resolution core log physical property and geochemical records, is the most stratigraphically complete upper Paleocene to lower Eocene sequence recovered to date. Time-series analysis of the carbon isotope record along with a high-resolution Fe intensity record obtained by XRF core scanner reveal cyclicity with variance concentrated primarily in the precession (21 kyr) and eccentricity bands (100 and 400-kyr) throughout the upper Paleocene-lower Eocene. In general, minima in δ 13C correspond with peaks in Fe (i.e., carbonate dissolution), both of which appear to be in phase with maxima in eccentricity. This covariance is consistent with excess oceanic uptake of isotopically depleted carbon resulting in lower carbonate saturation during periods of high eccentricity. This relationship includes all late Paleocene and early Eocene CIE confirming pacing by orbital forcing. The lone exception is the PETM, which appears to be out of phase with the 400-kyr cycle, though possibly in phase with the 100-kyr cycle, reinforcing the notion that a mechanism other than orbital forcing and/or an additional source of carbon is required to account for the occurrence and unusual scale of this event.

Climate and carbon-cycle response to astronomical forcing over the last 35 Ma.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

De Vleeschouwer, D.; Palike, H.; Vahlenkamp, M.; Crucifix, M.

2017-12-01

On a million-year time scale, the characteristics of insolation forcing caused by cyclical variations in the astronomical parameters of the Earth remain stable. Nevertheless, Earth's climate responded very differently to this forcing during different parts of the Cenozoic. The recently-published ∂18Obenthic megasplice (De Vleeschouwer et al., 2017) allowed for a clear visualization of these changes in global climate response to astronomical forcing. However, many open questions remain regarding how carbon-cycle dynamics influence Earth's climate sensitivity to astronomical climate forcing. To provide insight into the interaction between the carbon cycle and astronomical insolation forcing, we built a benthic carbon isotope (∂13Cbenthic) megasplice for the last 35 Ma, employing the same technique used to build the ∂18Obenthic megasplice. The ∂13Cbenthic megasplice exhibits a strong imprint of the 405 and 100-kyr eccentricity cycles throughout the last 35 Ma. This is intriguing, as the oxygen isotope megasplice looses its eccentricity imprint after the mid-Miocene climatic transition (MMCT; see Fig. 1 in De Vleeschouwer et al., 2017). In other words, the carbon cycle responded completely differently to astronomical forcing, compared to global climate during the late Miocene. We visualize this difference in response by the application of a Gaussian process, which renders the dependence of one variable (here ∂18Obenthic or ∂13Cbenthic) in a multidimensional space (here precession, obliquity and eccentricity). Together, the ∂13Cbenthic and ∂18Obenthic megasplices thus provide a unique tool for paleoclimatology, allowing for the quantification and visualization of the changing paleoclimate and carbon-cycle response to astronomical forcing throughout geologic time. References De Vleeschouwer, D., Vahlenkamp, M., Crucifix, M., Pälike, H., 2017. Alternating Southern and Northern Hemisphere climate response to astronomical forcing during the past 35 m.y. Geology 45, 375-378.

ARE THE KEPLER NEAR-RESONANCE PLANET PAIRS DUE TO TIDAL DISSIPATION?

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lee, Man Hoi; Fabrycky, D.; Lin, D. N. C., E-mail: mhlee@hku.hk, E-mail: daniel.fabrycky@gmail.com, E-mail: lin@ucolick.org

The multiple-planet systems discovered by the Kepler mission show an excess of planet pairs with period ratios just wide of exact commensurability for first-order resonances like 2:1 and 3:2. In principle, these planet pairs could have both resonance angles associated with the resonance librating if the orbital eccentricities are sufficiently small, because the width of first-order resonances diverges in the limit of vanishingly small eccentricity. We consider a widely held scenario in which pairs of planets were captured into first-order resonances by migration due to planet-disk interactions, and subsequently became detached from the resonances, due to tidal dissipation in themore » planets. In the context of this scenario, we find a constraint on the ratio of the planet's tidal dissipation function and Love number that implies that some of the Kepler planets are likely solid. However, tides are not strong enough to move many of the planet pairs to the observed separations, suggesting that additional dissipative processes are at play.« less

SELF-TRAPPING OF DISKOSEISMIC CORRUGATION MODES IN NEUTRON STAR SPACETIMES

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tsang, David; Pappas, George

2016-02-10

We examine the effects of higher-order multipole contributions of rotating neutron star (NS) spacetimes on the propagation of corrugation (c-)modes within a thin accretion disk. We find that the Lense–Thirring precession frequency, which determines the propagation region of the low-frequency fundamental corrugation modes, can experience a turnover allowing for c-modes to become self-trapped for sufficiently high dimensionless spin j and quadrupole rotational deformability α. If such self-trapping c-modes can be detected, e.g., through phase-resolved spectroscopy of the iron line for a high-spin low-mass accreting neutron star, this could potentially constrain the spin-induced NS quadrupole and the NS equation of state.

Self-Trapping of Diskoseismic Corrugation Modes in Neutron Star Spacetimes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tsang, David; Pappas, George

2016-02-01

We examine the effects of higher-order multipole contributions of rotating neutron star (NS) spacetimes on the propagation of corrugation (c-)modes within a thin accretion disk. We find that the Lense-Thirring precession frequency, which determines the propagation region of the low-frequency fundamental corrugation modes, can experience a turnover allowing for c-modes to become self-trapped for sufficiently high dimensionless spin j and quadrupole rotational deformability α. If such self-trapping c-modes can be detected, e.g., through phase-resolved spectroscopy of the iron line for a high-spin low-mass accreting neutron star, this could potentially constrain the spin-induced NS quadrupole and the NS equation of state.

Rapid formation of supermassive black hole binaries in galaxy mergers with gas.

PubMed

Mayer, L; Kazantzidis, S; Madau, P; Colpi, M; Quinn, T; Wadsley, J

2007-06-29

Supermassive black holes (SMBHs) are a ubiquitous component of the nuclei of galaxies. It is normally assumed that after the merger of two massive galaxies, a SMBH binary will form, shrink because of stellar or gas dynamical processes, and ultimately coalesce by emitting a burst of gravitational waves. However, so far it has not been possible to show how two SMBHs bind during a galaxy merger with gas because of the difficulty of modeling a wide range of spatial scales. Here we report hydrodynamical simulations that track the formation of a SMBH binary down to scales of a few light years after the collision between two spiral galaxies. A massive, turbulent, nuclear gaseous disk arises as a result of the galaxy merger. The black holes form an eccentric binary in the disk in less than 1 million years as a result of the gravitational drag from the gas rather than from the stars.

RXTE Observations of LMC X-1 and LMC X-3

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wilms, J.; Nowak, M. A.; Dove, J. B.; Pottschmidt, K.; Heindl, W. A.; Begelman, M. C.; Staubert, R.

1999-01-01

Of all known persistent stellar-mass black hole candidates, only LMC X-1 and LMC X-3 consistently show spectra that are dominated by a soft, thermal component. We present results from long (170 ksec) Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer (RXTE) observations of LMC X-1 and LMC X-3 made in 1996 December. The spectra can be described by a multicolor disk blackbody plus an additional high-energy power-law. Even though the spectra are very soft (Gamma approximately 2.5), RXTE detected a significant signal from LMC X-3 up to energies of 50 keV, the hardest energy at which the object was ever detected. Focusing on LMC X-3 , we present results from the first year of an ongoing monitoring campaign with RXTE which started in 1997 January. We show that the appearance of the object changes considerably over its approximately 200 d long cycle. This variability can either be explained by periodic changes in the mass transfer rate or by a precessing accretion disk analogous to Her X-1.

RXTE Observations of LMC X-1 and LMC X-3

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wilms, J.; Nowak, M. A.; Dove, J. B.; Pottschmidt, K.; Heindl, W. A.; Begelman, M. C.; Staubert, R.

1998-01-01

Of all known persistent stellar-mass black hole candidates, only LMC X-1 and LMC X-3 consistently show spectra that are dominated by a soft, thermal component. We present results from long (170 ksec) Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer (RXTE) observations of LMC X-1 and LMC X-3 made in 1996 December. The spectra can be described by a multicolor disk blackbody plus an additional high-energy power-law. Even though the spectra are very soft (Gamma approximately 2.5), RXTE detected a significant signal from LMC X-3 up to energies of 50 keV, the hardest energy at which the object was ever detected. Focusing on LMC X-3, we present results from the first year of an ongoing monitoring campaign with RXTE which started in 1997 January. We show that the appearance of the object changes considerably over its approximately 200d long cycle. This variability can either be explained by periodic changes in the mass transfer rate or by a precessing accretion disk analogous to Her X-1.

The Dynamics of Tightly-packed Planetary Systems in the Presence of an Outer Planet: Case Studies Using Kepler-11 and Kepler-90

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Granados Contreras, A. P.; Boley, A. C.

2018-03-01

We explore the effects of an undetected outer giant planet on the dynamics, observability, and stability of Systems with Tightly-packed Inner Planets (STIPs). We use direct numerical simulations along with secular theory and synthetic secular frequency spectra to analyze how analogues of Kepler-11 and Kepler-90 behave in the presence of a nearly co-planar, Jupiter-like outer perturber with semimajor axes between 1 and 5.2 au. Most locations of the outer perturber do not affect the evolution of the inner planetary systems, apart from altering precession frequencies. However, there are locations at which an outer planet causes system instability due to, in part, secular eccentricity resonances. In Kepler-90, there is a range of orbital distances for which the outer perturber drives planets b and c, through secular interactions, onto orbits with inclinations that are ∼16° away from the rest of the planets. Kepler-90 is stable in this configuration. Such secular resonances can thus affect the observed multiplicity of transiting systems. We also compare the synthetic apsidal and nodal precession frequencies with the secular theory and find some misalignment between principal frequencies, indicative of strong interactions between the planets (consistent with the system showing TTVs). First-order libration angles are calculated to identify MMRs in the systems, for which two near-MMRs are shown in Kepler-90, with a 5:4 between b and c, as well as a 3:2 between g and h.

Vernal Point and Plate Tectonics: Indo-Australian

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chavez C, Teodosio; Chavez-Sumarriva, Israel; Chavez S, Nadia

2013-04-01

A precession coordinate system (eccentricity -100Ka, obliquity -40Ka and precession -25Ka) developed by Milankovicht was the precession of the equinoxes, where the vernal point retrograde 1° every 72 years approximately and enter (0°) into the Aquarius constellation on March 20, 1940. On earth this entry was verify through: a) stability of the magnetic equator in the south central zone of Peru and in the north zone of Bolivia, b) the greater intensity of equatorial electrojet (EEJ) in Peru and Bolivia since 1940. The vernal point is a maximum conductivity sensitive axis in the EEJ given at the equinoxes. There was a relationship between the equatorial electrojet - magnetic equator - crust, and besides there was a long history of studies of coupling between earthquake-ionosphere that can be founded in the following revisions: Liperovsky et al. (1990); Gaivoronskaya (1991); Liperovsky et al. (1992); Parrot et al. (1993); Pulinets et al. (1994) and Gokhberg et al. (1995). In IUGG (2007), Cusco was propose as a prime meridian (72° W == 0°) that was parallel to the Andes; the objective was to synchronize the earth sciences phenomena (e.g. geology, geophysics, etc.). The coordinate system had the vernal point from meridian (72° W == 0°) and March 20, 1940. The retrograde movement of the vernal point was the first precessional degree (2012 = 1940 + 72); from the new prime meridian (72° W == 0°) it has obtained the opposite meridian (72° E == 180°). The first precessional degree (2012) near the meridian (72 ° E) was related to the date of April 11, 2012 where a massive earthquake of 8.6 on the Richter scale, followed by several aftershocks, one of 8.2 degrees struck Indonesia with epicenter near Banda Aceh. Five months after that date, Matthias Delescluse et.al (2012), Han Yue et.al (2012), and Fred F. Pollitz et.al, (2012), explained that the two violent earthquakes would be evidence of a break in the Indo-Australian Plate Tectonics caused earthquakes around the world. It is noted that in one of the opposite meridian there was a correlation between the vernal point and the indo-australian plate.

Past environmental/climatic changes in the northern part of the South China Sea, input from multi-proxy analysis of core MD12-3432

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Quan; Kissel, Catherine; Liu, Zhifei

2017-04-01

In the South China Sea, the magnetic component of marine sediment is a powerful recorder of paleoenvironmental changes linked to the regional and global climate. Based on the knowledge of the sedimentary signature of the potential sources for terrigenous sediments, the composition of marine sediments can be used to decipher the different mechanisms, forcing, and transport vectors. We report here the analysis of the magnetic properties combined with sortable silt and clay mineralogy of a 51 m long sedimentary sequence retrieved from the northern South China Sea and covering the last 400 ka. Magnetic minerals with different coercivities (magnetite, pyrrhotite and hematite) are mixed in the sequence and their relative concentration varies with time. Glacial low sea-levels reduce the land-site distance and they are illlustrated by higher concentrations in magnetites and iron-sulfides (pyrrhotite) related to the sediments previously deposited on the continental shelf and re-worked by the river. This is accompanied by increasing kaolinite content within the clay assemblage (Pearl River signature) and by coarser grains. Superimposed to this eccentricity periodicity, hematite content and smectite/(illite+chlorite) ratio present a predominant precession periodicity synchronous with the northern hemisphere summer insolation changes and therefore with that of the East Asian summer monsoon. Events of high hematite content, in phase with finer grains, coincide with precession lows, while smectite/(illite+chlorite) ratio is maximum during precession highs. Knowing that smectite is mainly produced by contemporaneous chemical weathering intensity in Luzon, we use the smectite/(illite+chlorite) ratio as a tracer for increasing weathering rate in Luzon, in turn related to enhanced East Asian summer monsoon. Hematite is not produced in large amount on adjacent lands and its association with fine sediment grains suggests that its periodic supply is related to the eolian dust transported from the Central China deserts to the studied site. Higher hematite content at this latitude may therefore be used as a tracer for weak East Asian summer monsoon intensity.

A Kinematic Link Between Boxy Bulges, Stellar Bars, and Nuclear Activity in NGC 3079 and NGC 4388

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Veilleux, S.; Bland-Hawthrorn, J.; Cecil, Gerald

1999-01-01

We present direct kinematic evidence for bar streaming in two active galaxies with boxy stellar bulges. The Hawaii Imaging Fabry-Perot Interferometer was used on the Canada-France-Hawaii 3.6-m telescope and the University of Hawaii 2.2-m telescope to derive the two-dimensional velocity field of the line-emitting gas in the disks of the Sc galaxy NGC 3079 and the Sb galaxy NGC 4388. In contrast to previous work based on long-slit data, the detection of the bar potential from the Fabry-Perot data does not rely on the existence of inner Lindblad resonances or strong bar-induced shocks. Simple kinematic models which approximate the intrinsic gas orbits as nonintersecting, inclined elliptical annuli that conserve angular momentum characterize the observed velocity fields. In NGC 3079, bar streaming motions with moderately eccentric orbits (e = b/a approx. 0.7) aligned along PA = 130 deg. intrinsic to the disk (PA = 97 deg. on the sky) are detected out to R(sub b) = 3.6 kpc. The orbits become increasingly circular beyond that radius (e = 1 at R(sub d) approx. = 6 kpc). The best model for NGC 4388 includes highly eccentric orbits (e approx. 0.3) for R(sub) less than or equal to 1.5 kpc which are aligned along PA = 135 deg. intrinsic to the disk (PA = 100 deg. on the sky). The observed "spiral arms" are produced by having the orbits become increasingly circular from the ends of the bar to the edge of the disk (R(sub d) approx. = 5 kpc), and the intrinsic bar PA shifting from 135 deg. to 90 deg.. Box-shaped bulges in both NGC 3079 and NGC 4388 are confirmed using new near-infrared images to reduce dust obscuration. Morphological analysis of starlight in these galaxies is combined with the gas kinematics derived from the Fabry-Perot spectra to test evolutionary models of stellar bars that involve transitory boxy bulges, and to quantify the importance of such bars in fueling active nuclei. Our data support the evolutionary bar models, but fail to prove convincingly that the stellar bars in NGC 3079 and NGC 4388 directly trigger or sustain the nuclear activity.

Spectro-Timing Study of GX 339-4 in a Hard Intermediate State

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Furst, F.; Grinberg, V.; Tomsick, J. A.; Bachetti, M.; Boggs, S. E.; Brightman, M.; Christensen, F. E.; Craig, W. W.; Ghandi, P.; Zhang, William W.

2016-01-01

We present an analysis of Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array observations of a hard intermediate state of the transient black hole GX 339-4 taken in 2015 January. With the source softening significantly over the course of the 1.3 day long observation we split the data into 21 sub-sets and find that the spectrum of all of them can be well described by a power-law continuum with an additional relativistically blurred reflection component. The photon index increases from approx. 1.69 to approx. 1.77 over the course of the observation. The accretion disk is truncated at around nine gravitational radii in all spectra. We also perform timing analysis on the same 21 individual data sets, and find a strong type-C quasi-periodic oscillation (QPO), which increases in frequency from approx. 0.68 to approx. 1.05 Hz with time. The frequency change is well correlated with the softening of the spectrum. We discuss possible scenarios for the production of the QPO and calculate predicted inner radii in the relativistic precession model as well as the global disk mode oscillations model. We find discrepancies with respect to the observed values in both models unless we allow for a black hole mass of approx. 100 Mass compared to the Sun, which is highly unlikely. We discuss possible systematic uncertainties, in particular with the measurement of the inner accretion disk radius in the relativistic reflection model. We conclude that the combination of observed QPO frequencies and inner accretion disk radii, as obtained from spectral fitting, is difficult to reconcile with current models.

Binary black holes in nuclei of extragalactic radio sources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roland, J.; Britzen, S.

If we assume that nuclei of extragalactic radio sources contain a Binary Black Hole system, the 2 black holes can eject VLBI components and in that case 2 families of different VLBI trajectories will be observed. An important consequence of the presence of a Binary Black Hole system is the following: the VLBI core is associated with one black hole and if a VLBI component is ejected by the second black hole, one expects to be able to detect the offset of the origin of the VLBI component ejected by the black hole not associated with the VLBI core. The ejection of VLBI components is perturbed by the precession of the accretion disk and the motion of the black holes around the gravity center of the BBH system. We modeled the ejection of the component taking into account the 2 perturbations and we obtained a method to fit the coordinates of a VLBI component and to deduce the characteristics of the BBH system, i.e. the ratio Tp/Tb where Tp is the precession period of the accretion disk and Tb the orbital period of the BBH system, the mass ratio M1/M2, the radius of the BBH system Rbin. We applied the method to component S1 of 1823+568 and to component C5 of 3C 279 which presents a large offset of the space origin from the VLBI core. We found that 1823+568 contains a BBH system which size is Rbin ≈ 60 mu as and 3C 279 contains a BBH system which size is Rbin ≈ 378 mu as. We were able to deduce the separation of the 2 black holes and the coordinates of the second black hole from the VLBI core, this information will be important to make the link between the radio reference frame system deduced from VLBI observations and the optical reference frame system deduced from GAIA.

ON THE DYNAMICS AND ORIGIN OF HAUMEA'S MOONS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ćuk, Matija; Ragozzine, Darin; Nesvorný, David, E-mail: mcuk@seti.org

2013-10-01

The dwarf planet Haumea has two large satellites, Namaka and Hi'iaka, which orbit at relatively large separations. Both moons have significant eccentricities and inclinations in a pattern that is consistent with a past orbital resonance. Based on our analysis, we find that the present system is not consistent with satellite formation close to the primary and tidal evolution through mean-motion resonances. We propose that Namaka experienced only limited tidal evolution, leading to the mutual 8:3 mean-motion resonance which redistributed eccentricities and inclinations between the moons. This scenario requires that the original orbit of Hi'iaka was mildly eccentric; we propose thatmore » this eccentricity was either primordial or acquired through encounters with other trans-Neptunian objects. Both dynamical stability and our preferred tidal evolution model imply that the moons' masses are only about one-half of previously estimated values, suggesting high albedos and low densities. Because the present orbits of the moons strongly suggest formation from a flat disk close to their present locations, we conclude that Hi'iaka and Namaka may be second-generation moons, formed after the breakup of a larger past moon, previously proposed as the parent body of the Haumea family. We derive plausible parameters of that moon, consistent with the current models of Haumea's formation. An interesting implication of this hypothesis is that Hi'iaka and Namaka may orbit retrograde with respect to Haumea's spin. Retrograde orbits of Haumea's moons would be in full agreement with available observations and our dynamical analysis, and could provide a unique confirmation of the ''disrupted satellite'' scenario for the origin of the family.« less

New ALMA Images of the HD 32297 and HD 61005 Debris Disks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

MacGregor, Meredith Ann; Weinberger, Alycia; Wilner, David; Hughes, A. Meredith; debes, John Henry; Redfield, Seth; Donaldson, Jessica; Nesvold, Erika; Schneider, Glenn; Currie, Thayne; Roberge, Aki; Rodriguez, David

2018-01-01

HD 61005 (G-type star, “The Moth") and HD 32297 (A-type star) host two of the most iconic debris disks. Scattered light images show that both disks are nearly edge-on with dramatic swept-back wings of dust. Previous studies have proposed a range of mechanisms to explain this distinctive morphology including interactions with the interstellar medium, secular perturbations of grains by low-density, neutral interstellar gas, and gravitational interactions with an inclined, eccentric companion. We present new observations from the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) at 1.3 mm that provide the highest resolution images at millimeter wavelengths to date of both systems. Observations at millimeter wavelengths are especially critical to our understanding of the physical mechanisms shaping the structure of these disks, since the large grains that dominate emission at these wavelengths are less affected by stellar radiation and winds and more reliably trace the underlying planetesimal distribution. We fit models directly to the observed visibilities within a Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) framework to characterize the continuum emission and place constraints on the structure of these unique debris disks. Our new ALMA images reveal that despite differences in spectral type, both systems are best described by a two-component structure with (1) a parent body belt, and (2) an outer halo aligned with the scattered light disk. Such halos have typically been assumed to be composed of small grains visible in scattered light, so these images are some of the first observational evidence that larger grains may also populate extended halos. In addition, we detect significant 12CO gas emission from HD 32297, and determine a robust upper limit for HD 61005.

