Sample records for southern low-mass protostars

  1. Observations of Carbon Chain Chemistry in the Envelopes of Low-Mass Protostars

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Cordiner, M.; Charnley, S.; Buckle, J. V.; Walsh, C.; Millar, T. J.

    2012-01-01

    Observational results are reported from our surveys in the Northern Hemisphere (using the Onsala 20 m telescope) and the Southern Hemisphere (using the Mopra 22 m telescope) to search for 3 mm emission lines from carbon-chain-bearing species and other complex molecules in the envelopes of low-mass protostars. Based on a sample of approximately 60 sources, we find that carbon-chain-bearing species including HC3N (and C4H) are highly abundant in the vicinity of more than half of the observed protostars. The origin and evolution of these species, including their likely incorporation into ices in protoplanetary disks will be discussed

  2. Water D/H Ratio In Low-Mass Protostars

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Persson, Magnus V.; Jørgensen, Jes K.; van Dishoeck, Ewine F.; Harsono, Daniel

    2013-07-01

    Water is an important molecule for our life on Earth, but its way from formation on the surfaces of dust grains to planets and the accompanying chemical processing are not well understood. Through evaporation in the warm inner regions of protostars, water brings complex organics and other species previously locked up in the ice into the gas phase. The water deuterium fractionation (HDO/H2O abundance ratio) has traditionally been used to infer the amount of water that was brought to the Earth by comets. Deducing this ratio in the warm gas of deeply-embedded low-mass protostars allows to extend the discussion of the origin of Earth's water to earlier evolutionary stages. This poster present high-angular resolution, ground based interferometric observations of both HDO and H2(18)O water isotopologues toward several Class~0 low-mass protostars. The emission is compact, and stems from the inner few 100 AU in all sources. The derived amount of deuterium fractionation in water, obtained assuming LTE and optically thin emission, is the same within the uncertainties in all sources and shows only small enhancements compared with Earth's oceans and solar system's comets.

  3. Infrared Observations of Hot Gas and Cold Ice Toward the Low Mass Protostar Elias 29

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Boogert, A. C. A.; Tielens, A. G. G. M.; Ceccarelli, C.; Boonman, A. M. S.; vanDishoeck, E. F.; Keane, J. V.; Whittet, D. C. B.; deGraauw, T.

    2000-01-01

    We have obtained the full 1-200 micrometer spectrum of the low luminosity (36 solar luminosity Class I protostar Elias 29 in the rho Ophiuchi molecular cloud. It provides a unique opportunity to study the origin and evolution of interstellar ice and the interrelationship of interstellar ice and hot core gases around low mass protostars. We see abundant hot CO and H2O gas, as well as the absorption bands of CO, CO2, H2O and "6.85 micrometer" ices. We compare the abundances and physical conditions of the gas and ices toward Elias 29 with the conditions around several well studied luminous, high mass protostars. The high gas temperature and gas/solid ratios resemble those of relatively evolved high mass objects (e.g. GL 2591). However, none of the ice band profiles shows evidence for significant thermal processing, and in this respect Elias 29 resembles the least evolved luminous protostars, such as NGC 7538 : IRS9. Thus we conclude that the heating of the envelope of the low mass object Elias 29 is qualitatively different from that of high mass protostars. This is possibly related to a different density gradient of the envelope or shielding of the ices in a circumstellar disk. This result is important for our understanding of the evolution of interstellar ices, and their relation to cometary ices.

  4. Water in embedded low-mass protostars: cold envelopes and warm outflows

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kristensen, Lars E.; van Dishoeck, Ewine; Mottram, Joseph; Schmalzl, Markus; Visser, Ruud

    2015-08-01

    As stars form, gas from the parental cloud is transported through the molecular envelope to the protostellar disk from which planets eventually form. Water plays a crucial role in such systems: it forms the backbone of the oxygen chemistry, it is a unique probe of warm and hot gas, and it provides a unique link between the grain surface and gas-phase chemistries. The distribution of water, both as ice and gas, is a fundamental question to our understanding of how planetary systems, such as the Solar System, form.The Herschel Space Observatory observed many tens of embedded low-mass protostars in a suite of gas-phase water transitions in several programs (e.g. Water in Star-forming regions with Herschel, WISH, and the William Herschel Line Legacy Survey, WILL), and related species (e.g. CO in Protostars with HIFI, COPS-HIFI). I will summarize what Herschel has revealed about the water distribution in the cold outer molecular envelope of low-mass protostars, and the warm gas in outflows, the two components predominantly traced by Herschel observations. I will present our current understanding of where the water vapor is in protostellar systems and the underlying physical and chemical processes leading to this distribution. Through these dedicated observational surveys and complementary modeling efforts, we are now at a stage where we can quantify where the water is during the early stages of star formation.

  5. Deuterated water in low-mass protostars

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Coutens, Audrey; Vastel, Charlotte; Chess Collaboration; Wish Collaboration; Hexos Collaboration

    2013-07-01

    In addition to its dominant role in the cooling of warm gas and in the oxygen chemistry, water is a primordial species in the emergence of life, and comets may have brought a large fraction to Earth to form the oceans. Observations of deuterated water are an important complement for studies of H2O to understand how water forms and how it has evolved from cold prestellar cores to protoplanetary disks and consequently oceans for the Earth's specific, but probably not isolated, case. Several deuterated water transitions were observed with the Herschel/HIFI (Heterodyne Instrument for Far Infrared) instrument towards three low-mass protostars: IRAS 16293-2422, NGC1333 IRAS4A and NGC1333 IRAS4B. In the first source, both HDO and D2O lines are detected, thanks to the unbiased spectral survey carried out by the CHESS key program (Vastel et al. 2010, Coutens et al. 2013a). In the framework of a collaboration between the CHESS, WISH and HEXOS programs, two HDO key lines were observed towards the two other protostars. In addition, complementary observations were carried out with several ground-based single-dish telescopes (IRAM-30m, JCMT, APEX). We used the non-LTE RATRAN spherical model (Hogerheijde & van der Tak 2000) to determine the HDO abundance distribution throughout the protostellar envelope. An abundance jump at 100 K is required to reproduce the line profiles. Indeed, water molecules trapped in the icy grain mantles thermally desorb in the hot corinos, the inner warm regions of the protostellar envelopes. We also obtain that it is necessary to add a water-rich external absorbing layer to reproduce the absorbing components of the HDO and D2O fundamental transitions in all sources (Coutens et al. 2012, 2013a,b). The results derived for the different sources will be then presented and discussed.

  6. Radiative Feedback from Primordial Protostars and Final Mass of the First Stars

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hosokawa, Takashi; Omukai, Kazuyuki; Yoshida, Naoki; Yorke, Harold W.

    2012-01-01

    In this contribution, we review our efforts toward understanding the typical mass-scale of primordial stars. Our direct numerical simulations show that, in both of Population III.1 and III.2 cases, strong UV stellar radiative feedback terminatesmass accretion onto a protostar.AnHII region formed around the protostar very dynamically expands throughout the gas accreting envelope, which cuts off the gas supply to a circumstellar disk. The disk is exposed to the stellar UV radiation and loses its mass by photoevaporation. The derived final masses are 43 Stellar Mass and 17 Stellar Mass in our fiducial Population III.1 and III.2 cases. Much more massive stars should form in other exceptional conditions. In atomic-cooling halos where H2 molecules are dissociated, for instance, a protostar grows via very rapid mass accretion with the rates M* approx. 0.1 - 1 Stellar Mass/yr. Our newstellar evolution calculations show that the protostar significantly inflates and never contracts to reach the ZAMS stage in this case. Such the "supergiant protostars" have very low UV luminosity, which results in weak radiative feedback against the accretion flow. In the early universe, supermassive stars formed through this process might provide massive seeds of supermassive black holes.

  7. Deuterated formaldehyde in the low-mass protostar HH212

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sahu, Dipen; Minh, Y. C.; Lee, Chin-Fei; Liu, Sheng-Yuan; Das, Ankan; Chakrabarti, S. K.; Sivaraman, Bhala

    2018-04-01

    HH212, a nearby (400 pc) object in Orion, is a class 0 protostellar system with a Keplerian disc and collimated bipolar SiO jets. Deuterated water, HDO, and a deuterated complex molecule, methanol (CH2DOH), have been reported in the source. Here, we report the HDCO (deuterated formaldehyde) line observation from Atacama Large Millimeter Array data to probe the inner region of HH212. We compare HDCO line with other molecular lines to understand the possible chemistry and physics of the source. The distribution of HDCO emission suggests that it may be associated with the base of the outflow. The emission also shows a rotation but it is not associated with the Keplerian rotation of disc or the rotating infalling envelope, rather it is associated with the outflow as previously seen in C34S. From the possible deuterium fractionation, we speculate that the gas phase formation of deuterated formaldehyde is active in the central hot region of the low-mass protostar system, HH212.

  8. Detection of OD towards the low-mass protostar IRAS 16293-2422

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Parise, B.; Du, F.; Liu, F.-C.; Belloche, A.; Wiesemeyer, H.; Güsten, R.; Menten, K. M.; Hübers, H.-W.; Klein, B.

    2012-06-01

    Context. Although water is an essential and widespread molecule in star-forming regions, its chemical formation pathways are still not very well constrained. Observing the level of deuterium fractionation of OH, a radical involved in the water chemical network, is a promising way to infer its chemical origin. Aims: We aim at understanding the formation mechanisms of water by investigating the origin of its deuterium fractionation. This can be achieved by observing the abundance of OD towards the low-mass protostar IRAS 16293-2422, where the HDO distribution is already known. Methods: Using the GREAT receiver on board SOFIA, we observed the ground-state OD transition at 1391.5 GHz towards the low-mass protostar IRAS 16293-2422. We also present the detection of the HDO 111-000 line using the APEX telescope. We compare the OD/HDO abundance ratio inferred from these observations with the predictions of chemical models. Results: The OD line is detected in absorption towards the source continuum. This is the first detection of OD outside the solar system. The SOFIA observation, coupled to the observation of the HDO 111-000 line, provides an estimate of the abundance ratio OD/HDO ~ 17-90 in the gas where the absorption takes place. This value is fairly high compared with model predictions. This may be reconciled if reprocessing in the gas by means of the dissociative recombination of H2DO+ further fractionates OH with respect to water. Conclusions: The present observation demonstrates the capability of the SOFIA/GREAT instrument to detect the ground transition of OD towards star-forming regions in a frequency range that was not accessible before. Dissociative recombination of H2DO+ may play an important role in setting a high OD abundance. Measuring the branching ratios of this reaction in the laboratory will be of great value for chemical models. Figure 5 is available in electronic form at http://www.aanda.org

  9. Water deuterium fractionation in the low-mass protostar NGC1333-IRAS2A

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liu, F.-C.; Parise, B.; Kristensen, L.; Visser, R.; van Dishoeck, E. F.; Güsten, R.

    2011-03-01

    Context. Although deuterium enrichment of water may provide an essential piece of information in the understanding of the formation of comets and protoplanetary systems, only a few studies up to now have aimed at deriving the HDO/H2O ratio in low-mass star forming regions. Previous studies of the molecular deuteration toward the solar-type class 0 protostar, IRAS 16293-2422, have shown that the D/H ratio of water is significantly lower than other grain-surface-formed molecules. It is not clear if this property is general or particular to this source. Aims: In order to see if the results toward IRAS 16293-2422 are particular, we aimed at studying water deuterium fractionation in a second low-mass solar-type protostar, NGC1333-IRAS2A. Methods: Using the 1-D radiative transfer code RATRAN, we analyzed five HDO transitions observed with the IRAM 30 m, JCMT, and APEX telescopes. We assumed that the abundance profile of HDO in the envelope is a step function, with two different values in the inner warm (T > 100 K) and outer cold (T < 100 K) regions of the protostellar envelope. Results: The inner and outer abundance of HDO is found to be well constrained at the 3σ level. The obtained HDO inner and outer fractional abundances are xHDO_in = 6.6 × 10-8-1.0 × 10-7(3σ) and x^{HDO}out=9×10-11= 9 × 10-11-1.0-1.8 × 10-9(3σ). These values are close to those in IRAS 16293-2422, which suggests that HDO may be formed by the same mechanisms in these two solar-type protostars. Taking into account the (rather poorly onstrained) H2O abundance profile deduced from Herschel observations, the derived HDO/H2O in the inner envelope is ≥1% and in the outer envelope it is 0.9%-18%. These values are more than one order of magnitude higher than what is measured in comets. If the same ratios apply to the protosolar nebula, this would imply that there is some efficient reprocessing of the material between the protostellar and cometary phases. Conclusions: The H2O inner fractional

  10. CO outflows from high-mass Class 0 protostars in Cygnus-X

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Duarte-Cabral, A.; Bontemps, S.; Motte, F.; Hennemann, M.; Schneider, N.; André, Ph.

    2013-10-01

    Context. The earliest phases of the formation of high-mass stars are not well known. It is unclear whether high-mass cores in monolithic collapse exist or not, and what the accretion process and origin of the material feeding the precursors of high-mass stars are. As outflows are natural consequences of the accretion process, they represent one of the few (indirect) tracers of accretion. Aims: We aim to search for individual outflows from high-mass cores in Cygnus X and to study the characteristics of the detected ejections. We compare these to what has been found for the low-mass protostars, to understand how ejection and accretion change and behave with final stellar mass. Methods: We used CO (2-1) PdBI observations towards six massive dense clumps, containing a total of 9 high-mass cores. We estimated the bolometric luminosities and masses of the 9 high-mass cores and measured the energetics of outflows. We compared our sample to low-mass objects studied in the literature and developed simple evolutionary models to reproduce the observables. Results: We find that 8 out of 9 high-mass cores are driving clear individual outflows. They are therefore true equivalents of Class 0 protostars in the high-mass regime. The remaining core, CygX-N53 MM2, has only a tentative outflow detection. It could be one of the first examples of a true individual high-mass prestellar core. We also find that the momentum flux of high-mass objects has a linear relation to the reservoir of mass in the envelope, as a scale up of the relations previously found for low-mass protostars. This suggests a fundamental proportionality between accretion rates and envelope masses. The linear dependency implies that the timescale for accretion is similar for high- and low-mass stars. Conclusions: The existence of strong outflows driven by high-mass cores in Cygnus X clearly indicates that high-mass Class 0 protostars exist. The collapsing envelopes of these Class 0 objects have similar sizes and a

  11. Episodic accretion in binary protostars emerging from self-gravitating solar mass cores

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Riaz, R.; Vanaverbeke, S.; Schleicher, D. R. G.

    2018-06-01

    Observations show a large spread in the luminosities of young protostars, which are frequently explained in the context of episodic accretion. We tested this scenario with numerical simulations that follow the collapse of a solar mass molecular cloud using the GRADSPH code, thereby varying the strength of the initial perturbations and temperature of the cores. A specific emphasis of this paper is to investigate the role of binaries and multiple systems in the context of episodic accretion and to compare their evolution to the evolution in isolated fragments. Our models form a variety of low-mass protostellar objects including single, binary, and triple systems in which binaries are more active in exhibiting episodic accretion than isolated protostars. We also find a general decreasing trend in the average mass accretion rate over time, suggesting that the majority of the protostellar mass is accreted within the first 105 years. This result can potentially help to explain the surprisingly low average luminosities in the majority of the protostellar population.

  12. Is Episodic Accretion Necessary to Resolve the Luminosity Problem in Low-Mass Protostars?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sevrinsky, Raymond Andrew; Dunham, Michael

    2017-01-01

    In this contribution, we compare the results of protostellar accretion simulations for scenarios both containing and lacking episodic accretion activity. We determine synthetic observational signatures for collapsing protostars by taking hydrodynamical simulations predicting highly variable episodic accretion events, filtering out the stochastic behavior by applying power law fits to the mass accretion rates onto the disk and central star, and using the filtered rates as inputs to two-dimensional radiative transfer calculations. The spectral energy distributions generated by these calculations are used to calculate standard observational signatures of Lbol and Tbol, and compared directly to a sample of 230 embedded protostars. We explore the degree to which these continually declining accretion models successfully reproduce the observed spread of protostellar luminosities, and examine their consistency with the prior variable models to investigate the degree to which episodic accretion bursts are necessary in protostellar formation theories to match observations of field protostars. The SAO REU program is funded in part by the National Science Foundation REU and Department of Defense ASSURE programs under NSF Grant no. 1262851, and by the Smithsonian Institution.

  13. Proper motions of collimated jets from intermediate-mass protostars in the Carina Nebula

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Reiter, Megan; Kiminki, Megan M.; Smith, Nathan; Bally, John

    2017-10-01

    We present proper motion measurements of 37 jets and HH objects in the Carina Nebula measured in two epochs of H α images obtained ˜10 yr apart with Hubble Space Telescope/Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS). Transverse velocities in all but one jet are faster than ≳ 25 km s-1, confirming that the jet-like H α features identified in the first epoch images trace outflowing gas. Proper motions constrain the location of the jet-driving source and provide kinematic confirmation of the intermediate-mass protostars that we identify for 20/37 jets. Jet velocities do not correlate with the estimated protostar mass and embedded driving sources do not have slower jets. Instead, transverse velocities (median ˜75 km s-1) are similar to those in jets from low-mass stars. Assuming a constant velocity since launch, we compute jet dynamical ages (median ˜104 yr). If continuous emission from inner jets traces the duration of the most recent accretion bursts, then these episodes are sustained longer (median ˜700 yr) than the typical decay time of an FU Orionis outburst. These jets can carry appreciable momentum that may be injected into the surrounding environment. The resulting outflow force, dP/dt, lies between that measured in low- and high-mass sources, despite the very different observational tracers used. Smooth scaling of the outflow force argues for a common physical process underlying outflows from protostars of all masses. This latest kinematic result adds to a growing body of evidence that intermediate-mass star formation proceeds like a scaled-up version of the formation of low-mass stars.

  14. Stellar Properties of Embedded Protostars: Progress and Prospects

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Greene, Thomas

    2006-01-01

    Until now, high extinctions have prevented direct observation of the central objects of self-embedded, accreting protostars. However, sensitive high dispersion spectrographs on large aperture telescopes have allowed us to begin studying the stellar astrophysical properties of dozens of embedded low mass protostars in the nearest regions of star formation. These high dispersion spectra allow, for the first time, direct measurements of their stellar effective temperatures, surface gravities, rotation velocities, radial velocities (and spectroscopic binarity), mass accretion properties, and mass outflow indicators. Comparisons of the stellar properties with evolutionary models also allow us to estimate masses and constrain ages. We find that these objects have masses similar to those of older, more evolved T Tauri stars, but protostars have higher mean rotation velocities and angular momenta. Most protostars indicate high mass accretion or outflow, but some in Taurus-Auriga appear to be relatively quiescent. These new results are testing, expanding, and refining the standard star formation paradigm, and we explore how to expand this work further.

  15. Constraining the physical structure of the inner few 100 AU scales of deeply embedded low-mass protostars

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Persson, M. V.; Harsono, D.; Tobin, J. J.; van Dishoeck, E. F.; Jørgensen, J. K.; Murillo, N.; Lai, S.-P.

    2016-05-01

    Context. The physical structure of deeply embedded low-mass protostars (Class 0) on scales of less than 300 AU is still poorly constrained. While molecular line observations demonstrate the presence of disks with Keplerian rotation toward a handful of sources, others show no hint of rotation. Determining the structure on small scales (a few 100 AU) is crucial for understanding the physical and chemical evolution from cores to disks. Aims: We determine the presence and characteristics of compact, disk-like structures in deeply embedded low-mass protostars. A related goal is investigating how the derived structure affects the determination of gas-phase molecular abundances on hot-core scales. Methods: Two models of the emission, a Gaussian disk intensity distribution and a parametrized power-law disk model, are fitted to subarcsecond resolution interferometric continuum observations of five Class 0 sources, including one source with a confirmed Keplerian disk. Prior to fitting the models to the de-projected real visibilities, the estimated envelope from an independent model and any companion sources are subtracted. For reference, a spherically symmetric single power-law envelope is fitted to the larger scale emission (~1000 AU) and investigated further for one of the sources on smaller scales. Results: The radii of the fitted disk-like structures range from ~90-170 AU, and the derived masses depend on the method. Using the Gaussian disk model results in masses of 54-556 × 10-3 M⊙, and using the power-law disk model gives 9-140 × 10-3 M⊙. While the disk radii agree with previous estimates the masses are different for some of the sources studied. Assuming a typical temperature distribution (r-0.5), the fractional amount of mass in the disk above 100 K varies from 7% to 30%. Conclusions: A thin disk model can approximate the emission and physical structure in the inner few 100 AU scales of the studied deeply embedded low-mass protostars and paves the way for

  16. The Cluster Environment of Two High-mass Protostars

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Montes, Virginie; Hofner, Peter

    2017-06-01

    Characterizing the environment and stellar population in which high-mass stars form is an important step to decide between the main massive star formation theories. In the monolithic collapse model, the mass of the core will determine the final stellar mass (e.g., McKee & Tan 2003). In contrast, in the competitive accretion model (e.g., Bonnell & Bate 2006), the mass of the high-mass star is related to the properties of the cluster. As dynamical processes substantially affect the appearance of a cluster, we study early stages of high-mass star formation. These regions often show extended emission from hot dust at infrared wavelengths, which can cause difficulties to define the cluster. We use a multi-wavelength technique to study nearby high-mass star clusters, based on X-ray observations with the Chandra X-Ray Telescope, in conjunction with infrared data and VLA data. The technique relies on the fact that YSOs are particularly bright in X-ray and that contamination is relatively small. X-ray observations allow us to determine the cluster size. The cluster membership and YSOs classification is established using infrared identification of the X-ray sources, and color-color and color-magnitude diagrams.In this talk, I will present our findings on the cluster study of two high-mass star forming regions: IRAS 20126+4104 and IRAS 16562-3959. While most massive stars appear to be formed in rich a cluster environment, those two sources are candidates for the formation of massive stars in a relatively poor cluster. In contrast to what was found in previous studies (Qiu et al. 2008), the dominant B0-type protostar in IRAS 20126+4104 is associated with a small cluster of low-mass stars. I will also show our current work on IRAS 16562-3959, which contains one of the most luminous O-type protostars in the Galaxy. In the vicinity of this particularly interesting region there is a multitude of small clusters, for which I will present how their stellar population differ from the

  17. Herschel/PACS far-IR spectral imaging of a jet from an intermediate mass protostar in the OMC-2 region

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    González-García, B.; Manoj, P.; Watson, D. M.; Vavrek, R.; Megeath, S. T.; Stutz, A. M.; Osorio, M.; Wyrowski, F.; Fischer, W.; Tobin, J. J.; Sánchez-Portal, M.; Diaz Rodriguez, A. K.; Wilson, T. L.

    2016-11-01

    We present the first detection of a jet in the far-IR [O I] lines from an intermediate mass protostar. This jet was detected in a Herschel/PACS spectral mapping study in the [O I] lines of OMC-2 FIR 3 and FIR 4, two of the most luminous protostars in Orion outside of the Orion Nebula. The spatial morphology of the fine structure line emission reveals the presence of an extended photodissociation region (PDR) and a narrow, but intense jet connecting the two protostars. The jet seen in [O I] emission is spatially aligned with the Spitzer/IRAC 4.5 μm jet and the CO (6-5) molecular outflow centered on FIR 3. The mass-loss rate derived from the total [O I] 63 μm line luminosity of the jet is 7.7 × 10-6M⊙ yr-1, more than an order of magnitude higher than that measured for typical low-mass class 0 protostars. The implied accretion luminosity is significantly higher than the observed bolometric luminosity of FIR 4, indicating that the [O I] jet is unlikely to be associated with FIR 4. We argue that the peak line emission seen toward FIR 4 originates in the terminal shock produced by the jet driven by FIR 3. The higher mass-loss rate that we find for FIR 3 is consistent with the idea that intermediate-mass protostars drive more powerful jets than their low-mass counterparts. Our results also call into question the nature of FIR 4. Herschel is an ESA space observatory with science instruments provided by European-led Principal Investigator consortia and with important participation from NASA.The final reduced Herschel data used in this paper (FITS) are 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/596/A26

  18. The Herschel-PACS Legacy of Low-mass Protostars: The Properties of Warm and Hot Gas Components and Their Origin in Far-UV Illuminated Shocks

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Karska, Agata; Kaufman, Michael J.; Kristensen, Lars E.; van Dishoeck, Ewine F.; Herczeg, Gregory J.; Mottram, Joseph C.; Tychoniec, Łukasz; Lindberg, Johan E.; Evans, Neal J., II; Green, Joel D.; Yang, Yao-Lun; Gusdorf, Antoine; Itrich, Dominika; Siódmiak, Natasza

    2018-04-01

    Recent observations from Herschel allow the identification of important mechanisms responsible both for the heating of the gas that surrounds low-mass protostars and for its subsequent cooling in the far-infrared. Shocks are routinely invoked to reproduce some properties of the far-IR spectra, but standard models fail to reproduce the emission from key molecules, e.g., H2O. Here, we present the Herschel Photodetector Array Camera and Spectrometer (PACS) far-IR spectroscopy of 90 embedded low-mass protostars (Class 0/I). The Herschel-PACS spectral maps, covering ∼55–210 μm with a field of view of ∼50″, are used to quantify the gas excitation conditions and spatial extent using rotational transitions of H2O, high-J CO, and OH, as well as [O I] and [C II]. We confirm that a warm (∼300 K) CO reservoir is ubiquitous and that a hotter component (760 ± 170 K) is frequently detected around protostars. The line emission is extended beyond ∼1000 au spatial scales in 40/90 objects, typically in molecular tracers in Class 0 and atomic tracers in Class I objects. High-velocity emission (≳90 km s‑1) is detected in only 10 sources in the [O I] line, suggesting that the bulk of [O I] arises from gas that is moving slower than typical jets. Line flux ratios show an excellent agreement with models of C-shocks illuminated by ultraviolet (UV) photons for pre-shock densities of ∼105 cm‑3 and UV fields 0.1–10 times the interstellar value. The far-IR molecular and atomic lines are a unique diagnostic of feedback from UV emission and shocks in envelopes of deeply embedded protostars.

  19. A Complex Organic Slushy Bathing Low-Mass Protostars

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Drozdovskaya, Maria; Walsh, Catherine; Visser, Ruud; Harsono, Daniel; van Dishoeck, Ewine

    2015-08-01

    Complex organic molecules are ubiquitous companions of young forming stars. They were first observed in hot cores surrounding high-mass protostars [e.g., 1], but have since also been detected in the environs of several low-mass counterparts [e.g., 2]. Recent studies have shown that colder envelopes and positions with impinging outflows may also glow with emission from complex organic species [e.g., 3, 4]. For this meeting, I would like to present physicochemical modeling results on the synthesis of complex organics in an envelope-cavity system that is subject to non-thermal processing. This includes wavelength-dependent radiative transfer calculations with RADMC [5] and a comprehensive gas-grain chemical network [6]. The results show that the morphology of such a system delineates three distinct regions: the cavity wall layer with time-dependent and species-variant enhancements; a torus rich in complex organic ices, but not reflected in gas-phase abundances; and the remaining outer envelope abundant in simpler solid and gaseous molecules. Within the adopted paradigm, complex organic molecules are demonstrated to have unique lifetimes and be grouped into early and late species [7]. Key chemical processes for forming and destroying complex organic molecules will be discussed. In addition, the results of adding newly experimentally verified routes [8] into the existing chemical networks will be shown.[1] Blake G. A., Sutton E. C., Masson C. R., Phillips T. G., 1987, ApJ, 315, 621[2] Jørgensen J. K., Favre C., Bisschop S. E., Bourke T. L., van Dishoeck E. F., Schmalzl M., 2012, ApJ, 757, L4[3] Arce H. G., Santiago-García J., Jørgensen J. K., Tafalla M., Bachiller R., 2008, ApJ, 681, L21[4] Öberg K. I., Bottinelli S., Jørgensen J. K., van Dishoeck E. F., 2010, ApJ, 716, 825[5] Dullemond C. P., Dominik C., 2004, A&A, 417, 159[6] Walsh C., Millar T. J., Nomura H., Herbst E., Widicus Weaver S., Aikawa Y., Laas J. C., Vasyunin A. I., 2014, A&A, 563, A33[7] Drozdovskaya

  20. The Birth of Disks Around Protostars

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kohler, Susanna

    2017-03-01

    The dusty disks around young stars make the news regularly due to their appeal as the birthplace of early exoplanets. But how do disks like these first form and evolve around their newly born protostars? New observations from the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) are helping us to better understand this process.Formation from CollapseStars are born from the gravitational collapse of a dense cloud of molecular gas. Long before they start fusing hydrogen at their centers when they are still just hot overdensities in the process of contracting we call them protostars. These low-mass cores are hidden at the hearts of the clouds of molecular gas from which they are born.Aerial image of the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array. [EFE/Ariel Marinkovic]During this contraction phase, before a protostar transitions to a pre-main-sequence star (which it does by blowing away its outer gas envelope, halting the stars growth), much of the collapsing material will spin into a centrifugally supported Keplerian disk that surrounds the young protostar. Later, these circumstellar disks will become the birthplace for young planets something for which weve seen observational evidence in recent years.But how do these Keplerian disks which eventually have scales of hundreds of AU first form and grow around protostars? We need observations of these disks in their early stages of formation to understand their birth and evolution a challenging prospect, given the obscuring molecular gas that hides them at these stages. ALMA, however, is up to the task: it can peer through to the center of the gas clouds to see the emission from protostellar cores and their surroundings.ALMA observations of the protostar Lupus 3 MMS. The molecular outflows from the protostar are shown in panel a. Panel b shows the continuum emission, which has a compact component that likely traces a disk surrounding the protostar. [Adapted from Yen et al. 2017]New Disks Revealed?In a recent

  1. Disk Masses for Embedded Class I Protostars in the Taurus Molecular Cloud

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sheehan, Patrick D.; Eisner, Josh A.

    2017-12-01

    Class I protostars are thought to represent an early stage in the lifetime of protoplanetary disks, when they are still embedded in their natal envelope. Here we measure the disk masses of 10 Class I protostars in the Taurus Molecular Cloud to constrain the initial mass budget for forming planets in disks. We use radiative transfer modeling to produce synthetic protostar observations and fit the models to a multi-wavelength data set using a Markov Chain Monte Carlo fitting procedure. We fit these models simultaneously to our new Combined Array for Research in Millimeter-wave Astronomy 1.3 mm observations that are sensitive to the wide range of spatial scales that are expected from protostellar disks and envelopes so as to be able to distinguish each component, as well as broadband spectral energy distributions compiled from the literature. We find a median disk mass of 0.018 {M}ȯ on average, more massive than the Taurus Class II disks, which have median disk mass of ∼ 0.0025 {M}ȯ . This decrease in disk mass can be explained if dust grains have grown by a factor of 75 in grain size, indicating that by the Class II stage, at a few Myr, a significant amount of dust grain processing has occurred. However, there is evidence that significant dust processing has occurred even during the Class I stage, so it is likely that the initial mass budget is higher than the value quoted here.

  2. Modelling water in the envelopes of low-mass protostars

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    van Kempen, Tim A.; Jørgensen, Jes K.; Hogerheijde, Michiel R.; van Dishoeck, Ewine F.

    Using sophisticated spherically symmetric radiative transfer models for gas and dust, we simulate the emission of H2O and its isotopes for the circumstellar envelopes around class 0 protostars, as preparatory science for the ESA cornerstone mission Herschel and its spectrometer, HIFI. L483mm is taken as an example. We probe a wide range of models in which dust, freeze-out and a large variety of abundance structures and optical depths are taken into account. A sample of water lines is selected that are observable by Herschel. Expected fluxes for these lines are derived from the models, convolved with the Herschel beam size. 1. Introduction Water has been detected by the LWS instruments aboard ISO in low-mass protostars (e.g. Ceccarelli et al. 1999, Giannini et al. 2001). The origin of the water lines is still subject of discussion, however. It has been theorized to originate in both the outflow and the quiescent infalling envelope. Ceccarelli et al. (1999) place the water in the small (200 AU), dense (> 107cm-3) and warm (> 100 K) region of the protostellar envelope. The ESA Herschel mission and in particular the HIFI instrument are particularly well suited to observe rotational far-infrared and submillimeter water lines in these environments and test the various models. 2. Approach We started with the physical structure deduced by Jørgensen (2004) for L483mm (Lbol = 9Lsol, Menv10K = 4.4Msol, D=200 pc), giving the density and temperature profiles for a typical protostellar envelope. These profiles are the result of a dust radiative transfer calculation with DUSTY (Ivezic & Elitzur, 1997). The line radiative transfer is subsequently calculated through RATRAN, developed by Hogerheijde & van der Tak (2000). The dust to gas ratio has been set at 1:100, the dust opacities are approximated by the OH5 (Ossenkopf & Henning 1994) at a density of 106cm-3. To simulate the abundance of the water molecule, we have used trial abundances with the assumption that water freezes out

  3. Heavy water stratification in a low-mass protostar

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Coutens, A.; Vastel, C.; Cazaux, S.; Bottinelli, S.; Caux, E.; Ceccarelli, C.; Demyk, K.; Taquet, V.; Wakelam, V.

    2013-05-01

    Context. Despite the low elemental deuterium abundance in the Galaxy, enhanced molecular deuterium fractionation has been found in the environments of low-mass star-forming regions and, in particular, the Class 0 protostar IRAS 16293-2422. Aims: The key program Chemical HErschel Surveys of Star forming regions (CHESS) aims at studying the molecular complexity of the interstellar medium. The high sensitivity and spectral resolution of the Herschel/HIFI (Heterodyne Instrument for Far-Infrared) instrument provide a unique opportunity to observe the fundamental 11,1-00,0 transition of ortho-D2O at 607 GHz and the higher energy 21,2-10,1 transition of para-D2O at 898 GHz, both of which are inaccessible from the ground. Methods: The ortho-D2O transition at 607 GHz was previously detected. We present in this paper the first tentative detection for the para-D2O transition at 898 GHz. The spherical Monte Carlo radiative transfer code RATRAN was used to reproduce the observed line profiles of D2O with the same method that was used to reproduce the HDO and H218O line profiles in IRAS 16293-2422. Results: As for HDO, the absorption component seen on the D2O lines can only be reproduced by adding an external absorbing layer, possibly created by the photodesorption of the ices at the edges of the molecular cloud. The D2O column density is found to be about 2.5 × 1012 cm-2 in this added layer, leading to a D2O/H2O ratio of about 0.5%. At a 3σ uncertainty, upper limits of 0.03% and 0.2% are obtained for this ratio in the hot corino and the colder envelope of IRAS 16293-2422, respectively. Conclusions: The deuterium fractionation derived in our study suggests that the ices present in IRAS 16293-2422 formed on warm dust grains (~15-20 K) in dense (~104-5 × 104 cm-3) translucent clouds. These results allow us to address the earliest phases of star formation and the conditions in which ices form. Based on Herschel/HIFI observations. Herschel is an ESA space observatory with

  4. LUMINOSITY FUNCTIONS OF SPITZER-IDENTIFIED PROTOSTARS IN NINE NEARBY MOLECULAR CLOUDS

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

    Kryukova, E.; Megeath, S. T.; Allen, T. S.

    2012-08-15

    We identify protostars in Spitzer surveys of nine star-forming (SF) molecular clouds within 1 kpc: Serpens, Perseus, Ophiuchus, Chamaeleon, Lupus, Taurus, Orion, Cep OB3, and Mon R2, which combined host over 700 protostar candidates. These clouds encompass a variety of SF environments, including both low-mass and high-mass SF regions, as well as dense clusters and regions of sparsely distributed star formation. Our diverse cloud sample allows us to compare protostar luminosity functions in these varied environments. We combine near- and mid-infrared photometry from the Two Micron All Sky Survey and Spitzer to create 1-24 {mu}m spectral energy distributions (SEDs). Usingmore » protostars from the c2d survey with well-determined bolometric luminosities, we derive a relationship between bolometric luminosity, mid-IR luminosity (integrated from 1-24 {mu}m), and SED slope. Estimations of the bolometric luminosities for protostar candidates are combined to create luminosity functions for each cloud. Contamination due to edge-on disks, reddened Class II sources, and galaxies is estimated and removed from the luminosity functions. We find that luminosity functions for high-mass SF clouds (Orion, Mon R2, and Cep OB3) peak near 1 L{sub Sun} and show a tail extending toward luminosities above 100 L{sub Sun }. The luminosity functions of the low-mass SF clouds (Serpens, Perseus, Ophiuchus, Taurus, Lupus, and Chamaeleon) do not exhibit a common peak, however the combined luminosity function of these regions peaks below 1 L{sub Sun }. Finally, we examine the luminosity functions as a function of the local surface density of young stellar objects. In the Orion molecular clouds, we find a significant difference between the luminosity functions of protostars in regions of high and low stellar density, the former of which is biased toward more luminous sources. This may be the result of primordial mass segregation, although this interpretation is not unique. We compare our

  5. 3D modelling of HCO+ and its isotopologues in the low-mass proto-star IRAS16293-2422

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Quénard, D.; Bottinelli, S.; Caux, E.; Wakelam, V.

    2018-07-01

    Ions and electrons play an important role in various stages of the star formation process. By following the magnetic field of their environment and interacting with neutral species, they slow down the gravitational collapse of the proto-star envelope. This process (known as ambipolar diffusion) depends on the ionization degree, which can be derived from the HCO+ abundance. We present a study of HCO+ and its isotopologues (H13CO+ , HC18O+ , DCO+ , and D13CO+) in the low-mass proto-star IRAS16293-2422. The structure of this object is complex, and the HCO+emission arises from the contribution of a young NW-SE outflow, the proto-stellar envelope, and the foreground cloud. We aim at constraining the physical parameters of these structures using all the observed transitions. For the young NW-SE outflow, we derive Tkin= 180-220 K and n(H2) = (4-7)× 106 cm-3 with an HCO+abundance of (3-5)× 10-9. Following previous studies, we demonstrate that the presence of a cold (Tkin≤ 30 K) and low density [n(H2) ≤ 1 × 104 cm-3] foreground cloud is also necessary to reproduce the observed line profiles. We have used the gas-grain chemical code NAUTILUS to derive the HCO+ abundance profile across the envelope and the external regions where X(HCO+) ≳ 1 × 10-9 dominate the envelope emission. From this, we derive an ionization degree of 10-8.9 ≲ x( e) ≲ 10-7.9. The ambipolar diffusion time-scale is ˜5 times the free-fall time-scale, indicating that the magnetic field starts to support the source against gravitational collapse and the magnetic field strength is estimated to be 6-46μG.

  6. 3D modelling of HCO+ and its isotopologues in the low-mass proto-star IRAS16293-2422

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Quénard, D.; Bottinelli, S.; Caux, E.; Wakelam, V.

    2018-04-01

    Ions and electrons play an important role in various stages of the star formation process. By following the magnetic field of their environment and interacting with neutral species, they slow down the gravitational collapse of the proto-star envelope. This process (known as ambipolar diffusion) depends on the ionisation degree, which can be derived from the HCO+abundance. We present a study of HCO+and its isotopologues (H13CO+, HC18O+, DCO+, and D13CO+) in the low-mass proto-star IRAS16293-2422. The structure of this object is complex, and the HCO+emission arises from the contribution of a young NW-SE outflow, the proto-stellar envelope and the foreground cloud. We aim at constraining the physical parameters of these structures using all the observed transitions. For the young NW-SE outflow, we derive Tkin = 180 - 220 K and n(H2) = (4 - 7) × 106 cm-3 with an HCO+abundance of (3 - 5) × 10-9. Following previous studies, we demonstrate that the presence of a cold (Tkin≤30 K) and low density (n(H2) ≤ 1 × 104 cm-3) foreground cloud is also necessary to reproduce the observed line profiles. We have used the gas-grain chemical code NAUTILUS to derive the HCO+abundance profile across the envelope and the external regions where X(HCO+)≳ 1 × 10-9 dominate the envelope emission. From this, we derive an ionisation degree of 10-8.9 ≲ x(e) ≲ 10-7.9. The ambipolar diffusion timescale is ˜5 times the free-fall timescale, indicating that the magnetic field starts to support the source against gravitational collapse and the magnetic field strength is estimated to be 6 - 46 μG.

  7. Outflows, infall and evolution of a sample of embedded low-mass protostars. The William Herschel Line Legacy (WILL) survey

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mottram, J. C.; van Dishoeck, E. F.; Kristensen, L. E.; Karska, A.; San José-García, I.; Khanna, S.; Herczeg, G. J.; André, Ph.; Bontemps, S.; Cabrit, S.; Carney, M. T.; Drozdovskaya, M. N.; Dunham, M. M.; Evans, N. J.; Fedele, D.; Green, J. D.; Harsono, D.; Johnstone, D.; Jørgensen, J. K.; Könyves, V.; Nisini, B.; Persson, M. V.; Tafalla, M.; Visser, R.; Yıldız, U. A.

    2017-04-01

    Context. Herschel observations of water and highly excited CO (J > 9) have allowed the physical and chemical conditions in the more active parts of protostellar outflows to be quantified in detail for the first time. However, to date, the studied samples of Class 0/I protostars in nearby star-forming regions have been selected from bright, well-known sources and have not been large enough for statistically significant trends to be firmly established. Aims: We aim to explore the relationships between the outflow, envelope and physical properties of a flux-limited sample of embedded low-mass Class 0/I protostars. Methods: We present spectroscopic observations in H2O, CO and related species with Herschel HIFI and PACS, as well as ground-based follow-up with the JCMT and APEX in CO, HCO+ and isotopologues, of a sample of 49 nearby (d < 500 pc) candidate protostars selected from Spitzer and Herschel photometric surveys of the Gould Belt. This more than doubles the sample of sources observed by the WISH and DIGIT surveys. These data are used to study the outflow and envelope properties of these sources. We also compile their continuum spectral energy distributions (SEDs) from the near-IR to mm wavelengths in order to constrain their physical properties (e.g. Lbol, Tbol and Menv). Results: Water emission is dominated by shocks associated with the outflow, rather than the cooler, slower entrained outflowing gas probed by ground-based CO observations. These shocks become less energetic as sources evolve from Class 0 to Class I. Outflow force, measured from low-J CO, also decreases with source evolutionary stage, while the fraction of mass in the outflow relative to the total envelope (I.e. Mout/Menv) remains broadly constant between Class 0 and I. The median value of 1% is consistent with a core to star formation efficiency on the order of 50% and an outflow duty cycle on the order of 5%. Entrainment efficiency, as probed by FCO/Ṁacc, is also invariant with source

  8. How Do Stars Gain Their Mass? A JCMT/SCUBA-2 Transient Survey of Protostars in Nearby Star-forming Regions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Herczeg, Gregory J.; Johnstone, Doug; Mairs, Steve; Hatchell, Jennifer; Lee, Jeong-Eun; Bower, Geoffrey C.; Chen, Huei-Ru Vivien; Aikawa, Yuri; Yoo, Hyunju; Kang, Sung-Ju; Kang, Miju; Chen, Wen-Ping; Williams, Jonathan P.; Bae, Jaehan; Dunham, Michael M.; Vorobyov, Eduard I.; Zhu, Zhaohuan; Rao, Ramprasad; Kirk, Helen; Takahashi, Satoko; Morata, Oscar; Lacaille, Kevin; Lane, James; Pon, Andy; Scholz, Aleks; Samal, Manash R.; Bell, Graham S.; Graves, Sarah; Lee, E.'lisa M.; Parsons, Harriet; He, Yuxin; Zhou, Jianjun; Kim, Mi-Ryang; Chapman, Scott; Drabek-Maunder, Emily; Chung, Eun Jung; Eyres, Stewart P. S.; Forbrich, Jan; Hillenbrand, Lynne A.; Inutsuka, Shu-ichiro; Kim, Gwanjeong; Kim, Kyoung Hee; Kuan, Yi-Jehng; Kwon, Woojin; Lai, Shih-Ping; Lalchand, Bhavana; Lee, Chang Won; Lee, Chin-Fei; Long, Feng; Lyo, A.-Ran; Qian, Lei; Scicluna, Peter; Soam, Archana; Stamatellos, Dimitris; Takakuwa, Shigehisa; Tang, Ya-Wen; Wang, Hongchi; Wang, Yiren

    2017-11-01

    Most protostars have luminosities that are fainter than expected from steady accretion over the protostellar lifetime. The solution to this problem may lie in episodic mass accretion—prolonged periods of very low accretion punctuated by short bursts of rapid accretion. However, the timescale and amplitude for variability at the protostellar phase is almost entirely unconstrained. In A James Clerk Maxwell Telescope/SCUBA-2 Transient Survey of Protostars in Nearby Star-forming Regions, we are monitoring monthly with SCUBA-2 the submillimeter emission in eight fields within nearby (< 500 pc) star-forming regions to measure the accretion variability of protostars. The total survey area of ˜1.6 deg2 includes ˜105 peaks with peaks brighter than 0.5 Jy/beam (43 associated with embedded protostars or disks) and 237 peaks of 0.125-0.5 Jy/beam (50 with embedded protostars or disks). Each field has enough bright peaks for flux calibration relative to other peaks in the same field, which improves upon the nominal flux calibration uncertainties of submillimeter observations to reach a precision of ˜2%-3% rms, and also provides quantified confidence in any measured variability. The timescales and amplitudes of any submillimeter variation will then be converted into variations in accretion rate and subsequently used to infer the physical causes of the variability. This survey is the first dedicated survey for submillimeter variability and complements other transient surveys at optical and near-IR wavelengths, which are not sensitive to accretion variability of deeply embedded protostars.

  9. Constraining the Abundances of Complex Organics in the Inner Regions of Solar-type Protostars

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Taquet, Vianney; López-Sepulcre, Ana; Ceccarelli, Cecilia; Neri, Roberto; Kahane, Claudine; Charnley, Steven B.

    2015-05-01

    The high abundances of Complex Organic Molecules (COMs) with respect to methanol, the most abundant COM, detected toward low-mass protostars, tend to be underpredicted by astrochemical models. This discrepancy might come from the large beam of the single-dish telescopes, encompassing several components of the studied protostar, commonly used to detect COMs. To address this issue, we have carried out multi-line observations of methanol and several COMs toward the two low-mass protostars NGC 1333-IRAS 2A and -IRAS 4A with the Plateau de Bure interferometer at an angular resolution of 2″, resulting in the first multi-line detection of the O-bearing species glycolaldehyde and ethanol and of the N-bearing species ethyl cyanide toward low-mass protostars other than IRAS 16293. The high number of detected transitions from COMs (more than 40 methanol transitions for instance) allowed us to accurately derive the source size of their emission and the COM column densities. The COM abundances with respect to methanol derived toward IRAS 2A and IRAS 4A are slightly, but not substantitally, lower than those derived from previous single-dish observations. The COM abundance ratios do not vary significantly with the protostellar luminosity, over five orders of magnitude, implying that low-mass hot corinos are quite chemically rich as high-mass hot cores. Astrochemical models still underpredict the abundances of key COMs, such as methyl formate or di-methyl ether, suggesting that our understanding of their formation remains incomplete.

  10. A substellar-mass protostar and its outflow of IRAS 15398–3359 revealed by subarcsecond-resolution observations of H{sub 2}CO and CCH

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

    Oya, Yoko; Sakai, Nami; Watanabe, Yoshimasa

    2014-11-10

    Subarcsecond (0.''5) images of H{sub 2}CO and CCH line emission have been obtained in the 0.8 mm band toward the low-mass protostar IRAS 15398–3359 in the Lupus 1 cloud as one of the Cycle 0 projects of the Atacama Large Millimeter/Submillimeter Array. We have detected a compact component concentrated in the vicinity of the protostar and a well-collimated outflow cavity extending along the northeast-southwest axis. The inclination angle of the outflow is found to be about 20°, or almost edge-on, based on the kinematic structure of the outflow cavity. This is in contrast to previous suggestions of a more pole-onmore » geometry. The centrally concentrated component is interpreted by use of a model of the infalling rotating envelope with the estimated inclination angle and the mass of the protostar is estimated to be less than 0.09 M {sub ☉}. Higher spatial resolution data are needed to infer the presence of a rotationally supported disk for this source, hinted at by a weak high-velocity H{sub 2}CO emission associated with the protostar.« less

  11. COPS-GREAT: CO in ProtoStars with GREAT

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kristensen, Lars

    2013-10-01

    Low-mass embedded protostars drive strong bipolar jets, which shock the surrounding gas on 100-1000 AU scales and entrain colder gas in outflows on 10,000 AU and larger scales. The aim of this proposal is to analyze the transition between shocks and entrainment and to quantify the mass in each component. We plan to do this by observing the CO 13-12 line with GREAT in five sources. Outflows from young protostars are a major source of feedback on both protostellar and cloud scales. However, our understanding of how they entrain or impact the protostellar envelope is still in its infancy. High-J CO observations are required to analyze in detail the transition where the outflowing gas goes from being colder (T ~ 100 K) entrained outflowing gas to being directly excited by the shocks causing the entrainment. These observations will allow us to quantify the amount of currently shocked gas with respect to the entrained gas, as well as examine shock properties as a function of velocity, and thereby quantify the feedback from a protostar on its natal material.

  12. CONSTRAINING THE ABUNDANCES OF COMPLEX ORGANICS IN THE INNER REGIONS OF SOLAR-TYPE PROTOSTARS

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

    Taquet, Vianney; Charnley, Steven B.; López-Sepulcre, Ana

    The high abundances of Complex Organic Molecules (COMs) with respect to methanol, the most abundant COM, detected toward low-mass protostars, tend to be underpredicted by astrochemical models. This discrepancy might come from the large beam of the single-dish telescopes, encompassing several components of the studied protostar, commonly used to detect COMs. To address this issue, we have carried out multi-line observations of methanol and several COMs toward the two low-mass protostars NGC 1333-IRAS 2A and -IRAS 4A with the Plateau de Bure interferometer at an angular resolution of 2″, resulting in the first multi-line detection of the O-bearing species glycolaldehydemore » and ethanol and of the N-bearing species ethyl cyanide toward low-mass protostars other than IRAS 16293. The high number of detected transitions from COMs (more than 40 methanol transitions for instance) allowed us to accurately derive the source size of their emission and the COM column densities. The COM abundances with respect to methanol derived toward IRAS 2A and IRAS 4A are slightly, but not substantitally, lower than those derived from previous single-dish observations. The COM abundance ratios do not vary significantly with the protostellar luminosity, over five orders of magnitude, implying that low-mass hot corinos are quite chemically rich as high-mass hot cores. Astrochemical models still underpredict the abundances of key COMs, such as methyl formate or di-methyl ether, suggesting that our understanding of their formation remains incomplete.« less

  13. Water in star-forming regions with Herschel (WISH). II. Evolution of 557 GHz 110-101 emission in low-mass protostars

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kristensen, L. E.; van Dishoeck, E. F.; Bergin, E. A.; Visser, R.; Yıldız, U. A.; San Jose-Garcia, I.; Jørgensen, J. K.; Herczeg, G. J.; Johnstone, D.; Wampfler, S. F.; Benz, A. O.; Bruderer, S.; Cabrit, S.; Caselli, P.; Doty, S. D.; Harsono, D.; Herpin, F.; Hogerheijde, M. R.; Karska, A.; van Kempen, T. A.; Liseau, R.; Nisini, B.; Tafalla, M.; van der Tak, F.; Wyrowski, F.

    2012-06-01

    Context. Water is a key tracer of dynamics and chemistry in low-mass star-forming regions, but spectrally resolved observations have so far been limited in sensitivity and angular resolution, and only data from the brightest low-mass protostars have been published. Aims: The first systematic survey of spectrally resolved water emission in 29 low-mass (L < 40 L⊙) protostellar objects is presented. The sources cover a range of luminosities and evolutionary states. The aim is to characterise the line profiles to distinguish physical components in the beam and examine how water emission changes with protostellar evolution. Methods: H2O was observed in the ground-state 110-101 transition at 557 GHz (Eup/kB ~ 60 K) as single-point observations with the Heterodyne Instrument for the Far-Infrared (HIFI) on Herschel in 29 deeply embedded Class 0 and I low-mass protostars. Complementary far-IR and sub-mm continuum data (including PACS data from our programme) are used to constrain the spectral energy distribution (SED) of each source. H2O intensities are compared to inferred envelope properties, e.g., mass and density, outflow properties and CO 3-2 emission. Results: H2O emission is detected in all objects except one (TMC1A). The line profiles are complex and consist of several kinematic components tracing different physical regions in each system. In particular, the profiles are typically dominated by a broad Gaussian emission feature, indicating that the bulk of the water emission arises in outflows, not in the quiescent envelope. Several sources show multiple shock components appearing in either emission or absorption, thus constraining the internal geometry of the system. Furthermore, the components include inverse P-Cygni profiles in seven sources (six Class 0, one Class I) indicative of infalling envelopes, and regular P-Cygni profiles in four sources (three Class I, one Class 0) indicative of expanding envelopes. Molecular "bullets" moving at ≳50 km s-1 with

  14. Studies of low-mass star formation with the large deployable reflector

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hollenbach, D. J.; Tielens, Alexander G. G. M.

    1984-01-01

    Estimates are made of the far-infrared and submillimeter continuum and line emission from regions of low mass star formation. The intensity of this emission is compared with the sensitivity of the large deployable reflector (LDR), a large space telescope designed for this wavelength range. The proposed LDR is designed to probe the temperature, density, chemical structure, and the velocity field of the collapsing envelopes of these protostars. The LDR is also designed to study the accretion shocks on the cores and circumstellar disks of low-mass protostars, and to detect shock waves driven by protostellar winds.

  15. COPS-GREAT2: CO in ProtoStars with GREAT

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yildiz, Umut

    Low-mass embedded protostars drive strong bipolar jets, which shock the surrounding gas on 100-1000 AU scales and entrain colder gas in outflows on 10,000 AU and larger scales. The aim of this proposal is to analyze the transition between shocks and entrainment and to quantify the mass in each component. We plan to do this by observing the CO 11-10 line with GREAT in nine sources. Outflows from young protostars are a major source of feedback on both protostellar and cloud scales. However, our understanding of how they entrain or impact the protostellar envelope is still in its infancy. High-J CO observations are required to analyze in detail the transition where the outflowing gas goes from being colder (T 100 K) entrained outflowing gas to being directly excited by the shocks causing the entrainment. These observations will allow us to quantify the amount of currently shocked gas with respect to the entrained gas, as well as examine shock properties as a function of velocity, and thereby quantify the feedback from a protostar on its natal material.

  16. On the nature of the deeply embedded protostar OMC-2 FIR 4

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

    Furlan, E.; Megeath, S. T.; Fischer, W. J.

    We use mid-infrared to submillimeter data from the Spitzer, Herschel, and Atacama Pathfinder Experiment telescopes to study the bright submillimeter source OMC-2 FIR 4. We find a point source at 8, 24, and 70 μm, and a compact, but extended source at 160, 350, and 870 μm. The peak of the emission from 8 to 70 μm, attributed to the protostar associated with FIR 4, is displaced relative to the peak of the extended emission; the latter represents the large molecular core the protostar is embedded within. We determine that the protostar has a bolometric luminosity of 37 L {submore » ☉}, although including more extended emission surrounding the point source raises this value to 86 L {sub ☉}. Radiative transfer models of the protostellar system fit the observed spectral energy distribution well and yield a total luminosity of most likely less than 100 L {sub ☉}. Our models suggest that the bolometric luminosity of the protostar could be as low as 12-14 L {sub ☉}, while the luminosity of the colder (∼20 K) extended core could be around 100 L {sub ☉}, with a mass of about 27 M {sub ☉}. Our derived luminosities for the protostar OMC-2 FIR 4 are in direct contradiction with previous claims of a total luminosity of 1000 L {sub ☉}. Furthermore, we find evidence from far-infrared molecular spectra and 3.6 cm emission that FIR 4 drives an outflow. The final stellar mass the protostar will ultimately achieve is uncertain due to its association with the large reservoir of mass found in the cold core.« less

  17. Spectroscopic Detection of a Stellar-like Photosphere in an Accreting Protostar

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Greene, Thomas P.; Lada, Charles J.; DeVincenzi, Donald L. (Technical Monitor)

    2002-01-01

    veiling is r(sub k) is greater than or equal to 4.6. Its low luminosity (2 solar masses) and high veiling dictate that its central protostar is very low mass, M is approx. 0.1 solar masses. We also evaluate multi-epoch X ray data along with these spectra and conclude that the X ray variabilities of these sources are not directly related to their protostellar rotation velocities.

  18. TRACING EMBEDDED STELLAR POPULATIONS IN CLUSTERS AND GALAXIES USING MOLECULAR EMISSION: METHANOL AS A SIGNATURE OF THE LOW-MASS END OF THE IMF

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

    Kristensen, Lars E.; Bergin, Edwin A., E-mail: lkristensen@cfa.harvard.edu

    2015-07-10

    Most low-mass protostars form in clusters, in particular high-mass clusters; however, how low-mass stars form in high-mass clusters and what the mass distribution is are still open questions both in our own Galaxy and elsewhere. To access the population of forming embedded low-mass protostars observationally, we propose using molecular outflows as tracers. Because the outflow emission scales with mass, the effective contrast between low-mass protostars and their high-mass cousins is greatly lowered. In particular, maps of methanol emission at 338.4 GHz (J = 7{sub 0}–6{sub 0} A{sup +}) in low-mass clusters illustrate that this transition is an excellent probe ofmore » the low-mass population. We present here a model of a forming cluster where methanol emission is assigned to every embedded low-mass protostar. The resulting model image of methanol emission is compared to recent ALMA observations toward a high-mass cluster and the similarity is striking: the toy model reproduces observations to better than a factor of two and suggests that approximately 50% of the total flux originates in low-mass outflows. Future fine-tuning of the model will eventually make it a tool for interpreting the embedded low-mass population of distant regions within our own Galaxy and ultimately higher-redshift starburst galaxies, not just for methanol emission but also water and high-J CO.« less

  19. A Detached Protostellar Disk around a ˜0.2 M ⊙ Protostar in a Possible Site of a Multiple Star Formation in a Dynamical Environment in Taurus

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tokuda, Kazuki; Onishi, Toshikazu; Saigo, Kazuya; Hosokawa, Takashi; Matsumoto, Tomoaki; Inutsuka, Shu-ichiro; Machida, Masahiro N.; Tomida, Kengo; Kunitomo, Masanobu; Kawamura, Akiko; Fukui, Yasuo; Tachihara, Kengo

    2017-11-01

    We report ALMA observations in 0.87 mm continuum and 12CO (J = 3-2) toward a very low-luminosity (<0.1 L ⊙) protostar, which is deeply embedded in one of the densest cores, MC27/L1521F, in Taurus with an indication of multiple star formation in a highly dynamical environment. The beam size corresponds to ˜20 au, and we have clearly detected blueshifted/redshifted gas in 12CO associated with the protostar. The spatial/velocity distributions of the gas show there is a rotating disk with a size scale of ˜10 au, a disk mass of ˜10-4 M ⊙, and a central stellar mass of ˜0.2 M ⊙. The observed disk seems to be detached from the surrounding dense gas, although it is still embedded at the center of the core whose density is ˜106 cm-3. The current low-outflow activity and the very low luminosity indicate that the mass accretion rate onto the protostar is extremely low in spite of a very early stage of star formation. We may be witnessing the final stage of the formation of ˜0.2 M ⊙ protostar. However, we cannot explain the observed low luminosity with the standard pre-main-sequence evolutionary track unless we assume cold accretion with an extremely small initial radius of the protostar (˜0.65 {R}⊙ ). These facts may challenge our current understanding of the low mass star formation, in particular the mass accretion process onto the protostar and the circumstellar disk.

  20. Water and complex organic molecules in the warm inner regions of solar-type protostars

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Coutens, A.; Jørgensen, J. K.; Persson, M. V.; Lykke, J. M.; Taquet, V.; van Dishoeck, E. F.; Vastel, C.; Wampfler, S. F.

    2015-12-01

    Water and complex organic molecules play an important role in the emergence of Life. They have been detected in different types of astrophysical environments (protostars, prestellar cores, outflows, protoplanetary disks, comets, etc). In particular, they show high abundances towards the warm inner regions of protostars, where the icy grain mantles thermally desorb. Can a part of the molecular content observed in these regions be preserved during the star formation process and incorporated into asteroids and comets, that can deliver it to planetary embryos through impacts? By comparison with cometary studies, interferometric observations of solar-type protostars can help to address this important question. We present recent results obtained with the Plateau de Bure interferometer about water deuteration, glycolaldehyde and ethylene glycol towards the low-mass protostar NGC 1333 IRAS2A.

  1. The complex chemistry of outflow cavity walls exposed: the case of low-mass protostars

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Drozdovskaya, Maria N.; Walsh, Catherine; Visser, Ruud; Harsono, Daniel; van Dishoeck, Ewine F.

    2015-08-01

    Complex organic molecules are ubiquitous companions of young low-mass protostars. Recent observations suggest that their emission stems, not only from the traditional hot corino, but also from offset positions. In this work, 2D physicochemical modelling of an envelope-cavity system is carried out. Wavelength-dependent radiative transfer calculations are performed and a comprehensive gas-grain chemical network is used to simulate the physical and chemical structure. The morphology of the system delineates three distinct regions: the cavity wall layer with time-dependent and species-variant enhancements; a torus rich in complex organic ices, but not reflected in gas-phase abundances and the remaining outer envelope abundant in simpler solid and gaseous molecules. Strongly irradiated regions, such as the cavity wall layer, are subject to frequent photodissociation in the solid phase. Subsequent recombination of the photoproducts leads to frequent reactive desorption, causing gas-phase enhancements of several orders of magnitude. This mechanism remains to be quantified with laboratory experiments. Direct photodesorption is found to be relatively inefficient. If radicals are not produced directly in the icy mantle, the formation of complex organics is impeded. For efficiency, a sufficient number of FUV photons needs to penetrate the envelope, and elevated cool dust temperatures need to enable grain-surface radical mobility. As a result, a high stellar luminosity and a sufficiently wide cavity favour chemical complexity. Furthermore within this paradigm, complex organics are demonstrated to have unique lifetimes and be grouped into early (formaldehyde, ketene, methanol, formic acid, methyl formate, acetic acid and glycolaldehyde) and late (acetaldehyde, dimethyl ether and ethanol) species.

  2. Mass Accretion Rate of Very Low Luminosity Objects

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sung, Ren-Shiang; Lai, Shih-Ping; Hsieh, Tien-Hao

    2013-08-01

    We propose to measure the mass accretion rate of six Very Low Luminosity Objects (VeLLOs) using Near-infrared Integral Spectrometer (NIFS). The extremely low luminosity of VeLLOs, L_int ≤ 0.1 L_⊙, was previously thought not existing in the nature because the typical accretion rate gives much larger accretion luminosity even for the lowest mass star (``Luminosity Problem''). The commonly accepted solution is that the accretion rate is not constant but episodic. Thus, VeLLOs could be interpreted as protostars being in the quiescent phase of accretion activities. However, there is no observational data directly measuring the mass accretion rate of VeLLOs. The main goal of this proposal is to examine such theory and directly measure the mass accretion rate of VeLLOs for the first time. We propose to measure the blue continuum excess (veiling) of the stellar spectrum, which is the most reliable method for measuring the accretion rate. The measurements have to be made in infrared due to the very high extinction for highly embedded protostars. Our proposal provide a first opportunity to explain the long time ``Luminosity Problem'' through the observational aspects, and Gemini is the only instrument that can provide accurate and high sensitivity infrared spectroscopy measurements within reasonably short time scale.

  3. Surveying Low-Mass Star Formation with the Submillimeter Array

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dunham, Michael

    2018-01-01

    Large astronomical surveys yield important statistical information that can’t be derived from single-object and small-number surveys. In this talk I will review two recent surveys in low-mass star formation undertaken by the Submillimeter Array (SMA): a millimeter continuum survey of disks surrounding variably accreting young stars, and a complete continuum and molecular line survey of all protostars in the nearby Perseus Molecular Cloud. I will highlight several new insights into the processes by which low-mass stars gain their mass that have resulted from the statistical power of these surveys.

  4. A Triple Protostar System in L1448 IRS3B Formed via Fragmentation of a Gravitationally Unstable Disk

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tobin, John J.; Kratter, Kaitlin M.; Persson, Magnus; Looney, Leslie; Dunham, Michael; Segura-Cox, Dominique; Li, Zhi-Yun; Chandler, Claire J.; Sadavoy, Sarah; Harris, Robert J.; Melis, Carl; Perez, Laura M.

    2017-01-01

    Binary and multiple star systems are a frequent outcome of the star formation process; most stars form as part of a binary/multiple protostar system. A possible pathway to the formation of close (< 500 AU) binary/multiple star systems is fragmentation of a massive protostellar disk due to gravitational instability. We observed the triple protostar system L1448 IRS3B with ALMA at 1.3 mm in dust continuum and molecular lines to determine if this triple protostar system, where all companions are separated by < 200 AU, is likely to have formed via disk fragmentation. From the dust continuum emission, we find a massive, 0.39 solar mass disk surrounding the three protostars with spiral structure. The disk is centered on two protostars that are separated by 61 AU and the third protostar is located in the outer disk at 183 AU. The tertiary companion is coincident with a spiral arm, and it is the brightest source of emission in the disk, surrounded by ~0.09 solar masses of disk material. Molecular line observations from 13CO and C18O confirm that the kinematic center of mass is coincident with the two central protostars and that the disk is consistent with being in Keplerian rotation; the combined mass of the two close protostars is ~1 solar mass. We demonstrate that the disk around L1448 IRS3B remains marginally unstable at radii between 150~AU and 320~AU, overlapping with the location of the tertiary protostar. This is consistent with models for a protostellar disk that has recently undergone gravitational instability, spawning the companion stars.

  5. Uncovering the Protostars in Serpens South with ALMA: Continuum Sources and Their Outflow Activity

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Plunkett, Adele; Arce, H.; Corder, S.; Dunham, M.

    2017-06-01

    Serpens South is an appealing protostellar cluster to study due the combination of several factors: (1) a high protostar fraction that shows evidence for very recent and ongoing star formation; (2) iconic clustered star formation along a filamentary structure; (3) its relative proximity within a few hundred parsecs. An effective study requires the sensitivity, angular and spectral resolution, and mapping capabilities recently provided with ALMA. Here we present a multi-faceted data set acquired from Cycles 1 through 3 with ALMA, including maps of continuum sources and molecular outflows throughout the region, as well as a more focused kinematical study of the protostar that is the strongest continuum source at the cluster center. Together these data span spatial scales over several orders of magnitude, allowing us to investigate the outflow-driving sources and the impact of the outflows on the cluster environment. Currently, we focus on the census of protostars in the cluster center, numbering about 20, including low-flux, low-mass sources never before detected in mm-wavelengths and evidence for multiplicity that was previously unresolved.

  6. Protostars in the Elephant Trunk Nebula

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Reach, W. T.; Rho, J.; Young, E.; Muzerolle, J.; Fajardo-Acosta, S.; Hartmann, L.; Sicilia-Aguilar, A.; Allen, L. E.; Carey, S.; Cuillandre, J.-C.; Jarrett, T. H.; Lowrance, P.; Noriega-Crespo, A.; Marston, A. P.

    2004-05-01

    The optically-dark globule IC 1396A is revealed using Spitzer images at 3.6, 4.5, 5.8, 8, and 24 microns to be infrared-bright and to contain a set of previously unknown protostars. The mid-infrared colors of the 24 micon sources indicate several very young (Class I or 0) protostars and a dozen Class II stars. Three of the new sources emit over 90% of their bolometric luminosities at wavelengths greater than 3 microns, and they are located within ˜ 0.02 pc of the ionization front at the edge of the globule. Many of the sources have spectra that are still rising at 24 microns. The two previously-known young stars LkHα 349 a and c are both detected, with component c harboring a massive disk and component a being bare. Of order 5% of the mass of material in the globule is presently in the form of protostars in the 105--106 yr age range. This high star formation rate was likely triggered by radiation from a nearby O star.

  7. Molecular Anions in Protostars, Prestellar Cores and Dark Clouds

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Cordiner, Martin; Charnley, Steven; Buckle, Jane; Wash, Catherine; Millar, Tom

    2011-01-01

    From our recent survey work using the Green Bank Telescope, microwave emission lines from the hydrocarbon anion C6H(-) and its parent neutral C6H have been detected in six new sources. Using HC3N = 10(exp -9) emission maps, we targeted the most carbon-chain-rich sources for our anion survey, which included the low-mass Class 0 protostar L1251A-IRS3, the prestellar cores L1389-SMM1 and L1512, and the interstellar clouds Ll172A, TMC-1C and L1495B. Derived [C6H(-)]/[C6H] anion-to-neutral ratios are approximately 1-10. The greatest C6H(-) column densities are found in the quiescent clouds TMC-1C and L1495B, but the anion-to-neutral ratios are greatest in the prestellar cores and protostars. These results are interpreted in terms of the physical and chemical properties of the sources, and the implications for molecular cloud chemistry are discussed.

  8. Protostar formation in the early universe.

    PubMed

    Yoshida, Naoki; Omukai, Kazuyuki; Hernquist, Lars

    2008-08-01

    The nature of the first generation of stars in the universe remains largely unknown. Observations imply the existence of massive primordial stars early in the history of the universe, and the standard theory for the growth of cosmic structure predicts that structures grow hierarchically through gravitational instability. We have developed an ab initio computer simulation of the formation of primordial stars that follows the relevant atomic and molecular processes in a primordial gas in an expanding universe. The results show that primeval density fluctuations left over from the Big Bang can drive the formation of a tiny protostar with a mass 1% that of the Sun. The protostar is a seed for the subsequent formation of a massive primordial star.

  9. Protostars in the Elephant Trunk Nebula

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Reach, William T.; Rho, Jeonghee; Young, Erick; Muzerolle, James; Fajardo-Acosta, Sergio; Hartmann, Lee; Sicilia-Aguilar, Aurora; Allen, Lori; Carey, Sean; Cuillandre, Jean-Charles; Jarrett, Thomas H.; Lowrance, Patrick; Marston, Anthony; Noriega-Crespo, Alberto; Hurt, Robert L.

    2004-09-01

    The optically dark globule IC 1396A is revealed using Spitzer Space Telescope images at 3.6, 4.5, 5.8, 8, and 24 μm to be infrared-bright and to contain a set of previously unknown protostars. The mid-infrared colors of the 24 μm detected sources indicate several very young (Class I or 0) protostars and a dozen Class II stars. Three of the new sources (IC 1396A:γ, 1396A:δ, and 1396A:ɛ) emit over 90% of their bolometric luminosities at wavelengths greater than 3 μm, and they are located within ~0.02 pc of the ionization front at the edge of the globule. Many of the sources have spectra that are still rising at 24 μm. The two previously known young stars LkHα 349a and 349c are both detected, with component c harboring a massive disk and component a being bare. On the order of 5% of the mass of material in the globule is presently in the form of protostars in the 105-106 yr age range. This high star formation rate was likely triggered by radiation from a nearby O star.

  10. Magnetic Fields and Multiple Protostar Formation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Boss, A. P.

    2001-12-01

    Recent observations of star-forming regions suggest that binary and multiple young stars are the rule rather than the exception, and implicate fragmentation as the likely mechanism for their formation. Most numerical hydrodynamical calculations of fragmentation have neglected the possibly deleterious effects of magnetic fields, in spite of ample evidence for the importance of magnetic support of pre-collapse clouds. We present here the first numerical hydrodynamical survey of the full effects of magnetic fields on the collapse and fragmentation of dense cloud cores. The models are calculated with a three dimensional, finite differences code which solves the equations of hydrodynamics, gravitation, and radiative transfer in the Eddington and diffusion approximations. Magnetic field effects are included through two simple approximations: magnetic pressure is added to the gas pressure, and magnetic tension is approximated by gravity dilution once collapse is well underway. Ambipolar diffusion of the magnetic field leading to cloud collapse is treated approximately as well. Models are calculated for a variety of initial cloud density profiles, shapes, and rotation rates. We find that in spite of the inclusion of magnetic field effects, dense cloud cores are capable of fragmenting into binary and multiple protostar systems. Initially prolate clouds tend to fragment into binary protostars, while initially oblate clouds tend to fragment into multiple protostar systems containing a small number (of order four) of fragments. The latter are likely to be subject to rapid orbital evolution, with close encounters possibly leading to the ejection of fragments. Contrary to expectation, magnetic tension effects appear to enhance fragmentation, allowing lower mass fragments to form than would otherwise be possible, because magnetic tension helps to prevent a central density singularity from forming and producing a dominant single object. Magnetically-supported dense cloud cores

  11. Gravitational Instabilities in the Disks of Massive Protostars as an Explanation for Linear Distributions of Methanol Masers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Durisen, Richard H.; Mejia, Annie C.; Pickett, Brian K.; Hartquist, Thomas W.

    2001-12-01

    Evidence suggests that some masers associated with massive protostars may originate in the outer regions of large disks, at radii of hundreds to thousands of AU from the central mass. This is particularly true for methanol (CH3OH), for which linear distributions of masers are found with disklike kinematics. In three-dimensional hydrodynamics simulations we have made to study the effects of gravitational instabilities in the outer parts of disks around young low-mass stars, the nonlinear development of the instabilities leads to a complex of intersecting spiral shocks, clumps, and arclets within the disk and to significant time-dependent, nonaxisymmetric distortions of the disk surface. A rescaling of our disk simulations to the case of a massive protostar shows that conditions in the disturbed outer disk seem conducive to the appearance of masers if it is viewed edge-on.

  12. Complex Organic Molecules tracing shocks along the outflow cavity in the high-mass protostar IRAS 20126+4104.

    PubMed

    Palau, Aina; Walsh, Catherine; Sánchez-Monge, Álvaro; Girart, Josep M; Cesaroni, Riccardo; Jiménez-Serra, Izaskun; Fuente, Asunción; Zapata, Luis A; Neri, Roberto

    2017-06-01

    We report on subarcsecond observations of complex organic molecules (COMs) in the high-mass protostar IRAS 20126+4104 with the Plateau de Bure Interferometer in its most extended configurations. In addition to the simple molecules SO, HNCO and H 2 13 CO, we detect emission from CH 3 CN, CH 3 OH, HCOOH, HCOOCH 3 , CH 3 OCH 3 , CH 3 CH 2 CN, CH 3 COCH 3 , NH 2 CN, and (CH 2 OH) 2 . SO and HNCO present a X-shaped morphology consistent with tracing the outflow cavity walls. Most of the COMs have their peak emission at the putative position of the protostar, but also show an extension towards the south(east), coinciding with an H 2 knot from the jet at about 800-1000 au from the protostar. This is especially clear in the case of H 2 13 CO and CH 3 OCH 3 . We fitted the spectra at representative positions for the disc and the outflow, and found that the abundances of most COMs are comparable at both positions, suggesting that COMs are enhanced in shocks as a result of the passage of the outflow. By coupling a parametric shock model to a large gas-grain chemical network including COMs, we find that the observed COMs should survive in the gas phase for ∼ 2000 yr, comparable to the shock lifetime estimated from the water masers at the outflow position. Overall, our data indicate that COMs in IRAS 20126+4104 may arise not only from the disc, but also from dense and hot regions associated with the outflow.

  13. Complex Organic Molecules tracing shocks along the outflow cavity in the high-mass protostar IRAS 20126+4104

    PubMed Central

    Palau, Aina; Walsh, Catherine; Sánchez-Monge, Álvaro; Girart, Josep M.; Cesaroni, Riccardo; Jiménez-Serra, Izaskun; Fuente, Asunción; Zapata, Luis A.; Neri, Roberto

    2017-01-01

    We report on subarcsecond observations of complex organic molecules (COMs) in the high-mass protostar IRAS 20126+4104 with the Plateau de Bure Interferometer in its most extended configurations. In addition to the simple molecules SO, HNCO and H213CO, we detect emission from CH3CN, CH3OH, HCOOH, HCOOCH3, CH3OCH3, CH3CH2CN, CH3COCH3, NH2CN, and (CH2OH)2. SO and HNCO present a X-shaped morphology consistent with tracing the outflow cavity walls. Most of the COMs have their peak emission at the putative position of the protostar, but also show an extension towards the south(east), coinciding with an H2 knot from the jet at about 800–1000 au from the protostar. This is especially clear in the case of H213CO and CH3OCH3. We fitted the spectra at representative positions for the disc and the outflow, and found that the abundances of most COMs are comparable at both positions, suggesting that COMs are enhanced in shocks as a result of the passage of the outflow. By coupling a parametric shock model to a large gas-grain chemical network including COMs, we find that the observed COMs should survive in the gas phase for ∼ 2000 yr, comparable to the shock lifetime estimated from the water masers at the outflow position. Overall, our data indicate that COMs in IRAS 20126+4104 may arise not only from the disc, but also from dense and hot regions associated with the outflow. PMID:28579644

  14. VizieR Online Data Catalog: Deconvolved Spitzer images of 89 protostars (Velusamy+, 2014)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Velusamy, T.; Langer, W. D.; Thompson, T.

    2016-03-01

    The sample of Class 0 protostars, H2 jets, and outflow sour selected for HiRes deconvolution of Spitzer images are listed in Table1. The majority of our target protostellar objects were selected from "The Youngest Protostars" webpage hosted by the University of Kent (http://astro.kent.ac.uk/protostars/old/), which are based on the young Class 0 objects compiled by Froebrich 2005 (cat. J/ApJS/156/169). In addition to these objects, our sample includes some Herbig-Haro (HH) sources and a few well known jet outflow sources. Our sample also includes one high-mass protostar (IRAS20126+4104; cf. Caratti o Garatti et al., 2008A&A...485..137C) to demonstrate the use of HiRes for such sources. Our choice for target selection was primarily based on the availability of Spitzer images in IRAC and MIPS bands in the archives and the feasibility for reprocessing based on the published Spitzer images wherever available. (1 data file).

  15. Origin of warm and hot gas emission from low-mass protostars: Herschel-HIFI observations of CO J = 16-15. I. Line profiles, physical conditions, and H2O abundance

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kristensen, L. E.; van Dishoeck, E. F.; Mottram, J. C.; Karska, A.; Yıldız, U. A.; Bergin, E. A.; Bjerkeli, P.; Cabrit, S.; Doty, S.; Evans, N. J.; Gusdorf, A.; Harsono, D.; Herczeg, G. J.; Johnstone, D.; Jørgensen, J. K.; van Kempen, T. A.; Lee, J.-E.; Maret, S.; Tafalla, M.; Visser, R.; Wampfler, S. F.

    2017-09-01

    Context. Through spectrally unresolved observations of high-J CO transitions, Herschel Photodetector Array Camera and Spectrometer (PACS) has revealed large reservoirs of warm (300 K) and hot (700 K) molecular gas around low-mass protostars. The excitation and physical origin of this gas is still not understood. Aims: We aim to shed light on the excitation and origin of the CO ladder observed toward protostars, and on the water abundance in different physical components within protostellar systems using spectrally resolved Herschel-HIFI data. Methods: Observations are presented of the highly excited CO line J = 16-15 (Eup/kB = 750 K) with the Herschel Heterodyne Instrument for the Far Infrared (HIFI) toward a sample of 24 low-mass protostellar objects. The sources were selected from the Herschel "Water in Star-forming regions with Herschel" (WISH) and "Dust, Ice, and Gas in Time" (DIGIT) key programs. Results: The spectrally resolved line profiles typically show two distinct velocity components: a broad Gaussian component with an average FWHM of 20 km s-1 containing the bulk of the flux, and a narrower Gaussian component with a FWHM of 5 km s-1 that is often offset from the source velocity. Some sources show other velocity components such as extremely-high-velocity features or "bullets". All these velocity components were first detected in H2O line profiles. The average rotational temperature over the entire profile, as measured from comparison between CO J = 16-15 and 10-9 emission, is 300 K. A radiative-transfer analysis shows that the average H2O/CO column-density ratio is 0.02, suggesting a total H2O abundance of 2 × 10-6, independent of velocity. Conclusions: Two distinct velocity profiles observed in the HIFI line profiles suggest that the high-J CO ladder observed with PACS consists of two excitation components. The warm PACS component (300 K) is associated with the broad HIFI component, and the hot PACS component (700 K) is associated with the offset HIFI

  16. Protostars and Planets VI

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Beuther, Henrik; Klessen, Ralf S.; Dullemond, Cornelis P.; Henning, Thomas

    The Protostars and Planets book and conference series has been a long-standing tradition that commenced with the first meeting led by Tom Gehrels and held in Tucson, Arizona, in 1978. The goal then, as it still is today, was to bridge the gap between the fields of star and planet formation as well as the investigation of planetary systems and planets. As Tom Gehrels stated in the preface to the first Protostars and Planets book, "Cross-fertilization of information and understanding is bound to occur when investigators who are familiar with the stellar and interstellar phases meet with those who study the early phases of solar system formation." The central goal remained the same for the subsequent editions of the books and conferences Protostars and Planets II in 1984, Protostars and Planets III in 1990, Protostars and Planets IV in 1998, and Protostars and Planets V in 2005, but has now been greatly expanded by the flood of new discoveries in the field of exoplanet science. The original concept of the Protostars and Planets series also formed the basis for the sixth conference in the series, which took place on July 15-20, 2013. It was held for the first time outside of the United States in the bustling university town of Heidelberg, Germany. The meeting attracted 852 participants from 32 countries, and was centered around 38 review talks and more than 600 posters. The review talks were expanded to form the 38 chapters of this book, written by a total of 250 contributing authors. This Protostars and Planets volume reflects the current state-of-the-art in star and planet formation, and tightly connects the fields with each other. It is structured into four sections covering key aspects of molecular cloud and star formation, disk formation and evolution, planetary systems, and astrophysical conditions for life. All poster presentations from the conference can be found at www.ppvi.org. In the eight years that have passed since the fifth conference and book in the

  17. Luminosity variations of protostars at the Hayashi stage

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Abdulmyanov, T. R.

    2017-09-01

    In the present paper, the luminosity variations of protostars at the Hayashi stage are considered. According to the density wave model, the luminosity of protostars will have significant variations throughout the Hayashi stage. The initial moments of the formation of protoplanetary rings of the Solar system and the luminosity of the protostar for these moments are obtained.

  18. Evidence for disks at an early stage in class 0 protostars?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gerin, M.; Pety, J.; Commerçon, B.; Fuente, A.; Cernicharo, J.; Marcelino, N.; Ciardi, A.; Lis, D. C.; Roueff, E.; Wootten, H. A.; Chapillon, E.

    2017-10-01

    Aims: The formation epoch of protostellar disks is debated because of the competing roles of rotation, turbulence, and magnetic fields in the early stages of low-mass star formation. Magnetohydrodynamics simulations of collapsing cores predict that rotationally supported disks may form in strongly magnetized cores through ambipolar diffusion or misalignment between the rotation axis and the magnetic field orientation. Detailed studies of individual sources are needed to cross check the theoretical predictions. Methods: We present 0.06-0.1'' resolution images at 350 GHz toward B1b-N and B1b-S, which are young class 0 protostars, possibly first hydrostatic cores. The images have been obtained with ALMA, and we compare these data with magnetohydrodynamics simulations of a collapsing turbulent and magnetized core. Results: The submillimeter continuum emission is spatially resolved by ALMA. Compact structures with optically thick 350 GHz emission are detected toward both B1b-N and B1b-S, with 0.2 and 0.35'' radii (46 and 80 au at the Perseus distance of 230 pc), within a more extended envelope. The flux ratio between the compact structure and the envelope is lower in B1b-N than in B1b-S, in agreement with its earlier evolutionary status. The size and orientation of the compact structure are consistent with 0.2'' resolution 32 GHz observations obtained with the Very Large Array as a part of the VANDAM survey, suggesting that grains have grown through coagulation. The morphology, temperature, and densities of the compact structures are consistent with those of disks formed in numerical simulations of collapsing cores. Moreover, the properties of B1b-N are consistent with those of a very young protostar, possibly a first hydrostatic core. These observations provide support for the early formation of disks around low-mass protostars. The reduced images and datacubes are only available at the CDS via anonymous ftp to http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (http://130.79.128.5) or via

  19. Low-Mass Star Formation and the Initial Mass Function in Young Clusters

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Luhman, Kevin Lee

    I have used optical and near-infrared spectroscopy and imaging to measure spectral types and luminosities for young (/tau<10 Myr), embedded (AV=0[-]50), low-mass (0.1-1 Msolar) stars in three nearby (d<300 pc) clusters: L1495E, IC 348, and ρ Ophiuchi. In conjunction with theoretical evolutionary tracks, I have derived the star formation history and initial mass function for each stellar population. A large number of brown dwarf candidates have been identified in the photometry, several of which are confirmed through spectroscopy. Finally, I have measured the frequency and survival times of circumstellar disks and investigated the photometric and spectroscopic properties of protostars. In S 2, I apply observational tests to the available sets of evolutionary models for low-mass stars, concluding that the calculations of D'Antona & Mazzitelli are preferred for the range of masses and ages considered here. In S 3 and S 4, I examine in detail the spectroscopic characteristics and substellar nature of two brown dwarf candidates. The study then expands to include the populations within the clusters L1495E (S 5), IC 348 (S 6), and ρ Ophiuchi (S 7). In S 8, I briefly discuss the past, present, and future of scientific research related to this thesis.

  20. Fission of Rapidly Rotating Protostars

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lozier, Jennifer L.; Michael, S.; Durisen, R. H.; Imamura, J. N.

    2006-12-01

    It has long been conjectured that close binary star systems might form through the fission of a rapidly rotating and contracting protostar (for a review see Durisen & Tohline 1985). Protostars that are axisymmetric beyond the point of dynamic bar-like mode instability do not fission (Imamura et al. 2000), but contracting non-axisymmetric protostars might encounter bifurcations of surface shape leading to fission. In addition, they may be susceptible to hydrodynamic instabilities, first described by Lebovitz & Lifschitz (1996), whose nonlinear effects are still unknown. We will present a series of hydrodynamic simulations of rapidly rotating polytropic protostars to investigate fission in contracting protostars. The initial model is an equilibrium configuration with T/|W| ≈ 0.14, where T is the rotational kinetic energy and W is the total gravitational energy. It is given a bar-like cos(2φ) density perturbation with an amplitude of .02, .10 or .25. These perturbed polytropes are then cooled by reducing the polytropic constant K where P = Kρ1+1/n. Here P is the pressure, ρ is the density and n is the polytropic index, here chosen to be 3/2. As the polytrope contracts, we find no strong signal of a growing instability. All simulations evolve through to the dynamic bar-like mode instability point at T/|W|≈ 0.27 and produce a ring around a bar, not a binary. However, there is some indication of amplitude growth at a T/|W|≈0.22. We are investigating this growth further with follow-up simulations that start at an equilibrium model with a T/|W| ≈ 0.22. This enables us to study growth in this regime with higher resolution and slower contraction rates. This work has been supported by the National Science Foundation through grant AST-0452975 (astronomy REU program to Indiana University).

