10864718
Echelle spectroscopy of Ca II HK activity in Southern Hemisphere planet search targets
We present the results of ultraviolet echelle spectroscopy of a sample of fifty nine F,G,K and M stars from the Anglo-Australian Planet Search target list. Ca II activity indices, which are essential in the interpretation of planet detection claims, have been
16852132
The discovery of an M4+T8.5 binary system
The original article can be found at: http://www3.interscience.wiley.com Copyright Blackwell Publishing / Royal Astronomical Society. DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2966.2009.14620.x
67841979
Carbon monoxide in low-mass dwarf stars
We compare high resolution infrared observations of the CO 3-1 bands in the 2.297– 2.310 µm region of M dwarfs and one L dwarf with theoretical expectations. We find a good match between the observational and synthetic spectra throughout the 20003500K temperature regime investigated. Nonetheless, for the 2500-3500 K temperature range the temperatures that we derive from synthetic spectral fits are higher than expected from more empirical methods by several hundred K. In order to reconcile our findings with the empirical temperature scale it is necessary to invoke warming of the model atmosphere used to construct the synthetic spectra. We consider that the most likely reason for the back-warming is missing high temperature opacity due to water vapour. We compare the water vapour opacity of the Partridge & Schwenke (1997) line list used for the model atmosphere with the output from a preliminary calculation by Barber & Tennyson (2004). While the Partridge & Schwenke line list is a reasonable spectroscopic match for the new line list at 2000 K, by 4000 K it is missing around 25% of the water vapour opacity. We thus consider that the offset between empirical and synthetic temperature scales is explained by the lack of hot water vapour used for computation of the synthetic spectra. For our coolest objects with temperatures below 2500 K we find best fits when using synthetic spectra which include dust emission. Our spectra also allow us to constrain the rotational velocities of our sources, and these velocities are consistent with the broad trend of rotational velocities increasing from M to L.
7248338
Selection functions in doppler planet searches
We present a preliminary analysis of the sensitivity of Anglo-Australian Planet Search data to the orbital parameters of extrasolar planets. To do so, we have developed new tools for the automatic analysis of large-scale simulations of Doppler velocity planet search data. One of these tools is the two-dimensional Keplerian Lomb-Scargle (LS) periodogram that enables the straightforward detection of exoplanets with high eccentricities (something the standard LS periodogram routinely fails to do). We used this technique to redetermine the orbital parameters of HD20782b, with one of the highest known exoplanet eccentricities (e = 0.97 +/- 0.01). We also derive a set of detection criteria that do not depend on the distribution functions of fitted Keplerian orbital parameters (which we show are non-Gaussian with pronounced, extended wings). Using these tools, we examine the selection functions in orbital period, eccentricity and planet mass of Anglo-Australian Planet Search data for three planets with large-scale Monte Carlo like simulations. We find that the detectability of exoplanets declines at high eccentricities. However, we also find that exoplanet detectability is a strong function of epoch-to-epoch data quality, number of observations and period sampling. This strongly suggests that simple parametrizations of the detectability of exoplanets based on `whole-of-survey' metrics may not be accurate. We have derived empirical relationships between the uncertainty estimates for orbital parameters that are derived from least-squares Keplerian fits to our simulations and the true 99 per cent limits for the errors in those parameters, which are larger than equivalent Gaussian limits by the factors of 5-10. We quantify the rate at which false positives are made by our detection criteria, and find that they do not significantly affect our final conclusions. And finally, we find that there is a bias against measuring near-zero eccentricities, which becomes more significant in
16341718
A Neptune-mass Planet Orbiting the Nearby G Dwarf HD 16417
Original article can be found at: http://www.iop.org/EJ/journal/1538-3881 Copyright IOP Publishing / American Astronomical Society. DOI: 10.1088/0004-637X/697/2/1263 [Full text of this article is not available in the UHRA]
7184822
PARALLAXES OF SOUTHERN EXTREMELY COOL OBJECTS. I. TARGETS, PROPER MOTIONS, AND FIRST RESULTS