LONG-TERM OPTICAL STUDIES OF THE BE/X-RAY BINARY RX J0440.9+4431/LS V+44 17

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Yan, Jingzhi; Zhang, Peng; Liu, Wei

2016-04-15

We present the spectroscopic and photometric observations on the Be/X-ray binary RX J0440.9+4431 from 2001 to 2014. The short-term and long-term variability of the Hα line profile indicates that one-armed global oscillations existed in the circumstellar disk. Several positive and negative correlations between the V-band brightness and the Hα intensity were found from the long-term photometric and spectroscopic observations. We suggest that the monotonic increase of the V-band brightness and the Hα brightness between our 2005 and 2007 observations might be the result of a continuous mass ejection from the central Be star, while the negative correlation in 2007–2010 should bemore » caused by the cessation of mass loss from the Be star just before the decline in V-band brightness began (around our 2007 observations). With the extension of the ejection material, the largest circumstellar disk during the last two decades has been observed in our 2010 observations with an equivalent width of approximately −12.88 Å, which corresponds to a circumstellar disk with a size of 12.9 times the radius of the central Be star. Three consecutive X-ray outbursts peaking around MJD 55293, 55444, and 55591 might be connected with the largest circumstellar disk around the Be star. We also use the orbital motion of the neutron star as a probe to constrain the structure of the circumstellar disk and estimate the eccentricity of the binary system to be ≥0.4. After three years of the Hα intensity decline after the X-ray outbursts, a new circumstellar disk was being formed around the Be star after our 2013 observations.« less

Toward a Deterministic Model of Planetary Formation. I. A Desert in the Mass and Semimajor Axis Distributions of Extrasolar Planets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ida, S.; Lin, D. N. C.

2004-03-01

In an attempt to develop a deterministic theory for planet formation, we examine the accretion of cores of giant planets from planetesimals, gas accretion onto the cores, and their orbital migration. We adopt a working model for nascent protostellar disks with a wide variety of surface density distributions in order to explore the range of diversity among extrasolar planetary systems. We evaluate the cores' mass growth rate Mc through runaway planetesimal accretion and oligarchic growth. The accretion rate of cores is estimated with a two-body approximation. In the inner regions of disks, the cores' eccentricity is effectively damped by their tidal interaction with the ambient disk gas and their early growth is stalled by ``isolation.'' In the outer regions, the cores' growth rate is much smaller. If some cores can acquire more mass than a critical value of several Earth masses during the persistence of the disk gas, they would be able to rapidly accrete gas and evolve into gas giant planets. The gas accretion process is initially regulated by the Kelvin-Helmholtz contraction of the planets' gas envelope. Based on the assumption that the exponential decay of the disk gas mass occurs on the timescales ~106-107 yr and that the disk mass distribution is comparable to those inferred from the observations of circumstellar disks of T Tauri stars, we carry out simulations to predict the distributions of masses and semimajor axes of extrasolar planets. In disks as massive as the minimum-mass disk for the solar system, gas giants can form only slightly outside the ``ice boundary'' at a few AU. However, cores can rapidly grow above the critical mass inside the ice boundary in protostellar disks with 5 times more heavy elements than those of the minimum-mass disk. Thereafter, these massive cores accrete gas prior to its depletion and evolve into gas giants. The limited persistence of the disk gas and the decline in the stellar gravity prevent the formation of cores capable of efficient gas accretion outside 20-30 AU. Unimpeded dynamical accretion of gas is a runaway process that is terminated when the residual gas is depleted either globally or locally in the form of a gap in the vicinity of their orbits. Since planets' masses grow rapidly from 10 to 100 M⊕, the gas giant planets rarely form with asymptotic masses in this intermediate range. Our model predicts a paucity of extrasolar planets with mass in the range 10-100 M⊕ and semimajor axis less than 3 AU. We refer to this deficit as a ``planet desert.'' We also examine the dynamical evolution of protoplanets by considering the effect of orbital migration of giant planets due to their tidal interactions with the gas disks, after they have opened up gaps in the disks. The effect of migration is to sharpen the boundaries and to enhance the contrast of the planet desert. It also clarifies the separation between the three populations of rocky, gas giant, and ice giant planets. Based on our results, we suggest that the planets' mass versus semimajor axes diagram can provide strong constraints on the dominant formation processes of planets analogous to the implications of the color-magnitude diagram on the paths of stellar evolution. We show that the mass and semimajor axis distributions generated in our simulations for the gas giants are consistent with those of the known extrasolar planets. Our results also indicate that a large fraction (90%-95%) of the planets that have migrated to within 0.05 AU must have perished. Future observations can determine the existence and the boundaries of the planet desert in this diagram, which can be used to extrapolate the ubiquity of rocky planets around nearby stars. Finally, the long-term dynamical interaction between planets of various masses can lead to both eccentricity excitation and scattering of planets to large semimajor axes. These effects are to be included in future models.

Low Frequency Quasi-periodic Oscillations in the High-eccentric LMXB Cir X-1: Extending the WK Correlation for Z Sources

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bu, Qingcui; Chen, Li; Belloni, T. M.

Using archival Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer ( RXTE ) data, we studied the low-frequency quasi-periodic oscillations (LFQPOs) in the neutron star low-mass X-ray binary (LMXB) Cir X-1 and examined their contribution to frequency–frequency correlations for Z sources. We also studied the orbital phase effects on the LFQPO properties and found them to be phase independent. Comparing LFQPO frequencies in different classes of LMXBs, we found that systems that show both Z and atoll states form a common track with atoll/BH sources in the so-called WK correlation, while persistent Z systems are offset by a factor of about two. We foundmore » that neither source luminosity nor mass accretion rate is related to the shift of persistent Z systems. We discuss the possibility of a misidentification of fundamental frequency for horizontal branch oscillations from persistent Z systems and interpreted the oscillations in terms of models based on relativistic precession.« less

Masses of Kepler-46b, c from Transit Timing Variations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saad-Olivera, Ximena; Nesvorný, David; Kipping, David M.; Roig, Fernando

2017-04-01

We use 16 quarters of the Kepler mission data to analyze the transit timing variations (TTVs) of the extrasolar planet Kepler-46b (KOI-872). Our dynamical fits confirm that the TTVs of this planet (period P={33.648}-0.005+0.004 days) are produced by a non-transiting planet Kepler-46c (P={57.325}-0.098+0.116 days). The Bayesian inference tool MultiNest is used to infer the dynamical parameters of Kepler-46b and Kepler-46c. We find that the two planets have nearly coplanar and circular orbits, with eccentricities ≃ 0.03 somewhat higher than previously estimated. The masses of the two planets are found to be {M}b={0.885}-0.343+0.374 and {M}c={0.362}-0.016+0.016 Jupiter masses, with M b being determined here from TTVs for the first time. Due to the precession of its orbital plane, Kepler-46c should start transiting its host star a few decades from now.

On the accuracy and precision of numerical waveforms: effect of waveform extraction methodology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chu, Tony; Fong, Heather; Kumar, Prayush; Pfeiffer, Harald P.; Boyle, Michael; Hemberger, Daniel A.; Kidder, Lawrence E.; Scheel, Mark A.; Szilagyi, Bela

2016-08-01

We present a new set of 95 numerical relativity simulations of non-precessing binary black holes (BBHs). The simulations sample comprehensively both black-hole spins up to spin magnitude of 0.9, and cover mass ratios 1-3. The simulations cover on average 24 inspiral orbits, plus merger and ringdown, with low initial orbital eccentricities e\\lt {10}-4. A subset of the simulations extends the coverage of non-spinning BBHs up to mass ratio q = 10. Gravitational waveforms at asymptotic infinity are computed with two independent techniques: extrapolation and Cauchy characteristic extraction. An error analysis based on noise-weighted inner products is performed. We find that numerical truncation error, error due to gravitational wave extraction, and errors due to the Fourier transformation of signals with finite length of the numerical waveforms are of similar magnitude, with gravitational wave extraction errors dominating at noise-weighted mismatches of ˜ 3× {10}-4. This set of waveforms will serve to validate and improve aligned-spin waveform models for gravitational wave science.

Recent Timing Results for PSR B1259 - 63

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wex, N.; Johnston, S.

The binary pulsar PSR B1259 - 63 is in a highly eccentric 3.4 yr orbit around the Be star SS 2883. Timing observations of this pulsar, made over a 7 yr period using the Parkes 64 m radio-telescope, cover two periastron passages, in 1990 August and 1994 January. The timing observations of PSR B1259 - 63 clearly show evidence for timing noise which is domina ted by a cubic term. Unfortunately, the large amplitude timing noise and data over only two complete orbits make it difficult to produce a unique timing solution for this pulsar. However, if the long term behavior of timing noise is completely modeled by a cubic term, both dot ω and dot x terms are required in the timing model which could be a result of a precessing orbit caused by the quadrupole moment of the tilted companion star. In this paper we summarise the timing observations for the PSR B1259 - 63 system; full details are given in Wex et al. (1997).

A History of Precession Dissipation Energy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vanyo, J. P.

2006-05-01

I am not an historian, but here are a few of my remembrances of my 78 years. Precession theory and application had its formal beginning by Euler in 1758 to define rotation of rigid objects. A short burst of interest, theory, and application for precession and planetary motion and gyroscopes started around the1800s. Precession theory blossomed in the 1960s by the Soviet-American contest for space exploration and the contest for a geodynamo model. Precession interest then followed separate paths. Aerospace research introduced precession dissipation energy by America's 1958 satellite (Explorer I) where an instability was seen. Its antennae dissipated energy by material hysteresis. Liquid dissipation in precessing satellites became a major difficulty for designers, and physical experiments became the prime solution. Precession dissipation energy rates are difficult and expensive to measure, see Vanyo, "Rotating Fluids", 1993 Butterworth-Heinemann (2001 Dover), p.318. Geophysical research introduced nutation and precession by luni-solar forces. Luni-solar precession dissipation energy had become the criteria for adequacy for a geodynamo. Roberts and Busse both examined viscous models, but an attempt by Malkus (1968) for a viscous and magnetic model did not success. A precession model by Vanyo-Likins (1972) derived an aerospace application for dissipation energy. Rochester et al (1975) and Loper (1975) claimed that precession energy was inadequate for a geodynamo, but formal criteria were never published. The 1975 papers by Rochester et al and Loper were in error. Their estimate for precession energy rate is off by 4 magnitudes. New research now supports energetic precession geodynamo models, e.g., articles for precession experiments that have adequate geodynamo energy rates, articles for core-mantle motions that show geomagnetic CMB patterns, articles for viscous-electromagnetic analyses that show precession core-mantle coupling, and articles for computer simulations that have achieved laminar and turbulent precession geodynamo models. Please, by e-mail, ask for a survey of solutions and problems.

On the origin of X-ray variability of SS 433

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Band, D. L.; Grindlay, J. E.

1984-10-01

The X-ray flares observed from the central source in SS 433 by the Einstein telescope are attributed to surges in the mass transfer rate due to changes in the critical Roche volume of the companion. Analysis of the Roche potential for a primary with spin misaligned with the orbital axis, as required by the slaved disk model, predicts that the critical Roche volume will contract twice per orbit if the orbit is circular. A critical Roche volume fractional change of 1-2 percent is found by applying this potential to SS 433. The nutation of the companion should not affect the steady precession of its spin. Aspects of this work strengthen the evidence that the compact object might be a black hole.

Constraints on Mass, Spin and Magnetic Field of Microquasar H 1743-322 from Observations of QPOs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tursunov, A. A.; Kološ, M.

2018-03-01

The study of quasi-periodic oscillations (QPOs) of X-ray flux observed in many microquasars can provide a powerful tool for testing of the phenomena occurring in strong gravity regime. QPOs phenomena can be well related to the oscillations of charged particles in accretion disks orbiting Kerr black holes immersed in external large-scalemagnetic fields. In the present paper we study the model ofmagnetic relativistic precession and provide estimations of the mass and spin of the central object of the microquasar H 1743-322 which is a candidate for a black hole. Moreover, we discuss the possible values of external magnetic field and study its influence on the motion of charged particles around rotating black hole.

EMISSION SIGNATURES FROM SUB-PARSEC BINARY SUPERMASSIVE BLACK HOLES. I. DIAGNOSTIC POWER OF BROAD EMISSION LINES

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nguyen, Khai; Bogdanović, Tamara

Motivated by advances in observational searches for sub-parsec supermassive black hole binaries (SBHBs) made in the past few years, we develop a semi-analytic model to describe spectral emission-line signatures of these systems. The goal of this study is to aid the interpretation of spectroscopic searches for binaries and to help test one of the leading models of binary accretion flows in the literature: SBHB in a circumbinary disk. In this work, we present the methodology and a comparison of the preliminary model with the data. We model SBHB accretion flows as a set of three accretion disks: two mini-disks thatmore » are gravitationally bound to the individual black holes and a circumbinary disk. Given a physically motivated parameter space occupied by sub-parsec SBHBs, we calculate a synthetic database of nearly 15 million broad optical emission-line profiles and explore the dependence of the profile shapes on characteristic properties of SBHBs. We find that the modeled profiles show distinct statistical properties as a function of the semimajor axis, mass ratio, eccentricity of the binary, and the degree of alignment of the triple disk system. This suggests that the broad emission-line profiles from SBHB systems can in principle be used to infer the distribution of these parameters and as such merit further investigation. Calculated profiles are more morphologically heterogeneous than the broad emission lines in observed SBHB candidates and we discuss improved treatment of radiative transfer effects, which will allow a direct statistical comparison of the two groups.« less

TOWARD CHEMICAL CONSTRAINTS ON HOT JUPITER MIGRATION

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Madhusudhan, Nikku; Amin, Mustafa A.; Kennedy, Grant M., E-mail: nmadhu@ast.cam.ac.uk

The origin of hot Jupiters—gas giant exoplanets orbiting very close to their host stars—is a long-standing puzzle. Planet formation theories suggest that such planets are unlikely to have formed in situ but instead may have formed at large orbital separations beyond the snow line and migrated inward to their present orbits. Two competing hypotheses suggest that the planets migrated either through interaction with the protoplanetary disk during their formation, or by disk-free mechanisms such as gravitational interactions with a third body. Observations of eccentricities and spin-orbit misalignments of hot Jupiter systems have been unable to differentiate between the two hypotheses.more » In the present work, we suggest that chemical depletions in hot Jupiter atmospheres might be able to constrain their migration mechanisms. We find that sub-solar carbon and oxygen abundances in Jovian-mass hot Jupiters around Sun-like stars are hard to explain by disk migration. Instead, such abundances are more readily explained by giant planets forming at large orbital separations, either by core accretion or gravitational instability, and migrating to close-in orbits via disk-free mechanisms involving dynamical encounters. Such planets also contain solar or super-solar C/O ratios. On the contrary, hot Jupiters with super-solar O and C abundances can be explained by a variety of formation-migration pathways which, however, lead to solar or sub-solar C/O ratios. Current estimates of low oxygen abundances in hot Jupiter atmospheres may be indicative of disk-free migration mechanisms. We discuss open questions in this area which future studies will need to investigate.« less

Evolution of vaporizing pulsars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mccormick, P.

1994-01-01

We construct evolutional scenarios for LMXB's using a simplified stellar model. We discuss the origin and evolution of short-period, low mass binary pulsars with evaporating companions. We suggest that these systems descend from low-mass X-ray binaries and that angular momentum loss mainly due to evaporative wind drives their evolution. We derive limits on the energy and angular momentum carried away by the wind based on the observed low eccentricity. In our model the companion remains near contact, and its quasiadiabatic expansion causes the binary to expand. Short-term oscillations of the orbital period may occur if the Roche-lobe overflow forms an evaporating disk.

Review Of The Working Group On Precession And The Ecliptic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hilton, J. L.

2006-08-01

The IAU Working Group on Precession and the Ecliptic was charged with providing a precession model that was both dynamically consistent and compatible with the IAU 2000A nutation model, along with an updated definition and model for the ecliptic. The report of the working group has been accepted for publication in Celestial Mechanics (Hilton et al. 2006, in press) and has resulted in a recommendation to be considered at this General Assembly of the IAU. Specifically, the working group recommends: 1. That the terms lunisolar precession and planetary precession be replaced by precession of the equator and precession of the ecliptic, respectively. 2. That, beginning on 1 January 2009, the precession component of the IAU 2000A precession-nutation model be replaced by the P03 precession theory, of Capitaine et al. (2003, A&A, 412, 567-586) for the precession of the equator (Eqs. 37) and the precession of the ecliptic (Eqs. 38); the same paper provides the polynomial developments for the P03 primary angles and a number of derived quantities for use in both the equinox based and Celestial Intermediate Origin based paradigms. 3. That the choice of precession parameters be left to the user. 4. That the ecliptic pole should be explicitly defined by the mean orbital angular momentum vector of the Earth-Moon barycenter in an inertial reference frame, and this definition should be explicitly stated to avoid confusion with other, older definitions. consistent and compatible with the IAU 2000A nutation model, along consistent and compatible with the IAU 2000A nutation model, along with an updated definition and model for the ecliptic. The report of the working group has been accepted for publication in Celestial Mechanics (Hilton et al. 2006, in press) and has resulted in a recommendation to be considered at this General Assembly of the IAU. Specifically, the working group recommends, * that the terms lunisolar precession and planetary precession be replaced by precession of the equator and precession of the ecliptic, respectively, * that, beginning on 1 January 2009, the precession component of the IAU 2000A precession-nutation model be replaced by the P03 precession theory, of Capitaine et al. (2003, A&A, 412, 567-586) for the precession of the equator (Eqs.~37) and the precession of the ecliptic (Eqs.~38); the same paper provides the polynomial developments for the P03 primary angles and a number of derived quantities for use in both the equinox basedand Celestial Intermediate Origin based paradigms, * that the choice of precession parameters be left to the user, and * that the ecliptic pole should be explicitly defined by the mean orbital angular momentum vector of the Earth-Moon barycenter in an inertial reference frame, and this definition should be explicitly stated to avoid confusion with other, older definitions.

Time-series Photometry of the Pre-Main Sequence Binary V4046 Sgr: Testing the Accretion Stream Theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tofflemire, Benjamin M.; Mathieu, Robert D.; Ardila, David R.; Ciardi, David R.

2015-01-01

Most stars are born in binaries, and the evolution of protostellar disks in pre-main sequence (PMS) binary stars is a current frontier of star formation research. PMS binary stars can have up to three accretion disks: two circumstellar disks and a circumbinary disk separated by a dynamically cleared gap. Theory suggests that mass may periodically flow in an accretion stream from a circumbinary disk across the gap onto circumstellar disks or stellar surfaces. Thus, accretion in PMS binaries is controlled by not only radiation, disk viscosity, and magnetic fields, but also by orbital dynamics.As part of a larger, ongoing effort to characterize mass accretion in young binary systems, we test the predictions of the binary accretion stream theory through continuous, multi-orbit, multi-color optical and near-infrared (NIR) time-series photometry. Observations such as these are capable of detecting and characterizing these modulated accretion streams, if they are generally present. Broad-band blue and ultraviolet photometry trace the accretion luminosity and photospheric temperature while NIR photometry provide a measurement of warm circumstellar material, all as a function of orbital phase. The predicted phase and magnitude of enhanced accretion are highly dependent on the binary orbital parameters and as such, our campaign focuses on 10 PMS binaries of varying periods and eccentricities. Here we present multi-color optical (U, B,V, R), narrowband (Hα), and multi-color NIR (J, H) lightcurves of the PMS binary V4046 Sgr (P=2.42 days) obtained with the SMARTS 1.3m telescope and LCOGT 1m telescope network. These results act to showcase the quality and breadth of data we have, or are currently obtaining, for each of the PMS binaries in our sample. With the full characterization of our sample, these observations will guide an extension of the accretion paradigm from single young stars to multiple systems.

On the Existence of Regular and Irregular Outer Moons Orbiting the Pluto-Charon System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Michaely, Erez; Perets, Hagai B.; Grishin, Evgeni

2017-02-01

The dwarf planet Pluto is known to host an extended system of five co-planar satellites. Previous studies have explored the formation and evolution of the system in isolation, neglecting perturbative effects by the Sun. Here we show that secular evolution due to the Sun can strongly affect the evolution of outer satellites and rings in the system, if such exist. Although precession due to extended gravitational potential from the inner Pluto-Charon binary quench such secular evolution up to a crit ˜ 0.0035 au (˜0.09 R Hill the Hill radius; including all of the currently known satellites), outer orbits can be significantly altered. In particular, we find that co-planar rings and satellites should not exist beyond a crit; rather, satellites and dust particles in these regions secularly evolve on timescales ranging between 104 and 106 years, and quasi-periodically change their inclinations and eccentricities through secular evolution (Lidov-Kozai oscillations). Such oscillations can lead to high inclinations and eccentricities, constraining the range where such satellites (and dust particles) can exist without crossing the orbits of the inner satellites or crossing the outer Hill stability range. Outer satellites, if such exist are therefore likely to be irregular satellites, with orbits limited to be non-circular and/or highly inclined. Current observations, including the recent data from the New-Horizons mission explored only inner regions (<0.0012 au) and excluded the existence of additional satellites; however, the irregular satellites discussed here should reside farther, in the yet uncharted regions around Pluto.

Astrochronology of the Anisian stage (Middle Triassic) at the Guandao reference section, South China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Mingsong; Huang, Chunju; Hinnov, Linda; Chen, Weizhe; Ogg, James; Tian, Wei

2018-01-01

A high-precision global timescale for the Early and Middle Triassic is the key to understanding the nature, pattern and rates of biotic recovery following the end-Permian mass extinction. The Guandao section of Guizhou Province of South China is an important reference section for the magnetic polarity pattern, conodont datums, geochemical anomalies and interpreted temperature history through the Anisian (Middle Triassic). We analyzed the high-resolution gamma-ray and magnetic susceptibility series from the complete Anisian stage. Intensity variations are indicative of fluctuating terrestrial clay influxes showing strong signals that match predicted astronomical solutions for eccentricity and precession. Astronomical tuning of these series to interpreted 405-kyr long-eccentricity cycles yields a 5.3 Myr duration for the Anisian at Guandao. When combined with the astrochronology of the Early Triassic, then the projected age of the Anisian-Ladinian boundary relative to the base-Triassic date of 251.9 Ma is 241.5 ± 0.1 Ma. This provides a 10-Myr reference timescale for other key geological events, including conodont zones, geomagnetic polarity chrons, rates of marine carbon- and oxygen isotope excursions and global sea-level changes, that were associated with the repeated biotic crises and recovery episodes after the end-Permian mass extinction. The middle Anisian humid phase in ca. 244-244.5 Ma was probably a global event, which may have been linked to the middle Anisian warming event and sea-level change. Sea-level fluctuations at Guandao generally correlate with those in western Tethyan and Boreal regions in time, confirming sea-level changes during the Anisian were of eustatic origin.

The formation of Kuiper-belt binaries through exchange reactions.

PubMed

Funato, Yoko; Makino, Junichiro; Hut, Piet; Kokubo, Eiichiro; Kinoshita, Daisuke

2004-02-05

Recent observations have revealed that an unexpectedly high fraction--a few per cent--of the trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs) that inhabit the Kuiper belt are binaries. The components have roughly equal masses, with very eccentric orbits that are wider than a hundred times the radius of the primary. Standard theories of binary asteroid formation tend to produce close binaries with circular orbits, so two models have been proposed to explain the unique characteristics of the TNOs. Both models, however, require extreme assumptions regarding the size distribution of the TNOs. Here we report a mechanism that is capable of producing binary TNOs with the observed properties during the early stages of their formation and growth. The only required assumption is that the TNOs were initially formed through gravitational instabilities in the protoplanetary dust disk. The basis of the mechanism is an exchange reaction in which a binary whose primary component is much more massive than the secondary interacts with a third body, whose mass is comparable to that of the primary. The low-mass secondary component is ejected and replaced by the third body in a wide but eccentric orbit.