  1. Herschel Shines Light on the Episodic Evolutionary Sequence of Protostars

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Green, Joel D.; DIGIT; FOOSH; COPS Teams

    2014-01-01

    New far-infrared and submillimeter spectroscopic capabilities, along with moderate spatial and spectral resolution, provide the opportunity to study the diversity of shocks, accretion processes, and compositions of the envelopes of developing protostellar objects in nearby molecular clouds. We present the "COPS" (CO in Protostars) sample; a statistical analysis of the full sample of 30 Class 0/I protostars from the "DIGIT" Key project using Herschel-PACS/SPIRE 50-700 micron spectroscopy. We consider the sample as a whole in characteristic spectral lines, using a standardized data reduction procedure for all targets, and analyze the differences in the continuum and gas over the full sample, presenting an overview of trends. We compare the sources in evolutionary state, envelope mass, and gas properties to more evolved sources from the"FOOSH'' (FUor) samples.

  2. Investigating the Prevalence of Low Bone Mass in Children of Southern Iran and Its Associated Factors

    PubMed Central

    Saki, Forough; Ranjbar Omrani, Gholamhossein; Jeddi, Marjan; Bakhshaieshkaram, Marzie; Dabbaghmanesh, Mohammad Hossein

    2017-01-01

    Background Improving peak bone mass and bone strength in the first years of life and enhancing it during young adulthood could prevent osteoporosis and fractures in the last years of life. We evaluated the prevalence of low bone mass in the lumbar and femoral neck and its associated factors in southern Iranian children. Methods This is a cross-sectional study on healthy Iranian children aged 9 - 18 years old during 2011 - 2012. Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) was used for measuring bone mineral density (BMD). BMD Z-score ≤ -2 was considered as low. Anthropometric data, physical activity, sun exposure, puberty, and mineral biochemical parameters were assessed. Data were analyzed using SPSS v.15. Results 477 normal children, including 236 (49.5%) girls and 241 (50.5%) boys, aged 13.8 ± 2.7 years were enrolled. Prevalence of low bone mass (LBM) in the femoral and lumbar region was 10.7% and 18.7%, respectively. The prevalence of LBM in femur of girls is twice more than boys. Fat mass index, BMI Z-score, and physical activity were associated with lumbar low bone mass. BMI Z-score and physical activity were associated with femoral low bone mass. Conclusions High prevalence of low bone mineral density in children 9 to 18 years in south of the country is concerned and is needed to plan for prevention and treatment. BMI-Z score, fat mass index, and physical activity were the 3 most important preventive factors in developing low bone mass in children. PMID:29344033

  3. Extremely Low Mass: The Circumstellar Envelope of a Potential Proto-Brown Dwarf

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Wiseman, Jennifer

    2011-01-01

    What is the environment for planet formation around extremely low mass stars? Is the environment around brown dwarfs and extremely low mass stars conducive and sufficiently massive for planet production? The determining conditions may be set very early in the process of the host object's formation. IRAS 16253-2429, the source of the Wasp-Waist Nebula seen in Spitzer IRAC images, is an isolated, very low luminosity ("VeLLO") Class 0 protostar in the nearby rho Ophiuchi cloud. We present VLA ammonia mapping observations of the dense gas envelope feeding the central core accreting system. We find a flattened envelope perpendicular to the outflow axis, and gas cavities that appear to cradle the outflow lobes as though carved out by the flow and associated (apparently precessing) jet, indicating environmental disruption. Based on the NH3 (1,1) and (2,2) emission distribution, we derive the mass, velocity fields and temperature distribution for the envelope. We discuss the combined evidence for this source to be one of the youngest and lowest mass sources in formation yet known, and discuss the ramifications for planet formation potential in this extremely low mass system.

  4. Detection of glycolaldehyde toward the solar-type protostar NGC 1333 IRAS2A

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Coutens, A.; Persson, M. V.; Jørgensen, J. K.; Wampfler, S. F.; Lykke, J. M.

    2015-04-01

    Glycolaldehyde is a key molecule in the formation of biologically relevant molecules such as ribose. We report its detection with the Plateau de Bure interferometer toward the Class 0 young stellar object NGC 1333 IRAS2A, which is only the second solar-type protostar for which this prebiotic molecule is detected. Local thermodynamic equilibrium analyses of glycolaldehyde, ethylene glycol (the reduced alcohol of glycolaldehyde), and methyl formate (the most abundant isomer of glycolaldehyde) were carried out. The relative abundance of ethylene glycol to glycolaldehyde is found to be ~5 - higher than in the Class 0 source IRAS 16293-2422 (~1), but similar to the lower limits derived in comets (≥3-6). The different ethylene glycol-to-glycolaldehyde ratios in the two protostars might be related to different CH3OH:CO compositions of the icy grain mantles. In particular, a more efficient hydrogenation on the grains in NGC 1333 IRAS2A would favor the formation of both methanol and ethylene glycol. In conclusion, it is possible that like NGC 1333 IRAS2A, other low-mass protostars show high ethylene glycol-to-glycolaldehyde abundance ratios. The cometary ratios might consequently be inherited from earlier stages of star formation if the young Sun experienced conditions similar to NGC 1333 IRAS2A. Based on observations carried out with the IRAM Plateau de Bure Interferometer. IRAM is supported by INSU/CNRS (France), MPG (Germany) and IGN (Spain).Figures 3-4 and Table 1 are available in electronic form at http://www.aanda.org

  5. COMPUTATIONAL MODELING OF THE CLASS I LOW-MASS PROTOSTAR ELIAS 29 APPLYING OPTICAL CONSTANTS OF ICES PROCESSED BY HIGH ENERGY COSMIC RAY ANALOGS

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

    Rocha, W. R. M.; Pilling, S., E-mail: willrobson88@hotmail.com, E-mail: sergiopilling@yahoo.com.br

    2015-04-10

    We present a study of the effects of high energy cosmic rays (CRs) over the astrophysical ices, observed toward the embedded class I protostar Elias 29, by using computational modeling and laboratory data. Its spectrum was observed with the Infrared Space Observatory (ISO) covering 2.3–190 μm. The modeling employed the three-dimensional Monte Carlo radiative transfer code RADMC-3D and laboratory data of bombarded ice grains by CR analogs and unprocessed ices (not bombarded). We are assuming that Elias 29 has a self-irradiated disk with inclination i = 60.°0, surrounded by an envelope with a bipolar cavity. The results show that absorptionmore » features toward Elias 29 are better reproduced by assuming a combination between unprocessed astrophysical ices at low temperature (H{sub 2}O, CO, CO{sub 2}) and bombarded ices (H{sub 2}O:CO{sub 2}) by high energy CRs. Evidences of the ice processing around Elias 29 can be observed by the good fitting around 5.5–8.0 μm, by polar and apolar ice segregation in 15.15–15.25 μm, and by the presence of the CH{sub 4} and HCOOH ices. Given that non-nitrogen compounds were employed in this work, we assume that absorption around 5.5–8.0 μm should not be associated with the NH{sub 4}{sup +} ion (see the 2003 work of Shutte and Khanna ), but more probably with aliphatic ethers (e.g., R1-OCH{sub 2}-R2), CH{sub 3}CHO, and related species. The results obtained in this paper are important because they show that the environment around protostars is better modeled considering processed samples and, consequently, demonstrate the chemical evolution of the astrophysical ices.« less

  6. Opacity Limit for Supermassive Protostars

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Becerra, Fernando; Marinacci, Federico; Inayoshi, Kohei; Bromm, Volker; Hernquist, Lars E.

    2018-04-01

    We present a model for the evolution of supermassive protostars from their formation at {M}\\star ≃ 0.1 {M}ȯ until their growth to {M}\\star ≃ {10}5 {M}ȯ . To calculate the initial properties of the object in the optically thick regime, we follow two approaches: one based on idealized thermodynamic considerations, and another based on a more detailed one-zone model. Both methods derive a similar value of {n}{{F}}≃ 2× {10}17 {cm}}-3 for the density of the object when opacity becomes important, i.e., the opacity limit. The subsequent evolution of the growing protostar is determined by the accretion of gas onto the object and can be described by a mass–radius relation of the form {R}\\star \\propto {M}\\star 1/3 during the early stages, and of the form {R}\\star \\propto {M}\\star 1/2 when internal luminosity becomes important. For the case of a supermassive protostar, this implies that the radius of the star grows from {R}\\star ≃ 0.65 {au} to {R}\\star ≃ 250 {au} during its evolution. Finally, we use this model to construct a subgrid recipe for accreting sink particles in numerical simulations. A prime ingredient thereof is a physically motivated prescription for the accretion radius and the effective temperature of the growing protostar embedded inside it. From the latter, we can conclude that photoionization feedback can be neglected until very late in the assembly process of the supermassive object.

  7. The First Stars: A Low-Mass Formation Mode

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Stacy, Athena; Bromm, Volker

    2014-01-01

    We perform numerical simulations of the growth of a Population III stellar system under photodissociating feedback. We start from cosmological initial conditions at z = 100, self-consistently following the formation of a minihalo at z = 15 and the subsequent collapse of its central gas to high densities. The simulations resolve scales as small as approx. 1 AU, corresponding to gas densities of 10(exp 16)/cu cm. Using sink particles to represent the growing protostars, we evolve the stellar system for the next 5000 yr. We find that this emerging stellar group accretes at an unusually low rate compared with minihalos which form at earlier times (z = 20-30), or with lower baryonic angular momentum. The stars in this unusual system will likely reach masses ranging from <1Stellar Mass to approx. 5 Stellar Mass by the end of their main-sequence lifetimes, placing them in the mass range for which stars will undergo an asymptotic giant branch (AGB) phase. Based upon the simulation, we predict the rare existence of Population III stars that have survived to the present day and have been enriched by mass overflow from a previous AGB companion.

  8. The magnetic field structure around protostars. Submillimetre polarimetry of VLA 1623 and S 106-IR/FIR.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Holland, W. S.; Greaves, J. S.; Ward-Thompson, D.; Andre, P.

    1996-05-01

    We present 800μm polarization observations of the young low-mass candidate protostar VLA 1623, and of the high-mass young stellar object S 106-IR and its companion candidate protostar S 106-FIR. The polarized emission due to aligned dust grains has been used to derive the magnetic field direction around both sources. In the case of VLA 1623 we find that the field direction is almost exactly perpendicular to the extremely well-collimated CO outflow. This suggests that the large-scale magnetic field in the cloud cannot be responsible for the collimation of the outflow. However, the data may be consistent with a recent magneto-hydrodynamic model where the field follows stream lines through the central plane of a `cored apple' accretion structure. In S 106 our observations indicate a magnetic field along the dust lane connecting the IR/FIR sources, and perpendicular to the bipolar HII region. A model consistent both with these data, and previous Zeeman measurements, is presented, in which the large-scale magnetic field is poloidal, but is either twisted into a toroidal morphology, or highly `pinched-in', in the flattened dust lane. We also present a synopsis of recent submillimetre polarimetry observations of young disk/outflow sources. For high-mass objects, the data are consistent with super-critical collapse models, and there is evidence for varying degrees of field compression. There is also a correlation of net field orientation with source distance, which is explained by the inclusion of varying amounts of ambient cloud material within the telescope beam. For the few low-mass objects for which data is available, the polarization is less affected by ambient material, and there is some evidence that different outflow models may apply in different sources.

  9. The onset of energetic particle irradiation in Class 0 protostars

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Favre, C.; López-Sepulcre, A.; Ceccarelli, C.; Dominik, C.; Caselli, P.; Caux, E.; Fuente, A.; Kama, M.; Le Bourlot, J.; Lefloch, B.; Lis, D.; Montmerle, T.; Padovani, M.; Vastel, C.

    2017-12-01

    Context. The early stages of low-mass star formation are likely to be subject to intense ionization by protostellar energetic MeV particles. As a result, the surrounding gas is enriched in molecular ions, such as HCO+ and N2H+. Nonetheless, this phenomenon remains poorly understood for Class 0 objects. Recently, based on Herschel observations taken as part of the key programme Chemical HErschel Surveys of Star forming regions (CHESS), a very low HCO+/N2H+ abundance ratio of about three to four, has been reported towards the protocluster OMC-2 FIR4. This finding suggests a cosmic-ray ionization rate in excess of 10-14 s-1, much higher than the canonical value of ζ = 3 × 10-17 s-1 (value expected in quiescent dense clouds). Aims: We aim to assess the specificity of OMC-2 FIR4, we have extended this study to a sample of sources in low- and intermediate mass. More specifically, we seek to measure the HCO+/N2H+ abundance ratio from high energy lines (J ≥ 6) towards this source sample in order to infer the flux of energetic particles in the warm and dense gas surrounding the protostars. Methods: We have used observations performed with the Heterodyne Instrument for the Far-Infrared spectrometer on board the Herschel Space Observatory towards a sample of nine protostars. Results: We report HCO+/N2H+ abundance ratios in the range of five up to 73 towards our source sample. The large error bars do not allow us to conclude whether OMC-2 FIR4 is a peculiar source. Nonetheless, an important result is that the measured HCO+/N2H+ ratio does not vary with the source luminosity. At the present time, OMC-2 FIR4 remains the only source where a high flux of energetic particles is clearly evident. More sensitive and higher angular resolution observations are required to further investigate this process. Herschel is an ESA space observatory with science instruments provided by European-led principal investigator consortia and with important participation from NASA.

  10. FORMALDEHYDE AND METHANOL DEUTERATION IN PROTOSTARS: FOSSILS FROM A PAST FAST HIGH-DENSITY PRE-COLLAPSE PHASE

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

    Taquet, V.; Ceccarelli, C.; Kahane, C.

    Extremely high deuteration of several molecules has been observed around low-mass protostars for a decade. Among them, formaldehyde and methanol present particularly high deuteration, with observations of abundant doubly and triply deuterated forms. Both species are thought to be mainly formed on interstellar grains during the low-temperature and dense pre-collapse phase by H and D atom additions on the iced CO. We present here a theoretical study of the formaldehyde and methanol deuteration obtained with our gas-grain model, GRAINOBLE. This model takes into account the multilayer nature of the mantle and explores the robustness of the results against the uncertaintiesmore » of poorly constrained chemical and surface model parameters. The comparison of the model predictions with the observations leads to two major results: (1) the observed high deuteration is obtained during the last phase of the pre-collapse stage, when the density reaches {approx}5 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 6} cm{sup -3}, and this phase is fast, lasting only several thousands years; and (2) D and H abstraction and substitution reactions are crucial in making up the observed deuteration ratios. This work shows the power of chemical composition as a tool to reconstruct the past history of protostars.« less

  11. CARBON CHAINS AND METHANOL TOWARD EMBEDDED PROTOSTARS

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

    Graninger, Dawn M.; Wilkins, Olivia H.; Öberg, Karin I., E-mail: dgraninger@cfa.harvard.edu

    2016-03-10

    Large interstellar organic molecules are potential precursors of prebiotic molecules. Their formation pathways and chemical relationships with one another and simpler molecules are therefore of great interest. In this paper we address the relationships between two classes of large organic molecules, carbon chains and saturated complex organic molecules at the early stages of star formation through observations of C{sub 4}H and CH{sub 3}OH. We surveyed these molecules with the IRAM 30 m telescope toward 16 deeply embedded low-mass protostars selected from the Spitzer c2d ice survey. We find that CH{sub 3}OH and C{sub 4}H are positively correlated, indicating that thesemore » two classes of molecules can coexist during the embedded protostellar stage. The C{sub 4}H/CH{sub 3}OH gas abundance ratio tentatively correlates with the CH{sub 4}/CH{sub 3}OH ice abundance ratio in the same lines of sight. This relationship supports a scenario where carbon chain formation in protostellar envelopes begins with CH{sub 4} ice desorption.« less

  12. Peering to the Heart of Massive Star Birth - II. A Survey of 8 Protostars

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tan, Jonathan

    2012-10-01

    We propose to follow-up our SOFIA FORCAST Basic Science observation of G35.20-0.74 with similar observations of seven other massive protostars, with a total time request of about 5 hours. Our goal is to use mid-infrared (MIR) and far-infrared (FIR) imaging, especially at wavelengths of 31 and 37 microns that are unique to SOFIA, to constrain detailed radiative transfer models of massive star formation. In particular, we show that if massive stars are forming from high mass surface density cores, then the observed MIR and FIR morphologies are strongly influenced by the presence of protostellar outflow cavities. For typical surface densities of ~1 g cm^2, the observed radiation at wavelengths less than about 30 microns escapes preferentially along the near-facing outflow cavity. At longer wavelengths we begin to see emission from the far-facing cavity, and thus the proposed SOFIA FORCAST observations are particularly powerful for constraining the properties of the star-forming core such as the mass surface density in the immediate vicinity of the protostar. Our full analysis will involve comparing these SOFIA FORCAST data with images at other wavelengths, including Spitzer IRAC (3 to 8 microns), ground-based (10 & 20 microns) and Herschel (70 microns), to derive flux profiles and spectral energy distributions as a function of projected distance along the outflow axis. These observations have the potential to: (1) test basic scenarios of massive star formation; (2) begin to provide detailed measurements such as the mass surface density structure of massive star-forming cores and the line-of-sight orientation, opening angle, degree of symmetry and dust content of their outflow cavities. With a sample of eight protostars in total we will begin to be able to search for trends in these properties with core mass surface density and protostellar luminosity.

  13. Characterizing the Protostars in the Herschel Survey of Cygnus-X

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kirk, James; Hora, J. L.; Smith, H. A.; Herschel Cygnus-X Group

    2014-01-01

    The Cygnus-X complex is an extremely active region of massive star formation at a distance of ~1.4 kpc which can be studied with higher sensitivity and less confusion than more distant regions. The study of this region is important in improving our understanding of the formation processes and protostellar phases of massive stars. A previous Spitzer Legacy survey of Cygnus-X mapped the distributions of Class I and Class II YSOs within the region and studied the interaction between massive young stars and clusters of YSOs. Using data from the recent Herschel survey of the region, taken with the PACS and SPIRE instrument (70-500 microns), we are expanding this study of star formation to the youngest and most deeply embedded objects. Using these data we will expand the sample of massive protostars and YSOs in Cygnus-X, analyze the population of infrared dark clouds and their embedded objects, construct Spectral Energy Distributions (SEDs) using pre-existing Spitzer and near-IR data sets (1-500 microns), and fit these sources with models of protostars to derive luminosities and envelope masses. The derived luminosities and masses will enable us to create evolutionary diagrams and test models of high-mass star formation. We will also investigate what role OB associations, such as Cyg OB2, play in causing subsequent star formation in neighboring clouds, providing us with a comprehensive picture of star formation within this extremely active complex.

  14. First detection of ND in the solar-mass protostar IRAS16293-2422

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bacmann, A.; Caux, E.; Hily-Blant, P.; Parise, B.; Pagani, L.; Bottinelli, S.; Maret, S.; Vastel, C.; Ceccarelli, C.; Cernicharo, J.; Henning, T.; Castets, A.; Coutens, A.; Bergin, E. A.; Blake, G. A.; Crimier, N.; Demyk, K.; Dominik, C.; Gerin, M.; Hennebelle, P.; Kahane, C.; Klotz, A.; Melnick, G.; Schilke, P.; Wakelam, V.; Walters, A.; Baudry, A.; Bell, T.; Benedettini, M.; Boogert, A.; Cabrit, S.; Caselli, P.; Codella, C.; Comito, C.; Encrenaz, P.; Falgarone, E.; Fuente, A.; Goldsmith, P. F.; Helmich, F.; Herbst, E.; Jacq, T.; Kama, M.; Langer, W.; Lefloch, B.; Lis, D.; Lord, S.; Lorenzani, A.; Neufeld, D.; Nisini, B.; Pacheco, S.; Pearson, J.; Phillips, T.; Salez, M.; Saraceno, P.; Schuster, K.; Tielens, X.; van der Tak, F. F. S.; van der Wiel, M. H. D.; Viti, S.; Wyrowski, F.; Yorke, H.; Faure, A.; Benz, A.; Coeur-Joly, O.; Cros, A.; Güsten, R.; Ravera, L.

    2010-10-01

    Context. In the past decade, much progress has been made in characterising the processes leading to the enhanced deuterium fractionation observed in the ISM and in particular in the cold, dense parts of star forming regions such as protostellar envelopes. Very high molecular D/H ratios have been found for saturated molecules and ions. However, little is known about the deuterium fractionation in radicals, even though simple radicals often represent an intermediate stage in the formation of more complex, saturated molecules. The imidogen radical NH is such an intermediate species for the ammonia synthesis in the gas phase. Many of these light molecules however have their fundamental transitions in the submillimetre domain and their detection is hampered by the opacity of the atmosphere at these wavelengths. Herschel/HIFI represents a unique opportunity to study the deuteration and formation mechanisms of species not observable from the ground. Aims: We searched here for the deuterated radical ND in order to determine the deuterium fractionation of imidogen and constrain the deuteration mechanism of this species. Methods: We observed the solar-mass Class 0 protostar IRAS16293-2422 with the heterodyne instrument HIFI in Bands 1a (480-560 GHz), 3b (858-961 GHz), and 4a (949-1061 GHz) as part of the Herschel key programme CHESS (Chemical HErschel Survey of Star forming regions). Results: The deuterated form of the imidogen radical ND was detected and securely identified with 2 hyperfine component groups of its fundamental transition (N = 0-1) at 522.1 and 546.2 GHz, in absorption against the continuum background emitted from the nascent protostar. The 3 groups of hyperfine components of its hydrogenated counterpart NH were also detected in absorption. The absorption arises from the cold envelope, where many deuterated species have been shown to be abundant. The estimated column densities are ~2 × 1014 cm-2 for NH and ~ 1.3 × 1014 cm-2 for ND. We derive a very high

  15. Organic Chemistry of Low-Mass Star-Forming Cores. I. 7 mm Spectroscopy of Chamaeleon MMSl

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Cordiner, Martn A.; Charnley, Steven B.; Wirtstroem, Eva S.; Smith, Robert G.

    2012-01-01

    Observations are presented of emission lines from organic molecules at frequencies 32-50 GHz in the vicinity of Chamaeleon MMS1. This chemically rich dense cloud core harbors an extremely young, very low luminosity protostellar object and is a candidate first hydrostatic core. Column densities are derived and emission maps are presented for species including polyynes, cyanopolyynes, sulphuretted carbon chains, and methanol. The polyyne emission peak lies about 5000 AU from the protostar, whereas methanol peaks about 15,000 AU away. Averaged over the telescope beam, the molecular hydrogen number density is calculated to be 10(exp 6) / cubic cm and the gas kinetic temperature is in the range 5-7 K. The abundances of long carbon chains are very large and are indicative of a nonequilibrium carbon chemistry; C6H and HC7N column densities are 5.9(sup +2.9) (sub -1.3) x 10(exp 11) /cubic cm and 3.3 (sup +8.0)(sub -1.5) x 10(exp 12)/sq cm, respectively, which are similar to the values found in the most carbon-chain-rich protostars and prestellar cores known, and are unusually large for star-forming gas. Column density upper limits were obtained for the carbon chain anions C4H(-) and C6H(-), with anion-to-neutral ratios [C4H(-)]/[C4H] < 0.02% and [C6H(-l)]/[C6H] < 10%, consistent with previous observations in interstellar clouds and low-mass protostars. Deuterated HC,3 and c-C3H2 were detected. The [DC3N]/[HC,N] ratio of approximately 4% is consistent with the value typically found in cold interstellar gas.

  16. The effects of magnetic fields and protostellar feedback on low-mass cluster formation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cunningham, Andrew J.; Krumholz, Mark R.; McKee, Christopher F.; Klein, Richard I.

    2018-05-01

    We present a large suite of simulations of the formation of low-mass star clusters. Our simulations include an extensive set of physical processes - magnetohydrodynamics, radiative transfer, and protostellar outflows - and span a wide range of virial parameters and magnetic field strengths. Comparing the outcomes of our simulations to observations, we find that simulations remaining close to virial balance throughout their history produce star formation efficiencies and initial mass function (IMF) peaks that are stable in time and in reasonable agreement with observations. Our results indicate that small-scale dissipation effects near the protostellar surface provide a feedback loop for stabilizing the star formation efficiency. This is true regardless of whether the balance is maintained by input of energy from large-scale forcing or by strong magnetic fields that inhibit collapse. In contrast, simulations that leave virial balance and undergo runaway collapse form stars too efficiently and produce an IMF that becomes increasingly top heavy with time. In all cases, we find that the competition between magnetic flux advection towards the protostar and outward advection due to magnetic interchange instabilities, and the competition between turbulent amplification and reconnection close to newly formed protostars renders the local magnetic field structure insensitive to the strength of the large-scale field, ensuring that radiation is always more important than magnetic support in setting the fragmentation scale and thus the IMF peak mass. The statistics of multiple stellar systems are similarly insensitive to variations in the initial conditions and generally agree with observations within the range of statistical uncertainty.

  17. Driven and decaying turbulence simulations of low–mass star formation: From clumps to cores to protostars

    DOE PAGES

    Offner, Stella S. R.; Klein, Richard I.; McKee, Christopher F.

    2008-10-20

    Molecular clouds are observed to be turbulent, but the origin of this turbulence is not well understood. As a result, there are two different approaches to simulating molecular clouds, one in which the turbulence is allowed to decay after it is initialized, and one in which it is driven. We use the adaptive mesh refinement (AMR) code, Orion, to perform high-resolution simulations of molecular cloud cores and protostars in environments with both driven and decaying turbulence. We include self-gravity, use a barotropic equation of state, and represent regions exceeding the maximum grid resolution with sink particles. We analyze the propertiesmore » of bound cores such as size, shape, line width, and rotational energy, and we find reasonable agreement with observation. At high resolution the different rates of core accretion in the two cases have a significant effect on protostellar system development. Clumps forming in a decaying turbulence environment produce high-multiplicity protostellar systems with Toomre Q unstable disks that exhibit characteristics of the competitive accretion model for star formation. In contrast, cores forming in the context of continuously driven turbulence and virial equilibrium form smaller protostellar systems with fewer low-mass members. Furthermore, our simulations of driven and decaying turbulence show some statistically significant differences, particularly in the production of brown dwarfs and core rotation, but the uncertainties are large enough that we are not able to conclude whether observations favor one or the other.« less

  18. Properties of Protostars in the Elephant Trunk in the Globule IC 1396A

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Reach, William T.; Faied, Dohy; Rho, Jeonghee; Boogert, Adwin; Tappe, Achim; Jarrett, Thomas H.; Morris, Patrick; Cambrésy, Laurent; Palla, Francesco; Valdettaro, Riccardo

    2009-01-01

    Extremely red objects, identified in the early Spitzer Space Telescope observations of the bright-rimmed globule IC 1396A and photometrically classified as Class I protostars and Class II T Tauri stars based on their mid-infrared (mid-IR) colors, were spectroscopically observed at 5.5-38 μm (Spitzer Infrared Spectrograph), at the 22 GHz water maser frequency (National Radio Astronomy Observatory Green Bank Telescope), and in the optical (Palomar Hale 5 m) to confirm their nature and further elucidate their properties. The sources photometrically identified as Class I, including IC 1396A:α, γ, δ, epsilon, and ζ, are confirmed as objects dominated by accretion luminosity from dense envelopes, with accretion rates 1-10 × 10-6 M sun yr-1 and present stellar masses 0.1-2 M sun. The Class I sources have extremely red continua, still rising at 38 μm, with a deep silicate absorption at 9-11 μm, weaker silicate absorption around 18 μm, and weak ice features including CO2 at 15.2 μm and H2O at 6 μm. The ice/silicate absorption ratio in the envelope is exceptionally low for the IC 1396A protostars, compared to those in nearby star-forming regions, suggesting that the envelope chemistry is altered by the radiation field or globule pressure. Only one 22 GHz water maser was detected in IC 1396A; it is coincident with a faint mid-IR source, offset from near the luminous Class I protostar IC 1396A:γ. The maser source, IC 1396A:γ b , has luminosity less than 0.1 L sun, the first H2O maser from such a low-luminosity object. Two near-infrared (NIR) H2 knots on opposite sides of IC 1396A:γ reveal a jet, with an axis clearly distinct from the H2O maser of IC 1396A:γ b . The objects photometrically classified as Class II, including IC 1396A:β, θ, Two Micron All Sky Survey (2MASS)J 21364964+5722270, 2MASSJ 21362507+5727502, LkHα 349c, Tr 37 11-2146, and Tr 37 11-2037, are confirmed as stars with warm, luminous disks, with a silicate emission feature at 9-11 μm, and

  19. Spectral and Structure Modeling of Low and High Mass Young Stars Using a Radiative Trasnfer Code

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Robson Rocha, Will; Pilling, Sergio

    The spectroscopy data from space telescopes (ISO, Spitzer, Herchel) shows that in addition to dust grains (e.g. silicates), there is also the presence of the frozen molecular species (astrophysical ices, such as H _{2}O, CO, CO _{2}, CH _{3}OH) in the circumstellar environments. In this work we present a study of the modeling of low and high mass young stellar objects (YSOs), where we highlight the importance in the use of the astrophysical ices processed by the radiation (UV, cosmic rays) comes from stars in formation process. This is important to characterize the physicochemical evolution of the ices distributed by the protostellar disk and its envelope in some situations. To perform this analysis, we gathered (i) observational data from Infrared Space Observatory (ISO) related with low mass protostar Elias29 and high mass protostar W33A, (ii) absorbance experimental data in the infrared spectral range used to determinate the optical constants of the materials observed around this objects and (iii) a powerful radiative transfer code to simulate the astrophysical environment (RADMC-3D, Dullemond et al, 2012). Briefly, the radiative transfer calculation of the YSOs was done employing the RADMC-3D code. The model outputs were the spectral energy distribution and theoretical images in different wavelengths of the studied objects. The functionality of this code is based on the Monte Carlo methodology in addition to Mie theory for interaction among radiation and matter. The observational data from different space telescopes was used as reference for comparison with the modeled data. The optical constants in the infrared, used as input in the models, were calculated directly from absorbance data obtained in the laboratory of both unprocessed and processed simulated interstellar samples by using NKABS code (Rocha & Pilling 2014). We show from this study that some absorption bands in the infrared, observed in the spectrum of Elias29 and W33A can arises after the ices

  20. X-ray emitting class I protostars in the Serpens dark cloud

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Preibisch, T.

    2004-12-01

    We analyze a set of three individual XMM-Newton X-ray observation of the Serpens dark cloud. In addition to the 45 sources already reported in the analysis of the first of these XMM-Newton observations by Preibisch (\\cite{Preibisch2003), the complete combined data set leads to the detection of X-ray emission from four of the 19 known class I protostars in the region. The set of three observations allows us to study the variability of the sources on timescales from minutes to several months. The lightcurves of two of the four X-ray detected class I protostars show evidence for significant variability; the data suggest at least four flare-like events on these objects. This relatively high level of variability in the X-ray emission from the class I protostars is in qualitative agreement with the result by Imanishi et al. (\\cite{Imanishi2001}), who found that the class I protostars in the ρ Ophiuchi dark cloud show a higher level of variability than that of more evolved class II and class III young stellar objects. This may support non-coronal X-ray emission mechanisms for class I protostars and is in agreement with the predictions of models that assume magnetic interactions between the protostar and its surrounding disk as a source of high-energy emission. We also find a strong variation (by a factor of ˜10) in the X-ray luminosity of the class II object EC 74 between the three observations, which may be explained by a long duration flare or by rotational modulation. Finally, we find no evidence for X-ray emission from the five class 0 protostars in the region.

  1. CO in Protostars (COPS): Herschel-SPIRE Spectroscopy of Embedded Protostars

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yang, Yao-Lun; Green, Joel D.; Evans, Neal J.; COPS Team

    2017-06-01

    Molecular emission from early stage protostars reveals the properties of the surrounding gas and the underlying physical processes that govern the early stage of star formation. The CO in Protostars (COPS) Herschel program observes 27 embedded protostars with SPIRE, including several molecular species, such as CO, 13CO, H2O, and HCO+, allowing us to investigate the processes that regulate the early stage of star formation across a large sample of sources. We detect CO rotational lines from Jup = 4 to 36, 13CO lines from Jup = 5 to 10, and six H2O lines, along with atomic lines, such as [N II] and [C I]. We have created an uniformly calibrated dataset with the data from Dust, Ice, and Gas In Time (DIGIT) Herschel Key Program and archival photometry, in which we characterize each source by its spectral energy distribution and evolutionary class. We detect 323 lines from 25 sources from which we successfully extracted 1D spectra, and 3068 lines from 27 sources observed in all spatial pixels of SPIRE. We analyze the correlations of the line strengths of every line pair from all lines detected in our sample with two methods from ASURV package, Spearman's ρ, which test whether the line strengths relation can be described by a monotonic function, and the Kendall z-value, which quantifies the similarity of the ordering of the line strengths of two lines. We notice that the distribution of correlations shows a systematic tendency coinciding with the wavelength coverages of the instruments, suggesting an instrumental bias. Within each module, the correlations of two CO line pairs show high correlations, which decrease as the difference of the upper J-level of the two CO lines increases. The smooth gradients of the distribution of correlations hint that the temperature and density of CO gas are continuously varying throughout the embedding envelope. If all CO gas in the envelope shares a same temperature or density, the correlations would be strong for two CO lines

  2. Infrared spectra of rotating protostars

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Adams, F. C.; Shu, F. H.

    1986-01-01

    Earlier calculations of the infrared emission expected from stars in the process of being made are corrected to include the most important observable effects of rotation and generalized. An improved version of the spherical model of a previous paper is developed, and the corresponding emergent spectral energy distributions are calculated for the theoretically expected mass infall rate in the cores of cool and quiescent molecular clouds. The dust grain opacity model and the temperature profile parameterization are improved. It is shown that the infrared spectrum of the IRAS source 04264+2426, which is associated with a Herbig-Haro object, can be adequately represented in terms of a rotating and accreting protostar. This strengthens the suggestion that collimated outflows in young stellar objects originate when a stellar wind tries to emerge and reverse the swirling pattern of infall which gave birth to the central star.

  3. Collapse and Fragmentation of Molecular Cloud Cores. VII. Magnetic Fields and Multiple Protostar Formation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Boss, Alan P.

    2002-04-01

    Recent observations of star-forming regions suggest that binary and multiple young stars are the rule rather than the exception and implicate fragmentation as the likely mechanism for their formation. Most numerical hydrodynamic calculations of fragmentation have neglected the possibly deleterious effects of magnetic fields, despite ample evidence for the importance of magnetic support of precollapse clouds. We present here the first numerical hydrodynamic survey of the collapse and fragmentation of initially magnetically supported clouds that takes into account several magnetic field effects in an approximate manner. The models are calculated with a three-dimensional, finite differences code that solves the equations of hydrodynamics, gravitation, and radiative transfer in the Eddington and diffusion approximations. Magnetic field effects are included through two simple approximations: magnetic pressure is added to the gas pressure, and magnetic tension is approximated by gravity dilution once collapse is well underway. Ambipolar diffusion of the magnetic field leading to cloud collapse is treated approximately as well. Models are calculated for a variety of initial cloud density profiles, shapes, and rotation rates. We find that in spite of the inclusion of magnetic field effects, dense cloud cores are capable of fragmenting into binary and multiple protostar systems. Initially prolate clouds tend to fragment into binary protostars, while initially oblate clouds tend to fragment into multiple protostar systems containing a small number (of the order of 4) of fragments. The latter are likely to be subject to rapid orbital evolution, with close encounters possibly leading to the ejection of fragments. Contrary to expectation, magnetic tension effects appear to enhance fragmentation, allowing lower mass fragments to form than would otherwise be possible, because magnetic tension helps to prevent a central density singularity from forming and producing a dominant

  4. Massive 70 μm quiet clumps I: evidence of embedded low/intermediate-mass star formation activity

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Traficante, A.; Fuller, G. A.; Billot, N.; Duarte-Cabral, A.; Merello, M.; Molinari, S.; Peretto, N.; Schisano, E.

    2017-10-01

    Massive clumps, prior to the formation of any visible protostars, are the best candidates to search for the elusive massive starless cores. In this work, we investigate the dust and gas properties of massive clumps selected to be 70 μm quiet, therefore good starless candidates. Our sample of 18 clumps has masses 300 ≲ M ≲ 3000 M⊙, radius 0.54 ≤ R ≤ 1.00 pc, surface densities Σ ≥ 0.05 g cm-2 and luminosity/mass ratio L/M ≤ 0.3. We show that half of these 70 μm quiet clumps embed faint 24 μm sources. Comparison with GLIMPSE counterparts shows that five clumps embed young stars of intermediate stellar mass up to ≃5.5 M⊙. We study the clump dynamics with observations of N2H+ (1-0), HNC (1-0) and HCO+ (1-0) made with the IRAM 30 m telescope. Seven clumps have blue-shifted spectra compatible with infall signatures, for which we estimate a mass accretion rate 0.04≲ \\dot{M}≲ 2.0× 10^{-3} M⊙ yr-1, comparable with values found in high-mass protostellar regions, and free-fall time of the order of tff ≃ 3 × 105 yr. The only appreciable difference we find between objects with and without embedded 24 μm sources is that the infall rate appears to increase from 24 μm dark to 24 μm bright objects. We conclude that all 70 μm quiet objects have similar properties on clump scales, independently of the presence of an embedded protostar. Based on our data, we speculate that the majority, if not all of these clumps, may already embed faint, low-mass protostellar cores. If these clumps are to form massive stars, this must occur after the formation of these lower mass stars.

  5. The VLA Nascent Disk And Multiplicity Survey of Perseus Protostars (VANDAM). III. Extended Radio Emission from Protostars in Perseus

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tychoniec, Łukasz; Tobin, John J.; Karska, Agata; Chandler, Claire; Dunham, Michael M.; Li, Zhi-Yun; Looney, Leslie W.; Segura-Cox, Dominique; Harris, Robert J.; Melis, Carl; Sadavoy, Sarah I.

    2018-01-01

    Centimeter continuum emission from protostars offers insight into the innermost part of the outflows, as shock-ionized gas produces free–free emission. We observed a complete population of Class 0 and I protostars in the Perseus molecular cloud at 4.1 and 6.4 cm with resolution and sensitivity superior to previous surveys. From a total of 71 detections, eight sources exhibit resolved emission at 4.1 cm and/or 6.4 cm. In this paper, we focus on this subsample, analyzing their spectral indices along the jet and their alignment with respect to the large-scale molecular outflow. Spectral indices for fluxes integrated toward the position of the protostar are consistent with free–free thermal emission. The value of the spectral index along a radio jet decreases with distance from the protostar. For six sources, emission is well aligned with the outflow central axis, showing that we observe the ionized base of the jet. This is not the case for two sources, where we note misalignment of the emission with respect to the large-scale outflow. This might indicate that the emission does not originate in the radio jet, but rather in an ionized outflow cavity wall or disk surface. For five of the sources, the spectral indices along the jet decrease well below the thermal free–free limit of ‑0.1 with > 2σ significance. This is indicative of synchrotron emission, meaning that high-energy electrons are being produced in the outflows close to the disk. This result can have far-reaching implications for the chemical composition of the embedded disks.

  6. Magnetic Protostars

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Glagolevskij, Yu. V.

    2015-09-01

    A possible variant of the evolution of magnetic protostars "before the Hayashi phase" is discussed. Arguments are given in support of the following major properties of magnetic stars: (1) global magnetic dipole fields with predominant orientation of the magnetic lines of force in the plane of the equator of revolution; (2) slow rotation; (3) complex, two and three dipole structures of the magnetic field in a large part of the stars; (4) partition of stars into magnetic and normal in a proportion of 1:10 occurs during the period when the protostellar clouds undergo gravitational collapse "before the Hayashi phase."

  7. Fragmentation of protostars dust shells at the Hayashi stage

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Abdulmyanov, T. R.

    2017-09-01

    The aim of this study is to determine the density variations of a protostars dust shells at the Hayashi stage. The simplified model of the density wave perturbations are obtained on the base hydrodynamic equations. According to this model, the fragmentation of dust shells may occur at the stage of slow compression of protostar. Using the solution of the wave equation, the 3-D profiles of the density of the dust shell are defined.

  8. A Deep X-ray Survey of Low-Mass PMS Stars in NGC 2264

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Simon, Theodore

    2005-01-01

    Two X-ray images were obtained with the XMM-Newton spacecraft of more than 300 members of the NGC 2264 Open Cluster and its associated molecular cloud in order to investigate their magnetic activity. The X-ray fluxes extracted from those observations were used to study the dependence of stellar dynamo activity upon age and rotation for the optically revealed T Tauri stars and to place empirical constraints on theoretical models of angular momentum/dynamo evolution. The observations were also used to study the role of magnetic fields in the formation of low mass stars through the observation of very young protostars that are deeply embedded in the molecular cloud located behind the visible open cluster.

  9. The Envelope Kinematics and a Possible Disk around the Class 0 Protostar within BHR7

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tobin, John J.; Bos, Steven P.; Dunham, Michael M.; Bourke, Tyler L.; van der Marel, Nienke

    2018-04-01

    We present a characterization of the protostar embedded within the BHR7 dark cloud, based on both photometric measurements from the near-infrared to millimeter and interferometric continuum and molecular line observations at millimeter wavelengths. We find that this protostar is a Class 0 system, the youngest class of protostars, measuring its bolometric temperature to be 50.5 K, with a bolometric luminosity of 9.3 L ⊙. The near-infrared and Spitzer imaging show a prominent dark lane from dust extinction separating clear bipolar outflow cavities. Observations of 13CO (J=2\\to 1), C18O (J=2\\to 1), and other molecular lines with the Submillimeter Array (SMA) exhibit a clear rotation signature on scales <1300 au. The rotation can be traced to an inner radius of ∼170 au and the rotation curve is consistent with an R ‑1 profile, implying that angular momentum is being conserved. Observations of the 1.3 mm dust continuum with the SMA reveal a resolved continuum source, extended in the direction of the dark lane, orthogonal to the outflow. The deconvolved size of the continuum indicates a radius of ∼100 au for the continuum source at the assumed distance of 400 pc. The visibility amplitude profile of the continuum emission cannot be reproduced by an envelope alone and needs a compact component. Thus, we posit that the resolved continuum source could be tracing a Keplerian disk in this very young system. If we assume that the continuum radius traces a Keplerian disk (R ∼ 120 au) the observed rotation profile is consistent with a protostar mass of 1.0 M ⊙.

  10. VLA Ammonia Observations of IRAS 16253-2429: A Very Young and Low Mass Protostellar System

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Wiseman, Jennifer J.

    2011-01-01

    IRAS l6253-2429. the source of the Wasp-Waist Nebula seen in Spitzer IRAC images, is an isolated very low luminosity ("VeLLO") Class 0 protostar in the nearby rho Ophiuchi cloud. We present VLA ammonia mapping observations of the dense gas envelope feeding the central core accreting system. We find a flattened envelope perpendicular to the outflow axis, and gas cavities that appear to cradle the outflow lobes as though carved out by the flow and associated (apparently precessing) jet. Based on the NH3 (1,1) and (2,2) emission distribution, we derive the mass, velocity fields and temperature distribution for the envelope. We discuss the combined evidence for this source as possibly one of the youngest and lowest mass sources in formation yet known.

  11. Methanol ice in the protostar GL 2136

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Skinner, C. J.; Tielens, A. G. G. M.; Barlow, M. J.; Justtanont, K.

    1992-01-01

    We present ground-based spectra in the 10 and 20 micron atmospheric windows of the deeply embedded protostar GL 2136. These reveal narrow absorption features at 9.7 and 8.9 microns, which we ascribe to the CO-stretch and CH3 rock (respectively) of solid methanol in grain mantles. The peak position of the 9.7 micron band implies that methanol is an important ice mantle component. However, the CH3OH/H2O abundance ratio derived from the observed column densities is only 0.1. This discrepancy suggests that the solid methanol and water ice are located in independent grain components. These independent components may reflect chemical differentiation during grain mantle formation and/or partial outgassing close to the protostar.

  12. Upper stellar mass limit by radiative feedback at low-metallicities: metallicity and accretion rate dependence

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fukushima, Hajime; Omukai, Kazuyuki; Hosokawa, Takashi

    2018-02-01

    We investigate the upper stellar mass limit set by radiative feedback for a forming star with various accretion rates and metallicities. Thus, we numerically solve the structures of both a protostar and its surrounding accretion envelope assuming a spherical symmetric and steady flow. The optical depth of the dust cocoon, a dusty part of the accretion envelope, differs for direct light from the stellar photosphere and diffuse light re-emitted as dust thermal emission. As a result, varying the metallicity qualitatively changes the way that the radiative feedback suppresses the accretion flow. With a fixed accretion rate of 10-3 M⊙ yr-1, both direct and diffuse light jointly operate to prevent mass accretion at Z ≳ 10-1 Z⊙. At Z ≲ 10-1 Z⊙, the diffuse light is no longer effective and the direct light solely limits the mass accretion. At Z ≲ 10-3 Z⊙, formation of the H II region plays an important role in terminating the accretion. The resultant upper mass limit increases with decreasing metallicity, from a few × 10 M⊙ to ∼103 M⊙ over Z = 1 Z⊙-10-4 Z⊙. We also illustrate how the radiation spectrum of massive star-forming cores changes with decreasing metallicity. First, the peak wavelength of the spectrum, which is located around 30 μm at 1 Z⊙, shifts to < 3 μm at Z ≲ 0.1 Z⊙. Secondly, a characteristic feature at 10 μm due to the amorphous silicate band appears as a dip at 1 Z⊙, but changes to a bump at Z ≲ 0.1 Z⊙. Using these spectral signatures, we can search massive accreting protostars in nearby low-metallicity environments with upcoming observations.

  13. Multi-Wavelength Views of Protostars in IC 1396

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    2003-01-01

    [figure removed for brevity, see original site] Click on individual images below for larger view

    [figure removed for brevity, see original site]

    [figure removed for brevity, see original site]

    [figure removed for brevity, see original site]

    NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope has captured a glowing stellar nursery within a dark globule that is opaque at visible light. These new images pierce through the obscuration to reveal the birth of new protostars, or embryonic stars, and young stars never before seen.

    The Elephant's Trunk Nebula is an elongated dark globule within the emission nebula IC 1396 in the constellation of Cepheus. Located at a distance of 2,450 light-years, the globule is a condensation of dense gas that is barely surviving the strong ionizing radiation from a nearby massive star. The globule is being compressed by the surrounding ionized gas.

    The large composite image above is a product of combining data from the observatory's multiband imaging photometer and the infrared array camera. The thermal emission at 24 microns measured by the photometer (red) is combined with near-infrared emission from the camera at 3.6/4.5 microns (blue) and from 5.8/8.0 microns (green). The colors of the diffuse emission and filaments vary, and are a combination of molecular hydrogen (which tends to be green) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (brown) emissions.

    Within the globule, a half dozen newly discovered protostars, or embryonic stars, are easily discernible as the bright red-tinted objects, mostly along the southern rim of the globule. These were previously undetected at visible wavelengths due to obscuration by the thick cloud ('globule body') and by dust surrounding the newly forming stars. The newborn stars form in the dense gas because of compression by the wind and radiation from a nearby massive star (located outside the field of view to the left). The winds from this unseen star are also responsible for producing the

  14. Co in Protostars (cops): Herschel-Spire Spectroscopy of Embedded Protostars

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yang, Yao-Lun; Green, Joel D.; Evans, Neal J., II

    2017-06-01

    Protostars form from cold dense cores dominated by molecular gas and dust, showing excess continuum and rich spectra beyond 100 μm that are best observed by Herschel Space Observatory. Molecular emission reveals the properties of the surrounding gas and the underlying physical processes that govern the early stage of star formation. The CO in Protostars (COPS) Herschel program observes 27 embedded protostars with SPIRE, including several dominant molecular species, such as CO, ^{13}CO, H_{2}O, and HCO^{+}. The COPS dataset covers a unique wavelength range, allowing us to investigate the early stage of star formation across a large sample of sources. We detect CO rotational lines from J_{up} = 4 to 36, ^{13}CO lines from J_{up} = 5 to 10, and six H_{2}O lines, along with [N II] and [C I]. We have created an uniformly calibrated dataset with the data from Dust, Ice, and Gas In Time (DIGIT) Herschel Key Program and archival photometry, in which we characterize each source by its spectral energy distribution and evolutionary class. With an automatic line fitting pipeline, we detect 323 lines from 25 sources from which we successfully extracted 1D spectra, and 3068 lines from 27 sources observed in all spatial pixels of SPIRE. We analyze the correlations of the line strengths of every line pair from all lines detected with two methods from ASURV package, Spearman's ρ, which test whether the line strengths relation can be described by a monotonic function, and the Kendall z-value, which quantifies the similarity of the ordering of the line strengths of two lines. The distribution of correlations shows a systematic tendency coinciding with the wavelength coverages of the instruments, suggesting that the correlations should only be compared within the lines observed by each module. Within each module, the correlations of two CO line pairs show high correlations, which decrease as the difference of the upper J-level of the two CO lines increases. The smooth gradients of

  15. HIGH RESOLUTION H{alpha} IMAGES OF THE BINARY LOW-MASS PROPLYD LV 1 WITH THE MAGELLAN AO SYSTEM

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

    Wu, Y.-L.; Close, L. M.; Males, J. R.

    2013-09-01

    We utilize the new Magellan adaptive optics system (MagAO) to image the binary proplyd LV 1 in the Orion Trapezium at H{alpha}. This is among the first AO results in visible wavelengths. The H{alpha} image clearly shows the ionization fronts, the interproplyd shell, and the cometary tails. Our astrometric measurements find no significant relative motion between components over {approx}18 yr, implying that LV 1 is a low-mass system. We also analyze Large Binocular Telescope AO observations, and find a point source which may be the embedded protostar's photosphere in the continuum. Converting the H magnitudes to mass, we show thatmore » the LV 1 binary may consist of one very-low-mass star with a likely brown dwarf secondary, or even plausibly a double brown dwarf. Finally, the magnetopause of the minor proplyd is estimated to have a radius of 110 AU, consistent with the location of the bow shock seen in H{alpha}.« less

  16. The Mass Evolution of Protostellar Disks and Envelopes in the Perseus Molecular Cloud

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Andersen, Bridget; Stephens, Ian; Dunham, Michael; Pokhrel, Riwaj; Jørgensen, Jes; Frimann, Søren

    2018-01-01

    In the standard picture for low-mass star formation, a dense molecular cloud undergoes gravitational collapse to form a protostellar system consisting of a new central star, a circumstellar disk, and a surrounding envelope of remaining material. The mass distribution of the system evolves as matter accretes from the large-scale envelope through the disk and onto the protostar. While this general picture is supported by simulations and indirect observational measurements, the specific timescales related to disk growth and envelope dissipation remain poorly constrained. We present a rigorous test of a method introduced by Jørgensen et al. (2009) to obtain observational mass measurements of disks and envelopes around embedded protostars from unresolved (resolution of ~1000 AU) observations. Using data from the recent Mass Assembly of Stellar Systems and their Evolution with the SMA (MASSES) survey, we derive disk and envelope mass estimates for 59 protostellar systems in the Perseus molecular cloud. We compare our results to independent disk mass measurements from the VLA Nascent Disk and Multiplicity (VANDAM) survey and find a strong linear correlation. Then, leveraging the size and uniformity of our sample, we find no significant trend in protostellar mass distribution as a function of age, as approximated from bolometric temperatures. These results may indicate that the disk mass of a protostar is set near the onset of the Class 0 protostellar stage and remains roughly constant throughout the Class I protostellar stage.

  17. The ALMA-PILS survey: the sulphur connection between protostars and comets: IRAS 16293-2422 B and 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Drozdovskaya, Maria N.; van Dishoeck, Ewine F.; Jørgensen, Jes K.; Calmonte, Ursina; van der Wiel, Matthijs H. D.; Coutens, Audrey; Calcutt, Hannah; Müller, Holger S. P.; Bjerkeli, Per; Persson, Magnus V.; Wampfler, Susanne F.; Altwegg, Kathrin

    2018-06-01

    The evolutionary past of our Solar system can be pieced together by comparing analogous low-mass protostars with remnants of our Protosolar Nebula - comets. Sulphur-bearing molecules may be unique tracers of the joint evolution of the volatile and refractory components. ALMA Band 7 data from the large unbiased Protostellar Interferometric Line Survey are used to search for S-bearing molecules in the outer disc-like structure, ˜60 au from IRAS 16293-2422 B, and are compared with data on 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko (67P/C-G) stemming from the ROSINA (Rosetta Orbiter Spectrometer for Ion and Neutral Analysis) instrument aboard Rosetta. Species such as SO2, SO, OCS, CS, H2CS, H2S, and CH3SH are detected via at least one of their isotopologues towards IRAS 16293-2422 B. The search reveals a first-time detection of OC33S towards this source and a tentative first-time detection of C36S towards a low-mass protostar. The data show that IRAS 16293-2422 B contains much more OCS than H2S in comparison to 67P/C-G; meanwhile, the SO/SO2 ratio is in close agreement between the two targets. IRAS 16293-2422 B has a CH3SH/H2CS ratio in range of that of our Solar system (differences by a factor of 0.7-5.3). It is suggested that the levels of UV radiation during the initial collapse of the systems may have varied and have potentially been higher for IRAS 16293-2422 B due to its binary nature; thereby, converting more H2S into OCS. It remains to be conclusively tested if this also promotes the formation of S-bearing complex organics. Elevated UV levels of IRAS 16293-2422 B and a warmer birth cloud of our Solar system may jointly explain the variations between the two low-mass systems.

  18. Starless Clumps and the Earliest Phases of High-mass Star Formation in the Milky Way

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Svoboda, Brian

    2018-01-01

    High-mass stars are key to regulating the interstellar medium, star formation activity, and overall evolution of galaxies, but their formation remains an open problem in astrophysics. In order to understand the physical conditions during the earliest phases of high-mass star formation, I report on observational studies of dense starless clump candidates (SCCs) that show no signatures of star formation activity. I identify 2223 SCCs from the 1.1 mm Bolocam Galactic Plane Survey, systematically analyze their physical properties, and show that the starless phase is not represented by a single timescale, but evolves more rapidly with increasing clump mass. To investigate the sub-structure in SCCs at high spatial resolution, I study the 12 most high-mass SCCs within 5 kpc using ALMA. I report previously undetected low-luminosity protostars in 11 out of 12 SCCs, fragmentation equal to the thermal Jeans length of the clump, and no starless cores exceeding 30 solar masses. While uncertainties remain concerning the star formation effeciency in this sample, these observational facts are consistent with models where high-mass stars form from intially low- to intermediate-mass protostars that accrete most of their mass from the surrounding clump.

  19. EVLA Observation of Centimeter Continuum Emission from Protostars in Serpens South

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kern, Nicholas S.; Tobin, John J.; Keown, Jared A.; Gutermuth, Robert A.

    2015-01-01

    Serpens South is a protocluster with an unusually high abundance of Class 0 and I protostars, suggesting it is in a very early phase of star formation and may eventually form a star cluster. Following its discovery in 2008 with the Spitzer space telescope, infrared and millimeter observations and analysis quickly followed, however, Serpens South has yet to be fully explored in the radio. Radio observations at centimeter wavelengths have long been used as a tool to probe the dynamical processes of young protostars that are still heavily shrouded in their protostellar envelopes and thus cannot be seen at longer wavelengths. Radio observations then become an important tool in understanding Serpens South due to its young age. To this end, we have conducted EVLA C band continuum observations of the central region of the Serpens South protostellar cluster in order to map the centimeter continuum emission in a region of high Class 0 / I protostellar surface density. We report the detection of centimeter emission corresponding to protostars identified by Spitzer, and to protostars identified but blended by Herschel. We characterize their centimeter emission, and put them in context with previous Spitzer and Herschel infrared and far-infrared observations, as well as IRAM millimeter observations. Additionally, we make an assessment of the protostars' bolometric luminosity, and compare them to the known protostellar 3.6 cm to 6.0 cm luminosity vs. bolometric luminosity relation. With the EVLA, we present a mid-resolution map of centimeter emission from the central region of Serpens South with the highest sensitivity to date, with a beam size of ~5 arcseconds and rms on the order of 15 microJansky.

  20. Definitive X-Ray Detection of the Class 0 Protostar HOPS 383

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Grosso, Nicolas

    2016-09-01

    We have identified in the Chandra archive a possible pre-outburst X-ray counterpart to the protostar HOPS 383, the first and only Class 0 protostar thus far observed to undergo an accretion outburst. We propose ACIS-I and contemporaneous CT-4m near-IR observations to confirm and to identify the source of this X-ray emission and to measure the presumed increase in X-ray flux during the accretion outburst.

  1. Evidence for Cluster to Cluster Variations in Low-mass Stellar Rotational Evolution

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Coker, Carl T.; Pinsonneault, Marc; Terndrup, Donald M.

    2016-12-01

    The concordance model for angular momentum evolution postulates that star-forming regions and clusters are an evolutionary sequence that can be modeled with assumptions about protostar-disk coupling, angular momentum loss from magnetized winds that saturates in a mass-dependent fashion at high rotation rates, and core-envelope decoupling for solar analogs. We test this approach by combining established data with the large h Per data set from the MONITOR project and new low-mass Pleiades data. We confirm prior results that young low-mass stars can be used to test star-disk coupling and angular momentum loss independent of the treatment of internal angular momentum transport. For slow rotators, we confirm the need for star-disk interactions to evolve the ONC to older systems, using h Per (age 13 Myr) as our natural post-disk case. There is no evidence for extremely long-lived disks as an alternative to core-envelope decoupling. However, our wind models cannot evolve rapid rotators from h Per to older systems consistently, and we find that this result is robust with respect to the choice of angular momentum loss prescription. We outline two possible solutions: either there is cosmic variance in the distribution of stellar rotation rates in different clusters or there are substantially enhanced torques in low-mass rapid rotators. We favor the former explanation and discuss observational tests that could be used to distinguish them. If the distribution of initial conditions depends on environment, models that test parameters by assuming a universal underlying distribution of initial conditions will need to be re-evaluated.

  2. The Class 0 Protostar BHR71: Herschel Observations and Dust Continuum Models

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yang, Yao-Lun; Evans, Neal J., II; Green, Joel D.; Dunham, Michael M.; Jørgensen, Jes K.

    2017-02-01

    We use Herschel spectrophotometry of BHR71, an embedded Class 0 protostar, to provide new constraints on its physical properties. We detect 645 (non-unique) spectral lines among all spatial pixels. At least 61 different spectral lines originate from the central region. A CO rotational diagram analysis shows four excitation temperature components, 43, 197, 397, and 1057 K. Low-J CO lines trace the outflow while the high-J CO lines are centered on the infrared source. The low-excitation emission lines of {{{H}}}2{{O}} trace the large-scale outflow, while the high-excitation emission lines trace a small-scale distribution around the equatorial plane. We model the envelope structure using the dust radiative transfer code, hyperion, incorporating rotational collapse, an outer static envelope, outflow cavity, and disk. The evolution of a rotating collapsing envelope can be constrained by the far-infrared/millimeter spectral energy distribution along with the azimuthally averaged radial intensity profile, and the structure of the outflow cavity plays a critical role at shorter wavelengths. Emission at 20-40 μm requires a cavity with a constant-density inner region and a power-law density outer region. The best-fit model has an envelope mass of 19 {M}⊙ inside a radius of 0.315 pc and a central luminosity of 18.8 {L}⊙ . The time since collapse began is 24,630-44,000 years, most likely around 36,000 years. The corresponding mass infall rate in the envelope (1.2 × 10-5 {M}⊙ {{yr}}-1) is comparable to the stellar mass accretion rate, while the mass-loss rate estimated from the CO outflow is 20% of the stellar mass accretion rate. We find no evidence for episodic accretion.

  3. Early Science Planning of Protoplanetary Disks and Protostars in the Orion Nebula Cluster Using SOFIA/FORCAST

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hoadley, Keri; Adams, J. D.; Herter, T. L.; Gull, G.; Henderson, C.; Schoenwald, J.; Keller, L.; Megeath, T. S.

    2011-01-01

    The Faint Object Camera for the SOFIA Telescope (FORCAST) is a mid-infrared facility instrument for the Stratospheric Observatory For Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA). In late May of this year, FORCAST achieved first light on SOFIA during a Telescope Assembly characterization flight, successfully taking photometry of Jupiter, its moons, and M82 from an altitude of 35,000 ft. Analysis of images of Jupiter and one of its moons, Ganymede, show the in-flight sensitivity to be comparable to that expected from preflight (lab) measurements and models. In preparation for SOFIA Short Science, we constructed Spectral Energy Distributions (SEDs) for known proplyds and protostars (Smith et al. 2005) in the core of the Orion molecular cloud using 2MASS (Skrutskie et al. 2006), IRAC on Spitzer, TReCS on Gemini South (Smith et al. 2005), and 880mm SCUBA data (Mann and Williams 2009). FORCAST will provide important wavelength coverage (20 - 40 microns) which when used in conjunction with previous data will constrain the physical properties of the proplyds and protostars. We fit the observed SEDs with those from radiative transfer models for circumstellar disks and protostars from Robitaille et al (2006, 2007). With these models, we can extrapolate into the 20 - 40 micron region of FORCAST and determine the range of models that FORCAST is capable of detecting. Using the FORCAST sensitivity model and the SEDs of known proplyds, we expect to detect 67% of the proplyds found by other investigations. However, detectability will be greatly influenced by the presence of structures in the diffuse dust emission associated with the HII region complex. Comparing FORCAST observations with the radiative transfer models will help to understand the physical properties of proplyds and protostars, and perhaps illuminate the impact of their environments, such as photoevaporation of disks and effects from crowding.

  4. The VLA Nascent Disk and Multiplicity Survey of Perseus Protostars (VANDAM). II. Multiplicity of Protostars in the Perseus Molecular Cloud

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tobin, John J.; Looney, Leslie W.; Li, Zhi-Yun; Chandler, Claire J.; Dunham, Michael M.; Segura-Cox, Dominique; Sadavoy, Sarah I.; Melis, Carl; Harris, Robert J.; Kratter, Kaitlin; Perez, Laura

    2016-02-01

    We present a multiplicity study of all known protostars (94) in the Perseus molecular cloud from a Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array survey at Ka-band (8 mm and 1 cm) and C-band (4 and 6.6 cm). The observed sample has a bolometric luminosity range between 0.1 L⊙ and ˜33 L⊙, with a median of 0.7 L⊙. This multiplicity study is based on the Ka-band data, having a best resolution of ˜0.″065 (15 au) and separations out to ˜43″ (10,000 au) can be probed. The overall multiplicity fraction (MF) is found to be 0.40 ± 0.06 and the companion star fraction (CSF) is 0.71 ± 0.06. The MF and CSF of the Class 0 protostars are 0.57 ± 0.09 and 1.2 ± 0.2, and the MF and CSF of Class I protostars are both 0.23 ± 0.08. The distribution of companion separations appears bi-modal, with a peak at ˜75 au and another peak at ˜3000 au. Turbulent fragmentation is likely the dominant mechanism on >1000 au scales and disk fragmentation is likely to be the dominant mechanism on <200 au scales. Toward three Class 0 sources we find companions separated by <30 au. These systems have the smallest separations of currently known Class 0 protostellar binary systems. Moreover, these close systems are embedded within larger (50-400 au) structures and may be candidates for ongoing disk fragmentation.

  5. Searching for Correlations with the HCO+ 4-3 Molecular Spectra of Protostars

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Acikgoz, Ogulcan; Basturk, Seda

    The assignment is based on HCO+ J=4-3 spectral line molecular observations of protostars from the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope, which has the 15 m diameter dish and located in Mauna Kea, Hawaii, USA. Data of 20 protostars are taken from the public LOMASS database and analyzed. We looked for correlations between a few observational quantities. We thank Dr Umut Yildiz (NASA/JPL-Caltech) for providing data and his comments and support to our research project.

  6. ALMA Observations of SMM11 Reveal an Extremely Young Protostar in Serpens Main Cluster

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Aso, Yusuke; Ohashi, Nagayoshi; Aikawa, Yuri; Machida, Masahiro N.; Saigo, Kazuya; Saito, Masao; Takakuwa, Shigehisa; Tomida, Kengo; Tomisaka, Kohji; Yen, Hsi-Wei; Williams, Jonathan P.

    2017-11-01

    We report the discovery of an extremely young protostar, SMM11, located in the associated submillimeter condensation in the Serpens Main cluster using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) during its Cycle 3 at 1.3 mm and an angular resolution of ˜ 0\\buildrel{\\prime\\prime}\\over{.} 5˜ 210 {AU}. SMM11 is a Class 0 protostar without any counterpart at 70 μm or shorter wavelengths. The ALMA observations show 1.3 mm continuum emission associated with a collimated 12CO bipolar outflow. Spitzer and Herschel data show that SMM11 is extremely cold ({T}{bol} = 26 K) and faint ({L}{bol} ≲ 0.9 {L}⊙ ). We estimate the inclination angle of the outflow to be ˜ 80^\\circ , almost parallel to the plane of the sky, from simple fitting using a wind-driven-shell model. The continuum visibilities consist of Gaussian and power-law components, suggesting a spherical envelope with a radius of ˜600 au around the protostar. The estimated low C18O abundance, X(C18O) = 1.5-3 × {10}-10, is also consistent with its youth. The high outflow velocity, a few 10 {km} {{{s}}}-1 at a few 1000 au, is much higher than theoretical simulations of first hydrostatic cores, and we suggest that SMM11 is a transitional object right after the second collapse of the first core.

  7. First Magnetic Field Detection on a Class I Protostar

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Johns-Krull, Christopher M.; Greene, Thomas P.; Doppmann, Greg W.; Covey, Kevin R.

    2009-08-01

    Strong stellar magnetic fields are believed to truncate the inner accretion disks around young stars, redirecting the accreting material to the high latitude regions of the stellar surface. In the past few years, observations of strong stellar fields on T Tauri stars with field strengths in general agreement with the predictions of magnetospheric accretion theory have bolstered this picture. Currently, nothing is known about the magnetic field properties of younger, more embedded Class I young stellar objects. It is believed that protostars accrete much of their final mass during the Class I phase, but the physics governing this process remains poorly understood. Here, we use high-resolution near-infrared spectra obtained with NIRSPEC on Keck and with Phoenix on Gemini South to measure the magnetic field properties of the Class I protostar WL 17. We find clear signatures of a strong stellar magnetic field. Analysis of this data suggests a surface average field strength of 2.9 ± 0.43 kG on WL 17. We present our field measurements and discuss how they fit with the general model of magnetospheric accretion in young stars. 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 (United States), the Science and Technology Facilities Council (United Kingdom), the National Research Council (Canada), CONICYT (Chile), the Australian Research Council (Australia), Ministério da Ciência e Tecnologia (Brazil), and SECYT (Argentina). The Phoenix data were obtained under the program: GS-2006A-C-12.

  8. Organic Chemistry of Southern Sources: Microwave Spectroscopy of Cha-MMS1 and IRAS 15194-5115

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Cordiner, Martin; Charnley, Steven

    2011-01-01

    We report new spectra of molecule-rich sources in the southern hemisphere obtained using the 22-meter Mopra telescope. Spectra and maps are presented of organic molecules detected between 30 and 50 GHz in the young Class 0 protostar Chamaeleon MMS-1. The large abundances of polyynes, cyanopolyynes and methanol may be indicative of a warm carbon chemistry in the dense gas surrounding this protostar. Spectra are also presented from a 78-96 GHz scan of the carbon-rich AGB star IRAS 15194-5115, including new detections of HC5N, CCS and C13CH.

  9. VizieR Online Data Catalog: H2O + CH3OH maser survey of Orion protostar

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kang, M.; Lee, J.-E.; Choi, M.; Choi, Y.; Kim, K.-T.; di Francesco, J.; Park, Y.-S.

    2015-04-01

    Out of the protostars listed in the Herschel Orion Protostar Survey (HOPS) catalogue (Fischer et al. 2010A&A...518L.122F; Stutz et al. 2013, J/ApJ/767/36), we selected protostars showing line wings in the CO(J=2->1) line spectra obtained with the Seoul Radio Astronomy Observatory 6m telescope. In the Orion molecular cloud complex 99 protostars were observed using the KVN 21m radio antennas in the single-dish telescope mode during the 2010 Mar-2010 Jun and 2011-2012 observing seasons. The observations were carried out with the KVN Yonsei telescope at Seoul, the KVN Ulsan telescope at Ulsan, and the KVN Tamna telescope at Seogwipo, Korea. The target lines were the H2O(616->523) (22.23508GHz) line and the CH3OH (70->61 A+), (80->71A+), and (6-1->50E) lines at 44.06943, 95.169516, and 132.890800GHz, respectively. (6 data files).

  10. A 2MASS Analysis of the Stability and Star Formation in Southern Bok Globules

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Racca, G. A.; de La Reza, R.

    2006-06-01

    Bok globules are the simplest molecular clouds in which the study of low-mass star formation is not affected by disruptive phenomena that occur in other clouds that are actively forming low- and high-mass stars. The Two Micron All Sky Survey (2MASS) offer a great possibility to survey these clouds in the near-infrared distributed along the Galaxy. In this work we present extinction maps of Southern Bok globules from the catalog of Bourke, Hyland & Robinson (1995) constructed from extincted background stars in the 2MASS JHK_s bands. The radial distribution of column density obtained from these maps are then modeled with different solutions that arise from several models of the gravitational collapse of molecular clouds cores. We adjust these profiles with Bonnor-Ebert spheres, negative-index polytropes and a simple power-law. This work will help constrain the early stages of the process of isolated star formation of low-mass stars.

  11. Two protostar candidates in the bright-rimmed dark cloud LDN 1206

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ressler, Michael E.; Shure, Mark

    1991-01-01

    The discovery of several near IR objects associated with two IRAS point sources in the LDN 1206 region is reported. IRAS 22272 + 6358A is probably a 'protostar' which is seen only in scattered light at near-IR wavelengths because of heavy obscuration by an almost edge-on circumstellar disk. In contrast, IRAS 22272 + 6358B is directly visible at these wavelengths and is perhaps an object which lies between protostars and T-Tauri stars in its evolution. Both direct and polarimetric K-band images of the region are presented, as well as spectral energy distributions constructed from J, H, K, L, L-prime, and M data and published far-IR and mm data.

  12. Submillimeter-wave Observations of Complex Organic Molecules in Southern Massive Star Forming Regions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kamegai, Kazuhisa; Sakai, Takeshi; Sakai, Nami; Hirota, Tomoya; Yamamoto, Satoshi

    2013-03-01

    Submillimeter-wave observations of complex organic molecules toward southern massive star forming regions were carried out with ASTE 10m telescope. Methyl formate (HCOOCH3) and dimethyl ether (CH3OCH3) were detected in some molecular cloud cores with young protostars. Differences in chemical composition among neighboring cores were also found.

  13. Bipolar Molecular Outflows within 1pc of Sgr A*:Evidence for Low-mass Star Formation Activity

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yusef-Zadeh, Farhad; Wardle, Mark; Kunneriath, Devaky; Royster, Marc; Wootten, Al; Roberts, Douglas

    2018-01-01

    The 4 million solar mass black hole, Sgr A*, is expected to suppress star formation because the measured density of the cloud is insufficient for self-gravity to overcome tidal disruption by the black hole's gravitational field. Nevertheless, objects resembling dust-enshrouded young stars and photo-evaporative flows from their disks have been identified within 2pc of Sgr A*. Clear identification of the nature of these objects has been hampered by the Galactic center's distance, 30 magnitudes of foreground extinction, and stellar crowding. Here, we report the discovery of 11 bipolar molecular outflows using ALMA within a projected distance of one pc from Sgr A*. These unambiguous signatures of young protostars manifest as approaching and receding lobes of dense gas swept up by the jets created during the formation and early evolution of low-mass stars. The mean dynamical age of the outflow sources and the rate of star formation are estimated to be ~6500 years and ~5x10^{-4} solar mass per year, respectively. These measurements suggest that star formation could take place in the immediate vicinity of supermassive black holes in the nuclei of external galaxies.

  14. A grid of one-dimensional low-mass star formation collapse models

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Vaytet, N.; Haugbølle, T.

    2017-02-01

    Context. Numerical simulations of star formation are becoming ever more sophisticated, incorporating new physical processes in increasingly realistic set-ups. These models are being compared to the latest observations through state-of-the-art synthetic renderings that trace the different chemical species present in the protostellar systems. The chemical evolution of the interstellar and protostellar matter is very topical, with more and more chemical databases and reaction solvers available online to the community. Aims: The current study was developed to provide a database of relatively simple numerical simulations of protostellar collapse as a template library for observations of cores and very young protostars, and for researchers who wish to test their chemical modelling under dynamic astrophysical conditions. It was also designed to identify statistical trends that may appear when running many models of the formation of low-mass stars by varying the initial conditions. Methods: A large set of 143 calculations of the gravitational collapse of an isolated sphere of gas with uniform temperature and a Bonnor-Ebert-like density profile was undertaken using a 1D fully implicit Lagrangian radiation hydrodynamics code. The parameter space covered initial masses from 0.2 to 8 M⊙, temperatures of 5-30 K, and radii 3000 ≤ R0 ≤ 30 000 AU. Results: A spread due to differing initial conditions and optical depths, was found in the thermal evolutionary tracks of the runs. Within less than an order of magnitude, all first and second Larson cores had masses and radii essentially independent of the initial conditions. Radial profiles of the gas density, velocity, and temperature were found to vary much more outside of the first core than inside. The time elapsed between the formation of the first and second cores was found to strongly depend on the first core mass accretion rate, and no first core in our grid of models lived for longer than 2000 years before the onset of

  15. Probing the CO and methanol snow lines in young protostars. Results from the CALYPSO IRAM-PdBI survey

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Anderl, S.; Maret, S.; Cabrit, S.; Belloche, A.; Maury, A. J.; André, Ph.; Codella, C.; Bacmann, A.; Bontemps, S.; Podio, L.; Gueth, F.; Bergin, E.

    2016-06-01

    Context. So-called snow lines, indicating regions where abundant volatiles freeze out onto the surface of dust grains, play an important role for planet growth and bulk composition in protoplanetary disks. They can already be observed in the envelopes of the much younger, low-mass Class 0 protostars, which are still in their early phase of heavy accretion. Aims: We aim to use the information on the sublimation regions of different kinds of ices to understand the chemistry of the envelope, its temperature and density structure, and the history of the accretion process. This information is crucial to get the full picture of the early protostellar collapse and the subsequent evolution of young protostars. Methods: As part of the CALYPSO IRAM Large Program, we have obtained observations of C18O, N2H+, and CH3OH towards nearby Class 0 protostars with the IRAM Plateau de Bure interferometer at sub-arcsecond resolution. For four of these sources, we have modeled the emission using a chemical code coupled with a radiative transfer module. Results: We observe an anti-correlation of C18O and N2H+ in NGC 1333-IRAS4A, NGC 1333-IRAS4B, L1157, and L1448C, with N2H+ forming a ring (perturbed by the outflow) around the centrally peaked C18O emission. This emission morphology, which is due to N2H+ being chemically destroyed by CO, reveals the CO and N2 ice sublimation regions in these protostellar envelopes with unprecedented resolution. We also observe compact methanol emission towards three of the sources. Based on our chemical model and assuming temperature and density profiles from the literature, we find that for all four sources the CO snow line appears further inwards than expected from the binding energy of pure CO ices (~855 K). The emission regions of models and observations match for a higher value of the CO binding energy of 1200 K, corresponding to a dust temperature of ~24 K at the CO snow line. The binding energy for N2 ices is modeled at 1000 K, also higher than for

  16. X-ray Detection of the Protostar IRAS 16562-3959

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Glenhaber, Tobit; Seguin, Alexander; Drake, Jeremy; Fruscione, Antonella

    2018-01-01

    We report the X-ray detection of the massive protostar IRAS 16562-3959 as well as one of its outer radio lobes (Guzman et al. 2010, ApJ,725,734) using two observations obtained by the Chandra X-ray Observatory ACIS-I detector on 2015-06-30 (38.58ks exposure) and 2015-07-03 (40.07 ks exposure).

  17. High-resolution Observations of the Massive Protostar in IRAS 18566+0408

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hofner, P.; Cesaroni, R.; Kurtz, S.; Rosero, V.; Anderson, C.; Furuya, R. S.; Araya, E. D.; Molinari, S.

    2017-07-01

    We report 3 mm continuum, CH3CN(5-4) and 13CS(2-1) line observations with CARMA (Combined Array for Research in Millimeter-wave Astronomy), in conjunction with 6 and 1.3 cm continuum VLA data, and 12 and 25 μm broadband data from the Subaru Telescope toward the massive proto-star IRAS 18566+0408. The VLA data resolve the ionized jet into four components aligned in the E-W direction. Radio components A, C, and D have flat centimeter SEDs indicative of optically thin emission from ionized gas, and component B has a spectral index α = 1.0, and a decreasing size with frequency \\propto {ν }-0.5. Emission from the CARMA 3 mm continuum and from the 13CS(2-1) and CH3CN(5-4) spectral lines is compact (I.e., < 6700 {au}) and peaks near the position of the VLA centimeter source, component B. Analysis of these lines indicates hot and dense molecular gas, which is typical for HMCs. Our Subaru telescope observations detect a single compact source, coincident with radio component B, demonstrating that most of the energy in IRAS 18566+0408 originates from a region of size < 2400 {au}. We also present UKIRT near-infrared archival data for IRAS 18566+0408, which show extended K-band emission along the jet direction. We detect an E-W velocity shift of about 10 km s-1 over the HMC in the CH3CN lines possibly tracing the interface of the ionized jet with the surrounding core gas. Our data demonstrate the presence of an ionized jet at the base of the molecular outflow and support the hypothesis that massive protostars with O-type luminosity form with a mechanism similar to lower mass stars.

  18. New results on Class I methanol masers in nearby low-mass star formation regions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kalenskii, S. V.; Kurtz, S.; Hofner, P.

    We present the review of the properties of Class I methanol masers detected in low-mass star forming regions (LMSFRs). These masers, called further LMMIs, are associated with postshock gas in the lobes of chemically active outflows in LMSFRs NGC1333,NGC2023, HH25, and L1157. Flux densities of these masers are no higher than 18 Jy at 44 GHz and are lower in the other Class I lines, being much lower than those of strong Class I masers in the regions of high-mass star formation. However, LMMI luminosities at 44 GHz match the relation "maser luminosity-protostar luminosity" established for high- and intermediate-mass protostars. No variability of LMMIs has been found in 2004-2011. Radial velocities of most LMMIs are close to the systemic velocities of associated regions. The only known exception is the maser detected at 36 GHz toward the blue lobe of the extra-high-velocity outflow in NGC2023, whose radial velocity is 3.5 km s-1 lower than the systemic velocity. Four masers, NGC1333I2A, NGC1333I4A, HH25MMS, and L1157 have been observed at 44 GHz with the VLA in the D configuration with an angular resolution of about 1:500. All of them except NGC1333I2A have been later reobserved with the EVLA in the B configuration, which provides an angular resolution of about 0:200 at this frequency. The maser images consist of compact spots, unresolved or barely resolved even with the B configuration. The brightness temperatures of the strongest spots are hundreds of thousands Kelvins. Many spots consist of two spatial components and demonstrate double spectral lines. An interesting result is the detection of unresolved spots demonstrating broad(˜3-5 km s-1) spectral lines. Their fluxes correspond to brightness temperatures ˜1000 K. Thus, in spite of large linewidths, these objects could be weak masers. Probably, the broad lines, detected in some sources at 44 GHz and in other Class I lines as a result of single-dish observations, are also masers. We believe that turbulence plays

  19. Modeling Protostar Envelopes and Disks Seen With ALMA: A Focus on L1527 Kinematics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Terebey, Susan; Flores Rivera, Lizxandra; Willacy, Karen

    2018-06-01

    ALMA probes continuum and spectral line emission from protostars that comes from both the envelope and circumstellar disk. The dust and gas emit on a variety of spatial scales, ranging from sub-arcseconds for disks to roughly 10 arcseconds for envelopes for nearby protostars. We present models of what ALMA should detect that incorporate a self-consistent collapse solution, radiative transfer, and realistic dust properties. Molecular abundances are also calculated; we present results for CO and isotopologues for the Class 0 source L1527. Results for the outer disk show that there can be significant differences from standard assumptions due to the effect of CO freeze out and non-Keplerian dynamics.

  20. Rotation-Infall Motion around the Protostar IRAS 16293-2422 Traced by Water Maser Emission

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Imai, Hiroshi; Iwata, Takahiro; Miyoshi, Makoto

    1999-08-01

    We made VLBI observations of the water maser emission associated with a protostar, IRAS 16293-2422, using the Kashima-Nobeyama Interferometer (KNIFE) and the Japanese domestic VLBI network (J-Net).\\footnote[2]. These distributions of water maser features showed the blue-shifted and red-shifted components separated in the north-south direction among three epochs spanning three years. The direction of the separation was perpendicular to the molecular outflow and parallel to the elongation of the molecular disk. These steady distributions were successfully modeled by a rotating-infalling disk with an outer radius of 100 AU around a central object with a mass of 0.3 MO . The local specific angular momentum of the disk was calculated to be 0.2-1.0times 10-3 km s-1 pc at a radius of 20-100 AU. This value is roughly equal to that of the disk of IRAS 00338+6312 in L1287 and those of the molecular disks around the protostars in the Taurus molecular cloud. The relatively large disk radius of about 100 AU traced by water maser emission suggests that impinging clumps onto the disk should be hotter than 200 K to excite the water maser emission. Mizusawa, Nobeyama, and Kagoshima stations are operated by staff members of National Astronomical Observatory of the Ministry of Education, Science, Sports and Culture. Kashima station is operated by staff members of Communications Research Laboratory of the Ministry of Posts and Telecomunications. The recent status of J-Net is seen in the WWW home page: http://www.nro.nao.ac.jp/\\ \\ miyaji/Jnet.

  1. Star Formation Under the Outflow: The Discovery of a Non-thermal Jet from OMC-2 FIR 3 and Its Relationship to the Deeply Embedded FIR 4 Protostar

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

    Osorio, Mayra; Díaz-Rodríguez, Ana K.; Anglada, Guillem

    We carried out multiwavelength (0.7–5 cm), multi-epoch (1994–2015) Very Large Array (VLA) observations toward the region enclosing the bright far-IR sources FIR 3 (HOPS 370) and FIR 4 (HOPS 108) in OMC-2. We report the detection of 10 radio sources, 7 of them identified as young stellar objects. We image a well-collimated radio jet with a thermal free–free core (VLA 11) associated with the Class I intermediate-mass protostar HOPS 370. The jet features several knots (VLA 12N, 12C, 12S) of non-thermal radio emission (likely synchrotron from shock-accelerated relativistic electrons) at distances of ∼7500–12,500 au from the protostar, in a regionmore » where other shock tracers have been previously identified. These knots are moving away from the HOPS 370 protostar at ∼100 km s{sup −1}. The Class 0 protostar HOPS 108, which itself is detected as an independent, kinematically decoupled radio source, falls in the path of these non-thermal radio knots. These results favor the previously proposed scenario in which the formation of HOPS 108 is triggered by the impact of the HOPS 370 outflow with a dense clump. However, HOPS 108 has a large proper motion velocity of ∼30 km s{sup −1}, similar to that of other runaway stars in Orion, whose origin would be puzzling within this scenario. Alternatively, an apparent proper motion could result because of changes in the position of the centroid of the source due to blending with nearby extended emission, variations in the source shape, and/or opacity effects.« less

  2. The protostar OMC-2 FIR 4: Results from the CHESS Herschel/HIFI spectral survey

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kama, Mihkel; Lopez-Sepulcre, Ana; Ceccarelli, Cecilia; Dominik, Carsten; Caux, Emmanuel; Fuente, Asuncion

    2013-07-01

    The intermediate-mass protostar OMC-2 FIR 4 in Orion is the focus of several ongoing studies, including a CHESS key programme Herschel/HIFI spectral survey. In this poster, we review recent CHESS results on this source, including the properties of the central hot core, the presence of a compact outflow, the spatial variation of the chemical composition, and the discovery of a tenuous foreground cloud. The HIFI spectrum of FIR 4 contains 719 lines from 40 species and isotopologs. Cooling by lines detectable with our sensitivity contributes 2% of the total in the 480 to 1900 GHz range. The total line flux is dominated by CO, followed by H2O and CH3OH. Initial comparisons with spectral surveys of other sources will also be presented.

  3. Discovery of the Rotating Molecular Outflow and Disk in the CLASS-0/I Protostar [BHB2007]#11 in Pipe

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chihomi, Hara; Ryohei, Kawabe; Yoshito, Shimajiri; Junko, Ueda; Takashi, Tsukagoshi; Yasutaka, Kurono; Kazuya, Saigo; Fumitaka, Nakamura; Masao, Saito; Wilner, David

    2013-07-01

    The loss of angular momentum is inevitable in star formation processes, and the transportation of angular momentum by a molecular flow is widely thought to be one of the important processes. We present the results of our 2'h resolution Submillimeter Array (SMA) observations in CO, 13CO, and C18O(2-1) emissions toward a low-mass Class-0/I protostar, [BHB2007]#11 (hereafter B59#11) at the nearby star forming region, Barnard 59 in the Pipe Nebula (d=130 pc). B59#11 ejects a molecular outflow whose axis lies almost on the plane of the sky, and one of the best targets to investigate the envelope/disk rotation and the velocity structure of the molecular outflow. The 13CO and C18O observations have revealed that a compact (r ˜ 800 AU) and elongated structure of dense gas is associated with B59#11, which orients perpendicular to the outflow axis. Their distributions show the velocity gradients along their major axes, which are considered to arise from the envelope/disk rotation. The specific angular momentum is estimated to be (1.6+/-0.6)e-3 km/s pc. The power-law index of the radial profile of the rotation velocity changes from steeper one, i.e., ˜ -1 to -1/2 at a radius of 140 AU, suggesting the Keplerian disk is formed inside the radius. The central stellar mass is estimated to be ˜1.3 Msun. A collimated molecular outflow is detected from the CO observations. We found in the outflow a velocity gradient which direction is the same as that seen in the dense gas. This is interpreted to be due to the outflow rotation. The specific angular momentum of the outflow is comparable to that of the envelope, suggesting that this outflow play an important role to the ejection of the angular momentum from the envelope/disk system. This is the first case where both the Keplerian disk and the rotation of the molecular outflow were found in the Class-0 or I protostar, and provides one of good targets for ALMA to address the angular momentum ejection in course of star formation.

  4. EPISODIC ACCRETION AT EARLY STAGES OF EVOLUTION OF LOW-MASS STARS AND BROWN DWARFS: A SOLUTION FOR THE OBSERVED LUMINOSITY SPREAD IN H-R DIAGRAMS?

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

    Baraffe, I.; Chabrier, G.; Gallardo, J.