XMM-NEWTON MONITORING OF THE CLOSE PRE-MAIN-SEQUENCE BINARY AK SCO. EVIDENCE OF TIDE-DRIVEN FILLING OF THE INNER GAP IN THE CIRCUMBINARY DISK

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gomez de Castro, Ana Ines; Lopez-Santiago, Javier; Talavera, Antonio

2013-03-20

AK Sco stands out among pre-main-sequence binaries because of its prominent ultraviolet excess, the high eccentricity of its orbit, and the strong tides driven by it. AK Sco consists of two F5-type stars that get as close as 11 R{sub *} at periastron passage. The presence of a dense (n{sub e} {approx} 10{sup 11} cm{sup -3}) extended envelope has been unveiled recently. In this article, we report the results from an XMM-Newton-based monitoring of the system. We show that at periastron, X-ray and UV fluxes are enhanced by a factor of {approx}3 with respect to the apastron values. The X-raymore » radiation is produced in an optically thin plasma with T {approx} 6.4 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 6} K and it is found that the N{sub H} column density rises from 0.35 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 21} cm{sup -2} at periastron to 1.11 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 21} cm{sup -2} at apastron, in good agreement with previous polarimetric observations. The UV emission detected in the Optical Monitor band seems to be caused by the reprocessing of the high-energy magnetospheric radiation on the circumstellar material. Further evidence of the strong magnetospheric disturbances is provided by the detection of line broadening of 278.7 km s{sup -1} in the N V line with Hubble Space Telescope/Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph. Numerical simulations of the mass flow from the circumbinary disk to the components have been carried out. They provide a consistent scenario with which to interpret AK Sco observations. We show that the eccentric orbit acts like a gravitational piston. At apastron, matter is dragged efficiently from the inner disk border, filling the inner gap and producing accretion streams that end as ring-like structures around each component of the system. At periastron, the ring-like structures come into contact, leading to angular momentum loss, and thus producing an accretion outburst.« less

Full Dynamic Reactions in the Basic Shaft Bearings of Big Band Saw Machines

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marinov, Boycho

2013-03-01

The band saws machines are a certain class woodworking machines for longitudinal or transversal cutting as well as for curvilinear wood cutting. These machines saw the wood through a band-saw blade and two feeding wheels. These wheels usually are very large and they are produced with inaccuracies. The centre of mass of the disc is displaced from the axis of rotation of the distance e (eccentricity) and the axis of the disk makes an angle with the axis of rotation. In this paper, the dy- namic reactions in the bearings of the basic shaft, which drives the band saw machines, are analyzed. These reactions are caused by the external loading and the kinematics and the mass characteristics of the rotating disk. The expressions for the full dynamic reactions are obtained. These expressions allow the parameters of the machines to be chosen in such a way that the loading in the shaft and the bearings to be minimal.

Cepheid Period-Luminosity Relation and Kinematics Based on the Revised Hipparcos Catalogue

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, H.; Shen, M.; Zhu, Z.

2011-12-01

The revised Hipparcos catalogue was released by van Leeuwen in 2007. The revised parallaxes of the classical Cepheids yield the zero-point of the period-luminosity relation ρ=-1.37± 0.07 in the optical BV bands, which is 0.06mag fainter than that given by Feast & Catchpole from the old Hipparcos data. Moreover, we discuss the kinematic parameters of the Galaxy based on an axisymmetric model. The Oort constants are A=17.42± 1.17km s-1kpc-1, B=-12.46± 0.86km s-1kpc-1, and the peculiar motion of the Sun is (12.58±1.09,14.52± 1.06, 8.98±0.98)km s-1. Using a dynamical model for an assumed elliptical disk, a weak elliptical potential of the disk is found with eccentricity ɛ(R0)=0.067± 0.036 and the direction of minor axis φb=31.7°± 14.5°.

From Measure Zero to Measure Hero: Periodic Kerr Orbits and Gravitational Wave Physics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Perez-Giz, Gabriel

2011-12-01

A direct observational detection of gravitational waves -- perhaps the most fundamental prediction of a theory of curved spacetime -- looms close at hand. Stellar mass compact objects spiraling into supermassive black holes have received particular attention as sources of gravitational waves detectable by space-based gravitational wave observatories. A well-established approach models such an extreme mass ratio inspirals (EMRI) as an adiabatic progression through a series of Kerr geodesics. Thus, the direct detection of gravitational radiation from EMRIs and the extraction of astrophysical information from those waveforms require a thorough knowledge of the underlying geodesic dynamics. This dissertation adopts a dynamical systems approach to the study of Kerr orbits, beginning with equatorial orbits. We deduce a topological taxonomy of orbits that hinges on a correspondence between periodic orbits and rational numbers. The taxonomy defines the entire dynamics, including aperiodic motion, since every orbit is in or near the periodic set. A remarkable implication of this periodic orbit taxonomy is that the simple precessing ellipse familiar from planetary orbits is not allowed in the strong-field regime. Instead, eccentric orbits trace out precessions of multi-leaf clovers in the final stages of inspiral. Furthermore, for any black hole, there is some orbital angular momentum value in the strong-field regime below which zoom-whirl behavior becomes unavoidable. We then generalize the taxonomy to help identify nonequatorial orbits whose radial and polar frequencies are rationally related, or in resonance. The thesis culminates by describing how those resonant orbits can be leveraged for an order of magnitude or more reduction in the computational cost of adiabatic order EMRI trajectories, which are so prohibitively expensive that no such relativistically correct inspirals have been generated to date.

HAT-P-11: Discovery of a Second Planet and a Clue to Understanding Exoplanet Obliquities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yee, Samuel W.; Petigura, Erik A.; Fulton, Benjamin J.; Knutson, Heather A.; Batygin, Konstantin; Bakos, Gáspár Á.; Hartman, Joel D.; Hirsch, Lea A.; Howard, Andrew W.; Isaacson, Howard; Kosiarek, Molly R.; Sinukoff, Evan; Weiss, Lauren M.

2018-06-01

HAT-P-11 is a mid-K dwarf that hosts one of the first Neptune-sized planets found outside the solar system. The orbit of HAT-P-11b is misaligned with the star’s spin—one of the few known cases of a misaligned planet orbiting a star less massive than the Sun. We find an additional planet in the system based on a decade of precision radial velocity (RV) measurements from Keck/High Resolution Echelle Spectrometer. HAT-P-11c is similar to Jupiter in its mass ({M}P\\sin i=1.6+/- 0.1 M J ) and orbital period (P={9.3}-0.5+1.0 year), but has a much more eccentric orbit (e = 0.60 ± 0.03). In our joint modeling of RV and stellar activity, we found an activity-induced RV signal of ∼7 {{m}} {{{s}}}-1, consistent with other active K dwarfs, but significantly smaller than the 31 {{m}} {{{s}}}-1 reflex motion due to HAT-P-11c. We investigated the dynamical coupling between HAT-P-11b and c as a possible explanation for HAT-P-11b’s misaligned orbit, finding that planet–planet Kozai interactions cannot tilt planet b’s orbit due to general relativistic precession; however, nodal precession operating on million year timescales is a viable mechanism to explain HAT-P-11b’s high obliquity. This leaves open the question of why HAT-P-11c may have such a tilted orbit. At a distance of 38 pc, the HAT-P-11 system offers rich opportunities for further exoplanet characterization through astrometry and direct imaging.

The high-mass star-forming core G35.2N: what have we learnt from SOFIA and ALMA observations?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zinnecker, Hans; Sandell, Goeran

2014-07-01

G35.2N is a luminouos, star forming core in a filamentary cloud at a distance of 2.2 kpc. It is associated with a thermal N-S radio jet and a misaligned NE-SW CO outflow observed both with SOFIA FORCAST (30 and 40 microns, ~4" resolution; Zhang, Tan, de Buizer et al. 2013) and with ALMA band 7 (850 micron line and continuum, 0.4" resolution; Sanchez-Monge, Cesaroni, Beltran et al. 2013, 2014). The ALMA observations revealed a NW-SE Keplerian rotating disk in the CH3CN molecule (Sanchez-Monge et al.) with an enclosed protostellar mass of 18 +/- 3 Mo, whose orientation is inconsistent with the N-S radio jet, and whose protostellar mass is marginally inconsistent with the one inferred from the SED modelling (20-34 Mo, L ~ 10(5) Lo; Zhang et al.) We review the various assumptions involved in the derivation of the disk interpretation and the SED modelling. The dynamical mass could be in the form of a close binary (two 9 Mo stars, say) in which case the predicted total luminosity would be 3 x 10(4) Lo, close to the actually observed one (as opposed to the modelled one, which takes into account the flashlight effect and unmeasured radiation that escapes along a bipolar cavity). One the other hand, if the inferred higher-luminosity model is correct, the disk interpretation of ALMA rotation curve may have to be challenged, and what seems like a nice disk might be a more complex dynamical structure, such as a warped or precessing disk around a binary protostar or a different (outflow-related) velocity-structure altogether. These observations show the complexity of the interpretation of multi-wavelength observations of high-mass star forming regions when viewed with different spatial resolutions.

Disk Disruptions and X-ray Intensity Excursions in Cyg X-2, LMC X-3 and Cyg X-3

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boyd, P. T.; Smale, A. P.

2001-05-01

The RXTE All Sky Monitor soft X-ray light curves of many X-ray binaries show long-term intensity variations (a.k.a "superorbital periodicities") that have been ascribed to precession of a warped, tilted accretion disk around the X-ray source. We have found that the excursion times between X-ray minima in Cyg X-2 can be characterized as a series of integer multiples of the 9.8 binary orbital period, (as opposed to the previously reported stable 77.7 day single periodicity, or a single modulation whose period changes slowly with time). While the data set is too short for a proper statistical analysis, it is clear that the length of any given intensity excursion cannot be used to predict the next (integer) excursion length in the series. In the black hole candidate system LMC X-3, the excursion times are shown to be related to each other by rational fractions. We find that the long term light curve of the unusual galactic X-ray jet source Cyg X-3 can also be described as a series of intensity excursions related to each other by integer multiples of a fundamental underlying clock. In the latter cases, the clock is apparently not related to the known binary periods. A unified physical model, involving both an inclined accretion disk and a fixed-probability disk disruption mechanism is presented, and compared with three-body scattering results. Each time the disk passes through the orbital plane it experiences a fixed probability P that it will disrupt. This model has testable predictions---the distribution of integers should resemble that of an atomic process with a characteristic half life. Further analysis can support or refute the model, and shed light on what system parameters effectively set the value of P.

Debris disks as signposts of terrestrial planet formation. II. Dependence of exoplanet architectures on giant planet and disk properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Raymond, S. N.; Armitage, P. J.; Moro-Martín, A.; Booth, M.; Wyatt, M. C.; Armstrong, J. C.; Mandell, A. M.; Selsis, F.; West, A. A.

2012-05-01

We present models for the formation of terrestrial planets, and the collisional evolution of debris disks, in planetary systems that contain multiple marginally unstable gas giants. We previously showed that in such systems, the dynamics of the giant planets introduces a correlation between the presence of terrestrial planets and cold dust, i.e., debris disks, which is particularly pronounced at λ ~ 70 μm. Here we present new simulations that show that this connection is qualitatively robust to a range of parameters: the mass distribution of the giant planets, the width and mass distribution of the outer planetesimal disk, and the presence of gas in the disk when the giant planets become unstable. We discuss how variations in these parameters affect the evolution. We find that systems with equal-mass giant planets undergo the most violent instabilities, and that these destroy both terrestrial planets and the outer planetesimal disks that produce debris disks. In contrast, systems with low-mass giant planets efficiently produce both terrestrial planets and debris disks. A large fraction of systems with low-mass (M ≲ 30 M⊕) outermost giant planets have final planetary separations that, scaled to the planets' masses, are as large or larger than the Saturn-Uranus and Uranus-Neptune separations in the solar system. We find that the gaps between these planets are not only dynamically stable to test particles, but are frequently populated by planetesimals. The possibility of planetesimal belts between outer giant planets should be taken into account when interpreting debris disk SEDs. In addition, the presence of ~ Earth-mass "seeds" in outer planetesimal disks causes the disks to radially spread to colder temperatures, and leads to a slow depletion of the outer planetesimal disk from the inside out. We argue that this may explain the very low frequency of >1 Gyr-old solar-type stars with observed 24 μm excesses. Our simulations do not sample the full range of plausible initial conditions for planetary systems. However, among the configurations explored, the best candidates for hosting terrestrial planets at ~1 AU are stars older than 0.1-1 Gyr with bright debris disks at 70 μm but with no currently-known giant planets. These systems combine evidence for the presence of ample rocky building blocks, with giant planet properties that are least likely to undergo destructive dynamical evolution. Thus, we predict two correlations that should be detected by upcoming surveys: an anti-correlation between debris disks and eccentric giant planets and a positive correlation between debris disks and terrestrial planets. Three movies associated to Figs. 1, 3, and 7 are available in electronic form at http://www.aanda.org

Exciting an Initially Cold Asteroid Belt Through a Planetary Instability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deienno, Rogerio; Izidoro, Andre; Morbidelli, Alessandro; Gomes, Rodney; Nesvorny, David; Raymond, Sean N.

2018-04-01

The main asteroid belt (MB) is low in mass but dynamically excited, with much larger eccentricities and inclinations than the planets. In recent years, the Grand Tack model has been the predominant model capable of reconciling the formation of the terrestrial planets with a depleted but excited MB. Despite this success, the Grand Tack is still not generally accepted because of uncertainties in orbital migration. It was recently proposed that chaotic early evolution of Jupiter and Saturn could excite the initially cold MB. However, hydrodynamical simulations predict that the giant planets should generally emerge from the gas disk phase on orbits characterized by resonant and regular motion. Here we propose a new mechanism to excite the MB during the giant planets' ('Nice model') instability, which is expected to have included repeated close encounters between Jupiter and one or more ice giants ('Jumping Jupiter' -- JJ). We show that when Jupiter temporarily reaches a high enough level of excitation, both in eccentricity and inclination, it induces strong forced vectors of eccentricity and inclination within the MB region. Because during the JJ instability Jupiter's orbit 'jumps' around, forced vectors keep changing both in magnitude and phase throughout the whole MB region. The entire cold primordial MB can thus be excited as a natural outcome of the JJ instability. Furthermore, we show that the subsequent evolution of the Solar System is capable of reshaping the resultant MB to its present day orbital state, and that a strong mass depletion is always associated to the JJ instability phase.

Discovery of a Transition to Global Spin-Up in EXO 2030+375

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wilson, Colleen A.; Fabregat, Juan; Coburn, Wayne

2005-01-01

EXO 2030+375, a 42 second transient X-ray pulsar with a Be star companion, has been observed to undergo an outburst at nearly every periastron passage for the last 13.5 years. From 1994 through 2002, the global trend in the pulsar spin frequency was spin-down. Using RXTE data from 2003 September, we have observed a transition to global spin-up in EXO 203G+375. Although the spin frequency observations are sparse, the relative spin-up between 2002 June and 2003 September observations along with an overall brightening of the outbursts since mid 2002 observed with the RXTE ASM accompanied by an increase in density of the disk indicated by infrared magnitudes suggest that the pattern observed with BATSE of a roughly constant spin frequency, followed by spin-up, followed by spin-down is repeating. If so this pattern has approximately an 11 year period, similar to the 15 plus or minus 3 year period derived by Wilson et al. (2002) for the precession period of a one-armed oscillation in the Be disk. If this pattern is indeed repeating, we predict a transition from spin-up to spin-down in 2005.

Improved methods for simulating nearly extremal binary black holes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scheel, Mark A.; Giesler, Matthew; Hemberger, Daniel A.; Lovelace, Geoffrey; Kuper, Kevin; Boyle, Michael; Szilágyi, Béla; Kidder, Lawrence E.

2015-05-01

Astrophysical black holes could be nearly extremal (that is, rotating nearly as fast as possible); therefore, nearly extremal black holes could be among the binaries that current and future gravitational-wave observatories will detect. Predicting the gravitational waves emitted by merging black holes requires numerical-relativity simulations, but these simulations are especially challenging when one or both holes have mass m and spin S exceeding the Bowen-York limit of S/{{m}2}=0.93. We present improved methods that enable us to simulate merging, nearly extremal black holes (i.e., black holes with S/{{m}2}\\gt 0.93) more robustly and more efficiently. We use these methods to simulate an unequal-mass, precessing binary black hole (BBH) coalescence, where the larger black hole has S/{{m}2}=0.99. We also use these methods to simulate a non-precessing BBH coalescence, where both black holes have S/{{m}2}=0.994, nearly reaching the Novikov-Thorne upper bound for holes spun up by thin accretion disks. We demonstrate numerical convergence and estimate the numerical errors of the waveforms; we compare numerical waveforms from our simulations with post-Newtonian and effective-one-body waveforms; we compare the evolution of the black hole masses and spins with analytic predictions; and we explore the effect of increasing spin magnitude on the orbital dynamics (the so-called ‘orbital hangup’ effect).

Terrestrial Planet Formation Around Close Binary Stars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lissauer, Jack J.; Quintana, Elisa V.

2003-01-01

Most stars reside in multiple star systems; however, virtually all models of planetary growth have assumed an isolated single star. Numerical simulations of the collapse of molecular cloud cores to form binary stars suggest that disks will form within such systems. Observations indirectly suggest disk material around one or both components within young binary star systems. If planets form at the right places within such circumstellar disks, they can remain in stable orbits within the binary star systems for eons. We are simulating the late stages of growth of terrestrial planets around close binary stars, using a new, ultrafast, symplectic integrator that we have developed for this purpose. The sum of the masses of the two stars is one solar mass, and the initial disk of planetary embryos is the same as that used for simulating the late stages of terrestrial planet growth within our Solar System and in the Alpha Centauri wide binary star system. Giant planets &are included in the simulations, as they are in most simulations of the late stages of terrestrial planet accumulation in our Solar System. When the stars travel on a circular orbit with semimajor axis of up to 0.1 AU about their mutual center of mass, the planetary embryos grow into a system of terrestrial planets that is statistically identical to those formed about single stars, but a larger semimajor axis and/or a significantly eccentric binary orbit can lead to significantly more dynamically hot terrestrial planet systems.

Spectroscopic Observations of the Mass Donor Star in SS 433

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hillwig, T. C.; Gies, D. R.

2008-03-01

The microquasar SS 433 is an interacting massive binary consisting of an evolved mass donor and a compact companion that ejects relativistic jets. The mass donor was previously identified through spectroscopic observations of absorption lines in the blue part of the spectrum that showed Doppler shifts associated with orbital motion and strength variations related to the orbital modulation of the star-to-disk flux ratio and to disk obscuration. However, subsequent observations revealed other absorption features that lacked these properties and that were probably formed in the disk gas outflow. We present follow-up observations of SS 433 at orbital and precession phases identical to those from several previous studies, with the goals of confirming the detection of the mass donor spectrum and providing more reliable masses for the two system components. We show that the absorption features present as well as those previously observed almost certainly belong to the mass donor star, and find revised masses of 12.3 ± 3.3 and 4.3 ± 0.8 M⊙ for the mass donor and compact object, respectively. Based on observations obtained at the Gemini Observatory, which is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc., under a cooperative agreement with the NSF on behalf of the Gemini partnership: the National Science Foundation (US), the Science and Technology Facilities Council (UK), the National Research Council (Canada), CONICYT (Chile), the Australian Research Council (Australia), CNPq (Brazil), and SECYT (Argentina).

Timing of the Toarcian Ocean Anoxic Event (Early Jurassic) from correlation of astronomically forced global stratigraphic sections

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, C.; Hinnov, L. A.; Hesselbo, S. P.

2012-12-01

The Early Toarcian Oceanic Anoxic Event (OAE) in the Early Jurassic Period is associated with a major negative carbon isotope excursion (CIE), mass extinction, marine transgression and global warming. The Toarcian OAE is thought to have been caused by flood basalt magmatism, and may have been a trigger for mass extinction. However, these proposed causes of the Toarcian OAE and associated biotic crisis are not adequately resolved by a precise chronology. The duration of the Toarcian OAE has been estimated to be anywhere from ~0.12 to ~0.9 Myr, most recently 0.74 to 3.26 Myr from U-Pb dating. The CIE associated with the Toarcian OAE has a similar pattern at numerous localities, and there is evidence for astronomical forcing of marine carbon isotopes. Here we estimate a duration of ~625 kyr for the main negative CIE, ~860 kyr for the polymorphum zone and >1.58 Myr for the levisoni zone based on 405-kyr astronomical eccentricity tuning of the marine section at Peniche (Portugal). This 405-kyr tuned series provides a ~2.5 Myr continuous high-resolution chronology through the Early Toarcian. There are 6, or possibly 7 short eccentricity cycles in the main CIE interval at Peniche. To confirm this astronomically based estimate, we analyzed five other sections at Yorkshire (UK), Dotternhausen (Germany), Valdorbia (Italy), Mechowo (Poland) and Serrucho, Neuquén (Argentina), from marine and terrestrial carbon isotopic series. These six stratigraphic sections from Early Jurassic western Tethys and eastern Panthalassa record the Toarcian OAE with ~6 prominent carbon isotope cycles in the CIE that provide us a 600 ± 100 kyr duration. The Peniche 405 kyr-tuned series indicates that the pre- and post-CIE intervals experienced strong precession-eccentricity-forced climate change, whereas the CIE interval is marked by dominant obliquity forcing. These dramatic and abrupt changes in astronomical response in the carbon isotopes point to fundamental shifting in the Early Toarcian paleoclimate system that is directly linked to the global carbon cycle.

Accretion and Magnetic Reconnection in the Pre-Main Sequence Binary DQ Tau as Revealed through High-Cadence Optical Photometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tofflemire, Benjamin M.; Mathieu, Robert D.; Ardila, David R.; Akeson, Rachel L.; Ciardi, David R.; Herczeg, Gregory; Johns-Krull, Christopher M.; Vodniza, Alberto

2016-01-01

Protostellar disks are integral to the formation and evolution of low-mass stars and planets. A paradigm for the star-disk interaction has been extensively developed through theory and observation in the case of single stars. Most stars, however, form in binaries or higher order systems where the distribution of disk material and mass flows are more complex. Pre-main sequence (PMS) binary stars can have up to three accretion disks: two circumstellar disks and a circumbinary disk separated by a dynamically cleared gap. Theory suggests that mass may periodically flow in an accretion stream from a circumbinary disk across the gap onto circumstellar disks or stellar surfaces.The archetype for this theory is the eccentric, PMS binary DQ Tau. Moderate-cadence broadband photometry (~10 observations per orbital period) has shown pulsed brightening events near most periastron passages, just as numerical simulations would predict for a binary of similar orbital parameters. While this observed behavior supports the accretion stream theory, it is not exclusive to variable accretion rates. Magnetic reconnection events (flares) during the collision of stellar magnetospheres at periastron (when separated by 8 stellar radii) could produce the same periodic, broadband behavior when observed at a one-day cadence. Further evidence for magnetic activity comes from gyrosynchrotron, radio flares (typical of stellar flares) observed near multiple periastron passages. To reveal the physical mechanism seen in DQ Tau's moderate-cadence observations, we have obtained continuous, moderate-cadence, multi-band photometry over 10 orbital periods (LCOGT 1m network), supplemented with 32 nights of minute-cadence photometry centered on 4 separate periastron passages (WIYN 0.9m; APO ARCSAT). With detailed lightcurve morphologies we distinguish between the gradual rise and fall on multi-day time-scales predicted by the accretion stream theory and the hour time-scale, rapid-rise and exponential-decay typical of flares. While both are present, accretion dominates the observed variability providing evidence for the accretion stream theory and detailed mass accretion rates for comparison with numerical simulations.

Torque-mixing magnetic resonance spectroscopy (Conference Presentation)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Losby, Joseph; Fani Sani, Fatemeh; Grandmont, Dylan T.; Diao, Zhu; Belov, Miro; Burgess, Jacob A.; Compton, Shawn R.; Hiebert, Wayne K.; Vick, Doug; Mohammad, Kaveh; Salimi, Elham; Bridges, Gregory E.; Thomson, Douglas J.; Freeman, Mark R.

2016-10-01

An optomechanical platform for magnetic resonance spectroscopy will be presented. The method relies on frequency mixing of orthogonal RF fields to yield a torque amplitude (arising from the transverse component of a precessing dipole moment, in analogy to magnetic resonance detection by electromagnetic induction) on a miniaturized resonant mechanical torsion sensor. In contrast to induction, the method is fully broadband and allows for simultaneous observation of the equilibrium net magnetic moment alongside the associated magnetization dynamics. To illustrate the method, comprehensive electron spin resonance spectra of a mesoscopic, single-crystal YIG disk at room temperature will be presented, along with situations where torque spectroscopy can offer complimentary information to existing magnetic resonance detection techniques. The authors are very grateful for support from NSERC, CRC, AITF, and NINT. Reference: Science 350, 798 (2015).

HD 106906 b: A PLANETARY-MASS COMPANION OUTSIDE A MASSIVE DEBRIS DISK

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bailey, Vanessa; Reiter, Megan; Morzinski, Katie

2014-01-01

We report the discovery of a planetary-mass companion, HD 106906 b, with the new Magellan Adaptive Optics (MagAO) + Clio2 system. The companion is detected with Clio2 in three bands: J, K{sub S} , and L', and lies at a projected separation of 7.''1 (650 AU). It is confirmed to be comoving with its 13 ± 2 Myr F5 host using Hubble Space Telescope Advanced Camera for Surveys astrometry over a time baseline of 8.3 yr. DUSTY and COND evolutionary models predict that the companion's luminosity corresponds to a mass of 11 ± 2 M {sub Jup}, making it one ofmore » the most widely separated planetary-mass companions known. We classify its Magellan/Folded-Port InfraRed Echellette J/H/K spectrum as L2.5 ± 1; the triangular H-band morphology suggests an intermediate surface gravity. HD 106906 A, a pre-main-sequence Lower Centaurus Crux member, was initially targeted because it hosts a massive debris disk detected via infrared excess emission in unresolved Spitzer imaging and spectroscopy. The disk emission is best fit by a single component at 95 K, corresponding to an inner edge of 15-20 AU and an outer edge of up to 120 AU. If the companion is on an eccentric (e > 0.65) orbit, it could be interacting with the outer edge of the disk. Close-in, planet-like formation followed by scattering to the current location would likely disrupt the disk and is disfavored. Furthermore, we find no additional companions, though we could detect similar-mass objects at projected separations >35 AU. In situ formation in a binary-star-like process is more probable, although the companion-to-primary mass ratio, at <1%, is unusually small.« less

Orbital evolution of small binary asteroids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ćuk, Matija; Nesvorný, David

2010-06-01

About 15% of both near-Earth and main-belt asteroids with diameters below 10 km are now known to be binary. These small asteroid binaries are relatively uniform and typically contain a fast-spinning, flattened primary and a synchronously rotating, elongated secondary that is 20-40% as large (in diameter) as the primary. The principal formation mechanism for these binaries is now thought to be YORP (Yarkovsky-O'Keefe-Radzievskii-Paddack) effect induced spin-up of the primary followed by mass loss and accretion of the secondary from the released material. It has previously been suggested (Ćuk, M. [2007]. Astrophys. J. 659, L57-L60) that the present population of small binary asteroids is in a steady state between production through YORP and destruction through binary YORP (BYORP), which should increase or decrease secondary's orbit, depending on the satellite's shape. However, BYORP-driven evolution has not been directly modeled until now. Here we construct a simple numerical model of the binary's orbital as well the secondary's rotational dynamics which includes BYORP and selected terms representing main solar perturbations. We find that many secondaries should be vulnerable to chaotic rotation even for relatively low-eccentricity mutual orbits. We also find that the precession of the mutual orbit for typical small binary asteroids might be dominated by the perturbations from the prolate and librating secondary, rather than the oblate primary. When we evolve the mutual orbit by BYORP we find that the indirect effects on the binary's eccentricity (through the coupling between the orbit and the secondary's spin) dominate over direct ones caused by the BYORP acceleration. In particular, outward evolution causes eccentricity to increase and eventually triggers chaotic rotation of the secondary. We conclude that the most likely outcome will be reestablishing of the synchronous lock with a "flipped" secondary which would then evolve back in. For inward evolution we find an initial decrease of eccentricity and secondary's librations, to be followed by later increase. We think that it is likely that various forms of dissipation we did not model may damp the secondary's librations close to the primary, allowing for further inward evolution and a possible merger. We conclude that a merger or a tidal disruption of the secondary are the most likely outcomes of the BYORP evolution. Dissociation into heliocentric pairs by BYORP alone should be very difficult, and satellite loss might be restricted to the minority of systems containing more than one satellite at the time.

THE COMBINED EFFECT OF PRECESSION AND CONVECTION ON THE DYNAMO ACTION

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wei, Xing, E-mail: xing.wei@sjtu.edu.cn; Princeton University Observatory, Princeton, NJ 08544

2016-08-20

To understand the generation of the Earth’s magnetic field and those of other planets, we numerically investigate the combined effect of precession and convection on dynamo action in a spherical shell. Convection alone, precession alone, and the combined effect of convection and precession are studied at the low Ekman number at which the precessing flow is already unstable. The key result is that although precession or convection alone are not strong enough to support the dynamo action, the combined effect of precession and convection can support the dynamo action because of the resonance of precessional and convective instabilities. This resultmore » may explain why the geodynamo has been maintained for such a long time compared to the Martian dynamo.« less

Motion of the Jovian commensurability resonances and the character of the celestial mechanics in the asteroid zone - Implication for kinematics and structure

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Torbett, M.; Smoluchowski, R.

1982-01-01

The motion of the Jovian commensurability resonances during the early evolution of the solar system induced by the dissipation of the accretion disk results in fundamental differences in the celestial mechanics of objects over which a resonance passes from that observed for a stationary resonance. Objects experiencing resonance passage acquire irreversible increases of average eccentricity to large values accounting for the present-day random velocities of the asteroids. Semi-major axes are similarly irreversibly decreased by amounts capable of clearing the Kirkwood gaps. The gap widths are in agreement with observation.

Exotic Earths: forming habitable worlds with giant planet migration.

PubMed

Raymond, Sean N; Mandell, Avi M; Sigurdsson, Steinn

2006-09-08

Close-in giant planets (e.g., "hot Jupiters") are thought to form far from their host stars and migrate inward, through the terrestrial planet zone, via torques with a massive gaseous disk. Here we simulate terrestrial planet growth during and after giant planet migration. Several-Earth-mass planets also form interior to the migrating jovian planet, analogous to recently discovered "hot Earths." Very-water-rich, Earth-mass planets form from surviving material outside the giant planet's orbit, often in the habitable zone and with low orbital eccentricities. More than a third of the known systems of giant planets may harbor Earth-like planets.

Rockwell-Rocketdyne flywheel test results

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Steele, R.S. Jr.; Babelay, E.F. Jr.; Sutton, B.J.

1981-01-01

Results are presented of the spin test evaluation of the Rockwell-Rocketdyne RPE-10 design flywheel at the Oak Ridge Flywheel Evaluation Laboratory. Details of the static evaluation, including measures of weight, inertia, natural frequencies, and radiography, are also presented. The flywheel was subjected to seven spin cycles with a maximum of 383 rps, 105% of design speed. At that speed, the energy stored was 1.94 kWhr at 36.1 Whr/kg. The maximum speed was limited by the inability of the test facility to accommodate the increasing eccentric shift of both hub disks with increasing speed. No material degradation was observed during themore » testing.« less

Rockwell-Rocketdyne flywheel test results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Steele, R. S., Jr.; Babelay, E. F., Jr.; Sutton, B. J.

1981-01-01

Results are presented of the spin test evaluation of the Rockwell-Rocketdyne RPE-10 design flywheel at the Oak Ridge Flywheel Evaluation Laboratory. Details of the static evaluation, including measures of weight, inertia, natural frequencies, and radiography, are also presented. The flywheel was subjected to seven spin cycles with a maximum of 383 rps, 105% of design speed. At that speed, the energy stored was 1.94 kWhr at 36.1 Whr/kg. The maximum speed was limited by the inability of the test facility to accommodate the increasing eccentric shift of both hub disks with increasing speed. No material degradation was observed during the testing.

Ballistic missile precession frequency extraction based on the Viterbi & Kalman algorithm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Longlong; Xie, Yongjie; Xu, Daping; Ren, Li

2015-12-01

Radar Micro-Doppler signatures are of great potential for target detection, classification and recognition. In the mid-course phase, warheads flying outside the atmosphere are usually accompanied by precession. Precession may induce additional frequency modulations on the returned radar signal, which can be regarded as a unique signature and provide additional information that is complementary to existing target recognition methods. The main purpose of this paper is to establish a more actual precession model of conical ballistic missile warhead and extract the precession parameters by utilizing Viterbi & Kalman algorithm, which improving the precession frequency estimation accuracy evidently , especially in low SNR.

Long-Term Evolution of Orbits About a Precessing Oblate Planet: 3. A Semianalytical and a Purely Numerical Approach

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-11-01

Keywords Orbital elements · Osculating elements · Mars · Natural satellites · Natural satellites’ orbits · Deimos · Equinoctial precession · The...theory of orbits about a precessing and nutating oblate planet, in terms of osculating elements defined in a frame associated with the equator of...solar-gravity-perturbed satellite orbiting an oblate planet subject to nonuniform equinoctial precession. This nonuniformity of precession is caused by

On the Existence of Regular and Irregular Outer Moons Orbiting the Pluto–Charon System

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Michaely, Erez; Perets, Hagai B.; Grishin, Evgeni

The dwarf planet Pluto is known to host an extended system of five co-planar satellites. Previous studies have explored the formation and evolution of the system in isolation, neglecting perturbative effects by the Sun. Here we show that secular evolution due to the Sun can strongly affect the evolution of outer satellites and rings in the system, if such exist. Although precession due to extended gravitational potential from the inner Pluto–Charon binary quench such secular evolution up to a {sub crit} ∼ 0.0035 au (∼0.09 R {sub Hill} the Hill radius; including all of the currently known satellites), outer orbitsmore » can be significantly altered. In particular, we find that co-planar rings and satellites should not exist beyond a {sub crit}; rather, satellites and dust particles in these regions secularly evolve on timescales ranging between 10{sup 4} and 10{sup 6} years, and quasi-periodically change their inclinations and eccentricities through secular evolution (Lidov–Kozai oscillations). Such oscillations can lead to high inclinations and eccentricities, constraining the range where such satellites (and dust particles) can exist without crossing the orbits of the inner satellites or crossing the outer Hill stability range. Outer satellites, if such exist are therefore likely to be irregular satellites, with orbits limited to be non-circular and/or highly inclined. Current observations, including the recent data from the New-Horizons mission explored only inner regions (<0.0012 au) and excluded the existence of additional satellites; however, the irregular satellites discussed here should reside farther, in the yet uncharted regions around Pluto.« less

Exploding Satellites—The Tidal Debris of the Ultra-faint Dwarf Galaxy Hercules

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Küpper, Andreas H. W.; Johnston, Kathryn V.; Mieske, Steffen; Collins, Michelle L. M.; Tollerud, Erik J.

2017-01-01

The ultra-faint satellite galaxy Hercules has a strongly elongated and irregular morphology with detections of tidal features up to 1.3 deg (3 kpc) from its center. This suggests that Hercules may be dissolving under the Milky Way’s gravitational influence, and hence could be a tidal stream in formation rather than a bound, dark-matter-dominated satellite. Using Bayesian inference in combination with N-body simulations, we show that Hercules has to be on a very eccentric orbit (ɛ ≈ 0.95) within the Milky Way in this scenario. On such an orbit, Hercules “explodes” as a consequence of the last tidal shock at pericenter 0.5 Gyr ago. It is currently decelerating toward the apocenter of its orbit with a velocity of V = 157 km s-1—of which 99% is directed radially outwards. Due to differential orbital plane precession caused by the non-spherical nature of the Galactic potential, its debris fans out nearly perpendicular to its orbit. This explains why Hercules has an elongated shape without showing a distance gradient along its main body: it is in fact a stream that is significantly broader than it is long. In other words, it is moving perpendicular to its apparent major axis. In this scenario, there is a spike in the radial velocity profile created by the dominant debris component that formed through the last pericenter passage. This is similar to kinematic substructure that is observed in the real Hercules. Modeling a satellite on such a highly eccentric orbit is strongly dependent on the form of the Galactic potential. We therefore propose that detailed kinematic investigation of Hercules and other exploding satellite candidates can yield strong constraints on the potential of the Milky Way.

General relativistic dynamics of an extreme mass-ratio binary interacting with an external body

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Huan; Casals, Marc

2017-10-01

We study the dynamics of a hierarchical three-body system in the general relativistic regime: an extreme mass-ratio inner binary under the tidal influence of an external body. The inner binary consists of a central Schwarzschild black hole and a test body moving around it. We discuss three types of tidal effects on the orbit of the test body. First, the angular momentum of the inner binary precesses around the angular momentum of the outer binary. Second, the tidal field drives a "transient resonance" when the radial and azimuthal frequencies are commensurable. In contrast with resonances driven by the gravitational self-force, this tidal-driven resonance may boost the orbital angular momentum and eccentricity (a relativistic version of the Kozai-Lidov effect). Finally, for an orbit-dynamical effect during the nonresonant phase, we calculate the correction to the innermost stable circular (mean) orbit due to the tidal interaction. Hierarchical three-body systems are potential sources for future space-based gravitational wave missions, and the tidal effects that we find could contribute significantly to their waveform.

The High Time Resolution Universe Pulsar Survey - XIII. PSR J1757-1854, the most accelerated binary pulsar

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cameron, A. D.; Champion, D. J.; Kramer, M.; Bailes, M.; Barr, E. D.; Bassa, C. G.; Bhandari, S.; Bhat, N. D. R.; Burgay, M.; Burke-Spolaor, S.; Eatough, R. P.; Flynn, C. M. L.; Freire, P. C. C.; Jameson, A.; Johnston, S.; Karuppusamy, R.; Keith, M. J.; Levin, L.; Lorimer, D. R.; Lyne, A. G.; McLaughlin, M. A.; Ng, C.; Petroff, E.; Possenti, A.; Ridolfi, A.; Stappers, B. W.; van Straten, W.; Tauris, T. M.; Tiburzi, C.; Wex, N.

2018-03-01

We report the discovery of PSR J1757-1854, a 21.5-ms pulsar in a highly-eccentric, 4.4-h orbit with a neutron star (NS) companion. PSR J1757-1854 exhibits some of the most extreme relativistic parameters of any known pulsar, including the strongest relativistic effects due to gravitational-wave damping, with a merger time of 76 Myr. Following a 1.6-yr timing campaign, we have measured five post-Keplerian parameters, yielding the two component masses (mp = 1.3384(9) M⊙ and mc = 1.3946(9) M⊙) plus three tests of general relativity, which the theory passes. The larger mass of the NS companion provides important clues regarding the binary formation of PSR J1757-1854. With simulations suggesting 3-σ measurements of both the contribution of Lense-Thirring precession to the rate of change of the semimajor axis and the relativistic deformation of the orbit within ˜7-9 yr, PSR J1757-1854 stands out as a unique laboratory for new tests of gravitational theories.

The Moon's orbit history and inferences on its origin

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Conway, B. A.

1984-01-01

A frequency dependent model of tidal friction was used to determine the evolution of the Earth-Moon system. The analysis considers the lunar orbit eccentricity and inclination, the solar tide on the Earth, Earth oblateness, and higher order terms in the tidal potential. A solution of the equations governing the precession of the Earth's rotational angular momentum and the lunar ascending node is found. The history is consistent with a capture origin for the Moon. It rules out the origin of the Moon by fission. Results are shown for a range of assumed values for the lunar tidal dissipation. Tidal dissipation within the Moon, during what would be the immediate postcapture period, is shown to be capable of significantly heating the Moon. The immediate postcapture orbit has a periapsis within the Earth's Roche limit. Capture into resonance with the Earth's gravitational field as this orbit tidally evolves is suggested to be a mechanism to prevent so close, an approach. It is shown that the probability of such capture is negligibly small and alternative hypotheses for the survival of the Roche limit passage is offered.

Hubble Space Telescope Observations of the HD 202628 Debris Disk

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Krist, John E.; Stapelfeldt, Karl R.; Bryden, Geoffrey; Plavchan, Peter

2012-01-01

A ring-shaped debris disk around the G2V star HD 202628 (d = 24.4 pc) was imaged in scattered light at visible wavelengths using the coronagraphic mode of the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph on the Hubble Space Telescope. The ring is inclined by approx.64deg from face-on, based on the apparent major/minor axis ratio, with the major axis aligned along PA = 130deg. It has inner and outer radii (> 50% maximum surface brightness) of 139 AU and 193 AU in the northwest ansae and 161 AU and 223 AU in the southeast ((Delta)r/r approx. = 0.4). The maximum visible radial extent is approx. 254 AU. With a mean surface brightnesses of V approx. = 24 mag arcsec.(sup -2), this is the faintest debris disk observed to date in reflected light. The center of the ring appears offset from the star by approx.28 AU (deprojected). An ellipse fit to the inner edge has an eccentricity of 0.18 and a = 158 AU. This offset, along with the relatively sharp inner edge of the ring, suggests the influence of a planetary-mass companion. There is a strong similarity with the debris ring around Fomalhaut, though HD 202628 is a more mature star with an estimated age of about 2 Gyr. We also provide surface brightness limits for nine other stars in our study with strong Spitzer excesses around which no debris disks were detected in scattered light (HD 377, HD 7590, HD 38858, HD 45184, HD 73350, HD 135599, HD 145229, HD 187897, and HD 201219).

Validating early stellar encounters as the cause of dynamically hot planetary systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kalas, Paul

2017-08-01

One of the key questions concerning exoplanetary systems is why some are dynamically cold, such as TRAPPIST-1, whereas others are dynamically hot, with highly eccentric planets and/or perturbed debris disks. Dynamical theory describes a variety of plausible mechanisms, but few can be empirically tested since the critical dynamical evolution that sets the final planetary architecture is short-lived. One rare system available for testing dynamical upheaval scenarios is the 400 Myr-old Fomalhaut system. In Cycle 22 we coronagraphically studied Fomalhaut C, which is a wide M-dwarf companion to Fomalhaut A, in order to test our prediction that the unresolved, Herschel-detected debris disk around Fomalhaut C may be highly perturbed because of a recent close interaction with Fomalhaut A. Using HST/STIS we discovered a highly asymmetric feature extending northward of Fomalhaut C by 3 that resembles our model of a dynamically hot disk. However, it may be a background galaxy and the definitive test of its physical relationship to Fomalhaut C is to demonstrate common proper motion. Using Keck adaptive optics follow-up observations in J band, we did not detect the feature, and hence follow-up HST observations are the only way to test for common proper motion. Here we request a very small program to revisit Fomalhaut C with STIS in order to validate the initial discovery as a debris disk (1 proper motion between HST epochs). The astrophysical significance is demonstrating that the Fomalhaut system is a valuable case for studying dynamical upheavals via stellar encounters that are inferred to occur in the evolution of many other planetary systems.

Hubble Space Telescope Observations of the HD 202628 Debris Disk

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krist, John E.; Stapelfeldt, Karl R.; Bryden, Geoffrey; Plavchan, Peter

2012-08-01

A ring-shaped debris disk around the G2V star HD 202628 (d = 24.4 pc) was imaged in scattered light at visible wavelengths using the coronagraphic mode of the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph on the Hubble Space Telescope. The ring is inclined by ~64° from face-on, based on the apparent major/minor axis ratio, with the major axis aligned along P.A. = 130°. It has inner and outer radii (>50% maximum surface brightness) of 139 AU and 193 AU in the northwest ansae and 161 AU and 223 AU in the southeast (Δr/r ≈ 0.4). The maximum visible radial extent is ~254 AU. With mean surface brightness of V ≈ 24 mag arcsec-2, this is the faintest debris disk observed to date in reflected light. The center of the ring appears offset from the star by ~28 AU (deprojected). An ellipse fit to the inner edge has an eccentricity of 0.18 and a = 158 AU. This offset, along with the relatively sharp inner edge of the ring, suggests the influence of a planetary-mass companion. There is a strong similarity with the debris ring around Fomalhaut, though HD 202628 is a more mature star with an estimated age of about 2 Gyr. We also provide surface brightness limits for nine other stars in our study with strong Spitzer excesses around which no debris disks were detected in scattered light (HD 377, HD 7590, HD 38858, HD 45184, HD 73350, HD 135599, HD 145229, HD 187897, and HD 201219).

A model for the UHE gamma-rays from Hercules X-1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Eichler, D.; Vestrand, W. T.

1985-01-01

An outburst of gamma rays with energies E gamma 10 to the 12th power eV was recently detected from the X-ray pulsar Hercules X-1. The outburst had a 3 minute duration and occurred at a time during the 35 day X-ray modulation that is associated with X-ray turnon. The gamma rays also have the same 1.24 second modulation that is observed at X-ray energies. Subsequently a 40 minute outburst was detected at E gamma 10 to the 14th power eV. The interaction of ultrahigh energy particles with a precessing accretion disk explain the observed gamma ray light curve. The constraints one can place on acceleration mechanisms and the possibility that the UHE particles are accelerated by shocks in an accretion flow are explained.

Expressions for IAU 2000 precession quantities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Capitaine, N.; Wallace, P. T.; Chapront, J.