    2009-09-01

    We present evolutionary models for young low-mass stars and brown dwarfs taking into account episodic phases of accretion at early stages of the evolution, a scenario supported by recent large surveys of embedded protostars. An evolution including short episodes of vigorous accretion followed by longer quiescent phases can explain the observed luminosity spread in H-R diagrams of star-forming regions at ages of a few Myr, for objects ranging from a few Jupiter masses to a few tenths of a solar mass. The gravitational contraction of these accreting objects strongly departs from the standard Hayashi track at constant T{sub eff}. Themore » best agreement with the observed luminosity scatter is obtained if most of the accretion shock energy is radiated away. The obtained luminosity spread at 1 Myr in the H-R diagram is equivalent to what can be misinterpreted as an {approx}10 Myr age spread for non-accreting objects. We also predict a significant spread in radius at a given T{sub eff}, as suggested by recent observations. These calculations bear important consequences for our understanding of star formation and early stages of evolution and on the determination of the initial mass function for young ({<=} a few Myr) clusters. Our results also show that the concept of a stellar birthline for low-mass objects has no valid support.« less

  5. ALMA Detection of Bipolar Outflows: Evidence for Low-mass Star Formation within 1 pc of Sgr A*

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yusef-Zadeh, F.; Wardle, M.; Kunneriath, D.; Royster, M.; Wootten, A.; Roberts, D. A.

    2017-12-01

    We report the discovery of 11 bipolar outflows within a projected distance of 1 pc from Sgr A* based on deep ALMA observations of 13CO, H30α, and SiO (5-4) lines with subarcsecond and ˜1.3 km s-1 resolutions. These unambiguous signatures of young protostars manifest as approaching and receding lobes of dense gas swept up by the jets created during the formation and early evolution of stars. The lobe masses and momentum transfer rates are consistent with young protostellar outflows found throughout the disk of the Galaxy. The mean dynamical age of the outflow population is estimated to be {6.5}-3.6+8.1× {10}3 years. The rate of star formation is ˜5 × 10-4 {M}⊙ yr-1 assuming a mean stellar mass of ˜0.3 {M}⊙ . This discovery provides evidence that star formation is taking place within clouds surprisingly close to Sgr A*, perhaps due to events that compress the host cloud, creating condensations with sufficient self-gravity to resist tidal disruption by Sgr A*. Low-mass star formation over the past few billion years at this level would contribute significantly to the stellar mass budget in the central few parsecs of the Galaxy. The presence of many dense clumps of molecular material within 1 pc of Sgr A* suggests that star formation could take place in the immediate vicinity of supermassive black holes in the nuclei of external galaxies.

  6. Water in star-forming regions with Herschel (WISH). VI. Constraints on UV and X-ray irradiation from a survey of hydrides in low- to high-mass young stellar objects

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Benz, A. O.; Bruderer, S.; van Dishoeck, E. F.; Melchior, M.; Wampfler, S. F.; van der Tak, F.; Goicoechea, J. R.; Indriolo, N.; Kristensen, L. E.; Lis, D. C.; Mottram, J. C.; Bergin, E. A.; Caselli, P.; Herpin, F.; Hogerheijde, M. R.; Johnstone, D.; Liseau, R.; Nisini, B.; Tafalla, M.; Visser, R.; Wyrowski, F.

    2016-05-01

    objects, the UV flux is 20-200 times the ISRF derived from absorption lines, and 300-600 ISRF using emission lines. Upper limits for the X-ray luminosity can be derived from H3O+ observations for some low-mass objects. Conclusions: If the FUV flux required for low-mass objects originates at the central protostar, a substantial FUV luminosity, up to 1.5 L⊙, is required. There is no molecular evidence for X-ray induced chemistry in the low-mass objects on the observed scales of a few 1000 AU. For high-mass regions, the FUV flux required to produce the observed molecular ratios is smaller than the unattenuated flux expected from the central object(s) at the Herschel beam radius. This is consistent with an FUV flux reduced by circumstellar extinction or by bloating of the protostar. Herschel is an ESA space observatory with science instruments provided by a European-led Principal Investigator consortia and with important participation from NASA.

  7. Star Formation near Berkeley 59: Embedded Protostars

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rosvick, J. M.; Majaess, D.

    2013-12-01

    A group of suspected protostars in a dark cloud northwest of the young (~2 Myr) cluster Berkeley 59 and two sources in a pillar south of the cluster have been studied in order to determine their evolutionary stages and ascertain whether their formation was triggered by Berkeley 59. Narrowband near-infrared observations from the Observatoire du Mont Mégantic, 12CO (J = 3-2) and SCUBA-2 (450 and 850 μm) observations from the JCMT, 2MASS, and WISE images, and data extracted from the IPHAS survey catalog were used. Of 12 sources studied, two are Class I objects, while three others are flat/Class II, one of which is a T Tauri candidate. A weak CO outflow and two potential starless cores are present in the cloud, while the pillar possesses substructure at different velocities, with no outflows present. The CO spectra of both regions show peaks in the range v LSR = -15 to -17 km s-1, which agrees with the velocity adopted for Berkeley 59 (-15.7 km s-1), while spectral energy distribution models yield an average interstellar extinction AV and distance of 15 ± 2 mag and 830 ± 120 pc, respectively, for the cloud, and 6.9 mag and 912 pc for the pillar, indicating that the regions are in the same vicinity as Berkeley 59. The formation of the pillar source appears to have been triggered by Berkeley 59. It is unclear whether Berkeley 59 triggered the association's formation.

  8. Very low-mass stars and brown dwarfs from 2MASS and DENIS.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chester, T.

    2MASS (Two Micron All Sky Survey) and DENIS (DEep Near-Infrared survey of the Southern sky) will provide a sample of very low mass stars that is complete to a distance of 50 pc, even for the latest M star currently known. This compares with the current completeness out to 5 - 10 pc. This sample will contain 1,000 to 10,000 times more M stars than currently cataloged. This catalog will be free from proper motion selection effects and will not be limited by the completeness of optical magnitude studies. Evidence from several square degrees of proto-camera data processed and examined to date, shows that roughly 1 source is found in every square degree that has no counterpart on a POSS I plate. The first of these sources was found to be a binary system with component stars of roughly equal brightness having an M6 - M7 combined spectrum. The author discusses the effectiveness of these surveys for detecting brown dwarfs.

  9. High-mass Star Formation through Filamentary Collapse and Clump-fed Accretion in G22

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yuan, Jinghua; Li, Jin-Zeng; Wu, Yuefang; Ellingsen, Simon P.; Henkel, Christian; Wang, Ke; Liu, Tie; Liu, Hong-Li; Zavagno, Annie; Ren, Zhiyuan; Huang, Ya-Fang

    2018-01-01

    How mass is accumulated from cloud-scale down to individual stars is a key open question in understanding high-mass star formation. Here, we present the mass accumulation process in a hub-filament cloud G22 that is composed of four supercritical filaments. Velocity gradients detected along three filaments indicate that they are collapsing with a total mass infall rate of about 440 M ⊙ Myr‑1, suggesting the hub mass would be doubled in six free-fall times, adding up to ∼2 Myr. A fraction of the masses in the central clumps C1 and C2 can be accounted for through large-scale filamentary collapse. Ubiquitous blue profiles in HCO+ (3–2) and 13CO (3–2) spectra suggest a clump-scale collapse scenario in the most massive and densest clump C1. The estimated infall velocity and mass infall rate are 0.31 km s‑1 and 7.2 × 10‑4 M ⊙ yr‑1, respectively. In clump C1, a hot molecular core (SMA1) is revealed by the Submillimeter Array observations and an outflow-driving high-mass protostar is located at the center of SMA1. The mass of the protostar is estimated to be 11–15 M ⊙ and it is still growing with an accretion rate of 7 × 10‑5 M ⊙ yr‑1. The coexistent infall in filaments, clump C1, and the central hot core in G22 suggests that pre-assembled mass reservoirs (i.e., high-mass starless cores) may not be required to form high-mass stars. In the course of high-mass star formation, the central protostar, the core, and the clump can simultaneously grow in mass via core-fed/disk accretion, clump-fed accretion, and filamentary/cloud collapse.

  10. THE FORMATION AND EVOLUTION OF YOUNG LOW-MASS STARS WITHIN HALOS WITH HIGH CONCENTRATION OF DARK MATTER PARTICLES

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

    Casanellas, Jordi; Lopes, IlIDio, E-mail: jordicasanellas@ist.utl.p, E-mail: ilidio.lopes@ist.utl.p

    2009-11-01

    The formation and evolution of low-mass stars within dense halos of dark matter (DM) leads to evolution scenarios quite different from the classical stellar evolution. As a result of our detailed numerical work, we describe these new scenarios for a range of DM densities on the host halo, for a range of scattering cross sections of the DM particles considered, and for stellar masses from 0.7 to 3 M {sub sun}. For the first time, we also computed the evolution of young low-mass stars in their Hayashi track in the pre-main-sequence phase and found that, for high DM densities, thesemore » stars stop their gravitational collapse before reaching the main sequence, in agreement with similar studies on first stars. Such stars remain indefinitely in an equilibrium state with lower effective temperatures (|DELTAT{sub eff}|>10{sup 3} K for a star of one solar mass), the annihilation of captured DM particles in their core being the only source of energy. In the case of lower DM densities, these protostars continue their collapse and progress through the main-sequence burning hydrogen at a lower rate. A star of 1 M{sub sun} will spend a time period greater than the current age of the universe consuming all the hydrogen in its core if it evolves in a halo with DM density rho{sub c}hi = 10{sup 9} GeV cm{sup -3}. We also show the strong dependence of the effective temperature and luminosity of these stars on the characteristics of the DM particles and how this can be used as an alternative method for DM research.« less

  11. Multiple Gaps in the Disk of the Class I Protostar GY 91

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sheehan, Patrick D.; Eisner, Josh A.

    2018-04-01

    We present the highest spatial resolution Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) observations to date of the Class I protostar GY 91 in the ρ Ophiuchus L1688 molecular cloud complex. Our 870 μm and 3 mm dust continuum maps show that the GY 91 disk has a radius of ∼80 au, and an inclination of ∼40°, but most interestingly that the disk has three dark lanes located at 10, 40, and 70 au. We model these features assuming they are gaps in the disk surface density profile and find that their widths are 7, 30, and 10 au. These gaps bear a striking resemblance to the gaps seen in the HL Tau disk, suggesting that there may be Saturn-mass planets hiding in the disk. To constrain the relative ages of GY 91 and HL Tau, we also model the disk and envelope of HL Tau and find that they are of similar ages, although GY 91 may be younger. Although snow lines and magnetic dead zones can also produce dark lanes, if planets are indeed carving these gaps then Saturn-mass planets must form within the first ∼0.5 Myr of the lifetime of protoplanetary disks.

  12. The molecular inventory around protostars: water, organic molecules, and the missing oxygen problem

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Neufeld, David A.

    2018-06-01

    Massive star formation is accompanied by significant chemical evolution in the surrounding interstellar gas. Here, grains are heated up and icy mantles evaporate, releasing a rich inventory of water and organic molecules into the gas-phase within “hot core” regions surrounding massive protostars. Because molecules on the grain surface present broad infrared features without rotational structure, only the most abundant molecules can be identified unambiguously in the solid phase; once released into the gas-phase, however, where they are free to rotate, the constituents of grain mantles can be identified easily by means of rotational spectroscopy at millimeter and submillimeter wavelengths or through rovibrational spectroscopy in the mid-infrared. While observations of pure-rotational emission lines provide a broad view of hot core chemistry, absorption line spectroscopy of rovibrational transitions can probe the very hottest material closest to the protostar. With access to the mid-infrared spectral region from above 99% of Earth’s water vapor, SOFIA provides a unique platform for high-resolution rovibrational spectroscopy of water and organic molecules, many of which have vibrational transitions in the 5 – 8 micron spectral region that is unobservable from the ground. High spectral resolution is essential for disentangling the rotational structure and providing reliable measurements of the molecular column densities and temperatures. Future SOFIA observations will help elucidate the inventory of water and organic molecules around young protostars, and can address a puzzle related to the “oxygen budget” in the interstellar medium: surprisingly, the main interstellar reservoirs of the third-most abundant element in the Universe have yet to be identified.

  13. ORPHANED PROTOSTARS

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

    Reipurth, Bo; Connelley, Michael; Mikkola, Seppo

    2010-12-10

    We explore the origin of a population of distant companions ({approx}1000-5000 AU) to Class I protostellar sources recently found by Connelley and coworkers, who noted that the companion fraction diminished as the sources evolved. Here, we present N-body simulations of unstable triple systems embedded in dense cloud cores. Many companions are ejected into unbound orbits and quickly escape, but others are ejected with insufficient momentum to climb out of the potential well of the cloud core and associated binary. These loosely bound companions reach distances of many thousands of AU before falling back and eventually being ejected into escapes asmore » the cloud cores gradually disappear. We use the term orphans to denote protostellar objects that are dynamically ejected from their placental cloud cores, either escaping or for a time being tenuously bound at large separations. Half of all triple systems are found to disintegrate during the protostellar stage, so if multiple systems are a frequent outcome of the collapse of a cloud core, then orphans should be common. Bound orphans are associated with embedded close protostellar binaries, but escaping orphans can travel as far as {approx}0.2 pc during the protostellar phase. The steep climb out of a potential well ensures that orphans are not kinematically distinct from young stars born with a less violent pre-history. The identification of orphans outside their heavily extincted cloud cores will allow the detailed study of protostars high up on their Hayashi tracks at near-infrared and in some cases even at optical wavelengths.« less

  14. The nature of very low luminosity objects (VeLLOs)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Vorobyov, Eduard I.; Elbakyan, Vardan; Dunham, Michael M.; Guedel, Manuel

    2017-04-01

    Aims: The nature of very low luminosity objects (VeLLOs) with the internal luminosity Lobj ≤ 0.1 L⊙ is investigated by means of numerical modeling coupling the core collapse simulations with the stellar evolution calculations. Methods: The gravitational collapse of a large sample of model cores in the mass range 0.1-2.0 M⊙ is investigated. Numerical simulations were started at the pre-stellar phase and terminated at the end of the embedded phase when 90% of the initial core mass had been accreted onto the forming protostar plus disk system. The disk formation and evolution was studied using numerical hydrodynamics simulations, while the formation and evolution of the central star was calculated using a stellar evolution code. Three scenarios for mass accretion from the disk onto the star were considered: hybrid accretion in which a fraction of accreted energy absorbed by the protostar depends on the accretion rate, hot accretion wherein a fraction of accreted energy is constant, and cold accretion wherein all accretion energy is radiated away. Results: Our conclusions on the nature of VeLLOs depend crucially on the character of protostellar accretion. In the hybrid accretion scenario, most VeLLOs (90.6%) are expected to be the first hydrostatic cores (FHSCs) and only a small fraction (9.4%) are true protostars. In the hot accretion scenario, all VeLLOs are FHSCs due to overly high photospheric luminosity of protostars. In the cold accretion scenario, on the contrary, the majority of VeLLOs belong to the Class I phase of stellar evolution. The reason is that the stellar photospheric luminosity, which sets the floor for the total internal luminosity of a young star, is lower in cold accretion, thus enabling more VeLLOs in the protostellar stage. VeLLOs are relatively rare objects occupying 7%-11% of the total duration of the embedded phase and their masses do not exceed 0.3 M⊙. When compared with published observations inferring a fraction of VeLLOs in the

  15. High-velocity Interstellar Bullets in IRAS 05506+2414: A Very Young Protostar

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Sahai, Raghvendra; Claussen, Mark; Sanchez Contreras, Carmen; Morris, Mark; Sarkar, Geetanjali

    2008-01-01

    We have made a serendipitous discovery of an enigmatic outflow source, IRAS 05506+2414 (hereafter IRAS 05506), as part of a multiwavelength survey of pre-planetary nebulae (PPNs). The HST optical and near-infrared images show a bright compact central source with a jet-like extension, and a fan-like spray of high-velocity (with radial velocities up to 350 km/s) elongated knots which appear to emanate from it. These structures are possibly analogous to the near-IR bullets'' seen in the Orion Nebula. Interferometric observations at 2.6 mm show the presence of a continuum source and a high-velocity CO outflow, which is aligned with the optical jet structure. IRAS 05506 is most likely not a PPN. We find extended NH3 (1,1) emission toward IRAS 05506; these data, together with the combined presence of far-IR emission, H2O and OH masers, and CO and CS J=2-1 emission, strongly argue for a dense, dusty star-forming core associated with IRAS 05506. IRAS 05506 is probably an intermediate-mass or massive protostar, and the very short timescale (200 yr) of its outflows indicates that it is very young. If IRAS 05506 is a massive star, then the lack of radio continuum and the late G to early K spectral type we find from our optical spectra imply that in this object we are witnessing the earliest stages of its life, while its temperature is still too low to provide sufficient UV flux for ionization.

  16. The low-mass star and sub-stellar populations of the 25 Orionis group

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Downes, Juan José; Briceño, César; Mateu, Cecilia; Hernández, Jesús; Vivas, Anna Katherina; Calvet, Nuria; Hartmann, Lee; Petr-Gotzens, Monika G.; Allen, Lori

    2014-10-01

    We present the results of a survey of the low-mass star and brown dwarf population of the 25 Orionis group. Using optical photometry from the CIDA (Centro de Investigaciones de Astronomía `Francisco J. Duarte', Mérida, Venezuela) Deep Survey of Orion, near-IR photometry from the Visible and Infrared Survey Telescope for Astronomy and low-resolution spectroscopy obtained with Hectospec at the MMT telescope, we selected 1246 photometric candidates to low-mass stars and brown dwarfs with estimated masses within 0.02 ≲ M/M⊙ ≲ 0.8 and spectroscopically confirmed a sample of 77 low-mass stars as new members of the cluster with a mean age of ˜7 Myr. We have obtained a system initial mass function of the group that can be well described by either a Kroupa power-law function with indices α3 = -1.73 ± 0.31 and α2 = 0.68 ± 0.41 in the mass ranges 0.03 ≤ M/M⊙ ≤ 0.08 and 0.08 ≤ M/M⊙ ≤ 0.5, respectively, or a Scalo lognormal function with coefficients m_c=0.21^{+0.02}_{-0.02} and σ = 0.36 ± 0.03 in the mass range 0.03 ≤ M/M⊙ ≤ 0.8. From the analysis of the spatial distribution of this numerous candidate sample, we have confirmed the east-west elongation of the 25 Orionis group observed in previous works, and rule out a possible southern extension of the group. We find that the spatial distributions of low-mass stars and brown dwarfs in 25 Orionis are statistically indistinguishable. Finally, we found that the fraction of brown dwarfs showing IR excesses is higher than for low-mass stars, supporting the scenario in which the evolution of circumstellar discs around the least massive objects could be more prolonged.

  17. The Magnetic Field of the Class I Protostar WL 17

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Johns-Krull, Christopher M.; Greene, T. P.; Doppmann, G.; Covey, K. R.

    2007-12-01

    Strong stellar magnetic fields are believed to truncate the inner accretion disks around young stars, redirecting the accreting material to the high latitude regions of the stellar surface. In the past few years, observations of strong stellar fields on Classical T Tauri stars [class II young stellar objects (YSOs)] with field strengths in general agreement with the predictions of magnetopsheric accretion theory have bolstered this picture. Currently, nothing is known about the magnetic field properties of younger, more embedded class I YSOs. It is during this protostellar evolutionary phase that stars accrete most of their final mass, but the physics governing this process remains poorly understood. Here, we use high resolution near infrared spectra obtained with NIRSPEC on Keck and with PHOENIX on Gemini South to measure the magnetic field properties of the class I protostar WL 17. We find clear signatures of a strong stellar magnetic field. Initial analysis of this data suggests a surface average field strength of 3.6 kG on the surface of WL 17. This is the highest mean surface field detected to date on any YSO. We present our field measurements and discuss how they fit with the general model of magnetospheric accretion in young stars.

  18. Change in the chemical composition of infalling gas forming a disk around a protostar.

    PubMed

    Sakai, Nami; Sakai, Takeshi; Hirota, Tomoya; Watanabe, Yoshimasa; Ceccarelli, Cecilia; Kahane, Claudine; Bottinelli, Sandrine; Caux, Emmanuel; Demyk, Karine; Vastel, Charlotte; Coutens, Audrey; Taquet, Vianney; Ohashi, Nagayoshi; Takakuwa, Shigehisa; Yen, Hsi-Wei; Aikawa, Yuri; Yamamoto, Satoshi

    2014-03-06

    IRAS 04368+2557 is a solar-type (low-mass) protostar embedded in a protostellar core (L1527) in the Taurus molecular cloud, which is only 140 parsecs away from Earth, making it the closest large star-forming region. The protostellar envelope has a flattened shape with a diameter of a thousand astronomical units (1 AU is the distance from Earth to the Sun), and is infalling and rotating. It also has a protostellar disk with a radius of 90 AU (ref. 6), from which a planetary system is expected to form. The interstellar gas, mainly consisting of hydrogen molecules, undergoes a change in density of about three orders of magnitude as it collapses from the envelope into the disk, while being heated from 10 kelvin to over 100 kelvin in the mid-plane, but it has hitherto not been possible to explore changes in chemical composition associated with this collapse. Here we report that the unsaturated hydrocarbon molecule cyclic-C3H2 resides in the infalling rotating envelope, whereas sulphur monoxide (SO) is enhanced in the transition zone at the radius of the centrifugal barrier (100 ± 20 AU), which is the radius at which the kinetic energy of the infalling gas is converted to rotational energy. Such a drastic change in chemistry at the centrifugal barrier was not anticipated, but is probably caused by the discontinuous infalling motion at the centrifugal barrier and local heating processes there.

  19. The Earliest Phases of Star Formation (EPoS): a Herschel key project. The thermal structure of low-mass molecular cloud cores

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Launhardt, R.; Stutz, A. M.; Schmiedeke, A.; Henning, Th.; Krause, O.; Balog, Z.; Beuther, H.; Birkmann, S.; Hennemann, M.; Kainulainen, J.; Khanzadyan, T.; Linz, H.; Lippok, N.; Nielbock, M.; Pitann, J.; Ragan, S.; Risacher, C.; Schmalzl, M.; Shirley, Y. L.; Stecklum, B.; Steinacker, J.; Tackenberg, J.

    2013-03-01

    Context. The temperature and density structure of molecular cloud cores are the most important physical quantities that determine the course of the protostellar collapse and the properties of the stars they form. Nevertheless, density profiles often rely either on the simplifying assumption of isothermality or on observationally poorly constrained model temperature profiles. The instruments of the Herschel satellite provide us for the first time with both the spectral coverage and the spatial resolution that is needed to directly measure the dust temperature structure of nearby molecular cloud cores. Aims: With the aim of better constraining the initial physical conditions in molecular cloud cores at the onset of protostellar collapse, in particular of measuring their temperature structure, we initiated the guaranteed time key project (GTKP) "The Earliest Phases of Star Formation" (EPoS) with the Herschel satellite. This paper gives an overview of the low-mass sources in the EPoS project, the Herschel and complementary ground-based observations, our analysis method, and the initial results of the survey. Methods: We study the thermal dust emission of 12 previously well-characterized, isolated, nearby globules using FIR and submm continuum maps at up to eight wavelengths between 100 μm and 1.2 mm. Our sample contains both globules with starless cores and embedded protostars at different early evolutionary stages. The dust emission maps are used to extract spatially resolved SEDs, which are then fit independently with modified blackbody curves to obtain line-of-sight-averaged dust temperature and column density maps. Results: We find that the thermal structure of all globules (mean mass 7 M⊙) is dominated by external heating from the interstellar radiation field and moderate shielding by thin extended halos. All globules have warm outer envelopes (14-20 K) and colder dense interiors (8-12 K) with column densities of a few 1022 cm-2. The protostars embedded in some

  20. The water masses and volumetry of the southern Agulhas Current region

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Valentine, H. R.; Lutjeharms, J. R. E.; Brundrit, G. B.

    1993-06-01

    It has been suggested that the southern termination of the Agulhas Current plays a crucial role in the global circulation of thermocline water and thus in global climate. Due to a lack of modern hydrographic observations in this region, no detailed description of water masses or a fine-scale volumetric census for this geographic area had been carried out. Such an analysis of a collection of recent high-quality hydrographic measurements shows that the warm, saline, surface water of Agulhas Current origin contributes very little to the overall volume of the upper 1500 m of the water column in the area. Occasional equatorward leakages from south of the Subtropical Convergence are represented by a range of low-salinity outliers, but they represent <1% of the total volume. The distribution of water volume in temperature/salinity space for the Agulhas Retroflection is less diverse that that of the world ocean as a whole, 25% of the total volume of the region being contained in only 21 fine-scale temperature/salinity classes. North Atlantic Deep Water is the dominant water mass, accounting for 40% of the total volume. Deep Water in general accounts for 60% of the total volume.

  1. Young Stellar Populations in MYStIX Star-forming Regions: Candidate Protostars

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Romine, Gregory; Feigelson, Eric D.; Getman, Konstantin V.; Kuhn, Michael A.; Povich, Matthew S.

    2016-12-01

    The Massive Young Star-Forming Complex in Infrared and X-ray (MYStIX) project provides a new census on stellar members of massive star-forming regions within 4 kpc. Here the MYStIX Infrared Excess catalog and Chandra-based X-ray photometric catalogs are mined to obtain high-quality samples of Class I protostars using criteria designed to reduce extragalactic and Galactic field star contamination. A total of 1109 MYStIX Candidate Protostars (MCPs) are found in 14 star-forming regions. Most are selected from protoplanetary disk infrared excess emission, but 20% are found from their ultrahard X-ray spectra from heavily absorbed magnetospheric flare emission. Two-thirds of the MCP sample is newly reported here. The resulting samples are strongly spatially associated with molecular cores and filaments on Herschel far-infrared maps. This spatial agreement and other evidence indicate that the MCP sample has high reliability with relatively few “false positives” from contaminating populations. But the limited sensitivity and sparse overlap among the infrared and X-ray subsamples indicate that the sample is very incomplete with many “false negatives.” Maps, tables, and source descriptions are provided to guide further study of star formation in these regions. In particular, the nature of ultrahard X-ray protostellar candidates without known infrared counterparts needs to be elucidated.

  2. First detection of cyanamide (NH2CN) towards solar-type protostars

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Coutens, A.; Willis, E. R.; Garrod, R. T.; Müller, H. S. P.; Bourke, T. L.; Calcutt, H.; Drozdovskaya, M. N.; Jørgensen, J. K.; Ligterink, N. F. W.; Persson, M. V.; Stéphan, G.; van der Wiel, M. H. D.; van Dishoeck, E. F.; Wampfler, S. F.

    2018-05-01

    Searches for the prebiotically relevant cyanamide (NH2CN) towards solar-type protostars have not been reported in the literature. We present here the first detection of this species in the warm gas surrounding two solar-type protostars, using data from the Atacama Large Millimeter/Submillimeter Array Protostellar Interferometric Line Survey (PILS) of IRAS 16293-2422 B and observations from the IRAM Plateau de Bure Interferometer of NGC 1333 IRAS2A. We also detected the deuterated and 13C isotopologs of NH2CN towards IRAS 16293-2422 B. This is the first detection of NHDCN in the interstellar medium. Based on a local thermodynamic equilibrium analysis, we find that the deuteration of cyanamide ( 1.7%) is similar to that of formamide (NH2CHO), which may suggest that these two molecules share NH2 as a common precursor. The NH2CN/NH2CHO abundance ratio is about 0.2 for IRAS 16293-2422 B and 0.02 for IRAS2A, which is comparable to the range of values found for Sgr B2. We explored the possible formation of NH2CN on grains through the NH2 + CN reaction using the chemical model MAGICKAL. Grain-surface chemistry appears capable of reproducing the gas-phase abundance of NH2CN with the correct choice of physical parameters.

  3. YOUNG STELLAR POPULATIONS IN MYStIX STAR-FORMING REGIONS: CANDIDATE PROTOSTARS

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

    Romine, Gregory; Feigelson, Eric D.; Getman, Konstantin V.

    The Massive Young Star-Forming Complex in Infrared and X-ray (MYStIX) project provides a new census on stellar members of massive star-forming regions within 4 kpc. Here the MYStIX Infrared Excess catalog and Chandra -based X-ray photometric catalogs are mined to obtain high-quality samples of Class I protostars using criteria designed to reduce extragalactic and Galactic field star contamination. A total of 1109 MYStIX Candidate Protostars (MCPs) are found in 14 star-forming regions. Most are selected from protoplanetary disk infrared excess emission, but 20% are found from their ultrahard X-ray spectra from heavily absorbed magnetospheric flare emission. Two-thirds of the MCP sample ismore » newly reported here. The resulting samples are strongly spatially associated with molecular cores and filaments on Herschel far-infrared maps. This spatial agreement and other evidence indicate that the MCP sample has high reliability with relatively few “false positives” from contaminating populations. But the limited sensitivity and sparse overlap among the infrared and X-ray subsamples indicate that the sample is very incomplete with many “false negatives.” Maps, tables, and source descriptions are provided to guide further study of star formation in these regions. In particular, the nature of ultrahard X-ray protostellar candidates without known infrared counterparts needs to be elucidated.« less

  4. High Resolution 4.7 Micron Keck/NIRSPEC Spectra of Protostars. 1; Ices and Infalling Gas in the Disk of L1489 IRS

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Boogert, A. C. A.; Hogerheijde, M. R.; Blake, G. A.

    2001-01-01

    We explore the infrared M band (4.7 micron) spectrum of the class I protostar L1489 IRS in the Taurus Molecular Cloud. This is the highest resolution wide coverage spectrum at this wavelength of a low mass protostar observed to date (R =25,000; (Delta)v =12 km s(exp -1). A large number of narrow absorption lines of gas phase (12)CO, (13)CO, and C(sup 18)O are detected, as well as a prominent band of solid (12)CO. The gas phase (12)CO lines have red shifted absorption wings (up to 100 km s(exp -1)), which likely originate from warm disk material falling toward the central object. Both the isotopes and the extent of the (12)CO line wings are successfully fitted with a contracting disk model of this evolutionary transitional object. This shows that the inward motions seen in millimeter wave emission lines continue to within approx. 0.1 AU from the star. The amount of high velocity infalling gas is however overestimated by this model, suggesting that only part of the disk is infalling, e.g. a hot surface layer or hot gas in magnetic field tubes. The colder parts of the disk are traced by the prominent CO ice band. The band profile results from CO in 'polar' ices (CO mixed with H2O), and CO in 'apolar' ices. At the high spectral resolution, the 'apolar' component is, for the first time, resolved into two distinct components, likely due to pure CO and CO mixed with CO2, O2 and/or N2. The ices have probably experienced thermal processing in the upper disk layer traced by our pencil absorption beam: much of the volatile 'apolar' ices has evaporated, the depletion factor of CO onto grains is remarkably low (approx. 7%), and the CO2 traced in the CO band profile was possibly formed energetically. This study shows that high spectral resolution 4.7 micron observations provide important and unique information on the dynamics and structure of protostellar disks and the origin and evolution of ices in these disks.

  5. Probing the water and CO snow lines in the young protostar NGC 1333-IRAS4B

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Anderl, Sibylle; Maret, Sébastien; André, Philippe; Maury, Anaëlle; Belloche, Arnaud; Cabrit, Sylvie; Codella, Claudio; Lefloch, Bertrand

    2015-08-01

    Today, we believe that the onset of life requires free energy, water, and complex, probably carbon-based chemistry. In the interstellar medium, complex organic molecules seem to mostly form in reactions happening on the icy surface of dust grains, such that they are released into the gas phase when the dust is heated. The resulting “snow lines”, marking regions where ices start to sublimate, play an important role for planet growth and bulk composition in protoplanetary disks. However, they can already be observed in the envelopes of the much younger, low-mass Class 0 protostars that are still in their early phase of heavy accretion. The information on the sublimation regions of different kinds of ices can be used to understand the chemistry of the envelope, its temperature and density structure, and may even hint at the history of the accretion process. Accordingly, it is a crucial piece of information in order to get the full picture of how organic chemistry evolves already at the earliest stages of the formation of sun-like stars. As part of the CALYPSO Large Program (http://irfu.cea.fr/Projets/Calypso/), we have obtained observations of C18O, N2H+ and CH3OH towards the Class 0 protostar NGC 1333-IRAS4B with the IRAM Plateau de Bure interferometer at sub-arcsecond resolution. Of these we use the methanol observations as a proxy for the water snow line, assuming methanol is trapped in water ice. The observed anti-correlation of C18O and N2H+, with N2H+ forming a ring around the centrally peaked C18O emission, reveals for the first time the CO snow line in this protostellar envelope, with a radius of ~300 AU. The methanol emission is much more compact than that of C18O, and traces the water snow line with a radius of ~40 AU. We have modeled the emission using a chemical model coupled with a radiative transfer module. We find that the CO snow line appears further inwards than expected from the binding energy of pure CO ices. This may hint at CO being frozen out

  6. Low-Mass, Low-Power Hall Thruster System

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Pote, Bruce

    2015-01-01

    NASA is developing an electric propulsion system capable of producing 20 mN thrust with input power up to 1,000 W and specific impulse ranging from 1,600 to 3,500 seconds. The key technical challenge is the target mass of 1 kg for the thruster and 2 kg for the power processing unit (PPU). In Phase I, Busek Company, Inc., developed an overall subsystem design for the thruster/cathode, PPU, and xenon feed system. This project demonstrated the feasibility of a low-mass power processing architecture that replaces four of the DC-DC converters of a typical PPU with a single multifunctional converter and a low-mass Hall thruster design employing permanent magnets. In Phase II, the team developed an engineering prototype model of its low-mass BHT-600 Hall thruster system, with the primary focus on the low-mass PPU and thruster. The goal was to develop an electric propulsion thruster with the appropriate specific impulse and propellant throughput to enable radioisotope electric propulsion (REP). This is important because REP offers the benefits of nuclear electric propulsion without the need for an excessively large spacecraft and power system.

  7. CCS Observations of the Protostellar Envelope of B335

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Velusamy, T.; Kuiper, T. B. H.; Langer, W. D.

    1995-01-01

    Knowledge of the density, velocity and chemical profiles around protostars is of fundamental importance for testing dynamical models of protostar evolution and understanding the nature of the material falling onto circumstellar disks. Presented are single dish and interferometric spectral line observations of CCS towards the core of B335, a classic example of a young, low mass stellar object.

  8. Interferometric Mapping of Perseus Outflows with MASSES

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Stephens, Ian; Dunham, Michael; Myers, Philip C.; MASSES Team

    2017-01-01

    The MASSES (Mass Assembly of Stellar Systems and their Evolution with the SMA) survey, a Submillimeter Array (SMA) large-scale program, is mapping molecular lines and continuum emission about the 75 known Class 0/I sources in the Perseus Molecular Cloud. In this talk, I present some of the key results of this project, with a focus on the CO(2-1) maps of the molecular outflows. In particular, I investigate how protostars inherit their rotation axes from large-scale magnetic fields and filamentary structure.

  9. On the diversity and statistical properties of protostellar discs

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bate, Matthew R.

    2018-04-01

    We present results from the first population synthesis study of protostellar discs. We analyse the evolution and properties of a large sample of protostellar discs formed in a radiation hydrodynamical simulation of star cluster formation. Due to the chaotic nature of the star formation process, we find an enormous diversity of young protostellar discs, including misaligned discs, and discs whose orientations vary with time. Star-disc interactions truncate discs and produce multiple systems. Discs may be destroyed in dynamical encounters and/or through ram-pressure stripping, but reform by later gas accretion. We quantify the distributions of disc mass and radii for protostellar ages up to ≈105 yr. For low-mass protostars, disc masses tend to increase with both age and protostellar mass. Disc radii range from of order 10 to a few hundred au, grow in size on time-scales ≲ 104 yr, and are smaller around lower mass protostars. The radial surface density profiles of isolated protostellar discs are flatter than the minimum mass solar nebula model, typically scaling as Σ ∝ r-1. Disc to protostar mass ratios rarely exceed two, with a typical range of Md/M* = 0.1-1 to ages ≲ 104 yr and decreasing thereafter. We quantify the relative orientation angles of circumstellar discs and the orbit of bound pairs of protostars, finding a preference for alignment that strengths with decreasing separation. We also investigate how the orientations of the outer parts of discs differ from the protostellar and inner disc spins for isolated protostars and pairs.

  10. The Angola Low: relationship with southern African rainfall and ENSO

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Crétat, Julien; Pohl, Benjamin; Dieppois, Bastien; Berthou, Ségolène; Pergaud, Julien

    2018-05-01

    The main states of the Angola Low (AL) are identified using clustering analysis applied to daily anomalous patterns of 700-hPa wind vorticity over Angola and adjacent countries from November to March for the 1980/81-2014/15 period. At the daily timescale, we examine the extent to which the main states of the AL modulate daily rainfall over southern Africa. At the interannual timescale, we assess both the relationship between the occurrence of these AL states and El Niño southern oscillation (ENSO) and the role of the AL in explaining ENSO's failure in driving southern African rainfall at times. Three reanalyses are considered to account for uncertainties induced by the scarcity of data available for assimilation over southern Africa. Three preferential states of the Angola Low are identified: AL state close to its seasonal climatology with slight zonal displacements, anomalously weak AL state and anomalously strong AL state with meridional displacements. These different states all significantly modulate daily southern African rainfall. Near-climatological AL state promotes wet rainfall anomalies over eastern subtropical southern Africa and dry rainfall anomalies over its western part. A slight westward shift in the near-climatological position of the AL leads to reversed zonal gradient in rainfall. The remaining regimes significantly modulate the meridional gradient in southern African rainfall. Anomalously weak and anomalously northward AL states promote wet rainfall anomalies over tropical southern Africa and dry rainfall anomalies over subtropical southern Africa. The reverse prevails for anomalously southward AL. At the interannual timescale, ENSO significantly modulates the seasonal occurrence of most AL states in the three reanalyses. Anomalously weak and southward AL states are more strongly correlated with regional rainfall than ENSO in all reanalyses, suggesting that accounting for AL variability may improve seasonal forecasts. Case study analysis of the

  11. Observations of nitrogen isotope fractionation in deeply embedded protostars

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wampfler, S. F.; Jørgensen, J. K.; Bizzarro, M.; Bisschop, S. E.

    2014-12-01

    Context. The terrestrial planets, comets, and meteorites are significantly enriched in 15N compared to the Sun and Jupiter. While the solar and jovian nitrogen isotope ratio is believed to represent the composition of the protosolar nebula, a still unidentified process has caused 15N-enrichment in the solids. Several mechanisms have been proposed to explain the variations, including chemical fractionation. However, observational results that constrain the fractionation models are scarce. While there is evidence of 15N-enrichment in prestellar cores, it is unclear how the signature evolves into the protostellar phases. Aims: The aim of this study is to measure the 14N/15N ratio around three nearby, embedded low- to intermediate-mass protostars. Methods: Isotopologues of HCN and HNC were used to probe the 14N/15N ratio. A selection of J = 3-2 and 4-3 transitions of H13CN, HC15N, HN13C, and H15NC was observed with the Atacama Pathfinder EXperiment telescope (APEX). The 14N/15N ratios were derived from the integrated intensities assuming a standard 12C/13C ratio. The assumption of optically thin emission was verified using radiative transfer modeling and hyperfine structure fitting. Results: Two sources, IRAS 16293A and R CrA IRS7B, show 15N-enrichment by a factor of ~1.5-2.5 in both HCN and HNC with respect to the solar composition. IRAS 16293A falls in the range of typical prestellar core values. Solar composition cannot be excluded for the third source, OMC-3 MMS6. Furthermore, there are indications of a trend toward increasing 14N/15N ratios with increasing outer envelope temperature. Conclusions: The enhanced 15N abundances in HCN and HNC found in two Class 0 sources (14N /15N ~ 160-290) and the tentative trend toward a temperature-dependent 14N/15N ratio are consistent with the chemical fractionation scenario, but 14N/15N ratios from additional tracers are indispensable for testing the models. Spatially resolved observations are needed to distinguish between

  12. Massive Infrared-Quiet Dense Cores: Unveiling the Initial Conditions of High-Mass Star Formation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Motte, F.; Bontemps, S.; Schneider, N.; Schilke, P.; Menten, K. M.

    2008-05-01

    As Th. Henning said at the conference, cold precursors of high-mass stars are now ``hot topics''. We here propose some observational criteria to identify massive infrared-quiet dense cores which can host the high-mass analogs of Class~0 protostars and pre-stellar condensations. We also show how far-infrared to millimeter imaging surveys of entire complexes forming OB stars are starting to unveil the initial conditions of high-mass star formation.

  13. The JCMT Transient Survey: Detection of Submillimeter Variability in a Class I Protostar EC 53 in Serpens Main

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

    Yoo, Hyunju; Cho, Jungyeon; Lee, Jeong-Eun

    During the protostellar phase of stellar evolution, accretion onto the star is expected to be variable, but this suspected variability has been difficult to detect because protostars are deeply embedded. In this paper, we describe a submillimeter luminosity burst of the Class I protostar EC 53 in Serpens Main, the first variable found during our dedicated JCMT/SCUBA-2 monitoring program of eight nearby star-forming regions. EC 53 remained quiescent for the first six months of our survey, from 2016 February to August. The submillimeter emission began to brighten in 2016 September, reached a peak brightness of 1.5 times the faint state,more » and has been decaying slowly since 2017 February. The change in submillimeter brightness is interpreted as dust heating in the envelope, generated by a luminosity increase of the protostar of a factor of ≥4. The 850 μ m light curve resembles the historical K -band light curve, which varies by a factor of ∼6 with a 543 period and is interpreted as accretion variability excited by interactions between the accretion disk and a close binary system. The predictable detections of accretion variability observed at both near-infrared and submillimeter wavelengths make the system a unique test-bed, enabling us to capture the moment of the accretion burst and to study the consequences of the outburst on the protostellar disk and envelope.« less

  14. Planets Around Low-mass Stars (PALMS). V. Age-dating Low-mass Companions to Members and Interlopers of Young Moving Groups

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bowler, Brendan P.; Shkolnik, Evgenya L.; Liu, Michael C.; Schlieder, Joshua E.; Mann, Andrew W.; Dupuy, Trent J.; Hinkley, Sasha; Crepp, Justin R.; Johnson, John Asher; Howard, Andrew W.; Flagg, Laura; Weinberger, Alycia J.; Aller, Kimberly M.; Allers, Katelyn N.; Best, William M. J.; Kotson, Michael C.; Montet, Benjamin T.; Herczeg, Gregory J.; Baranec, Christoph; Riddle, Reed; Law, Nicholas M.; Nielsen, Eric L.; Wahhaj, Zahed; Biller, Beth A.; Hayward, Thomas L.

    2015-06-01

    We present optical and near-infrared adaptive optics (AO) imaging and spectroscopy of 13 ultracool (>M6) companions to late-type stars (K7-M4.5), most of which have recently been identified as candidate members of nearby young moving groups (YMGs; 8-120 Myr) in the literature. Three of these are new companions identified in our AO imaging survey, and two others are confirmed to be comoving with their host stars for the first time. The inferred masses of the companions (˜10-100 MJup) are highly sensitive to the ages of the primary stars; therefore we critically examine the kinematic and spectroscopic properties of each system to distinguish bona fide YMG members from old field interlopers. The new M7 substellar companion 2MASS J02155892-0929121 C (40-60 MJup) shows clear spectroscopic signs of low gravity and, hence, youth. The primary, possibly a member of the ˜40 Myr Tuc-Hor moving group, is visually resolved into three components, making it a young low-mass quadruple system in a compact (≲100 AU) configuration. In addition, Li i λ6708 absorption in the intermediate-gravity M7.5 companion 2MASS J15594729+4403595 B provides unambiguous evidence that it is young (≲200 Myr) and resides below the hydrogen-burning limit. Three new close-separation (<1″) companions (2MASS J06475229-2523304 B, PYC J11519+0731 B, and GJ 4378 Ab) orbit stars previously reported as candidate YMG members, but instead are likely old (≳1 Gyr) tidally locked spectroscopic binaries without convincing kinematic associations with any known moving group. The high rate of false positives in the form of old active stars with YMG-like kinematics underscores the importance of radial velocity and parallax measurements to validate candidate young stars identified via proper motion and activity selection alone. Finally, we spectroscopically confirm the cool temperature and substellar nature of HD 23514 B, a recently discovered M8 benchmark brown dwarf orbiting the dustiest-known member of the

  15. Magnetic Stars After the Hayashi Phase. II.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Glagolevskij, Yu. V.

    2016-09-01

    The properties of magnetic stars derived from observational data are analyzed. The degree of "magnetic" braking of parent protostars, which depends the magnetic field and mass, is studied. The conditions under which magnetic and "normal" nonmagnetic stars are separated, which appear to depend only on the rotational velocity of the protostars, are examined. The reasons for differences in the average magnitudes of the magnetic field in massive and low-mass magnetic stars are analyzed. The magnetic field structures of magnetic stars and their stability over time (rigidity of rotation) are examined.

  16. APEX-CHAMP+ high-J CO observations of low-mass young stellar objects. IV. Mechanical and radiative feedback

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yıldız, U. A.; Kristensen, L. E.; van Dishoeck, E. F.; Hogerheijde, M. R.; Karska, A.; Belloche, A.; Endo, A.; Frieswijk, W.; Güsten, R.; van Kempen, T. A.; Leurini, S.; Nagy, Z.; Pérez-Beaupuits, J. P.; Risacher, C.; van der Marel, N.; van Weeren, R. J.; Wyrowski, F.

    2015-04-01

    Context. During the embedded stage of star formation, bipolar molecular outflows and UV radiation from the protostar are important feedback processes. Both processes reflect the accretion onto the forming star and affect subsequent collapse or fragmentation of the cloud. Aims: Our aim is to quantify the feedback, mechanical and radiative, for a large sample of low-mass sources in a consistent manner. The outflow activity is compared to radiative feedback in the form of UV heating by the accreting protostar to search for correlations and evolutionary trends. Methods: Large-scale maps of 26 young stellar objects, which are part of the Herschel WISH key program are obtained using the CHAMP+ instrument on the Atacama Pathfinder EXperiment (12CO and 13CO 6-5; Eup ~ 100 K), and the HARP-B instrument on the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope (12CO and 13CO 3-2; Eup ~ 30 K). The maps have high spatial resolution, particularly the CO 6-5 maps taken with a 9″ beam, resolving the morphology of the outflows. The maps are used to determine outflow parameters and the results are compared with higher-J CO lines obtained with Herschel. Envelope models are used to quantify the amount of UV-heated gas and its temperature from 13CO 6-5 observations. Results: All sources in our sample show outflow activity, with the spatial extent decreasing from the Class 0 to the Class I stage. Consistent with previous studies, the outflow force, FCO, is larger for Class 0 sources than for Class I sources, even if their luminosities are comparable. The outflowing gas typically extends to much greater distances than the power-law envelope and therefore influences the surrounding cloud material directly. Comparison of the CO 6-5 results with HIFI H2O and PACS high-J CO lines, both tracing currently shocked gas, shows that the two components are linked, even though the transitions do not probe the same gas. The link does not extend down to CO 3-2. The conclusion is that CO 6-5 depends on the shock

  17. Prevalence of factors related to the bone mass formation of children from a cohort in Southern Brazil.

    PubMed

    Doumid Borges Pretto, Alessandra; Correa Kaufmann, Cristina; Ferreira Dutra, Gisele; Pinto Albernaz, Elaine

    2014-12-17

    The amount of bone mass acquired in the early stages of life is an important determinant of its peak and future risk of osteoporosis and fractures. To describe the prevalence of factors that contributes to the formation of bone mass in children of a Southern Brazil cohort. A retrospective cohort study with hospital screening of all births (2741) occurred from September/ 2002 to May/2003 and monitoring of a random sample of 30.0% of these (one, three and six months and eight years old). During the eight years old visit, a questionnaire containing questions related to food and physical activity was applied. Results e Discussion: Of the 616 children studied, 51.3% were male, 70.3% Caucasian, about half belonged to economic class C, 20.5% were overweight, 16.9% were obese and 71.2% were sedentary. As for food intake low consumption of fruits, vegetables, dairy products, meat, cereals and tubers was noticed. Vitamin D administration in the first six months of life was followed by 14.1% of premature, 16.1% of infants with low birth weight, 24.2% of weaned in the first month and only 16.4% at three months. The evaluated children have low nutrients consumption, including calcium, inappropriate vitamin D administration in the first semester of life, little regular physical activity and high prevalence of overweight and obesity are factors that can impair the formation of bone mass. Copyright AULA MEDICA EDICIONES 2014. Published by AULA MEDICA. All rights reserved.

  18. KELT-10b and KELT-11b: Two Sub-Jupiter Mass Planets well-Suited for Atmospheric Characterization in the Southern Hemisphere

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rodriguez, Joseph E.

    2015-12-01

    The Kilodegree Extremely Little Telescope (KELT) project is a photometric survey in both the northern and southern hemispheres for transiting planets around bright stars (8 < V < 11), and has discovered 15 planets to date. Of these, several possess unique characteristics that make them especially well suited for study of planet atmospheres. Here, I present the first two discoveries from the KELT-South survey. KELT-10b is an inflated transiting sub-Jupiter mass planet (0.68 MJ) around a V=10.7 early G-star. It has the 3rd deepest transit (1.4%) in the southern hemisphere for a star V < 12.5, making it a great target for transmission spectroscopy. KELT-11b is a highly inflated transiting Saturn mass planet (0.22 MJ) orbiting one of the brightest planet-hosting stars in the southern hemisphere. Interestingly, KELT-11b's host star is a clear sub-giant star (log(g) ~ 3.7). I will discuss their impact for atmospheric characterization. For example, the highly inflated nature of the KELT-11b planet provides the ability to study a sub-Jupiter atmosphere at very low planetary gravity, while the sub-giant nature of its host star allows us to study the effects of post main sequence evolution of a host star on a hot Jupiter.

  19. Dynamo magnetic field-induced angular momentum transport in protostellar nebulae - The 'minimum mass' protosolar nebula

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Stepinski, T. F.; Levy, E. H.

    1990-01-01

    Magnetic torques can produce angular momentum redistribution in protostellar nebulas. Dynamo magnetic fields can be generated in differentially rotating and turbulent nebulas and can be the source of magnetic torques that transfer angular momentum from a protostar to a disk, as well as redistribute angular momentum within a disk. A magnetic field strength of 100-1000 G is needed to transport the major part of a protostar's angular momentum into a surrounding disk in a time characteristic of star formation, thus allowing formation of a solar-system size protoplanetary nebula in the usual 'minimum-mass' model of the protosolar nebula. This paper examines the possibility that a dynamo magnetic field could have induced the needed angular momentum transport from the proto-Sun to the protoplanetary nebula.

  20. A Search for Water Maser Emission from Brown Dwarfs and Low-luminosity Young Stellar Objects

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gómez, José F.; Palau, Aina; Uscanga, Lucero; Manjarrez, Guillermo; Barrado, David

    2017-05-01

    We present a survey for water maser emission toward a sample of 44 low-luminosity young objects, comprising (proto-)brown dwarfs, first hydrostatic cores (FHCs), and other young stellar objects (YSOs) with bolometric luminosities lower than 0.4 L ⊙. Water maser emission is a good tracer of energetic processes, such as mass-loss and/or accretion, and is a useful tool to study these processes with very high angular resolution. This type of emission has been confirmed in objects with L bol ≳ 1 L ⊙. Objects with lower luminosities also undergo mass-loss and accretion, and thus, are prospective sites of maser emission. Our sensitive single-dish observations provided a single detection when pointing toward the FHC L1448 IRS 2E. However, follow-up interferometric observations showed water maser emission associated with the nearby YSO L1448 IRS 2 (a Class 0 protostar of L bol ≃ 3.6-5.3 L ⊙) and did not find any emission toward L1448 IRS 2E. The upper limits for water maser emission determined by our observations are one order of magnitude lower than expected from the correlation between water maser luminosities and bolometric luminosities found for YSOs. This suggests that this correlation does not hold at the lower end of the (sub)stellar mass spectrum. Possible reasons are that the slope of this correlation is steeper at L bol ≤ 1 L ⊙ or that there is an absolute luminosity threshold below which water maser emission cannot be produced. Alternatively, if the correlation still stands at low luminosity, the detection rates of masers would be significantly lower than the values obtained in higher-luminosity Class 0 protostars.

  1. A Search for Water Maser Emission from Brown Dwarfs and Low-luminosity Young Stellar Objects

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

    Gómez, José F.; Manjarrez, Guillermo; Palau, Aina

    We present a survey for water maser emission toward a sample of 44 low-luminosity young objects, comprising (proto-)brown dwarfs, first hydrostatic cores (FHCs), and other young stellar objects (YSOs) with bolometric luminosities lower than 0.4 L {sub ⊙}. Water maser emission is a good tracer of energetic processes, such as mass-loss and/or accretion, and is a useful tool to study these processes with very high angular resolution. This type of emission has been confirmed in objects with L {sub bol} ≳ 1 L {sub ⊙}. Objects with lower luminosities also undergo mass-loss and accretion, and thus, are prospective sites of maser emission.more » Our sensitive single-dish observations provided a single detection when pointing toward the FHC L1448 IRS 2E. However, follow-up interferometric observations showed water maser emission associated with the nearby YSO L1448 IRS 2 (a Class 0 protostar of L {sub bol} ≃ 3.6–5.3 L {sub ⊙}) and did not find any emission toward L1448 IRS 2E. The upper limits for water maser emission determined by our observations are one order of magnitude lower than expected from the correlation between water maser luminosities and bolometric luminosities found for YSOs. This suggests that this correlation does not hold at the lower end of the (sub)stellar mass spectrum. Possible reasons are that the slope of this correlation is steeper at L {sub bol} ≤ 1 L {sub ⊙} or that there is an absolute luminosity threshold below which water maser emission cannot be produced. Alternatively, if the correlation still stands at low luminosity, the detection rates of masers would be significantly lower than the values obtained in higher-luminosity Class 0 protostars.« less

  2. Hurdles in low k1 mass production

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yim, Donggyu; Yang, Hyunjo; Park, Chanha; Hong, Jongkyun; Choi, Jaeseung

    2005-05-01

    As the optical lithography pushes toward its theoretical resolution limit 0.25k1, the application of aggressive Resolution Enhancement Techniques (RETs) are required in order to ensure necessary resolution, sufficient process window, and reasonable MEEF in critical layers. When chip makers are adopting RETs in low k1 device, there are a lot of crucial factors to take into account in the development and mass production. Those hurdles are not only difficult to overcome but also highly risky to the company, which adopts low k1 mass production strategy. But, low k1 production strategy is very attractive to all chip makers, owing to improving production capacity and cost of ownership. So, low k1 technology has been investigated by many lithography engineers. Lots of materials have been introduced. Most of them are just in RnD level. In this study, low k1 mass production issues shall be introduced, mainly. The definition of low k1 in mass production shall be suggested. And, a lot of low_k1 issues shall be introduced, also. Most of them were investigated/experienced in RnD development stage and final mass production line. Low k1 mass production, is some what different from only RnD development.

  3. CO in Protostars (COPS): Herschel-SPIRE Spectroscopy of Embedded Protostars

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yang, Yao-Lun; Green, Joel; COPS Team

    2018-01-01

    We present full spectral scans from 200 μm - 670 μm of 27 Class 0/I protostellar sources, obtained with Herschel-SPIRE, as part of the "COPS-SPIRE" Open Time program, complementary to the DIGIT and WISH Key programs. Only 16 of 27 protostars have the same Class classification with Tbol and Lbol/Lsubmm. We found that the spectral index at 500 μm evolves with Lbol/Lsubmm, suggesting that it may be sensitive to the evolution during the Class 0 phase by probing the envelope. We identify rotational transitions of CO lines from J = 4→3 to J = 13→12, along with a number of lines of 13CO, HCO+, H2O, and [C I] lines. The ratios of 12CO to 13CO suggest that 12CO emission remains optically thick until Jup > 17. We fit up to four components of temperature from the rotational diagram with flexible break points which separate the components. The distribution of rotational temperature shows a primary population around 100 K with a secondary population at 400 K. We quantify the correlations of each line pair found in our dataset, and find the strength of correlation of CO lines decreases as the difference of J-level between two CO lines increases. The multiple origins of CO emission previously revealed by velocity-resolved profiles is consistent with this smooth distribution, if each origin contributes to a wide range of CO lines with significant overlap in the CO ladder. The spatial extent of the CO emission is investigated by projecting the flux ratio from the outer spatial pixel (spaxel) to the central spaxel as a function of azimuthal angle, which allows us to identify the bipolarity of the morphology. We find that the morphology of CO emission is more centralized and less bipolar at higher J lines. The difference of the maximum and minimum ratios in the projected profile (peak-to-valley difference) quantifies the bipolarity of the identified bipolar feature. We found the peak-to-valley difference declines as the J-level increases, suggesting that the bipolar feature is

  4. CO in Protostars (COPS): Herschel-SPIRE Spectroscopy of Embedded Protostars

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yang, Yao-Lun; Green, Joel D.; Evans, Neal J., II; Lee, Jeong-Eun; Jørgensen, Jes K.; Kristensen, Lars E.; Mottram, Joseph C.; Herczeg, Gregory; Karska, Agata; Dionatos, Odysseas; Bergin, Edwin A.; Bouwman, Jeroen; van Dishoeck, Ewine F.; van Kempen, Tim A.; Larson, Rebecca L.; Yıldız, Umut A.

    2018-06-01

    We present full spectral scans from 200 to 670 μm of 26 Class 0+I protostellar sources obtained with Herschel-SPIRE as part of the “COPS-SPIRE” Open Time program, complementary to the DIGIT and WISH Key Programs. Based on our nearly continuous, line-free spectra from 200 to 670 μm, the calculated bolometric luminosities (L bol) increase by 50% on average, and the bolometric temperatures (T bol) decrease by 10% on average, in comparison with the measurements without Herschel. Fifteen protostars have the same class using T bol and L bol/L smm. We identify rotational transitions of CO lines from J=4\\to 3 to J=13\\to 12, along with emission lines of 13CO, HCO+, H2O, and [C I]. The ratios of 12CO to 13CO indicate that 12CO emission remains optically thick for J up < 13. We fit up to four components of temperature from the rotational diagram with flexible break points to separate the components. The distribution of rotational temperatures shows a primary population around 100 K with a secondary population at ∼350 K. We quantify the correlations of each line pair found in our data set and find that the strength of the correlation of CO lines decreases as the difference between J levels between two CO lines increases. The multiple origins of CO emission previously revealed by velocity-resolved profiles are consistent with this smooth distribution if each physical component contributes to a wide range of CO lines with significant overlap in the CO ladder. We investigate the spatial extent of CO emission and find that the morphology is more centrally peaked and less bipolar at high-J lines. We find the CO emission observed with SPIRE related to outflows, which consists of two components, the entrained gas and shocked gas, as revealed by our rotational diagram analysis, as well as the studies with velocity-resolved CO emission. Herschel is an ESA space observatory with science instruments provided by European-led Principal Investigator consortia and with important

  5. ALMA’s Polarized View of 10 Protostars in the Perseus Molecular Cloud

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cox, Erin G.; Harris, Robert J.; Looney, Leslie W.; Li, Zhi-Yun; Yang, Haifeng; Tobin, John J.; Stephens, Ian

    2018-03-01

    We present 870 μm ALMA dust polarization observations of 10 young Class 0/I protostars in the Perseus Molecular Cloud. At ∼0.″35 (80 au) resolution, all of our sources show some degree of polarization, with most (9/10) showing significantly extended emission in the polarized continuum. Each source has incredibly intricate polarization signatures. In particular, all three disk-candidates have polarization vectors roughly along the minor axis, which is indicative of polarization produced by dust scattering. On ∼100 au scales, the polarization is at a relatively low level (≲1%) and is quite ordered. In sources with significant envelope emission, the envelope is typically polarized at a much higher (≳5%) level and has a far more disordered morphology. We compute the cumulative probability distributions for both the small (disk-scale) and large (envelope-scale) polarization percentage. We find that the two are intrinsically different, even after accounting for the different detection thresholds in the high/low surface brightness regions. We perform Kolmogorov–Smirnov and Anderson–Darling tests on the distributions of angle offsets of the polarization from the outflow axis. We find disk-candidate sources are different from the non-disk-candidate sources. We conclude that the polarization on the 100 au scale is consistent with the signature of dust scattering for disk-candidates and that the polarization on the envelope-scale in all sources may come from another mechanism, most likely magnetically aligned grains.

  6. Chasing discs around O-type (proto)stars: Evidence from ALMA observations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cesaroni, R.; Sánchez-Monge, Á.; Beltrán, M. T.; Johnston, K. G.; Maud, L. T.; Moscadelli, L.; Mottram, J. C.; Ahmadi, A.; Allen, V.; Beuther, H.; Csengeri, T.; Etoka, S.; Fuller, G. A.; Galli, D.; Galván-Madrid, R.; Goddi, C.; Henning, T.; Hoare, M. G.; Klaassen, P. D.; Kuiper, R.; Kumar, M. S. N.; Lumsden, S.; Peters, T.; Rivilla, V. M.; Schilke, P.; Testi, L.; van der Tak, F.; Vig, S.; Walmsley, C. M.; Zinnecker, H.

    2017-06-01

    Context. Circumstellar discs around massive stars could mediate the accretion onto the star from the infalling envelope, and could minimize the effects of radiation pressure. Despite such a crucial role, only a few convincing candidates have been provided for discs around deeply embedded O-type (proto)stars. Aims: In order to establish whether disc-mediated accretion is the formation mechanism for the most massive stars, we have searched for circumstellar, rotating discs around a limited sample of six luminous (>105L⊙) young stellar objects. These objects were selected on the basis of their IR and radio properties in order to maximize the likelihood of association with disc+jet systems. Methods: We used ALMA with 0.̋2 resolution to observe a large number of molecular lines typical of hot molecular cores. In this paper we limit our analysis to two disc tracers (methyl cyanide, CH3CN, and its isotopologue, 13CH3CN), and an outflow tracer (silicon monoxide, SiO). Results: We reveal many cores, although their number depends dramatically on the target. We focus on the cores that present prominent molecular line emission. In six of these a velocity gradient is seen across the core,three of which show evidence of Keplerian-like rotation. The SiO data reveal clear but poorly collimated bipolar outflow signatures towards two objects only. This can be explained if real jets are rare (perhaps short-lived) in very massive objects and/or if stellar multiplicity significantly affects the outflow structure.For all cores with velocity gradients, the velocity field is analysed through position-velocity plots to establish whether the gas is undergoing rotation with νrot ∝ R- α, as expected for Keplerian-like discs. Conclusions: Our results suggest that in three objects we are observing rotation in circumstellar discs, with three more tentative cases, and one core where no evidence for rotation is found. In all cases but one, we find that the gas mass is less than the mass of

  7. 3-D MHD disk wind simulations of protostellar jets

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Staff, Jan E.; Koning, Nico; Ouyed, Rachid; Tanaka, Kei; Tan, Jonathan C.

    2016-01-01

    We present the results of large scale, three-dimensional magnetohydrodynamics simulations of disk winds for different initial magnetic field configurations. The jets are followed from the source to distances, which are resolvable by HST and ALMA observations. Our simulations show that jets are heated along their length by many shocks. The mass of the protostar is a free parameter that can be inserted in the post processing of the data, and we apply the simulations to both low mass and high mass protostars. For the latter we also compute the expected diagnostics when the outflow is photoionized by the protostar. We compute the emission lines that are produced, and find excellent agreement with observations. For a one solar mass protostar, we find the jet width to be between 20 and 30 au while the maximum velocities perpendicular to the jet are found to be 100 km s-1. The initially less open magnetic field configuration simulations result in a wider, two-component jet; a cylindrically shaped outer jet surrounding a narrow and much faster, inner jet. For the initially most open magnetic field configuration the kink mode creates a narrow corkscrew-like jet without a clear Keplerian rotation profile and even regions where we observe rotation opposite to the disk (counter-rotating). This is not seen in the less open field configurations.

  8. Multi-level effects of low dose rate ionizing radiation on southern toad, Anaxyrus [Bufo] terrestris

    DOE PAGES

    Stark, Karolina; Scott, David E.; Tsyusko, Olga; ...

    2015-04-30

    Despite their potential vulnerability to contaminants from exposure at multiple life stages, amphibians are one of the least studied groups of vertebrates in ecotoxicology, and research on radiation effects in amphibians is scarce. We used multiple endpoints to assess the radiosensitivity of the southern toad ( Anaxyrus [Bufo] terrestris) during its pre-terrestrial stages of development –embryonic, larval, and metamorphic. Toads were exposed, from several hours after oviposition through metamorphosis (up to 77 days later), to four low dose rates of ¹³⁷Cs at 0.13, 2.4, 21, and 222 mGy d⁻¹, resulting in total doses up to 15.8 Gy. Radiation treatments didmore » not affect hatching success of embryos, larval survival, or the length of the larval period. The individual family variation in hatching success of embryos was larger than the radiation response. In contrast, newly metamorphosed individuals from the higher dose-rate treatments had higher mass and mass/length body indices, a measure which may relate to higher post-metamorphic survival. The increased mass and index at higher dose rates may indicate that the chronic, low dose rate radiation exposures triggered secondary responses. Additionally, the increases in growth were linked to a decrease in DNA damage (as measured by the Comet Assay) in red blood cells at a dose rate of 21mGy d⁻¹ and a total dose of 1.1 Gy. In conclusion, the complex effects of low dose rates of ionizing radiation may trigger growth and cellular repair mechanisms in amphibian larvae.« less

  9. The Frequency of Low-Mass Exoplanets

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    O'Toole, S. J.; Jones, H. R. A.; Tinney, C. G.; Butler, R. P.; Marcy, G. W.; Carter, B.; Bailey, J.; Wittenmyer, R. A.

    2009-08-01

    We report first results from the Anglo-Australian Telescope Rocky Planet Search—an intensive, high-precision Doppler planet search targeting low-mass exoplanets in contiguous 48 night observing blocks. On this run, we targeted 24 bright, nearby and intrinsically stable Sun-like stars selected from the Anglo-Australian Planet Search's main sample. These observations have already detected one low-mass planet reported elsewhere (HD 16417b), and here we reconfirm the detection of HD 4308b. Further, we have Monte Carlo simulated data from this run on a star-by-star basis to produce robust detection constraints. These simulations demonstrate clear differences in the exoplanet detectability functions from star to star due to differences in sampling, data quality and intrinsic stellar stability. They reinforce the importance of star-by-star simulation when interpreting the data from Doppler planet searches. These simulations indicate that for some of our target stars we are sensitive to close-orbiting planets as small as a few Earth masses. The two low-mass planets present in our 24-star sample indicate that the exoplanet minimum mass function at low masses is likely to be a flat α ~ -1 (for dN/dM vprop M α) and that between 15% ± 10% (at α = -0.3) and 48% ± 34% (at α = -1.3) of stars host planets with orbital periods of less than 16 days and minimum masses greater than 3 M ⊕.

  10. Discarded candidate companions to low-mass members of Chamaeleon I

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Comerón, F.

    2012-01-01

    Context. Direct detections of brown dwarfs and planetary-mass companions to members of nearby star-forming regions provide important clues about the process of star formation, core fragmentation, and protoplanetary disk evolution. Aims: We study two faint objects at a very small angular distance from the low-mass star ESO-Hα-558 and the possible massive brown dwarf ESO-Hα-566, both of which are members of the Chamaeleon I star-forming region, to establish whether they are physical companions to those sources. If they are, their low luminosities should imply L or T spectral types, which have clearly detectable spectral features. Methods: Adaptive optics-assisted imaging and spectroscopy of both faint candidate companions has been obtained with the NACO instrument at the Very Large Telescope (VLT). Results: Photometry shows that the colors of both objects are compatible with them being moderately reddened, normal stars in the background of the Chamaeleon I clouds. This interpretation is confirmed spectroscopically, as the spectrum between 1.4 and 2.4 μm of both objects has a featureless, monotonic slope lacking the strong H2O absorption features that dominate cool stellar and substellar spectra in that domain. Conclusions: We demonstrate that the two faint sources seen very close to ESO-Hα-558 and ESO-Hα-566 are unrelated background stars, instead of giant planetary-mass companions as might be expected based on their faintness and angular proximity. Based on observations collected with the Very Large Telescope (VLT) at the European Southern Observatory, Paranal, Chile, under observing programmes 075.C-0809(B) and 078.C-0429(C).

  11. History of the solar-type protostar IRAS 16293-2422 as told by the cyanopolyynes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jaber Al-Edhari, A.; Ceccarelli, C.; Kahane, C.; Viti, S.; Balucani, N.; Caux, E.; Faure, A.; Lefloch, B.; Lique, F.; Mendoza, E.; Quenard, D.; Wiesenfeld, L.

    2017-01-01

    Context. Cyanopolyynes are chains of carbon atoms with an atom of hydrogen and a CN group on either side. They are detected almost everywhere in the interstellar medium (ISM), as well as in comets. In the past, they have been used to constrain the age of some molecular clouds, since their abundance is predicted to be a strong function of time. Finally, cyanopolyynes can potentially contain a large portion of molecular carbon. Aims: We present an extensive study of the cyanopolyynes distribution in the solar-type protostar IRAS 16293-2422. The goals are (I) to obtain a census of the cyanopolyynes in this source and of their isotopologues; (II) to derive how their abundance varies across the protostar envelope; and (III) to obtain constraints on the history of IRAS 16293-2422 by comparing the observations with the predictions of a chemical model. Methods: We analysed the data from the IRAM-30 m unbiased millimeter and submillimeter spectral survey towards IRAS 16293-2422 named TIMASSS. The derived spectral line energy distribution (SLED) of each detected cyanopolyyne was compared with the predictions from the radiative transfer code GRenoble Analysis of Protostellar Envelope Spectra (GRAPES) to derive the cyanopolyyne abundances across the envelope of IRAS 16293-2422. Finally, the derived abundances were compared with the predictions of the chemical model UCL_CHEM. Results: We detect several lines from cyanoacetylene (HC3N) and cyanodiacetylene (HC5N), and report the first detection of deuterated cyanoacetylene, DC3N, in a solar-type protostar. We found that the HC3N abundance is roughly constant ( 1.3 × 10-11) in the outer cold envelope of IRAS 16293-2422, and it increases by about a factor 100 in the inner region where the dust temperature exceeds 80 K, namely when the volcano ice desorption is predicted to occur. The HC5N has an abundance similar to HC3N in the outer envelope and about a factor of ten lower in the inner region. The comparison with the chemical

  12. Chemical and Physical Picture of IRAS 16293–2422 Source B at a Sub-arcsecond Scale Studied with ALMA

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Oya, Yoko; Moriwaki, Kana; Onishi, Shusuke; Sakai, Nami; López–Sepulcre, Ana; Favre, Cécile; Watanabe, Yoshimasa; Ceccarelli, Cecilia; Lefloch, Bertrand; Yamamoto, Satoshi

    2018-02-01

    We have analyzed the OCS, H2CS, CH3OH, and HCOOCH3 data observed toward the low-mass protostar IRAS 16293–2422 Source B at a sub-arcsecond resolution with ALMA. A clear chemical differentiation is seen in their distributions; OCS and H2CS are extended with a slight rotation signature, while CH3OH and HCOOCH3 are concentrated near the protostar. Such a chemical change in the vicinity of the protostar is similar to the companion (Source A) case. The extended component is interpreted by the infalling-rotating envelope model with a nearly face-on configuration. The radius of the centrifugal barrier of the infalling-rotating envelope is roughly evaluated to be (30–50) au. The observed lines show the inverse P-Cygni profile, indicating the infall motion within a few 10 au from the protostar. The nearly pole-on geometry of the outflow lobes is inferred from the SiO distribution, and thus, the infalling and outflowing motions should coexist along the line of sight to the protostar. This implies that the infalling gas is localized near the protostar and the current launching points of the outflow have an offset from the protostar. A possible mechanism for this configuration is discussed.

  13. Searching For Low-mass Companions Of Cepheids

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Remage Evans, Nancy; Bond, H.; Schaefer, G.; Karovska, M.; Mason, B.; DePasquale, J.; Pillitteri, I.; Guinan, E.; Engle, S.

    2011-05-01

    The role played by binary and multiple stars in star formation is receiving a great deal of attention, both theoretically and observationally. Two questions under discussion are how wide physical companions can be and how frequently massive stars have low mass companions. An important new observational tool is the development of high resolution imaging, both from space and from the ground (Adaptive Optics and interferometry). We are conducting a snapshot survey of the nearest Cepheids using the Hubble Space Telescope Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3). The aim is to discover possible resolved low mass companions. Results from this survey will be discussed, including images of Eta Aql. X-ray luminosity can confirm or refute that putative low mass companions are young enough to be physical companions. This project tests the reality of both wide and low mass companions of these intermediate-mass stars.

  14. Observed Luminosity Spread in Young Clusters and FU Ori Stars: A Unified Picture

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Baraffe, I.; Vorobyov, E.; Chabrier, G.

    2012-09-01

    -disk to thick-disk accretion, or in the magnetospheric interaction between the star and the disk. Conversely, the luminosity spread can also be explained by a variation of the initial protostar mass within the ~1-5 M Jup range, although it is unclear for now whether such a spread among the second Larson's core can be produced during the prestellar core second collapse. This unified picture confirms the idea that early accretion during protostar and proto-brown dwarf formation/evolution can explain the observed luminosity spread in young clusters without invoking any significant age spread, and that the concept of a well-defined birthline does not apply for low-mass objects. Finally, we examine the impact of accretion on the determination of the initial mass function in young clusters.

  15. High biomass, low export regimes in the Southern Ocean

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lam, Phoebe J.; Bishop, James K. B.

    2007-03-01

    euphotic zone, coupled with a more diverse particle-feeding zooplankton community immediately below. Surface waters with high biomass levels and high proportion of biomass in the large-size fraction were associated with low particle loading at depth, with all indications implying conditions of low export. The 66°S region exhibits this "high biomass, low export" (HBLE) condition, with very high >51-μm POC concentrations at the surface (˜2.1 μM POC), but low concentrations below 200 m (<0.07 μM POC). The 66°S region remained HBLE after iron fertilization. Iron addition at 55°S caused a 10 fold increase in >51-μm biomass concentrations in the euphotic zone, bringing surface POC concentrations to levels found at 66°S (˜3.8 μM), and a concurrent decrease in POC concentrations below 200 m. The 55°S region, which began with moderate levels of biomass and stronger particle export, transitioned to being HBLE after iron fertilization. We propose that iron addition to already HBLE waters will not cause mass sedimentation events. The stability of an iron-induced HBLE condition is unknown. Better understanding of biological pump processes in non-HBLE Subantarctic waters is needed.

  16. Cold CO Gas in the Envelopes of FU Orionis-type Young Eruptive Stars

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

    Kóspál, Á.; Ábrahám, P.; Moór, A.

    FU Orionis-type objects (FUors) are young stellar objects experiencing large optical outbursts due to highly enhanced accretion from the circumstellar disk onto the star. FUors are often surrounded by massive envelopes, which play a significant role in the outburst mechanism. Conversely, the subsequent eruptions might gradually clear up the obscuring envelope material and drive the protostar on its way to become a disk-only T Tauri star. Here we present an APEX {sup 12}CO and {sup 13}CO survey of eight southern and equatorial FUors. We measure the mass of the gaseous material surrounding our targets, locate the source of the COmore » emission, and derive physical parameters for the envelopes and outflows, where detected. Our results support the evolutionary scenario where FUors represent a transition phase from envelope-surrounded protostars to classical T Tauri stars.« less

  17. A highly embedded protostar in SFO 18: IRAS 05417+0907

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Saha, Piyali; Gopinathan, Maheswar; Puravankara, Manoj; Sharma, Neha; Soam, Archana

    2018-04-01

    Bright-rimmed clouds, located at the periphery of relatively evolved HIT regions, are considered to be the sites of star formation possibly triggered by the implosion caused due to the ionizing radiation from nearby massive stars. SFO 18 is one such region showing a bright-rim on the side facing the 0-type star, A Ori. A point source, IRAS 05417+0907, is detected towards the high density region of the cloud. A molecular outflow has been found to be associated with the source. The outflow is directed towards a Herbig-Haro object, HH 175. From the Spitzer and WISE observations, we show evidence of a physical connection between the molecular outflow, IRAS 05417+0907 and the HH object. The spectral energy distribution constructed using multi-wavelength data shows that the point source is most likely a highly embedded protostar.

  18. Coronal Activity in Low-Mass Pre-Main Sequence Stars: NGC 2264

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Tebbe, H. J.; Patten, B. M.

    2000-01-01

    We present the preliminary results of an analysis of ROSAT images in the region of the populous young (age approx. 3 Myr) star-forming region NGC 2264. The cluster was imaged with the ROSAT HRI in two sets of pointings -- one set near the central region of the cluster, centered on the star LW Mon, and the other set in the southern part of the cluster, centered near the star V428 Mon, just south of the Cone Nebula. In total 113 unique X-ray sources have been identified in the ROSAT images with signal-to-noise ratios greater than 3. The limiting luminosities (log Lx(ergs/sec)) for 3-sigma detections are estimated to be 30.18, 30.23, and 30.08 for the northern field, southern field, and overlap region between the two fields respectively. Extensive optical photometry, classification spectroscopy, and proper motions, obtained from recent ground-based surveys of this region, were used to identify the most likely optical counterpart to each X-ray source. Although most of our X-ray selected sample appears to be associated with NGC 2264 members, we find that the vast majority of the cluster membership was undetected in the ROSAT HRI survey. The X-ray cumulative luminosity function for solar-mass stars in NGC 2264 shows that most of the low-mass members probably have X-ray luminosities similar to those seen for the X-ray brightest members of older clusters such as IC 2391/IC 2602 (age approx. 50 Myr) and the Pleiades (age approx. 100 Myr). This research was funded in part by the SAO Summer Intern Program and NASA grant NAG5-8120.

  19. Transformation of Deep Water Masses Along Lagrangian Upwelling Pathways in the Southern Ocean

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tamsitt, V.; Abernathey, R. P.; Mazloff, M. R.; Wang, J.; Talley, L. D.

    2018-03-01

    Upwelling of northern deep waters in the Southern Ocean is fundamentally important for the closure of the global meridional overturning circulation and delivers carbon and nutrient-rich deep waters to the sea surface. We quantify water mass transformation along upwelling pathways originating in the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific and ending at the surface of the Southern Ocean using Lagrangian trajectories in an eddy-permitting ocean state estimate. Recent related work shows that upwelling in the interior below about 400 m depth is localized at hot spots associated with major topographic features in the path of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current, while upwelling through the surface layer is more broadly distributed. In the ocean interior upwelling is largely isopycnal; Atlantic and to a lesser extent Indian Deep Waters cool and freshen while Pacific deep waters are more stable, leading to a homogenization of water mass properties. As upwelling water approaches the mixed layer, there is net strong transformation toward lighter densities due to mixing of freshwater, but there is a divergence in the density distribution as Upper Circumpolar Deep Water tends become lighter and dense Lower Circumpolar Deep Water tends to become denser. The spatial distribution of transformation shows more rapid transformation at eddy hot spots associated with major topography where density gradients are enhanced; however, the majority of cumulative density change along trajectories is achieved by background mixing. We compare the Lagrangian analysis to diagnosed Eulerian water mass transformation to attribute the mechanisms leading to the observed transformation.

  20. Spitzer IRS Observations of Low-Mass Seyfert Galaxies

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Thornton, Carol E.; Barth, Aaron J.; Ho, Luis C.; Greene, Jenny E.

    2010-05-01

    The Sloan Digital Sky Survey has made it possible to identify the first samples of active galaxies with estimated black hole masses below ~ 106 M⊙. We have obtained Spitzer IRS low-resolution spectra, covering 5-38 μm, of a sample of 41 Seyfert galaxies with low-mass black holes. Our sample includes SDSS-selected objects from the low-mass Seyfert 1 sample of Greene & Ho (2004) and the low-mass Seyfert 2 sample of Barth et al. (2008), as well as NGC 4395 and POX 52. The goals of this work are to examine the dust emission properties of these objects and investigate the relationship between type 1 and type 2 AGNs at low luminosities and low masses, to search for evidence of star formation, and to use emission-line diagnostics to constrain physical conditions within the narrow-line regions. Here we present preliminary results from this project.

  1. Spitzer IRS Observations of Low-Mass Seyfert Galaxies

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Thornton, Carol E.; Barth, A. J.; Greene, J. E.; Ho, L. C.

    2009-05-01

    The Sloan Digital Sky Survey has made it possible to identify the first samples of active galaxies with estimated black hole masses below 106 solar masses. We have obtained Spitzer IRS low-resolution spectra, covering 5-30 microns, of a sample of 41 Seyfert galaxies with low-mass black holes. Our sample includes SDSS-selected objects from the low-mass Seyfert 1 sample of Greene & Ho (2004) and the low-mass Seyfert 2 sample of Barth et al. (2008), as well as NGC 4395 and POX 52. The goals of this work are to examine the dust emission properties of these objects and investigate the relationship between Type 1 and Type 2 AGNs at low luminosities and low masses, to search for evidence of star formation, and to use emission-line diagnostics to constrain physical conditions within the narrow-line regions. We will present preliminary results from this project, including measurements of continuum shapes and dust temperatures, narrow-line region diagnostics, and PAH features, derived using the IDL code PAHFIT (Smith et al. 2007).

  2. Star-forming Filament Models

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

    Myers, Philip C., E-mail: pmyers@cfa.harvard.edu

    2017-03-20

    New models of star-forming filamentary clouds are presented in order to quantify their properties and to predict their evolution. These 2D axisymmetric models describe filaments that have no core, one low-mass core, and one cluster-forming core. They are based on Plummer-like cylinders and spheroids that are bounded by a constant-density surface of finite extent. In contrast to 1D Plummer-like models, they have specific values of length and mass, they approximate observed column density maps, and their distributions of column density ( N -pdfs) are pole-free. Each model can estimate the star-forming potential of a core-filament system by identifying the zonemore » of gas dense enough to form low-mass stars and by counting the number of enclosed thermal Jeans masses. This analysis suggests that the Musca central filament may be near the start of its star-forming life, with enough dense gas to make its first ∼3 protostars, while the Coronet filament is near the midpoint of its star formation, with enough dense gas to add ∼8 protostars to its ∼20 known stars. In contrast, L43 appears to be near the end of its star-forming life, since it lacks enough dense gas to add any new protostars to the two young stellar objectsalready known.« less

  3. Observations of Infrared Molecular Lines Toward the Massive Protostar GL 2591

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Knez, C.; Boonman, A. M. S.; Lacy, J. H.; Evans, N. J., II; Richter, M. J.

    2001-12-01

    Using TEXES (Texas Echelon Cross Echelle Spectrograph) at the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility, we have observed rovibrational transitions of C2H2 and HCN near 13 microns in absorption toward the deeply embedded, massive protostar, GL 2591. GL 2591 is obscured by about 70 magnitudes of visual extinction; however, it is one of the brightest mid-infrared sources. The following lines were observed: C2H2 R(5), R(6), R(12), and R(13) and HCN R(10) and R(16). With a spectral resolution of ~ 3 km/s, all lines are resolved. We show the line profiles and compare the spectra to previous results from Carr et al. (1995), Lahuis & van Dishoeck (2000) and Boonman et al. (2001). Observations with TEXES were supported by the Texas Advanced Research Program.

  4. METHYL CYANIDE OBSERVATIONS TOWARD MASSIVE PROTOSTARS

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

    Rosero, V.; Hofner, P.; Kurtz, S.

    2013-07-01

    We report the results of a survey in the CH{sub 3}CN J = 12 {yields} 11 transition toward a sample of massive proto-stellar candidates. The observations were carried out with the 10 m Submillimeter Telescope on Mount Graham, AZ. We detected this molecular line in 9 out of 21 observed sources. In six cases this is the first detection of this transition. We also obtained full beam sampled cross-scans for five sources which show that the lower K-components can be extended on the arcminute angular scale. The higher K-components, however, are always found to be compact with respect to ourmore » 36'' beam. A Boltzmann population diagram analysis of the central spectra indicates CH{sub 3}CN column densities of about 10{sup 14} cm{sup -2}, and rotational temperatures above 50 K, which confirms these sources as hot molecular cores. Independent fits to line velocity and width for the individual K-components resulted in the detection of an increasing blueshift with increasing line excitation for four sources. Comparison with mid-infrared (mid-IR) images from the SPITZER GLIMPSE/IRAC archive for six sources show that the CH{sub 3}CN emission is generally coincident with a bright mid-IR source. Our data clearly show that the CH{sub 3}CN J = 12 {yields} 11 transition is a good probe of the hot molecular gas near massive protostars, and provide the basis for future interferometric studies.« less

  5. The Low-Mass Stellar Initial Mass Function: Ultra-Faint Dwarf Galaxies Revisited

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Platais, Imants

    2017-08-01

    The stellar Initial Mass Function plays a critical role in the evolution of the baryonic content of the Universe. The form of the low-mass IMF - stars of mass less than the solar mass - determines the fraction of baryons locked up for a Hubble time, and thus indicates how gas and metals are cycled through galaxies. Inferences from resolved stellar populations, where the low-mass luminosity function and associated IMF can be derived from direct star counts, generally favor an invariant and universal IMF. However, a recent study of ultra-faint dwarf galaxies Hercules and Leo IV indicates a bottom-lite IMF, over a narrow range of stellar mass (only 0.55-0.75 M_sun), correlated with the internal velocity dispersion and/or metallicity. We propose to obtain ultra-deep imaging for a significantly closer ultra-faint dwarf, Bootes I, which will allow us to construct the luminosity function down to M_v=+10 (equivalent to 0.35 solar mass). We will also re-analyze the HST archival observations for the Hercules and Leo IV dwarfs using the same updated techniques as for Bootes I. The combined datasets should provide a reliable answer to the question of how variable is the low-mass stellar IMF.

  6. Mass-Radius Relationships for Low-Mass Planets: From Iron Planets to Water Planets

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kuchner, Marc

    2007-01-01

    Transit observations, and radial velocity measurements, have begun to populate the mass radius diagram for extrasolar planets; fubture astrometric measurements and direct images promise more mass and radius information. Clearly, the bulk density of a planet indicates something about a planet s composition--but what? I will attempt to answer this question in general for low-mass planets (mass) using a combination of analytic and numerical calculations, and I will show that all low-mass planets obey a kind of universal mass-radius relationship: an expansion whose first term is M approx. R(sup 3).

  7. High-mass Star Formation Toward Southern Infrared Bubble S10

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ranjan Das, Swagat; Tej, Anandmayee; Vig, Sarita; Ghosh, Swarna K.; Ishwara Chandra, C. H.