2003-12-01

A new precession-nutation model for the Celestial Intermediate Pole (CIP) was adopted by the IAU in 2000 (Resolution B1.6). The model, designated IAU 2000A, includes a nutation series for a non-rigid Earth and corrections for the precession rates in longitude and obliquity. The model also specifies numerical values for the pole offsets at J2000.0 between the mean equatorial frame and the Geocentric Celestial Reference System (GCRS). In this paper, we discuss precession models consistent with IAU 2000A precession-nutation (i.e. MHB 2000, provided by Mathews et al. \\cite{Mathews02}) and we provide a range of expressions that implement them. The final precession model, designated P03, is a possible replacement for the precession component of IAU 2000A, offering improved dynamical consistency and a better basis for future improvement. As a preliminary step, we present our expressions for the currently used precession quantities zetaA, thetaA, zA, in agreement with the MHB corrections to the precession rates, that appear in the IERS Conventions 2000. We then discuss a more sophisticated method for improving the precession model of the equator in order that it be compliant with the IAU 2000A model. In contrast to the first method, which is based on corrections to the t terms of the developments for the precession quantities in longitude and obliquity, this method also uses corrections to their higher degree terms. It is essential that this be used in conjunction with an improved model for the ecliptic precession, which is expected, given the known discrepancies in the IAU 1976 expressions, to contribute in a significant way to these higher degree terms. With this aim in view, we have developed new expressions for the motion of the ecliptic with respect to the fixed ecliptic using the developments from Simon et al. (\\cite{Simon94}) and Williams (\\cite{Williams94}) and with improved constants fitted to the most recent numerical planetary ephemerides. We have then used these new expressions for the ecliptic together with the MHB corrections to precession rates to solve the precession equations for providing new solution for the precession of the equator that is dynamically consistent and compliant with IAU 2000. A number of perturbing effects have first been removed from the MHB estimates in order to get the physical quantities needed in the equations as integration constants. The equations have then been solved in a similar way to Lieske et al. (\\cite{Lieske77}) and Williams (\\cite{Williams94}), based on similar theoretical expressions for the contributions to precession rates, revised by using MHB values. Once improved expressions have been obtained for the precession of the ecliptic and the equator, we discuss the most suitable precession quantities to be considered in order to be based on the minimum number of variables and to be the best adapted to the most recent models and observations. Finally we provide developments for these quantities, denoted the P03 solution, including a revised Sidereal Time expression.

Cold DUst around NEarby Stars (DUNES). First results. A resolved exo-Kuiper belt around the solar-like star ζ2 Ret

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eiroa, C.; Fedele, D.; Maldonado, J.; González-García, B. M.; Rodmann, J.; Heras, A. M.; Pilbratt, G. L.; Augereau, J.-Ch.; Mora, A.; Montesinos, B.; Ardila, D.; Bryden, G.; Liseau, R.; Stapelfeldt, K.; Launhardt, R.; Solano, E.; Bayo, A.; Absil, O.; Arévalo, M.; Barrado, D.; Beichmann, C.; Danchi, W.; Del Burgo, C.; Ertel, S.; Fridlund, M.; Fukagawa, M.; Gutiérrez, R.; Grün, E.; Kamp, I.; Krivov, A.; Lebreton, J.; Löhne, T.; Lorente, R.; Marshall, J.; Martínez-Arnáiz, R.; Meeus, G.; Montes, D.; Morbidelli, A.; Müller, S.; Mutschke, H.; Nakagawa, T.; Olofsson, G.; Ribas, I.; Roberge, A.; Sanz-Forcada, J.; Thébault, P.; Walker, H.; White, G. J.; Wolf, S.

2010-07-01

We present the first far-IR observations of the solar-type stars δ Pav, HR 8501, 51 Peg and ζ2 Ret, taken within the context of the DUNES Herschel open time key programme (OTKP). This project uses the PACS and SPIRE instruments with the objective of studying infrared excesses due to exo-Kuiper belts around nearby solar-type stars. The observed 100 μm fluxes from δ Pav, HR 8501, and 51 Peg agree with the predicted photospheric fluxes, excluding debris disks brighter than Ldust/Lstar 5 × 10-7 (1σ level) around those stars. A flattened, disk-like structure with a semi-major axis of 100 AU in size is detected around ζ2 Ret. The resolved structure suggests the presence of an eccentric dust ring, which we interpret as an exo-Kuiper belt with Ldust/Lstar ≈ 10-5. Herschel is an ESA space observatory with science instruments provided by European-led Principal Investigator consortia and with important participation from NASA.

Isotropic–Nematic Phase Transitions in Gravitational Systems. II. Higher Order Multipoles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Takács, Ádám; Kocsis, Bence

2018-04-01

The gravitational interaction among bodies orbiting in a spherical potential leads to the rapid relaxation of the orbital planes’ distribution, a process called vector resonant relaxation. We examine the statistical equilibrium of this process for a system of bodies with similar semimajor axes and eccentricities. We extend the previous model of Roupas et al. by accounting for the multipole moments beyond the quadrupole, which dominate the interaction for radially overlapping orbits. Nevertheless, we find no qualitative differences between the behavior of the system with respect to the model restricted to the quadrupole interaction. The equilibrium distribution resembles a counterrotating disk at low temperature and a spherical structure at high temperature. The system exhibits a first-order phase transition between the disk and the spherical phase in the canonical ensemble if the total angular momentum is below a critical value. We find that the phase transition erases the high-order multipoles, i.e., small-scale structure in angular momentum space, most efficiently. The system admits a maximum entropy and a maximum energy, which lead to the existence of negative temperature equilibria.

Electrical control of flying spin precession in chiral 1D edge states

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nakajima, Takashi; Komiyama, Susumu; Lin, Kuan-Ting

2013-12-04

Electrical control and detection of spin precession are experimentally demonstrated by using spin-resolved edge states in the integer quantum Hall regime. Spin precession is triggered at a corner of a biased metal gate, where electron orbital motion makes a sharp turn leading to a nonadiabatic change in the effective magnetic field via spin-orbit interaction. The phase of precession is controlled by the group velocity of edge-state electrons tuned by gate bias voltage: Spin-FET-like coherent control of spin precession is thus realized by all-electrical means.

The use of precession modulation for nutation control in spin-stabilized spacecraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Taylor, J. M.; Donner, R. J.; Tasar, V.

1974-01-01

The relations which determine the nutation effects induced in a spinning spacecraft by periodic precession thrust pulses are derived analytically. By utilizing the idea that nutation need only be observed just before each precession thrust pulse, a difficult continuous-time derivation is replaced by a simple discrete-time derivation using z-transforms. The analytic results obtained are used to develop two types of modulated precession control laws which use the precession maneuver to concurrently control nutation. Results are illustrated by digital simulation of an actual spacecraft configuration.

DENSITY AND ECCENTRICITY OF KEPLER PLANETS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wu Yanqin; Lithwick, Yoram

2013-07-20

We analyze the transit timing variations (TTV) obtained by the Kepler mission for 22 sub-Jovian planet pairs (19 published, 3 new) that lie close to mean motion resonances. We find that the TTV phases for most of these pairs lie close to zero, consistent with an eccentricity distribution that has a very low root-mean-squared value of e {approx} 0.01; but about a quarter of the pairs possess much higher eccentricities, up to e {approx} 0.1-0.4. For the low-eccentricity pairs, we are able to statistically remove the effect of eccentricity to obtain planet masses from TTV data. These masses, together withmore » those measured by radial velocity, yield a best-fit mass-radius relation M {approx} 3 M{sub Circled-Plus }(R/R{sub Circled-Plus }). This corresponds to a constant surface escape velocity of {approx}20 km s{sup -1}. We separate the planets into two distinct groups: ''mid-sized'' (those greater than 3 R{sub Circled-Plus }) and 'compact' (those smaller). All mid-sized planets are found to be less dense than water and therefore must contain extensive H/He envelopes that are comparable in mass to that of their cores. We argue that these planets have been significantly sculpted by photoevaporation. Surprisingly, mid-sized planets, a minority among Kepler candidates, are discovered exclusively around stars more massive than 0.8 M{sub Sun }. The compact planets, on the other hand, are often denser than water. Combining our density measurements with those from radial velocity studies, we find that hotter compact planets tend to be denser, with the hottest ones reaching rock density. Moreover, hotter planets tend to be smaller in size. These results can be explained if the compact planets are made of rocky cores overlaid with a small amount of hydrogen, {<=}1% in mass, with water contributing little to their masses or sizes. Photoevaporation has exposed bare rocky cores in cases of the hottest planets. Our conclusion that these planets are likely not water worlds contrasts with some previous studies. While mid-sized planets most likely accreted their hydrogen envelope from the proto-planetary disks, compact planets could have obtained theirs via either accretion or outgassing. The presence of the two distinct classes suggests that 3 R{sub Circled-Plus} could be identified as the dividing line between 'hot Neptunes' and 'super-Earths'.« less

Cyclostratigraphic analysis of the Middle to lower Upper Ordovician Postolonnec Formation in the Armorican Massif (France): integrating pXRF, gammay-ray and lithological data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sinnesael, Matthias; Loi, Alfredo; Dabard, Marie-Pierre; Vandenbroucke, Thijs; Claeys, Philippe

2017-04-01

The Middle to lower Upper Ordovician sections of the Crozon Peninsula area (Postolonnec Formation, Armorican Massif, western France) show multi-order eustatic sea-level changes (Dabard et al., 2015). The sections are characterized by siliciclastic facies, which were deposited in tidal to storm-dominated shelf environments. Dabard et al. (2015) analysed the facies, their stacking patterns, and gamma-ray data and applied backstripping to identify subsidence and several orders of sea-level change. The main stratigraphic constraints are coming from (chitinozoan) biostratigraphy. The 3th to 5th orders changes are hypothesized to correspond to various frequencies related to astronomical forcing. This study investigates the potential added value of portable X-Ray Fluorescence (pXRF) and the application of spectral analyses. High-resolution (cm-scale) non-destructive pXRF and natural gamma-ray measurements were carried out on 14 m of section that was equally logged on a cm resolution. The pXRF measurements on the surface of the outcrops are compared with earlier results of wavelength dispersive XRF spectrometry and ICP-MS. The potassium records of the pXRF and gamma-ray logs are comparable and essentially reflect lithological variations (i.e., between mudstone and coarse sandstones). Other reliably measured elements also reflected lithological aspects such as clay-sandstone alternations (e.g. K, Rb, Ti), placer locations (Zr, Ce, Ti) and potentially clay mineralogy and condensation horizons (Ni, Zn, Co, Mn). Spectral analyses of the various proxies (lithology, natural gamma-ray and pXRF) are compared with each other. Both the new high-resolution data (14 m of section) as well as the published low-resolution data (which span almost 400 m of Darriwilian-Sandbian) were analyzed. The study reveals strong indications for the imprint of obliquity, precession and eccentricity. Obtaining age constraints, in addition to the existing biostratigraphical framework is a challenge in these sections, but would help to resolve temporal uncertainties and confirm our interpretations. The relative strength of the potential obliquity and precession-eccentricity signals also can provide further insights in the global glaciation history of the Middle to Late Ordovician given that a larger obliquity component can be expected if there was a more developed polar ice sheet on the Gondwanan palaeocontinent. Dabard M.P., Loi A., Paris, F., Ghienne J.F., Pistis M., and Vidal M. (2015): Sea-level curve for the Middle to early Late Ordovician in the Armorican Massif (western France): Icehouse third-order glacio-eustatic cycles. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeocology, 436, 96-111, doi:10.106/j.palaeo.2015.06.038

Tidal radii and destruction rates of globular clusters in the Milky Way due to bulge-bar and disk shocking

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Moreno, Edmundo; Pichardo, Bárbara; Velázquez, Héctor

2014-10-01

We calculate orbits, tidal radii, and bulge-bar and disk shocking destruction rates for 63 globular clusters in our Galaxy. Orbits are integrated in both an axisymmetric and a nonaxisymmetric Galactic potential that includes a bar and a three-dimensional model for the spiral arms. With the use of a Monte Carlo scheme, we consider in our simulations observational uncertainties in the kinematical data of the clusters. In the analysis of destruction rates due to the bulge-bar, we consider the rigorous treatment of using the real Galactic cluster orbit instead of the usual linear trajectory employed in previous studies. We compare resultsmore » in both treatments. We find that the theoretical tidal radius computed in the nonaxisymmetric Galactic potential compares better with the observed tidal radius than that obtained in the axisymmetric potential. In both Galactic potentials, bulge-shocking destruction rates computed with a linear trajectory of a cluster at its perigalacticons give a good approximation of the result obtained with the real trajectory of the cluster. Bulge-shocking destruction rates for clusters with perigalacticons in the inner Galactic region are smaller in the nonaxisymmetric potential than those in the axisymmetric potential. For the majority of clusters with high orbital eccentricities (e > 0.5), their total bulge+disk destruction rates are smaller in the nonaxisymmetric potential.« less

Gap opening after merger events of 3-Earth-mass protoplanets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Broz, Miroslav; Chrenko, Ondrej

2017-10-01

While several-Earth-mass protoplanets can gain non-negligible eccentricities due to their interactions with the gaseous disk and ongoing pebble accretion (so called hot trail effect; see the contribution of Chrenko et al. 2017 for details), there is a opened pathway for giant-planet core formation by means of close encounters and eventual merging. As soon as a massive (~13 M_E) merger is formed, it seems necessary to account for one additional term in the set of hydrodynamic equations, namely the gas accretion, which may affect subsequent orbital evolution, and eventually change Type-I migration to Type-II. Using similar approximations as Crida and Bitsch (2017), we prolong our previous simulations towards the onset of gap opening.At the same time, we try to address the observability of these events, e.g. by ALMA in its full configuration. Because the disk is still mostly optically thick in the vertical direction (tau =~ 100), it is necessary to properly model the disk atmosphere. In the midplane, the mean-free path of gas molecules is small enough to assure a sufficient thermal contact and equilibrium between the gas and dust. This is no more true far from the midplane and one has to use a non-equilibrium model (e.g. Radmc-3d code) for the description of dust grain temperatures, resulting synthetic image, or emergent spectrum.

Title Requested

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ruzmaikina, T. V.

2000-12-01

Precise measurements of D/H in Halley and Hyakutake reveal larger excess of D than in Uranus and Neptune. This might imply that at least a fraction of Oort cloud comets have been accumulated in a cooler environment beyond the planetary system. This paper suggests that the scattering of planetesimals from the periphery of the protoplanetary disk by a passing star might have included them in the populating of the Oort cloud. The probability of the necessary close encounter is very small in the present Galactic environment of the solar system. However it might be relatively high if the solar system was formed in a denser environment, like the Rho Ophiuchus star-forming region or a small and dense cloud core which fragmented during the collapse to form a small group of stars. Outcomes of a passage of a star with mass 1 to 0.3 solar masses were studied numerically by Everhart method. Disk penetrating or disk grazing encounters revealed that planetesimals closest to the stellar trajectory can be ejected from the solar system or sent on highly eccentric bound orbits. Some planetesimals acquire orbits with perihelion distances larger than planet orbits, i.e., become immediate members of the Oort cloud. For others, external pertubations cause stochastic growth of perihelion distances and decoupling from the planetary system, transferring them into the Oort cloud. These Oort cloud bodies could be accumulated well beyond the planetary system, and preserve higher D/H, CO ice, etc.

Locking mechanism for indexing device

DOEpatents

Lindemeyer, Carl W.

1984-01-01

Disclosed is a locking mechanism for an indexing spindle. A conventional r gear having outwardly extending teeth is affixed to the spindle. Also included is a rotatably mounted camshaft whose axis is arranged in skewed relationship with the axis of the spindle. A disk-like wedge having opposing camming surfaces is eccentrically mounted on the camshaft. As the camshaft is rotated, the camming surfaces of the disc-like member are interposed between adjacent gear teeth with a wiping action that wedges the disc-like member between the gear teeth. A zero backlash engagement between disc-like member and gear results, with the engagement having a high mechanical advantage so as to effectively lock the spindle against bidirectional rotation.

Kepler-16: a transiting circumbinary planet.

PubMed

Doyle, Laurance R; Carter, Joshua A; Fabrycky, Daniel C; Slawson, Robert W; Howell, Steve B; Winn, Joshua N; Orosz, Jerome A; Prša, Andrej; Welsh, William F; Quinn, Samuel N; Latham, David; Torres, Guillermo; Buchhave, Lars A; Marcy, Geoffrey W; Fortney, Jonathan J; Shporer, Avi; Ford, Eric B; Lissauer, Jack J; Ragozzine, Darin; Rucker, Michael; Batalha, Natalie; Jenkins, Jon M; Borucki, William J; Koch, David; Middour, Christopher K; Hall, Jennifer R; McCauliff, Sean; Fanelli, Michael N; Quintana, Elisa V; Holman, Matthew J; Caldwell, Douglas A; Still, Martin; Stefanik, Robert P; Brown, Warren R; Esquerdo, Gilbert A; Tang, Sumin; Furesz, Gabor; Geary, John C; Berlind, Perry; Calkins, Michael L; Short, Donald R; Steffen, Jason H; Sasselov, Dimitar; Dunham, Edward W; Cochran, William D; Boss, Alan; Haas, Michael R; Buzasi, Derek; Fischer, Debra

2011-09-16

We report the detection of a planet whose orbit surrounds a pair of low-mass stars. Data from the Kepler spacecraft reveal transits of the planet across both stars, in addition to the mutual eclipses of the stars, giving precise constraints on the absolute dimensions of all three bodies. The planet is comparable to Saturn in mass and size and is on a nearly circular 229-day orbit around its two parent stars. The eclipsing stars are 20 and 69% as massive as the Sun and have an eccentric 41-day orbit. The motions of all three bodies are confined to within 0.5° of a single plane, suggesting that the planet formed within a circumbinary disk.

Numerical relativity simulations of precessing binary neutron star mergers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dietrich, Tim; Bernuzzi, Sebastiano; Brügmann, Bernd; Ujevic, Maximiliano; Tichy, Wolfgang

2018-03-01

We present the first set of numerical relativity simulations of binary neutron mergers that include spin precession effects and are evolved with multiple resolutions. Our simulations employ consistent initial data in general relativity with different spin configurations and dimensionless spin magnitudes ˜0.1 . They start at a gravitational-wave frequency of ˜392 Hz and cover more than 1 precession period and about 15 orbits up to merger. We discuss the spin precession dynamics by analyzing coordinate trajectories, quasilocal spin measurements, and energetics, by comparing spin aligned, antialigned, and irrotational configurations. Gravitational waveforms from different spin configuration are compared by calculating the mismatch between pairs of waveforms in the late inspiral. We find that precession effects are not distinguishable from nonprecessing configurations with aligned spins for approximately face-on binaries, while the latter are distinguishable from nonspinning configurations. Spin precession effects are instead clearly visible for approximately edge-on binaries. For the parameters considered here, precession does not significantly affect the characteristic postmerger gravitational-wave frequencies nor the mass ejection. Our results pave the way for the modeling of spin precession effects in the gravitational waveform from binary neutron star events.

Three-Dimensional Numerical Hydrodynamical Simulation of Low/hard and High/soft States in Accretion Discs of Microquasars and Quasars on Base of Undefined Precession

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nazarenko, V. V.; Nazarenko, S. V.

In this study, the models of slaved precession of accretion disc and donors radiation-driven wind were performed using three-dimensional numerical astrophysical methods by the example of microquasar Cyg X-1. As is shown, in the course of precession of the accretion disc blown by the donor's wind the states with high and low temperature (low and high mass accretion rate, respectively) start being generated in the centre of disc. Our computations of disc precession performed on base of undefined precession that means each point of rotation axis of accretion disc makes unclosed difficult curve instead of a circle as it is in case of definite precession. In this case, the transition between states of high and low temperature takes place irregularly and not depend on precession period. The duration of transition between these both states is less than intervals of states on several orders of magnitudes.

Larmor precession and barrier tunneling time of a neutral spinning particle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Zhi-Jian; Liang, J. Q.; Kobe, D. H.

2001-10-01

The Larmor precession of a neutral spinning particle in a magnetic field confined to the region of a one-dimensional rectangular barrier is investigated for both a nonrelativistic and a relativistic incoming particle. The spin precession serves as a clock to measure the time spent by a quantum particle traversing a potential barrier. With the help of a general spin coherent state it is explicitly shown that the precession time is equal to the dwell time in both the nonrelativistic and relativistic cases. We also present a numerical estimation of the precession time showing an apparent superluminal tunneling.

The Effect of the Air-Delivery Method on Parameters of the Precessing Vortex Core in a Hydrodynamic Vortex Chamber

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alekseenko, S. V.; Shtork, S. I.; Yusupov, R. R.

2018-03-01

The effect of the method of gas-phase injection into a swirled fluid flow on parameters of a precessing vortex core is studied experimentally. Conditions of the appearance of the vortex-core precession effect were modeled in a hydrodynamic sudden expansion vortex chamber. The dependences of the vortexcore precession frequency, flow-pulsation level, and full pressure differential in the vortex chamber on the consumption gas content in the flow have been obtained. The results of measurements permit one to determine optimum conditions for the most effective control of vortex-core precession.

Non-thermal optical excitation of terahertz-spin precession in a magneto-optical insulator

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Parchenko, Sergii; Maziewski, Andrzej; Stupakiewicz, Andrzej, E-mail: and@uwb.edu.pl

2016-01-18

We demonstrate non-thermal ultrafast laser excitation of spin precession with THz frequency in Gd-Bi-substituted iron garnet via the inverse Faraday effect. The modulation of THz precession by about 60 GHz below the compensation temperature of magnetic moment was observed. The THz frequency precession was caused by the exchange resonance between the Gd and Fe sublattices; we attributed the low-frequency modulation to dielectric resonance mode with a magnetic contribution. We demonstrate the possibility of polarization-sensitive control of spin precession under THz generation by laser pulses, helping to develop high-speed magneto-optical devices.

Astronomers Trace Microquasar's Path Back in Time

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2003-01-01

Astronomers have traced the orbit through our Milky Way Galaxy of a voracious neutron star and a companion star it is cannibalizing, and conclude that the pair joined more than 30 million years ago and probably were catapulted out of a cluster of stars far from the Galaxy's center. Path of Microquasar and Sun Path of Microquasar (red) and Sun (yellow) through the Milky Way Galaxy for the past 230 million years. Animations: GIF Version MPEG Version CREDIT: Mirabel & Rodrigues, NRAO/AUI/NSF The pair of stars, called Scorpius X-1, form a "microquasar," in which material sucked from the "normal" star forms a rapidly-rotating disk around the superdense neutron star. The disk becomes so hot it emits X-rays, and also spits out "jets" of subatomic particles at nearly the speed of light. Using precise positional data from the National Science Foundation's Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) and from optical telescopes, Felix Mirabel, an astrophysicist at the Institute for Astronomy and Space Physics of Argentina and French Atomic Energy Commission, and Irapuan Rodrigues, also of the French Atomic Energy Commission, calculated that Scorpius X-1 is not orbiting the Milky Way's center in step with most other stars, but instead follows an eccentric path far above and below the Galaxy's plane. Scorpius X-1, discovered with a rocket-borne X-ray telescope in 1962, is about 9,000 light-years from Earth. It is the brightest continuous source of X-rays beyond the Solar System. The 1962 discovery and associated work earned a share of the 2002 Nobel Prize in physics for Riccardo Giacconi. Mirabel and Rodrigues used a number of published observations to calculate the path of Scorpius X-1 over the past few million years. "This is the most accurate determination we have made of the path of an X-ray binary," said Mirabel. By tracing the object's path backward in time, the scientists were able to conclude that the neutron star and its companion have been traveling together for more than 30 million years. They also speculated on the birthplace of Scorpius X-1. "The neutron star, which is the remnant left over from the supernova explosion of an even more massive star, either came from the Milky Way's disk, or from a globular cluster at a considerable distance from the disk," said Rodrigues. Globular clusters are clumps of millions of stars in the outskirts of the Galaxy. If it came from the Galaxy's disk, the scientists say, it would have had to receive a powerful one-sided "kick" from the supernova explosion to get into its present eccentric orbit. While this is possible, they conclude that a more likely scenario is that the neutron star came from a globular cluster. "Probably, this neutron star picked up its companion and was thrown out of its globular cluster by a close encounter with other stars at the cluster's core," Mirabel said. The scientists published their results in the January 30 issue of the journal Astronomy and Astrophysics. The same pair of researchers traced a similar path of a black hole and its companion star in 2001. Also that year, other astronomers produced a "movie" showing motions in the jet of material ejected from the disk around Scorpius X-1's neutron star. The National Radio Astronomy Observatory is a facility of the National Science Foundation, operated under cooperative agreement by Associated Universities, Inc.

Quasi-parallel precession diffraction: Alignment method for scanning transmission electron microscopes.

PubMed

Plana-Ruiz, S; Portillo, J; Estradé, S; Peiró, F; Kolb, Ute; Nicolopoulos, S

2018-06-06

A general method to set illuminating conditions for selectable beam convergence and probe size is presented in this work for Transmission Electron Microscopes (TEM) fitted with µs/pixel fast beam scanning control, (S)TEM, and an annular dark field detector. The case of interest of beam convergence and probe size, which enables diffraction pattern indexation, is then used as a starting point in this work to add 100 Hz precession to the beam while imaging the specimen at a fast rate and keeping the projector system in diffraction mode. The described systematic alignment method for the adjustment of beam precession on the specimen plane while scanning at fast rates is mainly based on the sharpness of the precessed STEM image. The complete alignment method for parallel condition and precession, Quasi-Parallel PED-STEM, is presented in block diagram scheme, as it has been tested on a variety of instruments. The immediate application of this methodology is that it renders the TEM column ready for the acquisition of Precessed Electron Diffraction Tomographies (EDT) as well as for the acquisition of slow Precessed Scanning Nanometer Electron Diffraction (SNED). Examples of the quality of the Precessed Electron Diffraction (PED) patterns and PED-STEM alignment images are presented with corresponding probe sizes and convergence angles. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Gyroscope precession in special and general relativity from basic principles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jonsson, Rickard M.

2007-05-01

In special relativity a gyroscope that is suspended in a torque-free manner will precess as it is moved along a curved path relative to an inertial frame S. We explain this effect, which is known as Thomas precession, by considering a real grid that moves along with the gyroscope, and that by definition is not rotating as observed from its own momentary inertial rest frame. From the basic properties of the Lorentz transformation we deduce how the form and rotation of the grid (and hence the gyroscope) will evolve relative to S. As an intermediate step we consider how the grid would appear if it were not length contracted along the direction of motion. We show that the uncontracted grid obeys a simple law of rotation. This law simplifies the analysis of spin precession compared to more traditional approaches based on Fermi transport. We also consider gyroscope precession relative to an accelerated reference frame and show that there are extra precession effects that can be explained in a way analogous to the Thomas precession. Although fully relativistically correct, the entire analysis is carried out using three-vectors. By using the equivalence principle the formalism can also be applied to static spacetimes in general relativity. As an example, we calculate the precession of a gyroscope orbiting a static black hole.

Exploring Disks Around Planets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kohler, Susanna

2017-07-01

Giant planets are thought to form in circumstellar disks surrounding young stars, but material may also accrete into a smaller disk around the planet. Weve never detected one of these circumplanetary disks before but thanks to new simulations, we now have a better idea of what to look for.Image from previous work simulating a Jupiter-mass planet forming inside a circumstellar disk. The planet has its own circumplanetary disk of accreted material. [Frdric Masset]Elusive DisksIn the formation of giant planets, we think the final phase consists of accretion onto the planet from a disk that surrounds it. This circumplanetary disk is important to understand, since it both regulates the late gas accretion and forms the birthplace of future satellites of the planet.Weve yet to detect a circumplanetary disk thus far, because the resolution needed to spot one has been out of reach. Now, however, were entering an era where the disk and its kinematics may be observable with high-powered telescopes (like the Atacama Large Millimeter Array).To prepare for such observations, we need models that predict the basic characteristics of these disks like the mass, temperature, and kinematic properties. Now a researcher at the ETH Zrich Institute for Astronomy in Switzerland, Judit Szulgyi, has worked toward this goal.Simulating CoolingSzulgyi performs a series of 3D global radiative hydrodynamic simulations of 1, 3, 5, and 10 Jupiter-mass (MJ) giant planets and their surrounding circumplanetary disks, embedded within the larger circumstellar disk around the central star.Density (left column), temperature (center), and normalized angular momentum (right) for a 1 MJ planet over temperatures cooling from 10,000 K (top) to 1,000 K (bottom). At high temperatures, a spherical circumplanetary envelope surrounds the planet, but as the planet cools, the envelope transitions around 64,000 K to a flattened disk. [Szulgyi 2017]This work explores the effects of different planet temperatures and masses on the properties of the disks. Szulgyi specifically examines a range of planetary temperatures between 10,000 K and 1,000 K for the 1 MJ planet. Since the planet cools as it radiates away its formation heat, the different temperatures represent an evolutionary sequence over time.Predicted CharacteristicsSzulgyis work produced a number of intriguing observations, including the following:For the 1 MJ planet, a spherical circumplanetary envelope forms at high temperatures, flattening into a disk as the planet cools. Higher-mass planets form disks even at high temperatures.The disk has a steep temperature profile from inside to outside, and the whole disk is too hot for water to remain frozen. This suggests that satellites couldnt form in the disk earlier than 1 Myr after the planet birth. The outskirts of the disk cool first as the planet cools, indicating that satellites may eventually form in these outer parts and then migrate inward.The planets open gaps in the circumstellar disk as they orbit. As a planet radiates away its formation heat, the gap it opens becomes deeper and wider (though this is a small effect). For high-mass planets (5 MJ), the gap eccentricity increases, which creates a hostile environment for satellite formation.Szulgyi discusses a number of features of these disks that we can plan to search for in the future with our increasing telescope power including signatures in direct imaging and observations of their kinematics. The results from these simulations will help us both to detect these circumplanetary disks and to understand our observations when we do. These future observations will then allow us to learn about late-stage giant-planet formation as well as the formation of their satellites.CitationJ. Szulgyi 2017 ApJ 842 103. doi:10.3847/1538-4357/aa7515

Ballistic missile precession frequency extraction by spectrogram's texture

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Longlong; Xu, Shiyou; Li, Gang; Chen, Zengping

2013-10-01

In order to extract precession frequency, an crucial parameter in ballistic target recognition, which reflected the kinematical characteristics as well as structural and mass distribution features, we developed a dynamic RCS signal model for a conical ballistic missile warhead, with a log-norm multiplicative noise, substituting the familiar additive noise, derived formulas of micro-Doppler induced by precession motion, and analyzed time-varying micro-Doppler features utilizing time-frequency transforms, extracted precession frequency by measuring the spectrogram's texture, verified them by computer simulation studies. Simulation demonstrates the excellent performance of the method proposed in extracting the precession frequency, especially in the case of low SNR.

Gravitational waves from rotating and precessing rigid bodies. 2: General solutions and computationally useful formulae

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zimmerman, M.

1979-01-01

The classical mechanics results for free precession which are needed in order to calculate the weak field, slow-motion, quadrupole-moment gravitational waves are reviewed. Within that formalism, algorithms are given for computing the exact gravitational power radiated and waveforms produced by arbitrary rigid-body freely-precessing sources. The dominant terms are presented in series expansions of the waveforms for the case of an almost spherical object precessing with a small wobble angle. These series expansions, which retain the precise frequency dependence of the waves, may be useful for gravitational astronomers when freely-precessing sources begin to be observed.

Terrestrial planet formation in a protoplanetary disk with a local mass depletion: A successful scenario for the formation of Mars

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Izidoro, A.; Winter, O. C.; Haghighipour, N.

Models of terrestrial planet formation for our solar system have been successful in producing planets with masses and orbits similar to those of Venus and Earth. However, these models have generally failed to produce Mars-sized objects around 1.5 AU. The body that is usually formed around Mars' semimajor axis is, in general, much more massive than Mars. Only when Jupiter and Saturn are assumed to have initially very eccentric orbits (e ∼ 0.1), which seems fairly unlikely for the solar system, or alternately, if the protoplanetary disk is truncated at 1.0 AU, simulations have been able to produce Mars-like bodiesmore » in the correct location. In this paper, we examine an alternative scenario for the formation of Mars in which a local depletion in the density of the protosolar nebula results in a non-uniform formation of planetary embryos and ultimately the formation of Mars-sized planets around 1.5 AU. We have carried out extensive numerical simulations of the formation of terrestrial planets in such a disk for different scales of the local density depletion, and for different orbital configurations of the giant planets. Our simulations point to the possibility of the formation of Mars-sized bodies around 1.5 AU, specifically when the scale of the disk local mass-depletion is moderately high (50%-75%) and Jupiter and Saturn are initially in their current orbits. In these systems, Mars-analogs are formed from the protoplanetary materials that originate in the regions of disk interior or exterior to the local mass-depletion. Results also indicate that Earth-sized planets can form around 1 AU with a substantial amount of water accreted via primitive water-rich planetesimals and planetary embryos. We present the results of our study and discuss their implications for the formation of terrestrial planets in our solar system.« less

Belt(s) of debris resolved around the Sco-Cen star HIP 67497

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bonnefoy, M.; Milli, J.; Ménard, F.; Vigan, A.; Lagrange, A.-M.; Delorme, P.; Boccaletti, A.; Lazzoni, C.; Galicher, R.; Desidera, S.; Chauvin, G.; Augereau, J. C.; Mouillet, D.; Pinte, C.; van der Plas, G.; Gratton, R.; Beust, H.; Beuzit, J. L.

2017-01-01

Aims: In 2015, we initiated a survey of Scorpius-Centaurus A-F stars that are predicted to host warm-inner and cold-outer belts of debris similar to the case of the system HR 8799. The survey aims to resolve the disks and detect planets responsible for the disk morphology. In this paper, we study the F-type star HIP 67497 and present a first-order modelization of the disk in order to derive its main properties. Methods: We used the near-infrared integral field spectrograph (IFS) and dual-band imager IRDIS of VLT/SPHERE to obtain angular-differential imaging observations of the circumstellar environnement of HIP 67497. We removed the stellar halo with PCA and TLOCI algorithms. The disk emission was modeled with the GRaTeR code. Results: We resolve a ring-like structure that extends up to 450 mas ( 50 au) from the star in the IRDIS and IFS data. It is best reproduced by models of a non-eccentric ring with an inclination of 80 ± 1°, a position angle of -93 ± 1°, and a semi-major axis of 59 ± 3 au. We also detect an additional, but fainter, arc-like structure with a larger extension (0.65 arcsec) South of the ring that we model as a second belt of debris at 130 au. We detect ten candidate companions at separations ≥1''. We estimate the mass of putative perturbers responsible for the disk morphology and compare this to our detection limits. Additional data are needed to find those perturbers, and to relate our images to large-scale structures seen with HST/STIS. Based on observations made with ESO Telescopes at the Paranal Observatory under programme ID 097.C-0060(A)This work is based on data products produced at the SPHERE Data Center hosted at OSUG/IPAG, Grenoble.

A Secular Resonance Between Iapetus and the Giant Planets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cuk, Matija; Dones, Henry C. Luke; Nesvorny, David; Walsh, Kevin J.

2017-06-01

Iapetus is the outermost of the regular satellites of Saturn, and its origin and evolution present a number of unsolved problems. From the point of view of orbital dynamics, it is remarkable that Iapetus has a large inclination (8 degrees) and a significantly smaller eccentricity (0.03), contrary to the pattern expected if its orbit was excited by encounters between Saturn and other planets early in the Solar System's history (Nesvorny et al, 2014). Here we report our long-term numerical integrations of Iapetus's orbit that show multi-Myr oscillations of Iapetus's eccentricity with an amplitude on the order of 0.01. We find that the basic argument causing this behavior is the sum of the longitude of pericenter and the longitude of the node of Iapetus, with a 0.3 Myr period. This argument appears to be in resonance with the period of the g5 mode in the eccentricity and perihelion of Saturn. We find that our nominal solution, including Saturn's oblateness, Titan, Iapetus and all four giant planets, shows librations of the argument: ǎrpi_Iapetus - ǎrpi_g5 + \\Omega_Iapetus - \\Omega_SaturnEq, where ǎrpi and \\Omega are the longitudes of pericenters and nodes, respectively, and \\Omega_SaturnEq is Saturn's equinox. While planetary perturbations are crucial in generating the g5 mode and therefore maintaining this resonance, we find that Iapetus is affected by the planets only indirectly, with the Sun being the dominant direct perturber. The libration is stable for tens of Myr for the nominal rate of Saturn's pole precession (French et al, 2017), and appears stable indefinitely if we assume a secular resonance between Saturn's node and the secular mode g18 (Ward and Hamilton, 2004; Hamilton and Ward, 2004). We will present the implication of this resonance for the origin of Iapetus's orbit and the dynamical history of Saturn's system. This research is funded by NASA Outer Planets Research Program award NNX14AO38G. References: French, R. G., McGhee-French, C. A., Lonergan, K., et al. 2017, Icarus, 290, 14; Hamilton, D. P., & Ward, W. R. 2004, AJ, 128, 2510; Nesvorny, D., Vokrouhlicky, D., Deienno, R., & Walsh, K. J. 2014, AJ, 148, 52; Ward, W. R., & Hamilton, D. P. 2004, AJ, 128, 2501.

Secular Orbit and Spin Variations of Asteroid (16) Psyche

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bills, B. G.; Park, R. S.; Scott, B.

2016-12-01

The obliquity, or angular separation between spin and orbit poles, of asteroid (16) Psyche is currently 95 degrees. We are interested in knowing how much that angular separation varies, on time scales of 104 to 106 years. To answer that question, we have done several related analyses. On short time scales, the orbital element variations of Psyche are dominated by perturbations from Jupiter. Jupiter's dominance has two basic causes: first is the large mass and relatively close position of Jupiter, and second is a 19:8 mean motion resonance. Jupiter completes 8 orbits in 94.9009 years, while Psyche takes 94.9107 years to complete 19 orbits. As a result of this, all of the orbital elements of Psyche exhibit significant periodic variations, with a 94.9 year period dominating. There are also significant variations at the synodic period, which is 8.628 years, or 1/11 of the resonant period. Over a 1000 year time span, centered on the present, the eccentricity varies from 0.133 to 0.140, and the inclination varies from 2.961 to 3.229 degrees. On longer time scales, the orbital elements of Psyche vary considerably more than that, due to secular perturbations from the planets. The secular variations are modeled as the response of interacting mass rings, rather than point masses. Again, Jupiter is the main perturbing influence on Psyche. The eccentricity and inclination both oscillate, with dominant periods of 18.667 kyr. The range of values seen over a million year time span, is 0.057 to 0.147 for eccentricity, and 0.384 to 4.777 degrees for inclination. Using a recent shape model, and assumption of uniform density, to constrain relevant moments of inertia, we estimate the spin pole precession rate parameter to be 8.53 arcsec/year. The current spin pole is at ecliptic {lon, lat} = { 32, -7} deg, whereas the orbit pole is at {lon, lat} = {60.47, 86.91} deg. The current obliquity is thus 94.3 degree. Using nominal values of the input parameters, the recovered spin pole trajectory is such that, over a million year time span, centered on the present, the minimum and maximum values of obliquity are 92.36 and 98.56 deg. The obliquity oscillates with dominant periods of 18.45 and 48.40 kyr.

RAPID FORMATION OF SATURN AFTER JUPITER COMPLETION

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kobayashi, Hiroshi; Ormel, Chris W.; Ida, Shigeru, E-mail: hkobayas@nagoya-u.jp, E-mail: ormel@astro.berkeley.edu, E-mail: ida@geo.titech.ac.jp

We have investigated Saturn's core formation at a radial pressure maximum in a protoplanetary disk, which is created by gap opening by Jupiter. A core formed via planetesimal accretion induces the fragmentation of surrounding planetesimals, which generally inhibits further growth of the core by removal of the resulting fragments due to radial drift caused by gas drag. However, the emergence of the pressure maximum halts the drift of the fragments, while their orbital eccentricities and inclinations are efficiently damped by gas drag. As a result, the core of Saturn rapidly grows via accretion of the fragments near the pressure maximum.more » We have found that in the minimum-mass solar nebula, kilometer-sized planetesimals can produce a core exceeding 10 Earth masses within two million years. Since Jupiter may not have undergone significant type II inward migration, it is likely that Jupiter's formation was completed when the local disk mass has already decayed to a value comparable to or less than Jovian mass. The expected rapid growth of Saturn's core on a timescale comparable to or shorter than the observationally inferred disk lifetime enables Saturn to acquire the current amount of envelope gas before the disk gas is completely depleted. The high heat energy release rate onto the core surface due to the rapid accretion of the fragments delays onset of runaway gas accretion until the core mass becomes somewhat larger than that of Jupiter, which is consistent with the estimate based on interior modeling. Therefore, the rapid formation of Saturn induced by gap opening of Jupiter can account for the formation of multiple gas giants (Jupiter and Saturn) without significant inward migration and larger core mass of Saturn than that of Jupiter.« less

Progress Report of the IAU Working Group on Precession and the Ecliptic

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-12-01

may be used with either the traditional rotation matrix, or those rotation matrices described in Capitaine et al. (2003) and Fukushima (2003). We...precession of about 6.4 mas cent−2 in longitude. Thus, the precession theory was not dynamically consistent. 93 Furthermore, Fukushima (2003) showed that...2003, Capitaine et al. 2003, and Fukushima 2003) have been published recently to address the shortcomings of the precession portion, including the

Searching the Allais effect during the total sun eclipse of 11 July 2010

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Salva, Horacio R.

2011-03-15

I have measured the precession change of the oscillation plane with an automated Foucault pendulum and found no evidence (within the measurement error) of the Allais effect. The precession speed was registered and, due the variations involved, if the precession speed would changed 0.3 degree per hour (increasing or decreasing the angle of the normal precession speed) during the all eclipse, it would be notice in this measurement.

Precession missile feature extraction using sparse component analysis of radar measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Lihua; Du, Xiaoyong; Ghogho, Mounir; Hu, Weidong; McLernon, Des

2012-12-01

According to the working mode of the ballistic missile warning radar (BMWR), the radar return from the BMWR is usually sparse. To recognize and identify the warhead, it is necessary to extract the precession frequency and the locations of the scattering centers of the missile. This article first analyzes the radar signal model of the precessing conical missile during flight and develops the sparse dictionary which is parameterized by the unknown precession frequency. Based on the sparse dictionary, the sparse signal model is then established. A nonlinear least square estimation is first applied to roughly extract the precession frequency in the sparse dictionary. Based on the time segmented radar signal, a sparse component analysis method using the orthogonal matching pursuit algorithm is then proposed to jointly estimate the precession frequency and the scattering centers of the missile. Simulation results illustrate the validity of the proposed method.

Solar system constraints on planetary Coriolis-type effects induced by rotation of distant masses

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Iorio, Lorenzo, E-mail: lorenzo.iorio@libero.it

We phenomenologically put local constraints on the rotation of distant masses by using the planets of the solar system. First, we analytically compute the orbital secular precessions induced on the motion of a test particle about a massive primary by a Coriolis-like force, treated as a small perturbation, in the case of a constant angular velocity vector Ψ directed along a generic direction in space. The semimajor axis a and the eccentricity e of the test particle do not secularly change, contrary to the inclination I, the longitude of the ascending node Ω, the longitude of the pericenter varpi andmore » the mean anomaly M. Then, we compare our prediction for (dot varpi) with the corrections Δdot varpi to the usual perihelion precessions of the inner planets recently estimated by fitting long data sets with different versions of the EPM ephemerides. We obtain as preliminary upper bounds |Ψ{sub z}| ≤ 0.0006−0.013 arcsec cty{sup −1}, |Ψ{sub x}| ≤ 0.1−2.7 arcsec cty{sup −1}, |Ψ{sub y}| ≤ 0.3−2.3 arcsec cty{sup −1}. Interpreted in terms of models of space-time involving cosmic rotation, our results are able to yield constraints on cosmological parameters like the cosmological constant Λ and the Hubble parameter H{sub 0} not too far from their values determined with cosmological observations and, in some cases, several orders of magnitude better than the constraints usually obtained so far from space-time models not involving rotation. In the case of the rotation of the solar system throughout the Galaxy, occurring clockwise about the North Galactic Pole, our results for Ψ{sub z} are in disagreement with the expected value of it at more than 3−σ level. Modeling the Oort cloud as an Einstein-Thirring slowly rotating massive shell inducing Coriolis-type forces inside yields unphysical results for its putative rotation.« less

Milankovitch Modulation of the Ecosystem Dynamics of Fossil Great Lakes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Whiteside, J. H.; Olsen, P. E.; Eglinton, T. I.; Cornet, B.; Huber, P.; McDonald, N. G.