    2016-11-01

    An investigation in radio and infrared wavelengths of two high-mass star-forming regions toward the southern Galactic bubble S10 is presented here. The two regions under study are associated with the broken bubble S10 and Extended Green Object, G345.99-0.02, respectively. Radio continuum emission mapped at 610 and 1280 MHz using the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope, India, is detected toward both of the regions. These regions are estimated to be ionized by early-B- to late-O-type stars. Spitzer GLIMPSE mid-infrared data is used to identify young stellar objects (YSOs) associated with these regions. A Class-I/II-type source, with an estimated mass of 6.2 M ⊙, lies ˜7″ from the radio peak. Pixel-wise, modified blackbody fits to the thermal dust emission using Herschel far-infrared data is performed to construct dust temperature and column density maps. Eight clumps are detected in the two regions using the 250 μm image. The masses and linear diameter of these range between ˜300-1600 M ⊙ and 0.2-1.1 pc, respectively, which qualifies them as high-mass star-forming clumps. Modeling of the spectral energy distribution of these clumps indicates the presence of high luminosity, high accretion rate, massive YSOs possibly in the accelerating accretion phase. Furthermore, based on the radio and MIR morphology, the occurrence of a possible bow wave toward the likely ionizing star is explored.

  8. The Survey of HI in Extremely Low-mass Dwarfs: A Multi-Wavelength Perspective on Low-Mass Galaxy Evolution

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cannon, John M.; McNichols, Andrew; Teich, Yaron; Adams, Elizabeth A.; Giovanelli, Riccardo; Haynes, Martha P.; McQuinn, Kristen B.; Salzer, John Joseph; Skillman, Evan D.; Dolphin, Andrew E.; Elson, Edward C.; Haurberg, Nathalie C.; Huang, Shan; Janowiecki, Steven; Jozsa, Gyula; Leisman, Luke; Ott, Juergen; Papastergis, Emmanouil; Rhode, Katherine L.; Saintonge, Amelie; Van Sistine, Angela; Warren, Steven R.

    2017-01-01

    The “Survey of HI in Extremely Low-mass Dwarfs” (SHIELD) is a multiwavelength study of local volume low-mass galaxies drawn from the Arecibo Legacy Fast ALFA (ALFALFA) catalog. HST/Spitzer joint program GO-12658 revealed the stellar populations of the first 12 SHIELD galaxies (Cannon et al. 2011), allowing accurate distance measurements (McQuinn et al. 2014) and detailed studies of the patterns of recent star formation in each galaxy (McQuinn et al. 2015). These HST and Spitzer images are a critical interpretive benchmark for ground-based optical imaging and spectroscopy (Haurberg et al. 2015), as well as for sensitive VLA HI spectral line imaging of the SHIELD galaxies (McNichols et al. 2016; Teich et al. 2016). These results have furthered our understanding of the evolution of galaxies in a mass regime that was previously only sparsely populated. With the low-redshift ALFALFA catalog now complete, the scope of the SHIELD program has been expanded to include all 82 galaxies that meet distance, line width, and HI flux criteria for being gas-rich, low-mass galaxies. In HST program 13750, images of 18 more SHIELD galaxies have again set the physical scales for supporting HI spectral line imaging with both the VLA and the WSRT (Gordon et al. 2016). Taken as a whole, the ongoing SHIELD program is one of the most comprehensive multiwavelength studies of the physical properties of low-mass galaxies outside of the Local Group.

  9. The Mass Distribution of Companions to Low-mass White Dwarfs

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Andrews, Jeff J.; Price-Whelan, Adrian M.; Agüeros, Marcel A.

    2014-12-01

    Measuring the masses of companions to single-line spectroscopic binary stars is (in general) not possible because of the unknown orbital plane inclination. Even when the mass of the visible star can be measured, only a lower limit can be placed on the mass of the unseen companion. However, since these inclination angles should be isotropically distributed, for a large enough, unbiased sample, the companion mass distribution can be deconvolved from the distribution of observables. In this work, we construct a hierarchical probabilistic model to infer properties of unseen companion stars given observations of the orbital period and projected radial velocity of the primary star. We apply this model to three mock samples of low-mass white dwarfs (LMWDs; M <~ 0.45 M ⊙) and a sample of post-common-envelope binaries. We use a mixture of two Gaussians to model the WD and neutron star (NS) companion mass distributions. Our model successfully recovers the initial parameters of these test data sets. We then apply our model to 55 WDs in the extremely low-mass (ELM) WD Survey. Our maximum a posteriori model for the WD companion population has a mean mass μWD = 0.74 M ⊙, with a standard deviation σWD = 0.24 M ⊙. Our model constrains the NS companion fraction f NS to be <16% at 68% confidence. We make samples from the posterior distribution publicly available so that future observational efforts may compute the NS probability for newly discovered LMWDs.

  10. Star Formation in low mass galaxies

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mehta, Vihang

    2018-01-01

    Our current hierarchical view of the universe asserts that the large galaxies we see today grew via mergers of numerous smaller galaxies. As evidenced by recent literature, the collective impact of these low mass galaxies on the universe is more substantial than previously thought. Studying the growth and evolution of these low mass galaxies is critical to our understanding of the universe as a whole. Star formation is one of the most important ongoing processes in galaxies. Forming stars is fundamental to the growth of a galaxy. One of the main goals of my thesis is to analyze the star formation in these low mass galaxies at different redshifts.Using the Hubble UltraViolet Ultra Deep Field (UVUDF), I investigate the star formation in galaxies at the peak of the cosmic star formation history using the ultraviolet (UV) light as a star formation indicator. Particularly, I measure the UV luminosity function (LF) to probe the volume-averaged star formation properties of galaxies at these redshifts. The depth of the UVUDF is ideal for a direct measurement of the faint end slope of the UV LF. This redshift range also provides a unique opportunity to directly compare UV to the "gold standard" of star formation indicators, namely the Hα nebular emission line. A joint analysis of the UV and Hα LFs suggests that, on average, the star formation histories in low mass galaxies (~109 M⊙) are more bursty compared to their higher mass counterparts at these redshifts.Complementary to the analysis of the average star formation properties of the bulk galaxy population, I investigate the details of star formation in some very bursty galaxies at lower redshifts selected from Spitzer Large Area Survey with Hyper-Suprime Cam (SPLASH). Using a broadband color-excess selection technique, I identify a sample of low redshift galaxies with bright nebular emission lines in the Subaru-XMM Deep Field (SXDF) from the SPLASH-SXDF catalog. These galaxies are highly star forming and have

  11. Association between low lean mass and low bone mineral density in 653 women with hip fracture: does the definition of low lean mass matter?

    PubMed

    Di Monaco, Marco; Castiglioni, Carlotta; Di Monaco, Roberto; Tappero, Rosa

    2017-12-01

    Loss of both muscle and bone mass results in fragility fractures with increased risk of disability, poor quality of life, and death. Our aim was to assess the association between low appendicular lean mass (aLM) defined according to different criteria and low bone mineral density (BMD) in hip-fracture women. Six hundred fifty-three women admitted to our rehabilitation hospital underwent dual energy X-ray absorptiometry 19.1 ± 4.1 (mean ± SD) days after hip-fracture occurrence. Low aLM was identified according to either Baumgartner's definition (aLM/height 2 less than two standard deviations below the mean of the young reference group) or FNIH criteria: aLM <15.02 kg, or aLM adjusted for body mass index (BMI) <0.512. Low BMD was diagnosed with a T-score <-2.5 at the unfractured femoral neck. Using Baumgartner's definition, the association between low aLM/height 2 and low BMD was significant: χ 2 (1, n = 653) = 8.52 (p = 0.004), but it was erased by adjustments for age and fat mass. Using the FNIH definition the association between low aLM and low BMD was significant: χ 2 (1, n = 653) = 42.5 (p < 0.001), and it was confirmed after adjustment for age and fat mass (p < 0.001). With the FNIH definition based on aLM/BMI ratio the association between low aLM/BMI ratio and low BMD was nonsignificant: χ 2 (1, n = 653) = 0.003 (p = 0.957). The association between low aLM and low BMD in women with hip fracture dramatically depends on the adopted definition of low aLM. FNIH threshold for aLM (<15.02 kg) emerges as a useful tool to capture women with damage of the muscle-bone unit.

  12. The earliest phases of high-mass star formation, as seen in NGC 6334 by Herschel-HOBYS

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tigé, J.; Motte, F.; Russeil, D.; Zavagno, A.; Hennemann, M.; Schneider, N.; Hill, T.; Nguyen Luong, Q.; Di Francesco, J.; Bontemps, S.; Louvet, F.; Didelon, P.; Könyves, V.; André, Ph.; Leuleu, G.; Bardagi, J.; Anderson, L. D.; Arzoumanian, D.; Benedettini, M.; Bernard, J.-P.; Elia, D.; Figueira, M.; Kirk, J.; Martin, P. G.; Minier, V.; Molinari, S.; Nony, T.; Persi, P.; Pezzuto, S.; Polychroni, D.; Rayner, T.; Rivera-Ingraham, A.; Roussel, H.; Rygl, K.; Spinoglio, L.; White, G. J.

    2017-06-01

    Aims: To constrain models of high-mass star formation, the Herschel-HOBYS key program aims at discovering massive dense cores (MDCs) able to host the high-mass analogs of low-mass prestellar cores, which have been searched for over the past decade. We here focus on NGC 6334, one of the best-studied HOBYS molecular cloud complexes. Methods: We used Herschel/PACS and SPIRE 70-500 μm images of the NGC 6334 complex complemented with (sub)millimeter and mid-infrared data. We built a complete procedure to extract 0.1 pc dense cores with the getsources software, which simultaneously measures their far-infrared to millimeter fluxes. We carefully estimated the temperatures and masses of these dense cores from their spectral energy distributions (SEDs). We also identified the densest pc-scale cloud structures of NGC 6334, one 2 pc × 1 pc ridge and two 0.8 pc × 0.8 pc hubs, with volume-averaged densities of 105 cm-3. Results: A cross-correlation with high-mass star formation signposts suggests a mass threshold of 75 M⊙ for MDCs in NGC 6334. MDCs have temperatures of 9.5-40 K, masses of 75-1000 M⊙, and densities of 1 × 105-7 × 107 cm-3. Their mid-infrared emission is used to separate 6 IR-bright and 10 IR-quiet protostellar MDCs while their 70 μm emission strength, with respect to fitted SEDs, helps identify 16 starless MDC candidates. The ability of the latter to host high-mass prestellar cores is investigated here and remains questionable. An increase in mass and density from the starless to the IR-quiet and IR-bright phases suggests that the protostars and MDCs simultaneously grow in mass. The statistical lifetimes of the high-mass prestellar and protostellar core phases, estimated to be 1-7 × 104 yr and at most 3 × 105 yr respectively, suggest a dynamical scenario of high-mass star formation. Conclusions: The present study provides good mass estimates for a statistically significant sample, covering the earliest phases of high-mass star formation. High-mass

  13. A Pan-Carina Young Stellar Object Catalog: Intermediate-mass Young Stellar Objects in the Carina Nebula Identified Via Mid-infrared Excess Emission

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Povich, Matthew S.; Smith, Nathan; Majewski, Steven R.; Getman, Konstantin V.; Townsley, Leisa K.; Babler, Brian L.; Broos, Patrick S.; Indebetouw, Rémy; Meade, Marilyn R.; Robitaille, Thomas P.; Stassun, Keivan G.; Whitney, Barbara A.; Yonekura, Yoshinori; Fukui, Yasuo

    2011-05-01

    We present a catalog of 1439 young stellar objects (YSOs) spanning the 1.42 deg2 field surveyed by the Chandra Carina Complex Project (CCCP), which includes the major ionizing clusters and the most active sites of ongoing star formation within the Great Nebula in Carina. Candidate YSOs were identified via infrared (IR) excess emission from dusty circumstellar disks and envelopes, using data from the Spitzer Space Telescope (the Vela-Carina survey) and the Two-Micron All Sky Survey. We model the 1-24 μm IR spectral energy distributions of the YSOs to constrain physical properties. Our Pan-Carina YSO Catalog (PCYC) is dominated by intermediate-mass (2 M sun < m <~ 10 M sun) objects with disks, including Herbig Ae/Be stars and their less evolved progenitors. The PCYC provides a valuable complementary data set to the CCCP X-ray source catalogs, identifying 1029 YSOs in Carina with no X-ray detection. We also catalog 410 YSOs with X-ray counterparts, including 62 candidate protostars. Candidate protostars with X-ray detections tend to be more evolved than those without. In most cases, X-ray emission apparently originating from intermediate-mass, disk-dominated YSOs is consistent with the presence of low-mass companions, but we also find that X-ray emission correlates with cooler stellar photospheres and higher disk masses. We suggest that intermediate-mass YSOs produce X-rays during their early pre-main-sequence evolution, perhaps driven by magnetic dynamo activity during the convective atmosphere phase, but this emission dies off as the stars approach the main sequence. Extrapolating over the stellar initial mass function scaled to the PCYC population, we predict a total population of >2 × 104 YSOs and a present-day star formation rate (SFR) of >0.008 M sun yr-1. The global SFR in the Carina Nebula, averaged over the past ~5 Myr, has been approximately constant.

  14. HIGH-MASS STAR FORMATION TOWARD SOUTHERN INFRARED BUBBLE S10

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

    Das, Swagat Ranjan; Tej, Anandmayee; Vig, Sarita

    2016-11-01

    An investigation in radio and infrared wavelengths of two high-mass star-forming regions toward the southern Galactic bubble S10 is presented here. The two regions under study are associated with the broken bubble S10 and Extended Green Object, G345.99-0.02, respectively. Radio continuum emission mapped at 610 and 1280 MHz using the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope, India, is detected toward both of the regions. These regions are estimated to be ionized by early-B- to late-O-type stars. Spitzer GLIMPSE mid-infrared data is used to identify young stellar objects (YSOs) associated with these regions. A Class-I/II-type source, with an estimated mass of 6.2  M {submore » ⊙}, lies ∼7″ from the radio peak. Pixel-wise, modified blackbody fits to the thermal dust emission using Herschel far-infrared data is performed to construct dust temperature and column density maps. Eight clumps are detected in the two regions using the 250 μ m image. The masses and linear diameter of these range between ∼300–1600  M {sub ⊙} and 0.2–1.1 pc, respectively, which qualifies them as high-mass star-forming clumps. Modeling of the spectral energy distribution of these clumps indicates the presence of high luminosity, high accretion rate, massive YSOs possibly in the accelerating accretion phase. Furthermore, based on the radio and MIR morphology, the occurrence of a possible bow wave toward the likely ionizing star is explored.« less

  15. Reevaluating the Mass-Radius Relation for Low-mass, Main-sequence Stars

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Feiden, Gregory A.; Chaboyer, Brian

    2012-09-01

    We examine the agreement between the observed and theoretical low-mass (<0.8 M ⊙) stellar main-sequence mass-radius relationship by comparing detached eclipsing binary (DEB) data with a new, large grid of stellar evolution models. The new grid allows for a realistic variation in the age and metallicity of the DEB population, characteristic of the local galactic neighborhood. Overall, our models do a reasonable job of reproducing the observational data. A large majority of the models match the observed stellar radii to within 4%, with a mean absolute error of 2.3%. These results represent a factor of two improvement compared to previous examinations of the low-mass mass-radius relationship. The improved agreement between models and observations brings the radius deviations within the limits imposed by potential starspot-related uncertainties for 92% of the stars in our DEB sample.

  16. Exploring Our Low-Mass Neighbors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kohler, Susanna

    2017-10-01

    The Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array, located in Socorro, NM. [John Fowler]Taking advantage of a program offered by the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO), an undergraduate class has observed local dwarf galaxies to learn about their properties.The Benefits of Nearby DwarfsIf you want to learn about the physical properties of low-mass galactic halos, the best place to look is nearby dwarf galaxies. These objects have the benefit of being close enough that we can resolve individual stars, allowing us to explore the relationship between star formation and the surrounding interstellar medium. They also allow us to directly measure bulk velocities, so we can interpret the distributions of both dark and baryonic matt5ter in these galaxies.HI images of UGC 11411. Left: HI mass surface density. Right: the intensity-weighted velocity field of the HI gas, which reveals the bulk kinematics of the galaxy. [Bralts-Kelly et al. 2017]Though thousands of local-volume, gas-rich objects have been explored by gas surveys in the past, many have slipped through the cracks due to the varied selection criteria of these different surveys. In a new study, neutral atomic hydrogen observations are presented for the first time for two of these star-forming, gas-rich dwarf galaxies.A Class in ActionGuided by Professor John Cannon and collaborators at other universities, a class of undergraduates at Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota, has coauthored a study of the neutral interstellar medium of these two local dwarf galaxies. The project was made possible by the Observing for University Classes program offered by NRAOs Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA), in which university classes in observational astronomy can apply for observing time with the VLA.Top: a view of UGC 11411s stars from Hubble. Middle: the locations of the galaxys star formation, as traced by SAOs telescopes observations of H. Bottom: UGC 11411s neutral interstellar medium distribution (red contour), overlaid

  17. Infrared Detection of Very Low Mass Stars.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Probst, Ronald George

    We present in this thesis a review of very-low -mass ((TURN)0.1 M(,0)) star research, and results of two observational programs directed at the photometric detection of low mass binary companions in the infrared. Present theoretical desiderata are model atmospheres for very cool dwarf stars and determination of the minimum protostellar mass with all relevant physics included. Luminosities for these stars are well determined, but the effective temperature scale is uncertain and abundance analyses are lacking. Masses are known for very few, and with large relative errors. The luminosity function for M(,v) > 13 is very uncertain. Astrometric methods provide at present the only means of detecting very low mass objects in significant numbers. Completion of the near-star parallax catalogue and measurement of additional low-mass binaries are important observational programs. The potential of photometric selection of red dwarf binaries is explored in Chapter II. Separation of binaries from single stars by color anomalies alone is found impractical. Detection by overluminosity in the HR diagram is hampered by the intrinsic spread of the field star population. However, we find that application of both kinematic and photometric criteria allows binaries to be detected with only moderate contamination by single stars; we discuss several binary suspects selected in this way. Our approach uses an infrared bandpass to provide temperature resolution in the color baseline, and we present JHK photometry for 60 stars, including recent parallax stars with M(,v)>14. We examine the status of the least luminous stars; there is no conclusive evidence that they are not hydrogen-burning objects. Chapter III presents a survey of (TURN)100 white dwarfs at 2 (mu) for infrared excess indicative of low -luminosity cool companions. White dwarf-red dwarf composites are detectable by infared color anomalies down to M(,v)(TURN)21 for the red dwarf component, and our survey is complete to absolute

  18. Influencing Factors of the Body Mass Index of Elementary Students in Southern Taiwan.

    PubMed

    Chou, Li-Na; Chen, Min-Li

    2017-02-23

    The body mass index (BMI) of school children in Taiwan is markedly increasing. According to statistical data from the Taiwan Ministry of Education, the prevalence of obesity in school children from the southern part of the country is the highest in Taiwan. Thus, exploring the factors influencing BMI in elementary school children from southern Taiwan is crucial. This study investigated the influencing factors including physical activity levels, sedentary behaviors, dietary habits, and perceived body shape on the BMIs of elementary school children from southern Taiwan. A cross-sectional design was used, and the participants consisted of 3251 fifth-grade students (1628 boys, 50.1%; 1623 girls, 49.9%). The average BMI values for boys and girls were 19.69 and 18.70 (kg/cm) respectively. Statistically significant associations were observed between BMI and sex, 31-60 min of daily vigorous or moderate physical activities levels, length of time spent watching television, time spent on video games or the computer, and intake of vegetable or meat gravy with rice ( p < 0.001). Perceived body shape also affected the BMI of school children. The results of this study enable educational institutions in Taiwan to understand the factors affecting the BMI of school children and use this information as the basis for future healthy body weight policies.

  19. Deuterated methanol on a solar system scale around the HH212 protostar

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bianchi, E.; Codella, C.; Ceccarelli, C.; Taquet, V.; Cabrit, S.; Bacciotti, F.; Bachiller, R.; Chapillon, E.; Gueth, F.; Gusdorf, A.; Lefloch, B.; Leurini, S.; Podio, L.; Rygl, K. L. J.; Tabone, B.; Tafalla, M.

    2017-10-01

    Context. Deuterium fractionation is a valuable tool for understanding the chemical evolution during the process that leads to the formation of a Sun-like planetary system. Aims: Methanol is thought to be mainly formed during the prestellar phase, and its deuterated form keeps a memory of the conditions at that epoch. The unique combination of high angular resolution and sensitivity provided by ALMA enables us to measure methanol deuteration in the planet formation region around a Class 0 protostar and to understand its origin. Methods: We mapped both the 13CH3OH and CH2DOH distribution in the inner regions ( 100 au) of the HH212 system in Orion B. To this end, we used ALMA Cycle 1 and Cycle 4 observations in Band 7 with angular resolution down to 0.̋15. Results: We detected 6 lines of 13CH3OH and 13 lines of CH2DOH with upper level energies of up to 438 K in temperature units. We derived a rotational temperature of (171 ± 52) K and column densities of 7 × 1016 cm-2 (13CH3OH) and 1 × 1017 cm-2 (CH2DOH), respectively. This yields a D/H ratio of (2.4 ± 0.4) × 10-2, which is lower by an order of magnitude than previously measured values using single-dish telescopes toward protostars located in Perseus. Our findings are consistent with the higher dust temperatures in Orion B with respect to the temperature derived for the Perseus cloud. The emission traces a rotating structure extending up to 45 au from the jet axis, which is elongated by 90 au along the jet axis. So far, the origin of the observed emission appears to be related with the accretion disc. Only higher spatial resolution measurements will be able to distinguish between different possible scenarios, however: disc wind, disc atmosphere, or accretion shocks.

  20. Challenging shock models with SOFIA OH observations in the high-mass star-forming region Cepheus A

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gusdorf, A.; Güsten, R.; Menten, K. M.; Flower, D. R.; Pineau des Forêts, G.; Codella, C.; Csengeri, T.; Gómez-Ruiz, A. I.; Heyminck, S.; Jacobs, K.; Kristensen, L. E.; Leurini, S.; Requena-Torres, M. A.; Wampfler, S. F.; Wiesemeyer, H.; Wyrowski, F.

    2016-01-01

    all the observations might be consistently fitted by a J-type shock model with a high pre-shock density (nH> 105 cm-3), a high shock velocity (νs ≳ 25 km s-1), and with a filling factor of the order of unity. Such a high pre-shock density is generally found in shocks associated to high-mass protostars, contrary to low-mass ones.

  1. Photosynthetic pigment fingerprints as indicators of phytoplankton biomass and development in different water masses of the Southern Ocean during austral spring

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Peeken, Ilka

    The development of phytoplankton biomass and composition was investigated on three occasions along a longitudinal transect (6°W) between 60°S and 47°S from October 13 to November 21, 1992 by measurement of photosynthetic pigments with high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Measured accessory pigment concentrations were multiplied by conversion factors to derive the proportions of phytoplankton groups contributing to the biomass indicator chlorophyll a. Phytoplankton blooms developed in the Polar Frontal region (PFr) and were dominated (80%) by diatoms. Other groups contributing to the phytoplankton included prymnesiophytes, green algae, autotrophic dinoflagellates, cryptophytes, pelagophytes and micromonadophytes, and their distributions varied with time. In contrast, phytoplankton biomass remained low in the southern Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) and was dominated by flagellates, particularly green algae and prymnesiophytes. Green algae contributed more to total biomass than in previous investigations, partly attributed to "Chlorella-like" type organisms rather than prasinophytes. Cryptophytes decreased during the investigation, possibly due to salp grazing. No bloom was observed at the retreating ice-edge, presumably due to strong wind mixing. Only a slight increase in phytoplankton biomass, composed primarily of diatoms, was found at the ACC-Weddell Gyre front. Cluster analysis revealed that different phytoplankton communities characterised the different water masses of the PFr and southern ACC; the history of different water masses in the PFr could be reconstructed on this basis.

  2. The JCMT Gould Belt Survey: A First Look at SCUBA-2 Observations of the Lupus I Molecular Cloud

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mowat, C.; Hatchell, J.; Rumble, D.; Kirk, H.; Buckle, J.; Berry, D. S.; Broekhoven-Fiene, H.; Currie, M. J.; Jenness, T.; Johnstone, D.; Mottram, J. C.; Pattle, K.; Tisi, S.; Di Francesco, J.; Hogerheijde, M. R.; Ward-Thompson, D.; Bastien, P.; Bresnahan, D.; Butner, H.; Chen, M.; Chrysostomou, A.; Coudé, S.; Davis, C. J.; Drabek-Maunder, E.; Duarte-Cabral, A.; Fich, M.; Fiege, J.; Friberg, P.; Friesen, R.; Fuller, G. A.; Graves, S.; Greaves, J.; Holland, W.; Joncas, G.; Kirk, J. M.; Knee, L. B. G.; Mairs, S.; Marsh, K.; Matthews, B. C.; Moriarty-Schieven, G.; Rawlings, J.; Retter, B.; Richer, J.; Robertson, D.; Rosolowsky, E.; Sadavoy, S.; Thomas, H.; Tothill, N.; Viti, S.; White, G. J.; Wouterloot, J.; Yates, J.; Zhu, M.

    2017-05-01

    This paper presents observations of the Lupus I molecular cloud at 450 and 850 μm with Submillimetre Common User Bolometer Array (SCUBA-2) as part of the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope Gould Belt Survey (JCMT GBS). Nine compact sources, assumed to be the discs of young stellar objects (YSOs), 12 extended protostellar, pre-stellar and starless cores, and one isolated, low-luminosity protostar, are detected in the region. Spectral energy distributions, including submillimetre fluxes, are produced for 15 YSOs, and each is fitted with the models of Robitaille et al. The proportion of Class 0/I protostars is higher than that seen in other Gould Belt regions such as Ophiuchus and Serpens. Circumstellar disc masses are calculated for more evolved sources, while protostellar envelope masses are calculated for protostars. Up to four very low luminosity objects are found; a large fraction when compared to other Spitzer c2d regions. One YSO has a disc mass greater than the minimum mass solar nebula. 12 starless/protostellar cores are detected by SCUBA-2 and their masses are calculated. The stability of these cores is examined using both the thermal Jeans mass and a turbulent virial mass when possible. Two cores in Lupus I are super-Jeans and contain no known YSOs. One of these cores has a virial parameter of 1.1 ± 0.4, and could therefore be pre-stellar. The high ratio of Class 0/I to Class III YSOs (1:1), and the presence of a pre-stellar core candidate, provides support for the hypothesis that a shock recently triggered star formation in Lupus I.

  3. Unraveling the 10 micron "silicate" feature of protostars: the detection of frozen interstellar ammonia

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Lacy, J. H.; Faraji, H.; Sandford, S. A.; Allamandola, L. J.

    1998-01-01

    We present infrared spectra of four embedded protostars in the 750-1230 cm-1 (13.3-8.1 microns) range. For NGC 7538 IRS 9, a new band is reported at 1110 cm-1 (9.01 microns, and several others may be present near 785, 820, 900, 1030, and 1075 cm-1 (12.7, 12.2, 11.1, 9.71, and 9.30 microns). The band 1110 cm-1 is attributed to frozen NH3. Its position and width imply that the NH3 is frozen in a polar, H2O-rich interstellar ice component. The NH3/H2O ice ratio inferred for NGC 7538 IRS 9 is 0.1, making NH3 as important a component as CH3OH and CO2 in the polar ices along this line of sight. At these concentrations, hydrogen bonding between the NH3 and H2O can account for much of the enigmatic low-frequency wing on the 3240 cm-1 (3.09 microns) H2O interstellar ice band. The strength of the implied NH3 deformation fundamental at 1624 cm-1 (6.158 microns) can also account for the absorption at this position reported by ISO.

  4. VizieR Online Data Catalog: MYStIX candidate protostars (Romine+, 2016)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Romine, G.; Feigelson, E. D.; Getman, K. V.; Kuhn, M. A.; Povich, M. S.

    2017-04-01

    The present study seeks protostars from the Massive Young Star-forming complex in Infrared and X-ray (MYStIX) survey catalogs. We combine objects with protostellar infrared SEDs and 4.5um excesses with X-ray sources exhibiting ultrahard spectra denoting very heavy obscuration. These criteria filter away nearly all of the older Class II-III stars and contaminant populations, but give very incomplete samples. The result is a list of 1109 protostellar candidates in 14 star-forming regions. See sections 1 and 2 for further explanations. The reliability of the catalog is strengthened because a large majority (86%) are found to be associated with dense cores seen in Herschel 500um maps that trace cold dust emission. However, the candidate list requires more detailed study for confirmation and cannot be viewed as an unbiased view of star formation in the clouds. (3 data files).

  5. Orbit of the young very low-mass spectroscopic binary CHXR 74

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Joergens, V.; Janson, M.; Müller, A.

    2012-01-01

    The pre-main sequence star CHXR 74 (M4.25) in Chamaeleon I was found a few years ago to be a very low-mass spectroscopic binary. A determination of its mass would provide a valuable dynamical mass measurement at young ages in the poorly constrained mass regime of <0.3 M⊙. We carried out follow-up radial velocity monitoring with UVES/VLT between 2008 and 2011 and high-resolution adaptive-optic-assisted imaging with NACO/VLT in 2008 with the aim of constraining the binary orbit. We present an orbital solution of the system based on the combined radial velocity data set, which spans more than eleven years of UVES monitoring for CHXR 74. The best-fit Kepler model has an orbital period of 13.1 years, zero eccentricity, and a radial velocity semi-amplitude of 2.2 km s-1. A companion mass M2sini (which is a lower limit due to the unknown orbital inclination i) of 0.08 M⊙ is derived by using a model-dependent mass estimate for the primary of 0.24 M⊙. The binary separation (a1sini + a2) for an inclination of 90° is 3.8 AU, which corresponds to 23 mas. Complementary NACO/VLT images of CHXR 74 were taken with the aim to directly resolve the binary. While there are marginal signs of an extended point spread function (PSF), we have detected no convincing companion to CHXR 74 in the NACO images. From the non-detection of the companion together with a prediction of the binary separation at the time of the NACO observations, we derive an upper limit for the K-band brightness ratio of the two binary components of 0.5. This allows us to estimate an upper limit of the companion mass of 0.14 M⊙ by applying evolutionary models. Thus, we confirm that CHXR 74 is a very low-mass spectroscopic binary and constrain the secondary mass to lie within the range of about 0.08 and 0.14 M⊙. We predict an astrometric signal of the primary between 0.2 and 0.4 mas when taking into account the luminosity of the companion. The Gaia astrometric mission might well be able to solve the

  6. Outflow activities in the young high-mass stellar object G23.44-0.18

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ren, Jeremy Zhiyuan; Liu, Tie; Wu, Yuefang; Li, Lixin

    2011-07-01

    We present an observational study towards the young high-mass star-forming region G23.44-0.18 using the Submillimeter Array. Two massive, radio-quiet dusty cores MM1 and MM2 are observed in 1.3-mm continuum emission and dense molecular gas tracers including thermal CH3OH, CH3CN, HNCO, SO, and OCS lines. The 12CO (2-1) line reveals a strong bipolar outflow originating from MM2. The outflow consists of a low-velocity component with wide-angle quasi-parabolic shape and a more compact and collimated high-velocity component. The overall geometry resembles the outflow system observed in the low-mass protostar which has a jet-driven fast flow and entrained gas shell. The outflow has a dynamical age of 6 × 103 yr and a mass loss rate ˜10-3 M ⊙ yr-1. A prominent shock emission in the outflow is observed in SO and OCS, and also detected in CH3OH and HNCO. We investigated the chemistry of MM1, MM2 and the shocked region. The dense core MM2 have molecular abundances of three to four times higher than those in MM1. The abundance excess, we suggest, can be a net effect of the stellar evolution and embedded shocks in MM2 that calls for further inspection.

  7. Photometric Study of Fourteen Low-mass Binaries

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

    Korda, D.; Zasche, P.; Wolf, M.

    2017-07-01

    New CCD photometric observations of fourteen short-period low-mass eclipsing binaries (LMBs) in the photometric filters I, R, and V were used for a light curve analysis. A discrepancy remains between observed radii and those derived from the theoretical modeling for LMBs, in general. Mass calibration of all observed LMBs was performed using only the photometric indices. The light curve modeling of these selected systems was completed, yielding the new derived masses and radii for both components. We compared these systems with the compilation of other known double-lined LMB systems with uncertainties of masses and radii less then 5%, which includesmore » 66 components of binaries where both spectroscopy and photometry were combined together. All of our systems are circular short-period binaries, and for some of them, the photospheric spots were also used. A purely photometric study of the light curves without spectroscopy seems unable to achieve high enough precision and accuracy in the masses and radii to act as meaningful test of the M–R relation for low-mass stars.« less

  8. High- and low-molecular-mass microbial surfactants.

    PubMed

    Rosenberg, E; Ron, E Z

    1999-08-01

    Microorganisms synthesize a wide variety of high- and low-molecular-mass bioemulsifiers. The low-molecular-mass bioemulsifiers are generally glycolipids, such as trehalose lipids, sophorolipids and rhamnolipids, or lipopeptides, such as surfactin, gramicidin S and polymyxin. The high-molecular-mass bioemulsifiers are amphipathic polysaccharides, proteins, lipopolysaccharides, lipoproteins or complex mixtures of these biopolymers. The low-molecular-mass bioemulsifiers lower surface and interfacial tensions, whereas the higher-molecular-mass bioemulsifiers are more effective at stabilizing oil-in-water emulsions. Three natural roles for bioemulsifiers have been proposed: (i) increasing the surface area of hydrophobic water-insoluble growth substrates; (ii) increasing the bioavailability of hydrophobic substrates by increasing their apparent solubility or desorbing them from surfaces; (iii) regulating the attachment and detachment of microorganisms to and from surfaces. Bioemulsifiers have several important advantages over chemical surfactants, which should allow them to become prominent in industrial and environmental applications. The potential commercial applications of bioemulsifiers include bioremediation of oil-polluted soil and water, enhanced oil recovery, replacement of chlorinated solvents used in cleaning-up oil-contaminated pipes, vessels and machinery, use in the detergent industry, formulations of herbicides and pesticides and formation of stable oil-in-water emulsions for the food and cosmetic industries.

  9. Influencing Factors of the Body Mass Index of Elementary Students in Southern Taiwan

    PubMed Central

    Chou, Li-Na; Chen, Min-Li

    2017-01-01

    The body mass index (BMI) of school children in Taiwan is markedly increasing. According to statistical data from the Taiwan Ministry of Education, the prevalence of obesity in school children from the southern part of the country is the highest in Taiwan. Thus, exploring the factors influencing BMI in elementary school children from southern Taiwan is crucial. This study investigated the influencing factors including physical activity levels, sedentary behaviors, dietary habits, and perceived body shape on the BMIs of elementary school children from southern Taiwan. A cross-sectional design was used, and the participants consisted of 3251 fifth-grade students (1628 boys, 50.1%; 1623 girls, 49.9%). The average BMI values for boys and girls were 19.69 and 18.70 (kg/cm) respectively. Statistically significant associations were observed between BMI and sex, 31–60 min of daily vigorous or moderate physical activities levels, length of time spent watching television, time spent on video games or the computer, and intake of vegetable or meat gravy with rice (p < 0.001). Perceived body shape also affected the BMI of school children. The results of this study enable educational institutions in Taiwan to understand the factors affecting the BMI of school children and use this information as the basis for future healthy body weight policies. PMID:28241506

  10. Constraining the Abundances of Complex Organics in the Inner Regions of Solar-Type Protostars

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    López-Sepulcre, A.; Taquet, V.; Ceccarelli, C.; Neri, R.; Kahane, C.; Charnley, S. B.

    2015-12-01

    We present arcsecond-resolution observations, obtained with the IRAM Plateau de Bure interferometer, of multiple complex organic molecules in two hot corino protostars: IRAS 2A and IRAS 4A, in the NGC 1333 star-forming region. The distribution of the line emission is very compact, indicating the presence of COMs is mostly concentrated in the inner hot corino regions. A comparison of the COMs abundances with astrochemical models favours a gas-phase formation route for CH3OCH3, and a grain formation of C2H5OH, C2H5CN, and HCOCH2OH. The high abundances of methyl formate (HCOOCH3) remain underpredicted by an order of magnitude.

  11. Stellar physics. Observing the onset of outflow collimation in a massive protostar.

    PubMed

    Carrasco-González, C; Torrelles, J M; Cantó, J; Curiel, S; Surcis, G; Vlemmings, W H T; van Langevelde, H J; Goddi, C; Anglada, G; Kim, S-W; Kim, J-S; Gómez, J F

    2015-04-03

    The current paradigm of star formation through accretion disks, and magnetohydrodynamically driven gas ejections, predicts the development of collimated outflows, rather than expansion without any preferential direction. We present radio continuum observations of the massive protostar W75N(B)-VLA 2, showing that it is a thermal, collimated ionized wind and that it has evolved in 18 years from a compact source into an elongated one. This is consistent with the evolution of the associated expanding water-vapor maser shell, which changed from a nearly circular morphology, tracing an almost isotropic outflow, to an elliptical one outlining collimated motions. We model this behavior in terms of an episodic, short-lived, originally isotropic ionized wind whose morphology evolves as it moves within a toroidal density stratification. Copyright © 2015, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

  12. TRACING INFALL AND ROTATION ALONG THE OUTFLOW CAVITY WALLS OF THE L483 PROTOSTELLAR ENVELOPE

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

    Leung, Gigi Y.C.; Lim, Jeremy; Takakuwa, Shigehisa

    2016-12-10

    Single-dish observations in CS(7–6) reveal emission extending out to thousands of au along the outflow axis of low-mass protostars and having a velocity gradient in the opposite direction to that of their outflows. This emission has been attributed to dense and warm gas flowing outward along the walls of bipolar outflow cavities. Here, we present combined single-dish and interferometric CS(7–6) maps for the low-mass protostar L483, revealing a newly discovered compact central component (radius ≲800 au) and previously unknown features in its extended component (visible out to ∼4000 au). The velocity gradient and skewed (toward the redshifted side) brightness distributionmore » of the extended component are detectable out to a radius of ∼2000 au, but not beyond. The compact central component exhibits a velocity gradient in the same direction as, but which is steeper than that of, the extended component. Furthermore, both components exhibit a velocity gradient with an approximately constant magnitude across the outflow axis, apparent in the extended component not just through but also away from the center out to 2000 au. We point out contradictions between our results and model predictions for outflowing gas and propose a new model in which all of the aforementioned emission can be qualitatively explained by gas inflowing along the outflow cavity walls of a rigidly rotating envelope. Our model also can explain the extended CS(7–6) emission observed around other low-mass protostars.« less

  13. Southern Pine Beetle Competitors

    Treesearch

    Fred M. Stephen

    2011-01-01

    When southern pine beetles mass attack a living pine tree, if colonization is successful the tree dies and its phloem becomes immediately available to a complex of other bark beetles and long-horned beetles, all of which, in order to reproduce, compete for the new resource. In southern pines the phloem-inhabiting guild is composed of the southern pine beetle...

  14. THE WEIGHT OF SUCCESS: THE BODY MASS INDEX AND ECONOMIC WELL-BEING IN SOUTHERN AFRICA.

    PubMed

    Wittenberg, Martin

    2013-10-01

    We show that body mass increases with economic resources among most Southern Africans, although not all. Among Black South Africans the relationship is non-decreasing over virtually the entire range of incomes/wealth. Furthermore in this group other measures of "success" (e.g., employment and education) are also associated with increases in body mass. This is true in both 1998 (the Demographic and Health Survey) and 2008 (National Income Dynamics Survey). A similar relationship holds among residents of Lesotho, Swaziland, Mozambique, Malawi, and Namibia. This suggests that body mass can be used as a crude measure of well-being. This allows us to examine the vexed question in South African labor economics whether there is involuntary unemployment. The fact that the unemployed are lighter than the employed, even when we control for household fixed effects, suggests that they are not choosing this state.

  15. Thirty New Low-mass Spectroscopic Binaries

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shkolnik, Evgenya L.; Hebb, Leslie; Liu, Michael C.; Reid, I. Neill; Collier Cameron, Andrew

    2010-06-01

    As part of our search for young M dwarfs within 25 pc, we acquired high-resolution spectra of 185 low-mass stars compiled by the NStars project that have strong X-ray emission. By cross-correlating these spectra with radial velocity standard stars, we are sensitive to finding multi-lined spectroscopic binaries. We find a low-mass spectroscopic binary fraction of 16% consisting of 27 SB2s, 2 SB3s, and 1 SB4, increasing the number of known low-mass spectroscopic binaries (SBs) by 50% and proving that strong X-ray emission is an extremely efficient way to find M-dwarf SBs. WASP photometry of 23 of these systems revealed two low-mass eclipsing binaries (EBs), bringing the count of known M-dwarf EBs to 15. BD-22 5866, the ESB4, was fully described in 2008 by Shkolnik et al. and CCDM J04404+3127 B consists of two mid-M stars orbiting each other every 2.048 days. WASP also provided rotation periods for 12 systems, and in the cases where the synchronization time scales are short, we used P rot to determine the true orbital parameters. For those with no P rot, we used differential radial velocities to set upper limits on orbital periods and semimajor axes. More than half of our sample has near-equal-mass components (q > 0.8). This is expected since our sample is biased toward tight orbits where saturated X-ray emission is due to tidal spin-up rather than stellar youth. Increasing the samples of M-dwarf SBs and EBs is extremely valuable in setting constraints on current theories of stellar multiplicity and evolution scenarios for low-mass multiple systems. Based on observations collected at the W. M. Keck Observatory, the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope and by the WASP Consortium. The Keck Observatory is operated as a scientific partnership between the California Institute of Technology, the University of California, and NASA, and was made possible by the generous financial support of the W. M. Keck Foundation. The CFHT is operated by the National Research Council of Canada

  16. Forming spectroscopic massive protobinaries by disc fragmentation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Meyer, D. M.-A.; Kuiper, R.; Kley, W.; Johnston, K. G.; Vorobyov, E.

    2018-01-01

    The surroundings of massive protostars constitute an accretion disc which has numerically been shown to be subject to fragmentation and responsible for luminous accretion-driven outbursts. Moreover, it is suspected to produce close binary companions which will later strongly influence the star's future evolution in the Hertzsprung-Russel diagram. We present three-dimensional gravitation-radiation-hydrodynamic numerical simulations of 100 M⊙ pre-stellar cores. We find that accretion discs of young massive stars violently fragment without preventing the (highly variable) accretion of gaseous clumps on to the protostars. While acquiring the characteristics of a nascent low-mass companion, some disc fragments migrate on to the central massive protostar with dynamical properties showing that its final Keplerian orbit is close enough to constitute a close massive protobinary system, having a young high- and a low-mass components. We conclude on the viability of the disc fragmentation channel for the formation of such short-period binaries, and that both processes - close massive binary formation and accretion bursts - may happen at the same time. FU-Orionis-type bursts, such as observed in the young high-mass star S255IR-NIRS3, may not only indicate ongoing disc fragmentation, but also be considered as a tracer for the formation of close massive binaries - progenitors of the subsequent massive spectroscopic binaries - once the high-mass component of the system will enter the main-sequence phase of its evolution. Finally, we investigate the Atacama Large (sub-)Millimeter Array observability of the disc fragments.

  17. Dissolved rare earth elements in the central-western sector of the Ross Sea, Southern Ocean: Geochemical tracing of seawater masses.

    PubMed

    Turetta, Clara; Barbaro, Elena; Capodaglio, Gabriele; Barbante, Carlo

    2017-09-01

    The present essay contributes to the existing literature on rare earth elements (REEs) in the southern hemisphere by presenting the first data, to our knowledge, on the vertical profiles of dissolved REEs in 71 samples collected in the central-western sector of the Ross Sea (Southern Ocean-SO). The REEs were measured in the water samples collected during the 2002-2003 and 2005-2006 austral summers. 4 samples were collected and analysed in the framework of a test experiment, as part of the WISSARD Project (Whillans Ice Stream Subglacial Access Research Drilling). Our results show significant differences between the REE patterns of the main water masses present in the SO: we could observe specific signature in the High Salinity Shelf Water (HSSW), Ice Shelf Water (ISW) and Low Salinity Shelf Water (LSSW). A significant increase in Terbium (Tb) concentration was observed in the HSSW and ISW, the two principal water masses contributing to the formation of Antarctic Bottom Water (AABW) in the Ross Sea area, and in LSSW. Some of the HSSW samples show enrichment in Neodymium (Nd). Dissolved REE could therefore be used as tracers to understand the deep circulation of the SO (Pacific sector). We hypothesize that: (I) the characteristic dissolved REE pattern may derive from the composition of source area and from the hydrothermal activity of the central-western area of the Ross Sea; (II) the Tb anomaly observed in the AABW on the South Australian platform could be partially explained by the contribution of AABW generated in the Ross Sea region. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. The low-mass star and disk populations in NGC 6611

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Oliveira, Joana

    2005-07-01

    The aim of our observational program is to find empirical answers to two major questions. Do regions of high-mass star formation also produce lots of solar- and low-mass stars, i.e. is the low-mass IMF unaffected by high-mass siblings? Can low-mass stars in hostile environments retain circumstellar disks? We present results of our survey of NGC 6611, a massive cluster with an age of approximately 2 Myr which is currently ionizing the Eagle nebula. This cluster contains a dozen O-stars that emit 10 times more ionizing radiation than the Trapezium, providing a challenging environment for their lower-mass siblings. Our dataset consists of wide field optical and near infrared imaging, intermediate resolution spectroscopy (ESO-VLT) and deep L-band photometry. We have photometrically selected solar- and low-mass stars, placed them on the HR diagram and determined the IMF over an area sufficient to deal with mass segregation. We show that the IMF in NGC6611 is similar to that of the Orion Nebula Cluster down to 0.5Msun. Using K-L indices we search for colour excesses that betray the presence of circumstellar material and study what fraction of solar-mass stars still possess disks as a function of age and proximity to the massive stars. By comparing the disk frequency in NGC6611 with similarly aged but quieter regions, we find no evidence that the harsher environment of NGC6611 significantly hastens disk dissipation. Apparently the massive stars in NGC6611 have no global effect on the probability of low-mass star formation or disk retention. We have an approved HST program that will allows us to investigate the very low-mass and brown dwarf populations in NGC6611. And we complement our IR imaging with Spitzer/ORAC data, extending the area of our ground-based survey.

  19. Dynamic Responses of Flexible Cylinders with Low Mass Ratio

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Olaoye, Abiodun; Wang, Zhicheng; Triantafyllou, Michael

    2017-11-01

    Flexible cylinders with low mass ratios such as composite risers are attractive in the offshore industry because they require lower top tension and are less likely to buckle under self-weight compared to steel risers. However, their relatively low stiffness characteristics make them more vulnerable to vortex induced vibrations. Additionally, numerical investigation of the dynamic responses of such structures based on realistic conditions is limited by high Reynolds number, complex sheared flow profile, large aspect ratio and low mass ratio challenges. In the framework of Fourier spectral/hp element method, the current technique employs entropy-viscosity method (EVM) based large-eddy simulation approach for flow solver and fictitious added mass method for structure solver. The combination of both methods can handle fluid-structure interaction problems at high Reynolds number with low mass ratio. A validation of the numerical approach is provided by comparison with experiments.

  20. Low Muscle Mass and Breast Cancer Survival

    Cancer.gov

    In a new study, researchers compared the risk of death for women with breast cancer who had low skeletal muscle mass, or sarcopenia, at diagnosis and women who had adequate muscle mass. Learn what they found and what it might mean for patients in this Cancer Currents blog post.

  1. Tracing Low-Mass Star Formation in the Magellanic Clouds

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Petr-Gotzens, Monika; Zivkov, V.; Oliveira, J.

    2017-06-01

    Star formation in low metallicity environments is evidently occurring under different conditions than in our Milky Way. Lower metallicity implies a lower dust to gas ratio, most likely leading to less cooling efficiency at high density molecular cores where low mass stars are expected to form. We outline a project that aims to identify the low mass pre-main sequence populations within the Large and Small Magellanic Cloud. We developed an automatic detection algorithm that systematically analyses near-infrared colour-magnitude diagrammes constructed from the VMC (VISTA Magellanic Clouds) public survey data. In this poster we present our first results that show that we are able to detect significant numbers of PMS stars with masses down to 1.5 solar mass.

  2. Intermediate to low-mass stellar content of Westerlund 1

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Brandner, W.; Clark, J. S.; Stolte, A.; Waters, R.; Negueruela, I.; Goodwin, S. P.

    2008-01-01

    We have analysed near-infrared NTT/SofI observations of the starburst cluster Westerlund 1, which is among the most massive young clusters in the Milky Way. A comparison of colour-magnitude diagrams with theoretical main-sequence and pre-main sequence evolutionary tracks yields improved extinction and distance estimates of AKs = 1.13 ± 0.03 mag and d = 3.55 ± 0.17 kpc (DM = 12.75 ± 0.10 mag). The pre-main sequence population is best fit by a Palla & Stahler isochrone for an age of 3.2 Myr, while the main sequence population is in agreement with a cluster age of 3 to 5 Myr. An analysis of the structural parameters of the cluster yields that the half-mass radius of the cluster population increases towards lower mass, indicative of the presence of mass segregation. The cluster is clearly elongated with an eccentricity of 0.20 for stars with masses between 10 and 32 M_⊙, and 0.15 for stars with masses in the range 3 to 10 M_⊙. We derive the slope of the stellar mass function for stars with masses between 3.4 and 27 M_⊙. In an annulus with radii between 0.75 and 1.5 pc from the cluster centre, we obtain a slope of Γ = -1.3. Closer in, the mass function of Westerlund 1 is shallower with Γ = -0.6. The extrapolation of the mass function for stars with masses from 0.08 to 120 M_⊙ yields an initial total stellar mass of ≈52 000 M_⊙, and a present-day mass of 20 000 to 45 000 M_⊙ (about 10 times the stellar mass of the Orion nebula cluster, and 2 to 4 times the mass of the NGC 3603 young cluster), indicating that Westerlund 1 is the most massive starburst cluster identified to date in the Milky Way. Based on observations collected at the European Southern Observatory, La Silla, Chile, and retrieved from the ESO archive (Prog ID 67.C-0514).

  3. Very Low-Mass Stars with Extremely Low Metallicity in the Milky Way's Halo

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Aoki, Wako; Beers, Timothy C.; Suda, Takuma; Honda, Satoshi; Lee, Young Sun

    2016-08-01

    Large surveys and follow-up spectroscopic studies in the past few decades have been providing chemical abundance data for a growing number of very metal-poor ([Fe/H] <-2) stars. Most of them are red giants or main-sequence turn-off stars having masses near 0.8 solar masses. Lower mass stars with extremely low metallicity ([Fe/H] <-3) are yet to be explored. Our high-resolution spectroscopic study for very metal-poor stars found with SDSS has identified four cool main-sequence stars with [Fe/H] <-2.5 among 137 objects (Aoki et al. 2013). The effective temperatures of these stars are 4500-5000 K, corresponding to a mass of around 0.5 solar masses. Our standard analysis of the high-resolution spectra based on 1D-LTE model atmospheres has obtained self-consistent chemical abundances for these objects, assuming small values of micro-turbulent velocities compared with giants and turn-off stars. The low temperature of the atmospheres of these objects enables us to measure their detailed chemical abundances. Interestingly, two of the four stars have extreme chemical-abundance patterns: one has the largest excesses of heavy neutron-capture elements associated with the r-process abundance pattern known to date (Aoki et al. 2010), and the other exhibits low abundances of the α-elements and odd-Z elements, suggested to be signatures of the yields of very massive stars (> 100 solar masses; Aoki et al. 2014). Although the sample size is still small, these results indicate the potential of very low-mass stars as probes to study the early stages of the Milky Way's halo formation.

  4. THE WEIGHT OF SUCCESS: THE BODY MASS INDEX AND ECONOMIC WELL-BEING IN SOUTHERN AFRICA

    PubMed Central

    Wittenberg, Martin

    2015-01-01

    We show that body mass increases with economic resources among most Southern Africans, although not all. Among Black South Africans the relationship is non-decreasing over virtually the entire range of incomes/wealth. Furthermore in this group other measures of “success” (e.g., employment and education) are also associated with increases in body mass. This is true in both 1998 (the Demographic and Health Survey) and 2008 (National Income Dynamics Survey). A similar relationship holds among residents of Lesotho, Swaziland, Mozambique, Malawi, and Namibia. This suggests that body mass can be used as a crude measure of well-being. This allows us to examine the vexed question in South African labor economics whether there is involuntary unemployment. The fact that the unemployed are lighter than the employed, even when we control for household fixed effects, suggests that they are not choosing this state. PMID:26199456

  5. Southern hemisphere low level wind circulation statistics from the Seasat scatterometer

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Levy, Gad

    1994-01-01

    Analyses of remotely sensed low-level wind vector data over the Southern Ocean are performed. Five-day averages and monthly means are created and the month-to-month variability during the winter (July-September) of 1978 is investigated. The remotely sensed winds are compared to the Australian Bureau of Meteorology (ABM) and the National Meteorological Center (NMC) surface analyses. In southern latitudes the remotely sensed winds are stronger than what the weather services' analyses suggest, indicating under-estimation by ABM and NMC in these regions. The evolution of the low-level jet and the major stormtracks during the season are studied and different flow regimes are identified. The large-scale variability of the meridional flow is studied with the aid of empirical orthogonal function (EOF) analysis. The dominance of quasi-stationary wave numbers 3,4, and 5 in the winter flows is evident in both the EOF analysis and the mean flow. The signature of an exceptionally strong blocking situation is evident in July and the special conditions leading to it are discussed. A very large intraseasonal variability with different flow regimes at different months is documented.

  6. Spitzer IRS Observations of Low-Mass Seyfert Galaxies

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Thornton, Carol E.; Barth, A. J.; Ho, L. C.; Greene, J. E.

    2010-01-01

    We present results from Spitzer IRS observations of a sample of 41 Seyfert galaxies with estimated black hole masses below 106 solar masses, including objects from the SDSS-selected samples of Seyfert 1 galaxies from Greene & Ho (2004) and Seyfert 2 galaxies from Barth et al. (2008), as well as NGC 4395 and POX 52. We use the IDL code PAHFIT (Smith et al. 2007) to derive measurements of continuum shapes and narrow emission line and PAH luminosities from the low-resolution spectra in order to examine the dust emission properties of these objects and investigate the relationship between Type 1 and Type 2 AGNs at low luminosities and low masses, to search for evidence of star formation, and to use emission-line diagnostics to constrain physical conditions within the narrow-line regions.

  7. First results from the CALYPSO IRAM-PdBI survey. II. Resolving the hot corino in the Class 0 protostar NGC 1333-IRAS2A

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Maury, A. J.; Belloche, A.; André, Ph.; Maret, S.; Gueth, F.; Codella, C.; Cabrit, S.; Testi, L.; Bontemps, S.

    2014-03-01

    Aims: We investigate the origin of complex organic molecules (COMs) in the gas phase around the low-mass Class 0 protostar NGC 1333-IRAS2A, to determine if the COM emission lines trace an embedded disk, shocks from the protostellar jet, or the warm inner parts of the protostellar envelope. Methods: In the framework of the CALYPSO IRAM Plateau de Bure survey, we obtained large bandwidth spectra at sub-arcsecond resolution towards NGC 1333-IRAS2A. We identify the emission lines towards the central protostar and perform Gaussian fits to constrain the size of the emitting region for each of these lines, tracing various physical conditions and scales. Results: The emission of numerous COMs such as methanol, ethylene glycol, and methyl formate is spatially resolved by our observations. This allows us to measure, for the first time, the size of the COM emission inside the protostellar envelope, finding that it originates from a region of radius 40-100 AU, centered on the NGC 1333-IRAS2A protostellar object. Our analysis shows no preferential elongation of the COM emission along the jet axis, and therefore does not support the hypothesis that COM emission arises from shocked envelope material at the base of the jet. Down to similar sizes, the dust continuum emission is well reproduced with a single power-law envelope model, and therefore does not favor the hypothesis that COM emission arises from the thermal sublimation of grains embedded in a circumstellar disk. Finally, the typical scale ~60 AU observed for COM emission is consistent with the size of the inner envelope where Tdust > 100 K is expected. Our data therefore strongly suggest that the COM emission traces the hot corino in IRAS2A, i.e., the warm inner envelope material where the icy mantles of dust grains evaporate because they are passively heated by the central protostellar object. Based on observations carried out with the IRAM Plateau de Bure Interferometer. IRAM is supported by INSU/CNRS (France), MPG

  8. A First-look Atmospheric Modeling Study of the Young Directly Imaged Planet-mass Companion, ROXs 42Bb

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Currie, Thayne; Burrows, Adam; Daemgen, Sebastian

    2014-06-01

    We present and analyze JKsL' photometry and our previously published H-band photometry and K-band spectroscopy for ROXs 42Bb, an object Currie et al. first reported as a young directly imaged planet-mass companion. ROXs 42Bb exhibits IR colors redder than field L dwarfs but consistent with other planet-mass companions. From the H2O-2 spectral index, we estimate a spectral type of L0 ± 1; weak detections/non-detections of the CO bandheads, Na I, and Ca I support evidence for a young, low surface gravity object primarily derived from the H2(K) index. ROXs 42Bb's photometry/K-band spectrum are inconsistent with limiting cases of dust-free atmospheres (COND) and marginally inconsistent with the AMES/DUSTY models and the BT-SETTL models. However, ROXS 42Bb data are simultaneously fit by atmosphere models incorporating several micron-sized dust grains entrained in thick clouds, although further modifications are needed to better reproduce the K-band spectral shape. ROXs 42Bb's best-estimated temperature is T eff ~ 1950-2000 K, near the low end of the empirically derived range in Currie et al. For an age of ~1-3 Myr and considering the lifetime of the protostar phase, ROXs 42Bb's luminosity of log(L/L ⊙) ~ -3.07 ± 0.07 implies a mass of 9^{+3}_{-3} MJ , making it one of the lightest planetary-mass objects yet imaged.

  9. Very Low Mass Stars with Extremely Low Metallicity in the Milky Way's Halo

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Aoki, Wako; Beers, Timothy C.; Takuma, Suda; Honda, Satoshi; Lee, Young Sun

    2015-08-01

    Large surveys and follow-up spectroscopic studies in the past few decades have been providing chemical abundance data for a growing number of very metal-poor ([Fe/H] <-2) stars. Most of them are red giants or main-sequence turn-off stars having masses near 0.8 solar masses. Lower mass stars with extremely low metallicity ([Fe/H] <-3) have yet to be well explored. Our high-resolution spectroscopic study for very metal-poor stars found with SDSS has identified four cool main-sequence stars with [Fe/H] <-2.5 among 137 objects (Aoki et al. 2013, AJ, 145, 13). The effective temperatures of these stars are 4500--5000 K, corresponding to a mass of around 0.5 solar masses. Our standard analysis of the high-resolution spectra based on 1D-LTE model atmospheres have obtained self-consistent chemical abundances for these objects, assuming small values of micro-turbulent velocities compared with giants and turn-off stars. The low temperature of the atmospheres of these objects enables us to measure their detailed chemical abundances. Interestingly, two of the four stars have extreme chemical abundance patterns: one has the largest excesses of heavy neutron-capture elements associated with the r-process abundance pattern known to date (Aoki et al. 2010, ApJL 723, L201), and the other exhibits low abundances of the alpha-elements and odd-Z elements, suggested to be the signatures of the yields of very massive stars ( >100 solar masses; Aoki et al. 2014, Science 345, 912). Although the sample size is still small, these results indicate the potential of very low-mass stars as probes to study the early stages of the Milky Way's halo formation.

  10. Angular Momentum Evolution in Young Low Mass Stars

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pinzón, G.; de La Reza, R.

    2006-06-01

    During the last decades, the study of rotation in young low mass stars has been one of the more active areas in the field of stellar evolution. Many theoretical efforts have been made to understand the angular momentum evolution and our picture now, reveals the main role of the stellar magnetic field in all pre-main sequence stage (Ghosh & Lamb 1979, ApJ, 234, 296; Cameron & Campbell 1993, A&A, 274, 309; Cameron & Campbell 1995, A&A, 298, 133; Kúker, Henning, & Rúdiger 2003, ApJ, 589, 397; Matt & Pudritz 2005, MNRAS, 356, 167). The mean rotation of most of the cool low mass stars remains roughly constant during the T Tauri stage. This can be explained by the disc locking scenario. This paradigm suggest that star start out as CTTS with periods of 4-14 days, perhaps locked to their disc, and that this disc is eventually lost mainly by accretion. At the current time, it is not clear that this is true for all low mass stars. Some authors have questioned its validity for stars less massive than 0.5 solar masses. Although the reality may eventually turn out to be considerably more complex, a simple consideration of the effects of and limits on disc locking of young low mass stars seems necessary.We have investigated the exchange of angular momentum between a low mass star and an accretion disc during the Hayashi Track (Pinzón, Kúker, & de la Reza 2005, in preparation) and also along the first 100Myr of stellar evolution. The model incorporates changes in the star's moment of inertia, magnetic field strength (Elstner & Rúdiger 2000, A&A, 358, 612), angular momentum loss by a magnetic wind and an exponential decrease of the accretion rate. The lifetime of the accretion disc is a free parameter in our model. The resulting rotation rates are in agreement with observed vsin and photometric periods for young stars belonging to co-moving groups and open young clusters.

  11. Disk Accretion and the Stellar Birthline

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hartmann, Lee; Cassen, Patrick; Kenyon, Scott J.

    1997-02-01

    We present a simplified analysis of some effects of disk accretion on the early evolution of fully convective, low-mass pre-main-sequence stars. Our analysis builds on the previous seminal work of Stahler, but it differs in that the accretion of material occurs over a small area of the stellar surface, such as through a disk or magnetospheric accretion column, so that most of the stellar photosphere is free to radiate to space. This boundary condition is similar to the limiting case considered by Palla & Stahler for intermediate-mass stars. We argue that for a wide variety of disk mass accretion rates, material will be added to the star with relatively small amounts of thermal energy. Protostellar evolution calculated assuming this ``low-temperature'' limit of accretion generally follows the results of Stahler because of the thermostatic nature of deuterium fusion, which prevents protostars from contracting below a ``birthline'' in the H-R diagram. Our calculated protostellar radii tend to fall below Stahler's at higher masses; the additional energy loss from the stellar photosphere in the case of disk accretion tends to make the protostar contract. The low-temperature disk accretion evolutionary tracks never fall below the deuterium-fusion birthline until the internal deuterium is depleted, but protostellar tracks can lie above the birthline in the H-R diagram if the initial radius of the protostellar core is large enough or if rapid disk accretion (such as might occur during FU Ori outbursts) adds significant amounts of thermal energy to the star. These possibilities cannot be ruled out by either theoretical arguments or observational constraints at present, so that individual protostars might evolve along a multiplicity of birthlines with a modest range of luminosity at a given mass. Our results indicate that there are large uncertainties in assigning ages for the youngest stars from H-R diagram positions, given the uncertainty in birthline positions. Our

  12. Theoretical uncertainties on the radius of low- and very-low-mass stars

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tognelli, E.; Prada Moroni, P. G.; Degl'Innocenti, S.

    2018-05-01

    We performed an analysis of the main theoretical uncertainties that affect the radius of low- and very-low-mass stars predicted by current stellar models. We focused on stars in the mass range 0.1-1 M⊙, on both the zero-age main sequence (ZAMS) and on 1, 2, and 5 Gyr isochrones. First, we quantified the impact on the radius of the uncertainty of several quantities, namely the equation of state, radiative opacity, atmospheric models, convection efficiency, and initial chemical composition. Then, we computed the cumulative radius error stripe obtained by adding the radius variation due to all the analysed quantities. As a general trend, the radius uncertainty increases with the stellar mass. For ZAMS structures the cumulative error stripe of very-low-mass stars is about ±2 and ±3 per cent, while at larger masses it increases up to ±4 and ±5 per cent. The radius uncertainty gets larger and age dependent if isochrones are considered, reaching for M ˜ 1 M⊙ about +12(-15) per cent at an age of 5 Gyr. We also investigated the radius uncertainty at a fixed luminosity. In this case, the cumulative error stripe is the same for both ZAMS and isochrone models and it ranges from about ±4 to +7 and +9(-5) per cent. We also showed that the sole uncertainty on the chemical composition plays an important role in determining the radius error stripe, producing a radius variation that ranges between about ±1 and ±2 per cent on ZAMS models with fixed mass and about ±3 and ±5 per cent at a fixed luminosity.

  13. Changes in Holocene to LGM water mass stratification near Southern Africa inferred from Nd isotopes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jones, K. M.; Goldstein, S. L.; Hemming, S. R.; Hall, I. R.; Zahn, R.

    2009-12-01

    Global thermohaline circulation (THC) is an important component of the climate system that initiates or amplifies abrupt climate change. A major driver of THC is the formation of North Atlantic Deep Water (NADW), which is sandwiched by northward flowing Southern Ocean water masses as it is advected southward. An important exit route of NADW out of the South Atlantic is through flow around the southern tip of Africa, which makes the South African Margin an excellent location to investigate changes in THC and water mass stratification through time. We measured the Nd isotopes of modern seawater from three depth profiles collected along the South African Margin, which were collected on RSS Charles Darwin Cruise 154. All seawater profiles show a similar pattern with higher ɛNd values at intermediate depths (ɛNd ~ -9.5 at 600-1200m), lower values for the core of NADW (ɛNd ~ -11.5 at 2000-3500m), and higher values in the deepest waters sampled (ɛNd -9.8 at 4150m). This pattern is consistent with conservative mixing of major North Atlantic and Southern Ocean end-member water masses and is not consistent with inputs from, or exchange with margin sediments, for most depths. We also measured the Nd isotopes of multiple sedimentary archives in proximal Holocene coretop sediments collected from depths spanning intermediate to deep/bottom waters. The Nd isotopes of a fish tooth, several foram coating leachates, and multiple bulk sediment Fe-Mn leachates display the same pattern as the local seawater. We had no seawater for comparison with our deepest core (VM19-224; depth ~ 4600m), but the eNd value from it (ɛNd = -8.4) is consistent with Antarctic Bottom Water (ɛNd ~ -8.5). These results suggest: (1) that Nd isotopes of seawater in the region behave conservatively; (2) that the local margin sediments faithfully record the Nd isotope composition of the waters they are bathed in and (3) this “ground-truthing” implies that it is valid to use Nd isotopes as a circulation

  14. Glacier Ice Mass Fluctuations and Fault Instability in Tectonically Active Southern Alaska

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    SauberRosenberg, Jeanne M.; Molnia, Bruce F.

    2003-01-01

    Across southern Alaska the northwest directed subduction of the Pacific plate is accompanied by accretion of the Yakutat terrane to continental Alaska. This has led to high tectonic strain rates and dramatic topographic relief of more than 5000 meters within 15 km of the Gulf of Alaska coast. The glaciers of this area are extensive and include large glaciers undergoing wastage (glacier retreat and thinning) and surges. The large glacier ice mass changes perturb the tectonic rate of deformation at a variety of temporal and spatial scales. We estimated surface displacements and stresses associated with ice mass fluctuations and tectonic loading by examining GPS geodetic observations and numerical model predictions. Although the glacial fluctuations perturb the tectonic stress field, especially at shallow depths, the largest contribution to ongoing crustal deformation is horizontal tectonic strain due to plate convergence. Tectonic forces are thus the primary force responsible for major earthquakes. However, for geodetic sites located < 10-20 km from major ice mass fluctuations, the changes of the solid Earth due to ice loading and unloading are an important aspect of interpreting geodetic results. The ice changes associated with Bering Glacier s most recent surge cycle are large enough to cause discernible surface displacements. Additionally, ice mass fluctuations associated with the surge cycle can modify the short-term seismicity rates in a local region. For the thrust faulting environment of the study region a large decrease in ice load may cause an increase in seismic rate in a region close to failure whereas ice loading may inhibit thrust faulting.

  15. ACCURATE LOW-MASS STELLAR MODELS OF KOI-126

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

    Feiden, Gregory A.; Chaboyer, Brian; Dotter, Aaron, E-mail: gregory.a.feiden@dartmouth.edu

    2011-10-10

    The recent discovery of an eclipsing hierarchical triple system with two low-mass stars in a close orbit (KOI-126) by Carter et al. appeared to reinforce the evidence that theoretical stellar evolution models are not able to reproduce the observational mass-radius relation for low-mass stars. We present a set of stellar models for the three stars in the KOI-126 system that show excellent agreement with the observed radii. This agreement appears to be due to the equation of state implemented by our code. A significant dispersion in the observed mass-radius relation for fully convective stars is demonstrated; indicative of the influencemore » of physics currently not incorporated in standard stellar evolution models. We also predict apsidal motion constants for the two M dwarf companions. These values should be observationally determined to within 1% by the end of the Kepler mission.« less

  16. PROTOSTELLAR OUTFLOWS AND RADIATIVE FEEDBACK FROM MASSIVE STARS. II. FEEDBACK, STAR-FORMATION EFFICIENCY, AND OUTFLOW BROADENING

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

    Kuiper, Rolf; Turner, Neal J.; Yorke, Harold W., E-mail: rolf.kuiper@uni-tuebingen.de, E-mail: Neal.J.Turner@jpl.nasa.gov, E-mail: Harold.W.Yorke@jpl.nasa.gov

    2016-11-20

    We perform two-dimensional axially symmetric radiation hydrodynamic simulations to assess the impact of outflows and radiative force feedback from massive protostars by varying when the protostellar outflow starts, and to determine the ratio of ejection to accretion rates and the strength of the wide-angle disk wind component. The star-formation efficiency, i.e., the ratio of final stellar mass to initial core mass, is dominated by radiative forces and the ratio of outflow to accretion rates. Increasing this ratio has three effects. First, the protostar grows slower with a lower luminosity at any given time, lowering radiative feedback. Second, bipolar cavities clearedmore » by the outflow become larger, further diminishing radiative feedback on disk and core scales. Third, the higher momentum outflow sweeps up more material from the collapsing envelope, decreasing the protostar's potential mass reservoir via entrainment. The star-formation efficiency varies with the ratio of ejection to accretion rates from 50% in the case of very weak outflows to as low as 20% for very strong outflows. At latitudes between the low-density bipolar cavity and the high-density accretion disk, wide-angle disk winds remove some of the gas, which otherwise would be part of the accretion flow onto the disk; varying the strength of these wide-angle disk winds, however, alters the final star-formation efficiency by only ±6%. For all cases, the opening angle of the bipolar outflow cavity remains below 20° during early protostellar accretion phases, increasing rapidly up to 65° at the onset of radiation pressure feedback.« less

  17. WHERE ARE THE LOW-MASS POPULATION III STARS?

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

    Ishiyama, Tomoaki; Sudo, Kae; Yokoi, Shingo

    2016-07-20

    We study the number and the distribution of low-mass Population III (Pop III) stars in the Milky Way. In our numerical model, hierarchical formation of dark matter minihalos and Milky-Way-sized halos are followed by a high-resolution cosmological simulation. We model the Pop III formation in H{sub 2} cooling minihalos without metal under UV radiation of the Lyman–Werner bands. Assuming a Kroupa initial mass function (IMF) from 0.15 to 1.0 M {sub ⊙} for low-mass Pop III stars, as a working hypothesis, we try to constrain the theoretical models in reverse by current and future observations. We find that the survivorsmore » tend to concentrate on the center of halo and subhalos. We also evaluate the observability of Pop III survivors in the Milky Way and dwarf galaxies, and constraints on the number of Pop III survivors per minihalo. The higher latitude fields require lower sample sizes because of the high number density of stars in the galactic disk, the required sample sizes are comparable in the high- and middle-latitude fields by photometrically selecting low-metallicity stars with optimized narrow-band filters, and the required number of dwarf galaxies to find one Pop III survivor is less than 10 at <100 kpc for the tip of red giant stars. Provided that available observations have not detected any survivors, the formation models of low-mass Pop III stars with more than 10 stars per minihalo are already excluded. Furthermore, we discuss the way to constrain the IMF of Pop III stars at a high mass range of ≳10 M {sub ⊙}.« less

  18. Embedded Outflows from Herbig-Haro 46/47

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    2003-01-01

    [figure removed for brevity, see original site] Click on image for larger view of insert

    This image from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope transforms a dark cloud into a silky translucent veil, revealing the molecular outflow from an otherwise hidden newborn star. Using near-infrared light, Spitzer pierces through the dark cloud to detect the embedded outflow in an object called HH 46/47. Herbig-Haro (HH) objects are bright, nebulous regions of gas and dust that are usually buried within dark clouds. They are formed when supersonic gas ejected from a forming protostar, or embryonic stars, interacts with the surrounding interstellar medium. These young stars are often detected only in the infrared.

    The Spitzer image was obtained with the infrared array camera and is a three-color mosaic. Emission at 3.6 microns is shown as blue, emission from 4.5 and 5.8 microns has been combined as green, and 8.0 micron emission is depicted as red.

    HH 46/47 is a striking example of a low mass protostar ejecting a jet and creating a bipolar, or two-sided, outflow. The central protostar lies inside a dark cloud (known as a 'Bok globule') which is illuminated by the nearby Gum Nebula. Located at a distance of 1,140 light-years and found in the constellation Vela, the protostar is hidden from view in the visible-light image (inset). With Spitzer, the star and its dazzling jets of molecular gas appear with clarity.

    The 8-micron channel of the infrared array camera is sensitive to emission from polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. These organic molecules, comprised of carbon and hydrogen, are excited by the surrounding radiation field and become luminescent, accounting for the reddish cloud. Note that the boundary layer of the 8-micron emission corresponds to the lower right edge of the dark cloud in the visible-light picture.

    Outflows are fascinating objects, since they characterize one of the most energetic phases of the formation of low-mass stars (like our Sun). The

  19. Collision safety of a hard-shell low-mass vehicle

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

    Kaeser, R.; Walz, F.H.; Brunner, A.

    1994-06-01

    Low-mass vehicles and in particular low-mass electric vehicles as produced today in very small quantities are in general not designed for crashworthiness in collisions. Particular problems of compact low-mass cars are: reduced length of the car front, low mass compared to other vehicles, and heavy batteries in the case of an electric car. With the intention of studying design improvements, three frontal crash tests were run last year: the first one with a commercial, lightweight electric car; the second with a reinforced version of the same car; and the last one with a car based on a different structural designmore » with a `hard-shell` car body. Crash tests showed that the latter solution made better use of the small zone available for continuous energy absorption. The paper discusses further the problem of frontal collisions between vehicles of different weight and, in particular, the side collision. A side-collision test was run with the hard-shell vehicle following the ECE lateral-impact test procedure at 50 km/h and led to results for the EuroSIDI-dummy well below current injury tolerance criteria.« less

  20. Collision safety of a hard-shell low-mass vehicle.

    PubMed

    Kaeser, R; Walz, F H; Brunner, A

    1994-06-01

    Low-mass vehicles and in particular low-mass electric vehicles as produced today in very small quantities are in general not designed for crashworthiness in collisions. Particular problems of compact low-mass cars are: reduced length of the car front, low mass compared to other vehicles, and heavy batteries in the case of an electric car. With the intention of studying design improvements, three frontal crash tests were run last year: the first one with a commercial, lightweight electric car; the second with a reinforced version of the same car; and the last one with a car based on a different structural design with a "hard-shell" car body. Crash tests showed that the latter solution made better use of the small zone available for continuous energy absorption. The paper discusses further the problem of frontal collisions between vehicles of different weight and, in particular, the side collision. A side-collision test was run with the hard-shell vehicle following the ECE lateral-impact test procedure at 50 km/h and led to results for the EuroSID1-dummy well below current injury tolerance criteria.

  1. Local-scale controls of a low-severity fire regime (1750-1950), southern British Columbia, Canada

    Treesearch

    Emily K. Heyerdahl; Ken Lertzman; Stephen Karpuk

    2007-01-01

    Historical low-severity fire regimes are well characterized in ponderosa pine and mixed-conifer forests at many sites in the western United States, but not in the southern interior of British Columbia, Canada. We reconstructed a history of low-severity fires (1750-1950) near the northern limit of ponderosa pine and demonstrated that local-scale spatial variation in...

  2. The different baryonic Tully-Fisher relations at low masses.

    PubMed

    Brook, Chris B; Santos-Santos, Isabel; Stinson, Greg

    2016-06-11

    We compare the Baryonic Tully-Fisher relation (BTFR) of simulations and observations of galaxies ranging from dwarfs to spirals, using various measures of rotational velocity V rot . We explore the BTFR when measuring V rot at the flat part of the rotation curve, V flat , at the extent of H i gas, V last , and using 20 per cent ( W 20 ) and 50 per cent ( W 50 ) of the width of H i line profiles. We also compare with the maximum circular velocity of the parent halo, [Formula: see text], within dark matter only simulations. The different BTFRs increasingly diverge as galaxy mass decreases. Using V last  one obtains a power law over four orders of magnitude in baryonic mass, with slope similar to the observed BTFR. Measuring V flat gives similar results as V last when galaxies with rising rotation curves are excluded. However, higher rotation velocities would be found for low-mass galaxies if the cold gas extended far enough for V rot to reach a maximum. W 20 gives a similar slope as V last but with slightly lower values of V rot for low-mass galaxies, although this may depend on the extent of the gas in your galaxy sample. W 50 bends away from these other relations towards low velocities at low masses. By contrast, [Formula: see text] bends towards high velocities for low-mass galaxies, as cold gas does not extend out to the radius at which haloes reach [Formula: see text]. Our study highlights the need for careful comparisons between observations and models: one needs to be consistent about the particular method of measuring V rot , and precise about the radius at which velocities are measured.

  3. Low Mass Muscle Actuators (LoMMAs) Using Electroactive Polymers

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bar-Cohen, Y.; Xue, T.; Joffe, B.; Lih, S. S.; Willis, P.; Simpson, J.; Smith, J.; Clair, T.; Shahinpoor, M.

    1997-01-01

    NASA is using actuation devices for many space applications and there is an increasing need to cut their cost as well as reduce their size, mass, and power consumption. Existing transducing actuators, such as piezoceramics, are inducing limited displacement levels. Potentially, electroactive polymers (so called EAP) can be formed as inexpensive, low-mass, low-power, miniature muscle actuators that are superior to the widely used actuators.

  4. Refining Models of L1527-IRS

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Baker Metzler-Winslow, Elizabeth; Terebey, Susan

    2018-06-01

    This project examines the Class 0/Class 1 protostar L1527-IRS (hereby referred to as L1527) in the interest of creating a more accurate computational model. In a Class 0/Class I protostar like L1527, the envelope is massive, the protostar is growing in mass, and the disk is a small fraction of the protostar mass. Recent work based on ALMA data indicates that L1527, located in the constellation Taurus (about 140 parsecs from Earth), is about ~0.44 solar masses. Existing models were able to fit the spectral energy distribution of L1527 by assuming a puffed-up inner disk. However, the inclusion of the puffed-up disk results in a portion of the disk coinciding with the outflow cavities, a physically unsatisfying arrangement. This project tests models which decrease the size of the disk and increase the density of the outflow cavities (hypothesizing that some dust from the walls of the outflow cavities is swept up into the cavity itself) against existing observational data, and finds that these models fit the data relatively well.

  5. Direct Search for Low Mass Dark Matter Particles with CCDs

    DOE PAGES

    Barreto, J.; Cease, H.; Diehl, H. T.; ...

    2012-05-15

    A direct dark matter search is performed using fully-depleted high-resistivity CCD detectors. Due to their low electronic readout noise (RMS ~7 eV) these devices operate with a very low detection threshold of 40 eV, making the search for dark matter particles with low masses (~5 GeV) possible. The results of an engineering run performed in a shallow underground site are presented, demonstrating the potential of this technology in the low mass region.

  6. Searching for Low-mass Companions of Cepheids, Part II

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Remage Evans, Nancy; Tingle, E.; Bond, H. E.; Schaefer, G. H.; Mason, B.; Karovska, M.; Wolk, S.; Pillitteri, I.; DePasquale, J.; Guinan, E.; Engle, S.

    2012-01-01

    The formation of a binary/multiple system is an effective way to manipulate angular momentum during the star-formation process. The properties of binary systems (separations and mass ratios) are thus the ``fingerprints" of the process. Low mass companions are the most difficult to identify particularly for massive stars. We are conducting a snapshot survey of the nearest Cepheids (5 Msun stars) using the Hubble Space Telescope Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3) to discover possible resolved low mass companions. The color-magnitude combination is the first approach to identifying probable physical companions. The distributions of mass and separation for these stars will be discussed. Financial suppoet was provided by Hubble grant GO-12215.01-A and the Chandra X-ray Center NASA contract NAS8-03060.

  7. Winds from stripped low-mass helium stars and Wolf-Rayet stars

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Vink, Jorick S.

    2017-11-01

    We present mass-loss predictions from Monte Carlo radiative transfer models for helium (He) stars as a function of stellar mass, down to 2 M⊙. Our study includes both massive Wolf-Rayet (WR) stars and low-mass He stars that have lost their envelope through interaction with a companion. For these low-mass He stars we predict mass-loss rates that are an order of magnitude smaller than by extrapolation of empirical WR mass-loss rates. Our lower mass-loss rates make it harder for these elusive stripped stars to be discovered via line emission, and we should attempt to find these stars through alternative methods instead. Moreover, lower mass-loss rates make it less likely that low-mass He stars provide stripped-envelope supernovae (SNe) of type Ibc. We express our mass-loss predictions as a function of L and Z and not as a function of the He abundance, as we do not consider this physically astute given our earlier work. The exponent of the M⊙ versus Z dependence is found to be 0.61, which is less steep than relationships derived from recent empirical atmospheric modelling. Our shallower exponent will make it more challenging to produce "heavy" black holes of order 40 M⊙, as recently discovered in the gravitational wave event GW 150914, making low metallicity for these types of events even more necessary.

  8. SHIELD: EVLA HI Spectral Line Observations of Low-mass Dwarfs

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Miazzo, Masao; Ruvolo, Elizabeth; Cannon, John M.; McNichols, Andrew; Teich, Yaron; Adams, Elizabeth A.; Giovanelli, Riccardo; Haynes, Martha P.; McQuinn, Kristen B.; Salzer, John Joseph; Skillman, Evan D.; Dolphin, Andrew E.; Elson, Edward C.; Haurberg, Nathalie C.; Huang, Shan; Janowiecki, Steven; Jozsa, Gyula; Leisman, Luke; Ott, Juergen; Papastergis, Emmanouil; Rhode, Katherine L.; Saintonge, Amelie; Van Sistine, Angela; Warren, Steven R.

    2017-01-01

    The “Survey of HI in Extremely Low-mass Dwarfs” (SHIELD) is a multiwavelength study of local volume low-mass galaxies. Using the now-complete Arecibo Legacy Fast ALFA (ALFALFA) source catalog, 82 systems are identified that meet distance, line width, and HI flux criteria for being gas-rich, low-mass galaxies. These systems harbor neutral gas reservoirs smaller than 3x10^7 M_sun, thus populating the faint end of the HI mass function with statistical confidence for the first time. Here we present new Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array D-configuration HI spectral line observations of 32 previously unobserved galaxies. These low angular resolution (~40" beam) images localize the HI gas; with a few exceptions, the HI gas is co-spatial with the optical centers of the galaxies. These images provide the first glimpse of the neutral interstellar medium in these systems.Support for this work was provided by NSF grant 1211683 to JMC at Macalester College.

  9. LEO P: AN UNQUENCHED VERY LOW-MASS GALAXY

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

    McQuinn, Kristen B. W.; Skillman, Evan D.; Berg, Danielle

    Leo P is a low-luminosity dwarf galaxy discovered through the blind H i Arecibo Legacy Fast ALFA survey. The H i and follow-up optical observations have shown that Leo P is a gas-rich dwarf galaxy with active star formation, an underlying older population, and an extremely low oxygen abundance. We have obtained optical imaging with the Hubble Space Telescope to two magnitudes below the red clump in order to study the evolution of Leo P. We refine the distance measurement to Leo P to be 1.62 ± 0.15 Mpc, based on the luminosity of the horizontal branch stars and 10more » newly identified RR Lyrae candidates. This places the galaxy at the edge of the Local Group, ∼0.4 Mpc from Sextans B, the nearest galaxy in the NGC 3109 association of dwarf galaxies of which Leo P is clearly a member. The star responsible for ionizing the H ii region is most likely an O7V or O8V spectral type, with a stellar mass ≳25 M{sub ⊙}. The presence of this star provides observational evidence that massive stars at the upper end of the initial mass function are capable of being formed at star formation rates as low as ∼10{sup −5} M{sub ⊙} yr{sup −1}. The best-fitting star formation history (SFH) derived from the resolved stellar populations of Leo P using the latest PARSEC models shows a relatively constant star formation rate over the lifetime of the galaxy. The modeled luminosity characteristics of Leo P at early times are consistent with low-luminosity dSph Milky Way satellites, suggesting that Leo P is what a low-mass dSph would look like if it evolved in isolation and retained its gas. Despite the very low mass of Leo P, the imprint of reionization on its SFH is subtle at best, and consistent with being totally negligible. The isolation of Leo P, and the total quenching of star formation of Milky Way satellites of similar mass, implies that the local environment dominates the quenching of the Milky Way satellites.« less

  10. Discovery of wide low and very low-mass binary systems using Virtual Observatory tools

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gálvez-Ortiz, M. C.; Solano, E.; Lodieu, N.; Aberasturi, M.

    2017-04-01

    The frequency of multiple systems and their properties are key constraints of stellar formation and evolution. Formation mechanisms of very low-mass (VLM) objects are still under considerable debate, and an accurate assessment of their multiplicity and orbital properties is essential for constraining current theoretical models. Taking advantage of the virtual observatory capabilities, we looked for comoving low and VLM binary (or multiple) systems using the Large Area Survey of the UKIDSS LAS DR10, SDSS DR9 and the 2MASS Catalogues. Other catalogues (WISE, GLIMPSE, SuperCosmos, etc.) were used to derive the physical parameters of the systems. We report the identification of 36 low and VLM (˜M0-L0 spectral types) candidates to binary/multiple system (separations between 200 and 92 000 au), whose physical association is confirmed through common proper motion, distance and low probability of chance alignment. This new system list notably increases the previous sampling in their mass-separation parameter space (˜100). We have also found 50 low-mass objects that we can classify as ˜L0-T2 according to their photometric information. Only one of these objects presents a common proper motion high-mass companion. Although we could not constrain the age of the majority of the candidates, probably most of them are still bound except four that may be under disruption processes. We suggest that our sample could be divided in two populations: one tightly bound wide VLM systems that are expected to last more than 10 Gyr, and other formed by weak bound wide VLM systems that will dissipate within a few Gyr.

  11. Low Mass AGN: Combining IRAC With Near-IR Grism Spectroscopy

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Colbert, James; Teplitz, Harry; Malkan, Matt; Scarlata, Claudia; Bagley, Micaela; Baronchelli, Ivano; Hayden-Pawson, Connor; Rafelski, Marc

    2017-10-01

    Low mass AGN are critical to understanding the evolution of AGNs and stars in galaxies, marking the time periods of highest accretion efficiency and greatest likely deviations from the black hole mass - sigma correlation. Using the WFC3 Infrared Spectroscopic Parallels (WISP), we have just recently identified 68 candidate z > 1 AGN in 27 fields from their near-infrared emission line ratios. The WISP survey selects emission line galaxies without any pre-selection bias and is exquisitely sensitive to low mass (down to 10^7 solar masses), high-equivalent width galaxies that are missed by most other surveys. We propose to take IRAC 4.5 micron imaging of these AGN candidate fields in order to confirm 68 low mass AGN candidates, identify additional low mass IR-AGN missed by emission line selection, and produce the SED fits that can separate hot dust from star light, allowing comparison of stellar mass to AGN bolometric luminosity. The upcoming Euclid and WFIRST missions will generate hundreds of thousands of near-infrared spectra over a similar redshift range to WISP. For most of these objects, near-infrared emission line ratios will be the only viable AGN diagnostic. The Spitzer IRAC color AGN selection is one of the most robust AGN identifiers available. We wish to test these near-infrared emission line selection methods against the IRAC selection in order to evaluate the reliability of the AGN these future missions are likely to produce.

  12. Calorimetry of low mass Pu239 items

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

    Cremers, Teresa L; Sampson, Thomas E

    2010-01-01

    Calorimetric assay has the reputation of providing the highest precision and accuracy of all nondestructive assay measurements. Unfortunately, non-destructive assay practitioners and measurement consumers often extend, inappropriately, the high precision and accuracy of calorimetric assay to very low mass items. One purpose of this document is to present more realistic expectations for the random uncertainties associated with calorimetric assay for weapons grade plutonium items with masses of 200 grams or less.

  13. Properties of Low-mass AGN as They Relate to Unification and Massive AGN

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hood, Carol E.

    2011-01-01

    Current unification models of AGN suggest the observational differences between Type 1 and Type 2 objects are solely due to the orientation angle of the object. Observations have proved consistent with predictions and continue to strengthen the case for unification, however, many are still searching for "true" Type 2 objects, including predictions of their formation due to low luminosity or low accretion rate. Low-mass (< 106solar masses) AGN provide interesting environments in which these unification models can be studied. We also aim to compare the properties of low-mass AGN with their more massive counterparts to look for structural similarities and differences over a more substantial range of luminosities and accretion rates than previously studied. We present an in-depth multi-wavelength study of one of the prototypical low-mass AGN, POX 52, investigating the properties of the central engine along with that of the host galaxy. This includes data from the VLA, Spitzer, 2MASS, HST, GALEX, XMM, and Chandra, providing us with one of the most comprehensive looks into low-mass AGN. Unlike the other prototypical low-mass AGN, NGC 4395, POX 52 resides in a dwarf elliptical galaxy, accreting at ≈ 0.35 the Eddington limit. Additionally, we examine a sample 41 Type 1 and Type 2 objects, including POX 52 and NGC 4395, with the Spitzer IRS and a sub-sample of those with XMM to study the absorption properties of low-mass AGN, to test the validity of unification models in the low-mass regime, and to investigate possible structural differences between objects with low and high mass black holes and accretion rates. We will discuss the IR spectral shape and present emission-line diagnostics for Type 1 and Type 2 AGNs at low masses.

  14. A low muscle mass increases mortality in compensated cirrhotic patients with sepsis.

    PubMed

    Lucidi, Cristina; Lattanzi, Barbara; Di Gregorio, Vincenza; Incicco, Simone; D'Ambrosio, Daria; Venditti, Mario; Riggio, Oliviero; Merli, Manuela

    2018-05-01

    Severe infections and muscle wasting are both associated to poor outcome in cirrhosis. A possible synergic effect of these two entities in cirrhotic patients has not been previously investigated. We aimed at analysing if a low muscle mass may deteriorate the outcome of cirrhotic patients with sepsis. Consecutive cirrhotic patients hospitalized for sepsis were enrolled in the study. Patients were classified for the severity of liver impairment (Child-Pugh class) and for the presence of "low muscle mass" (mid-arm muscle circumference<5th percentile). The development of complication during hospitalization and survival was analysed. There were 74 consecutive cirrhotics with sepsis. Forty-three of these patients showed low muscle mass. In patients with and without low muscle mass, severity of liver disease and characteristics of infections were similar. Mortality tended to be higher in patients with low muscle mass (47% vs 26%, P = .06). A multivariate analysis selected low muscle mass (P < .01, HR: 3.2, IC: 1.4-4.8) and Child-Pugh C (P < .01, HR: 3.3, 95% IC: 1.5-4.9) as independent predictors of in-hospital mortality. In Child-Pugh A-B patients, mortality was higher in patients with low muscle mass compared with those without (50% vs 16%; P = .01). The mortality rate and the incidence of complications in malnourished patients classified in Child-Pugh A-B were similar to those Child-Pugh C. Low muscle mass worsen prognosis in cirrhotic patients with severe infections. This is particularly evident in patients with Child A-B cirrhosis in whom the coexistence of low muscle mass and sepsis caused a negative impact on mortality similar to that observable in all Child C patients with sepsis. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  15. Size mass distribution of water-soluble ionic species and gas conversion to sulfate and nitrate in particulate matter in southern Taiwan.

    PubMed

    Tsai, Jiun-Horng; Chang, Li-Peng; Chiang, Hung-Lung

    2013-07-01

    A Micro-Orifice Uniform Deposition Impactor (MOUDI) and a Nano-MOUDI were employed to determine the size-segregated mass distributions of ambient particulate matter (PM) and water-soluble ionic species for particulate constituents. In addition, gas precursors, including HCl, HONO, HNO3, SO2, and NH3 gases, were analyzed by an annular denuder system. PM size mass distribution, mass concentration, and ionic species concentration were measured during the day and at night during episode and non-episode periods in winter and summer. Average total suspended particle (TSP) concentrations during episode days in winter were as high as 153 ± 33 μg/m(3), and PM mass concentrations in summer were as low as one-third of that in winter. Generally, PM concentration at night was higher than that in the daytime in southern Taiwan during the sampling periods. In winter during the episode periods, the size-segregated mass distribution of PM mass concentration was mostly in the 0.32-3.2-μm range, and the PM concentration increased significantly in the range of 0.32-3.2 μm at night. Ammonium, nitrate, and sulfate were the dominant water-soluble ionic species in PM, contributing 34-48% of TSP mass. High concentrations of ammonia (12.9-49 μg/m(3)) and SO2 (2.6-27 μg/m(3)) were observed in the gas precursors. The conversion ratio was high in the PM size range of 0.18-3.2 μm both during the day and at night in winter, and the conversion ratio of episode days was 20% higher than that of non-episode days. The conversion factor was high for both nitrogen and sulfur species at nighttime, especially on episode days.

  16. Low crustal velocities and mantle lithospheric variations in southern Tibet from regional Pnl waveforms

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rodgers, Arthur J.; Schwartz, Susan Y.

    We report low average crustal P-wave velocities (5.9-6.1 km/s, Poisson's ratio 0.23-0.27, thickness 68-76 km) in southern Tibet from modelling regional Pnl waveforms recorded by the 1991-1992 Tibetan Plateau Experiment. We also find that the mantle lithosphere beneath the Indus-Tsangpo Suture and the Lhasa Terrane is shield-like (Pn velocity 8.20-8.25 km/s, lid thickness 80-140 km, positive velocity gradient 0.0015-0.0025 s-1). Analysis of relative Pn travel time residuals requires a decrease in the mantle velocities beneath the northern Lhasa Terrane, the Banggong-Nujiang Suture and the southern Qiangtang Terrane. Tectonic and petrologic considerations suggest that low bulk crustal velocities could result from a thick (50-60 km) felsic upper crust with vertically limited and laterally pervasive partial melt. These results are consistent with underthrusting of Indian Shield lithosphere beneath the Tibetan Plateau to at least the central Lhasa Terrane.

  17. Theoretical Developments in Understanding Massive Star Formation

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Yorke, Harold W.; Bodenheimer, Peter

    2007-01-01

    Except under special circumstances massive stars in galactic disks will form through accretion. The gravitational collapse of a molecular cloud core will initially produce one or more low mass quasi-hydrostatic objects of a few Jupiter masses. Through subsequent accretion the masses of these cores grow as they simultaneously evolve toward hydrogen burning central densities and temperatures. We review the evolution of accreting (proto-)stars, including new results calculated with a publicly available stellar evolution code written by the authors.

  18. Nocturnal low-level clouds over southern West Africa analysed using high-resolution simulations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Adler, Bianca; Kalthoff, Norbert; Gantner, Leonhard

    2017-01-01

    We performed a high-resolution numerical simulation to study the development of extensive low-level clouds that frequently form over southern West Africa during the monsoon season. This study was made in preparation for a field campaign in 2016 within the Dynamics-aerosol-chemistry-cloud interactions in West Africa (DACCIWA) project and focuses on an area around the city of Savè in southern Benin. Nocturnal low-level clouds evolve a few hundred metres above the ground around the same level as a distinct low-level jet. Several processes are found to determine the spatio-temporal evolution of these clouds including (i) significant cooling of the nocturnal atmosphere caused by horizontal advection with the south-westerly monsoon flow during the first half of the night, (ii) vertical cold air advection due to gravity waves leading to clouds in the wave crests and (iii) enhanced convergence and upward motion upstream of existing clouds that trigger new clouds. The latter is caused by an upward shift of the low-level jet in cloudy areas leading to horizontal convergence in the lower part and to horizontal divergence in the upper part of the cloud layer. Although this single case study hardly allows for a generalisation of the processes found, the results added to the optimisation of the measurements strategy for the field campaign and the observations will be used to test the hypotheses for cloud formation resulting from this study.

  19. Satellite remote sensing of the island mass effect on the Sub-Antarctic Kerguelen Plateau, Southern Ocean

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jena, Babula

    2016-09-01

    The presence of the Kerguelen Plateau and surrounding bathymetric features has a strong influence on the persistently eastward flowing Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC), resulting in enhancement of surface chlorophyll-a (Chl- a) in the downstream section of the plateau along the polar front (PF). The phenomenon is reported in this paper as the island mass effect (IME). Analysis of climatological Chl- a datasets from Aqua- Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (Aqua- MODIS) and Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor (SeaWiFS) shows distinct bloomy plumes (Chl- a>0.5 mg/m3) during austral spring-summer spreading as far as ~1800 km offshore up to 98°E along the downstream of the north Kerguelen Plateau (NKP). Similar IME phenomena is apparent over the south Kerguelen Plateau (SKP) with the phytoplankton bloom extending up to 96.7°E, along the southern boundary of ACC. The IME phenomena are pronounced only during austral spring-summer period with the availability of light and sedimentary source of iron from shallow plateau to sea surface that fertilizes the mixed layer. The NKP bloom peaks with a maximum areal extent of 1.315 million km2 during December, and the SKP bloom peaks during January with a time lag of one month. The blooms exist for at least 4 months of a year and are significant both as the base of regional food web and for regulating the biogeochemical cycle in the Southern Ocean. Even though the surface water above the Kerguelen Plateau is rich in Chl- a, an exception of an oligotrophic condition dominated between NKP and SKP due to apparent intrusion of iron limited low phytoplankton regime waters from the Enderby basin through the northeastward Fawn Trough Current.

  20. The Stellar Mass-Halo Mass Relation for Low-mass X-Ray Groups At 0.5< z< 1 in the CDFS With CSI

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Patel, Shannon G.; Kelson, Daniel D.; Williams, Rik J.; Mulchaey, John S.; Dressler, Alan; McCarthy, Patrick J.; Shectman, Stephen A.

    2015-02-01

    Since z˜ 1, the stellar mass density locked in low-mass groups and clusters has grown by a factor of ˜8. Here, we make the first statistical measurements of the stellar mass content of low-mass X-ray groups at 0.5\\lt z\\lt 1, enabling the calibration of stellar-to-halo mass scales for wide-field optical and infrared surveys. Groups are selected from combined Chandra and XMM-Newton X-ray observations in the Chandra Deep Field South. These ultra-deep observations allow us to identify bona fide low-mass groups at high redshift and enable measurements of their total halo masses. We compute aggregate stellar masses for these halos using galaxies from the Carnegie-Spitzer-IMACS (CSI) spectroscopic redshift survey. Stars comprise ˜3%-4% of the total mass of group halos with masses {{10}12.8}\\lt {{M}200}/{{M}⊙ }\\lt {{10}13.5} (about the mass of Fornax and one-fiftieth the mass of Virgo). Complementing our sample with higher mass halos at these redshifts, we find that the stellar-to-halo mass ratio decreases toward higher halo masses, consistent with other work in the local and high redshift universe. The observed scatter about the stellar-halo mass relation is σ ˜ 0.25 dex, which is relatively small and suggests that total group stellar mass can serve as a rough proxy for halo mass. We find no evidence for any significant evolution in the stellar-halo mass relation since z≲ 1. Quantifying the stellar content in groups since this epoch is critical given that hierarchical assembly leads to such halos growing in number density and hosting increasing shares of quiescent galaxies. This Letter includes data gathered with the 6.5 m Magellan Telescopes located at Las Campanas Observatory, Chile. This research is based on observations made with the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope obtained at the Space Telescope Science Institute. STScI is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc. under NASA contract NAS 5-26555.

  1. Glacier mass loss. Dynamic thinning of glaciers on the Southern Antarctic Peninsula.

    PubMed

    Wouters, B; Martin-Español, A; Helm, V; Flament, T; van Wessem, J M; Ligtenberg, S R M; van den Broeke, M R; Bamber, J L

    2015-05-22

    Growing evidence has demonstrated the importance of ice shelf buttressing on the inland grounded ice, especially if it is resting on bedrock below sea level. Much of the Southern Antarctic Peninsula satisfies this condition and also possesses a bed slope that deepens inland. Such ice sheet geometry is potentially unstable. We use satellite altimetry and gravity observations to show that a major portion of the region has, since 2009, destabilized. Ice mass loss of the marine-terminating glaciers has rapidly accelerated from close to balance in the 2000s to a sustained rate of -56 ± 8 gigatons per year, constituting a major fraction of Antarctica's contribution to rising sea level. The widespread, simultaneous nature of the acceleration, in the absence of a persistent atmospheric forcing, points to an oceanic driving mechanism. Copyright © 2015, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

  2. An X-shooter survey of star forming regions: Low-mass stars and sub-stellar objects

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Alcalá, J. M.; Stelzer, B.; Covino, E.; Cupani, G.; Natta, A.; Randich, S.; Rigliaco, E.; Spezzi, L.; Testi, L.; Bacciotti, F.; Bonito, R.; Covino, S.; Flaccomio, E.; Frasca, A.; Gandolfi, D.; Leone, F.; Micela, G.; Nisini, B.; Whelan, E.

    2011-03-01

    We present preliminary results of our X-shooter survey in star forming regions. In this contribution we focus on sub-samples of young stellar and sub-stellar objects (YSOs) in the Lupus star forming region and in the TW Hya association. We show that the X-shooter spectra are suitable for conducting several parallel studies such as YSO + disk fundamental parameters, accretion and outflow activity in the very low-mass (VLM) and sub-stellar regimes, as well as magnetic activity in young VLM YSOs, and Li abundance determinations. The capabilities of X-shooter in terms of wide spectral coverage, resolution and limiting magnitudes, allow us to assess simultaneously the accretion/outflow, magnetic activity, and disk diagnostics, from the UV and optical to the near-IR, avoiding ambiguities due to possible YSO variability. Based on observations collected at the European Southern Observatory, Chile, under Programmes 084.C-0269 and 085.C-0238.

  3. Nonaxisymmetric Dynamic Instabilities of Rotating Polytropes. II. Torques, Bars, and Mode Saturation with Applications to Protostars and Fizzlers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Imamura, James N.; Durisen, Richard H.; Pickett, Brian K.

    2000-01-01

    Dynamic nonaxisymmetric instabilities in rapidly rotating stars and protostars have a range of potential applications in astrophysics, including implications for binary formation during protostellar cloud collapse and for the possibility of aborted collapse to neutron star densities at late stages of stellar evolution (``fizzlers''). We have recently presented detailed linear analyses for polytropes of the most dynamically unstable global modes, the barlike modes. These produce bar distortions in the regions near the rotation axis but have trailing spiral arms toward the equator. In this paper, we use our linear eigenfunctions to predict the early nonlinear behavior of the dynamic instability and compare these ``quasi-linear'' predictions with several fully nonlinear hydrodynamics simulations. The comparisons demonstrate that the nonlinear saturation of the barlike instability is due to the self-interaction gravitational torques between the growing central bar and the spiral arms, where angular momentum is transferred outward from bar to arms. We also find a previously unsuspected resonance condition that accurately predicts the mass of the bar regions in our own simulations and in those published by other researchers. The quasi-linear theory makes other accurate predictions about consequences of instability, including properties of possible end-state bars and increases in central density, which can be large under some conditions. We discuss in some detail the application of our results to binary formation during protostellar collapse and to the formation of massive rotating black holes.

  4. Type 2 diabetes is associated with low muscle mass in older adults.

    PubMed

    Kim, Kyung-Soo; Park, Kyung-Sun; Kim, Moon-Jong; Kim, Soo-Kyung; Cho, Yong-Wook; Park, Seok Won

    2014-02-01

    Our aim was to clarify the association between type 2 diabetes and the risk of low muscle mass in older adults. In the present study, 414 adults aged 65 years or older (144 patients with type 2 diabetes and 270 control participants) were included. Body composition was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Low muscle mass was defined as the appendicular skeletal muscle mass/height(2) (ASM/Ht(2)) or appendicular skeletal muscle mass/weight (ASM/Wt) of <2 SD below the sex-specific normal mean of the young reference group, or mass/weight (TSM/Wt) from control participants. Older men with type 2 diabetes showed significantly lower appendicular skeletal muscle mass than those without diabetes (19.5 ± 3.5 kg vs 21.0 ± 2.8 kg, P < 0.001). The prevalence of low muscle mass was consistently higher in older men with diabetes than those without diabetes defined by ASM/Ht(2) (57.6% vs 41.5%, P = 0.040), ASM/Wt (23.7% vs 12.3%, P = 0.046) and TSM/Wt (49.2% vs 20.0%, P < 0.001). In older women with diabetes, the prevalence of low muscle mass was higher than those without diabetes by ASM/Wt (25.9% vs 15.0%, P = 0.044) and TSM/Wt (32.9% vs 20.0%, P = 0.030), but not by ASM/Ht(2) (7.1% vs 8.6%, P = 0.685). The risk of low muscle mass was approximately two- to fourfold higher in older adults with type 2 diabetes, even after adjusting for age, body mass index, current smoking and other risk factors. In Korean older adults, type 2 diabetes is associated with low muscle mass. © 2014 Japan Geriatrics Society.

  5. Low-Mass Inflation Systems for Inflatable Structures

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Thunnissen, Daniel P.; Webster, Mark S.; Engelbrecht, Carl S.

    1995-01-01

    The use of inflatable space structures has often been proposed for aerospace and planetary applications. Communication, power generation, and very-long-baseline interferometry are just three potential applications of inflatable technology. The success of inflatable structures depends on the development of an applications of inflatable technology. This paper describes two design studies performed to develop a low mass inflation system. The first study takes advantage of existing onboard propulsion gases to reduce the overall system mass. The second study assumes that there is no onboard propulsion system. Both studies employ advanced components developed for the Pluto fast flyby spacecraft to further reduce mass. The study examined four different types of systems: hydrazine, nitrogen and water, nitrogen, and xenon. This study shows that all of these systems can be built for a small space structure with masses lower than 0.5 kilograms.

  6. Protostellar accretion traced with chemistry. High-resolution C18O and continuum observations towards deeply embedded protostars in Perseus

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Frimann, Søren; Jørgensen, Jes K.; Dunham, Michael M.; Bourke, Tyler L.; Kristensen, Lars E.; Offner, Stella S. R.; Stephens, Ian W.; Tobin, John J.; Vorobyov, Eduard I.

    2017-06-01

    Context. Understanding how accretion proceeds is a key question of star formation, with important implications for both the physical and chemical evolution of young stellar objects. In particular, very little is known about the accretion variability in the earliest stages of star formation. Aims: Our aim is to characterise protostellar accretion histories towards individual sources by utilising sublimation and freeze-out chemistry of CO. Methods: A sample of 24 embedded protostars are observed with the Submillimeter Array (SMA) in context of the large program "Mass Assembly of Stellar Systems and their Evolution with the SMA" (MASSES). The size of the C18O-emitting region, where CO has sublimated into the gas-phase, is measured towards each source and compared to the expected size of the region given the current luminosity. The SMA observations also include 1.3 mm continuum data, which are used to investigate whether or not a link can be established between accretion bursts and massive circumstellar disks. Results: Depending on the adopted sublimation temperature of the CO ice, between 20% and 50% of the sources in the sample show extended C18O emission indicating that the gas was warm enough in the past that CO sublimated and is currently in the process of refreezing; something which we attribute to a recent accretion burst. Given the fraction of sources with extended C18O emission, we estimate an average interval between bursts of 20 000-50 000 yr, which is consistent with previous estimates. No clear link can be established between the presence of circumstellar disks and accretion bursts, however the three closest known binaries in the sample (projected separations <20 AU) all show evidence of a past accretion burst, indicating that close binary interactions may also play a role in inducing accretion variability.

  7. Low-luminosity stellar mass functions in globular clusters

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

    Richer, H.B.; Fahlman, G.G.; Buonanno, R.

    New data are presented on cluster luminosity functions and mass functions for selected fields in the globular clusters M13 and M71, extending down the main sequence to at least 0.2 solar mass. In this experiment, CCD photometry data were obtained at the prime focus of the CFHT on the cluster fields that were far from the cluster center. Luminosity functions were constructed, using the ADDSTAR routine to correct for the background, and mass functions were derived using the available models. The mass functions obtained for M13 and M71 were compared to existing data for NGC 6397. Results show that (1)more » all three globular clusters display a marked change in slope at about 0.4 solar mass, with the slopes becoming considerably steeper toward lower masses; (2) there is no correlation between the slope of the mass function and metallicity; and (3) the low-mass slope of the mass function for M13 is much steeper than for NGC 6397 and M71. 22 refs.« less

  8. Environmental quenching of low-mass field galaxies

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fillingham, Sean P.; Cooper, Michael C.; Boylan-Kolchin, Michael; Bullock, James S.; Garrison-Kimmel, Shea; Wheeler, Coral

    2018-07-01

    In the local Universe, there is a strong division in the star-forming properties of low-mass galaxies, with star formation largely ubiquitous amongst the field population while satellite systems are predominantly quenched. This dichotomy implies that environmental processes play the dominant role in suppressing star formation within this low-mass regime (M⋆ ˜ 105.5-8 M⊙). As shown by observations of the Local Volume, however, there is a non-negligible population of passive systems in the field, which challenges our understanding of quenching at low masses. By applying the satellite quenching models of Fillingham et al. (2015) to subhalo populations in the Exploring the Local Volume In Simulations suite, we investigate the role of environmental processes in quenching star formation within the nearby field. Using model parameters that reproduce the satellite quenched fraction in the Local Group, we predict a quenched fraction - due solely to environmental effects - of ˜0.52 ± 0.26 within 1 < R/Rvir < 2 of the Milky Way and M31. This is in good agreement with current observations of the Local Volume and suggests that the majority of the passive field systems observed at these distances are quenched via environmental mechanisms. Beyond 2Rvir, however, dwarf galaxy quenching becomes difficult to explain through an interaction with either the Milky Way or M31, such that more isolated, field dwarfs may be self-quenched as a result of star-formation feedback.

  9. Environmental Quenching of Low-Mass Field Galaxies

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fillingham, Sean P.; Cooper, Michael C.; Boylan-Kolchin, Michael; Bullock, James S.; Garrison-Kimmel, Shea; Wheeler, Coral

    2018-04-01

    In the local Universe, there is a strong division in the star-forming properties of low-mass galaxies, with star formation largely ubiquitous amongst the field population while satellite systems are predominantly quenched. This dichotomy implies that environmental processes play the dominant role in suppressing star formation within this low-mass regime (M⋆ ˜ 105.5 - 8 M⊙). As shown by observations of the Local Volume, however, there is a non-negligible population of passive systems in the field, which challenges our understanding of quenching at low masses. By applying the satellite quenching models of Fillingham et al. (2015) to subhalo populations in the Exploring the Local Volume In Simulations (ELVIS) suite, we investigate the role of environmental processes in quenching star formation within the nearby field. Using model parameters that reproduce the satellite quenched fraction in the Local Group, we predict a quenched fraction - due solely to environmental effects - of ˜0.52 ± 0.26 within 1 < R/Rvir < 2 of the Milky Way and M31. This is in good agreement with current observations of the Local Volume and suggests that the majority of the passive field systems observed at these distances are quenched via environmental mechanisms. Beyond 2 Rvir, however, dwarf galaxy quenching becomes difficult to explain through an interaction with either the Milky Way or M31, such that more isolated, field dwarfs may be self-quenched as a result of star-formation feedback.

  10. Analysis of ethanol-soluble extractives in southern pine wood by low-field proton NMR

    Treesearch

    Thomas L. Eberhardt; Thomas Elder; Nicole Labbe

    2007-01-01

    Low-field portion NMR was evaluated as a nondestructive and rapid technique for measuring ethanol-soluble extractives in southern pine wood. Matchstick-sized wood specimens were steeped in extractive-containing solutions to generate extractive-enriched samples for analysis. decay curves obtained by the Carr-Purcell-Meiboom-gill (CPMG) pulse sequence were analyzed with...

  11. The JCMT Gould Belt Survey: A First Look at IC 5146

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Johnstone, D.; Ciccone, S.; Kirk, H.; Mairs, S.; Buckle, J.; Berry, D. S.; Broekhoven-Fiene, H.; Currie, M. J.; Hatchell, J.; Jenness, T.; Mottram, J. C.; Pattle, K.; Tisi, S.; Di Francesco, J.; Hogerheijde, M. R.; Ward-Thompson, D.; Bastien, P.; Bresnahan, D.; Butner, H.; Chen, M.; Chrysostomou, A.; Coudé, S.; Davis, C. J.; Drabek-Maunder, E.; Duarte-Cabral, A.; Fich, M.; Fiege, J.; Friberg, P.; Friesen, R.; Fuller, G. A.; Graves, S.; Greaves, J.; Gregson, J.; Holland, W.; Joncas, G.; Kirk, J. M.; Knee, L. B. G.; Marsh, K.; Matthews, B. C.; Moriarty-Schieven, G.; Mowat, C.; Nutter, D.; Pineda, J. E.; Salji, C.; Rawlings, J.; Richer, J.; Robertson, D.; Rosolowsky, E.; Rumble, D.; Sadavoy, S.; Thomas, H.; Tothill, N.; Viti, S.; White, G. J.; Wouterloot, J.; Yates, J.; Zhu, M.

    2017-02-01

    We present 450 and 850 μm submillimeter continuum observations of the IC 5146 star-forming region taken as part of the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope Gould Belt Survey. We investigate the location of bright submillimeter (clumped) emission with the larger-scale molecular cloud through comparison with extinction maps, and find that these denser structures correlate with higher cloud column density. Ninety-six individual submillimeter clumps are identified using FellWalker, and their physical properties are examined. These clumps are found to be relatively massive, ranging from 0.5 {M}⊙ to 116 {M}⊙ with a mean mass of 8 {M}⊙ and a median mass of 3.7 {M}⊙ . A stability analysis for the clumps suggests that the majority are (thermally) Jeans stable, with M/{M}J< 1. We further compare the locations of known protostars with the observed submillimeter emission, finding that younger protostars, I.e., Class 0 and I sources, are strongly correlated with submillimeter peaks and that the clumps with protostars are among the most Jeans unstable. Finally, we contrast the evolutionary conditions in the two major star-forming regions within IC 5146: the young cluster associated with the Cocoon Nebula and the more distributed star formation associated with the Northern Streamer filaments. The Cocoon Nebula appears to have converted a higher fraction of its mass into dense clumps and protostars, the clumps are more likely to be Jeans unstable, and a larger fraction of these remaining clumps contain embedded protostars. The Northern Streamer, however, has a larger number of clumps in total and a larger fraction of the known protostars are still embedded within these clumps.

  12. Low-mass dark matter search with CDMSlite

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Agnese, R.; Anderson, A. J.; Aralis, T.; Aramaki, T.; Arnquist, I. J.; Baker, W.; Balakishiyeva, D.; Barker, D.; Basu Thakur, R.; Bauer, D. A.; Binder, T.; Bowles, M. A.; Brink, P. L.; Bunker, R.; Cabrera, B.; Caldwell, D. O.; Calkins, R.; Cartaro, C.; Cerdeño, D. G.; Chang, Y.; Chagani, H.; Chen, Y.; Cooley, J.; Cornell, B.; Cushman, P.; Daal, M.; Di Stefano, P. C. F.; Doughty, T.; Esteban, L.; Fascione, E.; Figueroa-Feliciano, E.; Fritts, M.; Gerbier, G.; Ghaith, M.; Godfrey, G. L.; Golwala, S. R.; Hall, J.; Harris, H. R.; Hong, Z.; Hoppe, E. W.; Hsu, L.; Huber, M. E.; Iyer, V.; Jardin, D.; Jastram, A.; Jena, C.; Kelsey, M. H.; Kennedy, A.; Kubik, A.; Kurinsky, N. A.; Leder, A.; Loer, B.; Lopez Asamar, E.; Lukens, P.; MacDonell, D.; Mahapatra, R.; Mandic, V.; Mast, N.; Miller, E. H.; Mirabolfathi, N.; Moffatt, R. A.; Mohanty, B.; Morales Mendoza, J. D.; Nelson, J.; Orrell, J. L.; Oser, S. M.; Page, K.; Page, W. A.; Partridge, R.; Pepin, M.; Peñalver Martinez, M.; Phipps, A.; Poudel, S.; Pyle, M.; Qiu, H.; Rau, W.; Redl, P.; Reisetter, A.; Reynolds, T.; Roberts, A.; Robinson, A. E.; Rogers, H. E.; Saab, T.; Sadoulet, B.; Sander, J.; Schneck, K.; Schnee, R. W.; Scorza, S.; Senapati, K.; Serfass, B.; Speller, D.; Stein, M.; Street, J.; Tanaka, H. A.; Toback, D.; Underwood, R.; Villano, A. N.; von Krosigk, B.; Welliver, B.; Wilson, J. S.; Wilson, M. J.; Wright, D. H.; Yellin, S.; Yen, J. J.; Young, B. A.; Zhang, X.; Zhao, X.; SuperCDMS Collaboration

    2018-01-01

    The SuperCDMS experiment is designed to directly detect weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs) that may constitute the dark matter in our Galaxy. During its operation at the Soudan Underground Laboratory, germanium detectors were run in the CDMSlite mode to gather data sets with sensitivity specifically for WIMPs with masses <10 GeV /c2 . In this mode, a higher detector-bias voltage is applied to amplify the phonon signals produced by drifting charges. This paper presents studies of the experimental noise and its effect on the achievable energy threshold, which is demonstrated to be as low as 56 eVee (electron equivalent energy). The detector-biasing configuration is described in detail, with analysis corrections for voltage variations to the level of a few percent. Detailed studies of the electric-field geometry, and the resulting successful development of a fiducial parameter, eliminate poorly measured events, yielding an energy resolution ranging from ˜9 eVee at 0 keV to 101 eVee at ˜10 keVee . New results are derived for astrophysical uncertainties relevant to the WIMP-search limits, specifically examining how they are affected by variations in the most probable WIMP velocity and the Galactic escape velocity. These variations become more important for WIMP masses below 10 GeV /c2 . Finally, new limits on spin-dependent low-mass WIMP-nucleon interactions are derived, with new parameter space excluded for WIMP masses ≲3 GeV /c2.

  13. Infrared and Optical Spectroscopy of Protostars in the Elephant Trunk Nebula

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Faied, Dohy; Reach, W. T.; Tappe, A.; Rho, J.

    2006-12-01

    We present Spitzer Space Telescope observations of the optically dark globule IC1396A. We have identified red objects located within the molecular globule to be Class I protostars, and objects scattered near the globule are found to be Class II T-Tauri stars surrounded by warm, luminous disks. We obtained simultaneous optical and infrared spectra (5.5 40 microns) with the Palomar Hale 200 inch telescope. The Class I sources were observed to have extremely red continua, rising at 24 microns, with deep silicate absorption at 9-11 microns, and weaker silicate absorption at around 12 microns. Some of these sources also display weak ice features such as CO2 and H2O. In contrast, the Class II sources have strong H-alpha emission and silicate emission features at 9-11 microns, indicative of circumstellar disks. These results all suggest that star formation within this globule is occurring at two different stages the first stage, leading to the Class II sources located in the center of the globule, and a second, very recent one (less than 100,000 yr ago) that is occurring within the globule. This second phase was likely triggered by the wind and radiation of the central O-type star of the IC 1396 H II region.

  14. The Southern Ocean's role in ocean circulation and climate transients

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Thompson, A. F.; Stewart, A.; Hines, S.; Adkins, J. F.

    2017-12-01

    The ventilation of deep and intermediate density classes at the surface of the Southern Ocean impacts water mass modification and the air-sea exchange of heat and trace gases, which in turn influences the global overturning circulation and Earth's climate. Zonal variability occurs along the Antarctic Circumpolar Current and the Antarctic margins related to flow-topography interactions, variations in surface boundary conditions, and exchange with northern basins. Information about these zonal variations, and their impact on mass and tracer transport, are suppressed when the overturning is depicted as a two-dimensional (depth-latitude) streamfunction. Here we present an idealized, multi-basin, time-dependent circulation model that applies residual circulation theory in the Southern Ocean and allows for zonal water mass transfer between different ocean basins. This model efficiently determines the temporal evolution of the ocean's stratification, ventilation and overturning strength in response to perturbations in the external forcing. With this model we explore the dynamics that lead to transitions in the circulation structure between multiple, isolated cells and a three-dimensional, "figure-of-eight," circulation in which traditional upper and lower cells are interleaved. The transient model is also used to support a mechanistic explanation of the hemispheric asymmetry and phase lag associated with Dansgaard-Oeschger (DO) events during the last glacial period. In particular, the 200 year lag in southern hemisphere temperatures, following a perturbation in North Atlantic deep water formation, depends critically on the migration of Southern Ocean isopycnal outcropping in response to low-latitude stratification changes. Our results provide a self-consistent dynamical framework to explain various ocean overturning transitions that have occurred over the Earth's last 100,000 years, and motivate an exploration of these mechanisms in more sophisticated climate models.

  15. Evolution of column density distributions within Orion A⋆

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Stutz, A. M.; Kainulainen, J.

    2015-05-01

    We compare the structure of star-forming molecular clouds in different regions of Orion A to determine how the column density probability distribution function (N-PDF) varies with environmental conditions such as the fraction of young protostars. A correlation between the N-PDF slope and Class 0 protostar fraction has been previously observed in a low-mass star-formation region (Perseus); here we test whether a similar correlation is observed in a high-mass star-forming region. We used Herschel PACS and SPIRE cold dust emission observations to derive a column density map of Orion A. We used the Herschel Orion Protostar Survey catalog to accurately identify and classify the Orion A young stellar object content, including the cold and relatively short-lived Class 0 protostars (with a lifetime of ~0.14 Myr). We divided Orion A into eight independent regions of 0.25 square degrees (13.5 pc2); in each region we fit the N-PDF distribution with a power law, and we measured the fraction of Class 0 protostars. We used a maximum-likelihood method to measure the N-PDF power-law index without binning the column density data. We find that the Class 0 fraction is higher in regions with flatter column density distributions. We tested the effects of incompleteness, extinction-driven misclassification of Class 0 sources, resolution, and adopted pixel-scales. We show that these effects cannot account for the observed trend. Our observations demonstrate an association between the slope of the power-law N-PDF and the Class 0 fractions within Orion A. Various interpretations are discussed, including timescales based on the Class 0 protostar fraction assuming a constant star-formation rate. The observed relation suggests that the N-PDF can be related to an evolutionary state of the gas. If universal, such a relation permits evaluating the evolutionary state from the N-PDF power-law index at much greater distances than those accessible with protostar counts. Appendices are available in

  16. Low-mass dark matter search with CDMSlite

    DOE PAGES

    Agnese, R.; Anderson, A. J.; Aralis, T.; ...

    2018-01-01

    The SuperCDMS experiment is designed to directly detect WIMPs (Weakly Interacting Massive Particles) that may constitute the dark matter in our galaxy. During its operation at the Soudan Underground Laboratory, germanium detectors were run in the CDMSlite (Cryogenic Dark Matter Search low ionization threshold experiment) mode to gather data sets with sensitivity specifically for WIMPs with massesmore » $${<}10$$ GeV/$c^2$. In this mode, a large detector-bias voltage is applied to amplify the phonon signals produced by drifting charges. This paper presents studies of the experimental noise and its effect on the achievable energy threshold, which is demonstrated to be as low as 56 eV$$_{\\text{ee}}$$ (electron equivalent energy). The detector biasing configuration is described in detail, with analysis corrections for voltage variations to the level of a few percent. Detailed studies of the electric-field geometry, and the resulting successful development of a fiducial parameter, eliminate poorly measured events, yielding an energy resolution ranging from $${\\sim}$$9 eV$$_{\\text{ee}}$$ at 0 keV to 101 eV$$_{\\text{ee}}$$ at $${\\sim}$$10 keV$$_{\\text{ee}}$$. New results are derived for astrophysical uncertainties relevant to the WIMP-search limits, specifically examining how they are affected by variations in the most probable WIMP velocity and the galactic escape velocity. These variations become more important for WIMP masses below 10 GeV/$c^2$. Finally, new limits on spin-dependent low-mass WIMP-nucleon interactions are derived, with new parameter space excluded for WIMP masses $${\\lesssim}$$3 GeV/$c^2$.« less

  17. Kinematics of a Young Low-mass Star-forming Core: Understanding the Evolutionary State of the First-core Candidate L1451-mm

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Maureira, María José; Arce, Héctor G.; Dunham, Michael M.; Pineda, Jaime E.; Fernández-López, Manuel; Chen, Xuepeng; Mardones, Diego

    2017-03-01

    We use 3 mm multiline and continuum CARMA observations toward the first hydrostatic core (FHSC) candidate L1451-mm to characterize the envelope kinematics at 1000 au scales and investigate its evolutionary state. We detect evidence of infall and rotation in the NH2D(11,1-10,1), N2H+(1-0), and HCN(1-0) molecular lines. We compare the position-velocity diagram of the NH2D(11,1-10,1) line with a simple kinematic model and find that it is consistent with an envelope that is both infalling and rotating while conserving angular momentum around a central mass of about 0.06 M ⊙. The N2H+(1-0) LTE mass of the envelope along with the inferred infall velocity leads to a mass infall rate of approximately 6 × 10-6 M ⊙ yr-1, implying a young age of 104 years for this FHSC candidate. Assuming that the accretion onto the central object is the same as the infall rate, we obtain a minimum source size of 1.5-5 au, consistent with the size expected for a first core. We do not see any evidence of outflow motions or signs of outflow-envelope interaction at scales ≳2000 au. This is consistent with previous observations that revealed a very compact outflow (≲500 au). We conclude that L1451-mm is indeed at a very early stage of evolution, either a first core or an extremely young Class 0 protostar. Our results provide strong evidence that L1451-mm is the best candidate for being a bona fide first core.

  18. The ALFALFA H I mass function: a dichotomy in the low-mass slope and a locally suppressed `knee' mass

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jones, Michael G.; Haynes, Martha P.; Giovanelli, Riccardo; Moorman, Crystal

    2018-06-01

    We present the most precise measurement of the z = 0 H I mass function (HIMF) to date based on the final catalogue of the ALFALFA (Arecibo Legacy Fast ALFA) blind H I survey of the nearby Universe. The Schechter function fit has a `knee' mass log (M_{*} h2_{70}/M_{⊙}) = 9.94 ± 0.01 ± 0.05, a low-mass slope parameter α = -1.25 ± 0.02 ± 0.1, and a normalization φ _{*} = (4.5 ± 0.2 ± 0.8) × 10^{-3} h3_{70} Mpc^{-3 dex^{-1}}, with both random and systematic uncertainties as quoted. Together these give an estimate of the H I content of the z = 0 Universe as Ω _{H I} = (3.9 ± 0.1 ± 0.6) × 10^{-4} h^{-1}_{70} (corrected for H I self-absorption). Our analysis of the uncertainties indicates that the `knee' mass is a cosmologically fair measurement of the z = 0 value, with its largest uncertainty originating from the absolute flux calibration, but that the low-mass slope is only representative of the local Universe. We also explore large-scale trends in α and M* across the ALFALFA volume. Unlike with the 40 per cent sample, there is now sufficient coverage in both of the survey fields to make an independent determination of the HIMF in each. We find a large discrepancy in the low-mass slope (Δα = 0.14 ± 0.03) between the two regions, and argue that this is likely caused by the presence of a deep void in one field and the Virgo cluster in the other. Furthermore, we find that the value of the `knee' mass within the Local Volume appears to be suppressed by 0.18 ± 0.04 dex compared to the global ALFALFA value, which explains the lower value measured by the shallower H I Parkes All Sky Survey (HIPASS). We discuss possible explanations and interpretations of these results and how they can be expanded on with future surveys.

  19. Ultra-low mass drift chambers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Assiro, R.; Cappelli, L.; Cascella, M.; De Lorenzis, L.; Grancagnolo, F.; Ignatov, F.; L'Erario, A.; Maffezzoli, A.; Miccoli, A.; Onorato, G.; Perillo, M.; Piacentino, G.; Rella, S.; Rossetti, F.; Spedicato, M.; Tassielli, G.; Zavarise, G.

    2013-08-01

    We present a novel low mass drift chamber concept, developed in order to fulfill the stringent requirements imposed by the experiments for extremely rare processes, which require high resolutions (order of 100-200 keV/c) for particle momenta in a range (50-100 MeV/c) totally dominated by the multiple scattering contribution. We describe a geometry optimization procedure and a new wiring strategy with a feed-through-less wire anchoring system developed and tested on a drift chamber prototype under completion at INFN-Lecce .

  20. A Search for Low Mass Stars and Substellar Companions and A Study of Circumbinary Gas and Dust Disks

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rodriguez, David R.

    2011-01-01

    We have searched for nearby low-mass stars and brown dwarfs and have studied the planet-forming environment of binary stars. We have carried out a search for young, low-mass stars in nearby stellar associations using X-ray and UV source catalogs. We discovered a new technique to identify 10-100 Myr-old low-mass stars within 100 pc of the Earth using GALEX-optical/near-IR data. We present candidate young stars found by applying this new method in the 10 Myr old TW Hydrae and Scorpius-Centaurus associations. In addition, we have searched for the coolest brown dwarf class: Y-dwarfs, expected to appear at temperatures <500 K. Using wide-field near infrared imaging with ground (CTIO, Palomar, KPNO) and space (Spitzer, AKARI) observatories, we have looked for companions to nearby, old (2 Gyr or older), high proper motion white dwarfs. We present results for Southern Hemisphere white dwarfs. Additionally, we have characterized how likely planet formation occurs in binary star systems. While 20% of planets have been discovered around one member of a binary system, these binaries have semi-major axes larger than 20 AU. We have performed an AO and spectroscopic search for binary stars among a sample of known debris disk stars, which allows us to indirectly study planet formation and evolution in binary systems. As a case study, we examined the gas and dust present in the circumbinary disk around V4046 Sagittarii, a 2.4-day spectroscopic binary. Our results demonstrate it is unlikely that planets can form in binaries with stellar semi-major axes of 10s of AU. This research has been funded by a NASA ADA grant to UCLA and RIT.

  1. An infrared search for low-mass companions of stars near the sun

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Skrutskie, M. F.; Forrest, W. J.; Shure, Mark

    1989-01-01

    Using a CCD camera on the IRTF telescope on Mauna Kea, a search was conducted for low-mass companions to stars in the solar neighborhood. The K band (2.2 microns) survey includes 55 condidates closer than 12 pc, as well as eight stars in the Pleiades star cluster. Due to the saturation of the primary star image, the survey was insensitive to companions within about 2 arcsec of the primary star. The survey detected a single low-mass candidate object, a companion to the star Gliese 569, which lies near or below the hydrogen-burning mass limit and resembles extremely low-mass stars similar to VB 10 and LHS 2924.

  2. Some mean atmospheric characteristics for snowfall occurrences in southern Brazil

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mintegui, Jéssica Melo; Puhales, Franciano Scremin; Boiaski, Nathalie Tissot; Nascimento, Ernani de Lima; Anabor, Vagner

    2018-01-01

    Snowfall is considered a natural disaster in southern Brazil, where a little infrastructure exists up to prevent against the damage it induces, making snowfall forecast a matter of great interest in this region. The present article aims to describe the mean behavior of low, mid, and high atmospheric levels during snowfall occurrences in southern Brazil. Sea-level pressure (SLP), 1000-500 hPa atmospheric thickness, geopotential height at 500 hPa, and wind speed at 200 hPa have been analyzed. One hundred and ninety-six snowfall records from the conventional surface meteorological stations have been selected for the period from 1979 to 2015. The surface synoptic pattern associated with snowfall occurrences has been obtained from ERA-Interim reanalysis data with horizontal spatial resolution of 0.75° × 0.75° and temporal resolution of 12 h. SLP fields show a high-pressure transient system displacement from the Pacific Ocean to northeastern Argentina. In addition, it is possible to relate snowfall with displacement of a low-pressure system on the coast of southern Brazil. Thickness fields indicate shallow cold air mass intrusions one day before snowfall. Such a cold air continues moving towards low latitudes during consecutive snowfall days and it may be responsible for frost events in climatologically warm regions. Finally, mid and high atmospheric levels show an eastward propagating wave amplified by the Andes.

  3. THE STELLAR MASS–HALO MASS RELATION FOR LOW-MASS X-RAY GROUPS AT 0.5< z< 1 IN THE CDFS WITH CSI

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

    Patel, Shannon G.; Kelson, Daniel D.; Williams, Rik J.

    2015-01-30

    Since z∼1, the stellar mass density locked in low-mass groups and clusters has grown by a factor of ∼8. Here, we make the first statistical measurements of the stellar mass content of low-mass X-ray groups at 0.5

  4. CubeSat mechanical design: creating low mass and durable structures

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fiedler, Gilbert; Straub, Jeremy

    2017-05-01

    This paper considers the mechanical design of a low-mass, low-cost spacecraft for use in a multi-satellite sensing constellation. For a multi-spacecraft mission, aggregated small mass and cost reductions can have significant impact. One approach to mass reduction is to make cuts into the structure, removing material. Stress analysis is used to determine the level of material reduction possible. Focus areas for this paper include determining areas to make cuts to ensure that a strong shape remains, while considering the comparative cost and skill level of each type of cut. Real-world results for a CubeSat and universally applicable analysis are presented.

  5. Atmospheric Transport and Input of Iron to the Southern Ocean

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tindale, N. W.

    2002-12-01

    While Australia is not generally considered to be a major source of mineral dust to the atmosphere, at least compared to Asian and African desert regions, it does appear to be the main source of mineral material to the Southern Ocean region south of Australia and New Zealand. In common with most of the greater Southern Ocean, this region contains high nitrate, low chlorophyll (HNLC) waters. Recent open ocean iron enrichment experiments in this region have demonstrated that phytoplankton growth and biomass are limited by iron availability. However the flux of atmospheric iron to this open ocean region is poorly known with very few direct measurements of mineral aerosol levels and input. Using mineral aerosol samples collected on Macquarie Island and at Cape Grim, together with other chemical data, air mass trajectories and satellite data, the spatial and temporal variability of aerosol iron transport and input to the Southern Ocean region south of Australia is estimated.

  6. Low-mass dark matter search with CDMSlite

    DOE PAGES

    Agnese, R.; Anderson, A. J.; Aralis, T.; ...

    2018-01-17

    The SuperCDMS experiment is designed to directly detect weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs) that may constitute the dark matter in our Galaxy. During its operation at the Soudan Underground Laboratory, germanium detectors were run in the CDMSlite mode to gather data sets with sensitivity specifically for WIMPs with masses < 10 GeV/c 2. In this mode, a higher detector-bias voltage is applied to amplify the phonon signals produced by drifting charges. This article presents studies of the experimental noise and its effect on the achievable energy threshold, which is demonstrated to be as low as 56 eV ee (electron equivalentmore » energy). The detector-biasing configuration is described in detail, with analysis corrections for voltage variations to the level of a few percent. Detailed studies of the electric-field geometry, and the resulting successful development of a fiducial parameter, eliminate poorly measured events, yielding an energy resolution ranging from ~ 9 eV ee at 0 keV to 101 eV ee at ~ 10 keV ee. New results are derived for astrophysical uncertainties relevant to the WIMP-search limits, specifically examining how they are affected by variations in the most probable WIMP velocity and the Galactic escape velocity. These variations become more important for WIMP masses below 10 GeV/c 2. Finally, new limits on spin-dependent low-mass WIMP-nucleon interactions are derived, with new parameter space excluded for WIMP masses ≲ 3 GeV/c 2.« less

  7. Low Velocity Zones along the San Jacinto Fault, Southern California, inferred from Local Earthquakes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, Z.; Yang, H.; Peng, Z.; Ben-Zion, Y.; Vernon, F.

    2013-12-01

    Natural fault zones have regions of brittle damage leading to a low-velocity zone (LVZ) in the immediate vicinity of the main fault interface. The LVZ may amplify ground motion, modify rupture propagation, and impact derivation of earthquke properties. Here we image low-velocity fault zone structures along the San Jacinto Fault (SJF), southern California, using waveforms of local earthquakes that are recorded at several dense arrays across the SJFZ. We use generalized ray theory to compute synthetic travel times to track the direct and FZ-reflected waves bouncing from the FZ boundaries. This method can effectively reduce the trade-off between FZ width and velocity reduction relative to the host rock. Our preliminary results from travel time modeling show the clear signature of LVZs along the SJF, including the segment of the Anza seismic gap. At the southern part near the trifrication area, the LVZ of the Clark Valley branch (array JF) has a width of ~200 m with ~55% reduction in Vp and Vs. This is consistent with what have been suggested from previous studies. In comparison, we find that the velocity reduction relative to the host rock across the Anza seismic gap (array RA) is ~50% for both Vp and Vs, nearly as prominent as that on the southern branches. The width of the LVZ is ~230 m. In addition, the LVZ across the Anza gap appears to locate in the northeast side of the RA array, implying potential preferred propagation direction of past ruptures.

  8. Low-mass stars in globular clusters. III. The mass function of 47 Tucanae.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    de Marchi, G.; Paresce, F.

    1995-12-01

    of binaries discovered in 47 Tuc. In all cases, however, the mass function is found to flatten below 0.3Msun_ and the flattening is most likely an intrinsic property of the initial mass function itself, implying that very low mass stars are not produced in any dynamically significant amount by globular clusters, irrespective of their metal content or cluster history. This result is consistent with recent determinations of the initial mass function both in the disk and in the halo, suggesting the existence of some limitation in the mechanism of low-mass star formation.

  9. A Stratification Boomerang: Nonlinear Dependence of Deep Southern Ocean Ventilation on PCO2

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Galbraith, E. D.; Merlis, T. M.

    2014-12-01

    Strong correlations between atmospheric CO2, Antarctic temperatures, and marine proxy records have hinted that ventilation of the deep Southern Ocean may have played a central role in the variations of CO2 over glacial-interglacial cycles. One proposition is that, in general, the Southern Ocean ventilates the deep more strongly under higher CO2, due to a change in winds and/or the dominance of thermal stratification in a warm ocean, which weakens ocean biological carbon storage. Here, we explore this idea with a suite of multi-millennial simulations using the GFDL CM2Mc global coupled model. The results are, indeed, consistent with increasing ventilation of the Southern Ocean as pCO2 increases above modern. However, they reveal a surprising twist under low pCO2: increased salinity of the Southern Ocean, due in part to weakening atmospheric moisture transport, actually increases ventilation rate of the deep ocean under low pCO2 as well. This implies that a nadir of Southern Ocean ventilation occurs at intermediate pCO2, which the model estimates as being close to that of the present-day. This is at odds with the interpretation that weak ventilation of the deep Southern Ocean was the unifying coupled mechanism for the glacial pCO2 cycles. Rather, it suggests that factors other than the ventilation rate of the deep Southern Ocean, such as iron fertilization, ecosystem changes, water mass distributions, and sea ice cover, were key players in the glacial-interglacial CO2 changes.

  10. The BDNYC database of low-mass stars, brown dwarfs, and planetary mass companions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cruz, Kelle; Rodriguez, David; Filippazzo, Joseph; Gonzales, Eileen; Faherty, Jacqueline K.; Rice, Emily; BDNYC

    2018-01-01

    We present a web-interface to a database of low-mass stars, brown dwarfs, and planetary mass companions. Users can send SELECT SQL queries to the database, perform searches by coordinates or name, check the database inventory on specified objects, and even plot spectra interactively. The initial version of this database contains information for 198 objects and version 2 will contain over 1000 objects. The database currently includes photometric data from 2MASS, WISE, and Spitzer and version 2 will include a significant portion of the publicly available optical and NIR spectra for brown dwarfs. The database is maintained and curated by the BDNYC research group and we welcome contributions from other researchers via GitHub.

  11. Evolution models of helium white dwarf-main-sequence star merger remnants: the mass distribution of single low-mass white dwarfs

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, Xianfei; Hall, Philip D.; Jeffery, C. Simon; Bi, Shaolan

    2018-02-01

    It is not known how single white dwarfs with masses less than 0.5Msolar -- low-mass white dwarfs -- are formed. One way in which such a white dwarf might be formed is after the merger of a helium-core white dwarf with a main-sequence star that produces a red giant branch star and fails to ignite helium. We use a stellar-evolution code to compute models of the remnants of these mergers and find a relation between the pre-merger masses and the final white dwarf mass. Combining our results with a model population, we predict that the mass distribution of single low-mass white dwarfs formed through this channel spans the range 0.37 to 0.5Msolar and peaks between 0.45 and 0.46Msolar. Helium white dwarf--main-sequence star mergers can also lead to the formation of single helium white dwarfs with masses up to 0.51Msolar. In our model the Galactic formation rate of single low-mass white dwarfs through this channel is about 8.7X10^-3yr^-1. Comparing our models with observations, we find that the majority of single low-mass white dwarfs (<0.5Msolar) are formed from helium white dwarf--main-sequence star mergers, at a rate which is about $2$ per cent of the total white dwarf formation rate.

  12. Ecological importance of the Southern Boundary of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tynan, Cynthia T.

    1998-04-01

    The Southern Ocean surrounds the Antarctic continent and supports one of the most productive marine ecosystems. Migratory and endemic species of whales, seals and birds benefit from the high biomass of their principal prey, krill (Euphausia superba) and cephalopods, in this area. Most species of baleen whales and male sperm whales in the Southern Hemisphere migrate between low-latitude breeding grounds in winter and highly productive Antarctic feeding grounds in summer. Here I show the importance of the southernmost reaches of the strongest ocean current, the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC), to a complex and predictable food web of the Southern Ocean. The circumpolar distributions of blue, fin and humpback whales from spring to midsummer trace the non-uniform high-latitude penetration of shoaled, nutrient-rich Upper Circumpolar Deep Water, which is carried eastward by the ACC. The poleward extent of this water mass delineates the Southern Boundary of the ACC and corresponds not only to the circumpolar distributions of baleen whales, but also to distributions of krill and to regions of high, seasonally averaged, phytoplankton biomass. Sperm whales, which feed on cephalopods, also congregate in highest densities near the Southern Boundary. The association of primary production, Krill, and whales with the Southern Boundary, suggests that it provides predictably productive foraging for many species, and is of critical importance to the function of the Southern Ocean ecosystem.

  13. Evidence for AGN feedback in low-mass galaxies

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Masters, Karen; Penny, Sam; Smethurst, Rebecca; Krawczyk, Coleman; Nichol, Bob; SDSS-IV MaNGA

    2018-01-01

    Despite being the dominant galaxy population by number in groups and clusters, the formation and quenching mechanism of dwarf galaxies remains unknown. We present evidence for AGN feedback in a subset of 69 quenched low-mass galaxies (M* less than 5e9 Msun, fainter than Mr = -19) selected from the first two years of the MaNGA survey. The majority (85 per cent) of these quenched galaxies appear to reside in a group environment. We find 6 galaxies in our sample that appear to have an active AGN that is preventing on-going star-formation; this is the first time such a feedback mechanism has been observed in this mass range. Interestingly, five of these six galaxies have an ionised gas component that is kinematically offset from their stellar component, suggesting the gas is either recently accreted or outflowing. We hypothesise these six galaxies are low-mass equivalents to the “red geysers” observed in more massive galaxies. Of the other 62 galaxies in the sample, we find 8 do appear to have some low-level, residual star formation, or emission from hot, evolved stars. The remaining galaxies in our sample have no detectable ionised gas emission throughout their structures, consistent with them being quenched. I will show that despite being the "simplest" galaxies in our current models of galaxy formation, these quenched dwarf galaxies are a diverse population.

  14. Weak and Compact Radio Emission in Early High-Mass Star Forming Regions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rosero, Viviana; P. Hofner, M. Claussen, S. Kurtz, R. Cesaroni, E. D. Araya, C. Carrasco-González, L. F. Rodríguez, K. M. Menten, F. Wyrowski, L. Loinard, S. P. Ellingsen

    2018-01-01

    High-mass protostars are difficult to detect: they have short evolutionary timescales, they tend to be located at large distances, and they are usually embedded within complicated cluster environments. In this work, we aimed to identify and analyze candidates at the earliest stages of high-mass star formation, where only low-level (< 1 mJy) radio emission is expected. We used the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array to achieve one of the most sensitive (image RMS < 3 -- 10 μJy/beam) centimeter continuum surveys towards high-mass star forming regions to date, with observations at 1.3 and 6 cm and an angular resolution < 0.5". The sample is composed of cold molecular clumps with and without infrared sources (CMC--IRs and CMCs, respectively) and hot molecular cores (HMCs), covering a wide range of parameters such as bolometric luminosity and distance. We detected 70 radio continuum sources that are associated with dust clumps, most of which are weak and compact. We detected centimeter wavelength sources in 100% of our HMCs, which is a higher fraction than previously expected and suggests that radio continuum may be detectable at weak levels in all HMCs. The lack of radio detections for some objects in the sample (including most CMCs) contributes strong evidence that these are prestellar clumps, providing interesting constraints and ideal follow up candidates for studies of the earliest stages of high-mass stars. Our results show further evidence for an evolutionary sequence in the formation of high-mass stars, from starless cores (i.e., CMCs) to relatively more evolved ones (i.e., HMCs). Many of our detections have morphologies and other observational parameters that resemble collimated ionized jets, which is highly relevant for recent theoretical models based on core accretion that predict that the first stages of ionization from high-mass stars are in the form of jets. Additionally, we found that properties of ionized jets from low and high-mass stars are extremely well

  15. Low-end mass function of the Quintuplet cluster

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shin, Jihye; Kim, Sungsoo S.

    2016-08-01

    The Quintuplet and Arches clusters, which were formed in the harsh environment of the Galactic Centre (GC) a few million years ago, have been excellent targets for studying the effects of a star-forming environment on the initial mass function (IMF). In order to estimate the shape of the low-end IMF of the Arches cluster, Shin & Kim devised a novel photometric method that utilizes pixel intensity histograms (PIHs) of the observed images. Here, we apply the PIH method to the Quintuplet cluster and estimate the shape of its low-end IMF below the magnitude of completeness limit as set by conventional photometry. We found that the low-end IMF of the Quintuplet is consistent with that found for the Arches cluster-Kroupa MF, with a significant number of low-mass stars below 1 M⊙. We conclude that the most likely IMFs of the Quintuplet and the Arches clusters are not too different from the IMFs found in the Galactic disc. We also find that the observed PIHs and stellar number density profiles of both clusters are best reproduced when the clusters are assumed to be at three-dimensional distances of approximately 100 pc from the GC.

  16. The Low Mass IMF in Young Open Clusters

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Williams, Douglas M.

    1995-01-01

    We present the results of the investigation of the Initial Mass Function at the end of the Main Sequence in young open clusters. We find that over a large range in age and environment the IMFs are similar to each other, and to recent determinations of the field star IMF. We have obtained V, I, and K band photometry of fields in the three relatively unembedded open clusters. The photometry reaches down to various masses in each cluster: 0.08{cal M}_⊙ for Praesepe, 0.04{cal M}odot for the Pleiades, and 0.15{cal M}_⊙ for NGC 7160. We compare the methods for estimating the masses of young, embedded stars developed by Comeron et al. (1993 - CRBR) and by Strom, Kepner, & Strom (1995) and show them to be in good agreement. Spectra in the 2 mu m region of six low mass objects from CRBR are also in agreement with the mass estimates using these methods. The spectrum of a brown dwarf candidate is used to place an upper limit on its mass of 60% of the minimum required for hydrogen burning. The IMFs from these four clusters plus NGC 2024 are shown to be in agreement with each other. The composite MF can be fitted with a power law between 0.04 and 0.5 {cal M}_⊙ with a slope of -0.75 +/- 0.3. There is no evidence for a cutoff at the bottom of the main sequence (0.08{cal M}odot); brown dwarfs appear to be abundant in open clusters. However, the slope of the MF is well above the value of _sp {~}<-2 required for very low mass stars and brown dwarfs to contribute a significant portion of the mass of open clusters. The composite cluster MF also is in agreement with recent determinations of the field star IMF for stellar masses. The field star data do not extend into the brown dwarf range; however, if we extrapolate in accordance with the cluster MF, we conclude that brown dwarfs probably do not contribute significantly to the dark matter.

  17. Formation of Extremely Low-mass White Dwarf Binaries

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sun, M.; Arras, P.

    2018-05-01

    Motivated by the discovery of several pulsating, extremely low-mass white dwarfs (ELM WDs, mass M ≲ 0.18 M ⊙) that likely have WD companions, this paper discusses binary formation models for these systems. ELM WDs are formed using angular momentum losses by magnetic braking. Evolutionary models are constructed using the Modules for Experiments in Stellar Astrophysics (MESA), with ELM WD progenitors in the range 1.0 ≲ M d/M ⊙ ≲ 1.5 and WD companions in the range 0.4 ≲ M a/M ⊙ ≲ 0.9. A prescription to reduce magnetic braking for thin surface convection zones is included. Upon the thinning of the evolved donor envelope, the donor star shrinks out of contact and mass transfer (MT) ceases, revealing the ELM WD. Systems with low masses have previously been suggested as possible AM CVNs. Systems with high masses, up to the limit M ≃ 0.18 M ⊙ at which shell flashes occur on the WD cooling track, tend to expand out to orbital periods P orb ≳ 15 hr. In between this range, ELM WDs may become pulsators both as pre-WDs and on the WD cooling track. Brickhill’s criterion for convective mode driving is used to estimate the location of the blue edge of the g-mode instability strip. In the appendix, we show that the formation of an ELM WD by unstable MT or a common-envelope event is unlikely. Stable Roche-lobe overflow with conservative MT produces only M ≳ 0.2 M ⊙.

  18. Optimizing EDELWEISS detectors for low-mass WIMP searches

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Arnaud, Q.; Armengaud, E.; Augier, C.; Benoît, A.; Bergé, L.; Billard, J.; Broniatowski, A.; Camus, P.; Cazes, A.; Chapellier, M.; Charlieux, F.; de Jésus, M.; Dumoulin, L.; Eitel, K.; Foerster, N.; Gascon, J.; Giuliani, A.; Gros, M.; Hehn, L.; Jin, Y.; Juillard, A.; Kleifges, M.; Kozlov, V.; Kraus, H.; Kudryavtsev, V. A.; Le-Sueur, H.; Maisonobe, R.; Marnieros, S.; Navick, X.-F.; Nones, C.; Olivieri, E.; Pari, P.; Paul, B.; Poda, D.; Queguiner, E.; Rozov, S.; Sanglard, V.; Scorza, S.; Siebenborn, B.; Vagneron, L.; Weber, M.; Yakushev, E.; EDELWEISS Collaboration

    2018-01-01

    The physics potential of EDELWEISS detectors for the search of low-mass weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs) is studied. Using a data-driven background model, projected exclusion limits are computed using frequentist and multivariate analysis approaches, namely, profile likelihood and boosted decision tree. Both current and achievable experimental performances are considered. The optimal strategy for detector optimization depends critically on whether the emphasis is put on WIMP masses below or above ˜5 GeV /c2 . The projected sensitivity for the next phase of the EDELWEISS-III experiment at the Modane Underground Laboratory (LSM) for low-mass WIMP search is presented. By 2018 an upper limit on the spin-independent WIMP-nucleon cross section of σSI=7 ×10-42 cm2 is expected for a WIMP mass in the range 2 - 5 GeV /c2 . The requirements for a future hundred-kilogram-scale experiment designed to reach the bounds imposed by the coherent scattering of solar neutrinos are also described. By improving the ionization resolution down to 50 eVe e , we show that such an experiment installed in an even lower background environment (e.g., at SNOLAB) together with an exposure of 1 000 kg .yr , should allow us to observe about 80 B 8 neutrino events after discrimination.

  19. THE (BLACK HOLE)-BULGE MASS SCALING RELATION AT LOW MASSES

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

    Graham, Alister W.; Scott, Nicholas

    2015-01-01

    Several recent papers have reported on the occurrence of active galactic nuclei (AGNs) containing undermassive black holes relative to a linear scaling relation between black hole mass (M {sub bh}) and host spheroid stellar mass (M {sub sph,} {sub *}). However, dramatic revisions to the M {sub bh}-M {sub sph,} {sub *} and M {sub bh}-L {sub sph} relations, based on samples containing predominantly inactive galaxies, have recently identified a new steeper relation at M {sub bh} ≲ (2-10) × 10{sup 8} M {sub ☉}, roughly corresponding to M {sub sph,} {sub *} ≲ (0.3-1) × 10{sup 11} M {submore » ☉}. We show that this steeper, quadratic-like M {sub bh}-M {sub sph,} {sub *} relation defined by the Sérsic galaxies, i.e., galaxies without partially depleted cores, roughly tracks the apparent offset of the AGN having 10{sup 5} ≲ M {sub bh}/M {sub ☉} ≲ 0.5 × 10{sup 8}. That is, these AGNs are not randomly offset with low black hole masses, but also follow a steeper (nonlinear) relation. As noted by Busch et al., confirmation or rejection of a possible AGN offset from the steeper M {sub bh}-M {sub sph,} {sub *} relation defined by the Sérsic galaxies will benefit from improved stellar mass-to-light ratios for the spheroids hosting these AGNs. Several implications for formation theories are noted. Furthermore, reasons for possible under- and overmassive black holes, the potential existence of intermediate mass black holes (<10{sup 5} M {sub ☉}), and the new steep (black hole)-(nuclear star cluster) relation, M{sub bh}∝M{sub nc}{sup 2.7±0.7}, are also discussed.« less

  20. Low floor mass transit vehicle

    DOEpatents

    Emmons, J Bruce [Beverly Hills, MI; Blessing, Leonard J [Rochester, MI

    2004-02-03

    A mass transit vehicle includes a frame structure that provides an efficient and economical approach to providing a low floor bus. The inventive frame includes a stiff roof panel and a stiff floor panel. A plurality of generally vertical pillars extend between the roof and floor panels. A unique bracket arrangement is disclosed for connecting the pillars to the panels. Side panels are secured to the pillars and carry the shear stresses on the frame. A unique seating assembly that can be advantageously incorporated into the vehicle taking advantage of the load distributing features of the inventive frame is also disclosed.

  1. A low-volume, low-mass, low-power UHF proximity micro-transceiver for Mars Exploration

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kuhn, William; Lay, Norman; Grigorian, Edwin

    2005-01-01

    UHF half-duplex micro-transceiver measuring 1 cubic centimeter, weighing less than 10 grams, and operating at 40 mW on receive and 50mW, 300mW, or 3W on transmit is described. The micro-transceiver is being designed for future Mars exploration missions, but can be adapted for other proximity links. It supports transmission rates up to 256 ksps and higher in BPSK or QPSK format for data return and receives command/control instructions at up to 8 ksps. In addition to its low mass/power features, temperature compensated circuit and system design and radiation tolerance allow operation outside of large shielded enclosures, further reducing the mass and complexity of exploration vehicles.

  2. The coolest extremely low-mass white dwarfs

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Calcaferro, Leila M.; Althaus, Leandro G.; Córsico, Alejandro H.

    2018-06-01

    Context. Extremely low-mass white dwarf (ELM WD; M⋆ ≲ 0.18-0.20 M⊙) stars are thought to be formed in binary systems via stable or unstable mass transfer. Although stable mass transfer predicts the formation of ELM WDs with thick hydrogen (H) envelopes that are characterized by dominant residual nuclear burning along the cooling branch, the formation of ELM WDs with thinner H envelopes from unstable mass loss cannot be discarded. Aims: We compute new evolutionary sequences for helium (He) core WD stars with thin H envelopes with the main aim of assessing the lowest Teff that could be reached by this type of stars. Methods: We generate a new grid of evolutionary sequences of He-core WD stars with thin H envelopes in the mass range from 0.1554 to 0.2025 M⊙, and assess the changes in both the cooling times and surface gravity induced by a reduction of the H envelope. We also determine, taking into account the predictions of progenitor evolution, the lowest Teff reached by the resulting ELM WDs. Results: We find that a slight reduction in the H envelope yields a significant increase in the cooling rate of ELM WDs. Because of this, ELM WDs with thin H envelopes could cool down to 2500 K, in contrast to their canonical counterparts that cool down to 7000 K. In addition, we find that a reduction of the thickness of the H envelope markedly increases the surface gravity (g) of these stars. Conclusions: If ELM WDs are formed with thin H envelopes, they could be detected at very low Teff. The detection of such cool ELM WDs would be indicative that they were formed with thin H envelopes, thus opening the possibility of placing constraints on the possible mechanisms of formation of this type of star. Last but not least, the increase in g due to the reduction of the H envelope leads to consequences in the spectroscopic determinations of these stars.

  3. DISCOVERY OF THE SECOND WARM CARBON-CHAIN-CHEMISTRY SOURCE, IRAS15398 - 3359 IN LUPUS

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

    Sakai, Nami; Yamamoto, Satoshi; Sakai, Takeshi

    2009-05-20

    We have conducted a search for carbon-chain molecules toward 16 protostars with the Mopra 22 m and Nobeyama 45 m telescopes, and have detected high excitation lines from several species, such as C{sub 4}H (N = 9-8), C{sub 4}H{sub 2}(J = 10{sub 0,10}-9{sub 0,9}), CH{sub 3}CCH(J = 5-4, K = 2), and HC{sub 5}N(J = 32-31), toward the low-mass protostar, IRAS15398 - 3359 in Lupus. The C{sub 4}H line is as bright as 2.4 K measured with the Nobeyama 45 m telescope. The kinetic temperature is derived to be 12.6 {+-} 1.5 K from the K = 1 and Kmore » = 2 lines of CH{sub 3}CCH. These results indicate that the carbon-chain molecules exist in a region of warm and dense gas near the protostar. The observed features are similar to those found toward IRAS04368+2557 in L1527, which shows warm carbon-chain chemistry (WCCC). In WCCC, carbon-chain molecules are produced efficiently by the evaporation of CH{sub 4} from the grain mantles in a lukewarm region near the protostar. Our data clearly indicate that WCCC is no longer specific to L1527, but occurs in IRAS15398 - 3359. In addition, we draw attention to a remarkable contrast between WCCC and hot corino chemistry in low-mass star-forming regions. Carbon-chain molecules are deficient in hot corino sources like NGC1333 IRAS4B, whereas complex organic molecules seem to be less abundant in the WCCC sources. A possible origin for such source-to-source chemical variations is suggested to arise from the timescale of the starless-core phase in each source. If this is the case, the chemical composition provides an important clue to explore the variation of star formation processes between sources and/or molecular clouds.« less

  4. Very Low-mass Stars and Brown Dwarfs in Upper Scorpius Using Gaia DR1: Mass Function, Disks, and Kinematics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cook, Neil J.; Scholz, Aleks; Jayawardhana, Ray

    2017-12-01

    Our understanding of the brown dwarf population in star-forming regions is dependent on knowing distances and proper motions and therefore will be improved through the Gaia space mission. In this paper, we select new samples of very low-mass objects (VLMOs) in Upper Scorpius using UKIDSS colors and optimized proper motions calculated using Gaia DR1. The scatter in proper motions from VLMOs in Upper Scorpius is now (for the first time) dominated by the kinematic spread of the region itself, not by the positional uncertainties. With age and mass estimates updated using Gaia parallaxes for early-type stars in the same region, we determine masses for all VLMOs. Our final most complete sample includes 453 VLMOs of which ˜125 are expected to be brown dwarfs. The cleanest sample is comprised of 131 VLMOs, with ˜105 brown dwarfs. We also compile a joint sample from the literature that includes 415 VLMOs, out of which 152 are likely brown dwarfs. The disk fraction among low-mass brown dwarfs (M< 0.05 {M}⊙ ) is substantially higher than in more massive objects, indicating that disks around low-mass brown dwarfs survive longer than in low-mass stars overall. The mass function for 0.01< M< 0.1 {M}⊙ is consistent with the Kroupa Initial Mass Function. We investigate the possibility that some “proper motion outliers” have undergone a dynamical ejection early in their evolution. Our analysis shows that the color-magnitude cuts used when selecting samples introduce strong bias into the population statistics due to varying levels of contamination and completeness.

  5. Mass-Loss Evolution in the EUV Low Corona from SDO/AIA Data

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    López, Fernando M.; Hebe Cremades, M.; Nuevo, Federico A.; Balmaceda, Laura A.; Vásquez, Alberto M.

    2017-01-01

    We carry out an analysis of the mass that is ejected from three coronal dimming regions observed by the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) on board the Solar Dynamics Observatory. The three events are unambiguously identified with white-light coronal mass ejections (CMEs) that are associated in turn with surface activity of diverse nature: an impulsive (M-class) flare, a weak (B-class) flare, and a filament eruption without a flare. The use of three AIA coronal passbands allows applying a differential emission measure technique to define the dimming regions and identify their ejected mass through the analysis of the electronic density depletion associated with the eruptions. The temporal evolution of the mass loss from the three dimmings can be approximated by an exponential equation followed by a linear fit. We determine the mass of the associated CMEs from COR2 data. The results show that the ejected masses from the low corona represent a considerable amount of the CME mass. We also find that plasma is still being ejected from the low corona at the time when the CMEs reach the COR2 field of view. The temporal evolution of the angular width of the CMEs, of the dimming regions in the low corona, and of the flux registered by GOES in soft X-rays are all in close relation with the behavior of mass ejection from the low corona. We discuss the implications of our findings toward a better understanding of the temporal evolution of several parameters associated with the analyzed dimmings and CMEs.

  6. Nature of shocks revealed by SOFIA OI observations in the Cepheus E protostellar outflow

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gusdorf, A.; Anderl, S.; Lefloch, B.; Leurini, S.; Wiesemeyer, H.; Güsten, R.; Benedettini, M.; Codella, C.; Godard, B.; Gómez-Ruiz, A. I.; Jacobs, K.; Kristensen, L. E.; Lesaffre, P.; Pineau des Forêts, G.; Lis, D. C.

    2017-06-01

    Context. Protostellar jets and outflows are key features of the star-formation process, and primary processes of the feedback of young stars on the interstellar medium. Understanding the underlying shocks is necessary to explain how jet and outflow systems are launched, and to quantify their chemical and energetic impacts on the surrounding medium. Aims: We performed a high-spectral resolution study of the [OI]63μm emission in the outflow of the intermediate-mass Class 0 protostar Cep E-mm. The goal is to determine the structure of the outflow, to constrain the chemical conditions in the various components, and to understand the nature of the underlying shocks, thus probing the origin of the mass-loss phenomenon. Methods: We present observations of the O I 3P1 → 3P2, OH between 2Π1/2J = 3/2 and J = 1/2 at 1837.8 GHz, and CO (16-15) lines with the GREAT receiver onboard SOFIA towards three positions in the Cep E protostellar outflow: Cep E-mm (the driving protostar), Cep E-BI (in the southern lobe), and Cep E-BII (the terminal position in the southern lobe). Results: The CO (16-15) line is detected at all three positions. The [OI]63μm line is detected in Cep E-BI and BII, whereas the OH line is not detected. In Cep E-BII, we identify three kinematical components in O I and CO. These were already detected in CO transitions and relate to spatial components: the jet, the HH377 terminal bow-shock, and the outflow cavity. We measure line temperature and line integrated intensity ratios for all components. The O I column density is higher in the outflow cavity than in the jet, which itself is higher than in the terminal shock. The terminal shock is the region where the abundance ratio of O I to CO is the lowest (about 0.2), whereas the jet component is atomic (N(O I)/N(CO) 2.7). In the jet, we compare the [OI]63μm observations with shock models that successfully fit the integrated intensity of 10 CO lines. We find that these models most likely do not fit the [OI]63

  7. Kinematics of a Young Low-mass Star-forming Core: Understanding the Evolutionary State of the First-core Candidate L1451-mm

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

    Maureira, María José; Arce, Héctor G.; Dunham, Michael M.

    We use 3 mm multiline and continuum CARMA observations toward the first hydrostatic core (FHSC) candidate L1451-mm to characterize the envelope kinematics at 1000 au scales and investigate its evolutionary state. We detect evidence of infall and rotation in the NH{sub 2}D(1{sub 1,1}–1{sub 0,1}), N{sub 2}H{sup +}(1–0), and HCN(1–0) molecular lines. We compare the position–velocity diagram of the NH{sub 2}D(1{sub 1,1}–1{sub 0,1}) line with a simple kinematic model and find that it is consistent with an envelope that is both infalling and rotating while conserving angular momentum around a central mass of about 0.06 M {sub ⊙}. The N{sub 2}H{supmore » +}(1–0) LTE mass of the envelope along with the inferred infall velocity leads to a mass infall rate of approximately 6 × 10{sup −6} M {sub ⊙} yr{sup −1}, implying a young age of 10{sup 4} years for this FHSC candidate. Assuming that the accretion onto the central object is the same as the infall rate, we obtain a minimum source size of 1.5–5 au, consistent with the size expected for a first core. We do not see any evidence of outflow motions or signs of outflow–envelope interaction at scales ≳2000 au. This is consistent with previous observations that revealed a very compact outflow (≲500 au). We conclude that L1451-mm is indeed at a very early stage of evolution, either a first core or an extremely young Class 0 protostar. Our results provide strong evidence that L1451-mm is the best candidate for being a bona fide first core.« less

  8. Grain growth in Class I protostar Per-emb-50: a dust continuum analysis with NOEMA & SMA .

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Agurto-Gangas, C.; Pineda, J. E.; Testi, L.; Caselli, P.; Szucs, L.; Tazzari, M.; Dunham, M.; Stephens, I. W.; Miotello, A.

    A good understanding of when dust grains grow from sub-micrometer to millimeter sizes occurs is crucial for models of planet formation. This provides the first step towards the production of pebbles and planetesimals in protoplanetary disks. Thanks to detailed studies of the spectral index in Class II disks, it is well established that Class II objects have already dust grains of millimetres sizes, however, it is not clear when in the star formation process this grain growth occurs. Here, we present interferometric data from NOEMA at 3 mm and SMA at 1.3 mm of the Class I protostar, Per-emb-50, to determine the flux density spectral index at mm-wavelengths of the unresolved disk and the surrounding envelope. We find a spectral index in the unresolved disk 30% smaller than the envelope, alpha env=2.18, comparable to values obtained toward Class 0 sources.

  9. Observations Of Polarized Dust Emission In Protostars: How To Reconstruct Magnetic Field Properties?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Maury, Anaëlle; Galametz, M.; Girart; Guillet; Hennebelle, P.; Houde; Rao; Valdivia, V.; Zhang, Q.

    2017-10-01

    I will present our ALMA Cycle 2 polarized dust continuum data towards the Class 0 protostar B335 where the absence of detected rotational motions in the inner envelope might suggest an efficient magnetic braking at work to inhibit the formation of a large disk. The Band 6 data we obtained shows an intriguing polarized vectors topology, which could either suggest (i) at least two different grain alignment mechanisms at work in B335 to produce the observed polarization pattern, or (ii) an interferometric bias leading to filtering of the polarized signal that is different from the filtering of Stokes I. I will discuss both options, proposing multi-wavelength and multi observatory (ALMA Band3 data in Cycle 5, NIKA2Pol camera on the IRAM-30m) strategies to lift the degeneracy when using polarization observations as a proxy of magnetic fields in dense astrophysical environments. This observational effort in the framework of the MagneticYSOs project, is also supported by our development of an end-to-end chain of ALMA synthetic observations of the polarization from non-ideal MHD simulations of protostellar collapse (see complementary contributions by V. Valdivia and M. Galametz).

  10. Spectroscopic Observations of Nearby Low Mass Stars

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Vican, Laura; Zuckerman, B. M.; Rodriguez, D.

    2014-01-01

    Young low-mass stars are known to be bright in X-ray and UV due to a high level of magnetic activity. By cross-correlating the GALEX Catalog with the WISE and 2MASS Point Source Catalogs, we have identified more than 2,000 stars whose UV excesses suggest ages in the 10-100 Myr range. We used the Shane 3-m telescope at Lick Observatory on Mount Hamilton, California to observe some of these 2,000 stars spectroscopically. We measured the equivalent width of lithium at 6708 A absorption and H-alpha emission lines. Out of a total of 122 stars observed with the Kast grating spectrometer, we find that roughly 10% have strong lithium absorption features. The high percentage of stars with lithium present is further evidence of the importance of UV emission as a youth indicator for low-mass stars. In addition, we used high-resolution spectra obtained with the Hamilton echelle spectrograph to determine radial velocities for several UV-bright stars. These radial velocities will be useful for the calculation of Galactic UVW space velocities for determination of possible moving group membership. This work is supported by NASA Astrophysics Data Analysis Program award NNX12AH37G to RIT and UCLA and Chilean FONDECYT grant 3130520 to Universidad de Chile. This submission presents work for the GALNYSS project and should be linked to abstracts submitted by David Rodriguez, Laura Vican, and Joel Kastner.

  11. Water in Star-forming Regions with Herschel (WISH): recent results and trends

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    van Dishoeck, E. F.

    2012-03-01

    Water is a key molecule in the physics and chemistry of star- and planet-forming regions. In the `Water in Star-forming Regions with Herschel' (WISH) Key Program, we have obtained a comprehensive set of water data toward a large sample of well-characterized protostars, covering a wide range of masses and luminosities --from the lowest to the highest mass protostars--, as well as evolutionary stages --from pre-stellar cores to disks. Lines of both ortho- and para-H_2O and their isotopologues, as well as chemically related hydrides, are observed with the HIFI and PACS instruments. The data elucidate the physical processes responsible for the warm gas, probe dynamical processes associated with forming stars and planets (outflow, infall, expansion), test basic chemical processes and reveal the chemical evolution of water and the oxygen-reservoir into planet-forming disks. In this brief talk a few recent WISH highlights will be presented, including determinations of the water abundance in each of the different physical components (inner and outer envelope, outflow) and constraints on the ortho/para ratio. Special attention will be given to trends found across the sample, especially the similarity in profiles from low to high-mass protostars and the evolution of the gas-phase water abundance from prestellar cores to disks. More details can be found at http://www.strw.leidenuniv.nl/WISH, whereas overviews are given in van Dishoeck et al. (2011, PASP 123, 138), Kristensen & van Dishoeck (2011, Astronomische Nachrichten 332, 475) and Bergin & van Dishoeck (2012, Phil. Trans. Royal Soc. A).

  12. RADIO OBSERVATIONS OF THE STAR FORMATION ACTIVITIES IN THE NGC 2024 FIR 4 REGION

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

    Choi, Minho; Kang, Miju; Lee, Jeong-Eun, E-mail: minho@kasi.re.kr

    Star formation activities in the NGC 2024 FIR 4 region were studied by imaging centimeter continuum sources and water maser sources using several archival data sets from the Very Large Array. The continuum source VLA 9 is elongated in the northwest–southeast direction, consistent with the FIR 4 bipolar outflow axis, and has a flat spectrum in the 6.2–3.6 cm interval. The three water maser spots associated with FIR 4 are also distributed along the outflow axis. One of the spots is located close to VLA 9, and another one is close to an X-ray source. Examinations of the positions ofmore » compact objects in this region suggest that the FIR 4 cloud core contains a single low-mass protostar. VLA 9 is the best indicator of the protostellar position. VLA 9 may be a radio thermal jet driven by this protostar, and it is unlikely that FIR 4 contains a high-mass young stellar object (YSO). A methanol 6.7 GHz maser source is located close to VLA 9, at a distance of about 100 AU. The FIR 4 protostar must be responsible for the methanol maser action, which suggests that methanol class II masers are not necessarily excited by high-mass YSOs. Also discussed are properties of other centimeter continuum sources in the field of view and the water masers associated with FIR 6n. Some of the continuum sources are radio thermal jets, and some are magnetically active young stars.« less

  13. Surface and basal ice shelf mass balance processes of the Southern McMurdo Ice Shelf determined through radar statistical reconnaissance

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Grima, C.; Koch, I.; Greenbaum, J. S.; Soderlund, K. M.; Blankenship, D. D.; Young, D. A.; Fitzsimons, S.

    2017-12-01

    The McMurdo ice shelves (northern and southern MIS), adjacent to the eponymous station and the Ross Ice Shelf, Antarctica, are known for large gradients in surface snow accumulation and snow/ice impurities. Marine ice accretion and melting are important contributors to MIS's mass balance. Due to erosive winds, the southern MIS (SMIS) shows a locally negative surface mass balance. Thus, marine ice once accreted at the ice shelf base crops out at the surface. However, the exact processes that exert primary control on SMIS mass balance have remained elusive. Radar statistical reconnaissance (RSR) is a recent technique that has been used to characterize the surface properties of the Earth's cryosphere, Mars, and Titan from the stochastic character of energy scattered by the surface. Here, we apply RSR to map the surface density and roughness of the SMIS and extend the technique to derive the basal reflectance and scattering coefficients of the ice-ocean interface. We use an airborne radar survey grid acquired over the SMIS in the 2014-2015 austral summer by the University of Texas Institute for Geophysics with the High Capability Radar Sounder (HiCARS2; 60-MHz center frequency and 15-MHz bandwidth). The RSR-derived snow density values and patterns agree with directly -measured ice shelf surface accumulation rates. We also compare the composition of SMIS ice surface samples to test the ability of RSR to discriminate ices with varying dielectric properties (e.g., marine versus meteoric ice) and hypothesize relationships between the RSR-derived basal reflectance/scattered coefficients and accretion or melting at the ice-ocean interface. This improved knowledge of air-ice and ice-ocean boundaries provides a new perspective on the processes governing SMIS surface and basal mass balance.