2008-12-01

Triassic and Early Jurassic lacustrine deposits of eastern North American rift basins preserve a spectacular record of precession-related Milankovitch forcing in the Pangean tropics. The abundant and well-preserved fossil fish assemblages from these great lakes demonstrate a sequence of cyclical changes that track the permeating hierarchy of climatic cycles. To detail ecosystem processes correlating with succession of fish communities, we measured bulk δ13Corg through a 100 ky series of Early Jurassic climatic precession-forced lake level cycles in the lower Shuttle Meadow Formation of the Hartford rift basin, CT. The deep-water phase of one of these cycles, the Bluff Head bed, has produced thousands of articulated fish. We observe fluctuations in the bulk δ13Corg of the cyclical strata that reflect differing degrees of lake water stratification, nutrient levels, and relative proportion of algal vs. plant derived organic matter that trace fish community changes. We can exclude extrinsic changes in the global exchangeable reservoirs as an origin of this variability because molecule-level δ13C of n-alkanes of plant leaf waxes from the same strata show no such variability. While at higher taxonomic levels the fish communities responded largely by sorting of taxa by environmental forcing, at the species level the holostean genus Semionotus responded by in situ evolution, and ultimately extinction, of a species flock. Fluctuations at the higher frequency, climatic precessional scale are mirrored at lower frequency, eccentricity modulated, scales, all following the lake-level hierarchical pattern. Thus, lacustrine isotopic ratios amplify the Milankovitch climate signal that was already intensified by sequelae of the end-Triassic extinctions. The degree to which the ecological structure of modern lakes responds to similar environmental cyclicity is largely unknown, but we suspect similar patterns and processes within the Neogene history of the East African great lakes, which may be modified in the future by anthropogenic CO2-driven intensification of the hydrological cycle.

Dust production by collisional grinding during Planetesimal-Driven Migration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Salmon, Julien; Walsh, Kevin J.; Levison, Harold F.

2017-10-01

Many main-sequence stars are surrounded by optically thin disks of dust in the absence of any detectable gas (e.g. Su et al. 2006, Meyer et al. 2008). IR and sub-millimeter observations suggest that most of the observed emission comes from grains with sizes between 1-100 microns. Since radiation forces are expected to remove these grains on timescales much shorter than the age of the parent stars (Backman & Parsce 1993, Wyatt 2008), it implies that some process is replenishing the dust, such as collisional grinding. The latter requires large impact velocities between planetesimals, which can be achieved if large objects are dynamically exciting a disk of 1-10km planetesimals. Such debris disks could be hosting ongoing planet formation, and present a powerful tool to test planet formation theories.If a planet is embedded in a gas-free planetesimal disk, the mutual gravitational interactions will force the planet to migrate (e.g. Fernandez & Ip 1984). Planetesimals situated along the direction of migration can be trapped in mean motion resonances (MMRs) with the planet (Malhotra 1993, 1995, Hahn & Malholtra 1999). Planetesimals trapped in such resonances will have their eccentricities pumped to large values as the planet continues to migrate, thereby leading to energetic collisions and dust production (Wyatt 2003, Reche et al. 2008, Mustill & Wyatt 2011).We have performed an extensive suite of simulations in which we explore the likelihood that a given set of disk parameters (mass, surface density slope, number of planetesimals) can sustain planetesimal-driven migration (PDM). We confirm the strong dependence on resolution found in previous works (e.g. Kirsch et al 2009), and find that an embryo to planetesimal mass ratio of 400 is necessary to mitigate the effects of stochasticity, which may cause migration to stall and/or reverse. After having identified disks suitable for sustained PDM, we model their evolution using LIPAD (Levison et al. 2012) taking into account collisional grinding. We will present results on the dust signatures that can be expected from such systems.

The influence of orbit selection on the accuracy of the Stanford Relativity gyroscope experiment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vassar, R.; Everitt, C. W. F.; Vanpatten, R. A.; Breakwell, J. V.

1980-01-01

This paper discusses an error analysis for the Stanford Relativity experiment, designed to measure the precession of a gyroscope's spin-axis predicted by general relativity. Measurements will be made of the spin-axis orientations of 4 superconducting spherical gyroscopes carried by an earth-satellite. Two relativistic precessions are predicted: a 'geodetic' precession associated with the satellite's orbital motion and a 'motional' precession due to the earth's rotation. Using a Kalman filter covariance analysis with a realistic error model we have computed the error in determining the relativistic precession rates. Studies show that a slightly off-polar orbit is better than a polar orbit for determining the 'motional' drift.

Precession feature extraction of ballistic missile warhead with high velocity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Huixia

2018-04-01

This paper establishes the precession model of ballistic missile warhead, and derives the formulas of micro-Doppler frequency induced by the target with precession. In order to obtain micro-Doppler feature of ballistic missile warhead with precession, micro-Doppler bandwidth estimation algorithm, which avoids velocity compensation, is presented based on high-resolution time-frequency transform. The results of computer simulations confirm the effectiveness of the proposed method even with low signal-to-noise ratio.

THE STATISTICAL MECHANICS OF PLANET ORBITS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tremaine, Scott, E-mail: tremaine@ias.edu

2015-07-10

The final “giant-impact” phase of terrestrial planet formation is believed to begin with a large number of planetary “embryos” on nearly circular, coplanar orbits. Mutual gravitational interactions gradually excite their eccentricities until their orbits cross and they collide and merge; through this process the number of surviving bodies declines until the system contains a small number of planets on well-separated, stable orbits. In this paper we explore a simple statistical model for the orbit distribution of planets formed by this process, based on the sheared-sheet approximation and the ansatz that the planets explore uniformly all of the stable region ofmore » phase space. The model provides analytic predictions for the distribution of eccentricities and semimajor axis differences, correlations between orbital elements of nearby planets, and the complete N-planet distribution function, in terms of a single parameter, the “dynamical temperature,” that is determined by the planetary masses. The predicted properties are generally consistent with N-body simulations of the giant-impact phase and with the distribution of semimajor axis differences in the Kepler catalog of extrasolar planets. A similar model may apply to the orbits of giant planets if these orbits are determined mainly by dynamical evolution after the planets have formed and the gas disk has disappeared.« less

New precession expressions, valid for long time intervals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vondrák, J.; Capitaine, N.; Wallace, P.

2011-10-01

Context. The present IAU model of precession, like its predecessors, is given as a set of polynomial approximations of various precession parameters intended for high-accuracy applications over a limited time span. Earlier comparisons with numerical integrations have shown that this model is valid only for a few centuries around the basic epoch, J2000.0, while for more distant epochs it rapidly diverges from the numerical solution. In our preceding studies we also obtained preliminary developments for the precessional contribution to the motion of the equator: coordinates X,Y of the precessing pole and precession parameters ψA,ωA, suitable for use over long time intervals. Aims: The goal of the present paper is to obtain upgraded developments for various sets of precession angles that would fit modern observations near J2000.0 and at the same time fit numerical integration of the motions of solar system bodies on scales of several thousand centuries. Methods: We used the IAU 2006 solutions to represent the precession of the ecliptic and of the equator close to J2000.0 and, for more distant epochs, a numerical integration using the Mercury 6 package and solutions by Laskar et al. (1993, A&A, 270, 522) with upgraded initial conditions and constants to represent the ecliptic, and general precession and obliquity, respectively. From them, different precession parameters were calculated in the interval ± 200 millennia from J2000.0, and analytical expressions are found that provide a good fit for the whole interval. Results: Series for the various precessional parameters, comprising a cubic polynomial plus from 8 to 14 periodic terms, are derived that allow precession to be computed with an accuracy comparable to IAU 2006 around the central epoch J2000.0, a few arcseconds throughout the historical period, and a few tenths of a degree at the ends of the ± 200 millennia time span. Computer algorithms are provided that compute the ecliptic and mean equator poles and the precession matrix. The Appendix containing the computer code is available in electronic form at http://www.aanda.org

Dynamics and formation of obscuring tori in AGNs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bannikova, Elena Yu.; Sergeyev, Alexey V.

2017-12-01

We considered the evolution of a self-gravitating clumpy torus in the gravitational field of the central mass of an active galactic nucleus (AGN) in the framework of the N-body problem. The initial conditions take into account winds with different opening angles. Results of our N-body simulations show that the clouds moving on orbits with a spread in inclinations and eccentricities form a toroidal region. This mechanism can solve the problem of the geometrical thickness of the torus. The velocity of the clouds at the inner edge of the torus is lower than in a disk model that can explain the observed rotation curves. We discuss the scenario of torus formation related with the beginning of the AGN stage.

Numerical Simulations of Wind Accretion in Symbiotic Binaries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Val-Borro, M.; Karovska, M.; Sasselov, D.

2009-08-01

About half of the binary systems are close enough to each other for mass to be exchanged between them at some point in their evolution, yet the accretion mechanism in wind accreting binaries is not well understood. We study the dynamical effects of gravitational focusing by a binary companion on winds from late-type stars. In particular, we investigate the mass transfer and formation of accretion disks around the secondary in detached systems consisting of an asymptotic giant branch (AGB) mass-losing star and an accreting companion. The presence of mass outflows is studied as a function of mass-loss rate, wind temperature, and binary orbital parameters. A two-dimensional hydrodynamical model is used to study the stability of mass transfer in wind accreting symbiotic binary systems. In our simulations we use an adiabatic equation of state and a modified version of the isothermal approximation, where the temperature depends on the distance from the mass losing star and its companion. The code uses a block-structured adaptive mesh refinement method that allows us to have high resolution at the position of the secondary and resolve the formation of bow shocks and accretion disks. We explore the accretion flow between the components and formation of accretion disks for a range of orbital separations and wind parameters. Our results show the formation of stream flow between the stars and accretion disks of various sizes for certain orbital configurations. For a typical slow and massive wind from an AGB star the flow pattern is similar to a Roche lobe overflow with accretion rates of 10% of the mass loss from the primary. Stable disks with exponentially decreasing density profiles and masses of the order 10-4 solar masses are formed when wind acceleration occurs at several stellar radii. The disks are geometrically thin with eccentric streamlines and close to Keplerian velocity profiles. The formation of tidal streams and accretion disks is found to be weakly dependent on the mass loss from the AGB star. Our simulations of gravitationally focused wind accretion in symbiotic binaries show the formation of stream flows and enhanced accretion rates onto the compact component. We conclude that mass transfer through a focused wind is an important mechanism in wind accreting interacting binaries and can have a significant impact on the evolution of the binary itself and the individual components.

Soft X-Ray Temperature Tidal Disruption Events from Stars on Deep Plunging Orbits

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dai, Lixin; McKinney, Jonathan C.; Miller, M. Coleman

2015-10-01

One of the puzzles associated with tidal disruption event candidates (TDEs) is that there is a dichotomy between the color temperatures of a few × 104 K for TDEs discovered with optical and UV telescopes and the color temperatures of a few × 105-106 K for TDEs discovered with X-ray satellites. Here, we propose that high-temperature TDEs are produced when the tidal debris of a disrupted star self-intersects relatively close to the supermassive black hole, in contrast to the more distant self-intersection that leads to lower color temperatures. In particular, we note from simple ballistic considerations that greater apsidal precession in an orbit is the key to closer self-intersection. Thus, larger values of β, the ratio of the tidal radius to the pericenter distance of the initial orbit, are more likely to lead to higher temperatures of more compact disks that are super-Eddington and geometrically and optically thick. For a given star and β, apsidal precession also increases for larger black hole masses, but larger black hole masses imply a lower temperature at the Eddington luminosity. Thus, the expected dependence of the temperature on the mass of the black hole is non-monotonic. We find that in order to produce a soft X-ray temperature TDE, a deep plunging stellar orbit with β > 3 is needed and a black hole mass of ≲5 × 106M⊙ is favored. Although observations of TDEs are comparatively scarce and are likely dominated by selection effects, it is encouraging that both expectations are consistent with current data.

Gyroscope precession along bound equatorial plane orbits around a Kerr black hole

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bini, Donato; Geralico, Andrea; Jantzen, Robert T.

2016-09-01

The precession of a test gyroscope along stable bound equatorial plane orbits around a Kerr black hole is analyzed, and the precession angular velocity of the gyro's parallel transported spin vector and the increment in the precession angle after one orbital period is evaluated. The parallel transported Marck frame which enters this discussion is shown to have an elegant geometrical explanation in terms of the electric and magnetic parts of the Killing-Yano 2-form and a Wigner rotation effect.

Structure in the Disk of epsilon Aurigae -- Analysis of ARCES and TripleSpec data from the 2010 eclipse

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gibson, Justus; Stencel, Robert E.; ARCES Team; Ketzeback, W.; Barentine, J.; Bradley, A.; Coughlin, J.; Dembicky, J.; Hawley, S.; Huehnerhoff, J.; Leadbeater, R.; McMillan, R.; Saurage, G.; Schmidt, S.; Ule, N.; Wallerstein, G.; York, D.

2018-06-01

Worldwide interest in the recent eclipse of epsilon Aurigae resulted in the generation of several extensive data sets, including high resolution spectroscopic monitoring. This lead to the discovery, among other things, of the existence of a mass transfer stream, seen notably during third contact. We explored spectroscopic facets of the mass transfer stream during third contact, using high resolution spectra obtained with the ARCES and TripleSpec instruments at Apache Point Observatory. One hundred and sixteen epochs of data were obtained between 2009 and 2012, and equivalent widths and line velocities measured for high versus low eccentricity accretion disk lines. These datasets also enable greater detail to be measured of the mid-eclipse enhancement of the He I 10830A line, and the discovery of the P Cygni shape of the Pa-beta line at third contact. We found evidence of higher speed material, associated with the mass transfer stream, persisting between third and fourth eclipse contacts. We visualized the disk and stream interaction using SHAPE software, and used CLOUDY software to estimate that the source of the enhanced He I 10830A absorption arises from a region with log nH = 11 cm-3 and temperature of 20,000 K, consistent with a mid-B type central star. We thank the following for their contributions to this paper: William Ketzeback, John Barentine, Jeffrey Coughlin, Robin Leadbeater, Gabrelle Saurage, and others. This paper has been submitted to Monthly Notices.

Implications of the Occurrence of Glitches in Pulsar Free Precession Candidates.

PubMed

Jones, D I; Ashton, G; Prix, R

2017-06-30

The timing properties of radio pulsars provide a unique probe of neutron star interiors. Recent observations have uncovered quasiperiodicities in the timing and pulse properties of some pulsars, a phenomenon that has often been attributed to free precession of the neutron star, with profound implications for the distribution of superfluidity and superconductivity in the star. We advance this program by developing consistency relations between free precession and pulsars glitches, and we show that there are difficulties in reconciling the two phenomena in some precession candidates. This indicates that the precession model used here needs to be modified or some other phenomenon is at work in producing the quasiperiodicities, or even that there is something missing in terms of our understanding of glitches.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kawahara, Hajime, E-mail: divrot@gmail.com

We consider the effect of planetary spin on the planetary radial velocity (PRV) in dayside spectra of exoplanets. To understand the spin effect qualitatively, we derive an analytic formula of the intensity-weighted radial velocity from the planetary surface on the following assumptions: (1) constant and solid rotation without precession, (2) stable and uniform distribution of molecules/atoms, (3) emission models from the dayside hemisphere, and (4) a circular orbit. On these assumptions, we find that the curve of the PRV is distorted by the planetary spin and this anomaly is characterized by the spin radial velocity at the equator and amore » projected angle on a celestial plane between the spin axis and the axis of orbital motion {lambda}{sub p} in a manner analogous to the Rossiter-McLaughlin effect. The latter can constrain the planetary obliquity. Creating mock PRV data with 3 km s{sup -1} accuracy, we demonstrate how {lambda}{sub p} and the spin radial velocity at the equator are estimated. We find that the stringent constraint of eccentricity is crucial to detect the spin effect. Though our formula is still qualitative, we conclude that the PRV in the dayside spectra will be a powerful means for constraining the planetary spin.« less

A topographically forced asymmetry in the martian circulation and climate.

PubMed

Richardson, Mark I; Wilson, R John

2002-03-21

Large seasonal and hemispheric asymmetries in the martian climate system are generally ascribed to variations in solar heating associated with orbital eccentricity. As the orbital elements slowly change (over a period of >104 years), characteristics of the climate such as dustiness and the vigour of atmospheric circulation are thought to vary, as should asymmetries in the climate (for example, the deposition of water ice at the northern versus the southern pole). Such orbitally driven climate change might be responsible for the observed layering in Mars' polar deposits by modulating deposition of dust and water ice. Most current theories assume that climate asymmetries completely reverse as the angular distance between equinox and perihelion changes by 180 degrees. Here we describe a major climate mechanism that will not precess in this way. We show that Mars' global north-south elevation difference forces a dominant southern summer Hadley circulation that is independent of perihelion timing. The Hadley circulation, a tropical overturning cell responsible for trade winds, largely controls interhemispheric transport of water and the bulk dustiness of the atmosphere. The topography therefore imprints a strong handedness on climate, with water ice and the active formation of polar layered deposits more likely in the north.

Astronomical variation experiments with a Mars general circulation model

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pollack, J. B.; Haberle, R. M.; Murphy, J. R.; Schaeffer, J.; Lee, H.

1992-01-01

In time scales of a hundred thousand to a million years, the eccentricity of Mars orbit varies in a quasi-periodic manner between extremes as large as 0.14 and as small as 0 and the tilt of its axis of rotation with respect to the orbit normal also varies quasi-periodically between extremes as large as 35 deg and as small as 15 deg. In addition, the orientation of the axis precesses on comparable time scales. These astronomical variations are much more extreme than those experienced by the Earth. These variations are thought to have strongly modulated the seasonal cycles of dust, carbon dioxide, and water. One manifestation of the induced quasiperiodic climate changes may be the layered terrain of the polar regions, with individual layers perhaps recording variations in the absolute and/or relative deposition rates of dust and water in the polar regions, most likely in association with the winter time deposition of carbon dioxide ice. In an attempt to understand the manner in which atmospheric temperatures and winds respond to the astronomical forcings, we have initiated a series of numerical experiments with the NASA/Ames general circulation model of the Martian Atmosphere.

Eocene climates, depositional environments, and geography, greater Green River basin, Wyoming, Utah, and Colorado

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Roehler, H.W.

1993-12-31

The climates, depositional environments, and geography of Eocene rocks in the greater Green River basin are investigated to determine the origin, mode of deposition, and areal distribution of the Wasatch, Green River, Bridger, and Washakie Formations. The data indicate that Eocene climates ranged from cool temperature to tropical and were affected by both terrestrial and astronomical factors. The terrestrial factors were mainly latitude, altitude, regional geography, tectonism, and volcanism. The astronomical factors are interpreted from reptitious rock sequences in the Wilkins Peak Member of the Green River Formation that record seasonal changes, 21,000 year precession of the equinox cycles, 100,000more » year eccentricity cycles, and an undetermined cycle of 727,000 years. Eight depositional environments are identified, discussed, and illustrated by diagrams, columnar sections, and photographs. They are: (1) fluvial, (2) paludal, (3) freshwater lacustrine, (4) saltwater lacustrine, (5) pond and playa lake, (6) evaporite (salt pan), (7) mudflat, and (8) volcanic and fluviovolcanic. The areal distribution of the eight depositional environments in the Wasatch, Green River, Bridger, and Washakie Formations is illustrated by photographs and 13 paleogeographic maps. 76 refs., 90 figs.« less

Origin of water in the inner Solar System: Planetesimals scattered inward during Jupiter and Saturn's rapid gas accretion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Raymond, Sean N.; Izidoro, Andre

2017-11-01

There is a long-standing debate regarding the origin of the terrestrial planets' water as well as the hydrated C-type asteroids. Here we show that the inner Solar System's water is a simple byproduct of the giant planets' formation. Giant planet cores accrete gas slowly until the conditions are met for a rapid phase of runaway growth. As a gas giant's mass rapidly increases, the orbits of nearby planetesimals are destabilized and gravitationally scattered in all directions. Under the action of aerodynamic gas drag, a fraction of scattered planetesimals are deposited onto stable orbits interior to Jupiter's. This process is effective in populating the outer main belt with C-type asteroids that originated from a broad (5-20 AU-wide) region of the disk. As the disk starts to dissipate, scattered planetesimals reach sufficiently eccentric orbits to cross the terrestrial planet region and deliver water to the growing Earth. This mechanism does not depend strongly on the giant planets' orbital migration history and is generic: whenever a giant planet forms it invariably pollutes its inner planetary system with water-rich bodies.

Forming Circumbinary Planets: N-body Simulations of Kepler-34

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lines, S.; Leinhardt, Z. M.; Paardekooper, S.; Baruteau, C.; Thebault, P.

2014-02-01

Observations of circumbinary planets orbiting very close to the central stars have shown that planet formation may occur in a very hostile environment, where the gravitational pull from the binary should be very strong on the primordial protoplanetary disk. Elevated impact velocities and orbit crossings from eccentricity oscillations are the primary contributors to high energy, potentially destructive collisions that inhibit the growth of aspiring planets. In this work, we conduct high-resolution, inter-particle gravity enabled N-body simulations to investigate the feasibility of planetesimal growth in the Kepler-34 system. We improve upon previous work by including planetesimal disk self-gravity and an extensive collision model to accurately handle inter-planetesimal interactions. We find that super-catastrophic erosion events are the dominant mechanism up to and including the orbital radius of Kepler-34(AB)b, making in situ growth unlikely. It is more plausible that Kepler-34(AB)b migrated from a region beyond 1.5 AU. Based on the conclusions that we have made for Kepler-34, it seems likely that all of the currently known circumbinary planets have also migrated significantly from their formation location with the possible exception of Kepler-47(AB)c.

The Primordial Destruction of Moons around Giant Exoplanets through Disk-Driven Planetary Migration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Spalding, Christopher; Batygin, Konstantin; Adams, Fred C.

2015-11-01

The extensive array of satellites around Jupiter and Saturn makes it reasonable to suspect that similar systems of moons might exist around giant extrasolar planets. Observational surveys have revealed a significant population of such giant planets residing at distances of about 1 AU, leading to speculation that some of these 'exomoons' might be capable of maintaining liquid water on their surfaces. Accordingly, many recent efforts have specifically hunted for moons around giant exoplanets. Owing to the lack of detections thus far, it is worth asking whether certain processes intrinsic to planet formation might lead to the loss of moons. Here, we highlight that giant planets are thought to undergo inward migration within their natal disks and show that the very process of migration naturally captures moons into a so-called "evection resonance". Within this resonance, the lunar orbit's eccentricity grows until the moon is lost, either by collision with the planet or through tidal disruption. Whether moons survive or not is critically dependent upon where the planet began its inward trek. In this way, the presence or absence of exomoons can inform us on the extent of inward migration, for which no reliable observational proxy currently exists.

A high-velocity black hole on a Galactic-halo orbit in the solar neighbourhood.

PubMed

Mirabel, I F; Dhawan, V; Mignani, R P; Rodrigues, I; Guglielmetti, F

2001-09-13

Only a few of the dozen or so known stellar-mass black holes have been observed away from the plane of the Galaxy. Those few could have been ejected from the plane as a result of a 'kick' received during a supernova explosion, or they could be remnants of the population of massive stars formed in the early stages of evolution of the Galaxy. Determining their orbital motion should help to distinguish between these options. Here we report the transverse motion (in the plane of the sky) for the black-hole X-ray nova XTE J1118+480 (refs 2, 3, 4, 5), from which we derive a large space velocity. This X-ray binary system has an eccentric orbit around the Galactic Centre, like most objects in the halo of the Galaxy, such as ancient stars and globular clusters. The properties of the system suggest that its age is comparable to or greater than the age of the Galactic disk. Only an extraordinary 'kick' from a supernova could have launched the black hole into an orbit like this from a birthplace in the disk of the Galaxy.