  14. The obesity epidemic and rising diabetes incidence in a low-income racially diverse southern US cohort.

    PubMed

    Conway, Baqiyyah N; Han, Xijing; Munro, Heather M; Gross, Amy L; Shu, Xiao-Ou; Hargreaves, Margaret K; Zheng, Wei; Powers, Alvin C; Blot, William J

    2018-01-01

    Obesity is known to be a major risk factor for diabetes, but the magnitude of risk and variation between blacks and whites are less well documented in populations heavily affected by obesity. Herein we assess rates and risks of incident diabetes in a diverse southern population where obesity is common. A total of 24,000 black and 14,064 white adults aged 40-79 in the Southern Community Cohort Study with no self-reported diabetes at study enrollment during 2002-2009 was followed for up to 10 (median 4.5) years. Incidence rates, odds ratios (OR) and accompanying 95% confidence intervals (CI) for medication-treated incident diabetes were determined according to body mass index (BMI) and other characteristics, including tobacco and alcohol consumption, healthy eating and physical activity indices, and socioeconomic status (SES). Risk of incident diabetes rose monotonically with increasing BMI, but the trends differed between blacks and whites (pinteraction < .0001). Adjusted ORs (CIs) for diabetes among those with BMI≥40 vs 20-25 kg/m2 were 11.9 (8.4-16.8) for whites and 4.0 (3.3-4.8) for blacks. Diabetes incidence was more than twice as high among blacks than whites of normal BMI, but the racial difference became attenuated as BMI rose, with estimated 5-year probabilities of developing diabetes approaching 20% for both blacks and whites with BMI≥40 kg/m2. Diabetes risk was also associated with low SES, significantly (pinteraction≤.02) more so for whites, current cigarette smoking, and lower healthy eating and physical activity indices, although high BMI remained the predominant risk factor among both blacks and whites. From baseline prevalence and 20-year projections of the incidence trends, we estimate that the large majority of surviving cohort participants with BMI≥40 kg/m2 will be diagnosed with diabetes. Even using conservative criteria to ascertain diabetes incidence (i.e., requiring diabetes medication use and ignoring undiagnosed cases), rates of

  15. X-rays from Young Low-Mass Stars: Inhospitable Habitable Zones?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kastner, Joel

    2016-09-01

    The irradiation of protoplanetary disks by high-energy radiation from magnetic and accretion activity at low-mass, pre-MS stars likely plays an essential role in regulating exoplanet formation around such stars. To provide the X-ray data necessary to address the problem of the dissipation of protoplanetary disks around the lowest-mass stars, we propose a survey of a sample of previously established and newly-discovered mid- to late-type M type members of the nearby TW Hya Association (age 8 Myr), most of which were the subjects of our recent ALMA survey to detect dusty disks. The combined Chandra and ALMA survey of the TWA will provide a unique resource with which to investigate X-ray-induced photoevaporation of disks orbiting very low-mass stars and massive brown dwarfs.

  16. A Uniformly Selected Sample of Low-mass Black Holes in Seyfert 1 Galaxies

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dong, Xiao-Bo; Ho, Luis C.; Yuan, Weimin; Wang, Ting-Gui; Fan, Xiaohui; Zhou, Hongyan; Jiang, Ning

    2012-08-01

    We have conducted a systematic search of low-mass black holes (BHs) in active galactic nuclei (AGNs) with broad Hα emission lines, aiming at building a homogeneous sample that is more complete than previous ones for fainter, less highly accreting sources. For this purpose, we developed a set of elaborate, automated selection procedures and applied it uniformly to the Fourth Data Release of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. Special attention is given to AGN-galaxy spectral decomposition and emission-line deblending. We define a sample of 309 type 1 AGNs with BH masses in the range 8 × 104-2 × 106 M ⊙ (with a median of 1.2 × 106 M ⊙), using the virial mass estimator based on the broad Hα line. About half of our sample of low-mass BHs differs from that of Greene & Ho, with 61 of them discovered here for the first time. Our new sample picks up more AGNs with low accretion rates: the Eddington ratios of the present sample range from <~ 0.01 to ~1, with 30% below 0.1. This suggests that a significant fraction of low-mass BHs in the local universe are accreting at low rates. The host galaxies of the low-mass BHs have luminosities similar to those of L* field galaxies, optical colors of Sbc spirals, and stellar spectral features consistent with a continuous star formation history with a mean stellar age of less than 1 Gyr.

  17. AN ULTRA-LOW-MASS AND SMALL-RADIUS COMPACT OBJECT IN 4U 1746-37?

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

    Li, Zhaosheng; Qu, Zhijie; Guo, Yanjun

    Photospheric radius expansion (PRE) bursts have already been used to constrain the masses and radii of neutron stars. RXTE observed three PRE bursts in 4U 1746-37, all with low touchdown fluxes. We discuss here the possibility of a low-mass neutron star in 4U 1746-37 because the Eddington luminosity depends on stellar mass. With typical values of hydrogen mass fraction and color correction factor, a Monte Carlo simulation was applied to constrain the mass and radius of a neutron star in 4U 1746-37. 4U 1746-37 has a high inclination angle. Two geometric effects, the reflection of the far-side accretion disk andmore » the obscuration of the near-side accretion disk, have also been included in the mass and radius constraints of 4U 1746-37. If the reflection of the far-side accretion disk is accounted for, a low-mass compact object (mass of 0.41 ± 0.14 M {sub ☉} and radius of 8.73 ± 1.54 km at 68% confidence) exists in 4U 1746-37. If another effect operated, 4U 1746-37 may contain an ultra-low-mass and small-radius object (M = 0.21 ± 0.06 M {sub ☉}, R = 6.26 ± 0.99 km at 68% confidence). Combining all possibilities, the mass of 4U 1746-37 is 0.41{sub −0.30}{sup +0.70} M{sub ⊙} at 99.7% confidence. For such low-mass neutron stars, it could be reproduced by a self-bound compact star, i.e., a quark star or quark-cluster star.« less

  18. Stellar winds and coronae of low-mass Population II/III stars

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Suzuki, Takeru K.

    2018-06-01

    We investigated stellar winds from zero-/low-metallicity low-mass stars by magnetohydrodynamical simulations for stellar winds driven by Alfvén waves from stars with mass M = (0.6-0.8) M⊙ and metallicity Z = (0-1) Z⊙, where M⊙ and Z⊙ are the solar mass and metallicity, respectively. Alfvénic waves, which are excited by the surface convection, travel upward from the photosphere and heat up the corona by their dissipation. For lower Z, denser gas can be heated up to the coronal temperature because of the inefficient radiation cooling. The coronal density of Population II/III stars with Z ≤ 0.01 Z⊙ is one to two orders of magnitude larger than that of a solar-metallicity star with the same mass, and as a result, the mass loss rate, \\dot{M}, is 4.5-20 times larger. This indicates that metal accretion on low-mass Pop. III stars is negligible. The soft X-ray flux of the Pop. II/III stars is also expected to be ˜1-30 times larger than that of a solar-metallicity counterpart owing to the larger coronal density, even though the radiation cooling efficiency is smaller. A larger fraction of the input Alfvénic wave energy is transmitted to the corona in low-Z stars because they avoid severe reflection owing to the smaller density difference between the photosphere and the corona. Therefore, a larger fraction is converted to the thermal energy of the corona and the kinetic energy of the stellar wind. From this energetics argument, we finally derived a scaling of \\dot{M} as \\dot{M}∝ L R_{\\star }^{11/9} M_{\\star }^{-10/9} T_eff^{11/2}[\\max (Z/Z_{⊙},0.01)]^{-1/5}, where L, R⋆, and Teff are the stellar luminosity, radius, and effective temperature, respectively.

  19. Stellar winds and coronae of low-mass Population II/III stars

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Suzuki, Takeru K.

    2018-04-01

    We investigated stellar winds from zero-/low-metallicity low-mass stars by magnetohydrodynamical simulations for stellar winds driven by Alfvén waves from stars with mass M = (0.6-0.8) M⊙ and metallicity Z = (0-1) Z⊙, where M⊙ and Z⊙ are the solar mass and metallicity, respectively. Alfvénic waves, which are excited by the surface convection, travel upward from the photosphere and heat up the corona by their dissipation. For lower Z, denser gas can be heated up to the coronal temperature because of the inefficient radiation cooling. The coronal density of Population II/III stars with Z ≤ 0.01 Z⊙ is one to two orders of magnitude larger than that of a solar-metallicity star with the same mass, and as a result, the mass loss rate, \\dot{M}, is 4.5-20 times larger. This indicates that metal accretion on low-mass Pop. III stars is negligible. The soft X-ray flux of the Pop. II/III stars is also expected to be ˜1-30 times larger than that of a solar-metallicity counterpart owing to the larger coronal density, even though the radiation cooling efficiency is smaller. A larger fraction of the input Alfvénic wave energy is transmitted to the corona in low-Z stars because they avoid severe reflection owing to the smaller density difference between the photosphere and the corona. Therefore, a larger fraction is converted to the thermal energy of the corona and the kinetic energy of the stellar wind. From this energetics argument, we finally derived a scaling of \\dot{M} as \\dot{M}∝ L R_{\\star }^{11/9} M_{\\star }^{-10/9} T_eff^{11/2}[\\max (Z/Z_{⊙},0.01)]^{-1/5}, where L, R⋆, and Teff are the stellar luminosity, radius, and effective temperature, respectively.

  20. Trap-induced mass declines in small mammals: Mass as a population index

    Treesearch

    Dean E. Pearson; Yvette K. Ortega; Leonard F. Ruggiero

    2003-01-01

    Body mass is routinely used as an index of physical condition for comparing small-mammal populations. However, trapping effects on animals may undermine the effectiveness of body mass as an index of population health. We examined the effects of live-trapping on body mass of 3 small-mammal species: deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus), southern red-...

  1. On the Role of Dissolved Gases in the Atmosphere Retention of Low-mass Low-density Planets

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chachan, Yayaati; Stevenson, David J.

    2018-02-01

    Low-mass low-density planets discovered by Kepler in the super-Earth mass regime typically have large radii for their inferred masses, implying the presence of H2–He atmospheres. These planets are vulnerable to atmospheric mass loss due to heating by the parent star’s XUV flux. Models coupling atmospheric mass loss with thermal evolution predicted a bimodal distribution of planetary radii, which has gained observational support. However, a key component that has been ignored in previous studies is the dissolution of these gases into the molten core of rock and iron that constitute most of their mass. Such planets have high temperatures (>2000 K) and pressures (∼kbars) at the core-envelope boundary, ensuring a molten surface and a subsurface reservoir of hydrogen that can be 5–10 times larger than the atmosphere. This study bridges this gap by coupling the thermal evolution of the planet and the mass loss of the atmosphere with the thermodynamic equilibrium between the dissolved H2 and the atmospheric H2 (Henry’s law). Dissolution in the interior allows a planet to build a larger hydrogen repository during the planet formation stage. We show that the dissolved hydrogen outgasses to buffer atmospheric mass loss. The slow cooling of the planet also leads to outgassing because solubility decreases with decreasing temperature. Dissolution of hydrogen in the interior therefore increases the atmosphere retention ability of super-Earths. The study highlights the importance of including the temperature- and pressure-dependent solubility of gases in magma oceans and coupling outgassing to planetary evolution models.

  2. An ALMA Survey of Planet Forming Disks in Rho Ophiuchus

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cox, Erin Guilfoil; Looney, Leslie; Harris, Robert J.; Dong, Jiayin; Segura-Cox, Dominique; Tobin, John J.; Sadavoy, Sarah; Li, Zhi-Yun; Dunham, Michael; Perez, Laura M.; Chandler, Claire J.; Kratter, Kaitlin M.; Melis, Carl; Chiang, Hsin-Fang

    2017-01-01

    Relatively evolved (~ 1 Myr old) protostars with little residual natal envelope, but massive disks, are commonly assumed to be the sites of ongoing planet formation. Critical to our study of these objects is information about the available mass reservior and dust structure, as they directly tie in to how much mass is available for planets as well as the modes of planet formation that occur (i.e., core-accretion vs. gravitational instability). Millimeter-wave observations provide this critical information as continuum emission is relatively optically thin, allowing for mass estimates, and the availability of high-resolution interferometry, allowing structure constraints. We present high-resolution observations of the population of Class II protostars in the Rho-Ophiuchus cloud (d ~ 130 pc). Our survey observed ~50 of these older protostars at 870µm, using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA). Out of these sources, there are ~10 transition disks, where we see a ring of dust emission surrounding the central protostar -- indicative of ongoing planet formation -- as well as many binary systems. Both of these stages have implications for star and planet formation. We present results from both 1-D and 2-D disk modeling, where we try to understand disk substructure that might indicate on-going planet formation, in particular, transition disk cavities, disk gaps, and asymmetries in the dust emission.

  3. POWERFUL RADIO EMISSION FROM LOW-MASS SUPERMASSIVE BLACK HOLES FAVORS DISK-LIKE BULGES

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

    Wang, J.; Xu, Y.; Xu, D. W.

    The origin of spin of low-mass supermassive black holes (SMBHs) is still a puzzle at present. We report here a study on the host galaxies of a sample of radio-selected nearby ( z < 0.05) Seyfert 2 galaxies with a BH mass of 10{sup 6–7} M{sub ⊙}. By modeling the SDSS r -band images of these galaxies through a two-dimensional bulge+disk decomposition, we identify a new dependence of SMBH's radio power on host bulge surface brightness profiles, in which more powerful radio emission comes from an SMBH associated with a more disk-like bulge. This result means low-mass and high-mass SMBHsmore » are spun up by two entirely different modes that correspond to two different evolutionary paths. A low-mass SMBH is spun up by a gas accretion with significant disk-like rotational dynamics of the host galaxy in the secular evolution, while a high-mass one by a BH–BH merger in the merger evolution.« less

  4. Stellar and Circumstellar Properties of Low-Mass, Young, Subarcsecond Binaries

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bruhns, Sara; Prato, L. A.

    2014-01-01

    We present a study of the stellar and circumstellar characteristics of close (< 1''), young (< 2 to 3 Myr), low-mass (<1 solar mass) binary stars in the Taurus star forming region. Low-resolution (R ~ 2000) spectra were taken in the K-band using adaptive optics to separate the observations for each component and identify the individual spectral types, extinction, and K-band excess. Combining these data with stellar luminosities allows us to estimate the stellar masses and ages. We also measured equivalent widths of the hydrogen Brackett gamma line in order to estimate the strength of gas accretion. We obtained spectra for six binary systems with separations from 1'' down to 0.3''. In the CZ Tau binary we found that the fainter secondary star spectrum appears to be of earlier spectral type than the primary; we speculate on the origin of this inversion.

  5. THE KINEMATICS OF THE NEBULAR SHELLS AROUND LOW MASS PROGENITORS OF PNe WITH LOW METALLICITY

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

    Pereyra, Margarita; López, José Alberto; Richer, Michael G., E-mail: mally@astrosen.unam.mx, E-mail: jal@astrosen.unam.mx, E-mail: richer@astrosen.unam.mx

    2016-03-15

    We analyze the internal kinematics of 26 planetary nebulae (PNe) with low metallicity that appear to derive from progenitor stars of the lowest masses, including the halo PN population. Based upon spatially resolved, long-slit, echelle spectroscopy drawn from the San Pedro Mártir Kinematic Catalog of PNe, we characterize the kinematics of these PNe measuring their global expansion velocities based upon the largest sample used to date for this purpose. We find kinematics that follow the trends observed and predicted in other studies, but also find that most of the PNe studied here tend to have expansion velocities less than 20more » km s{sup −1} in all of the emission lines considered. The low expansion velocities that we observe in this sample of low metallicity PNe with low mass progenitors are most likely a consequence of a weak central star (CS) wind driving the kinematics of the nebular shell. This study complements previous results that link the expansion velocities of the PN shells with the characteristics of the CS.« less

  6. Masers in Disks due to Gravitational Instabilities

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mejia, A. C.; Durisen, R. H.; Pickett, B. K.; Hartquist, T. W.

    2001-12-01

    Evidence suggests that some masers associated with massive protostars may originate in the outer regions of large circumstellar disks, at radii of 100's to 1000's of AU from the central mass. This is particularly true for methanol (CH3OH), where linear distributions of masers are found with disk-like kinematics. In 3D hydrodynamics simulations we have made to study the effects of gravitational instabilities in the outer parts of disks around young low-mass stars, the nonlinear development of the instabilities leads to a complex of intersecting spiral shocks, clumps, and arclets within the disk and to significant time-dependent, nonaxisymmetric distortions of the disk surface. A rescaling of our disk simulations to the case of a massive protostar shows that conditions in the disturbed outer disk seem conducive to the appearance of masers if it is viewed edge-on. This work was supported by NASA Origins Program Grant NAGW5-4342, by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, and by NASA Planetary Geology and Geophysics Program Grant NAG5-10262.

  7. CANDELS Sheds Light on the Environmental Quenching of Low-mass Galaxies

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Guo, Yicheng; Bell, Eric F.; Lu, Yu; Koo, David C.; Faber, Sandra M.; CANDELS

    2018-01-01

    We investigate the environmental quenching of galaxies, especially those with stellar masses (M*) smaller than 10^9.5 M⊙, beyond the local universe. Essentially all local low-mass quenched galaxies (QGs) are believed to live close to massive central galaxies, which is a demonstration of environmental quenching. We use CANDELS data to test whether or not such a dwarf QG--massive central galaxy connection exists beyond the local universe. For this purpose, we only need a statistically representative, rather than a complete, sample of low-mass galaxies, which enables our study out to z > 1.5. For each low-mass galaxy, we measure the projected distance (dproj) to its nearest massive (M* > 10^10.5 M⊙) neighbor within a redshift range. At a given z and M*, the environmental quenching effect is considered to be observed if the dproj distribution of QGs is significantly skewed toward lower values than that of star-forming galaxies (SFGs). For galaxies with 10^8 M⊙ < M* < 10^10 M⊙, such a difference between the dproj distributions of quenched and star-forming populations is detected up to z ˜ 1. Also, about 10% of the quenched galaxies in our sample are located between two and four virial radii (R_Vir) of the massive halos. The median projected distance from low-mass QGs to their massive neighbors (dproj/R_Vir) decreases with satellite M* at M* < 10^9.5 M⊙, but increases with satellite M* at M* > 10^9.5 M⊙. This trend suggests a smooth, if any, transition of the quenching timescale around M* of 10^9.5 M⊙ at 0.5 < z < 1.0.

  8. CANDELS Sheds Light on the Environmental Quenching of Low-mass Galaxies

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Guo, Yicheng; Bell, Eric F.; Lu, Yu; Koo, David C.; Faber, S. M.; Koekemoer, Anton M.; Kurczynski, Peter; Lee, Seong-Kook; Papovich, Casey; Chen, Zhu; Dekel, Avishai; Ferguson, Henry C.; Fontana, Adriano; Giavalisco, Mauro; Kocevski, Dale D.; Nayyeri, Hooshang; Pérez-González, Pablo G.; Pforr, Janine; Rodríguez-Puebla, Aldo; Santini, Paola

    2017-06-01

    We investigate the environmental quenching of galaxies, especially those with stellar masses (M *) < 109.5 M ⊙, beyond the local universe. Essentially all local low-mass quenched galaxies (QGs) are believed to live close to massive central galaxies, which is a demonstration of environmental quenching. We use CANDELS data to test whether or not such a dwarf QG-massive central galaxy connection exists beyond the local universe. For this purpose, we only need a statistically representative, rather than complete, sample of low-mass galaxies, which enables our study to z ≳ 1.5. For each low-mass galaxy, we measure the projected distance (d proj) to its nearest massive neighbor (M * > 1010.5 M ⊙) within a redshift range. At a given z and M *, the environmental quenching effect is considered to be observed if the d proj distribution of QGs ({d}{proj}Q) is significantly skewed toward lower values than that of star-forming galaxies ({d}{proj}{SF}). For galaxies with 108 M ⊙ < M * < 1010 M ⊙, such a difference between {d}{proj}Q and {d}{proj}{SF} is detected up to z ˜ 1. Also, about 10% of the quenched galaxies in our sample are located between two and four virial radii (R Vir) of the massive halos. The median projected distance from low-mass QGs to their massive neighbors, {d}{proj}Q/{R}{Vir}, decreases with satellite M * at M * ≲ 109.5 M ⊙, but increases with satellite M * at M * ≳ 109.5 M ⊙. This trend suggests a smooth, if any, transition of the quenching timescale around M * ˜ 109.5 M ⊙ at 0.5 < z < 1.0.

  9. The Metallicity Evolution of Low Mass Galaxies: New Contraints at Intermediate Redshift

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Henry, Alaina; Martin, Crystal L.; Finlator, Kristian; Dressler, Alan

    2013-01-01

    We present abundance measurements from 26 emission-line-selected galaxies at z approx. 0.6-0.7. By reaching stellar masses as low as 10(exp 8) M stellar mass, these observations provide the first measurement of the intermediate-redshift mass-metallicity (MZ) relation below 10(exp 9)M stellar mass. For the portion of our sample above M is greater than 10(exp 9)M (8/26 galaxies), we find good agreement with previous measurements of the intermediate-redshift MZ relation. Compared to the local relation, we measure an evolution that corresponds to a 0.12 dex decrease in oxygen abundances at intermediate redshifts. This result confirms the trend that metallicity evolution becomes more significant toward lower stellar masses, in keeping with a downsizing scenario where low-mass galaxies evolve onto the local MZ relation at later cosmic times. We show that these galaxies follow the local fundamental metallicity relation, where objects with higher specific (mass-normalized) star formation rates (SFRs) have lower metallicities. Furthermore, we show that the galaxies in our sample lie on an extrapolation of the SFR-M* relation (the star-forming main sequence). Leveraging the MZ relation and star-forming main sequence (and combining our data with higher-mass measurements from the literature), we test models that assume an equilibrium between mass inflow, outflow, and star formation.We find that outflows are required to describe the data. By comparing different outflow prescriptions, we show that momentum, driven winds can describe the MZ relation; however, this model underpredicts the amount of star formation in low-mass galaxies. This disagreement may indicate that preventive feedback from gas heating has been overestimated, or it may signify a more fundamental deviation from the equilibrium assumption.

  10. The gas and stellar mass of low-redshift damped Lyman-α absorbers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kanekar, Nissim; Neeleman, Marcel; Prochaska, J. Xavier; Ghosh, Tapasi

    2018-01-01

    We report Hubble Space Telescope Cosmic Origins Spectrograph far-ultraviolet and Arecibo Telescope H I 21 cm spectroscopy of six damped and sub-damped Lyman-α absorbers (DLAs and sub-DLAs, respectively) at z ≲ 0.1, which have yielded estimates of their H I column density, metallicity and atomic gas mass. This significantly increases the number of DLAs with gas mass estimates, allowing the first comparison between the gas masses of DLAs and local galaxies. Including three absorbers from the literature, we obtain H I masses ≈(0.24-5.2) × 109 M⊙, lower than the knee of the local H I mass function. This implies that massive galaxies do not dominate the absorption cross-section for low-z DLAs. We use Sloan Digital Sky Survey photometry and spectroscopy to identify the likely hosts of four absorbers, obtaining low stellar masses, ≈107-108.4 M⊙, in all cases, consistent with the hosts being dwarf galaxies. We obtain high H I 21 cm or CO emission line widths, ΔV20 ≈ 100-290 km s-1, and high gas fractions, fH I ≈ 5-100, suggesting that the absorber hosts are gas-rich galaxies with low star formation efficiencies. However, the H I 21 cm velocity spreads (≳100 km s-1) appear systematically larger than the velocity spreads in typical dwarf galaxies.

  11. Positive parity low spin states of odd-mass tellurium isotopes

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

    Yazar, Harun Resit

    2006-11-15

    In this work, we analyse the positive parity of states of odd-mass nucleus within the framework of interacting boson fermion model. The result of an IBFM-1 multilevel calculation with the lg{sub 9/2}, 2d{sub 5/2}, 2d{sub 3/2}, 3s{sub 1/2} and one level, 1h{sub 11/2} with negative parity, single particle orbits is reported for the positive parity states of the odd mass nucleus {sup 123-125}Te. Also, an IBM-1 calculation is presented for the low-lying states in the even-even {sup 124-126}Te core nucleus. The energy levels and B (E2) transition probabilities were calculated and compared with the experimental data. It was found thatmore » the calculated positive parity low spin state energy spectra of the odd-mass {sup 123-125}Te isotopes agree quite well with the experimental data.« less

  12. Assessing the effectiveness of household-level focal mass drug administration and community-wide mass drug administration for reducing malaria parasite infection prevalence and incidence in Southern Province, Zambia: study protocol for a community randomized controlled trial.

    PubMed

    Eisele, Thomas P; Silumbe, Kafula; Finn, Timothy; Chalwe, Victor; Kamuliwo, Mukalwa; Hamainza, Busiku; Moonga, Hawela; Bennett, Adam; Yukich, Josh; Keating, Joseph; Steketee, Richard W; Miller, John M

    2015-08-13

    Mass drug administration (MDA) and focal MDA (fMDA) using dihydroartemisinin plus piperaquine (DHAp), represent two strategies to maximize the use of existing information to achieve greater clearance of human infection and reduce the parasite reservoir, and provide longer chemoprophylactic protection against new infections. The primary aim of this study is to quantify the relative effectiveness of MDA and fMDA with DHAp against no mass treatment (standard of care) for reducing Plasmodium falciparum prevalence and incidence. The study will be conducted along Lake Kariba in Southern Province, Zambia; an area of low to moderate malaria transmission and high coverage of vector control. A community randomized controlled trial (CRCT) of 60 health facility catchment areas (HFCAs) will be used to evaluate the impact of two rounds of MDA and fMDA interventions, relative to a control of no mass treatment, stratified by high and low transmission. Community residents in MDA HFCAs will be treated with DHAp at the end of the dry season (round one: November to December 2014) and the beginning of the rainy season (round two: February to March 2015). Community residents in fMDA HFCAs will be tested during the same two rounds for malaria parasites with a rapid diagnostic test; all positive individuals and all individuals living in their household will be treated with DHAp. Primary outcomes include malaria parasite prevalence (n = 5,640 children aged one month to under five-years-old), as measured by pre- and post-surveys, and malaria parasite infection incidence (n = 2,250 person-years among individuals aged three months and older), as measured by a monthly longitudinal cohort. The study is powered to detect approximately a 50 % relative reduction in these outcomes between each intervention group versus the control. Strengths of this trial include: a robust study design (CRCT); cross-sectional parasite surveys as well as a longitudinal cohort; and stratification of high and

  13. The formation of high-mass stars and stellar clusters in the extreme environment of the Central Molecular Zone

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Walker, Daniel Lewis

    2017-08-01

    The process of converting gas into stars underpins much of astrophysics, yet many fundamental questions surrounding this process remain unanswered. For example - how sensitive is star formation to the local environmental conditions? How do massive and dense stellar clusters form, and how does this crowded environment influence the stars that form within it? How do the most massive stars form and is there an upper limit to the stellar initial mass function (IMF)? Answering questions such as these is crucial if we are to construct an end-to-end model of how stars form across the full range of conditions found throughout the Universe. The research described in this thesis presents a study that utilises a multi-scale approach to identifying and characterising the early precursors to young massive clusters and high-mass proto-stars, with a specific focus on the extreme environment in the inner few hundred parsecs of the Milky Way - the Central Molecular Zone (CMZ). The primary sources of interest that are studied in detail belong to the Galactic centre dust ridge - a group of six high-mass (M 10^(4-5) Msun), dense (R 1-3 pc, n > 10^(4) cm^(-3)), and quiescent molecular clouds. These properties make these clouds ideal candidates for representing the earliest stages of high-mass star and cluster formation. The research presented makes use of single-dish and interferometric far-infrared and (sub-)millimetre observations to study their global and small-scale properties. A comparison of the known young massive clusters (YMCs) and their likely progenitors (the dust ridge clouds) in the CMZ shows that the stellar content of YMCs is much more dense and centrally concentrated than the gas in the clouds. If these clouds are truly precursors to massive clusters, the resultant stellar population would have to undergo significant dynamical evolution to reach central densities that are typical of YMCs. This suggests that YMCs in the CMZ are unlikely to form monolithically. Extending

  14. Low muscle mass and sarcopenia: common and predictive of osteopenia in inflammatory bowel disease.

    PubMed

    Bryant, R V; Ooi, S; Schultz, C G; Goess, C; Grafton, R; Hughes, J; Lim, A; Bartholomeusz, F D; Andrews, J M

    2015-05-01

    Body composition is poorly studied in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Sarcopenia describes a loss of muscle mass and strength. To assess the prevalence of low lean mass (LM), sarcopenia and associated morbidity in an adult IBD cohort. Cross-sectional data were gathered on pre-menopausal 18- to 50-year-old patients with IBD. Whole-body dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, anthropometric assessment and grip strength were performed. Low LM was defined as ≥1 s.d. below the population mean for appendicular skeletal muscle index [ASMI (kg)/height (m)²], and sarcopenia as both ASMI and grip strength ≥1 s.d. below population mean. Multivariate regression analyses were performed. Of 137 participants (median age 31 years, BMI 24.8 kg/m(2) ), 56% were male and 69% had Crohn's disease (CD). Low LM and sarcopenia were observed in 21% and 12% of patients, respectively, and osteopenia/osteoporosis in 38% of patients (mean lumbar spine t-score -0.3 ± s.d. 1.1). Grip strength predicted low LM and sarcopenia better than did body mass index (BMI) (OR 4.8 vs. OR 0.7 for low-LM, P < 0.05 both). Normal BMI was falsely reassuring in 72% and 76% of patients with low ASMI and sarcopenia, respectively. Low LM and sarcopenia (OR = 3.6, P = 0.03; OR = 6.3, P = 0.02; respectively), but not BMI nor fat mass, predicted osteopenia/osteoporosis. Low lean mass and sarcopenia are common in patients with IBD, and important to recognise as they predict osteopenia/osteoporosis. Grip strength testing should be incorporated into routine clinical practice to detect low lean mass deficits, which may go unrecognised using BMI alone. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  15. Iron K lines from low-mass X-ray binaries

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kallman, T.; White, N. E.

    1989-01-01

    Models are presented for the 6-7 keV iron line emission from low-mass X-ray binaries. A simplified model for an accretion disk corona is used to examine the dependence of the observable line properties, line width and mean energy, on the radial distance of the emission region from the X-ray source, and on the fraction of the X-rays from the source which reach the disk surface. The effects of blending of multiple line components and of Comptonization of the line profile are included in numerical calculations of the emitted profile shape. The results of these calculations, when compared with the line properties observed from several low-mass X-ray binaries, suggest that the broadening is dominated either by rotation or by Compton scattering through a greater optical depth than is expected from an accretion disk corona.

  16. A UV spectroscopic snapshot survey of low-mass stars in the Hyades

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Agueros, Marcel

    2017-08-01

    Because of its proximity, the 650-Myr-old Hyades open cluster is a unique resource for exploring the relationship between magnetic activity, rotation, and age in low-mass stars. While the cluster has been largely ignored in UV studies of the dependence of activity on rotation, we now have an extensive and growing set of complementary rotation period, Halpha, and X-ray measurements with which to examine in detail the rotation-activity relation at 650 Myr and to constrain theories of magnetic heating. We propose to measure Mg II line emission, the strongest NUV activity tracer, in COS spectra of 86 Hyads ranging in spectral type from G to M with known rotation periods or currently being observed by K2. These stars form a representative sample of low-mass Hyads with known periods and are a significant addition to, and expansion of, the sample of 20 mainly solar-mass rotators with existing (mostly low-resolution) IUE NUV spectra. The Mg II measurements will contribute significantly to our goal of mapping out the rotation-activity relation star-by-star in this benchmark open cluster. This, in turn, will move us toward an improved understanding of the radiation environment and habitability of the exoplanets we continue to find around low-mass stars.

  17. DECam Survey for Substellar and Low-mass Stellar Members of Sco-Cen

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mamajek, Eric E.; Moolekamp, Fred; James, David; Luhman, Kevin; Pecaut, Mark; Metchev, Stanimir A.; Denbo, Sara; Bell, Cameron P. M.

    2017-01-01

    We present the results of a DECam imaging survey for low-mass stellar and substellar objects in the nearby Sco-Cen OB association. The DECam survey was taken in izY bands in 2013 and 2015 and covered $\\sim$87 deg$^2$ in the two nearest and oldest subgroups, Upper Cen-Lup ($\\sim$142 pc) and Lower Cen-Cru ($\\sim$118 pc; both with mean ages $\\sim$16 Myr). Using color-magnitude and proper motion selection, we identify 391 candidate Sco-Cen members with masses ranging from near the D-burning limit of $\\sim$13 M$_{Jup}$, through the H-burning limit, up to $\\sim$0.4 M$_\\odot$. Our initial spectroscopic follow-up with the ARCoIRIS and COSMOS spectrographs for 19 objects have yielded young M dwarfs showing signatures of low surface-gravity. Our survey yields the first constraints on the substellar and low-mass initial mass function and disk fraction in the two oldest Sco-Cen subgroups, and will yield a large sample of young, low-surface gravity M and L-type objects of constrained age, distance, and chemical composition. We acknowledge support from NSF award AST-1313029 and the REU Site in Physics and Astrophysics at the University of Rochester supported by NSF award PHY-1156339.

  18. Relation of Low Body Mass Index to Low Urinary Creatinine Excretion Rate in Patients with Coronary Heart Disease

    PubMed Central

    Bansal, Nisha; Hsu, Chi-yuan; Zhao, Shoujun; Whooley, Mary A.; Ix, Joachim H.

    2011-01-01

    In patients with prevalent coronary heart disease (CHD), studies have found a paradoxical relationship in that patients with higher body mass index (BMI) have lower mortality. One possibility is that individuals with higher BMI have greater muscle mass; and higher BMI may be a marker of better overall health status. We evaluated whether the paradoxical association of BMI with mortality in CHD patients is attenuated when accounting for urinary creatinine excretion, a marker of muscle mass. The Heart and Soul Study is an observational study of outpatients with stable CHD designed to investigate the influence of psychosocial factors on the progression of CHD. Outpatient 24-hour timed urine collections were obtained. Participants were followed up for death for 5.9 (± 1.9) years. Cox proportional hazards models evaluate the association between sex-specific BMI quintiles and mortality. There were 886 participants in our study population. Participants in higher quintiles of BMI were younger, more likely to have diabetes mellitus and hypertension and had higher urinary creatinine excretion rate. Compared to the lowest BMI quintile, subjects in higher BMI quintiles were less likely to die during follow-up. Adjustment for major demographic variables, traditional cardiovascular risk factors and kidney function did not attenuate the relationship. Additional adjustment for urinary creatinine excretion rate did not materially change the association between BMI and all-cause mortality. In conclusion, low muscle mass and low BMI are each associated with greater all-cause mortality, however low muscle mass does not appear to explain why CHD patients with low BMI have worse survival. PMID:21529727

  19. Inertial mass sensing with low Q-factor vibrating microcantilevers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Adhikari, S.

    2017-10-01

    Mass sensing using micromechanical cantilever oscillators has been established as a promising approach. The scientific principle underpinning this technique is the shift in the resonance frequency caused by the additional mass in the dynamic system. This approach relies on the fact that the Q-factor of the underlying oscillator is high enough so that it does not significantly affect the resonance frequencies. We consider the case when the Q-factor is low to the extent that the effect of damping is prominent. It is shown that the mass sensing can be achieved using a shift in the damping factor. We prove that the shift in the damping factor is of the same order as that of the resonance frequency. Based on this crucial observation, three new approaches have been proposed, namely, (a) mass sensing using frequency shifts in the complex plane, (b) mass sensing from damped free vibration response in the time domain, and (c) mass sensing from the steady-state response in the frequency domain. Explicit closed-form expressions relating absorbed mass with changes in the measured dynamic properties have been derived. The rationale behind each new method has been explained using non-dimensional graphical illustrations. The new mass sensing approaches using damped dynamic characteristics can expand the current horizon of micromechanical sensing by incorporating a wide range of additional measurements.

  20. A Search for Pulsation in Young Brown Dwarfs and Very Low Mass Stars

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cody, Ann Marie

    2012-05-01

    In 2005, Palla and Baraffe proposed that brown dwarfs and very low mass stars (<0.1 solar masses) may be unstable to radial oscillations during the pre-main-sequence deuterium burning phase. With associated oscillation periods of 1--4 hours, this potentially new class of pulsation offers unprecedented opportunities to probe the interiors and evolution of low-mass objects in the 1--15 million year age range. Furthermore, several previous reports of short-period variability have suggested that deuterium-burning pulsation is in fact at work in young clusters. For my dissertation, I developed a photometric monitoring campaign to search for low-amplitude periodic variability in young brown dwarfs and very low mass stars using meter-class telescopes from both the ground and space. The resulting high-precision, high-cadence time-series photometry targeted four young clusters and achieved sensitivity to periodic oscillations with photometric amplitudes down to several millimagnitudes. This unprecedented variability census probed timescales ranging from minutes to weeks in a sample of 200 young, low-mass cluster members of IC 348, Sigma Orionis, Chamaeleon I, and Upper Scorpius. While I find a dearth of photometric periods under 10 hours, the campaign's high time resolution and precision have enabled detailed study of diverse light curve behavior in the clusters: rotational spot modulation, accretion signatures, and occultations by surrounding disk material. Analysis of the data has led to the establishment of a lower limit for the timescale of periodic photometric variability in young low-mass and substellar objects, an extension of the rotation period distribution to the brown dwarf regime, as well as insights into the connection between variability and circumstellar disks in the Sigma Orionis and Chamaeleon I clusters.

  1. Low-mass X-ray binary evolution and the origin of millisecond pulsars

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Frank, Juhan; King, Andrew R.; Lasota, Jean-Pierre

    1992-01-01

    The evolution of low-mass X-ray binaries (LMXBs) is considered. It is shown that X-ray irradiation of the companion stars causes these systems to undergo episodes of rapid mass transfer followed by detached phases. The systems are visible as bright X-ray binaries only for a short part of each cycle, so that their space density must be considerably larger than previously estimated. This removes the difficulty in regarding LMXBs as the progenitors of low-mass binary pulsars. The low-accretion-rate phase of the cycle with the soft X-ray transients is identified. It is shown that 3 hr is likely to be the minimum orbital period for LMXBs with main-sequence companions and it is suggested that the evolutionary endpoint for many LMXBs may be systems which are the sites of gamma-ray bursts.

  2. Explaining the luminosity spread in young clusters: proto and pre-main sequence stellar evolution in a molecular cloud environment

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jensen, Sigurd S.; Haugbølle, Troels

    2018-02-01

    Hertzsprung-Russell diagrams of star-forming regions show a large luminosity spread. This is incompatible with well-defined isochrones based on classic non-accreting protostellar evolution models. Protostars do not evolve in isolation of their environment, but grow through accretion of gas. In addition, while an age can be defined for a star-forming region, the ages of individual stars in the region will vary. We show how the combined effect of a protostellar age spread, a consequence of sustained star formation in the molecular cloud, and time-varying protostellar accretion for individual protostars can explain the observed luminosity spread. We use a global magnetohydrodynamic simulation including a sub-scale sink particle model of a star-forming region to follow the accretion process of each star. The accretion profiles are used to compute stellar evolution models for each star, incorporating a model of how the accretion energy is distributed to the disc, radiated away at the accretion shock, or incorporated into the outer layers of the protostar. Using a modelled cluster age of 5 Myr, we naturally reproduce the luminosity spread and find good agreement with observations of the Collinder 69 cluster, and the Orion Nebular Cluster. It is shown how stars in binary and multiple systems can be externally forced creating recurrent episodic accretion events. We find that in a realistic global molecular cloud model massive stars build up mass over relatively long time-scales. This leads to an important conceptual change compared to the classic picture of non-accreting stellar evolution segmented into low-mass Hayashi tracks and high-mass Henyey tracks.

  3. THE SURVEY OF H I IN EXTREMELY LOW-MASS DWARFS (SHIELD)

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

    Cannon, John M.; Engstrom, Eric; Allan, John

    We present first results from the Survey of H I in Extremely Low-mass Dwarfs (SHIELD), a multi-configuration Expanded Very Large Array (EVLA) study of the neutral gas contents and dynamics of galaxies with H I masses in the 10{sup 6}-10{sup 7} M{sub sun} range detected by the Arecibo Legacy Fast ALFA (ALFALFA) survey. We describe the survey motivation and concept demonstration using Very Large Array imaging of six low-mass galaxies detected in early ALFALFA data products. We then describe the primary scientific goals of SHIELD and present preliminary EVLA and WIYN 3.5 m imaging of the 12 SHIELD galaxies. Withmore » only a few exceptions, the neutral gas distributions of these extremely low-mass galaxies are centrally concentrated. In only one system have we detected H I column densities higher than 10{sup 21} cm{sup -2}. Despite this, the stellar populations of all of these systems are dominated by blue stars. Further, we find ongoing star formation as traced by H{alpha} emission in 10 of the 11 galaxies with H{alpha} imaging obtained to date. Taken together these results suggest that extremely low-mass galaxies are forming stars in conditions different from those found in more massive systems. While detailed dynamical analysis requires the completion of data acquisition, the most well-resolved system is amenable to meaningful position-velocity analysis. For AGC 749237, we find well-ordered rotation of 30 km s{sup -1} at {approx}40'' distance from the dynamical center. At the adopted distance of 3.2 Mpc, this implies the presence of a {approx}>1 x 10{sup 8} M{sub sun} dark matter halo and a baryon fraction {approx}<0.1.« less

  4. [Factors associated with duration of breastfeeding for children of low-income families from southern Curitiba, Paraná State, Brazil].

    PubMed

    Baptista, Gerson Henrique; Andrade, Adriano Herbert H K Gonçalves de; Giolo, Suely Ruiz

    2009-03-01

    Various studies have focused on breastfeeding and the possible factors associated with early weaning. This study aimed to identify risk factors and protective factors for duration of breastfeeding in low-income families in southern Curitiba, Paraná State, Brazil. A cohort study from November 2006 to March 2007 included 118 mothers of children less than two years of age and enrolled in the TC Health Unit (USTC) located in the southern area of Curitiba. Statistical analyses using the Kaplan-Meier method and Cox regression model identified the following protective factors for breastfeeding: mother's awareness of the benefits of extended breastfeeding, exclusive feeding with mother's breast milk while in the maternity ward, and rooming-in. Factors contributing to early weaning were low birth weight, mother's work outside the home, and difficulties experienced by the mother in breastfeeding during the first days postpartum.

  5. RADIUS-DEPENDENT ANGULAR MOMENTUM EVOLUTION IN LOW-MASS STARS. I

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

    Reiners, Ansgar; Mohanty, Subhanjoy, E-mail: Ansgar.Reiners@phys.uni-goettingen.de

    2012-02-10

    Angular momentum evolution in low-mass stars is determined by initial conditions during star formation, stellar structure evolution, and the behavior of stellar magnetic fields. Here we show that the empirical picture of angular momentum evolution arises naturally if rotation is related to magnetic field strength instead of to magnetic flux and formulate a corrected braking law based on this. Angular momentum evolution then becomes a strong function of stellar radius, explaining the main trends observed in open clusters and field stars at a few Gyr: the steep transition in rotation at the boundary to full convection arises primarily from themore » large change in radius across this boundary and does not require changes in dynamo mode or field topology. Additionally, the data suggest transient core-envelope decoupling among solar-type stars and field saturation at longer periods in very low mass stars. For solar-type stars, our model is also in good agreement with the empirical Skumanich law. Finally, in further support of the theory, we show that the predicted age at which low-mass stars spin down from the saturated to unsaturated field regimes in our model corresponds remarkably well to the observed lifetime of magnetic activity in these stars.« less

  6. Low energy nuclear recoils study in noble liquids for low-mass WIMPs

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Lu; Mei, Dongming

    2014-03-01

    Detector response to low-energy nuclear recoils is critical to the detection of low-mass dark matter particles-WIMPs (Weakly interacting massive particles). Although the detector response to the processes of low-energy nuclear recoils is subtle and direct experimental calibration is rather difficult, many studies have been performed for noble liquids, NEST is a good example. However, the response of low-energy nuclear recoils, as a critical issue, needs more experimental data, in particular, with presence of electric field. We present a new design using time of flight to calibrate the large-volume xenon detector, such as LUX-Zeplin (LZ) and Xenon1T, energy scale for low-energy nuclear recoils. The calculation and physics models will be discussed based on the available data to predict the performance of the calibration device and set up criteria for the design of the device. A small test bench is built to verify the concepts at The University of South Dakota. This work is supported by DOE grant DE-FG02-10ER46709 and the state of South Dakota.

  7. PLANETS AROUND LOW-MASS STARS (PALMS). V. AGE-DATING LOW-MASS COMPANIONS TO MEMBERS AND INTERLOPERS OF YOUNG MOVING GROUPS

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

    Bowler, Brendan P.; Montet, Benjamin T.; Riddle, Reed

    2015-06-10

    We present optical and near-infrared adaptive optics (AO) imaging and spectroscopy of 13 ultracool (>M6) companions to late-type stars (K7–M4.5), most of which have recently been identified as candidate members of nearby young moving groups (YMGs; 8–120 Myr) in the literature. Three of these are new companions identified in our AO imaging survey, and two others are confirmed to be comoving with their host stars for the first time. The inferred masses of the companions (∼10–100 M{sub Jup}) are highly sensitive to the ages of the primary stars; therefore we critically examine the kinematic and spectroscopic properties of each systemmore » to distinguish bona fide YMG members from old field interlopers. The new M7 substellar companion 2MASS J02155892–0929121 C (40–60 M{sub Jup}) shows clear spectroscopic signs of low gravity and, hence, youth. The primary, possibly a member of the ∼40 Myr Tuc-Hor moving group, is visually resolved into three components, making it a young low-mass quadruple system in a compact (≲100 AU) configuration. In addition, Li i λ6708 absorption in the intermediate-gravity M7.5 companion 2MASS J15594729+4403595 B provides unambiguous evidence that it is young (≲200 Myr) and resides below the hydrogen-burning limit. Three new close-separation (<1″) companions (2MASS J06475229–2523304 B, PYC J11519+0731 B, and GJ 4378 Ab) orbit stars previously reported as candidate YMG members, but instead are likely old (≳1 Gyr) tidally locked spectroscopic binaries without convincing kinematic associations with any known moving group. The high rate of false positives in the form of old active stars with YMG-like kinematics underscores the importance of radial velocity and parallax measurements to validate candidate young stars identified via proper motion and activity selection alone. Finally, we spectroscopically confirm the cool temperature and substellar nature of HD 23514 B, a recently discovered M8 benchmark brown dwarf orbiting

  8. Companions and Environments of Low-Mass Stars: From Star-Forming Regions to the Field

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ward-Duong, Kimberly; Patience, Jenny; De Rosa, Robert J.; Bulger, Joanna; Rajan, Abhijith; Goodwin, Simon; Parker, Richard J.; McCarthy, Donald W.; Kulesa, Craig; van der Plas, Gerrit; Menard, Francois; Pinte, Christophe; Jackson, Alan Patrick; Bryden, Geoffrey; Turner, Neal J.; Harvey, Paul M.; Hales, Antonio

    2017-01-01

    We present results from two studies probing the multiplicity and environmental properties of low-mass stars: (1) The MinMs (M-dwarfs in Multiples) Survey, a large, volume-limited survey of 245 field M-dwarfs within 15 pc, and (2) the TBOSS (Taurus Boundary of Stellar/Substellar) Survey, an ongoing study of disk properties for the lowest-mass members within the Taurus star-forming region. The MinMs Survey provides new measurements of the companion star fraction, separation distribution, and mass ratio distribution for the nearest K7-M6 dwarfs, utilizing a combination of high-resolution adaptive optics imaging and digitized widefield archival plates to cover an unprecedented separation range of ~1-10,000 AU. Within these data, we also identify companions below the stellar/brown dwarf boundary, enabling characterization of the substellar companion population to low-mass field stars. For the much younger population in Taurus, we present results from ALMA Band 7 continuum observations of low-mass stellar and substellar Class II objects, spanning spectral types from M4-M7.75. The sub-millimeter detections of these disks provide key estimates of the dust mass in small grains, which is then assessed within the context of region age, environment, and viability for planet formation. This young population also includes a number of interesting young binary systems. Covering both young (1-2 Myr) and old (>5 Gyr) populations of low-mass stars, the results from these studies provide benchmark measurements on the population statistics of low-mass field stars, and on the early protoplanetary environments of their younger M-star counterparts.

  9. Ultra-low-mass flexible planar solar arrays using 50-micron-thick solar cells

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Costogue, E. N.; Rayl, G.

    1978-01-01

    A conceptual design study has been completed which has shown the feasibility of ultra-low-mass planar solar arrays with specific power of 200 watts/kilogram. The beginning of life (BOL) power output of the array designs would be 10 kW at 1 astronomical unit (AU) and a 55C deg operating temperature. Two designs were studied: a retractable rollout design and a non-retractable fold-out. The designs employed a flexible low-mass blanket and low-mass structures. The blanket utilized 2 x 2 cm high-efficiency (13.5% at 28C deg AM0), ultra-thin (50 micron), silicon solar cells protected by thin (75 micron) plastic encapsulants. The structural design utilized the 'V'-stiffened approach which allows a lower mass boom to be used. In conjunction with the conceptual design, modules using the thin cells and plastic encapsulant were designed and fabricated.

  10. Low-CCN concentration air masses over the eastern North Atlantic: Seasonality, meteorology, and drivers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wood, Robert; Stemmler, Jayson D.; Rémillard, Jasmine; Jefferson, Anne

    2017-01-01

    A 20 month cloud condensation nucleus concentration (NCCN) data set from Graciosa Island (39°N, 28°W) in the remote North Atlantic is used to characterize air masses with low cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) concentrations. Low-CCN events are defined as 6 h periods with mean NCCN<20 cm-3 (0.1% supersaturation). A total of 47 low-CCN events are identified. Surface, satellite, and reanalysis data are used to explore the meteorological and cloud context for low-CCN air masses. Low-CCN events occur in all seasons, but their frequency was 3 times higher in December-May than during June-November. Composites show that many of the low-CCN events had a common meteorological basis that involves southerly low-level flow and rather low wind speeds at Graciosa. Anomalously low pressure is situated to the west of Graciosa during these events, but back trajectories and lagged SLP composites indicate that low-CCN air masses often originate as cold air outbreaks to the north and west of Graciosa. Low-CCN events were associated with low cloud droplet concentrations (Nd) at Graciosa, but liquid water path (LWP) during low-CCN events was not systematically different from that at other times. Satellite Nd and LWP estimates from MODIS collocated with Lagrangian back trajectories show systematically lower Nd and higher LWP several days prior to arrival at Graciosa, consistent with the hypothesis that observed low-CCN air masses are often formed by coalescence scavenging in thick warm clouds, often in cold air outbreaks.

  11. Low mercury levels in marine fish from estuarine and coastal environments in southern China.

    PubMed

    Pan, Ke; Chan, Heidi; Tam, Yin Ki; Wang, Wen-Xiong

    2014-02-01

    This study is the first comprehensive evaluation of total Hg and methylmercury (MeHg) concentrations in wild marine fish from an estuarine and a coastal ecosystem in southern China. A total of 571 fish from 54 different species were examined. Our results showed that the Hg levels were generally low in the fish, and the Hg levels were below 30 ng g(-1) (wet weight) for 82% of the samples, which may be related to the reduced size of the fish and altered food web structure due to overfishing. Decreased coastal wetland coverage and different carbon sources may be responsible for the habitat-specific Hg concentrations. The degree of biomagnification was relatively low in the two systems. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. Factors associated with low levels of lumbar strength in adolescents in Southern Brazil☆

    PubMed Central

    Silva, Diego Augusto Santos; Gonçalves, Eliane Cristina de Andrade; Grigollo, Leoberto Ricardo; Petroski, Edio Luiz

    2014-01-01

    OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence and factors associated with low levels of lumbar strength in adolescents. METHOD: This was a cross-sectional study involving 601 adolescents, aged 14 to 17 years, enrolled in public schools in the western region of Santa Catarina State - Southern Brazil. Lumbar strength was analyzed by the lumbar extension test developed by the Canadian Society of Exercise Physiology, which proposes different cutoffs for boys and girls. Independent variables were sex, age, socioeconomic status, dietary habits, alcohol consumption, physical activity, and aerobic fitness. For data analysis, univariate and multivariate logistic regression were used, with significance level of 5%. RESULTS: The prevalence of low levels of lumbar strength was 27.3%. The population subgroups most likely to present low levels of lumbar strength were females (OR: 1.54, 95% CI : 1.06 to 2.23), adolescents with low levels of aerobic fitness (OR: 2.10, 95% CI: 1.41 to 3.11) and the overweight (OR: 2.28, 95% CI: 1.35 to 3.81). CONCLUSION: Almost one-third of the studied students have low levels of lumbar strength. Interventions in the school population should be taken with special attention to female adolescents, those with low levels of aerobic fitness, and those with overweight, as these population subgroups were most likely to demostrate low levels of lumbar strength. PMID:25511000

  13. Peptide Peak Detection for Low Resolution MALDI-TOF Mass Spectrometry.

    PubMed

    Yao, Jingwen; Utsunomiya, Shin-Ichi; Kajihara, Shigeki; Tabata, Tsuyoshi; Aoshima, Ken; Oda, Yoshiya; Tanaka, Koichi

    2014-01-01

    A new peak detection method has been developed for rapid selection of peptide and its fragment ion peaks for protein identification using tandem mass spectrometry. The algorithm applies classification of peak intensities present in the defined mass range to determine the noise level. A threshold is then given to select ion peaks according to the determined noise level in each mass range. This algorithm was initially designed for the peak detection of low resolution peptide mass spectra, such as matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization Time-of-Flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectra. But it can also be applied to other type of mass spectra. This method has demonstrated obtaining a good rate of number of real ions to noises for even poorly fragmented peptide spectra. The effect of using peak lists generated from this method produces improved protein scores in database search results. The reliability of the protein identifications is increased by finding more peptide identifications. This software tool is freely available at the Mass++ home page (http://www.first-ms3d.jp/english/achievement/software/).

  14. Peptide Peak Detection for Low Resolution MALDI-TOF Mass Spectrometry

    PubMed Central

    Yao, Jingwen; Utsunomiya, Shin-ichi; Kajihara, Shigeki; Tabata, Tsuyoshi; Aoshima, Ken; Oda, Yoshiya; Tanaka, Koichi

    2014-01-01

    A new peak detection method has been developed for rapid selection of peptide and its fragment ion peaks for protein identification using tandem mass spectrometry. The algorithm applies classification of peak intensities present in the defined mass range to determine the noise level. A threshold is then given to select ion peaks according to the determined noise level in each mass range. This algorithm was initially designed for the peak detection of low resolution peptide mass spectra, such as matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization Time-of-Flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectra. But it can also be applied to other type of mass spectra. This method has demonstrated obtaining a good rate of number of real ions to noises for even poorly fragmented peptide spectra. The effect of using peak lists generated from this method produces improved protein scores in database search results. The reliability of the protein identifications is increased by finding more peptide identifications. This software tool is freely available at the Mass++ home page (http://www.first-ms3d.jp/english/achievement/software/). PMID:26819872

  15. Multiplicity Among Young Brown Dwarfs and Very Low Mass Stars

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ahmic, Mirza; Jayawardhana, R.; Brandeker, A.; Scholz, A.; van Kerkwijk, M. H.; Delgado-Donate, E.; Froebrich, D.

    2007-05-01

    Characterizing multiplicity in the very low mass (VLM) domain is a topic of much current interest and fundamental importance. Here we report on a near-infrared adaptive optics imaging survey of 28 young brown dwarfs and VLM stars, 26 of which are in the Chamaeleon I star-forming region, using the ESO Very Large Telescope. Our findings in Cha I -- the low multiplicity frequency of 8%, the preference for equal mass pairs, and the lack of wide binaries -- are strikingly similar to what has previously been reported for VLM objects in the field and in open clusters. Thus, we argue that there is no significant evolution of multiplicity with age among brown dwarfs and VLM stars between a few Myr to several Gyr. Instead, the observations to date suggest that VLM objects are either less likely to be born in wide multiple systems than solar mass stars or such systems are disrupted very early (within the first couple of Myr). Our results also imply that systems like 2MASSW J1207334-393254 and Oph 162225-240515, with planetary mass companions at wide separations, are rare. This research was supported by an NSERC grant, University of Toronto research funds and the Ontario Graduate Scholarship.

  16. New Low-Mass Members of Nearby Young Moving Groups

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Schlieder, Joshua; Simon, Michal; Rice, Emily; Lepine, Sebastien

    2012-08-01

    We are now ready to expand our program to identify new low-mass members of nearby young moving groups (NYMGs) to stars of mass ≤0.3 M_⊙. This is important to: (1) complete the census of low-mass stars near the Sun, (2) provide high priority targets for disk and exoplanet studies by direct imaging, and (3) provide a well- characterized sample of nearby, young stars for detailed study of their physical and kinematic properties. Our proven technique starts with a proper motion selection algorithm, proceeds to vet the sample for indicators of youth, and requires as its last step the measurement of candidate member radial velocities (RVs). So far, we have measured more than 100 candidate RVs using CSHELL on the NASA-IRTF and PHOENIX on Gemini-South, yielding more than 50 likely new moving group members. Here we propose to continue our RV follow-up of candidate NYMG members using PHOENIX on the KPNO 4m. We aim to measure RVs and determine spectral types of 23 faint (V≥15, H≥9), late-type (≥M4) candidates of the (beta) Pic (10 Myrs), AB Dor (70 Myrs), Tuc/Hor (30 Myrs), and TW Hydrae (8 Myrs) moving groups.

  17. Binaries among low-mass stars in nearby young moving groups

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Janson, Markus; Durkan, Stephen; Hippler, Stefan; Dai, Xiaolin; Brandner, Wolfgang; Schlieder, Joshua; Bonnefoy, Mickaël; Henning, Thomas

    2017-03-01

    The solar galactic neighborhood contains a number of young co-moving associations of stars (known as young moving groups) with ages of 10-150 Myr, which are prime targets for a range of scientific studies, including direct imaging planet searches. The late-type stellar populations of such groups still remain in their pre-main sequence phase, and are thus well suited for purposes such as isochronal dating. Close binaries are particularly useful in this regard since they allow for a model-independent dynamical mass determination. Here we present a dedicated effort to identify new close binaries in nearby young moving groups, through high-resolution imaging with the AstraLux Sur Lucky Imaging camera. We surveyed 181 targets, resulting in the detection of 61 companions or candidates, of which 38 are new discoveries. An interesting example of such a case is 2MASS J00302572-6236015 AB, which is a high-probability member of the Tucana-Horologium moving group, and has an estimated orbital period of less than 10 yr. Among the previously known objects is a serendipitous detection of the deuterium burning boundary circumbinary companion 2MASS J01033563-5515561 (AB)b in the z' band, thereby extending the spectral coverage for this object down to near-visible wavelengths. Based on observations collected at the European Southern Observatory, Chile (Programs 096.C-0243 and 097.C-0135).Tables 1-3 are 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/599/A70

  18. Fundmental Parameters of Low-Mass Stars, Brown Dwarfs, and Planets

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Montet, Benjamin; Johnson, John A.; Bowler, Brendan; Shkolnik, Evgenya

    2016-01-01

    Despite advances in evolutionary models of low-mass stars and brown dwarfs, these models remain poorly constrained by observations. In order to test these predictions directly, masses of individual stars must be measured and combined with broadband photometry and medium-resolution spectroscopy to probe stellar atmospheres. I will present results from an astrometric and spectroscopic survey of low-mass pre-main sequence binary stars to measure individual dynamical masses and compare to model predictions. This is the first systematic test of a large number of stellar systems of intermediate age between young star-forming regions and old field stars. Stars in our sample are members of the Tuc-Hor, AB Doradus, and beta Pictoris moving groups, the last of which includes GJ 3305 AB, the wide binary companion to the imaged exoplanet host 51 Eri. I will also present results of Spitzer observations of secondary eclipses of LHS 6343 C, a T dwarf transiting one member of an M+M binary in the Kepler field. By combining these data with Kepler photometry and radial velocity observations, we can measure the luminosity, mass, and radius of the brown dwarf. This is the first non-inflated brown dwarf for which all three of these parameters have been measured, providing the first benchmark to test model predictions of the masses and radii of field T dwarfs. I will discuss these results in the context of K2 and TESS, which will find additional benchmark transiting brown dwarfs over the course of their missions, including a description of the first planet catalog developed from K2 data and a program to search for transiting planets around mid-M dwarfs.

  19. Low-lying baryon spectrum with two dynamical twisted mass fermions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Alexandrou, C.; Baron, R.; Carbonell, J.; Drach, V.; Guichon, P.; Jansen, K.; Korzec, T.; Pène, O.

    2009-12-01

    The masses of the low-lying baryons are evaluated using two degenerate flavors of twisted mass sea quarks corresponding to pseudoscalar masses in the range of about 270-500 MeV. The strange valence quark mass is tuned to reproduce the mass of the kaon in the physical limit. The tree-level Symanzik improved gauge action is employed. We use lattices of spatial size 2.1 and 2.7 fm at two values of the lattice spacing with r0/a=5.22(2) and r0/a=6.61(3). We check for both finite volume and cutoff effects on the baryon masses. We performed a detailed study of the chiral extrapolation of the octet and decuplet masses using SU(2) χPT. The lattice spacings determined using the nucleon mass at the physical point are consistent with the values extracted using the pion decay constant. We examine the issue of isospin symmetry breaking for the octet and decuplet baryons and its dependence on the lattice spacing. We show that in the continuum limit isospin breaking is consistent with zero, as expected. The baryon masses that we find after taking the continuum limit and extrapolating to the physical limit are in good agreement with experiment.

  20. Natural History of the Southern Pine Beetle

    Treesearch

    Fred P. Hain; Adrian J. Duehl; Micah J. Gardner; Thomas L. Payne

    2011-01-01

    The southern pine beetle (SPB) is a tree killer of southern yellow pines. All life stages—eggs, larvae, pupae, and adults—infest the inner bark or phloem tissue of the host tree. Adult beetles overcome the tree’s defenses through a mass-attack phenomenon. They are attracted to the tree by a pheromone system consisting of volatiles produced by the beetles and the host....

  1. Mass changes of Southern and Northern Inylchek Glacier, Central Tian Shan, Kyrgyzstan, during ∼1975 and 2007 derived from remote sensing data

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shangguan, D. H.; Bolch, T.; Ding, Y. J.; Kröhnert, M.; Pieczonka, T.; Wetzel, H. U.; Liu, S. Y.

    2015-04-01

    Glacier melt is an essential source of freshwater for the arid regions surrounding the Tian Shan. However, the knowledge about glacier volume and mass changes over the last decades is limited. In the present study, glacier area, glacier dynamics and mass changes are investigated for the period ~1975-2007 for Southern Inylchek Glacier (SIG) and Northern Inylchek Glacier (NIG), the largest glacier system in Central Tian Shan separated by the regularly draining Lake Merzbacher. The area of NIG increased by 2.0 ± 0.1 km2 (~1.3%) in the period ~1975-2007. In contrast, SIG has shrunk continuously in all investigated periods since ~1975. Velocities of SIG in the central part of the ablation region reached ~100-120 m a-1 in 2002/2003, which was slightly higher than the average velocity in 2010/2011. The central part of SIG flows mainly towards Lake Merzbacher rather than towards its terminus. The measured velocities at the distal part of the terminus downstream of Lake Merzbacher were below the uncertainty, indicating very low flow with even stagnant parts. Geodetic glacier mass balances have been calculated using multi-temporal digital elevation models from KH-9 Hexagon (representing the year 1975), SRTM3 (1999), ALOS PRISM (2006) and SPOT-5 high-resolution geometrical (HRG) data (2007). In general, a continuous mass loss for both SIG and NIG could be observed between ~1975 and 2007. SIG lost mass at a rate of 0.43 ± 0.10 m w.e. a-1 and NIG at a rate of 0.25 ± 0.10 m w.e. a-1 within the period ~1975-1999. For the period 1999-2007, the highest mass loss of 0.57 ± 0.46 m w.e. a-1 was found for NIG, whilst SIG showed a potential moderate mass loss of 0.28 ± 0.46 m w.e. a-1. Both glaciers showed a small retreat during this period. Between ~1975 and 1999, we identified a thickening at the front of NIG with a maximum surface elevation increase of about 150 m as a consequence of a surge event. In contrast significant thinning (>0.5 m a-1) and comparatively high velocities

  2. Convective radiation fluid-dynamics: formation and early evolution of ultra low-mass objects

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wuchterl, G.

    2005-12-01

    The formation process of ultra low-mass objects is some kind of extension of the star formation process. The physical changes towards lower mass are discussed by investigating the collapse of cloud cores that are modelled as Bonnor-Ebert spheres. Their collapse is followed by solving the equations of fluid dynamics with radiation and a model of time-dependent convection that has been calibrated to the Sun. For a sequence of cloud-cores with 1 to 0.01 solar masses, evolutionary tracks and isochrones are shown in the mass-radius diagram, the Hertzsprung-Russel diagram and the effective temperature-surface gravity or Kiel diagram. The collapse and the early hydrostatic evolution to ages of few Ma are briefly discussed and compared to observations of objects in Upper Scorpius and the low-mass components of GG Tau.

  3. Seasonal Variation of Mass Transport Across the Tropopause

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Appenzeller, Christof; Holton, James R.; Rosenlof, Karen H.

    1996-01-01

    The annual cycle of the net mass transport across the extratropical tropopause is examined. Contributions from both the global-scale meridional circulation and the mass variation of the lowermost stratosphere are included. For the northern hemisphere the mass of the lowermost stratosphere has a distinct annual cycle, whereas for the southern hemisphere, the corresponding variation is weak. The net mass transport across the tropopause in the northern hemisphere has a maximum in late spring and a distinct minimum in autumn. This variation and its magnitude compare well with older estimates based on representative Sr-90 mixing ratios. For the southern hemisphere the seasonal cycle of the net mass transport is weaker and follows roughly the annual variation of the net mass flux across a nearby isentropic surface.

  4. Binaries discovered by the SPY survey. VI. Discovery of a low mass companion to the hot subluminous planetary nebula central star EGB 5 - a recently ejected common envelope?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Geier, S.; Napiwotzki, R.; Heber, U.; Nelemans, G.

    2011-04-01

    Hot subdwarf B stars (sdBs) in close binary systems are assumed to be formed via common envelope ejection. According to theoretical models, the amount of energy and angular momentum deposited in the common envelope scales with the mass of the companion. That low mass companions near or below the core hydrogen-burning limit are able to trigger the ejection of this envelope is well known. The currently known systems have very short periods ≃0.1-0.3 d. Here we report the discovery of a low mass companion (M2 > 0.14 M⊙) orbiting the sdB star and central star of a planetary nebula EGB 5 with an orbital period of 16.5 d at a minimum separation of 23 R⊙. Its long period is only just consistent with the energy balance prescription of the common envelope. The marked difference between the short and long period systems will provide strong constraints on the common envelope phase, in particular if the masses of the sdB stars can be measured accurately. Due to selection effects, the fraction of sdBs with low mass companions and similar or longer periods may be quite high. Low mass stellar and substellar companions may therefore play a significant role for the still unclear formation of hot subdwarf stars. Furthermore, the nebula around EGB 5 may be the remnant of the ejected common envelope making this binary a unique system to study this short und poorly understood phase of binary evolution. Based on observations at the Paranal Observatory of the European Southern Observatory for programmes No. 167.H-0407(A) and 71.D-0383(A). Based on observations collected at the Centro Astronómico Hispano Alemán (CAHA) at Calar Alto, operated jointly by the Max-Planck Institut für Astronomie and the Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía (CSIC). Some of the data used in this work were obtained at the William Herschel Telescope (WHT) operated by the Isaac Newton Group of Telescopes (ING).

  5. Investigating the properties of low-mass AGN and their connection to unification models

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hood, Carol Elizabeth

    The most basic model of active galactic nuclei (AGN) suggest the observational differences between Type 1 and Type 2 objects are solely due to the orientation angle of the object. Although there are still some unanswered questions about the structures surrounding the central engines of the AGN, such as if the obscuring region is due to a dusty torus or an outflowing wind, observations (e.g. the detections of broad lines in the polarized light of some Type 2 objects) have proved consistent with predictions and continue to strengthen the case for unification. However, many are still searching for "true" Type 2 objects. These objects optically look like other Type 2 objects, but instead of having their broad line region blocked from the line-of-sight by the obscuring region, they are believed to lack the broad line region altogether. Others have predicted that at low luminosity or low accretion rate, the broad line region will disappear, leaving all objects to optically look like Type 2 objects, despite their level of intrinsic absorption. Low-mass (< 10^6 solar masses) AGN provide interesting environments in which these unification models can be studied. We present an in-depth multi-wavelength study of one of the prototypical low-mass AGN, POX 52, investigating the properties of the central engine along with that of the host galaxy. In addition, we examine the X-ray properties of a sample of Type 2 objects observed with XMM-Newton and the IR properties of a sample of both Type 1 and 2 objects observed with the Spitzer Infrared Spectrograph, in order to study the absorption properties of these objects and test the validity of unification models in the low-mass regime. We find little to no evidence of any "true" Type 2 objects in any of our samples, and show that in all tests preformed, low-mass AGN appear to simply be scaled-down versions of their more massive counterparts, keeping current unification models intact down to the lowest black hole masses probed to date.

  6. Low-Pressure, Field-Ionizing Mass Spectrometer

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hartley, Frank; Smith, Steven

    2009-01-01

    A small mass spectrometer utilizing a miniature field ionization source is now undergoing development. It is designed for use in a variety of applications in which there are requirements for a lightweight, low-power-consumption instrument that can analyze the masses of a wide variety of molecules and ions. The device can operate without need for a high-vacuum, carrier-gas feed radioactive ionizing source, or thermal ionizer. This mass spectrometer can operate either in the natural vacuum of outer space or on Earth at any ambient pressure below 50 torr (below about 6.7 kPa) - a partial vacuum that can easily be reached by use of a small sampling pump. This mass spectrometer also has a large dynamic range - from singly charged small gas ions to deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) fragments larger than 104 atomic mass units - with sensitivity adequate for detecting some molecules and ions at relative abundances of less than one part per billion. This instrument (see figure) includes a field ionizer integrated with a rotating-field mass spectrometer (RFMS). The field ionizer effects ionization of a type characterized as "soft" in the art because it does not fragment molecules or initiate avalanche arcing. What makes the "soft" ionization mode possible is that the distance between the ionizing electrodes is less than mean free path for ions at the maximum anticipated operating pressure, so that the ionizer always operates on the non-breakdown side of the applicable Paschen curve (a standard plot of breakdown potential on the ordinate and pressure electrode separation on the abscissa). The field ionizer in this instrument is fabricated by micromachining a submicron-thick membrane out of an electrically nonconductive substrate, coating the membrane on both sides to form electrodes, then micromachining small holes through the electrodes and membrane. Because of the submicron electrode separation, even a potential of only 1 V applied between the electrodes gives rise to an electric

  7. On the formation redshift of Low-Mass Star-Forming Galaxies at intermediate redshifts

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gallego, Jesus; Rodriguez-Muñoz, Lucía; Pacifici, Camilla; Tresse, Laurence; Charlot, Stéphane; Gil de Paz, Armando; Barro, Guillermo; Gomez-Guijarro, Carlos; Villar, Víctor

    2015-08-01

    Dwarf galaxies play a key role in galaxy formation and evolution: (1) hierarchical models predict that low-mass systems merged to form massive galaxies (building block paradigm; Dekel & Silk 1986); (2) dwarf systems might have been responsible for the reionization of the Universe (Wyithe & Loeb 2006); (3) theoretical models are particularly sensitive to the density of low-mass systems at diferent redshifts (Mamon et al. 2011), being one of the key science cases for the future E-ELT (Evans et al. 2013). While the history of low-mass dark matter halos is relatively well understood, the formation history of dwarf galaxies is still poorly reproduced by the models due to the distinct evolution of baryonic and dark matter.We present constraints on the star formation histories (SFHs) of a sample of low-mass Star-Forming Galaxies (LMSFGs; 7.3 < log M∗/Mo < 8.0, at 0.3 < zspec < 0.9) selected by photometric stellar mass and apparent magnitude. The SFHs were obtained through the analysis of their spectral energy distributions using a novel approach (Pacifici et al. 2012) that (1) consistently combines photometric (HST and ground-based multi-broadband) and spectroscopic (equivalent widths of emission lines from VLT and GTC spectroscopy) data, and (2) uses physically motivated SFHs with non-uniform variations of the star formation rate (SFR) as a function of time.The median SFH of our LMSFGs appears to form 90% of the median stellar mass inferred for the sample in the ˜0.5-1.8 Gyr immediately preceding the observation. These results suggest a recent stellar mass assembly for dwarf SFGs, consistent with the cosmological downsizing trends. We find similar median SFH timescales for a slightly more massive secondary sample 8.0 < log M∗/Mo < 9.1).This is a pilot study for future surveys on dwarf galaxies at high redshift.

  8. Nocturnal low-level jet and low-level cloud occurrence over Southern West Africa during DACCIWA campaign

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dione, Cheikh; Lohou, Fabienne; Lothon, Marie; Kaltoff, Norbert; Adler, Bianca; Babić, Karmen; Pedruzo-Bagazgoitia, Xabier

    2017-04-01

    During the summer monsoon period in West Africa, a nocturnal low-level jet (NLLJ) is frequently observed and is associated with the formation of a low-level deck of stratus or stratocumulus clouds over the southern domain of this region. The understanding of the mechanisms controlling the diurnal cycle of the low-level cloud (LLC) is one of the goals of the DACCIWA (Dynamics-aerosol-chemistry-cloud interactions in West Africa) project. During the ground campaign, which took place in June-July 2016, numerous instruments devoted to document the atmospheric boundary-layer dynamics and thermodynamics, clouds, aerosols and precipitation were deployed at Kumasi (Ghana), Savè (Benin) and Ile-Ife (Nigeria) supersites. Several parameters can influence the LLC formation: these are the large-scale conditions, but also local parameters such as stability, the interaction between Monsoon and Harmattan flows and turbulence. It has been pointed out in previous studies that the NLLJ plays a key role in LLC formation. Therefore, based on 49 nights of observations, our study focuses on the possible link between NLLJ and the formation, evolution and dissipation of the LLC over Savè. The characteristics of LLCs (onset, evolution and dissipation time, base height and thickness) are investigated using data from the ceilometer, infrared cloud camera, and frequent and normal radiosoundings. The UHF wind profiler data are used to estimate the occurrence of the NLLJ as well as the depth of the monsoon flow.

  9. A cardioactive peptide from the southern armyworm, Spodoptera eridania.

    PubMed

    Furuya, K; Hackett, M; Cirelli, M A; Schegg, K M; Wang, H; Shabanowitz, J; Hunt, D F; Schooley, D A

    1999-01-01

    A cardioactive peptide was isolated from extracts of whole heads of the southern armyworm, Spodoptera eridania. This peptide has the sequence ENFAVGCTPGYQRTADGRCKPTF (Mr = 2516.8), determined from both Edman sequencing and tandem mass spectrometry in combination with off-line micropreparative capillary liquid chromatography. This peptide, termed Spoer-CAP23, has excitatory effects on a semi-isolated heart from larval Manduca sexta, causing an inotropic effect at low concentrations of peptide and chronotropic and inotropic effects at high doses. The threshold concentration for stimulatory effects of the synthetic peptide on the semi-isolated heart was about 1 nM, suggesting a physiological role as a neuropeptide.

  10. Low-mass X-ray binaries and gamma-ray bursts

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Lasota, J. P.; Frank, J.; King, A. R.

    1992-01-01

    More than twenty years after their discovery, the nature of gamma-ray burst sources (GRBs) remains mysterious. The results from BATSE experiment aboard the Compton Observatory show however that most of the sources of gamma-ray bursts cannot be distributed in the galactic disc. The possibility that a small fraction of sites of gamma-ray bursts is of galactic disc origin cannot however be excluded. We point out that large numbers of neutron-star binaries with orbital periods of 10 hr and M dwarf companions of mass 0.2-0.3 solar mass are a natural result of the evolution of low-mass X-ray binaries (LMXBs). The numbers and physical properties of these systems suggest that some gamma-ray burst sources may be identified with this endpoint of LMXB evolution. We suggest an observational test of this hypothesis.

  11. Geometric and Kinematic Structure of the Outflow/Envelope System of L1527 Revealed by Subarcsecond-resolution Observation of CS

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Oya, Yoko; Sakai, Nami; Lefloch, Bertrand; López-Sepulcre, Ana; Watanabe, Yoshimasa; Ceccarelli, Cecilia; Yamamoto, Satoshi

    2015-10-01

    Subarcsecond-resolution images of the rotational line emissions of CS and c-C3H2 obtained toward the low-mass protostar IRAS 04368+2557 in L1527 with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array are investigated to constrain the orientation of the outflow/envelope system. The distribution of CS consists of an envelope component extending from north to south and a faint butterfly shaped outflow component. The kinematic structure of the envelope is well reproduced by a simple ballistic model of an infalling rotating envelope. Although the envelope has a nearly edge-on configuration, we find that the western side of the envelope faces the observer. This configuration is opposite to the direction of the large-scale (˜104 AU) outflow suggested previously from the 12CO (J = 3-2) observation, and to the morphology of infrared reflection near the protostar (˜200 AU). The latter discrepancy could originate from high extinction by the outflow cavity of the western side, or may indicate that the outflow axis is not parallel to the rotation axis of the envelope. Position-velocity diagrams show the accelerated outflow cavity wall, and its kinematic structure in the 2000 AU scale is explained by a standard parabolic model with the inclination angle derived from the analysis of the envelope. The different orientation of the outflow between the small and large scale implies a possibility of precession of the outflow axis. The shape and the velocity of the outflow in the vicinity of the protostar are compared with those of other protostars.

  12. The Physics of Molecular Shocks in Star-Forming Regions

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hollenbach, David; Cuzzi, Jeffrey (Technical Monitor)

    1996-01-01

    Molecular shocks are produced by the impact of the supersonic infall of gas and dust onto protostars and by the interaction of the supersonic outflow from the protostar with the circumstellar material. Infalling gas creates an accretion shock around the circumstellar disk which emits a unique infrared spectrum and which processes the interstellar dust as it enters the disk. The winds and jets from protostars also impact the disk, the infalling material, and the ambient molecular cloud core creating shocks whose spectrum and morphology diagnose the mass loss processes of the protostar and the orientation and structure of the star forming system. We discuss the physics of these shocks, the model spectra derived from theoretical models, and comparisons with observations of H2O masers, H2 emission, as well as other shocks tracers. We show the strong effect of magnetic fields on molecular shock structure, and elucidate the chemical changes induced by the shock heating and compression.

  13. CHARACTERIZING THE STAR FORMATION OF THE LOW-MASS SHIELD GALAXIES FROM HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE IMAGING

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

    McQuinn, Kristen B. W.; Skillman, Evan D.; Simones, Jacob E.

    The Survey of Hi in Extremely Low-mass Dwarfs is an on-going multi-wavelength program to characterize the gas, star formation, and evolution in gas-rich, very low-mass galaxies that populate the faint end of the galaxy luminosity function. The galaxies were selected from the first ∼10% of the Hi Arecibo Legacy Fast ALFA survey based on their low Hi mass and low baryonic mass. Here, we measure the star formation properties from optically resolved stellar populations for 12 galaxies using a color–magnitude diagram fitting technique. We derive lifetime average star formation rates (SFRs), recent SFRs, stellar masses, and gas fractions. Overall, themore » recent SFRs are comparable to the lifetime SFRs with mean birthrate parameter of 1.4, with a surprisingly narrow standard deviation of 0.7. Two galaxies are classified as dwarf transition galaxies (dTrans). These dTrans systems have star formation and gas properties consistent with the rest of the sample, in agreement with previous results that some dTrans galaxies may simply be low-luminosity dwarf irregulars. We do not find a correlation between the recent star formation activity and the distance to the nearest neighboring galaxy, suggesting that the star formation process is not driven by gravitational interactions, but regulated internally. Further, we find a broadening in the star formation and gas properties (i.e., specific SFRs, stellar masses, and gas fractions) compared to the generally tight correlation found in more massive galaxies. Overall, the star formation and gas properties indicate these very low-mass galaxies host a fluctuating, non-deterministic, and inefficient star formation process.« less

  14. Possible slow periglacial mass wasting at the Southern Hemisphere on Mars.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Johnsson, Andreas; Reiss, Dennis; Hauber, Ernst; Hiesinger, Harald

    2014-05-01

    Small-scale lobate landforms which are strikingly similar to terrestrial solifluction lobes are cataloged at the Southern Hemisphere on Mars. Terrestrial periglacial solifluction lobes are formed by frost creep, a combination of repeated frost heave and thaw consolidation, and gelifluction (visco-plastic deformation of near saturated soil) in the active layer on top of the permafrost table (e.g., Matsuoka, 2001). All publically available HiRISE images between latitudes 40°S and 80°S on Mars are being used in this study. Compared to previous studies of small-scale lobes in the northern mid and high latitudes (e.g., Gallagher et al., 2011; Johnsson et al., 2012; Barrett et al., 2013), these landforms also occur, in most cases, in close spatial proximity to fluvial gullies and polygonal terrain. This study aims to investigate whether the southern small-scale lobes differ from the northern counterparts in terms of morphology and distribution. Furthermore, spatio-temporal relationships to landforms with ground-ice affinity, such as gullies and polygonal terrain, are investigated. Solifluction-like small-scale lobes have been studied in detail at the northern hemisphere on Mars (Gallagher et al., 2011), where they are widely distributed at high latitudes between 59°N and 80°N (Johnsson et al., 2012). Small-scale lobes are proposed to represent freeze-thaw activity late in Martian climate history (Gallagher et al., 2011; Balme and Gallagher, 2011; Johnsson et al, 2012; Balme et al., 2013). Small-scale lobes differ from permafrost creep (i.e. rock glaciers) in having low fronts, decimeters to less than <5 m meters in height. They also lack compression ridges and furrows and are not confined to topographic niches (i.e. valley confinement). The presence of small-scale lobes raises the question whether they have formed by a warmer-than-thought-climate, or by the influence of soil salts (i.e. perchlorates) under sub-freezing conditions (e.g., Gallagher et al., 2011

  15. Contrasted Glacier Mass Wastage Between the Southern and the Inner Part of Everest Region Revealed from In-Situ Measurements since 2007.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sherpa, S. F.; Wagnon, P.; Brun, F.; Berthier, E.; Vincent, C.; Lejeune, Y.; Arnaud, Y.; Kayastha, R. B.

    2016-12-01

    Three debris-free glaciers of various areas have been monitored for the last 5 to 8 years in Everest region (Central Himalaya, Nepal) and their annual glacier-wide mass balances (Ba) obtained from the glaciological method strongly differ. Mera Glacier (5.1 km2 in 2012) is located in the southern part of the region and has been in steady state over the last 5 to 8 years, whereas Pokalde (0.1 km2 in 2011) and Changri Nup glaciers (0.92 km2 in 2013), approximately 30 km farther north in the drier inner part of the range, have been losing mass rapidly with a Ba of -0.69 ± 0.28 m w.e. a-1 (2009-15) and -1.24 ± 0.27 m w.e. a-1 (2010-15), respectively. Changri Nup specific mass balance has been confirmed by the geodetic method using SPOT5 and Pléiades images from 2009, 2013 and 2015, but the validation is still incomplete because part of the avalanche-fed areas are not taken into account, which may result in a slight bias toward negative mass balances. A qualitative comparison between annual glacier-wide mass balances and annual or seasonal meteorological variables acquired at the elevation of glaciers suggests that these glaciers are sensitive to precipitation and to the incoming radiative energy fluxes. Occasional very severe cyclonic storms originating in the Bay of Bengal can reach the highlands of Nepal triggering huge snow falls, like Typhoon Phailin responsible for a +0.33 m w.e. increase in 2012-13 Ba of Mera Glacier in 2 days only (13-15 October 2013). This contrasted mass balance pattern over rather short distances can be explained by two facts. On the one hand, it is related to the low elevation of Pokalde and Changri Nup glaciers, both culminating at 5690 m a.s.l., an altitude frequently almost reached by the ELA. On the other hand, we observe a strong south-north horizontal gradient of precipitation (steeper than -21 mm km-1 corresponding to -2% km-1). We suspect that glaciers located in the inner and leeward part of the range, submitted to arid conditions

  16. The Metallicity Evolution of Low-mass Galaxies: New Constraints at Intermediate Redshift

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Henry, Alaina; Martin, Crystal L.; Finlator, Kristian; Dressler, Alan

    2013-06-01

    We present abundance measurements from 26 emission-line-selected galaxies at z ~ 0.6-0.7. By reaching stellar masses as low as 108 M ⊙, these observations provide the first measurement of the intermediate-redshift mass-metallicity (MZ) relation below 109 M ⊙. For the portion of our sample above M > 109 M ⊙ (8/26 galaxies), we find good agreement with previous measurements of the intermediate-redshift MZ relation. Compared to the local relation, we measure an evolution that corresponds to a 0.12 dex decrease in oxygen abundances at intermediate redshifts. This result confirms the trend that metallicity evolution becomes more significant toward lower stellar masses, in keeping with a downsizing scenario where low-mass galaxies evolve onto the local MZ relation at later cosmic times. We show that these galaxies follow the local fundamental metallicity relation, where objects with higher specific (mass-normalized) star formation rates (SFRs) have lower metallicities. Furthermore, we show that the galaxies in our sample lie on an extrapolation of the SFR-M * relation (the star-forming main sequence). Leveraging the MZ relation and star-forming main sequence (and combining our data with higher-mass measurements from the literature), we test models that assume an equilibrium between mass inflow, outflow, and star formation. We find that outflows are required to describe the data. By comparing different outflow prescriptions, we show that momentum, driven winds can describe the MZ relation; however, this model underpredicts the amount of star formation in low-mass galaxies. This disagreement may indicate that preventive feedback from gas heating has been overestimated, or it may signify a more fundamental deviation from the equilibrium assumption. Some of the data presented herein were obtained at the W. M. Keck Observatory, which is operated as a scientific partnership among the California Institute of Technology, the University of California, and the National

  17. Unstable low-mass planetary systems as drivers of white dwarf pollution

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mustill, Alexander J.; Villaver, Eva; Veras, Dimitri; Gänsicke, Boris T.; Bonsor, Amy

    2018-05-01

    At least 25 {per cent} of white dwarfs show atmospheric pollution by metals, sometimes accompanied by detectable circumstellar dust/gas discs or (in the case of WD 1145+017) transiting disintegrating asteroids. Delivery of planetesimals to the white dwarf by orbiting planets is a leading candidate to explain these phenomena. Here, we study systems of planets and planetesimals undergoing planet-planet scattering triggered by the star's post-main-sequence mass loss, and test whether this can maintain high rates of delivery over the several Gyr that they are observed. We find that low-mass planets (Earth to Neptune mass) are efficient deliverers of material and can maintain the delivery for Gyr. Unstable low-mass planetary systems reproduce the observed delayed onset of significant accretion, as well as the slow decay in accretion rates at late times. Higher-mass planets are less efficient, and the delivery only lasts a relatively brief time before the planetesimal populations are cleared. The orbital inclinations of bodies as they cross the white dwarf's Roche limit are roughly isotropic, implying that significant collisional interactions of asteroids, debris streams and discs can be expected. If planet-planet scattering is indeed responsible for the pollution of white dwarfs, many such objects, and their main-sequence progenitors, can be expected to host (currently undetectable) super-Earth planets on orbits of several au and beyond.

  18. Lepton jets and low-mass sterile neutrinos at hadron colliders

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dube, Sourabh; Gadkari, Divya; Thalapillil, Arun M.

    2017-09-01

    Sterile neutrinos, if they exist, are potential harbingers for physics beyond the Standard Model. They have the capacity to shed light on our flavor sector, grand unification frameworks, dark matter sector and origins of baryon antibaryon asymmetry. There have been a few seminal studies that have broached the subject of sterile neutrinos with low, electroweak-scale masses (i.e. ΛQCD≪mNR≪mW± ) and investigated their reach at hadron colliders using lepton jets. These preliminary studies nevertheless assume background-free scenarios after certain selection criteria which are overly optimistic and untenable in realistic situations. These lead to incorrect projections. The unique signal topology and challenging hadronic environment also make this mass-scale regime ripe for a careful investigation. With the above motivations, we attempt to perform the first systematic study of low, electroweak-scale, right-handed neutrinos at hadron colliders, in this unique signal topology. There are currently no active searches at hadron colliders for sterile neutrino states in this mass range, and we frame the study in the context of the 13 TeV high-luminosity Large Hadron Collider and the proposed FCC-hh/SppC 100 TeV p p -collider.

  19. Atmospheres of Quiescent Low-Mass Neutron Stars

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Karpov, Platon; Medin, Zachary; Calder, Alan; Lattimer, James M.

    2016-01-01

    Observations of the neutron stars in quiescent low-mass X-ray binaries are important for determining their masses and radii which can lead to powerful constraints on the dense matter nuclear equation of state. The interpretation of these sources is complex and their spectra differ appreciably from blackbodies. Further progress hinges on reducing the uncertainties stemming from models of neutron star atmospheres. We present a suite of low-temperature neutron star atmospheres of different chemical compositions (pure H and He). Our models are constructed over a range of temperatures [log(T/1 K)=5.3, 5.6, 5.9, 6.2, 6.5] and surface gravities [log(g/1 cm/s2)=14.0, 14.2, 14.4, 14.6]. We generated model atmospheres using zcode - a radiation transfer code developed at Los Alamos National Laboratory. In order to facilitate analytic studies, we developed three-parameter fits to our models, and also compared them to diluted blackbodies in the energy range of 0.4-5 keV (CXO/MGE). From the latter, we extract color-correction factors (fc), which represent the shift of the spectra as compared to a blackbody with the same effective temperature. These diluted blackbodies are also useful for studies of photspheric expansion X-ray bursts. We provide a comparison of our models to previous calculations using the McGill Planar Hydrogen Atmosphere Code (McPHAC). These results enhance our ability to interpret thermal emission from neutron stars and to constrain the mass-radius relationship of these exotic objects.This research was supported in part by the U.S. Department of Energy under grant DE-FG02-87ER40317 and by resources at the Institute for Advanced Computational Science at Stony Brook University. This research was carried out in part under the auspices of the National Nuclear Security Administration of the U.S. Department of Energy at Los Alamos National Laboratory and supported by Contract No. DE-AC52-06NA25396.

  20. VizieR Online Data Catalog: YSOs APEX-CHAMP+ high-J CO maps (Yildiz+,

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yildiz, U. A.; Kristensen, L. E.; van Dishoeck, E. F.; Hogerheijde, M. R.; Karska, A.; Belloche, A.; Endo, A.; Frieswijk, W.; Gusten, R.; van Kempen, T. A.; Leurini, S.; Nagy, Z.; Perez-Beaupuits, J. P.; Risacher, C.; van der Marel, N.; van Weeren, R. J.; Wyrowski, F.

    2015-01-01

    Files contain the observations of 12CO and 13 JCMT-HARP-B and 12CO and 13CO 6-5 from APEX-CHAMP+, toward 26 low mass protostars as listed below. The data analysis was done via GILDAS-CLASS, where raw data are processed to obtain regularly sampled data. The spectra are given in two formats; fits cube and GILDAS lmv cube. File names are self explanatory, i.e., SOURCENAMEMOLECULETRANSITIONTELESCOPENAMEcube_VELOCITYRESOLUTION.fits and SOURCENAMEMOLECULETRANSITIONTELESCOPENAMEcube_VELOCITYRESOLUTION.lmv (3 data files).

  1. MINERVA: A Dedicated Observatory for Detection of Nearby Low-Mass Exoplanets

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    McCrady, Nate; Johnson, John; Wright, Jason; Wittenmyer, Robert A.; Blake, Cullen; Swift, Jonathan; Eastman, Jason D.; Plavchan, Peter; Riddle, Reed L.; Muirhead, Philip Steven; Bottom, Michael; Zhao, Ming; Beatty, Thomas G.

    2015-01-01

    Detection of low-mass planets around GKM stars requires sub-meter-per-second radial velocity precision. Stellar noise sources (starspots, oscillations, and granulation) necessitate high cadence observations. MINERVA is a dedicated observatory for velocimetric detection of low mass exoplanets orbiting nearby stars. Our array of four robotic 0.7-meter PlaneWave telescopes feeds a purpose-built, temperature-stabilized, iodine cell spectrometer from Callaghan Innovation. We will monitor bright, sun-like stars within 100 pc every clear night from Whipple Observatory on Mt Hopkins, Arizona. Each telescope is also equipped with an Andor CCD for followup photometry and education use. Commissioning is underway on the site and science observations will begin in early 2015.

  2. Large mass movements related to deglaciation effects in southern Peru (Cusco)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Giráldez, Claudia; Choquevilca, Walter; Fernández, Felipe; Frey, Holger; García, Javier; Haeberli, Wilfried; Huggel, Christian; Ludena, Sebastián; Rohrer, Mario; Suarez, Wilson

    2013-04-01

    The Andes of Peru are among the regions most severely affected by glacier and high-mountain hazards over the past 100 years. Large-scale disasters with thousands of people killed are on record, including ice/rock avalanches, debris flows, and glacier lake outburst floods (GLOF's). Effects of climate change such as glacier retreat and formation of glacier lakes have been one of the drivers of hazards in the past. Now, there is an increasing concern about the destabilizing effect that recent and further warming has a on perennially frozen bedrock and on steep glaciers in the steep flanks of high-mountain peaks, with potentially severe consequences to ice/rock avalanches, which may impact existing and new lakes, producing far-reaching outburst floods. Risks are also changing due to the socio-economic development in the Andean region and need to be considered using integrative approaches. Most research so far has concentrated on the Cordillera Blanca region where the most devastating disasters occurred during the 20th century. Very little is known about glacier and high-mountain hazards in the southern Peruvian Cordilleras of Cusco although some of the largest debris flows worldwide affected this region in recent years. In fact, very little is known about the nature, origin and exact dimensions of mass movements in this area, and long-term climatic records are neither available. Here we analyze these recent events in the Santa Teresa region based on field work, satellite images, available meteorological data, and numerical modeling of mass movements. These studies are part of a larger effort towards an integrative risk management. Most of the mass movements that caused disasters have their origin in glaciated catchments draining towards Santa Teresa with catchment sizes between about 100 and 300 km2, and glacier areas of 6 to 16 km2 per catchment. It is known that the enormous 1998 debris flow (ca. 25 million m3) that destroyed the Machu Picchu hydropower plant

  3. Theories of Variable Mass Particles and Low Energy Nuclear Phenomena

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Davidson, Mark

    2014-02-01

    Variable particle masses have sometimes been invoked to explain observed anomalies in low energy nuclear reactions (LENR). Such behavior has never been observed directly, and is not considered possible in theoretical nuclear physics. Nevertheless, there are covariant off-mass-shell theories of relativistic particle dynamics, based on works by Fock, Stueckelberg, Feynman, Greenberger, Horwitz, and others. We review some of these and we also consider virtual particles that arise in conventional Feynman diagrams in relativistic field theories. Effective Lagrangian models incorporating variable mass particle theories might be useful in describing anomalous nuclear reactions by combining mass shifts together with resonant tunneling and other effects. A detailed model for resonant fusion in a deuterium molecule with off-shell deuterons and electrons is presented as an example. Experimental means of observing such off-shell behavior directly, if it exists, is proposed and described. Brief explanations for elemental transmutation and formation of micro-craters are also given, and an alternative mechanism for the mass shift in the Widom-Larsen theory is presented. If variable mass theories were to find experimental support from LENR, then they would undoubtedly have important implications for the foundations of quantum mechanics, and practical applications may arise.

  4. Warm water deuterium fractionation in IRAS 16293-2422. The high-resolution ALMA and SMA view

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Persson, M. V.; Jørgensen, J. K.; van Dishoeck, E. F.

    2013-01-01

    Context. Measuring the water deuterium fractionation in the inner warm regions of low-mass protostars has so far been hampered by poor angular resolution obtainable with single-dish ground- and space-based telescopes. Observations of water isotopologues using (sub)millimeter wavelength interferometers have the potential to shed light on this matter. Aims: To measure the water deuterium fractionation in the warm gas of the deeply-embedded protostellar binary IRAS 16293-2422. Methods: Observations toward IRAS 16293-2422 of the 53,2 - 44,1 transition of H218O at 692.07914 GHz from Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) as well as the 31,3 - 22,0 of H218O at 203.40752 GHz and the 31,2 - 22,1 transition of HDO at 225.89672 GHz from the Submillimeter Array (SMA) are presented. Results: The 692 GHz H218O line is seen toward both components of the binary protostar. Toward one of the components, "source B", the line is seen in absorption toward the continuum, slightly red-shifted from the systemic velocity, whereas emission is seen off-source at the systemic velocity. Toward the other component, "source A", the two HDO and H218O lines are detected as well with the SMA. From the H218O transitions the excitation temperature is estimated at 124 ± 12 K. The calculated HDO/H2O ratio is (9.2 ± 2.6) × 10-4 - significantly lower than previous estimates in the warm gas close to the source. It is also lower by a factor of ~5 than the ratio deduced in the outer envelope. Conclusions: Our observations reveal the physical and chemical structure of water vapor close to the protostars on solar-system scales. The red-shifted absorption detected toward source B is indicative of infall. The excitation temperature is consistent with the picture of water ice evaporation close to the protostar. The low HDO/H2O ratio deduced here suggests that the differences between the inner regions of the protostars and the Earth's oceans and comets are smaller than previously thought

  5. Two serendipitous low-mass LMC clusters discovered with HST1

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Santiago, Basilio X.; Elson, Rebecca A. W.; Sigurdsson, Steinn; Gilmore, Gerard F.

    1998-04-01

    We present V and I photometry of two open clusters in the LMC down to V~26. The clusters were imaged with the Wide Field and Planetary Camera 2 (WFPC2) on board the Hubble Space Telescope (HST), as part of the Medium Deep Survey Key Project. Both are low-luminosity (M_V~-3.5), low-mass (M~10^3 Msolar) systems. The chance discovery of these two clusters in two parallel WFPC2 fields suggests a significant incompleteness in the LMC cluster census near the bar. One of the clusters is roughly elliptical and compact, with a steep light profile, a central surface brightness mu_V(0)~20.2 mag arcsec^-2, a half-light radius r_hl~0.9 pc (total visual major diameter D~3 pc) and an estimated mass M~1500 Msolar. From the colour-magnitude diagram and isochrone fits we estimate its age as tau~(2-5)x10^8 yr. Its mass function has a fitted slope of Gamma=Deltalogphi(M)/DeltalogM=-1.8+/-0.7 in the range probed (0.9<~M/Msolar<~4.5). The other cluster is more irregular and sparse, having shallower density and surface brightness profiles. We obtain Gamma=-1.2+/-0.4, and estimate its mass as M~400 Msolar. A derived upper limit for its age is tau<~5x10^8 yr. Both clusters have mass functions with slopes similar to that of R136, a massive LMC cluster, for which HST results indicate Gamma~-1.2. They also seem to be relaxed in their cores and well contained in their tidal radii.

  6. Passive margin high altitude low relief surfaces: old or new? Testing the glacial/periglacial buzzsaw hypothesis on the landscape of Southern Norway.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Berthling, Ivar

    2015-04-01

    Low relief surfaces at relatively high altitude are a main characteristic of the landscape in Southern Norway. These surfaces have for more than a century been regarded as old surfaces, originally developed as low altitude peneplains and later tectonically uplifted during the Cenozoic (e.g. LidmarBergstrom et al., 2000). Recently, this standard model has been challenged by models suggesting more recent uplift from erosionally driven isostatic adjustments during Pliocene and Pleistocene (Nielsen et al., 2009) or also earlier (Gołędowski et al., 2013). These models differ in opinion as to how and when the surfaces actually have developed from denudational processes in increasingly colder climates, unconstrained by a common base level, but both a glacial and a periglacial 'buzzsaw' have been invoked. If this interpretation is correct, it provides an example of large-scale periglacial bedrock landscape development and further underlines the importance of cryo-conditioning for long-term landscape development (Berthling and Etzelmüller, 2011) and the interconnected role of earth surface processes in cold climates. According to (French, 2007), however, large scale periglacial landscapes are rare or non-existent. Testing the periglacial 'buzzsaw' is therefore important, both for addressing the potential general long-term effects of periglacial processes on landscape development, and specifically to evaluate the mentioned models for Cenozoic landscape development. Here, we assess both the standard model and the glacial/periglacial 'buzzsaw' hypotheses on the Southern Norway landscape development, based on available field relationships. The periglacial 'buzzsaw' involves two aspects: sediment production by frost weathering, and sediment transport by periglacial mass wasting, i.e. solifluction and/or permafrost creep. Several studies evaluate frost weathering at the landscape scale, but periglacial mass wasting - especially regarding solifluction - has mainly been

  7. Investigating the low-mass slope and possible turnover in the LMC IMF

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gennaro, Mario

    2014-10-01

    We propose to derive the Initial Mass Function (IMF) of the field population of the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) down to 0.2 solar masses, probing the mass regime where the characteristic IMF turnover is observed in our Galaxy. The power of the HST, using the WFC3 IR channel, is necessary to obtain photometric mass estimates for the faint, cool, dwarf stars with masses below the expected IMF turnover point. Only by probing the IMF down to such masses, it will be possible to clearly distinguish between a bottom-heavy or bottom-light IMF in the LMC. Recent studies, using the deepest available observations for the Small Magellanic Cloud, cannot find clear evidence of a turnover in the IMF for this galaxy, suggesting a bottom-heavy IMF in contrast to the Milky Way. A similar study of the LMC is needed to confirm a possible dependence of the low-mass IMF with galactic environment. Studies of giant ellipticals have recently challenged the picture of a universal IMF, and suggest an enviromental dependence of the IMF, with the most massive galaxies having a larger fraction of low mass stars and no IMF turnover. A study of possible IMF variations from resolved stellar populations in nearby galaxies is of great importance in sheding light on this issue. Our simple approach, using direct evidence from basic star counts, is much less prone to systematic errors with respect to studies of more distant objects which have to rely on the observations of integrated properties.

  8. Absolute Properties of the Low-Mass Eclipsing Binary CM Draconis

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Morales, Juan Carlos; Ribas, Ignasi; Jordi, Carme; Torres, Guillermo; Gallardo, José; Guinan, Edward F.; Charbonneau, David; Wolf, Marek; Latham, David W.; Anglada-Escudé, Guillem; Bradstreet, David H.; Everett, Mark E.; O'Donovan, Francis T.; Mandushev, Georgi; Mathieu, Robert D.

    2009-02-01

    Spectroscopic and eclipsing binary systems offer the best means for determining accurate physical properties of stars, including their masses and radii. The data available for low-mass stars have yielded firm evidence that stellar structure models predict smaller radii and higher effective temperatures than observed, but the number of systems with detailed analyses is still small. In this paper, we present a complete reanalysis of one of such eclipsing systems, CM Dra, composed of two dM4.5 stars. New and existing light curves as well as a radial velocity curve are modeled to measure the physical properties of both components. The masses and radii determined for the components of CM Dra are M 1 = 0.2310 ± 0.0009 M sun, M 2 = 0.2141 ± 0.0010M sun, R 1 = 0.2534 ± 0.0019 R sun, and R 2 = 0.2396 ± 0.0015 R sun. With relative uncertainties well below the 1% level, these values constitute the most accurate properties to date for fully convective stars. This makes CM Dra a valuable benchmark for testing theoretical models. In comparing our measurements with theory, we confirm the discrepancies previously reported for other low-mass eclipsing binaries. These discrepancies seem likely to be due to the effects of magnetic activity. We find that the orbit of this system is slightly eccentric, and we have made use of eclipse timings spanning three decades to infer the apsidal motion and other related properties.

  9. Suppression of accretion on to low-mass Population III stars

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Johnson, Jarrett L.; Khochfar, Sadegh

    2011-05-01

    Motivated by recent theoretical work suggesting that a substantial fraction of Population (Pop) III stars may have had masses low enough for them to survive to the present day, we consider the role that the accretion of metal-enriched gas may have had in altering their surface composition, thereby disguising them as Pop II stars. We demonstrate that if weak, solar-like winds are launched from low-mass Pop III stars formed in the progenitors of the dark matter halo of the Galaxy, then such stars are likely to avoid significant enrichment via accretion of material from the interstellar medium. We find that at early times accretion is easily prevented if the stars are ejected from the central regions of the haloes in which they form, either by dynamical interactions with more massive Pop III stars or by violent relaxation during halo mergers. While accretion may still take place during passage through sufficiently dense molecular clouds at later times, we find that the probability of such a passage is generally low (≲0.1), assuming that stars have velocities of the order of the maximum circular velocity of their host haloes and accounting for the orbital decay of merging haloes. In turn, due to the higher gas density required for accretion on to stars with higher velocities, we find an even lower probability of accretion (˜10-2) for the subset of Pop III stars formed at z > 10, which are more quickly incorporated into massive haloes than stars formed at lower redshift. While there is no a priori reason to assume that low-mass Pop III stars do not have solar-like winds, without them surface enrichment via accretion is likely to be inevitable. We briefly discuss the implications that our results hold for stellar archaeology.

  10. Accretion and outflow in the proplyd-like objects near Cygnus OB2

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

    Guarcello, M. G.; Drake, J. J.; Wright, N. J.

    2014-09-20

    Cygnus OB2 is the most massive association within 2 kpc from the Sun, hosting hundreds of massive stars, thousands of young low mass members, and some sights of active star formation in the surrounding cloud. Recently, 10 photoevaporating proplyd-like objects with tadpole-shaped morphology were discovered in the outskirts of the OB association, approximately 6-14 pc away from its center. The classification of these objects is ambiguous, being either evaporating residuals of the parental cloud that are hosting a protostar inside or disk-bearing stars with an evaporating disk, such as the evaporating proplyds observed in the Trapezium Cluster in Orion. Inmore » this paper, we present a study based on low-resolution optical spectroscopic observations made with the Optical System for Imaging and low Resolution Integrated Spectroscopy, mounted on the 10.4 m Gran Telescopio CANARIAS, of two of these protostars. The spectrum of one of the objects shows evidence of accretion but not of outflows. In the latter object, the spectra show several emission lines indicating the presence of an actively accreting disk with outflow. We present estimates of the mass loss rate and the accretion rate from the disk, showing that the former exceeds the latter as observed in other known objects with evaporating disks. We also show evidence of a strong variability in the integrated flux observed in these objects as well as in the accretion and outflow diagnostics.« less

  11. Meeting contribution: Low mass stars, brown dwarfs and hot Jupiters

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Viti, S.

    2007-02-01

    Dr Viti opened with an apology that hers was not a field which could yet produce nice images; the objects she would be describing were too faint to be meaningfully imaged. Yet she would be arguing that even without images, a tremendous amount had been learnt from such objects in the past decade, and that there were exciting prospects for the future. The primary subject of this talk would be low mass stars (LMSs), defined as those stars of around half the mass of the Sun or less.

  12. Ultrasound-Based Detection of Low Muscle Mass for Diagnosis of Sarcopenia in Older Adults.

    PubMed

    Minetto, Marco A; Caresio, Cristina; Menapace, Tommaso; Hajdarevic, Arnel; Marchini, Andrea; Molinari, Filippo; Maffiuletti, Nicola A

    2016-05-01

    To establish muscle-specific cut-off values for ultrasound-based detection of low muscle mass, and to assess its prevalence in a population of frail older subjects when applying the cut-points of different muscles and those of different sarcopenic indices. Cross-sectional study. Geriatric outpatient clinic and clinical research laboratory. A total of 44 older adults (30 women and 14 men, mean age 82 years, range 67-93 years) and 60 younger individuals (30 women and 30 men, mean age 26 years, range 20-36 years) participated. Body composition and thickness of 4 lower limb muscles (rectus femoris, vastus lateralis, tibialis anterior, medial gastrocnemius) were respectively assessed by bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) and ultrasonography. Site-specific cut-points for ultrasound-based assessment of low muscle mass (muscle thickness values 2 standard deviations below the gender-specific means of our sample of younger subjects) and comparative prevalence rates of low muscle mass. The following site-specific cut-points for muscle thickness were identified: rectus femoris: 20 mm in men and 16 mm in women; vastus lateralis: 17 mm in men and 15 mm in women; tibialis anterior: 23 mm in men and 22 mm in women; and medial gastrocnemius: 13 mm in both men and women. The prevalence of low muscle mass in older adults was highly dependent on the muscle being investigated; it varied from 86% for thigh muscles to 30% for leg muscles. Moreover, the prevalence of low muscle mass was highly dependent on the applied diagnostic criterion and on the adopted cut-off value; it ranged from 2% to 75% for different BIA-derived criteria. We suggest that muscle ultrasonography provides physiatrists with a practical and accurate tool for identifying individuals with low muscle mass. However, the usability of cut-off values established in our group of healthy younger subjects of white ethnicity to identify low muscle mass in older individuals of different ethnic groups remains to be

  13. Hot horizontal branch stars: Predictions for mass loss. Winds, rotation, and the low gravity problem

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Vink, Jorick S.; Cassisi, Santi

    2002-09-01

    We predict mass-loss rates for the late evolutionary phases of low-mass stars, with special emphasis on the consequences for the morphology of the Horizontal Branch (HB). We show that the computed rates, as predicted by the most plausible mechanism of radiation pressure on spectral lines, are too low to produce EHB/sdB stars. This invalidates the scenario recently outlined by Yong et al. (2000) to create these objects by mass loss on the HB. We argue, however, that mass loss plays a role in the distribution of rotational velocities of hot HB stars, and may - together with the enhancement of heavy element abundances due to radiative levitation - provide an explanation for the so-called ``low gravity'' problem. The mass loss recipe derived for hot HB (and extreme HB, sdB, sdOB) stars may also be applied to post-HB (AGB-manqué, UV-bright) stars over a range in effective temperatures between 12 500-40 000 K.

  14. Low-mass e+e- mass distributions from 1.23A GeV Au+Au collisions with HADES

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Galatyuk, Tetyana; Hades Collaboration

    2017-11-01

    We present measurements of low-mass electron pairs for the Au+Au system based on a data sample of 2.6 billion events of the 40% most central collisions. In order to understand the microscopic structure of matter in the region of high baryochemical potential HADES pursues a strategy, which relies on systematic measurements of virtual photons emission in elementary and heavy-ion collisions. As of now, HADES has completed measurements of rare penetrating probes in p+p, n+p, C+C, p+Nb and Ar+KCl collisions. In continuation of a systematic investigation of the emissivity of strongly interacting matter, HADES has recently measured the dielectron emission in Au+Au collisions at 1.23A GeV beam energy. This measurement is part of the beam energy scan and marks lowest point in the excitation function of low-mass thermal dilepton radiation.

  15. Ice core and climate reanalysis analogs to predict Antarctic and Southern Hemisphere climate changes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mayewski, P. A.; Carleton, A. M.; Birkel, S. D.; Dixon, D.; Kurbatov, A. V.; Korotkikh, E.; McConnell, J.; Curran, M.; Cole-Dai, J.; Jiang, S.; Plummer, C.; Vance, T.; Maasch, K. A.; Sneed, S. B.; Handley, M.

    2017-01-01

    A primary goal of the SCAR (Scientific Committee for Antarctic Research) initiated AntClim21 (Antarctic Climate in the 21st Century) Scientific Research Programme is to develop analogs for understanding past, present and future climates for the Antarctic and Southern Hemisphere. In this contribution to AntClim21 we provide a framework for achieving this goal that includes: a description of basic climate parameters; comparison of existing climate reanalyses; and ice core sodium records as proxies for the frequencies of marine air mass intrusion spanning the past ∼2000 years. The resulting analog examples include: natural variability, a continuation of the current trend in Antarctic and Southern Ocean climate characterized by some regions of warming and some cooling at the surface of the Southern Ocean, Antarctic ozone healing, a generally warming climate and separate increases in the meridional and zonal winds. We emphasize changes in atmospheric circulation because the atmosphere rapidly transports heat, moisture, momentum, and pollutants, throughout the middle to high latitudes. In addition, atmospheric circulation interacts with temporal variations (synoptic to monthly scales, inter-annual, decadal, etc.) of sea ice extent and concentration. We also investigate associations between Antarctic atmospheric circulation features, notably the Amundsen Sea Low (ASL), and primary climate teleconnections including the SAM (Southern Annular Mode), ENSO (El Nîno Southern Oscillation), the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO), the AMO (Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation), and solar irradiance variations.

  16. Glycolaldehyde in Perseus young solar analogs

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    De Simone, M.; Codella, C.; Testi, L.; Belloche, A.; Maury, A. J.; Anderl, S.; André, Ph.; Maret, S.; Podio, L.

    2017-03-01

    Context. The earliest evolutionary stages of low-mass protostars are characterised by the so-called hot-corino stage, when the newly born star heats the surrounding material and enrich the gas chemically. Studying this evolutionary phase of solar protostars may help understand the evolution of prebiotic complex molecules in the development of planetary systems. Aims: In this paper we focus on the occurrence of glycolaldehyde (HCOCH2OH) in young solar analogs by performing the first homogeneous and unbiased study of this molecule in the Class 0 protostars of the nearby Perseus star forming region. Methods: We obtained sub-arcsec angular resolution maps at 1.3 mm and 1.4 mm of glycolaldehyde emission lines using the IRAM Plateau de Bure (PdB) interferometer in the framework of the CALYPSO IRAM large program. Results: Glycolaldehyde has been detected towards 3 Class 0 and 1 Class I protostars out of the 13 continuum sources targeted in Perseus: NGC 1333-IRAS2A1, NGC 1333-IRAS4A2, NGC 1333-IRAS4B1, and SVS13-A. The NGC 1333 star forming region looks particularly glycolaldehyde rich, with a rate of occurrence up to 60%. The glycolaldehyde spatial distribution overlaps with the continuum one, tracing the inner 100 au around the protostar. A large number of lines (up to 18), with upper-level energies Eu from 37 K up to 375 K has been detected. We derived column densities ≥1015 cm-2 and rotational temperatures Trot between 115 K and 236 K, imaging for the first time hot-corinos around NGC 1333-IRAS4B1 and SVS13-A. Conclusions: In multiple systems glycolaldehyde emission is detected only in one component. The case of the SVS13-A+B and IRAS4-A1+A2 systems support that the detection of glycolaldehyde (at least in the present Perseus sample) indicates older protostars (I.e. SVS13-A and IRAS4-A2), evolved enough to develop the hot-corino region (I.e. 100 K in the inner 100 au). However, only two systems do not allow us to firmly conclude whether the primary factor leading to

  17. The Evolution of the Multiplicity of Embedded Protostars. II. Binary Separation Distribution and Analysis

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Connelley, Michael S.; Reipurth, Bo; Tokunaga, Alan T.

    2008-06-01

    We present the Class I protostellar binary separation distribution based on the data tabulated in a companion paper. We verify the excess of Class I binary stars over solar-type main-sequence stars in the separation range from 500 AU to 4500 AU. Although our sources are in nearby star-forming regions distributed across the entire sky (including Orion), none of our objects are in a high stellar density environment. A log-normal function, used by previous authors to fit the main-sequence and T Tauri binary separation distributions, poorly fits our data, and we determine that a log-uniform function is a better fit. Our observations show that the binary separation distribution changes significantly during the Class I phase, and that the binary frequency at separations greater than 1000 AU declines steadily with respect to spectral index. Despite these changes, the binary frequency remains constant until the end of the Class I phase, when it drops sharply. We propose a scenario to account for the changes in the Class I binary separation distribution. This scenario postulates that a large number of companions with a separation greater than ~1000 AU were ejected during the Class 0 phase, but remain gravitationally bound due to the significant mass of the Class I envelope. As the envelope dissipates, these companions become unbound and the binary frequency at wide separations declines. Circumstellar and circumbinary disks are expected to play an important role in the orbital evolution at closer separations. This scenario predicts that a large number of Class 0 objects should be non-hierarchical multiple systems, and that many Class I young stellar objects (YSOs) with a widely separated companion should also have a very close companion. We also find that Class I protostars are not dynamically pristine, but have experienced dynamical evolution before they are visible as Class I objects. Our analysis shows that the Class I binary frequency and the binary separation

  18. The Scorched Atmosphere of a Low Mass Star

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hines, Dean; Schmidt, Gary

    2006-05-01

    The recent detection of mid-IR emission from the brown dwarf companion to the white dwarf GD1400 (Farihi & Christopher 2005) demonstrates the power of IRAC for characterizing low-mass companions to white dwarf (WD) stars. Compared with GD1400, the close binary system SDSS121209.31+013627.7 (hereafter SDSS1212) is potentially a far more significant target in this effort. SDSS1212 consists of a magnetic WD plus a low-mass companion in a very close (tidally-locked) orbit (a ~ 0.6 Rsun, P ~ 90 mins). The companion shows the effects of irradiation of its atmosphere by the WD, and the tidal lock (and inclination) ensures that we view the illuminated and far-side hemispheres during each orbit. Ground-based, J-band upper limits constrain the companion to be a late-type brown dwarf (L5 or later). Thus, SDSS1212 is an ideal system for studying the atmosphere of a sub-stellar object heated by a strong continuum. Indeed, the total irradiating flux at ~1 Rsun from a T ~ 10,000K WD is comparable to that at r ~ 0.1 AU from a sun-like main sequence star, and SDSS1212 is the only WD + brown dwarf binary whose orbital period is known. Given its importance for the characterization of planetary atmosphere and binary star evolution, we propose to carry out phase-resolved 3.6?8 micron imaging of the SDSS1212 system with the dual goals of: 1) characterizing the orbit-averaged photometric properties of the low-mass companion, and thus discerning its placement within the ever-expanding zoo of substellar objects; and 2) measuring what is expected to be a modulation of up to 0.4 mag in the net mid-IR brightness of the binary, thereby providing an empirical point of comparison for current theoretical efforts to predict the response of "hot Jupiters" to irradiation by their parent stars. Coupled with the exquisite photometric stability of IRAC and the benign environment of Spitzer, this unique target offers an exceptional opportunity to study the effects of irradiation from host stars on their

  19. H II REGIONS, EMBEDDED PROTOSTARS, AND STARLESS CORES IN SHARPLESS 2-157

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

    Chen, Chian-Chou; Williams, Jonathan P.; Pandian, Jagadheep D., E-mail: ccchen@ifa.hawaii.edu, E-mail: jpw@ifa.hawaii.edu, E-mail: jagadheep@iist.ac.in

    2012-06-20

    We present arcsecond resolution 1.4 mm observations of the high-mass star-forming region, Sharpless 2-157, that reveal the cool dust associated with the first stages of star formation. These data are compared with archival images at optical, infrared, and radio wavelengths, and complemented with new arcsecond resolution mid-infrared data. We identify a dusty young H II region, numerous infrared sources within the cluster envelope, and four starless condensations. Three of the cores lie in a line to the south of the cluster peak, but the most massive one is right at the center and associated with a jumble of bright radiomore » and infrared sources. This presents an interesting juxtaposition of high- and low-mass star formation within the same cluster which we compare with similar observations of other high-mass star-forming regions and discuss in the context of cluster formation theory.« less

  20. Outflows in low-mass galaxies at z >1

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Maseda, Michael V.; MUSE GTO Consortium

    2017-03-01

    Star formation histories of local dwarf galaxies, derived through resolved stellar populations, appear complex and varied. The general picture derived from hydrodynamical simulations is one of cold gas accretion and bursty star formation, followed by feedback from supernovae and winds that heat and eject the central gas reservoirs. This ejection halts star formation until the material cools and re-accretes, resulting in an episodic SFH, particularly at stellar masses below ~ 109 M⊙. Such feedback has often been cited as the driving force behind the observed slowly-rising rotation curves in local dwarfs, due to an under-density of dark matter compared to theoretical models, which is one of the primary challenges to LCDM cosmology. However, these events have not yet been directly observed at high-redshift. Recently, using HST imaging and grism spectroscopy, we have uncovered an abundant population of low-mass galaxies (M* < 109 M⊙) at z = 1 - 2 that are undergoing strong bursts of star formation, in agreement with the theoretical predictions. These Extreme Emission Line Galaxies, with high specific SFRs and shallow gravitational potential wells, are ideal places to test the theoretical prediction of strong feedback-driven outflows. Here we use deep MUSE spectroscopy to search these galaxies for signatures of outflowing material, namely kinematic offsets between absorption lines (in the restframe optical and UV), which trace cool gas, and the nebular emission lines, which define the systemic redshift of the galaxy. Although the EELGs are intrinsically very faint, stacked spectra reveal blueshifted velocity centroids for Fe II absorption, which is indicative of outflowing cold gas. This represents the first constraint on outflows in M* < 109 M⊙ galaxies at z = 1 - 2. These outflows should regulate the star formation histories of low-mass galaxies at early cosmic times and thus play a crucial role in galaxy growth and evolution.

  1. Mass Transfer via Low-Velocity Rebound in a Microgravity Environment

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jarmak, S. G.; Colwell, J. E.; Brisset, J.; Dove, A.; Brown, A. Q.

    2017-12-01

    Observations of low-velocity collisions (< 1 m/s) between μm to cm-size particles in a microgravity environment are crucial to an understanding of the surface properties of small, airless bodies as well as the processes that lead to their formation. The COLLIDE (Collisions Into Dust Experiment) and PRIME (Physics of Regolith Impacts in Microgravity Experiment) programs created impacts into simulated planetary regolith with cm-scale impactors to observe ejecta production and coefficients of restitution in microgravity. These experiments were carried out on orbit (COLLIDE, COLLIDE-2), in suborbital space (COLLIDE-3), and on parabolic airplane flights (PRIME) under vacuum. Some impacts at speeds less than 40 cm/s resulted in mass transfer from the target regolith onto the impactor. To study these mass-transfer collisions in more detail without the cost or time requirements of spaceflight or parabolic flights, we developed an experimental apparatus in a laboratory drop tower (free-fall time 0.75 s) and performed experiments at standard pressure. The impactor is suspended from a spring and remains in contact with the bed of regolith until free-fall allows the spring to retract and pull the impactor upwards. This method allowed us to simulate the rebound portion of a low-velocity collision in a laboratory microgravity environment. We achieved rebound velocities of 10 - 60 cm/s, and we observed mass transfer events with rebound speeds below 40 cm/s. The amount of mass transfer produced was more significant than a monolayer of granular material, but less than the amount observed in the COLLIDE and PRIME experiments. These mass-transfer collisions may play a role in the growth of planetesimals. We will present the results of our laboratory-based studies where we vary impact velocity and target material, and discuss implications for collisional evolution in the protoplanetary disk and planetary rings.

  2. Filamentary structure and Keplerian rotation in the high-mass star-forming region G35.03+0.35 imaged with ALMA

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Beltrán, M. T.; Sánchez-Monge, Á.; Cesaroni, R.; Kumar, M. S. N.; Galli, D.; Walmsley, C. M.; Etoka, S.; Furuya, R. S.; Moscadelli, L.; Stanke, T.; van der Tak, F. F. S.; Vig, S.; Wang, K.-S.; Zinnecker, H.; Elia, D.; Schisano, E.

    2014-11-01

    Context. Theoretical scenarios propose that high-mass stars are formed by disk-mediated accretion. Aims: To test the theoretical predictions on the formation of massive stars, we wish to make a thorough study at high-angular resolution of the structure and kinematics of the dust and gas emission toward the high-mass star-forming region G35.03+0.35, which harbors a disk candidate around a B-type (proto)star. Methods: We carried out ALMA Cycle 0 observations at 870 μm of dust of typical high-density, molecular outflow, and cloud tracers with resolutions of < 0''&dotbelow;5. Complementary Subaru COMICS 25 μm observations were carried out to trace the mid-infrared emission toward this star-forming region. Results: The submillimeter continuum emission has revealed a filamentary structure fragmented into six cores, called A-F. The filament could be in quasi-equilibrium taking into account that the mass per unit length of the filament, 200-375 M⊙/pc, is similar to the critical mass of a thermally and turbulently supported infinite cylinder, ~335 M⊙/pc. The cores, which are on average separated by ~0.02 pc, have deconvolved sizes of 1300-3400 AU, temperatures of 35-240 K, H2 densities >107 cm -3, and masses in the range 1-5 M⊙, and they are subcritical. Core A, which is associated with a hypercompact Hii region and could be the driving source of the molecular outflow observed in the region, is the most chemically rich source in G35.03+0.35 with strong emission of typical hot core tracers such as CH3CN. Tracers of high density and excitation show a clear velocity gradient along the major axis of the core, which is consistent with a disk rotating about the axis of the associated outflow. The PV plots along the SE-NW direction of the velocity gradient show clear signatures of Keplerian rotation, although infall could also be present, and they are consistent with the pattern of an edge-on Keplerian disk rotating about a star with a mass in the range 5-13 M⊙. The high

  3. The statistical challenge of constraining the low-mass IMF in Local Group dwarf galaxies

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    El-Badry, Kareem; Weisz, Daniel R.; Quataert, Eliot

    2017-06-01

    We use Monte Carlo simulations to explore the statistical challenges of constraining the characteristic mass (mc) and width (σ) of a lognormal sub-solar initial mass function (IMF) in Local Group dwarf galaxies using direct star counts. For a typical Milky Way (MW) satellite (MV = -8), jointly constraining mc and σ to a precision of ≲ 20 per cent requires that observations be complete to ≲ 0.2 M⊙, if the IMF is similar to the MW IMF. A similar statistical precision can be obtained if observations are only complete down to 0.4 M⊙, but this requires measurement of nearly 100× more stars, and thus, a significantly more massive satellite (MV ˜ -12). In the absence of sufficiently deep data to constrain the low-mass turnover, it is common practice to fit a single-sloped power law to the low-mass IMF, or to fit mc for a lognormal while holding σ fixed. We show that the former approximation leads to best-fitting power-law slopes that vary with the mass range observed and can largely explain existing claims of low-mass IMF variations in MW satellites, even if satellite galaxies have the same IMF as the MW. In addition, fixing σ during fitting leads to substantially underestimated uncertainties in the recovered value of mc (by a factor of ˜4 for typical observations). If the IMFs of nearby dwarf galaxies are lognormal and do vary, observations must reach down to ˜mc in order to robustly detect these variations. The high-sensitivity, near-infrared capabilities of the James Webb Space Telescope and Wide-Field Infrared Survey Telescope have the potential to dramatically improve constraints on the low-mass IMF. We present an efficient observational strategy for using these facilities to measure the IMFs of Local Group dwarf galaxies.

  4. Complex organic molecules during low-mass star formation: Pilot survey results

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

    Öberg, Karin I.; Graninger, Dawn; Lauck, Trish, E-mail: koberg@cfa.harvard.edu

    Complex organic molecules (COMs) are known to be abundant toward some low-mass young stellar objects (YSOs), but how these detections relate to typical COM abundance are not yet understood. We aim to constrain the frequency distribution of COMs during low-mass star formation, beginning with this pilot survey of COM lines toward six embedded YSOs using the IRAM 30 m Telescope. The sample was selected from the Spitzer c2d ice sample and covers a range of ice abundances. We detect multiple COMs, including CH{sub 3}CN, toward two of the YSOs, and tentatively toward a third. Abundances with respect to CH{sub 3}OHmore » vary between 0.7% and 10%. This sample is combined with previous COM observations and upper limits to obtain a frequency distributions of CH{sub 3}CN, HCOOCH{sub 3}, CH{sub 3}OCH{sub 3}, and CH{sub 3}CHO. We find that for all molecules more than 50% of the sample have detections or upper limits of 1%-10% with respect to CH{sub 3}OH. Moderate abundances of COMs thus appear common during the early stages of low-mass star formation. A larger sample is required, however, to quantify the COM distributions, as well as to constrain the origins of observed variations across the sample.« less

  5. On the Influence of Air Mass Origin on Low-Cloud Properties in the Southeast Atlantic

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fuchs, Julia; Cermak, Jan; Andersen, Hendrik; Hollmann, Rainer; Schwarz, Katharina

    2017-10-01

    This study investigates the impact of air mass origin and dynamics on cloud property changes in the Southeast Atlantic (SEA) during the biomass burning season. The understanding of clouds and their determinants at different scales is important for constraining the Earth's radiative budget and thus prominent in climate system research. In this study, the thermodynamically stable SEA stratocumulus cover is observed not only as the result of local environmental conditions but also as connected to large-scale meteorology by the often neglected but important role of spatial origins of air masses entering this region. In order to assess to what extent cloud properties are impacted by aerosol concentration, air mass history, and meteorology, a Hybrid Single-Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory cluster analysis is conducted linking satellite observations of cloud properties (Spinning-Enhanced Visible and Infrared Imager), information on aerosol species (Monitoring Atmospheric Composition and Climate), and meteorological context (ERA-Interim reanalysis) to air mass clusters. It is found that a characteristic pattern of air mass origins connected to distinct synoptical conditions leads to marked cloud property changes in the southern part of the study area. Long-distance air masses are related to midlatitude weather disturbances that affect the cloud microphysics, especially in the southwestern subdomain of the study area. Changes in cloud effective radius are consistent with a boundary layer deepening and changes in lower tropospheric stability (LTS). In the southeastern subdomain cloud cover is controlled by a generally higher LTS, while air mass origin plays a minor role. This study leads to a better understanding of the dynamical drivers behind observed stratocumulus cloud properties in the SEA and frames potentially interesting conditions for aerosol-cloud interactions.

  6. A methodology for assessing annual risk of southern pine beetle outbreaks across the southern region using pheromone traps

    Treesearch

    Ronald F Billings; William W. Upton

    2010-01-01

    An operational system to forecast infestation trends (increasing, static, declining) and relative population levels (high, moderate, low) of the southern pine beetle (SPB), Dendroctonus frontalis, has been implemented in the Southern and Eastern United States. Numbers of dispersing SPB and those of a major predator (the clerid beetle, ...

  7. The rotational velocity of low-mass stars in the Pleiades cluster

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Queloz, D.; Allain, S.; Mermilliod, J.-C.; Bouvier, J.; Mayor, M.

    1998-07-01

    We present new {vsin i} measurements for 235 low-mass stars in the Pleiades. The differential rotational broadening has been resolved for all the stars in our sample. These results, combined with previously published measurements, provide a complete and unbiased rotation data set for stars in the mass range from 0.6 to 1.2{Msun}. Applying a numerical inversion technique on the {vsin i} distributions, we derive the distributions of equatorial velocities for low-mass Pleiades members. We find that half of the Pleiades dwarfs with a mass between 0.6 to 1 {Msun} have rotation rates lower than 10{ km s(-1) }. Comparison of the rotational distributions of low-mass members between IC 2602/2391 (~ 35 Myr) and the Pleiades (~ 100 Myr) suggests that G dwarfs behave like solid-bodies and follow Skumanich's law during this time span. However, comparison between Pleiades and older clusters -M34 (~ 200 Myr) and Hyades (~ 600 Myr)- indicates that the braking of slow rotators on the early main sequence is weaker than predicted by an asymptotical Skumanich's law. This strongly supports the view that angular momentum tapped in the radiative core of slow rotators on the zero age main sequence (ZAMS) resurfaces into the convective envelope between Pleiades and Hyades age. For the G-dwarfs, we derive a characteristic coupling time scale between the core and the envelope of about 100-200 Myr, which accounts for the observed evolution of surface rotation from the ZAMS to the Hyades. The relationship between rotation and coronal activity in the Pleiades is in agreement with previous observations in other clusters and field stars. We show that the Rossby diagram provides an excellent description of the X-ray activity for all stars in the mass domain studied. The Pleiades data for slow and moderate rotators fills the gap between the X-ray-rotation correlation found for slow rotators and the X-ray ``saturation plateau'' observed for young fast rotators. The transition between increasing X

  8. Small low mass advanced PBR's for propulsion

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Powell, J. R.; Todosow, M.; Ludewig, H.

    1993-10-01

    The advanced Particle Bed Reactor (PBR) to be described in this paper is characterized by relatively low power, and low cost, while still maintaining competition values for thrust/weight, specific impulse and operating times. In order to retain competitive values for the thrust/weight ratio while reducing the reactor size, it is necessary to change the basic reactor layout, by incorporating new concepts. The new reactor design concept is termed SIRIUS (Small Lightweight Reactor Integral Propulsion System). The following modifications are proposed for the reactor design to be discussed in this paper: Pre-heater (U-235 included in Moderator); Hy-C (Hydride/De-hydride for Reactor Control); Afterburner (U-235 impregnated into Hot Frit); and Hy-S (Hydride Spike Inside Hot Frit). Each of the modifications will be briefly discussed below, with benefits, technical issues, design approach, and risk levels addressed. The paper discusses conceptual assumptions, feasibility analysis, mass estimates, and information needs.

  9. Is there a cluster in the massive star forming region IRAS 20126+4104?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Montes, V. A.; Hofner, Peter; Anderson, C.; Rosero, V.

    2017-03-01

    A Chandra X-ray Observatory ACIS-I observation and a 6 cm continuum radio observation with the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA) together with a multiwavelength study in infrared (2MASS and Spitzer) and optical (USNO-B1.0) shows an increasing surface density of X-ray sources toward the massive protostar. There are at least 43 YSOs within 1.2 pc distance from the massive protostar. This number is consistent with typical B-type stars clusters (Lada & Lada 2003).

  10. Further Constraints on Variations in the Initial Mass Function from Low-mass X-ray Binary Populations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Peacock, Mark B.; Zepf, Stephen E.; Kundu, Arunav; Maccarone, Thomas J.; Lehmer, Bret D.; Maraston, Claudia; Gonzalez, Anthony H.; Eufrasio, Rafael T.; Coulter, David A.

    2017-05-01

    We present constraints on variations in the initial mass function (IMF) of nine local early-type galaxies based on their low-mass X-ray binary (LMXB) populations. Comprised of accreting black holes and neutron stars, these LMXBs can be used to constrain the important high-mass end of the IMF. We consider LMXB populations beyond the cores of the galaxies (>0.2R e; covering 75%-90% of their stellar light) and find no evidence for systematic variations of the IMF with velocity dispersion (σ). We reject IMFs which become increasingly bottom-heavy with σ, up to steep power laws (exponent, α > 2.8) in massive galaxies (σ > 300 {km} {{{s}}}-1), for galactocentric radii >1/4 R e. Previously proposed IMFs that become increasingly bottom-heavy with σ are consistent with these data if only the number of low-mass stars (<0.5 M ⊙) varies. We note that our results are consistent with some recent work which proposes that extreme IMFs are only present in the central regions of these galaxies. We also consider IMFs that become increasingly top-heavy with σ, resulting in significantly more LMXBs. Such a model is consistent with these observations, but additional data are required to significantly distinguish between this and an invariant IMF. For six of these galaxies, we directly compare with published “IMF mismatch” parameters from the Atlas3D survey, α dyn. We find good agreement with the LMXB population if galaxies with higher α dyn have more top-heavy IMFs—although we caution that our sample is quite small. Future LMXB observations can provide further insights into the origin of α dyn variations.

  11. Fast and accurate mock catalogue generation for low-mass galaxies

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Koda, Jun; Blake, Chris; Beutler, Florian; Kazin, Eyal; Marin, Felipe

    2016-06-01

    We present an accurate and fast framework for generating mock catalogues including low-mass haloes, based on an implementation of the COmoving Lagrangian Acceleration (COLA) technique. Multiple realisations of mock catalogues are crucial for analyses of large-scale structure, but conventional N-body simulations are too computationally expensive for the production of thousands of realizations. We show that COLA simulations can produce accurate mock catalogues with a moderate computation resource for low- to intermediate-mass galaxies in 1012 M⊙ haloes, both in real and redshift space. COLA simulations have accurate peculiar velocities, without systematic errors in the velocity power spectra for k ≤ 0.15 h Mpc-1, and with only 3-per cent error for k ≤ 0.2 h Mpc-1. We use COLA with 10 time steps and a Halo Occupation Distribution to produce 600 mock galaxy catalogues of the WiggleZ Dark Energy Survey. Our parallelized code for efficient generation of accurate halo catalogues is publicly available at github.com/junkoda/cola_halo.

  12. Update on the distribution of Mansonella perstans in the southern part of Cameroon: influence of ecological factors and mass drug administration with ivermectin.

    PubMed

    Wanji, Samuel; Tayong, Dizzle Bita; Layland, Laura E; Datchoua Poutcheu, Fabrice R; Ndongmo, Winston Patrick Chounna; Kengne-Ouafo, Jonas Arnaud; Ritter, Manuel; Amvongo-Adjia, Nathalie; Fombad, Fanny Fri; Njeshi, Charity Nya; Nkwescheu, Armand Seraphin; Enyong, Peter A; Hoerauf, Achim

    2016-05-31

    Mansonellosis remains one of the most neglected of tropical diseases and its current distribution in the entire forest block of southern Cameroon is unknown. In order to address this issue, we have surveyed the distribution of Mansonella perstans in different bioecological zones and in addition, elucidated the influence of multiple rounds of ivermectin (IVM) based mass drug administration (MDA). A mixed design was used. Between 2000 and 2014, both cross-sectional and longitudinal surveys were carried out in 137 communities selected from 12 health districts belonging to five main bioecological zones of the southern part of Cameroon. The zones comprised of grassland savanna (GS), mosaic forest savanna (MFS), forested savanna (FS), deciduous equatorial rainforest (DERF) and the dense humid equatorial rainforest (DHERF). The survey was carried out in some areas with no treatment history as well as those currently under IVM MDA. Individuals within the participatory communities were screened for the presence of M. perstans microfilariae (mf) in peripheral blood by the calibrated thick film method to determine both prevalence and geometric mean intensities at the community level. Apart from sporadic cases in savanna areas, distribution of M. perstans was strongly linked to the equatorial rainforest zones. Before CDTI, the highest mean prevalence (70.0 %) and intensity (17,382.2 mf/ml) were obtained in communities in Mamfes' DHERF areas followed by communities in the DHERF zone of Lolodorf (53.8 % and 7,814.8 mf/ml, respectively). A longitudinal survey in Mamfe further showed that M. perstans infections had reduced by 34.5 % in DERF (P < 0.001) but not DHERF zones after ten years of IVM MDA. Further data from the cross-sectional study revealed that there was a decrease in prevalence in DHERF zones only after ten years of MDA. In DERF zones however, the infection was relatively lower after four years of MDA. The distribution of M. perstans in the southern part of

  13. Low-Spin States From Decay Studies in the Mass 80 Region

    PubMed Central

    Döring, J.; Aprahamian, A.; Wiescher, M.

    2000-01-01

    Neutron-deficient nuclei in the mass 80 region are known to exhibit strongly deformed ground states deduced mainly from yrast-state properties measured in-beam via heavy-ion fusion-evaporation reactions. Vibrational excitations and non-yrast states as well as their interplay with the observed rotational collectivity have been less studied to date within this mass region. Thus, several β-decay experiments have been performed to populate low-spin states in the neutron-deficient 80,84Y and 80,84Sr nuclei. An overview of excited 0+ states in Sr and Kr nuclei is given and conclusions about shape evolution at low-spins are presented. In general, the non-yrast states in even-even Sr nuclei show mainly vibration-like collectivity which evolves to rotational behavior with increasing spin and decreasing neutron number. PMID:27551586

  14. A Robust Two-Dimensional Separation for Top-Down Tandem Mass Spectrometry of the Low-Mass Proteome

    PubMed Central

    Lee, Ji Eun; Kellie, John F.; Tran, John C.; Tipton, Jeremiah D.; Catherman, Adam D.; Thomas, Haylee M.; Ahlf, Dorothy R.; Durbin, Kenneth R.; Vellaichamy, Adaikkalam; Ntai, Ioanna; Marshall, Alan G.; Kelleher, Neil L.

    2010-01-01

    For fractionation of intact proteins by molecular weight (MW), a sharply improved two-dimensional (2D) separation is presented to drive reproducible and robust fractionation before top-down mass spectrometry of complex mixtures. The “GELFrEE” (i.e., gel-eluted liquid fraction entrapment electrophoresis) approach is implemented by use of Tris-glycine and Tris-tricine gel systems applied to human cytosolic and nuclear extracts from HeLa S3 cells, to achieve a MW-based fractionation of proteins from 5 to >100 kDa in 1 h. For top-down tandem mass spectroscopy (MS/MS) of the low-mass proteome (5–25 kDa), between 5 and 8 gel-elution (GE) fractions are sampled by nanocapillary-LC-MS/MS with 12 or 14.5 tesla Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance (FT-ICR) mass spectrometers. Single injections give about 40 detectable proteins, about half of which yield automated ProSight identifications. Reproducibility metrics of the system are presented, along with comparative analysis of protein targets in mitotic versus asynchronous cells. We forward this basic 2D approach to facilitate wider implementation of top-down mass spectrometry and a variety of other protein separation and/or characterization approaches. PMID:19747844

  15. Associations of Low Muscle Mass and the Metabolic Syndrome in Caucasian and Asian Middle-aged and Older Adults.

    PubMed

    Scott, D; Park, M S; Kim, T N; Ryu, J Y; Hong, H C; Yoo, H J; Baik, S H; Jones, G; Choi, K M

    2016-03-01

    Age-related declines in skeletal muscle mass may confer significant metabolic consequences for older adults. Associations of low muscle mass and metabolic syndrome (MetS) in Caucasians, and comparisons with associations observed in Asian populations, have not been reported. We examined associations of low muscle mass and metabolic syndrome (MetS) in Asian and Caucasian middle-aged and older men and women using criteria for low muscle mass. Two population-based studies of Australian (Tasmanian Older Adult Cohort Study; TASOAC; N=1005) and Korean (Korean Sarcopenic Obesity Study; KSOS; N=376) community-dwelling adults, mean age 62 and 58 years, respectively. Appendicular lean mass (aLM) determined by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry and normalised to height squared (aLM/Ht2), weight (aLM/Wt) or body mass index (aLM/BMI). Participants in the lowest sex-specific 20% for aLM measures were defined as having low muscle mass. MetS was defined according to National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III criteria. Although Australians demonstrated generally unfavourable anthropometric and metabolic characteristics compared to Koreans, prevalence of MetS was similar (29.5% in Australians and 31.4% in Koreans, respectively). Low aLM/Ht2 was associated with significantly reduced likelihood of MetS in both Australians (OR: 0.30, 95% CI 0.19 - 0.46) and Koreans (OR: 0.31, 95% CI 0.16 - 0.62). Conversely, low aLM/BMI was associated with increased odds for MetS in Australians (OR: 1.78, 95% CI 1.12 - 2.84), but not Koreans (OR: 1.33, 95% CI = 0.67 - 2.64). Low aLM/BMI is associated with significantly increased likelihood of MetS in Australian adults, but not Koreans, suggesting potential differences in effects of low muscle mass relative to body mass on cardiometabolic health in Caucasian and Asian middle-aged and older adults. Low muscle mass relative to height is associated with reduced likelihood of MetS in both populations.

  16. Pulsar J1411+2551: A Low-mass Double Neutron Star System

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Martinez, J. G.; Stovall, K.; Freire, P. C. C.; Deneva, J. S.; Tauris, T. M.; Ridolfi, A.; Wex, N.; Jenet, F. A.; McLaughlin, M. A.; Bagchi, M.

    2017-12-01

    In this work, we report the discovery and characterization of PSR J1411+2551, a new binary pulsar discovered in the Arecibo 327 MHz Drift Pulsar Survey. Our timing observations of the radio pulsar in the system span a period of about 2.5 years. This timing campaign allowed a precise measurement of its spin period (62.4 ms) and its derivative (9.6 ± 0.7) × 10‑20 s s‑1 from these, we derive a characteristic age of >9.1 Gyr and a surface magnetic field strength of <2.6 × 109 G. These numbers indicate that this pulsar was mildly recycled by accretion of matter from the progenitor of the companion star. The system has an eccentric (e = 0.17) 2.61 day orbit. This eccentricity allows a highly significant measurement of the rate of advance of periastron, \\dot{ω } =0.07686+/- 0.00046^\\circ {{yr}}-1. Assuming general relativity accurately describes the orbital motion, this implies a total system mass M = 2.538 ± 0.022 M ⊙. The minimum companion mass is 0.92 M ⊙ and the maximum pulsar mass is 1.62 M ⊙. The large companion mass and the orbital eccentricity suggest that PSR J1411+2551 is a double neutron star system; the lightest known to date including the DNS merger GW170817. Furthermore, the relatively low orbital eccentricity and small proper motion limits suggest that the second supernova had a relatively small associated kick; this and the low system mass suggest that it was an ultra-stripped supernova.

  17. Cutpoints for Low Appendicular Lean Mass That Identify Older Adults With Clinically Significant Weakness

    PubMed Central

    Peters, Katherine W.; Shardell, Michelle D.; McLean, Robert R.; Dam, Thuy-Tien L.; Kenny, Anne M.; Fragala, Maren S.; Harris, Tamara B.; Kiel, Douglas P.; Guralnik, Jack M.; Ferrucci, Luigi; Kritchevsky, Stephen B.; Vassileva, Maria T.; Studenski, Stephanie A.; Alley, Dawn E.

    2014-01-01

    Background. Low lean mass is potentially clinically important in older persons, but criteria have not been empirically validated. As part of the FNIH (Foundation for the National Institutes of Health) Sarcopenia Project, this analysis sought to identify cutpoints in lean mass by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry that discriminate the presence or absence of weakness (defined in a previous report in the series as grip strength <26kg in men and <16kg in women). Methods. In pooled cross-sectional data stratified by sex (7,582 men and 3,688 women), classification and regression tree (CART) analysis was used to derive cutpoints for appendicular lean body mass (ALM) that best discriminated the presence or absence of weakness. Mixed-effects logistic regression was used to quantify the strength of the association between lean mass category and weakness. Results. In primary analyses, CART models identified cutpoints for low lean mass (ALM <19.75kg in men and <15.02kg in women). Sensitivity analyses using ALM divided by body mass index (BMI: ALMBMI) identified a secondary definition (ALMBMI <0.789 in men and ALMBMI <0.512 in women). As expected, after accounting for study and age, low lean mass (compared with higher lean mass) was associated with weakness by both the primary (men, odds ratio [OR]: 6.9 [95% CI: 5.4, 8.9]; women, OR: 3.6 [95% CI: 2.9, 4.3]) and secondary definitions (men, OR: 4.3 [95% CI: 3.4, 5.5]; women, OR: 2.2 [95% CI: 1.8, 2.8]). Conclusions. ALM cutpoints derived from a large, diverse sample of older adults identified lean mass thresholds below which older adults had a higher likelihood of weakness. PMID:24737559

  18. The impact of body mass index on the prevalence of low back pain: the HUNT study.

    PubMed

    Heuch, Ingrid; Hagen, Knut; Heuch, Ivar; Nygaard, Øystein; Zwart, John-Anker

    2010-04-01

    A cross-sectional population-based study. To examine the association between body mass index and chronic low back pain, with adjustment for potential confounders. Although many studies have investigated this association, it is still unclear whether there is a general relationship between body mass index and low back pain which applies to all populations. This study is based on data collected in the HUNT 2 study in the county of Nord-Trøndelag in Norway between 1995 and 1997. Among a total of 92,936 persons eligible for participation, 30,102 men and 33,866 women gave information on body mass index and indicated whether they suffered from chronic low back pain (69% participation rate). A total of 6293 men (20.9%) and 8923 women (26.3%) experienced chronic low back pain. Relations were assessed by logistic regression of low back pain with respect to body mass index and other variables. In both sexes, a high body mass index was significantly associated with an increased prevalence of low back pain. In men the estimated OR per 5 kg/m increase in body mass index was 1.07 (95% CI: 1.03-1.12) and in women 1.17 (95% CI: 1.14-1.21), after adjustment for age, with a significantly stronger association in women. Additional adjustment for education, smoking status, leisure time physical activity, employment status, and activity at work hardly affected these associations. No interactions were found with most other factors. This large population-based study indicates that obesity is associated with a high prevalence of low back pain. Further studies are needed to determine if the association is causal.

  19. Low-latitude high elevation of the leading edge of southern Eurasia throughout the Cenozoic

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ingalls, M.; Rowley, D. B.; Colman, A. S.; Olack, G.; Currie, B.; Li, S.

    2016-12-01

    The elevation history of the Tibetan Plateau promises insight into the mechanisms and dynamics that develop and sustain high topography over tens of millions of years. We present the first continuous Cenozoic elevation history from two proximal sedimentary basins on the southern Tibetan Plateau, as well as preliminary paleoaltimetry results from the south-central and central Plateau (Sangsang and Lunpola). The oxygen stable isotope and Δ47 clumped isotope compositions of non-marine carbonates allow us to constrain the carbonate formation temperatures and reconstruct the paleo-precipitation record of the Eocene to Pliocene Oiyug Basin and Paleocene to Eocene Penbo Basin. We exploit the systematic decrease of surface temperature and meteoric water δ18O with elevation. Minimally altered and unaltered pedogenic carbonates from the Oiyug Basin yield Δ47, CDES values of 0.625 to 0.755, that correspond with temperatures of 1-30 °C using a (Zaarur et al., 2013) Δ47 thermometer for low temperature carbonates. Similarly, the Penbo Basin yields Δ47, CDES values of 0.700-0.730, corresponding with temperatures of 6-12°C. Our paleoelevation estimates for the well-studied Oiyug basin ( 6100-4200 meters) support previous evidence (Spicer et al., 2003; Currie et al., 2005; Polissar et al., 2009; Currie et al., 2016) that high elevations were attained in southern Tibet by at least 30 Ma. Our paleoelevation estimates for the Penbo Basin (4100±550 meters) extends the altitude record of the southern Plateau to pre-India-Asia collision. Preliminary results from Sangsang, further west along the Indus-Yarlung Suture, and Lunpola, on the central Plateau, allow us to develop a spatially and temporally more complex paleo-altitude map and land surface evolution of the Tibetan Plateau since the onset of continent-continent collision.

  20. The Hunt for Low-Mass Black Holes in the JWST Era

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cann, Jenna; Satyapal, Shobita; Abel, Nicholas; Ricci, Claudio; Gliozzi, Mario; Blecha, Laura; Secrest, Nathan

    2018-01-01

    Most, if not all, massive galaxies have a central supermassive black hole (SMBH) millions to billions of times the mass of the Sun. While the properties of SMBHs and their host galaxies have been well-studied in massive galaxies, very few SMBHs have been found in galaxies with low masses and those with small bulges. This is a significant deficiency, because the study of this population allows us to gain an understanding of merger-free pathways to black hole growth, and to gain insight into the origin and growth of SMBH ‘seeds’, thought to have formed at high redshift. Most studies aimed at finding SMBHs have been conducted using optical spectroscopic studies, where active SMBHs (active galactic nuclei or AGNs) display distinctive optical emission lines indicative of accreting SMBHs. However, in low mass (dwarf) galaxies, the SMBHs will likely be less massive, and can be energetically weak and possibly deeply embedded in their host galaxies. As a result, the optical emission lines may be dominated by star formation regions, severely limiting the diagnostic power of optical surveys in finding and characterizing the properties of the AGN in dwarf galaxies. In such galaxies, infrared coronal lines provide a robust method of finding AGNs. Furthermore, as the black hole mass decreases, the Schwarzschild radius of the black hole decreases, and in response, the temperature of the surrounding accretion disk increases. The shape of the ionizing radiation spectral energy distribution therefore changes with black hole mass, which will affect the emission line spectrum from the surrounding gas. In this work, we investigate the diagnostic power of infrared coronal lines and the effect of black hole mass on the emission line spectra from AGNs, with a particular focus on the emission lines accessible by JWST.

  1. Physical oceanography and tracer chemistry of the southern ocean

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

    Not Available

    This report considers technical and scientific developments and research questions in studies of the Southern Ocean since its predecessor, /open quotes/Southern Ocean Dynamics--A Strategy for Scientific Exploration 1973-1983/close quotes/ was published. The summary lists key research questions in Southern Ocean oceanography. Chapter 1 describes how Southern Ocean research has evolved to provide the basis for timely research toward more directed objectives. Chapter 2 recommends four research programs, encompassing many of the specific recommendations that follow. Appendix A provides the scientific background and Reference/Bibliography list for this report for: on air-sea-ice interaction; the Antarctic Circumpolar Current; water mass conversion; chemical tracermore » oceanography; and numerical modeling of the Southern Ocean. Appendix B describes the satellite-based observation systems expected to be active during the next decade. Appendix C is a list of relevant reports published during 1981-1987. 146 refs.« less

  2. Low-mass materials and vertex detector systems

    DOE PAGES

    Cooper, William E.

    2014-01-01

    Physics requirements set the material budget and the precision and stability necessary in low-mass vertex detector systems. Operational considerations, along with physics requirements, set the operating environment to be provided and determine the heat to be removed. Representative materials for fulfilling those requirements are described and properties of the materials are tabulated. A figure of merit is proposed to aid in material selection. Multi-layer structures are examined as a method to allow material to be used effectively, thereby reducing material contributions. Lastly, comments are made on future directions to be considered in using present materials effectively and in developing newmore » materials.« less

  3. DISCOVERY OF A LOW-MASS COMPANION AROUND HR 3549

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

    Mawet, D.; David, T.; Bottom, M.

    2015-10-01

    We report the discovery of a low-mass companion to HR 3549, an A0V star surrounded by a debris disk with a warm excess detected by WISE at 22 μm (10σ significance). We imaged HR 3549 B in the L band with NAOS-CONICA, the adaptive optics infrared camera of the Very Large Telescope, in January 2013 and confirmed its common proper motion in 2015 January. The companion is at a projected separation of ≃80 AU and position angle of ≃157°, so it is orbiting well beyond the warm disk inner edge of r > 10 AU. Our age estimate for thismore » system corresponds to a companion mass in the range 15–80 M{sub J}, spanning the brown dwarf regime, and so HR 3549 B is another recent addition to the growing list of brown dwarf desert objects with extreme mass ratios. The simultaneous presence of a warm disk and a brown dwarf around HR 3549 provides interesting empirical constraints on models of the formation of substellar companions.« less

  4. Self-efficacy as a predictor of dietary change in a low-socioeconomic-status southern adult population.

    PubMed

    Shannon, J; Kirkley, B; Ammerman, A; Keyserling, T; Kelsey, K; DeVellis, R; Simpson, R J

    1997-06-01

    There is an increasing emphasis on designing health promotion interventions for low-socioeconomic-status (SES) individuals. However, many previously developed behavior change tools have not been tested in this population. Self-efficacy was measured at pre- and postintervention as part of a randomized clinical trial to reduce cholesterol levels in rural low-SES Southern adults. A 22-item scale was designed and validated to measure subjects' confidence in their abilities to make dietary changes. High mean self-efficacy was noted in both control and intervention subjects at pre- and postintervention. Mean self-efficacy score was a significant predictor of dietary change at both preintervention and postintervention. This study demonstrates that self-efficacy is a predictor of ability to make dietary changes in a low-SES rural population. This finding is of significance to researchers and practitioners wishing to design theory-based health promotion interventions in this population.

  5. The characteristic black hole mass resulting from direct collapse in the early Universe

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Latif, M. A.; Schleicher, D. R. G.; Schmidt, W.; Niemeyer, J. C.

    2013-12-01

    Black holes of a billion solar masses are observed in the infant Universe a few hundred million years after the big bang. The direct collapse of protogalactic gas clouds in primordial haloes with Tvir ≥ 104 K provides the most promising way to assemble massive black holes. In this study, we aim to determine the characteristic mass scale of seed black holes and the time evolution of the accretion rates resulting from the direct collapse model. We explore the formation of supermassive black holes via cosmological large eddy simulations (LES) by employing sink particles and following their evolution for 20 000 yr after the formation of the first sink. As the resulting protostars were shown to have cool atmospheres in the presence of strong accretion, we assume here that UV feedback is negligible during this calculation. We confirm this result in a comparison run without sinks. Our findings show that black hole seeds with characteristic mass of 105 M⊙ are formed in the presence of strong Lyman-Werner flux which leads to an isothermal collapse. The characteristic mass is about two times higher in LES compared to the implicit large eddy simulations. The accretion rates increase with time and reach a maximum value of 10 M⊙ yr-1 after 104 yr. Our results show that the direct collapse model is clearly feasible as it provides the expected mass of the seed black holes.

  6. Steam-bending properties of southern pine

    Treesearch

    Truett J. Lemoine; Peter Koch

    1971-01-01

    Southern pine wood can be successfully steam-bent if the bending jig incorporates a flexible metal bending strap together with a mechanism to apply a uniform end compression load during the bending operation. With clear, 1/2- and 1-inch-thick southern pine at 17-percent moisture content, highest bending rating where obtained with fast-grown, vertical-grain, low-density...

  7. On the role of the Antarctic continent in forcing large-scale circulations in the high southern latitudes

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Parish, Thomas R.; Bromwich, David H.; Tzeng, Ren-Yow

    1994-01-01

    The Antarctic topography and attendant katabatic wind regime appear to play a key role in the climate of the high southern latitudes. During the nonsummer months, persistent and often times intense katabatic winds occur in the lowest few hundred meters of the Antarctic atmosphere. These slope flows transport significant amounts of cold air northward and thereby modify the horizontal pressure field over the high southern latitudes. Three-year seasonal cycle numerical simulations using the NCAR Community Climate Model Version 1 (CCM1) with and without representation of the Antarctic orography were performed to explore the role of the elevated terrain and drainage flows on the distribution and evolution of the horizontal pressure field. The katabatic wind regime is an important part of a clearly defined mean meridional circulation in the high southern latitudes. The position and intensity of the attendant sea level low pressure belt appears to be tied to the Antarctic orography. The seasonal movement of mass in the high southern latitudes is therefore constrained by the presence of the Antarctic ice sheet. The semiannual oscillation of pressure over Antarctica and the high southern latitutdes is well depicted in the CCM1 only when the Antarctic orography is included.

  8. Low skeletal muscle mass outperforms the Charlson Comorbidity Index in risk prediction in patients undergoing pancreatic resections.

    PubMed

    Wagner, D; Marsoner, K; Tomberger, A; Haybaeck, J; Haas, J; Werkgartner, G; Cerwenka, H; Bacher, H; Mischinger, H J; Kornprat, P

    2018-05-01

    Low skeletal muscle mass is a known predictor of morbidity and mortality in patients undergoing major pancreatic surgeries. We sought to combine low skeletal muscle mass with established risk predictors to improve their prognostic capacity for postoperative outcome and morbidity. As established parameters to predict preoperative mortality risk for patients, the ASA classification and the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) were used. The Hounsfield Units Average Calculation (HUAC) was measured to define low skeletal muscle mass in 424 patients undergoing pancreatic resections for malignancies. Patients in the lowest sex-adjusted quartile for HUAC were defined as having low skeletal muscle mass (muscle wasting). Multivariable Cox regression analysis was utilized to identify preoperative risk factors associated with postoperative morbidity. Median patient age was 63 years (19-87), 47.9% patients were male, and half the cohort had multiple comorbidities (Charlson Comorbidity Index [CCI]>6, 63.2%), 30-day mortality was 5.8% (n = 25). Median HUAC was 19.78 HU (IQR: 15.94-23.54) with 145 patients (34.2%) having low skeletal muscle mass. Preoperative frailty defined by low skeletal muscle mass was associated with an increased risk for postoperative complications (OR 1.55, CI 95% 0.98-2.45, p = 0.014), and a higher 30-day mortality (HR 5.17, CI 95% 1.57-16.69, p = 0.004). With an AUC of 0.85 HUAC showed the highest predictability for 30-day mortality (CI 95% 0.78-0.91, p = 0.0001). Patients with CCI ≥6 and low skeletal muscle mass defined by the HUAC had a 9.78 higher risk of dying in the immediate postoperative phase (HR 9.78, CI 95% 2.98-12.2, p = 0.0001). Low skeletal muscle mass predicts postoperative mortality and complications best and it should be incorporated to conventional risk scores to identify high risk patients. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd, BASO ~ The Association for Cancer Surgery, and the European Society of Surgical Oncology. All rights

  9. The Low-Mass Stellar Content of the Scorpius-Centaurus OB Association

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Yorke, H.; Kunkel, M.; Brander, W.; Zinnecker, H.; Neuhauser, R.; Schmitt, J.; Mayor, M.; Udry, S.

    2000-01-01

    Based on ROSAT observations and data obtained with ground-based telescopes, we have carried out an extensive study of the low-mass pre-main-sequence population in Upper Scorpius, the youngest subgroup of the Scorpius-Centaurus OB association.

  10. Variability of mass-wasting processes in the tectonically-controlled Calabro Tyrrhenian continental margin (Southern Italy)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Casalbore, D.; Bosman, A.; Casas, D.; Chiocci, F. L.; Martorelli, E.; Ridente, D.

    2017-12-01

    The recent collection of multibeam bathymetry and single-channel seismic profiles on the Calabro-Tyrrhenian continental margin in Southern Italy allowed us to depict a large suite of mass-wasting processes, ranging from gullies up to shelf-indenting canyon system along with over 400 landslide scars, affecting the 52% of the entire area. In detail, slide scars occur from the coast down to -1700 m, with mobilized volumes ranging from some hundreds of m3 up to tens of millions of m3. On the whole, they affect an area of >85 km2, being able to mobilize approximately 1.4 km3. These slides also show a large variability of features both in the headwall, translational and toe domain, thus providing useful insights for a better understanding of their failure and post-failure behavior. The aim of this study is to show the magnitude-frequency relationship of this large amount of slides in order to quantify a range of probabilities for the occurrence of new landslide events as well as to illustrate the main mechanisms that control their development and emplacement.

  11. The conservative behavior of dissolved organic carbon in surface waters of the southern Chukchi Sea, Arctic Ocean, during early summer

    PubMed Central

    Tanaka, Kazuki; Takesue, Nobuyuki; Nishioka, Jun; Kondo, Yoshiko; Ooki, Atsushi; Kuma, Kenshi; Hirawake, Toru; Yamashita, Youhei

    2016-01-01

    The spatial distribution of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations and the optical properties of dissolved organic matter (DOM) determined by ultraviolet-visible absorbance and fluorescence spectroscopy were measured in surface waters of the southern Chukchi Sea, western Arctic Ocean, during the early summer of 2013. Neither the DOC concentration nor the optical parameters of the DOM correlated with salinity. Principal component analysis using the DOM optical parameters clearly separated the DOM sources. A significant linear relationship was evident between the DOC and the principal component score for specific water masses, indicating that a high DOC level was related to a terrigenous source, whereas a low DOC level was related to a marine source. Relationships between the DOC and the principal component scores of the surface waters of the southern Chukchi Sea implied that the major factor controlling the distribution of DOC concentrations was the mixing of plural water masses rather than local production and degradation. PMID:27658444

  12. Increased rate of osteoporosis, low lean mass, and fragility fractures in COPD patients: association with disease severity.

    PubMed

    Graumam, R Q; Pinheiro, M M; Nery, L E; Castro, C H M

    2018-03-21

    A very high rate of osteoporosis, fractures, and low lean mass was observed in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Disease severity was associated with bone and muscle adverse outcomes, while age ≥ 63.5 years old, low lean mass, higher iPTH, and a T-score below - 2.5 were all associated with higher risk of fracture. Osteoporosis is frequently neglected in patients with COPD. We aimed at evaluating the rate of osteoporosis, fractures, and low lean mass in patients with COPD. Ninety-nine patients with COPD (53 women, 64.5 ± 9.6 years old, and 46 men, 65.9 ± 8.0 years old) underwent bone densitometry (DXA) with body composition analyses. Healthy individuals (N = 57) not exposed to tobacco matched by sex, age, and body mass index (BMI) were used as controls. Spirometry, routine laboratory workout, and conventional thoracolumbar radiography surveying for vertebral deformities were performed in all patients. Osteoporosis was found in 40.4% of the COPD patients against only 13.0% of the healthy controls (p = 0.001). Vertebral fractures were seen in 24.4% of the men and 22.0% of the women with COPD. Disease severity (GOLD 3 and 4) was significantly associated with higher risk of vitamin D deficiency (p = 0.032), lower BMD (both men and women at all sites), higher frequency of osteoporosis (in women at all sites), lower skeletal mass index, and higher rate of low lean mass (in both men and women) than healthy controls and COPD patients with milder disease (GOLD 1 and 2). Age was a main predictor of vertebral fractures (OR = 1.164 (1.078-9.297); p < 0.001), while high plasma iPTH (OR = 1.045 (1.005-1.088); p = 0.029) and low ALM (OR = 0.99965 (0.99933-0.99997); p = 0.031) were predictors of non-vertebral fractures. Highly prevalent in COPD, osteoporosis and low lean mass were associated with FEV 1% < 50%. Age, low lean mass, high iPTH, and low bone mass were all significantly associated with

  13. Young Low-Mass Stars and Brown Dwarfs in IC 348

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Luhman, K. L.

    1999-11-01

    I present new results from a continuing program to identify and characterize the low-mass stellar and substellar populations in the young cluster IC 348 (0.5-10 Myr). Optical spectroscopy has revealed young objects with spectral types as late as M8.25. The intrinsic J-H and H-K colors of these sources are dwarflike, whereas the R-I and I-J colors appear intermediate between the colors of dwarfs and giants. Furthermore, the spectra from 6500 to 9500 Å are reproduced well with averages of standard dwarf and giant spectra, suggesting that such averages should be used in the classification of young late-type sources. An H-R diagram is constructed for the low-mass population in IC 348 (K6-M8). The presumably coeval components of the young quadruple system GG Tau (White et al.) and the locus of stars in IC 348 are used as empirical isochrones to test the theoretical evolutionary models. The calculations of Burrows et al. do not appear to be consistent with the data at these earliest stages of stellar evolution. There is fair agreement between the data and the model isochrones of D'Antona & Mazzitelli, except near the hydrogen-burning limit. The agreement cannot be improved by changing the conversion between spectral types and effective temperatures. On the other hand, for the models of Baraffe et al., an adjustment of the temperature scale to progressively warmer temperatures at later M types, intermediate between dwarfs and giants, brings all components of GG Tau onto the same model isochrone and gives the population of IC 348 a constant age and age spread as a function of mass. When other observational constraints are considered, such as the dynamical masses of GM Aur, DM Tau, and GG Tau A, the models of Baraffe et al. are the most consistent with observations of young systems. With compatible temperature scales, the models of both D'Antona & Mazzitelli and Baraffe et al. suggest that the hydrogen-burning mass limit occurs near M6 at ages of <~10 Myr. Thus, several

  14. Formation of stellar clusters in magnetized, filamentary infrared dark clouds

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, Pak Shing; Klein, Richard I.; McKee, Christopher F.

    2018-01-01

    Star formation in a filamentary infrared dark cloud (IRDC) is simulated over the dynamic range of 4.2 pc to 28 au for a period of 3.5 × 105 yr, including magnetic fields and both radiative and outflow feedback from the protostars. At the end of the simulation, the star formation efficiency is 4.3 per cent and the star formation rate per free-fall time is εff ≃ 0.04, within the range of observed values. The total stellar mass increases as ∼t2, whereas the number of protostars increases as ∼t1.5. We find that the density profile around most of the simulated protostars is ∼ρ ∝ r-1.5. At the end of the simulation, the protostellar mass function approaches the Chabrier stellar initial mass function. We infer that the time to form a star of median mass 0.2 M⊙ is about 1.4 × 105 yr from the median mass accretion rate. We find good agreement among the protostellar luminosities observed in the large sample of Dunham et al., our simulation and a theoretical estimate, and we conclude that the classical protostellar luminosity problem is resolved. The multiplicity of the stellar systems in the simulation agrees, to within a factor of 2, with observations of Class I young stellar objects; most of the simulated multiple systems are unbound. Bipolar protostellar outflows are launched using a subgrid model, and extend up to 1 pc from their host star. The mass-velocity relation of the simulated outflows is consistent with both observation and theory.

  15. No Evidence for Multiple Stellar Populations in the Low-mass Galactic Globular Cluster E 3

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Salinas, Ricardo; Strader, Jay

    2015-08-01

    Multiple stellar populations are a widespread phenomenon among Galactic globular clusters. Even though the origin of the enriched material from which new generations of stars are produced remains unclear, it is likely that self-enrichment will be feasible only in clusters massive enough to retain this enriched material. We searched for multiple populations in the low mass (M˜ 1.4× {10}4 {M}⊙ ) globular cluster E3, analyzing SOAR/Goodman multi-object spectroscopy centered on the blue cyanogen (CN) absorption features of 23 red giant branch stars. We find that the CN abundance does not present the typical bimodal behavior seen in clusters hosting multistellar populations, but rather a unimodal distribution that indicates the presence of a genuine single stellar population, or a level of enrichment much lower than in clusters that show evidence for two populations from high-resolution spectroscopy. E3 would be the first bona fide Galactic old globular cluster where no sign of self-enrichment is found. Based on observations obtained at the Southern Astrophysical Research (SOAR) Telescope, which is a joint project of the Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia, e Inovação (MCTI) da República Federativa do Brasil, the US National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO), the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC), and Michigan State University (MSU).

  16. Massive black hole factories: Supermassive and quasi-star formation in primordial halos

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Schleicher, Dominik R. G.; Palla, Francesco; Ferrara, Andrea; Galli, Daniele; Latif, Muhammad

    2013-10-01

    Context. Supermassive stars and quasi-stars (massive stars with a central black hole) are both considered as potential progenitors for the formation of supermassive black holes. They are expected to form from rapidly accreting protostars in massive primordial halos. Aims: We explore how long rapidly accreting protostars remain on the Hayashi track, implying large protostellar radii and weak accretion luminosity feedback. We assess the potential role of energy production in the nuclear core, and determine what regulates the evolution of such protostars into quasi-stars or supermassive stars. Methods: We followed the contraction of characteristic mass shells in rapidly accreting protostars, and inferred the timescales for them to reach nuclear densities. We compared the characteristic timescales for nuclear burning with those for which the extended protostellar envelope can be maintained. Results: We find that the extended envelope can be maintained up to protostellar masses of 3.6 × 108 ṁ3 M⊙, where ṁ denotes the accretion rate in solar masses per year. We expect the nuclear core to exhaust its hydrogen content in 7 × 106 yr. If accretion rates ṁ ≫ 0.14 can still be maintained at this point, a black hole may form within the accreting envelope, leading to a quasi-star. Alternatively, the accreting object will gravitationally contract to become a main-sequence supermassive star. Conclusions: Due to the limited gas reservoir in typical 107 M⊙ dark matter halos, the accretion rate onto the central object may drop at late times, implying the formation of supermassive stars as the typical outcome of direct collapse. However, if high accretion rates are maintained, a quasi-star with an interior black hole may form.

  17. The association between the low muscle mass and osteoporosis in elderly Korean people.

    PubMed

    Kim, Sunyoung; Won, Chang Won; Kim, Byung Sung; Choi, Hyun Rim; Moon, Min Young

    2014-07-01

    The purpose of this study was to predict osteoporosis risk as decreasing muscle mass and to declare the cut-off value of low muscle mass in an elderly Korean population. This study was based on data from the 2008-2010 Korea National Health and Nutritional Examination Surveys (KNHANES). The subjects included 1,308 men and 1,171 women over 65 yr. Bone mineral density (BMD) and appendicular skeletal muscle (ASM) were measured by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), and appendicular skeletal muscle was adjusted by height as a marker of sarcopenia. After confirming the correlation between low muscle mass and BMD, the best cut-off value of muscle mass to estimate osteoporosis was suggested through the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. For both men and women, BMD correlated positively with low muscle mass when ASM/Ht(2) was used as a marker for sarcopenia. The ROC curve showed that ASM/Ht(2) was the best marker for osteoporosis at a cut-off value of 6.85 kg/m(2) for men and 5.96 kg/m(2) for women. When these cut-off values were used to determine sarcopenia, the risk of osteoporosis increased 4.14 times in men and 1.88 times in women. In particular, men (OR 2.12) with sarcopenia were more greatly affected than women (OR 1.15), even after adjusting for osteoporosis risk factors. In elderly Korean people, sarcopenia is positively correlated with BMD and there is a strong correlation between sarcopenia and osteoporosis with risk of bone fracture.

  18. Radial velocities of very low mass stars and candidate brown dwarf members of the Hyades and Pleiades

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Stauffer, John R.; Liebert, James; Giampapa, Mark; Macintosh, Bruce; Reid, Neill; Hamilton, Donald

    1994-01-01

    We have determined H alpha equivalent widths and radial velocities with 1 sigma accuracies of approximately 5 km s(exp -1) for approximately 20 candidate very low mass members of the Hyades and Pleiades clusters. The radial velocities for the Hyades sample suggest that nearly all of these stars are indeed highly probable members of the Hyades. The faintest stars in the Hyades sample have masses of order 0.1 solar mass. We also obtained radial velocities for four candidate very low mass members of the Pleiades and two objects that are candidate BD Pleiads. All of these stars have apparent V magnitudes fainter than the Hyades stars we observed, and the resultant radial velocity accuracy is worse. We believe that the three brighter stars are indeed likely very low mass stellar members of the Pleiades, whereas the status of the two brown dwarf candidates is uncertain. The Hyades stars we have observed and the three Pleiades very low mass stars are the lowest mass members of any open cluster whose membership has been confirmed by radial velocities and whose chromospheric activity has been measured. We see no change in chromospheric activity at the boundary where stars are expected to become fully convective (M approximately equals 0.3 solar mass) in either cluster. In the Pleiades, however, there may be a decrease in chromospheric activity for stars with (V-I)(sub K) greater than 3.5 (M less than or equal to 0.1 solar mass).