The Long-term Light Curves of X-ray Binaries Contain Simultaneous Periodic and Random Components

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

White, Nicholas E. (Technical Monitor); Boyd, Patricia T.; Smale, Alan P.

2002-01-01

LMC X-3 and Cyg X-2 show large amplitude X-ray fluctuations that have been attributed to a warped accretion disk. Cyg X-3 displays high amplitude, apparently non-periodic oscillations. We reanalyze these systems using RXTE ASM data and time-frequency decomposition techniques. We find that the long-term variations in Cyg X-2 can be completely characterized by excursions whose durations are integer multiples of the orbital period, including one essentially identical to the reported "period" of 78 days. Cyg X-3 can be characterized in terms of integer multiples of a 71-day fundamental period unrelated to the 4.8 day orbital period, but suggestively close to the approximately equal to greater than 60 day reported precession period of the relativistic jet inferred from recent radio observations. The long-term excursions of LMC X-3 are related to each other by rational fractions, suggesting the characteristic time scale is 10.594 days, shorter than any observed excursion to date. We explore the phase space evolution of the light curves using a natural embedding and find that all three systems possess two rotation centers that organize the phase space trajectories, one of low luminosity and the other of high luminosity. The implications of this repeatable behavior on generic models of accretion disk dynamics and mass transfer variability are explored.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hu, Chin-Ping; Ng, C.-Y.; Li, K. L.

NGC 7793 P13 is an ultraluminous X-ray source harboring an accreting pulsar. We report on the detection of a ∼65 day period X-ray modulation with Swift observations in this system. The modulation period found in the X-ray band is P = 65.05 ± 0.10 days and the profile is asymmetric with a fast rise and a slower decay. On the other hand, the u -band light curve collected by Swift UVOT confirmed an optical modulation with a period of P = 64.24 ± 0.13 days. We explored the phase evolution of the X-ray and optical periodicities and propose two solutions.more » A superorbital modulation with a period of ∼2700–4700 days probably caused by the precession of a warped accretion disk is necessary to interpret the phase drift of the optical data. We further discuss the implication if this ∼65 day periodicity is caused by the superorbital modulation. Estimated from the relationship between the spin-orbital and orbital-superorbital periods of known disk-fed high-mass X-ray binaries, the orbital period of P13 is roughly estimated as 3–7 days. In this case, an unknown mechanism with a much longer timescale is needed to interpret the phase drift. Further studies on the stability of these two periodicities with a long-term monitoring could help us to probe their physical origins.« less

The evolution of a binary in a retrograde circular orbit embedded in an accretion disk

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ivanov, P. B.; Papaloizou, J. C. B.; Paardekooper, S.-J.; Polnarev, A. G.

2015-04-01

Aims: Supermassive black hole binaries may form as a consequence of galaxy mergers. Both prograde and retrograde orbits have been proposed. We study a binary with a small mass ratio, q, in a retrograde orbit immersed in and interacting with a gaseous accretion disk in order to estimate the time scales for inward migration that leads to coalescence and the accretion rate to the secondary component. Methods: We employed both semi-analytic methods and two-dimensional numerical simulations, focusing on the case where the binary mass ratio is small but large enough to significantly perturb the disk. Results: We develop the theory of type I migration in this case and go on to determine the conditions for gap formation. We find that when this happens inward migration occurs on a time scale equal to the time required for one half of the secondary mass to be accreted through the unperturbed accretion disk. The accretion rate onto the secondary itself is found to only play a minor role in the orbital evolution as it is of the order of q1/3 of that to the primary. We obtain good general agreement between the semi-analytic and fully numerical approaches and note that the former can be applied to disks with a wide dynamic range on long time scales. Conclusions: We conclude that inward migration induced by interaction with the disk can enable the binary to migrate inwards, alleviating the so-called final parsec problem. When q is sufficiently small, there is no well-pronounced cavity inside the binary orbit, unlike the prograde case. The accretion rate to the secondary does not influence the binary orbital evolution much, but can lead to some interesting observational consequences, provided the accretion efficiency is sufficiently large. In this case the binary may be detected as, for example, two sources of radiation rotating around each other. However, the study should be extended to consider orbits with significant eccentricity and the effects of gravitational radiation at small length scales. Also, torques acting between a circumbinary accretion disk, which has a non-zero inclination with respect to a retrograde binary orbit at large distances, may cause the inclination to increase on a time scale that can be similar to, or smaller than, the time scale of orbital evolution, depending on the disk parameters and binary mass ratio. This is also an aspect for future study. The movies are available in electronic form at http://www.aanda.org

The Pole Orientation, Pole Precession, and Moment of Inertia Factor of Saturn

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jacobson, R. A.; French, R. G.; Nicholson, P. D.; Hedman, M.; Colwell, J. E.; Marouf, E.; Rappaport, N.; McGhee, C.; Sepersky, T.; Lonergan, K.

2011-01-01

This paper discusses our determination of the Saturn's pole orientation and precession using a combination of Earthbased and spacecraft based observational data. From our model of the polar motion and the observed precession rate we obtain a value for Saturn's polar moment of inertia

Are we close to putting the anomalous perihelion precessions from Verlinde's emergent gravity to the test?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Iorio, Lorenzo

2017-03-01

In the framework of the emergent gravity scenario by Verlinde, it was recently observed by Liu and Prokopec that, among other things, an anomalous pericenter precession would affect the orbital motion of a test particle orbiting an isolated central body. Here, it is shown that, if it were real, its expected magnitude for the inner planets of the Solar System would be at the same level of the present-day accuracy in constraining any possible deviations from their standard perihelion precessions as inferred from long data records spanning about the last century. The most favorable situation for testing the Verlinde-type precession seems to occur for Mars. Indeed, according to recent versions of the EPM and INPOP planetary ephemerides, non-standard perihelion precessions, of whatsoever physical origin, which are larger than some ≈ 0.02-0.11 milliarcseconds per century are not admissible, while the putative precession predicted by Liu and Prokopec amounts to 0.09 milliarcseconds per century. Other potentially interesting astronomical and astrophysical scenarios like, e.g., the Earth's LAGEOS II artificial satellite, the double pulsar system PSR J0737-3039A/B and the S-stars orbiting the Supermassive Black Hole in Sgr A^* are, instead, not viable because of the excessive smallness of the predicted precessions for them.

Contributions to the Earth's Obliquity Rate, Precession, and Nutation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Williams, James G.

1994-01-01

The precession and nutation of the Earth's equator arise from solar, lunar, and planetary torques on the oblate Earth. The mean lunar orbit plane is nearly coincident with the ecliptic plane. A small tilt out of the ecliptic is caused by planetary perturbations and the Earth's gravitational harmonic J(sub 2). These planetary perturbations on the lunar orbit result in torques on the oblate Earth which contribute to precession, obliquity rate, and nutation while the J(sub 2) perturbations contribute to precession and nutation. Small additional contributions to the secular rates arise from tidal effects and planetary torques on the Earth's bulge. The total correction to the obliquity rate is -0.024 sec/century, it is an observable motion in space (the much larger conventional obliquity rate is wholly from the motion of the ecliptic, not the equator), and it is not present in the IAU-adopted expressions for the orientation of the Earth's equator. The effects have generally been allowed for in past nutation theories and some precession theories. For the planetary effect, the contributions to the 18.6 yr nutation are -0.03 mas (milliarcseconds) for the in-phase Delta(psi) plus out-of-phase contributions of 0.14 mas in Delta(psi) and -0.03 mas in Delta(sub epsilon). The latter terms demonstrate that out-of-phase contributions can arise by means other than dissipation. The sum of the contributions to the precession rate is considered and the inferred value of the moment of inertia combination (C-A)/C, which is used to scale the coefficients in the nutation series, is evaluated. Using an updated value for the precession rate, the rigid body (C-A)/C =0.003 273 763 4 which, in combination with a satellite-derived J(sub 2), gives a normalized polar moment of inertia C/MR(exp 2) = 0.330 700 7. The planetary contributions to the precession and obliquity rates are not constant for long times causing accelerations in both quantities. Acceleration in precession also arises from tides and changing J(sub 2) Contributions from the improved theory, masses, ecliptic motion, and measured values of the precession rate and obliquity are combined to give expressions (polynomials in time) for precession, obliquity, and Greenwich Mean Sidereal Time.

New Precession Formulas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fukushima, T.

2003-08-01

We adapted J.G. Williams' expression of the precession and nutation by the 3-1-3-1 rotation (Williams 1994) to an arbitrary inertial frame of reference. The new expression of the precession matrix is P = R1(-ɛ ) R3(-ψ ) R1(ϕ) R3(γ ) while that of precession-nutation matrix is NP = R1(-ɛ -Δ ɛ ) R3(-ψ -Δ ψ ) R1(ϕ) R3(γ ). Here γ and ϕ are the new planetary precession angles, ψ and ɛ are the new luni-solar precession angles, and Δ ψ and Δ ɛ are the usual nutations. The modified formulation avoids a singularity caused by finite pole offsets near the epoch. By adopting the latest planetary precession formula determined from DE405 (Harada 2003) and by using a recent theory of the forced nutation of the non-rigid Earth, SF2001 (Shirai and Fukushima 2001), we analysed the celestial pole offsets observed by VLBI for 1979-2000 and compiled by USNO and determined the best-fit polynomials of the new luni-solar precession angles. Then we translated the results into the classic precessional quantities as sin π A sin Π A, sin π A \\cos Π A, π A, Π A, pA, ψ A, ω A, χA, ζ A, zA, and θ A. Also we evaluated the effect of the difference in the ecliptic definition between the inertial and rotational senses. The combination of these formulas and the periodic part of SF2001 serves as a good approximation of the precession-nutation matrix in the ICRF. As a by-product, we determined the mean celestial pole offset at J2000.0 as X0 = -(17.12 +/- 0.01) mas and Y0 = -(5.06 +/- 0.02) mas. Also we estimated the speed of general precession in longitude at J2000.0 as p = (5028.7955 +/- 0.0003)''/Julian century, the mean obliquity at J2000.0 in the rotational sense as ɛ 0 = (84381.40955 +/- 0.00001)'', and the dynamical flattening of the Earth as Hd = (0.0032737804 +/- 0.0000000003). Further, we established a fast way to compute the precession-nutation matrix and provided a best-fit polynomial of s, an angle to specify the mean CEO.

A megasplice of globally distributed benthic δ18O records exposes the different astronomical rhythms of the last 35 million years.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

De Vleeschouwer, David; Vahlenkamp, Maximilian; Crucifix, Michel; Pälike, Heiko

2016-04-01

Compilations of worldwide benthic δ18O records (e.g. Cramer et al., 2009; Zachos et al., 2001; Zachos et al., 2008) led to a significant improvement of our understanding of changing ocean circulation characteristics in the Cenozoic. However, in these compilations, different isotopic records are accumulated and individual astronomical cycles are not always clearly recognizable. Here, we present a benthic δ18O megasplice for the last 35 Ma that results from the splicing of a dozen globally distributed high-resolution isotope records (>11000 measurements). We carefully correlated these isotope records in their overlapping parts, and slightly revised the original astronomical age models where necessary. The result is a megasplice in which individual astronomical cycles are clearly delineated throughout the last 35 Ma. Benthic δ18O records from the deep ocean can be regarded as resembling globally averaged temperature and ice-volume conditions. Nevertheless, an important disadvantage of the megasplice consists of the fact that data from single sites do not reflect whole ocean conditions. We account for possible local effects by presenting different versions of the megasplice, each version consisting of a different combination of records. Subsequently, the imprint of astronomical climate forcing in the megasplice is displayed in a novel way. We display the response of benthic δ18O to obliquity and eccentricity-modulated precession for 800-kyr wide time-windows. The δ18O response in function of obliquity and e*sin(ω) allows for an assessment of the relative strength of obliquity and precession. A similar display in function of e*sin(ω) and e*cos(ω) should be read as a polar plot of which the azimuth represents the longitude of the perihelion and the distance from the pole represents eccentricity. The month during which the Earth reaches perihelion is indicated at the corresponding azimuth. This novel way of visualizing the astronomical imprint allows us to visualize non-trivial dependencies of climate on the phase and amplitude of astronomical parameters. The megasplice allows for a countless amount of comparisons of the climate's response to astronomical forcing between different time slices. For example, a comparison of the response before and after the Oligocene-Miocene transition shows that it was predominantly the northern hemisphere that drove global climate during the Oligocene, and the southern hemisphere during the Miocene. References Cramer, B. S., Toggweiler, J. R., Wright, J. D., Katz, M. E., and Miller, K. G., 2009, Ocean overturning since the Late Cretaceous: Inferences from a new benthic foraminiferal isotope compilation: Paleoceanography, v. 24, no. 4. Zachos, J., Pagani, M., Sloan, L., Thomas, E., and Billups, K., 2001, Trends, Rhythms, and Aberrations in Global Climate 65 Ma to Present: Science, v. 292, no. 5517, p. 686-693. Zachos, J. C., Dickens, G. R., and Zeebe, R. E., 2008, An early Cenozoic perspective on greenhouse warming and carbon-cycle dynamics: Nature, v. 451, no. 7176, p. 279-283.

Abrupt Changes at the Permian/Triassic Boundary: Tempo of Events from High-Resolution Cyclostratigraphy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rampino, M. R.; Prokoph, A.; Adler, A. C.

2000-01-01

The Permian/Triassic (P/Tr) boundary (251.4 +/- 3 Myr) is marked by the most severe mass extinction in the geologic record. Recently, precise absolute dating has bracketed the marine extinctions and associated carbon-isotope anomaly within less than 1 Myr. We improve this resolution through high-resolution stratigraphy across the P/Tr boundary in the 331-m Gartnerkofel-1 core and nearby Reppwand outcrop section (Carnic Alps, Austria) utilizing FFT and wavelet timeseries analyses of cyclic components in down-hole core logs of density and natural gamma-ray intensity, and carbon-isotopic ratios of bulk samples. The wavelet analysis indicates continuity of deposition across the P/Tr boundary interval, and the timeseries analyses show evidence for persistent cycles in the ratio of approximately 40: 10: 4.7: 2.3 meters, correlated with Milankovitch-band orbital cycles of approximately 412: 100: 40: 20 kyr (eccentricity 1 and 2, obliquity, and precession), and giving a consistent average sedimentation rate of approximately 10 cm/1,000 yr. Milankovitch periods in delta C-13 and density in these shallow-water carbonates were most likely the result of climatically induced oscillations of sea level and climate, coupled with changes in ocean circulation and productivity, that affected sedimentation. Fluctuations in gamma radiation reflect varying input of clay minerals and the presence of shaly interbeds. Throughout the P/Tr boundary interval in the core, the 100,000-year eccentricity cycle seems to be dominant. Weaker obliquity and precession cycles are in line with the location of the Austrian section in the latest Permian, close to the Equator in the western bight of the Tethys, where obliquity and precessional effects on seasonal contrast might be subdued. Using the improved resolution provided by cycle analysis in the GK-1 core, we find that the dramatic change in the faunal record that marks the P/Tr boundary takes place over less than 6m, or less than 60,000 years. In the nearby Reppwand outcrop section, the same faunal changes occurs over only 0.8 m or about 8,000 years, close to the limit of time-resolution induced by bioturbation and reworking in these sediments. The sharp negative global carbon-isotope shift took place within less than or equal to 40,000 yr, and the isotope excursions persisted for approximately 480,000 yr into the Early Triassic. The results indicate that the severe marine faunal event that marks the P/Tr boundary was very sudden, perhaps less than the resolution window in the GK-1 core, and suggest a catastrophic cause. The wavelet-analysis approach to high-resolution cyclostratigraphy can be applied to other P/Tr boundary sections, and when combined with precise absolute dating and magnetostratigraphic methods promises a significant increase in resolution in determining the correlation and tempo of the end-Permian extinctions and related events worldwide.

A 3D Visualization and Analysis Model of the Earth Orbit, Milankovitch Cycles and Insolation.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kostadinov, Tihomir; Gilb, Roy

2013-04-01

Milankovitch theory postulates that periodic variability of Earth's orbital elements is a major climate forcing mechanism. Although controversies remain, ample geologic evidence supports the major role of the Milankovitch cycles in climate, e.g. glacial-interglacial cycles. There are three Milankovitch orbital parameters: orbital eccentricity (main periodicities of ~100,000 and ~400,000 years), precession (quantified as the longitude of perihelion, main periodicities 19,000-24,000 years) and obliquity of the ecliptic (Earth's axial tilt, main periodicity 41,000 years). The combination of these parameters controls the spatio-temporal patterns of incoming solar radiation (insolation) and the timing of the seasons with respect to perihelion, as well as season duration. The complex interplay of the Milankovitch orbital parameters on various time scales makes assessment and visualization of Earth's orbit and insolation variability challenging. It is difficult to appreciate the pivotal importance of Kepler's laws of planetary motion in controlling the effects of Milankovitch cycles on insolation patterns. These factors also make Earth-Sun geometry and Milankovitch theory difficult to teach effectively. Here, an astronomically precise and accurate Earth orbit visualization model is presented. The model offers 3D visualizations of Earth's orbital geometry, Milankovitch parameters and the ensuing insolation forcings. Both research and educational uses are envisioned for the model, which is developed in Matlab® as a user-friendly graphical user interface (GUI). We present the user with a choice between the Berger et al. (1978) and Laskar et al. (2004) astronomical solutions for eccentricity, obliquity and precession. A "demo" mode is also available, which allows the three Milankovitch parameters to be varied independently of each other (and over much larger ranges than the naturally occurring ones), so the user can isolate the effects of each parameter on orbital geometry, the seasons, and insolation. Users select a calendar date and the Earth is placed in its orbit using Kepler's laws; the calendar can be started on either vernal equinox (March 20) or perihelion (Jan. 3). Global insolation is computed as a function of latitude and day of year, using the chosen Milankovitch parameters. 3D surface plots of insolation and insolation anomalies (with respect to J2000) are then produced. Insolation computations use the model's own orbital geometry with no additional a-priori input other than the Milankovitch parameter solutions. Insolation computations are successfully validated against Laskar et al. (2004) values. The model outputs other relevant parameters as well, e.g. Earth's radius-vector length, solar declination and day length for the chosen date and latitude. Time-series plots of the Milankovitch parameters and EPICA ice core CO2 and temperature data can be produced. Envisioned future developments include computational efficiency improvements, more options for insolation plots on user-chosen spatio-temporal scales, and overlaying additional paleoclimatological proxy data.

Precession effects on a liquid planetary core

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Min; Li, Li-Gang

2018-02-01

Motivated by the desire to understand the rich dynamics of precessionally driven flow in a liquid planetary core, we investigate, through numerical simulations, the precessing fluid motion in a rotating cylindrical annulus, which simultaneously possesses slow precession. The same problemhas been studied extensively in cylinders, where the precessing flow is characterized by three key parameters: the Ekman number E, the Poincaré number Po and the radius-height aspect ratio Γ. While in an annulus, there is another parameter, the inner-radius-height aspect ratio ϒ, which also plays an important role in controlling the structure and evolution of the flow. By decomposing the nonlinear solution into a set of inertial modes, we demonstrate the properties of both weakly and moderately precessing flows. It is found that, when the precessional force is weak, the flow is stable with a constant amplitude of kinetic energy. As the precessional force increases, our simulation suggests that the nonlinear interaction between the boundary effects and the inertial modes can trigger more turbulence, introducing a transitional regime of rich dynamics to disordered flow. The inertial mode u 111, followed by u 113 or u 112, always dominates the precessing flow when 0.001 ≤ Po ≤ 0.05, ranging from weak to moderate precession. Moreover, the precessing flow in an annulus shows more stability than in a cylinder which is likely to be caused by the effect of the inner boundary that restricts the growth of resonant and non-resonant inertial modes. Furthermore, the mechanism of triadic resonance is not found in the transitional regime from a laminar to disordered flow.

Change in general relativistic precession rates due to Lidov-Kozai oscillations in Solar system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sekhar, A.; Asher, D. J.; Werner, S. C.; Vaubaillon, J.; Li, G.

2017-06-01

Both general relativistic (GR) precession and the Lidov-Kozai mechanism, separately, are known to play an important role in the orbital evolution of Solar system bodies. Previous works have studied these two mechanisms independently in great detail. However, both these phenomena occurring at the same time in real Solar system bodies have rarely been explored. In this work, we find a continuum connecting the GR precession dominant and Lidov-Kozai-like mechanism dominant regimes, I.e. an intermediate regime where the competing effects of GR precession and Lidov-Kozai-like oscillations coexist simultaneously. We find some real examples in the Solar system in this intermediate regime. Moreover, we identify a rare example among them, comet 96P/Machholz 1, which shows significant changes in the rates of GR precession (an order of magnitude higher than Mercury's GR precession rate) due to sungrazing and sun-colliding phases induced by Lidov-Kozai-like oscillations. This comet's combination of orbital elements and initial conditions (at the present epoch) favour this measurable rapid change in GR precession (at some points peaking up to 60 times Mercury's GR precession rate) along with prograde-retrograde inclination flip (due to Lidov-Kozai-like oscillations). Similar tests are performed for hundreds of bodies lying in the moderately low perihelion distance and moderately low semimajor axis phase space in the Solar system, the present lowest perihelion distance asteroid 322P/SOHO 1, and further examples connected with 96P/Machholz 1 namely, the Marsden and Kracht families of sungrazing comets plus low perihelion meteoroid streams like Daytime Arietids and Southern Delta Aquariids.

A New Precession Formula

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fukushima, Toshio

2003-07-01

We adapt J. G. Williams' expression of the precession and nutation using the 3-1-3-1 rotation to an arbitrary inertial frame of reference. The modified formulation avoids a singularity caused by finite pole offsets near the epoch. By adopting the planetary precession formula numerically determined from DE405 and by using a recent theory of the forced nutation of the nonrigid Earth by Shirai & Fukishima, we analyze the celestial pole offsets observed by VLBI for 1979-2000 and determine the best-fit polynomials of the lunisolar precession angles. We then translate the results into classical precession quantities and evaluate the difference due to the difference in the ecliptic definition. The combination of these formulae and the periodic part of the Shirai-Fukishima nutation theory serves as a good approximation of the precession-nutation matrix in the International Celestial Reference Frame. As a by-product, we determine the mean celestial pole offset at J2000.0 as X0=-(17.12+/-0.01) mas and Y0=-(5.06+/-0.02) mas. Also, we estimate the speed of general precession in longitude at J2000.0 as p=5028.7955"+/-0.0003" per Julian century, the mean obliquity at J2000.0 in the inertial sense as (ɛ0)I=84381.40621"+/-0.00001" and in the rotational sense as (ɛ0)R=84381.40955"+/-0.00001", and the dynamical flattening of Earth as Hd=(3.2737804+/-0.0000003)×10-3. Furthermore, we establish a fast way to compute the precession-nutation matrix and provide a best-fit polynomial of an angle to specify the mean Celestial Ephemeris Origin.