  19. General Relativistic Simulations of Low-Mass Magnetized Binary Neutron Star Mergers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Giacomazzo, Bruno

    2017-01-01

    We will present general relativistic magnetohydrodynamic (GRMHD) simulations of binary neutron star (BNS) systems that produce long-lived neutron stars (NSs) after merger. While the standard scenario for short gamma-ray bursts (SGRBs) requires the formation after merger of a spinning black hole surrounded by an accretion disk, other theoretical models, such as the time-reversal scenario, predict the formation of a long-lived magnetar. The formation of a long-lived magnetar could in particular explain the X-ray plateaus that have been observed in some SGRBs. Moreover, observations of NSs with masses of 2 solar masses indicate that the equation of state of NS matter should support masses larger than that. Therefore a significant fraction of BNS mergers will produce long-lived NSs. This has important consequences both on the emission of gravitational wave signals and on their electromagnetic counterparts. We will discuss GRMHD simulations of ``low-mass'' magnetized BNS systems with different equations of state and mass ratios. We will describe the properties of their post-merger remnants and of their gravitational and electromagnetic emission.

  20. Mass spectrometric techniques for characterizing low-molecular-weight resins used as paint varnishes.

    PubMed

    Bonaduce, I; Colombini, M P; Degano, I; Di Girolamo, F; La Nasa, J; Modugno, F; Orsini, S

    2013-01-01

    The molecular structure of three low-molecular-weight resins used as paint varnishes has been characterized by use of an approach based on three different mass spectrometric techniques. We investigated the ketone resin MS2A, the aldehyde resin Laropal A81, and the hydrocarbon resin Regalrez 1094, now commonly used in restoration. To date, the molecular structures of these resins have not been completely elucidated. To improve current knowledge of the chemical composition of these materials, information obtained by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS), pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (Py/GC/MS), and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-Q-ToF) was combined. Analysis, in solution, of the whole polymeric fraction of the resins by flow-injection ESI-Q-ToF, and of the non-polymeric fraction by GC-MS, enabled us to identify previously unreported features of the polymer structures. In addition, the Py-GC/MS profiles that we obtained will help to enhance the databases currently available in the literature. The proposed approach can be extended to other low-molecular-weight resins used as varnishes in conservation.

  1. SETI Observations of Low Mass Stars at the SETI Institute

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Harp, Gerald R.

    2017-05-01

    Are planets orbiting low-mass stars suitable for the development of life? Observations in the near future, including radio, will help to assess whether atmospheres do persist over long timescales for planets orbiting nearby M dwarfs, and clarify the nature of the radiation that penetrates to the surface of these planets. These are important ingredients for assessing planetary habitability, yet the question of habitability can be answered only with the positive measurement of an unambiguous biosignature. Radio and optical SETI observations capable of detecting technological activities of intelligent inhabitants could provide the most compelling evidence for the habitability of exoplanets orbiting M dwarfs. In this presentation we shall consider what information can be gleaned from our observations so far. The SETI Institute is currently undertaking a large survey of 20,000 low mass stars that is now about 30% complete. The frequency coverage on each star is about 450 MHz bandwidth (per star) over a range of selected frequencies from 1-10 GHz. From these observations we derive quantitative results relating to the probability that M dwarfs are actually inhabited.

  2. The Planets Around Low-Mass Stars (PALMS) Direct Imaging Survey

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bowler, Brendan P.; Liu, M. C.; Shkolnik, E.; Mann, A.; Tamura, M.

    2013-01-01

    Direct imaging is the only method to study the outer architecture (>10 AU) of extrasolar planetary systems in a targeted fashion. Previous imaging surveys have primarily focused on intermediate- and high-mass stars because of the relative dearth of known nearby young M dwarfs. As a result, even though M dwarfs make up 70% of stars in our galaxy, there are few constraints on the population of giant planets at moderate separations (10-100 AU) in this stellar mass regime. We present results from an ongoing high-contrast adaptive optics imaging survey targeting newly identified nearby (<35 pc) young (<300 Myr) M dwarfs with Keck-2/NIRC2 and Subaru/HiCIAO. We have already discovered four young brown dwarf companions with masses between 30-70 Mjup; two of these are members of the ~120 Myr AB Dor moving group, and another one will yield a dynamical mass in the near future. Follow-up optical and near-infrared spectroscopy of these companions reveal spectral types of late-M to early-L and spectroscopic indicators of youth such as angular H-band morphologies, weak J-band alkali lines, and Li absorption and Halpha emission in one target. Altogether our survey is sensitive to planet masses a few times that of Jupiter at separations down to ~10 AU. With a sample size of roughly 80 single M dwarfs, this program represents the deepest and most extensive imaging search for planets around young low-mass stars to date.

  3. Evidence for an upper mantle low velocity zone beneath the southern Basin and Range-Colorado Plateau transition zone

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Benz, H.M.; McCarthy, J.

    1994-01-01

    A 370-km-long seismic refraction/wide-angle reflection profile recorded during the Pacific to Arizona Crustal Experiment (PACE) detected an upper mantle P-wave low-velocity zone (LVZ) in the depth range 40 to 55 km beneath the Basin and Range in southern Arizona. Interpretation of seismic data places constraints on the sub-crustal lithosphere of the southern Basin and Range Province, which is important in light of the active tectonics of the region and the unknown role of the sub-crustal lithosphere in the development of the western United States. Forward travel time and synthetic seismogram techniques are used to model this shallow upper mantle LVZ. Modeling results show that the LVZ is defined by a 5% velocity decrease relative to a Pn velocity of 7.95 km s−1, suggesting either a ∼3–5% mafic partial melt or high-temperature, sub-solidus peridotite.

  4. [An ultra-low power, wearable, long-term ECG monitoring system with mass storage].

    PubMed

    Liu, Na; Chen, Yingmin; Zhang, Wenzan; Luo, Zhangyuan; Jin, Xun; Ying, Weihai

    2012-01-01

    In this paper, we described an ultra-low power, wearable ECG system capable of long term monitoring and mass storage. This system is based on micro-chip PIC18F27J13 with consideration of its high level of integration and low power consumption. The communication with the micro-SD card is achieved through SPI bus. Through the USB, it can be connected to the computer for replay and disease diagnosis. Given its low power cost, lithium cells are used to support continuous ECG acquiring and storage for up to 15 days. Meanwhile, the wearable electrodes avoid the pains and possible risks in implanting. Besides, the mini size of the system makes long wearing possible for patients and meets the needs of long-term dynamic monitoring and mass storage requirements.

  5. A project to unveil the population of Low-Mass Star-Forming Galaxies of the Universe

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gallego, Jesus; Rodriguez-Muñoz, Lucía; Tresse, Laurence; Pacifici, Camilla; Charlot, Stéphane; Gil de Paz, Armando; Gomez-Guijarro, Carlos; Villar, Víctor; Barro, Guillermo

    2015-08-01

    Dwarf galaxies play a key role in galaxy formation and evolution: (1) hierarchical models predict that low-mass systems merged to form massive galaxies (building block paradigm; Dekel & Silk 1986); (2) dwarf systems might have been responsible for the reionization of the Universe (Wyithe & Loeb 2006); (3) theoretical models are particularly sensitive to the density of low-mass systems at diferent redshifts (Mamon et al. 2011), being one of the key science cases for the future E-ELT (Evans et al. 2013). While the history of low-mass dark matter halos is relatively well understood, the formation history of dwarf galaxies is still poorly reproduced by the models due to the distinct evolution of baryonic and dark matter.We present constraints on the star formation histories (SFHs) of a sample of low-mass Star-Forming Galaxies (LMSFGs; 7.3 < log M∗/Mo < 8.0, at 0.3 < zspec < 0.9) selected by photometric stellar mass and apparent magnitude. The SFHs were obtained through the analysis of their spectral energy distributions using a novel approach (Pacifici et al. 2012) that (1) consistently combines photometric (HST and ground-based multi-broadband) and spectroscopic (equivalent widths of emission lines from VLT and GTC spectroscopy) data, and (2) uses physically motivated SFHs with non-uniform variations of the star formation rate (SFR) as a function of time.The median SFH of our LMSFGs appears to form 90% of the median stellar mass inferred for the sample in the ˜0.5-1.8 Gyr immediately preceding the observation. These results suggest a recent stellar mass assembly for dwarf SFGs, consistent with the cosmological downsizing trends. We find similar median SFH timescales for a slightly more massive secondary sample 8.0 < log M∗/Mo < 9.1).This is a pilot study for future surveys on dwarf galaxies at high redshift.

  6. Collisions in primordial star clusters. Formation pathway for intermediate mass black holes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Reinoso, B.; Schleicher, D. R. G.; Fellhauer, M.; Klessen, R. S.; Boekholt, T. C. N.

    2018-06-01

    Collisions were suggested to potentially play a role in the formation of massive stars in present day clusters, and have likely been relevant during the formation of massive stars and intermediate mass black holes within the first star clusters. In the early Universe, the first stellar clusters were particularly dense, as fragmentation typically only occurred at densities above 109 cm-3, and the radii of the protostars were enhanced as a result of larger accretion rates, suggesting a potentially more relevant role of stellar collisions. We present here a detailed parameter study to assess how the number of collisions and the mass growth of the most massive object depend on the properties of the cluster. We also characterize the time evolution with three effective parameters: the time when most collisions occur, the duration of the collisions period, and the normalization required to obtain the total number of collisions. We apply our results to typical Population III (Pop. III) clusters of about 1000 M⊙, finding that a moderate enhancement of the mass of the most massive star by a factor of a few can be expected. For more massive Pop. III clusters as expected in the first atomic cooling halos, we expect a more significant enhancement by a factor of 15-32. We therefore conclude that collisions in massive Pop. III clusters were likely relevant to form the first intermediate mass black holes.

  7. The Formation and Fragmentation of Primordial Protostellar Discs

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Clark, Paul C.; Glover, Simon C. O.; Smith, Rowan J.; Greif, Thomas H.; Klessen, Ralf S.; Bromm, Volker

    2010-11-01

    We study the formation and evolution of the protostellar discs that form around the first stars in the Universe. Using sink particles, we replace the gravitationally bound gas at densities higher than 1015 cm-3 and radii greater than 3 AU from the central protostellar core, with an accreting point mass that is able to gravitationally interact with the surrounding gas. We find the disc is gravitationally (or `Toomre') unstable, and is dominated by a strong m = 2 spiral mode. Although the angular momentum transport is dominated by a combination of gravitational torques and Reynolds stresses, which are extremely efficient mechanisms, the disc is unable to process the infalling material and grows increasingly gravitationally unstable. During the build-up of the disc, the temperature in the gas is regulated by a combination of H2 line cooling, collision-induced emission and H2 dissociation, which together help to offset heating from the gravitational collapse and feedback from the protostar. Once the disc starts to fragment, H2 dissociation keeps the gas almost isothermal as the collapse of the fragment progresses. The fragmentation occurs when the protostar/disc system is only 230 yr old and at a distance of ~20 AU from its sibling, by which point the central protostar has a mass of ~1 Msolar. Given the angular momentum of the new protostellar system, it is likely that the protostars will grow to become a massive binary system.

  8. The JCMT Gould Belt Survey: A First Look at the Auriga–California Molecular Cloud with SCUBA-2

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Broekhoven-Fiene, H.; Matthews, B. C.; Harvey, P.; Kirk, H.; Chen, M.; Currie, M. J.; Pattle, K.; Lane, J.; Buckle, J.; Di Francesco, J.; Drabek-Maunder, E.; Johnstone, D.; Berry, D. S.; Fich, M.; Hatchell, J.; Jenness, T.; Mottram, J. C.; Nutter, D.; Pineda, J. E.; Quinn, C.; Salji, C.; Tisi, S.; Hogerheijde, M. R.; Ward-Thompson, D.; Bastien, P.; Bresnahan, D.; Butner, H.; Chrysostomou, A.; Coude, S.; Davis, C. J.; Duarte-Cabral, A.; Fiege, J.; Friberg, P.; Friesen, R.; Fuller, G. A.; Graves, S.; Greaves, J.; Gregson, J.; Holland, W.; Joncas, G.; Kirk, J. M.; Knee, L. B. G.; Mairs, S.; Marsh, K.; Moriarty-Schieven, G.; Mowat, C.; Rawlings, J.; Richer, J.; Robertson, D.; Rosolowsky, E.; Rumble, D.; Sadavoy, S.; Thomas, H.; Tothill, N.; Viti, S.; White, G. J.; Wilson, C. D.; Wouterloot, J.; Yates, J.; Zhu, M.

    2018-01-01

    We present 850 and 450 μm observations of the dense regions within the Auriga–California molecular cloud using SCUBA-2 as part of the JCMT Gould Belt Legacy Survey to identify candidate protostellar objects, measure the masses of their circumstellar material (disk and envelope), and compare the star formation to that in the Orion A molecular cloud. We identify 59 candidate protostars based on the presence of compact submillimeter emission, complementing these observations with existing Herschel/SPIRE maps. Of our candidate protostars, 24 are associated with young stellar objects (YSOs) in the Spitzer and Herschel/PACS catalogs of 166 and 60 YSOs, respectively (177 unique), confirming their protostellar nature. The remaining 35 candidate protostars are in regions, particularly around LkHα 101, where the background cloud emission is too bright to verify or rule out the presence of the compact 70 μm emission that is expected for a protostellar source. We keep these candidate protostars in our sample but note that they may indeed be prestellar in nature. Our observations are sensitive to the high end of the mass distribution in Auriga–Cal. We find that the disparity between the richness of infrared star-forming objects in Orion A and the sparsity in Auriga–Cal extends to the submillimeter, suggesting that the relative star formation rates have not varied over the Class II lifetime and that Auriga–Cal will maintain a lower star formation efficiency.

  9. Confirmation of the binary status of Chamaeleon Hα 2 - a very young low-mass binary in Chamaeleon

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Schmidt, T. O. B.; Neuhäuser, R.; Vogt, N.; Seifahrt, A.; Roell, T.; Bedalov, A.

    2008-06-01

    .e., probably low-mass stars, but one component could possibly be a brown dwarf. Based on observations made with ESO telescopes at the Paranal Observatory under programme IDs 076.C-0292A, 076.C-0339B, 078.C-0535A, at the La Silla Observatory under programme ID 065.L-0144B, the Hubble Space Telescope under programme ID GO-8716 and on observations made with the European Southern Observatory telescopes obtained from the ESO/ST-ECF Science Archive Facility. Color version of Fig. [see full textsee full text] is only available in electronic form at http://www.aanda.org

  10. Role of the Angola Low in modulating southern African austral summer rainfall and relationships with synoptic and interannual modes of variability

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Crétat, Julien; Pohl, Benjamin; Dieppois, Bastien

    2017-04-01

    The Angola Low has been suggested in many previous studies to be an important regional feature governing southern African rainfall variability during austral summer, which is, in particular, expressed through modulations of El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) impacts on rainfall at the interannual timescale. Here, we analyse a variety of state-of-the-art reanalyses (NCEP2, ERA-Interim and MERRA2) and rainfall data (in situ rain-gauges and satellite-derived products) for: i) identifying the recurrent regimes of the Angola Low (position and intensity) at the daily timescale; ii) diagnosing how they modulate the spatio-temporal variability of austral summer rainfall; and iii) examining their relationships with synoptic convective regimes and ENSO, both at the interannual timescale. The recurrent regimes of the Angola Low are identified over the 1980-2015 period by applying a cluster analysis to daily 700-hPa wind vorticity anomalies over the Angola sector from November to March. The exact number and morphological properties of vorticity regimes vary significantly among the reanalyses, in particular when using the lowest spatial resolution reanalysis (i.e., NCEP2) that leads to detect less diversity, smoothest patterns and weakest intensity across the recurrent regimes. Despite such uncertainties, the regimes describing active Angola Low are quite robust among the reanalyses. Three preferential locations (locked over eastern Angola, shifted few degrees eastward or south-westward), which significantly impact on the rainfall spatial distribution over tropical and subtropical southern Africa, are identified. Independently from its location, Angola Low favours moisture advection from the southwest Indian Ocean and reduces moisture export towards the southeast Atlantic, hence contributing to increase moisture convergence over the subcontinent. Lead/lag correlations with synoptic convective regimes suggest that Angola Low may be a local precursor of tropical

  11. Magnetically regulated collapse in the B335 protostar? I. ALMA observations of the polarized dust emission

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Maury, A. J.; Girart, J. M.; Zhang, Q.; Hennebelle, P.; Keto, E.; Rao, R.; Lai, S.-P.; Ohashi, N.; Galametz, M.

    2018-06-01

    The role of the magnetic field during protostellar collapse is poorly constrained from an observational point of view, although it could be significant if we believe state-of-the-art models of protostellar formation. We present polarimetric observations of the 233 GHz thermal dust continuum emission obtained with ALMA in the B335 Class 0 protostar. Linearly polarized dust emission arising from the circumstellar material in the envelope of B335 is detected at all scales probed by our observations (50 to 1000 au). The magnetic field structure producing the dust polarization has a very ordered topology in the inner envelope, with a transition from a large-scale poloidal magnetic field, in the outflow direction, to strongly pinched in the equatorial direction. This is probably due to magnetic field lines being dragged along the dominating infall direction since B335 does not exhibit prominent rotation. Our data and their qualitative comparison to a family of magnetized protostellar collapse models show that, during the magnetized collapse in B335, the magnetic field is maintaining a high level of organization from scales 1000 au to 50 au: this suggests the field is dynamically relevant and capable of influencing the typical outcome of protostellar collapse, such as regulating the disc size in B335.

  12. Search for massive protostellar candidates in the southern hemisphere. I. Association with dense gas

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fontani, F.; Beltrán, M. T.; Brand, J.; Cesaroni, R.; Testi, L.; Molinari, S.; Walmsley, C. M.

    2005-03-01

    We have observed two rotational transitions of both CS and C17O, and the 1.2 mm continuum emission towards a sample of 130 high-mass protostellar candidates with δ < -30°. This work represents the first step of the extension to the southern hemisphere of a project started more than a decade ago aimed at the identification of massive protostellar candidates. Following the same approach adopted for sources with δ ≥ -30°, we have selected from the IRAS Point Source Catalogue 429 sources which potentially are compact molecular clouds on the basis of their IR colours. The sample has then been divided into two groups according to the colour indices [25 12] and [60 12]: the 298 sources with [25 12] ≥ 0.57 and [60 12] ≥ 1.30 have been called High sources, the remaining 131 have been called Low sources. In this paper, we check the association with dense gas and dust in 130 Low sources. We have obtained a detection rate of ~85% in CS, demonstrating a tight association of the sources with dense molecular clumps. Among the sources detected in CS, ~76% have also been detected in C17O and ~93% in the 1.2 mm continuum. Millimeter-continuum maps show the presence of clumps with diameters in the range 0.2-2 pc and masses from a few M⊙ to 105 M⊙; H2 volume densities computed from CS line ratios lie between ~104.5 and 105.5 cm-3. The bolometric luminosities of the sources, derived from IRAS data, are in the range 103-106 L⊙, consistent with embedded high-mass objects. Based on our results and those found in the literature for other samples of high-mass young stellar objects, we conclude that our sources are massive objects in a very early evolutionary stage, probably prior to the formation of an Hii region. We propose a scenario in which High and Low sources are both made of a massive clump hosting a high-mass protostellar candidate and a nearby stellar cluster. The difference might be due to the fact that the 12 μm IRAS flux, the best discriminant between the two

  13. SPECTRAL LINE SURVEY TOWARD THE YOUNG MASSIVE PROTOSTAR NGC 2264 CMM3 IN THE 4 mm, 3 mm, AND 0.8 mm BANDS

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

    Watanabe, Yoshimasa; Sakai, Nami; López-Sepulcre, Ana

    2015-08-20

    Spectral line survey observations are conducted toward the high-mass protostar candidate NGC 2264 CMM3 in the 4, 3, and 0.8 mm bands with the Nobeyama 45 m telescope and the Atacama Submillimeter Telescope Experiment (ASTE) 10 m telescope. In total, 265 emission lines are detected in the 4 and 3 mm bands, and 74 emission lines in the 0.8 mm band. As a result, 36 molecular species and 30 isotopologues are identified. In addition to the fundamental molecular species, many emission lines of carbon-chain molecules such as HC{sub 5}N, C{sub 4}H, CCS, and C{sub 3}S are detected in the 4more » and 3 mm bands. Deuterated molecular species are also detected with relatively strong intensities. On the other hand, emission lines of complex organic molecules such as HCOOCH{sub 3} and CH{sub 3}OCH{sub 3} are found to be weak. For the molecules for which multiple transitions are detected, rotation temperatures are derived to be 7–33 K except for CH{sub 3}OH. Emission lines with high upper-state energies (E{sub u} > 150 K) are detected for CH{sub 3}OH, indicating the existence of a hot core. In comparison with the chemical composition of the Orion KL, carbon-chain molecules and deuterated molecules are found to be abundant in NGC 2264 CMM3, while sulfur-bearing species and complex organic molecules are deficient. These characteristics indicate the chemical youth of NGC 2264 CMM3 in spite of its location at the center of the cluster forming core, NGC 2264 C.« less

  14. Chandra Observation of Polaris: Census of Low-Mass Companions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Evans, Nancy Remage; Wolk, Scott; Guinan, Edward; Engle, Scott; Schlegel, Eric; Mason, Brian; Karovska, Margarita; Spitzbart, Bradley

    2009-09-01

    We have observed Polaris = HD 8890 with Chandra ACIS-I for 10 ksec and found an X-ray source at the location of the Cepheid Polaris A = Aa + Ab with log L_X = 28.89 ergs s^{-1} and a kT = 0.6 keV. Either the F7 Ib supergiant or the F6 V spectroscopic companion could produce a spectrum this soft. Polaris B is not an X-ray source, which is consistent with its early F spectral type. However, this shows that it does not itself have a lower mass companion. Two resolved low mass stars ``C and D" are not physical companions based on the lack of X-rays (indicating an older age than the Cepheid) and inconsistent motion. In addition, a possible more distant companion is identified, and also less plausible one. Thus, this observation provides a complete census of companions down to masses as small as an order of magnitude less than the Cepheid and nearly 15 mag fainter within the surrounding 0.1 pc.Funding for this work was provided by Chandra grant GO6-7011A Chandra X-ray Center NASA Contract NAS8-39073

  15. Chandra Observation of Polaris: Census of Low-mass Companions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Evans, Nancy Remage; Guinan, Edward; Engle, Scott; Wolk, Scott J.; Schlegel, Eric; Mason, Brian D.; Karovska, Margarita; Spitzbart, Bradley

    2010-05-01

    We have observed Cepheid Polaris (α UMi A: F7 Ib [Aa] + F6 V [Ab]) with Chandra ACIS-I for 10 ks. An X-ray source was found at the location of Polaris with log LX = 28.89 erg s-1 (0.3-8 keV) and kT = 0.6 keV. A spectrum this soft could come from either the supergiant or the dwarf, as shown by comparable coronal stars. Two resolved low-mass visual companions, "C" and "D," are not physical members of the system based on the lack of X-rays (indicating an age older than the Cepheid) and inconsistent proper motions. Polaris B is not an X-ray source, consistent with its early F spectral type, and probably does not have a lower mass companion itself. A possible more distant member is identified, and an additional less plausible one. This provides a complete census of companions out to 0.1 pc covering a mass ratio range of an order of magnitude and a ΔV of nearly 15 mag. Based on observations made with the NASA Chandra Satellite.

  16. Low Mass Members in Nearby Young Moving Groups Revealed

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Schlieder, Joshua; Simon, Michal; Rice, Emily; Lepine, Sebastien

    2010-08-01

    We are now ready to expand our program that identifies highly probable low-mass members of the nearby young moving groups (NYMGs) to stars of mass ~ 0.1 Msun. This is important 1) To provide high priority targets for exoplanet searches by direct imaging, 2) To complete the census of the membership in the NYMGs, and 3) To provide a well-characterized sample of nearby young stars for detailed study of their physical properties and multiplicity (the median distances of the (beta) Pic and AB Dor groups are ~ 35 pc with ages ~ 12 and 50 Myr respectively). Our proven technique starts with a proper motion selection algorithm, proceeds to vet the sample for indicators of youth, and requires as its last step the measurement of candidate member radial velocities (RVs). So far, we have obtained all RV measurements with the high resolution IR spectrometer at the NASA-IRTF and have reached the limits of its applicability. To identify probable new members in the south, and also those of the lowest mass, we need the sensitivity of PHOENIX at Gemini-S and NIRSPEC at Keck-II.

  17. Hazardous Early Days In (and Beyond) the Habitable Zones Around Ultra-Low-Mass Stars

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kastner, Joel

    Although a majority of stars in the solar neighborhood are of mid- to late-M type, the magnetically-induced coronal (X-ray) and chromospheric (UV, H-alpha) activity of such stars remain essentially unexplored for the important age range 10-100 Myr. Such information on high-energy processes associated with young M stars would provide much-needed constraints on models of the effects of stellar irradiation on the physics and chemistry of planet-forming disks and newborn planets. In addition, X-ray and UV observations of ultra-low-mass young stars can serve to probe the (presently ill-defined) spectral type boundary that determines which very low-mass objects will eventually become M stars -- as opposed to brown dwarfs (BDs) -- following their pre-main sequence evolutionary stages. Via ADAP support, we have developed the GALEX Nearby Young Star Search (GALNYSS), a search method that combines GALEX, 2MASS, WISE and proper motion catalog information to identify nearby, young, lowmass stars. We have applied this method to identify ~2000 candidate young (10-100 Myr), low-mass (M-type) stars within 150 pc. These GALNYSS-identified young star candidates are distributed over the entire GALEX-covered sky, and their spectral types peak in the M3-4 range; followup optical spectroscopic work is ongoing (Rodriguez et al. 2013, ApJ, 774, 101). We now propose an ADA program to determine the X-ray properties of representative stars among these GALNYSS candidates, so as to confirm their youth and investigate the early evolution of coronal activity near the low-mass star/BD boundary and the effects of such activity on planet formation. Specifically, we will exploit the presence in the HEASARC archives of XMM-Newton and (to a lesser extent) Chandra X-ray Observatory data for a few dozen GALNYSS candidates that have been observed serendipitously by one or both of these space observatories. The proposed ADA program will yield the full reduction and analysis of these as-yet unexplored data

  18. Long-term changes in forest floor processes in southern Appalachian forests

    Treesearch

    Jennifer D. Knoepp; Barbara C. Reynolds; D.A. Crossley; Wayne T. Swank

    2005-01-01

    Soil nutrient concentrations decreased in an aggrading southern Appalachian forest over a 20-year period. Construction of nutrient budgets showed significant nutrient sequestration aboveground including increased forest floor mass. We hypothesized that the changes in forest floor mass resulted from decreased litter decomposition rates because of decreased litter...

  19. An Astrometric Study of the Low-Mass Binary Star Ross 614

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gatewood, George; Coban, Louis; Han, Inwoo

    2003-03-01

    Long accepted as the quintessential low-mass star, the secondary of the nearby diminutive astrometric binary Ross 614 has attracted considerable astrophysical interest. Unfortunately, the orbital period of 16.6 yr exceeds the duration of the mission-limited studies of most space-borne or instrumental-proving observational programs. As with most such binaries, the only full-orbit studies are based on photographic materials. The last extended study of this system was based upon the plate collections of the McCormick and Sproul Observatories. The work reported here combines data from the Multichannel Astrometric Photometer, the Hipparcos Intermediate Astrometric Data, the previously unmeasured photographic plates of the Allegheny Observatory, published observations of the visual binary, and recently published radial velocities of the system. Together, these data span more than three orbits of the low-mass binary system. Limiting our analysis to the most recent observations of the binary, and five older observations that are in fair agreement with them, we find masses of 0.2228+/-0.0055 and 0.1107+/-0.0028 Msolar for the primary and secondary, respectively, with the largest source of error being the visual separations of the system. We find a parallax of 244.07+/-0.73 mas, a period of 16.595+/-0.0077 yr, and an increased estimate of the semimajor axis of 1101.2+/-8.2 mas. The latter led to a significant increase in the computed masses. All other aspects of the orbital elements and astrometry are in excellent agreement with those found in the independent study of the McCormick and Sproul plates. The importance of long-term astrometric coverage is pointed out by the fact that the orbital motion of the system only resulted in an acceleration during the compilation of the Hipparcos Catalogue. No orbital parameters or mass estimates can be discerned from these high-precision but short-term data.

  20. VERY LOW MASS STELLAR AND SUBSTELLAR COMPANIONS TO SOLAR-LIKE STARS FROM MARVELS. I. A LOW-MASS RATIO STELLAR COMPANION TO TYC 4110-01037-1 IN A 79 DAY ORBIT

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

    Wisniewski, John P.; Agol, Eric; Barnes, Rory

    TYC 4110-01037-1 has a low-mass stellar companion, whose small mass ratio and short orbital period are atypical among binary systems with solar-like (T{sub eff} {approx}< 6000 K) primary stars. Our analysis of TYC 4110-01037-1 reveals it to be a moderately aged ({approx}<5 Gyr) solar-like star having a mass of 1.07 {+-} 0.08 M{sub Sun} and radius of 0.99 {+-} 0.18 R{sub Sun }. We analyze 32 radial velocity (RV) measurements from the SDSS-III MARVELS survey as well as 6 supporting RV measurements from the SARG spectrograph on the 3.6 m Telescopio Nazionale Galileo telescope obtained over a period of {approx}2more » years. The best Keplerian orbital fit parameters were found to have a period of 78.994 {+-} 0.012 days, an eccentricity of 0.1095 {+-} 0.0023, and a semi-amplitude of 4199 {+-} 11 m s{sup -1}. We determine the minimum companion mass (if sin i = 1) to be 97.7 {+-} 5.8 M{sub Jup}. The system's companion to host star mass ratio, {>=}0.087 {+-} 0.003, places it at the lowest end of observed values for short period stellar companions to solar-like (T{sub eff} {approx}< 6000 K) stars. One possible way to create such a system would be if a triple-component stellar multiple broke up into a short period, low q binary during the cluster dispersal phase of its lifetime. A candidate tertiary body has been identified in the system via single-epoch, high contrast imagery. If this object is confirmed to be comoving, we estimate it would be a dM4 star. We present these results in the context of our larger-scale effort to constrain the statistics of low-mass stellar and brown dwarf companions to FGK-type stars via the MARVELS survey.« less

  1. Planet hunters. VII. Discovery of a new low-mass, low-density planet (PH3 C) orbiting Kepler-289 with mass measurements of two additional planets (PH3 B and D)

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

    Schmitt, Joseph R.; Fischer, Debra A.; Wang, Ji

    2014-11-10

    We report the discovery of one newly confirmed planet (P = 66.06 days, R {sub P} = 2.68 ± 0.17 R {sub ⊕}) and mass determinations of two previously validated Kepler planets, Kepler-289 b (P = 34.55 days, R {sub P} = 2.15 ± 0.10 R {sub ⊕}) and Kepler-289-c (P = 125.85 days, R {sub P} = 11.59 ± 0.10 R {sub ⊕}), through their transit timing variations (TTVs). We also exclude the possibility that these three planets reside in a 1:2:4 Laplace resonance. The outer planet has very deep (∼1.3%), high signal-to-noise transits, which puts extremely tight constraintsmore » on its host star's stellar properties via Kepler's Third Law. The star PH3 is a young (∼1 Gyr as determined by isochrones and gyrochronology), Sun-like star with M {sub *} = 1.08 ± 0.02 M {sub ☉}, R {sub *} = 1.00 ± 0.02 R {sub ☉}, and T {sub eff} = 5990 ± 38 K. The middle planet's large TTV amplitude (∼5 hr) resulted either in non-detections or inaccurate detections in previous searches. A strong chopping signal, a shorter period sinusoid in the TTVs, allows us to break the mass-eccentricity degeneracy and uniquely determine the masses of the inner, middle, and outer planets to be M = 7.3 ± 6.8 M {sub ⊕}, 4.0 ± 0.9M {sub ⊕}, and M = 132 ± 17 M {sub ⊕}, which we designate PH3 b, c, and d, respectively. Furthermore, the middle planet, PH3 c, has a relatively low density, ρ = 1.2 ± 0.3 g cm{sup –3} for a planet of its mass, requiring a substantial H/He atmosphere of 2.1{sub −0.3}{sup +0.8}% by mass, and joins a growing population of low-mass, low-density planets.« less

  2. EVIDENCE FOR CLUSTER TO CLUSTER VARIATIONS IN LOW-MASS STELLAR ROTATIONAL EVOLUTION

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

    Coker, Carl T.; Pinsonneault, Marc; Terndrup, Donald M., E-mail: coker@astronomy.ohio-state.edu, E-mail: pinsono@astronomy.ohio-state.edu, E-mail: terndrup@astronomy.ohio-state.edu

    2016-12-10

    The concordance model for angular momentum evolution postulates that star-forming regions and clusters are an evolutionary sequence that can be modeled with assumptions about protostar–disk coupling, angular momentum loss from magnetized winds that saturates in a mass-dependent fashion at high rotation rates, and core-envelope decoupling for solar analogs. We test this approach by combining established data with the large h Per data set from the MONITOR project and new low-mass Pleiades data. We confirm prior results that young low-mass stars can be used to test star–disk coupling and angular momentum loss independent of the treatment of internal angular momentum transport.more » For slow rotators, we confirm the need for star–disk interactions to evolve the ONC to older systems, using h Per (age 13 Myr) as our natural post-disk case. There is no evidence for extremely long-lived disks as an alternative to core-envelope decoupling. However, our wind models cannot evolve rapid rotators from h Per to older systems consistently, and we find that this result is robust with respect to the choice of angular momentum loss prescription. We outline two possible solutions: either there is cosmic variance in the distribution of stellar rotation rates in different clusters or there are substantially enhanced torques in low-mass rapid rotators. We favor the former explanation and discuss observational tests that could be used to distinguish them. If the distribution of initial conditions depends on environment, models that test parameters by assuming a universal underlying distribution of initial conditions will need to be re-evaluated.« less

  3. Low-mass Active Galactic Nuclei on the Fundamental Plane of Black Hole Activity

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Qian, Lei; Dong, Xiao-Bo; Xie, Fu-Guo; Liu, Wenjuan; Li, Di

    2018-06-01

    It is widely known that in active galactic nuclei (AGNs) and black hole X-ray binaries (BHXBs), there is a tight correlation among their radio luminosity (L R ), X-ray luminosity (L X), and BH mass ({M}BH}), the so-called “fundamental plane” (FP) of BH activity. Yet the supporting data are very limited in the {M}BH} regime between stellar mass (i.e., BHXBs) and 106.5 {M}ȯ (namely, the lower bound of supermassive BHs in common AGNs). In this work, we developed a new method to measure the 1.4 GHz flux directly from the images of the VLA FIRST survey, and apply it to the type-1 low-mass AGNs in the Dong et al. sample. As a result, we obtained 19 new low-mass AGNs for FP research with both {M}BH} estimates ({M}BH} ≈ 105.5–6.5 {M}ȯ ), reliable X-ray measurements, and (candidate) radio detections, tripling the number of such candidate sources in the literature. Most (if not all) of the low-mass AGNs follow the standard radio/X-ray correlation and the universal FP relation fitted with the combined data set of BHXBs and supermassive AGNs by Gültekin et al.; the consistency in the radio/X-ray correlation slope among those accretion systems supports the picture that the accretion and ejection (jet) processes are quite similar in all accretion systems of different {M}BH}. In view of the FP relation, we speculate that the radio loudness { \\mathcal R } (i.e., the luminosity ratio of the jet to the accretion disk) of AGNs depends not only on Eddington ratio, but probably also on {M}BH}.

  4. Galaxy And Mass Assembly (GAMA): growing up in a bad neighbourhood - how do low-mass galaxies become passive?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Davies, L. J. M.; Robotham, A. S. G.; Driver, S. P.; Alpaslan, M.; Baldry, I. K.; Bland-Hawthorn, J.; Brough, S.; Brown, M. J. I.; Cluver, M. E.; Holwerda, B. W.; Hopkins, A. M.; Lara-López, M. A.; Mahajan, S.; Moffett, A. J.; Owers, M. S.; Phillipps, S.

    2016-02-01

    Both theoretical predictions and observations of the very nearby Universe suggest that low-mass galaxies(log10[M*/M⊙] < 9.5) are likely to remain star-forming unless they are affected by their local environment. To test this premise, we compare and contrast the local environment of both passive and star-forming galaxies as a function of stellar mass, using the Galaxy and Mass Assembly survey. We find that passive fractions are higher in both interacting pair and group galaxies than the field at all stellar masses, and that this effect is most apparent in the lowest mass galaxies. We also find that essentially all passive log10[M*/M⊙] < 8.5 galaxies are found in pair/group environments, suggesting that local interactions with a more massive neighbour cause them to cease forming new stars. We find that the effects of immediate environment (local galaxy-galaxy interactions) in forming passive systems increase with decreasing stellar mass, and highlight that this is potentially due to increasing interaction time-scales giving sufficient time for the galaxy to become passive via starvation. We then present a simplistic model to test this premise, and show that given our speculative assumptions, it is consistent with our observed results.

  5. Electron-capture and Low-mass Iron-core-collapse Supernovae: New Neutrino-radiation-hydrodynamics Simulations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Radice, David; Burrows, Adam; Vartanyan, David; Skinner, M. Aaron; Dolence, Joshua C.

    2017-11-01

    We present new 1D (spherical) and 2D (axisymmetric) simulations of electron-capture (EC) and low-mass iron-core-collapse supernovae (SN). We consider six progenitor models: the ECSN progenitor from Nomoto; two ECSN-like low-mass low-metallicity iron-core progenitors from A. Heger (2016, private communication); and the 9, 10, and 11 {M}⊙ (zero-age main-sequence) progenitors from Sukhbold et al. We confirm that the ECSN and ESCN-like progenitors explode easily even in 1D with explosion energies of up to a 0.15 Bethes (1 {{B}}\\equiv {10}51 {erg}), and are a viable mechanism for the production of very-low-mass neutron stars. However, the 9, 10, and 11 {M}⊙ progenitors do not explode in 1D and are not even necessarily easier to explode than higher-mass progenitor stars in 2D. We study the effect of perturbations and of changes to the microphysics and we find that relatively small changes can result in qualitatively different outcomes, even in 1D, for models sufficiently close to the explosion threshold. Finally, we revisit the impact of convection below the protoneutron star (PNS) surface. We analyze 1D and 2D evolutions of PNSs subject to the same boundary conditions. We find that the impact of PNS convection has been underestimated in previous studies and could result in an increase of the neutrino luminosity by up to factors of two.

  6. Electron-capture and Low-mass Iron-core-collapse Supernovae: New Neutrino-radiation-hydrodynamics Simulations

    DOE PAGES

    Radice, David; Burrows, Adam; Vartanyan, David; ...

    2017-11-15

    We present new 1D (spherical) and 2D (axisymmetric) simulations of electron-capture (EC) and low-mass iron-core-collapse supernovae (SN). We consider six progenitor models: the ECSN progenitor from Nomoto; two ECSN-like low-mass low-metallicity iron-core progenitors from A. Heger (2016, private communication); and the 9, 10, and 11more » $${M}_{\\odot }$$ (zero-age main-sequence) progenitors from Sukhbold et al. We confirm that the ECSN and ESCN-like progenitors explode easily even in 1D with explosion energies of up to a 0.15 Bethes ($$1\\ {\\rm{B}}\\equiv {10}^{51}\\ \\mathrm{erg}$$), and are a viable mechanism for the production of very-low-mass neutron stars. However, the 9, 10, and 11 $${M}_{\\odot }$$ progenitors do not explode in 1D and are not even necessarily easier to explode than higher-mass progenitor stars in 2D. We study the effect of perturbations and of changes to the microphysics and we find that relatively small changes can result in qualitatively different outcomes, even in 1D, for models sufficiently close to the explosion threshold. Finally, we revisit the impact of convection below the protoneutron star (PNS) surface. We analyze 1D and 2D evolutions of PNSs subject to the same boundary conditions. Lastly, we find that the impact of PNS convection has been underestimated in previous studies and could result in an increase of the neutrino luminosity by up to factors of two.« less

  7. Electron-capture and Low-mass Iron-core-collapse Supernovae: New Neutrino-radiation-hydrodynamics Simulations

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

    Radice, David; Burrows, Adam; Vartanyan, David

    We present new 1D (spherical) and 2D (axisymmetric) simulations of electron-capture (EC) and low-mass iron-core-collapse supernovae (SN). We consider six progenitor models: the ECSN progenitor from Nomoto; two ECSN-like low-mass low-metallicity iron-core progenitors from A. Heger (2016, private communication); and the 9, 10, and 11more » $${M}_{\\odot }$$ (zero-age main-sequence) progenitors from Sukhbold et al. We confirm that the ECSN and ESCN-like progenitors explode easily even in 1D with explosion energies of up to a 0.15 Bethes ($$1\\ {\\rm{B}}\\equiv {10}^{51}\\ \\mathrm{erg}$$), and are a viable mechanism for the production of very-low-mass neutron stars. However, the 9, 10, and 11 $${M}_{\\odot }$$ progenitors do not explode in 1D and are not even necessarily easier to explode than higher-mass progenitor stars in 2D. We study the effect of perturbations and of changes to the microphysics and we find that relatively small changes can result in qualitatively different outcomes, even in 1D, for models sufficiently close to the explosion threshold. Finally, we revisit the impact of convection below the protoneutron star (PNS) surface. We analyze 1D and 2D evolutions of PNSs subject to the same boundary conditions. Lastly, we find that the impact of PNS convection has been underestimated in previous studies and could result in an increase of the neutrino luminosity by up to factors of two.« less

  8. Extratropical Cyclone in the Southern Ocean

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    2002-01-01

    These images from the Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) portray an occluded extratropical cyclone situated in the Southern Ocean, about 650 kilometers south of the Eyre Peninsula, South Australia. The left-hand image, a true-color view from MISR's nadir (vertical-viewing) camera, shows clouds just south of the Yorke Peninsula and the Murray-Darling river basin in Australia. Retrieved cloud-tracked wind velocities are indicated by the superimposed arrows. The image on the right displays cloud-top heights. Areas where cloud heights could not be retrieved are shown in black. Both the wind vectors and the cloud heights were derived using data from multiple MISR cameras within automated computer processing algorithms. The stereoscopic algorithms used to generate these results are still being refined, and future versions of these products may show modest changes. Extratropical cyclones are the dominant weather system at midlatitudes, and the term is used generically for regional low-pressure systems in the mid- to high-latitudes. In the southern hemisphere, cyclonic rotation is clockwise. These storms obtain their energy from temperature differences between air masses on either side of warm and cold fronts, and their characteristic pattern is of warm and cold fronts radiating out from a migrating low pressure center which forms, deepens, and dissipates as the fronts fold and collapse on each other. The center of this cyclone has started to decay, with the band of cloud to the south most likely representing the main front that was originally connected with the cyclonic circulation. These views were acquired on October 11, 2001, and the large view represents an area of about 380 kilometers x 1900 kilometers. Image courtesy NASA/GSFC/LaRC/JPL, MISR Team.

  9. Gravitational microlensing by low-mass objects in the globular cluster M22.

    PubMed

    Sahu, K C; Casertano, S; Livio, M; Gilliland, R L; Panagia, N; Albrow, M D; Potter, M

    2001-06-28

    Gravitational microlensing offers a means of determining directly the masses of objects ranging from planets to stars, provided that the distances and motions of the lenses and sources can be determined. A globular cluster observed against the dense stellar field of the Galactic bulge presents ideal conditions for such observations because the probability of lensing is high and the distances and kinematics of the lenses and sources are well constrained. The abundance of low-mass objects in a globular cluster is of particular interest, because it may be representative of the very early stages of star formation in the Universe, and therefore indicative of the amount of dark baryonic matter in such clusters. Here we report a microlensing event associated with the globular cluster M22. We determine the mass of the lens to be 0.13(+0.03)(-0.02) solar masses. We have also detected six events that are unresolved in time. If these are also microlensing events, they imply that a non-negligible fraction of the cluster mass resides in the form of free-floating planetary-mass objects.

  10. Large-scale correlations in gas traced by Mg II absorbers around low-mass galaxies

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kauffmann, Guinevere

    2018-03-01

    The physical origin of the large-scale conformity in the colours and specific star formation rates of isolated low-mass central galaxies and their neighbours on scales in excess of 1 Mpc is still under debate. One possible scenario is that gas is heated over large scales by feedback from active galactic nuclei (AGNs), leading to coherent modulation of cooling and star formation between well-separated galaxies. In this Letter, the metal line absorption catalogue of Zhu & Ménard is used to probe gas out to large projected radii around a sample of a million galaxies with stellar masses ˜1010M⊙ and photometric redshifts in the range 0.4 < z < 0.8 selected from Sloan Digital Sky Survey imaging data. This galaxy sample covers an effective volume of 2.2 Gpc3. A statistically significant excess of Mg II absorbers is present around the red-low-mass galaxies compared to their blue counterparts out to projected radii of 10 Mpc. In addition, the equivalent width distribution function of Mg II absorbers around low-mass galaxies is shown to be strongly affected by the presence of a nearby (Rp < 2 Mpc) radio-loud AGNs out to projected radii of 5 Mpc.

  11. An effective selection method for low-mass active black holes and first spectroscopic identification

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Morokuma, Tomoki; Tominaga, Nozomu; Tanaka, Masaomi; Yasuda, Naoki; Furusawa, Hisanori; Taniguchi, Yuki; Kato, Takahiro; Jiang, Ji-an; Nagao, Tohru; Kuncarayakti, Hanindyo; Morokuma-Matsui, Kana; Ikeda, Hiroyuki; Blinnikov, Sergei; Nomoto, Ken'ichi; Kokubo, Mitsuru; Doi, Mamoru

    2016-06-01

    We present a new method for effectively selecting objects which may be low-mass active black holes (BHs) at galaxy centers using high-cadence optical imaging data, and our first spectroscopic identification of an active 2.7 × 106 M⊙ BH at z = 0.164. This active BH was originally selected due to its rapid optical variability, from a few hours to a day, based on Subaru Hyper Suprime-Cam g-band imaging data taken with a 1 hr cadence. Broad and narrow Hα lines and many other emission ones are detected in our optical spectra taken with Subaru FOCAS, and the BH mass is measured via the broad Hα emission line width (1880 km s-1) and luminosity (4.2 × 1040 erg s-1) after careful correction to the atmospheric absorption around 7580-7720 Å. We measure the Eddington ratio and find it to be as low as 0.05, considerably smaller than those in a previous SDSS sample with similar BH mass and redshift, which indicates one of the special potentials of our Subaru survey. The g - r color and morphology of the extended component indicate that the host galaxy is a star-forming galaxy. We also show the effectiveness of our variability selection for low-mass active BHs.

  12. Nutritional Status of Maintenance Dialysis Patients: Low Lean Body Mass Index and Obesity Are Common, Protein-Energy Wasting Is Uncommon.

    PubMed

    Koefoed, Mette; Kromann, Charles Boy; Juliussen, Sophie Ryberg; Hvidtfeldt, Danni; Ekelund, Bo; Frandsen, Niels Erik; Marckmann, Peter

    2016-01-01

    Maintenance dialysis patients are at increased risk of abnormal nutritional status due to numerous causative factors, both nutritional and non-nutritional. The present study assessed the current prevalence of protein-energy wasting, low lean body mass index and obesity in maintenance dialysis patients, and compared different methods of nutritional assessment. In a cross-sectional study conducted in 2014 at Roskilde Hospital, Denmark, we performed anthropometry (body weight, skinfolds, mid-arm, waist, and hip circumferences), and determined plasma albumin and normalized protein catabolic rate in order to assess the prevalence of protein-energy wasting, low lean body mass index and obesity in these patients. Seventy-nine eligible maintenance dialysis patients participated. The prevalence of protein-energy wasted patients was 4% (95% CI: 2-12) as assessed by the coexistence of low lean body mass index and low fat mass index. Low lean body mass index was seen in 32% (95% CI: 22-44). Obesity prevalence as assessed from fat mass index was 43% (95% CI: 32-55). Coexistence of low lean body mass index and obesity was seen in 10% (95% CI: 5-19). The prevalence of protein-energy wasting and obesity varied considerably, depending on nutritional assessment methodology. Our data indicate that protein-energy wasting is uncommon, whereas low lean body mass index and obesity are frequent conditions among patients in maintenance dialysis. A focus on how to increase and preserve lean body mass in dialysis patients is suggested in the future. In order to clearly distinguish between shortage, sufficiency and abundance of protein and/or fat deposits in maintenance dialysis patients, we suggest the simple measurements of lean body mass index and fat mass index.

  13. Radial velocities of very low mass stars and candidate brown dwarf members of the Hyades and Pleiades, 2

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Stauffer, John R.; Liebert, James; Giampapa, Mark

    1995-01-01

    We have determined H alpha equivalent widths and radial velocities with 1 sigma accuracies of approximately 5 km/s for approximately 20 candidate very low mass members of the Pleiades cluster and for a few proposed very low mass members of the Hyades. Most of the Pleiades targets were selected from the recent Hambly, Hawkins, and Jameson proper motion survey, where they were identified as probable Pleiades brown dwarfs with an age spread from 3 to 70 Myr. Our spectroscopic data and a reinterpretation of the photometric data confirm that these objects are indeed likely Pleiades members; however, we believe that they more likely have masses slightly above the hydrogen burning mass limit and that there is no firm evidence for an age spread amongst these stars. All of the very low mass Pleiades and Hyades members show H alpha in emission. However, the ratio of H alpha flux to biometric flux in the Pleiades shows a maximum near M(sub Bol) approximately equal to 9.5 (M approximately equal to 0.3 solar mass) and a sharp decrease to lower masses. This break occurs at the approximate mass where low mass stars are expected to become fully convective, and it is tempting to assume that the decrease in H alpha flux is caused by some change in the behavior of stellar dynamos at this mass. We do not see a similar break in activity at this mass in the Hyades. We discuss possible evolutionary explanations for this difference in the H alpha activity between the two clusters.

  14. Low skeletal muscle mass is associated with increased hospital expenditure in patients undergoing cancer surgery of the alimentary tract.

    PubMed

    van Vugt, Jeroen L A; Buettner, Stefan; Levolger, Stef; Coebergh van den Braak, Robert R J; Suker, Mustafa; Gaspersz, Marcia P; de Bruin, Ron W F; Verhoef, Cornelis; van Eijck, Casper H C; Bossche, Niek; Groot Koerkamp, Bas; IJzermans, Jan N M

    2017-01-01

    Low skeletal muscle mass is associated with poor postoperative outcomes in cancer patients. Furthermore, it is associated with increased healthcare costs in the United States. We investigated its effect on hospital expenditure in a Western-European healthcare system, with universal access. Skeletal muscle mass (assessed on CT) and costs were obtained for patients who underwent curative-intent abdominal cancer surgery. Low skeletal muscle mass was defined based on pre-established cut-offs. The relationship between low skeletal muscle mass and hospital costs was assessed using linear regression analysis and Mann-Whitney U-tests. 452 patients were included (median age 65, 61.5% males). Patients underwent surgery for colorectal cancer (38.9%), colorectal liver metastases (27.4%), primary liver tumours (23.2%), and pancreatic/periampullary cancer (10.4%). In total, 45.6% had sarcopenia. Median costs were €2,183 higher in patients with low compared with patients with high skeletal muscle mass (€17,144 versus €14,961; P<0.001). Hospital costs incrementally increased with lower sex-specific skeletal muscle mass quartiles (P = 0.029). After adjustment for confounders, low skeletal muscle mass was associated with a cost increase of €4,061 (P = 0.015). Low skeletal muscle mass was independently associated with increased hospital costs of about €4,000 per patient. Strategies to reduce skeletal muscle wasting could reduce hospital costs in an era of incremental healthcare costs and an increasingly ageing population.

  15. Low-mass neutron stars: universal relations, the nuclear symmetry energy and gravitational radiation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    O. Silva, Hector; Berti, Emanuele; Sotani, Hajime

    2016-03-01

    Compact objects such as neutron stars are ideal astrophysical laboratories to test our understanding of the fundamental interactions in the regime of supranuclear densities, unachievable by terrestrial experiments. Despite recent progress, the description of matter (i.e., the equation of state) at such densities is still debatable. This translates into uncertainties in the bulk properties of neutron stars, masses and radii for instance. Here we will consider low-mass neutron stars. Such stars are expected to carry important information on nuclear matter near the nuclear saturation point. It has recently been shown that the masses and surface redshifts of low-mass neutron stars smoothly depend on simple functions of the central density and of a characteristic parameter η associated with the choice of equation of state. Here we extend these results to slowly-rotating and tidally deformed stars and obtain empirical relations for various quantities, such as the moment of inertia, quadrupole moment and ellipticity, tidal and rotational Love numbers, and rotational apsidal constants. We discuss how these relations might be used to constrain the equation of state by future observations in the electromagnetic and gravitational-wave spectra.

  16. Effects of Watershed Land Use and Geomorphology on Stream Low Flows During Severe Drought Conditions in the Southern Blue Ridge Mountains, Georgia and North Carolina, United States

    EPA Science Inventory

    Land use and physiographic variability influence stream low flows, yet their interactions and relative influence remain unresolved. Our objective was to assess the influence of land use and watershed geomorphic characteristics on low-flow variability in the southern Blue Ridge Mo...

  17. Water masses, ocean fronts, and the structure of Antarctic seabird communities: putting the eastern Bellingshausen Sea in perspective

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Ribic, Christine A.; Ainley, David G.; Ford, R. Glenn; Fraser, William R.; Tynan, Cynthia T.; Woehler, Eric J.

    2015-01-01

    Waters off the western Antarctic Peninsula (i.e., the eastern Bellingshausen Sea) are unusually complex owing to the convergence of several major fronts. Determining the relative influence of fronts on occurrence patterns of top-trophic species in that area, therefore, has been challenging. In one of the few ocean-wide seabird data syntheses, in this case for the Southern Ocean, we analyzed ample, previously collected cruise data, Antarctic-wide, to determine seabird species assemblages and quantitative relationships to fronts as a way to provide context to the long-term Palmer LTER and the winter Southern Ocean GLOBEC studies in the eastern Bellingshausen Sea. Fronts investigated during both winter (April–September) and summer (October–March) were the southern boundary of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC), which separates the High Antarctic from the Low Antarctic water mass, and within which are embedded the marginal ice zone and Antarctic Shelf Break Front; and the Antarctic Polar Front, which separates the Low Antarctic and the Subantarctic water masses. We used clustering to determine species' groupings with water masses, and generalized additive models to relate species' densities, biomass and diversity to distance to respective fronts. Antarctic-wide, in both periods, highest seabird densities and lowest species diversity were found in the High Antarctic water mass. In the eastern Bellingshausen, seabird density in the High Antarctic water mass was lower (as low as half that of winter) than found in other Antarctic regions. During winter, Antarctic-wide, two significant species groups were evident: one dominated by Adélie penguins (Pygoscelis adeliae) (High Antarctic water mass) and the other by petrels and prions (no differentiation among water masses); in eastern Bellingshausen waters during winter, the one significant species group was composed of species from both Antarctic-wide groups. In summer, Antarctic-wide, a High Antarctic group

  18. Antarctic icebergs melt over the Southern Ocean : Climatology and impact on sea ice

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Merino, Nacho; Le Sommer, Julien; Durand, Gael; Jourdain, Nicolas C.; Madec, Gurvan; Mathiot, Pierre; Tournadre, Jean

    2016-08-01

    Recent increase in Antarctic freshwater release to the Southern Ocean is suggested to contribute to change in water masses and sea ice. However, climate models differ in their representation of the freshwater sources. Recent improvements in altimetry-based detection of small icebergs and in estimates of the mass loss of Antarctica may help better constrain the values of Antarctic freshwater releases. We propose a model-based seasonal climatology of iceberg melt over the Southern Ocean using state-of-the-art observed glaciological estimates of the Antarctic mass loss. An improved version of a Lagrangian iceberg model is coupled with a global, eddy-permitting ocean/sea ice model and compared to small icebergs observations. Iceberg melt increases sea ice cover, about 10% in annual mean sea ice volume, and decreases sea surface temperature over most of the Southern Ocean, but with distinctive regional patterns. Our results underline the importance of improving the representation of Antarctic freshwater sources. This can be achieved by forcing ocean/sea ice models with a climatological iceberg fresh-water flux.

  19. Alignment between Protostellar Outflows and Filamentary Structure

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

    Stephens, Ian W.; Dunham, Michael M.; Myers, Philip C.

    2017-09-01

    We present new Submillimeter Array (SMA) observations of CO(2–1) outflows toward young, embedded protostars in the Perseus molecular cloud as part of the Mass Assembly of Stellar Systems and their Evolution with the SMA (MASSES) survey. For 57 Perseus protostars, we characterize the orientation of the outflow angles and compare them with the orientation of the local filaments as derived from Herschel observations. We find that the relative angles between outflows and filaments are inconsistent with purely parallel or purely perpendicular distributions. Instead, the observed distribution of outflow-filament angles are more consistent with either randomly aligned angles or a mixmore » of projected parallel and perpendicular angles. A mix of parallel and perpendicular angles requires perpendicular alignment to be more common by a factor of ∼3. Our results show that the observed distributions probably hold regardless of the protostar’s multiplicity, age, or the host core’s opacity. These observations indicate that the angular momentum axis of a protostar may be independent of the large-scale structure. We discuss the significance of independent protostellar rotation axes in the general picture of filament-based star formation.« less

  20. Alignment between Protostellar Outflows and Filamentary Structure

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Stephens, Ian W.; Dunham, Michael M.; Myers, Philip C.; Pokhrel, Riwaj; Sadavoy, Sarah I.; Vorobyov, Eduard I.; Tobin, John J.; Pineda, Jaime E.; Offner, Stella S. R.; Lee, Katherine I.; Kristensen, Lars E.; Jørgensen, Jes K.; Goodman, Alyssa A.; Bourke, Tyler L.; Arce, Héctor G.; Plunkett, Adele L.

    2017-09-01

    We present new Submillimeter Array (SMA) observations of CO(2-1) outflows toward young, embedded protostars in the Perseus molecular cloud as part of the Mass Assembly of Stellar Systems and their Evolution with the SMA (MASSES) survey. For 57 Perseus protostars, we characterize the orientation of the outflow angles and compare them with the orientation of the local filaments as derived from Herschel observations. We find that the relative angles between outflows and filaments are inconsistent with purely parallel or purely perpendicular distributions. Instead, the observed distribution of outflow-filament angles are more consistent with either randomly aligned angles or a mix of projected parallel and perpendicular angles. A mix of parallel and perpendicular angles requires perpendicular alignment to be more common by a factor of ˜3. Our results show that the observed distributions probably hold regardless of the protostar’s multiplicity, age, or the host core’s opacity. These observations indicate that the angular momentum axis of a protostar may be independent of the large-scale structure. We discuss the significance of independent protostellar rotation axes in the general picture of filament-based star formation.

  1. A numerical investigation of the Southern Gyre using ROMS

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gamoyo, Majambo; Reason, Chris J. C.; Collins, Charine

    2017-05-01

    A numerical model (The Regional Ocean Modelling System-ROMS), configured over the western Indian Ocean and driven by monthly climatology winds and heat fluxes, is applied to examine the Southern Gyre in the Somali Current system during the Southwest Monsoon. Despite the Southern Gyre playing a role in transporting water masses and other properties northwards across the equator, it has not been much studied. The model results indicate that the Southern Gyre appears in early June in the upper ocean as a result of instability in the northward flowing Somali Current. The arrival of downwelling Rossby wave energy at the East African coast intensifies the recirculation of the Southern Gyre and causes its northward movement. The Southern Gyre is characterized as a shallow feature which deepens from 100 m in June to 300 m in July-August. The average spatial scale of the gyre is about 400 km with subsequent development of positive vorticity bursts which are identified as potential contributors to the decay of the Southern Gyre. Cool and fresh waters observed in the gyre resulted from advection via the South Equatorial Current and then through the Somali Current (SC).

  2. Contribution of topographically generated submesoscale turbulence to Southern Ocean overturning

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ruan, Xiaozhou; Thompson, Andrew F.; Flexas, Mar M.; Sprintall, Janet

    2017-11-01

    The ocean's global overturning circulation regulates the transport and storage of heat, carbon and nutrients. Upwelling across the Southern Ocean's Antarctic Circumpolar Current and into the mixed layer, coupled to water mass modification by surface buoyancy forcing, has been highlighted as a key process in the closure of the overturning circulation. Here, using twelve high-resolution hydrographic sections in southern Drake Passage, collected with autonomous ocean gliders, we show that Circumpolar Deep Water originating from the North Atlantic, known as Lower Circumpolar Deep Water, intersects sloping topography in narrow and strong boundary currents. Observations of strong lateral buoyancy gradients, enhanced bottom turbulence, thick bottom mixed layers and modified water masses are consistent with growing evidence that topographically generated submesoscale flows over continental slopes enhance near-bottom mixing, and that cross-density upwelling occurs preferentially over sloping topography. Interactions between narrow frontal currents and topography occur elsewhere along the path of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current, which leads us to propose that such interactions contribute significantly to the closure of the overturning in the Southern Ocean.

  3. Flux of low salinity water from Aniva Bay (Sakhalin Island) to the southern Okhotsk Sea

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Oguma, Sachiko; Ono, Tsuneo; Watanabe, Yutaka W.; Kasai, Hiromi; Watanabe, Shuichi; Nomura, Daiki; Mitsudera, Humio

    2011-01-01

    In this study, we examined the relationship between the low salinity water in the shelf region of the southern Okhotsk Sea which was seasonally sampled (0-200 m), and fluxes of low salinity water from Aniva Bay. To express the source of freshwater mixing in the surface layer, we applied normalized total alkalinity (NTA) and stable isotopes of seawater as chemical tracers. NTA-S diagrams indicate that NTA of low salinity water in the upper 30 m layer just off the Soya Warm Current is clearly higher than in the far offshore region in summer and autumn. Using NTA-S regression lines, we could deduce that the low salinity and high NTA water in the upper layer originates from Aniva Bay. For convenience, we defined this water as the Aniva Surface Water (ASW) with values S < 32, NTA > 2450 μmol kg -1. Formation and transport processes of ASW are discussed using historical data. The interaction between the maximum core of high NTA water on the bottom slope of eastern Aniva Bay and an anticyclonic eddy at the mouth of Aniva Bay are concluded to control ASW formation. Upwelling of the Cold Water Belt water at the tip of Cape Krillion is considered to cause ASW outflow from Aniva Bay.

  4. Possible formation pathways for the low-density Neptune-mass planet HAT-P-26b

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ali-Dib, Mohamad; Lakhlani, Gunjan

    2018-01-01

    We investigate possible pathways for the formation of the low-density Neptune-mass planet HAT-P-26b. We use two different formation models based on pebble and planetesimal accretion, and includes gas accretion, disc migration and simple photoevaporation. The models track the atmospheric oxygen abundance, in addition to the orbital period, and mass of the forming planets, which we compare to HAT-P-26b. We find that pebble accretion can explain this planet more naturally than planetesimal accretion that fails completely unless we artificially enhance the disc metallicity significantly. Pebble accretion models can reproduce HAT-P-26b with either a high initial core mass and low amount of envelope enrichment through core erosion or pebbles dissolution, or the opposite, with both scenarios being possible. Assuming a low envelope enrichment factor as expected from convection theory and comparable to the values we can infer from the D/H measurements in Uranus and Neptune, our most probable formation pathway for HAT-P-26b is through pebble accretion starting around 10 au early in the disc's lifetime.

  5. Structure of the tsunamigenic plate boundary and low-frequency earthquakes in the southern Ryukyu Trench

    PubMed Central

    Arai, Ryuta; Takahashi, Tsutomu; Kodaira, Shuichi; Kaiho, Yuka; Nakanishi, Ayako; Fujie, Gou; Nakamura, Yasuyuki; Yamamoto, Yojiro; Ishihara, Yasushi; Miura, Seiichi; Kaneda, Yoshiyuki

    2016-01-01

    It has been recognized that even weakly coupled subduction zones may cause large interplate earthquakes leading to destructive tsunamis. The Ryukyu Trench is one of the best fields to study this phenomenon, since various slow earthquakes and tsunamis have occurred; yet the fault structure and seismic activity there are poorly constrained. Here we present seismological evidence from marine observation for megathrust faults and low-frequency earthquakes (LFEs). On the basis of passive observation we find LFEs occur at 15–18 km depths along the plate interface and their distribution seems to bridge the gap between the shallow tsunamigenic zone and the deep slow slip region. This suggests that the southern Ryukyu Trench is dominated by slow earthquakes at any depths and lacks a typical locked zone. The plate interface is overlaid by a low-velocity wedge and is accompanied by polarity reversals of seismic reflections, indicating fluids exist at various depths along the plate interface. PMID:27447546

  6. Southern Ocean Iron Experiment (SOFex)

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

    Coale, Kenneth H.

    The Southern Ocean Iron Experiment (SOFeX) was an experiment decades in the planning. It's implementation was among the most complex ship operations that SIO has been involved in. The SOFeX field expedition was successful in creating and tracking two experimentally enriched areas of the Southern Ocean, one characterized by low silicic acid, one characterized by high silicic acid. Both experimental sites were replete with abundant nitrate. About 100 scientists were involved overall. The major findings of this study were significant in several ways: (1) The productivity of the southern ocean is limited by iron availability. (2) Carbon uptake and fluxmore » is therefore controlled by iron availability (3) In spite of low silicic acid, iron promotes non-silicious phytoplankton growth and the uptake of carbon dioxide. (4) The transport of fixed carbon from the surface layers proceeds with a C:N ratio that would indicate differential remineralization of nitrogen at shallow depths. (5) These finding have major implications for modeling of carbon export based on nitrate utilization. (6) The general results of the experiment indicate that, beyond other southern ocean enrichment experiments, iron inputs have a much wider impact of productivity and carbon cycling than previously demonstrated. Scientific presentations: Coale, K., Johnson, K, Buesseler, K., 2002. The SOFeX Group. Eos. Trans. AGU 83(47) OS11A-0199. Coale, K., Johnson, K. Buesseler, K., 2002. SOFeX: Southern Ocean Iron Experiments. Overview and Experimental Design. Eos. Trans. AGU 83 (47) OS22D-01. Buesseler, K.,et al. 2002. Does Iron Fertilization Enhance Carbon Sequestration? Particle flux results from the Southern Ocean Iron Experiment. Eos. Trans. AGU 83 (47), OS22D-09. Johnson, K. et al. 2002. Open Ocean Iron Fertilization Experiments From IronEx-I through SOFeX: What We Know and What We Still Need to Understand. Eos. Trans. AGU 83 (47), OS22D-12. Coale, K. H., 2003. Carbon and Nutrient Cycling During the

  7. Nutritional Status of Maintenance Dialysis Patients: Low Lean Body Mass Index and Obesity Are Common, Protein-Energy Wasting Is Uncommon

    PubMed Central

    Koefoed, Mette; Kromann, Charles Boy; Juliussen, Sophie Ryberg; Hvidtfeldt, Danni; Ekelund, Bo; Frandsen, Niels Erik; Marckmann, Peter

    2016-01-01

    Background and Aims Maintenance dialysis patients are at increased risk of abnormal nutritional status due to numerous causative factors, both nutritional and non-nutritional. The present study assessed the current prevalence of protein-energy wasting, low lean body mass index and obesity in maintenance dialysis patients, and compared different methods of nutritional assessment. Methods In a cross-sectional study conducted in 2014 at Roskilde Hospital, Denmark, we performed anthropometry (body weight, skinfolds, mid-arm, waist, and hip circumferences), and determined plasma albumin and normalized protein catabolic rate in order to assess the prevalence of protein-energy wasting, low lean body mass index and obesity in these patients. Results Seventy-nine eligible maintenance dialysis patients participated. The prevalence of protein-energy wasted patients was 4% (95% CI: 2–12) as assessed by the coexistence of low lean body mass index and low fat mass index. Low lean body mass index was seen in 32% (95% CI: 22–44). Obesity prevalence as assessed from fat mass index was 43% (95% CI: 32–55). Coexistence of low lean body mass index and obesity was seen in 10% (95% CI: 5–19). The prevalence of protein-energy wasting and obesity varied considerably, depending on nutritional assessment methodology. Conclusions Our data indicate that protein-energy wasting is uncommon, whereas low lean body mass index and obesity are frequent conditions among patients in maintenance dialysis. A focus on how to increase and preserve lean body mass in dialysis patients is suggested in the future. In order to clearly distinguish between shortage, sufficiency and abundance of protein and/or fat deposits in maintenance dialysis patients, we suggest the simple measurements of lean body mass index and fat mass index. PMID:26919440

  8. Low-mass Stellar and Substellar Companions to sdB Stars

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Geier, S.; Classen, L.; Brünner, P.; Nagel, K.; Schaffenroth, V.; Heuser, C.; Heber, U.; Drechsel, H.; Edelmann, H.; Koen, C.; O'Toole, S. J.; Morales-Rueda, L.

    2012-03-01

    It has been suggested that besides stellar companions, substellar objects in close orbits may be able to trigger mass loss in a common envelope phase and form hot subdwarfs. In an ongoing project we search for close substellar companions combining time resolved high resolution spectroscopy with photometry. We determine the fraction of as yet undetected radial velocity variable systems from a sample of 27 apparently single sdB stars to be ˜eq16%. We discovered low-mass stellar companions to the He-sdB CPD-20circ 1123 and the pulsator KPD 0629-0016. The brown dwarf reported to orbit the eclipsing binary SDSS J0820+0008 could be confirmed by an analysis of high resolution spectra taken with UVES. Reflection effects have been detected in the light curves of the known sdB binaries CPD -64circ 481 and BPS CS 22169-0001. The inclinations of these systems must be much higher than expected and the most likely companion masses are in the substellar regime. Finally, we determined the orbit of the sdB binary PHL 457, which has a very small radial velocity amplitude and may host the lowest mass substellar companion known. The implications of these new results for the open question of sdB formation are discussed.

  9. Mass and Energy: The Low-Energy Limit.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bauman, Robert P.

    1994-01-01

    Discusses Einstein's equation relating mass and energy highlighting these questions: (1) Can mass and energy be converted into one another? (2) What is the origin of the equation? (3) How do relativistic mass and rest mass relate? and (4) How is relativistic mass used in resulting equations? (MVL)

  10. An Assessment of Southern Ocean Water Masses and Sea Ice During 1988-2007 in a Suite of Interannual CORE-II Simulations

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Downes, Stephanie M.; Farneti, Riccardo; Uotila, Petteri; Griffies, Stephen M.; Marsland, Simon J.; Bailey, David; Behrens, Erik; Bentsen, Mats; Bi, Daohua; Biastoch, Arne; hide

    2015-01-01

    We characterise the representation of the Southern Ocean water mass structure and sea ice within a suite of 15 global ocean-ice models run with the Coordinated Ocean-ice Reference Experiment Phase II (CORE-II) protocol. The main focus is the representation of the present (1988-2007) mode and intermediate waters, thus framing an analysis of winter and summer mixed layer depths; temperature, salinity, and potential vorticity structure; and temporal variability of sea ice distributions. We also consider the interannual variability over the same 20 year period. Comparisons are made between models as well as to observation-based analyses where available. The CORE-II models exhibit several biases relative to Southern Ocean observations, including an underestimation of the model mean mixed layer depths of mode and intermediate water masses in March (associated with greater ocean surface heat gain), and an overestimation in September (associated with greater high latitude ocean heat loss and a more northward winter sea-ice extent). In addition, the models have cold and fresh/warm and salty water column biases centred near 50 deg S. Over the 1988-2007 period, the CORE-II models consistently simulate spatially variable trends in sea-ice concentration, surface freshwater fluxes, mixed layer depths, and 200-700 m ocean heat content. In particular, sea-ice coverage around most of the Antarctic continental shelf is reduced, leading to a cooling and freshening of the near surface waters. The shoaling of the mixed layer is associated with increased surface buoyancy gain, except in the Pacific where sea ice is also influential. The models are in disagreement, despite the common CORE-II atmospheric state, in their spatial pattern of the 20-year trends in the mixed layer depth and sea-ice.

  11. Signs of Early-stage Disk Growth Revealed with ALMA

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yen, Hsi-Wei; Koch, Patrick M.; Takakuwa, Shigehisa; Krasnopolsky, Ruben; Ohashi, Nagayoshi; Aso, Yusuke

    2017-01-01

    We present ALMA 1.3 mm continuum, 12CO, C18O, and SO data for the Class 0 protostars Lupus 3 MMS, IRAS 15398-3559, and IRAS 16253-2429 at resolutions of ˜100 au. By measuring a rotational profile in C18O, a 100 au Keplerian disk around a 0.3 M⊙ protostar is observed in Lupus 3 MMS. No 100 au Keplerian disks are observed in IRAS 15398-3559 and IRAS 16253-2429. Nevertheless, embedded compact (<30 au) continuum components are detected. The C18O emission in IRAS 15398-3559 shows signatures of infall with a constant angular momentum. IRAS 16253-2429 exhibits signatures of infall and rotation, but its rotational profile is unresolved. By fitting the C18O data with our kinematic models, the protostellar masses and the disk radii are inferred to be 0.01 M⊙ and 20 au in IRAS 15398-3559, and 0.03 M⊙ and 6 au in IRAS 16253-2429. By comparing the specific angular momentum profiles from 10,000 au to 100 au in eight Class 0 and I protostars, we find that the evolution of envelope rotation can be described with conventional inside-out collapse models. In comparison with a sample of 18 protostars with known disk radii, our results reveal signs of disk growth, with the disk radius increasing as {{M}* }0.8+/- 0.14 or {t}1.09+/- 0.37 in the Class 0 stage, where M* is the protostellar mass and t is the age. The disk growth rate slows down in the Class I stage. In addition, we find a hint that the mass accretion rate declines as {t}-0.26+/- 0.04 from the Class 0 to the Class I stages.

  12. Course 6: Star Formation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Natta, A.

    Contents 1 Introduction 2 Collapse of molecular cores 2.1 Giant molecular clouds and cores 2.2 Conditions for collapse 2.3 Free-fall collapse 2.4 Collapse of an isothermal sphere of gas 2.5 Collapse of a slowly rotating core 3 Observable properties of protostars 3.1 Evidence of infall from molecular line profiles 3.2 SEDs of protostars 3.3 The line spectrumof a protostar 4 Protostellar and pre-main-sequence evolution 4.1 The protostellar phase 4.2 Pre-main-sequence evolution 4.3 The birthline 5 Circumstellar disks 5.1 Accretion disks 5.2 Properties of steady accretion disks 5.3 Reprocessing disks 5.4 Disk-star interaction 6 SEDs of disks 6.1 Power-law disks 6.2 Long-wavelength flux and disk mass 6.3 Comparison with TTS observations: Heating mechanism 7 Disk properties from observations 7.1 Mass accretion rate 7.2 Inner radius 7.3 Masses 7.4 Sizes 8 Disk lifetimes 8.1 Ground-based near and mid-infrared surveys 8.2 Mid-infrared ISOCAMsurveys 8.3 ISOPHOT 60 microm survey 8.4 Surveys at millimeter wavelengths 9 Disk evolution 9.1 Can we observe the early planet formation phase? 9.2 Evidence for grain growth 9.3 Evidence of planetesimals 9.4 Where is the diskmass? 10 Secondary or debris disks 11 Summary

  13. The discovery of low-mass pre-main-sequence stars in Cepheus OB3b

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pozzo, M.; Naylor, T.; Jeffries, R. D.; Drew, J. E.

    2003-05-01

    We report the discovery of a low-mass pre-main-sequence (PMS) stellar population in the younger subgroup of the Cepheus OB3 association, Cep OB3b, using UBVI CCD photometry and follow-up spectroscopy. The optical survey covers approximately 1300 arcmin2 on the sky and gives a global photometric and astrometric catalogue for more than 7000 objects. The location of a PMS population is well defined in a V versus (V-I) colour-magnitude diagram. Multifibre spectroscopic results for optically selected PMS candidates confirm the T Tauri nature for 10 objects, with equal numbers of classical TTS (CTTS) and weak-line TTS (WTTS). There are six other objects that we classify as possible PMS stars. The newly discovered TTS stars have masses in the range ~0.9-3.0 Msolar and ages from <1 to nearly 10 Myr, based on the Siess, Dufour & Forestini isochrones. Their location close to the O and B stars of the association (especially the O7n star) demonstrates that low-mass star formation is indeed possible in such an apparently hostile environment dominated by early-type stars and that the latter must have been less effective in eroding the circumstellar discs of their lower-mass siblings compared with other OB associations (e.g. λ-Ori). We attribute this to the nature of the local environment, speculating that the bulk of molecular material, which shielded low-mass stars from the ionizing radiation of their early-type siblings, has only recently been removed.

  14. Southern regional report

    Treesearch

    Bryce J Stokes

    1997-01-01

    It appears as if many in wood procurement, forest management, operations, manufacturing, and sales in the Southern U.S. are simultaneously biting the bullet and showing signs of guarded optimism for the future. On the one hand, during last year, purchasing costs were high, selling prices were low, quotas ruled, and machine purchases sagged. However, there is continued...

  15. Genotyping of Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates from a low-endemic setting in northwestern state of Paraná in Southern Brazil.

    PubMed

    Noguti, Erika Noda; Leite, Clarice Queico Fujimura; Malaspina, Ana Carolina; Santos, Adolfo Carlos Barreto; Hirata, Rosário Dominguez Crespo; Hirata, Mario Hiroyuki; Mamizuka, Elsa Massae; Cardoso, Rosilene Fressatti

    2010-09-01

    The purpose of this study was to provide information about the genetic diversity and prevalent genotype of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in a low-endemic setting in northwestern state of Paraná in Southern Brazil. We employed spoligotyping and mycobacterial interspersed repetitive units-variable number tandem repeat (MIRU-VNTR) techniques to genotype M. tuberculos isisolates from patients with pulmonary tuberculosis (TB). The 93 isolates analyzed by spoligotyping were divided into 36 different patterns, 30 of which were described in the SITVIT database. Latin American and Mediterranean, Haarlem and T families were responsible for 26.9%, 17.2% and 11.8% of TB cases, respectively. From the 84 isolates analyzed by MIRU-VNTR, 58 shared a unique pattern and the remaining 26 belonged to nine clusters. The MIRU loci 40, 23, 10 and 16 were the most discriminatory. A combination of MIRU-VNTR and spoligotyping resulted in 85.7% discriminatory power (Hunter-Gaston index = 0.995). Thus, combining spoligotyping and MIRU-VNTR typing proved to be most useful for epidemiological study in this low-endemic setting in Southern Brazil. The current study demonstrated that there is significant diversity in circulating strains in the city of Maringá and the surrounding regions, with no single genotype of M. tuberculosis predominating.

  16. Demonstration of a switchable damping system to allow low-noise operation of high-Q low-mass suspension systems

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hennig, Jan-Simon; Barr, Bryan W.; Bell, Angus S.; Cunningham, William; Danilishin, Stefan L.; Dupej, Peter; Gräf, Christian; Hough, James; Huttner, Sabina H.; Jones, Russell; Leavey, Sean S.; Pascucci, Daniela; Sinclair, Martin; Sorazu, Borja; Spencer, Andrew; Steinlechner, Sebastian; Strain, Kenneth A.; Wright, Jennifer; Zhang, Teng; Hild, Stefan

    2017-12-01

    Low-mass suspension systems with high-Q pendulum stages are used to enable quantum radiation pressure noise limited experiments. Utilizing multiple pendulum stages with vertical blade springs and materials with high-quality factors provides attenuation of seismic and thermal noise; however, damping of these high-Q pendulum systems in multiple degrees of freedom is essential for practical implementation. Viscous damping such as eddy-current damping can be employed, but it introduces displacement noise from force noise due to thermal fluctuations in the damping system. In this paper we demonstrate a passive damping system with adjustable damping strength as a solution for this problem that can be used for low-mass suspension systems without adding additional displacement noise in science mode. We show a reduction of the damping factor by a factor of 8 on a test suspension and provide a general optimization for this system.

  17. Search for light curve modulations among Kepler candidates. Three very low-mass transiting companions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lillo-Box, J.; Ribas, A.; Barrado, D.; Merín, B.; Bouy, H.

    2016-07-01

    Context. Light curve modulations in the sample of Kepler planet candidates allows the disentangling of the nature of the transiting object by photometrically measuring its mass. This is possible by detecting the effects of the gravitational pull of the companion (ellipsoidal modulations) and in some cases, the photometric imprints of the Doppler effect when observing in a broad band (Doppler beaming). Aims: We aim to photometrically unveil the nature of some transiting objects showing clear light curve modulations in the phase-folded Kepler light curve. Methods: We selected a subsample among the large crop of Kepler objects of interest (KOIs) based on their chances to show detectable light curve modulations, I.e., close (a< 12 R⋆) and large (in terms of radius, according to their transit signal) candidates. We modeled their phase-folded light curves with consistent equations for the three effects, namely, reflection, ellipsoidal and beaming (known as REB modulations). Results: We provide detailed general equations for the fit of the REB modulations for the case of eccentric orbits. These equations are accurate to the photometric precisions achievable by current and forthcoming instruments and space missions. By using this mathematical apparatus, we find three close-in very low-mass companions (two of them in the brown dwarf mass domain) orbiting main-sequence stars (KOI-554, KOI-1074, and KOI-3728), and reject the planetary nature of the transiting objects (thus classifying them as false positives). In contrast, the detection of the REB modulations and transit/eclipse signal allows the measurement of their mass and radius that can provide important constraints for modeling their interiors since just a few cases of low-mass eclipsing binaries are known. Additionally, these new systems can help to constrain the similarities in the formation process of the more massive and close-in planets (hot Jupiters), brown dwarfs, and very low-mass companions.

  18. Three Investigations of Low Mass Stars in the Milky Way Using New Technology Surveys

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lurie, John C.

    At least 80% of stars in the Milky Way have masses less than or equal to the Sun. These long lived stars are the most likely hosts of planets where complex life can develop. Although relatively stable on the timescale of billions of years, many low mass stars possess strong magnetic fields that are manifested in energetic surface activity, which may pose a hazard to both life and technology. Magnetic activity also influences the evolution of a low mass star through a feedback process that slows the rotation rate, which in turn tends to decrease the amount of activity. In this way, the rotation rate and activity level of a low mass star may provide an estimate of its age. Beyond their rotation-activity evolution as isolated objects, a small but important fraction of low mass stars have a close binary companion that influences the rotational and orbital properties of the system. Binary interaction can lead to phenomena such as supernovae, cataclysmic variables, and degenerate object mergers. From a larger perspective, low mass stars trace Galactic structure, and through their longevity serve as archives of the dynamical and chemical history of the Milky Way. Thus a full picture of low mass stars, and by extension the Milky Way, requires understanding their rotation and activity; their interaction in close binaries; and their spatial and kinematic distribution throughout the Galaxy. Historically, these topics have been approached from two separate but complementary modes of observation. Time series photometric surveys measure the stellar variability caused by rotation, activity, and binary interaction, while wide field surveys measure the brightnesses and colors of millions of stars to map their distribution in the Galaxy. The first generation of digital detectors and computing technology limited intensive time series surveys to a small number of stars, and limited wide field surveys to little if any variability information. Today those limitations are falling away

  19. Humpback whale "super-groups" - A novel low-latitude feeding behaviour of Southern Hemisphere humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) in the Benguela Upwelling System.

    PubMed

    Findlay, Ken P; Seakamela, S Mduduzi; Meÿer, Michael A; Kirkman, Stephen P; Barendse, Jaco; Cade, David E; Hurwitz, David; Kennedy, Amy S; Kotze, Pieter G H; McCue, Steven A; Thornton, Meredith; Vargas-Fonseca, O Alejandra; Wilke, Christopher G

    2017-01-01

    Southern Hemisphere humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) generally undertake annual migrations from polar summer feeding grounds to winter calving and nursery grounds in subtropical and tropical coastal waters. Evidence for such migrations arises from seasonality of historic whaling catches by latitude, Discovery and natural mark returns, and results of satellite tagging studies. Feeding is generally believed to be limited to the southern polar region, where Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba) has been identified as the primary prey item. Non-migrations and / or suspended migrations to the polar feeding grounds have previously been reported from a summer presence of whales in the Benguela System, where feeding on euphausiids (E. lucens), hyperiid amphipods (Themisto gaudichaudii), mantis shrimp (Pterygosquilla armata capensis) and clupeid fish has been described. Three recent research cruises (in October/November 2011, October/November 2014 and October/November 2015) identified large tightly-spaced groups (20 to 200 individuals) of feeding humpback whales aggregated over at least a one-month period across a 220 nautical mile region of the southern Benguela System. Feeding behaviour was identified by lunges, strong milling and repetitive and consecutive diving behaviours, associated bird and seal feeding, defecations and the pungent "fishy" smell of whale blows. Although no dedicated prey sampling could be carried out within the tightly spaced feeding aggregations, observations of E. lucens in the region of groups and the full stomach contents of mantis shrimp from both a co-occurring predatory fish species (Thyrsites atun) and one entangled humpback whale mortality suggest these may be the primary prey items of at least some of the feeding aggregations. Reasons for this recent novel behaviour pattern remain speculative, but may relate to increasing summer humpback whale abundance in the region. These novel, predictable, inter-annual, low latitude feeding events

  20. Risk of low bone mineral density and low body mass index in patients with non-celiac wheat-sensitivity: a prospective observation study.

    PubMed

    Carroccio, Antonio; Soresi, Maurizio; D'Alcamo, Alberto; Sciumè, Carmelo; Iacono, Giuseppe; Geraci, Girolamo; Brusca, Ignazio; Seidita, Aurelio; Adragna, Floriana; Carta, Miriam; Mansueto, Pasquale

    2014-11-28

    Non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS) or 'wheat sensitivity' (NCWS) is included in the spectrum of gluten-related disorders. No data are available on the prevalence of low bone mass density (BMD) in NCWS. Our study aims to evaluate the prevalence of low BMD in NCWS patients and search for correlations with other clinical characteristics. This prospective observation study included 75 NCWS patients (63 women; median age 36 years) with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)-like symptoms, 65 IBS and 50 celiac controls. Patients were recruited at two Internal Medicine Departments. Elimination diet and double-blind placebo controlled (DBPC) wheat challenge proved the NCWS diagnosis. All subjects underwent BMD assessment by Dual Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry (DXA), duodenal histology, HLA DQ typing, body mass index (BMI) evaluation and assessment for daily calcium intake. DBPC cow's milk proteins challenge showed that 30 of the 75 NCWS patients suffered from multiple food sensitivity. Osteopenia and osteoporosis frequency increased from IBS to NCWS and to celiac disease (CD) (P <0.0001). Thirty-five NCWS patients (46.6%) showed osteopenia or osteoporosis. Low BMD was related to low BMI and multiple food sensitivity. Values of daily dietary calcium intake in NCWS patients were significantly lower than in IBS controls. An elevated frequency of bone mass loss in NCWS patients was found; this was related to low BMI and was more frequent in patients with NCWS associated with other food sensitivity. A low daily intake of dietary calcium was observed in patients with NCWS.