We present results from the PARallaxes of Southern Extremely Cool objects (PARSEC) program, an observational program begun in 2007 April to determine parallaxes for 122 L and 28 T southern hemisphere dwarfs using the Wide Field Imager on the ESO 2.2 m telescope. The results presented here include parallaxes of 10 targets from observations over 18 months and a first version proper motion catalog. The proper motions were obtained by combining PARSEC observations astrometrically reduced with respect to the Second US Naval Observatory CCD Astrograph Catalog, and the Two Micron All Sky Survey Point Source Catalog. The resulting median proper motion precision is 5 mas yr–1 for 195,700 sources. The 140 0.3 deg2 fields sample the southern hemisphere in an unbiased fashion with the exception of the galactic plane due to the small number of targets in that region. The proper motion distributions are shown to be statistically well behaved. External comparisons are also fully consistent. We will continue to update this catalog until the end of the program, and we plan to improve it including also observations from the GSC2.3 database. We present preliminary parallaxes with a 4.2 mas median precision for 10 brown dwarfs, two of which are within 10 pc. These increase the present number of L dwarfs by 20% with published parallaxes. Of the 10 targets, seven have been previously discussed in the literature: two were thought to be binary, but the PARSEC observations show them to be single; one has been confirmed as a binary companion and another has been found to be part of a binary system, both of which will make good benchmark systems. These results confirm that the foreseen precision of PARSEC can be achieved and that the large field of view will allow us to identify wide binary systems. Observations for the PARSEC program will end in early 2011 providing three to four years of coverage for all targets. The main expected outputs are: more than a 100% increase in the number of L dwarfs with parallaxes, increment in the number of objects per spectral subclass up to L9—in conjunction with published results—to at least 10, and to put sensible limits on the general binary fraction of brown dwarfs. We aim to contribute significantly to the understanding of the faint end of the H-R diagram and of the L/T transition region.
119127602
WKB Analysis of PT-Symmetric Sturm-Liouville problems. II
In a previous paper it was shown that a one-turning-point WKB approximation gives an accurate picture of the spectrum of certain non-Hermitian PT -symmetric Hamiltonians on a finite interval with Dirichlet boundary conditions. Potentials to which this analysis applies include the linear potential V = igx and the sinusoidal potential V = ig sin(αx). However, the one-turning-point analysis fails to give the full structure of the spectrum for the cubic potential V = igx, and in particular it fails to reproduce the critical points at which two real eigenvalues merge and become a complex-conjugate pair. The present paper extends the method to cases where the WKB path goes through a pair of turning points. The extended method gives an extremely accurate approximation to the spectrum of V = igx, and more generally it works for potentials of the form V = igx2N+1. When applied to potentials with half-integral powers of x, the method again works well for one sign of the coupling, namely that for which the turning points lie on the first sheet in the lower-half plane.
46321890
Complex square well - a new exactly solvable quantum mechanical model
Recently, a class ofPT -invariant quantum mechanical models described by the non- Hermitian HamiltonianHDp2 +x2.ix/ was studied. It was found that the energy levels for this theory are real for all > 0. Here, the limit as !1is examined. It is shown that in this limit, the theory becomes exactly solvable. A generalization of this Hamiltonian, H D p 2 +x 2M.ix/ (MD 1;2;3;:::) is also studied, and thisPT -symmetric Hamiltonian becomes exactly solvable in the large- limit as well. In effect, what is obtained in each case is a complex analogue of the Hamiltonian for the square-well potential. Expansions about the large- limit are obtained.
121261886
On the equivalence between the impact parameter and transverse momentum space formalisms for the Drell-Yan process
Makes extensive use of the Mellin transform technique to effect the Fourier-Bessel transformation between the impact parameter and transverse momentum space formulations of the Drell-Yan process for qT2<<q2, thereby demonstrating the complete equivalence between the two schemes.
7825974
Quantum dynamics of the slow rollover transition in the linear delta expansion
We apply the linear delta expansion to the quantum mechanical version of the slow rollover transition which is the principal feature of inflationary models of the early Universe. The method, which goes beyond the Gaussian approximation, gives results which stay close to the exact solution for longer than previous methods. It provides a promising basis for extension to a full field theoretic treatment.
122803009
Gauge invariance and covariant Reggeization
SummaryBy the use of gauge-invariant couplings the formalism of covariant Reggeization is extended to deal with processes involving photons. Particular attention is paid to pion photoproduction, where Reggeized pion and nucleon exchange are shown to connect smoothly on to the elementary exchanges both from the form of the vertex couplings and form their respective contributions to the invariant amplitudes. In the latter approach the double-pole structure of the Coulomb Born terms is correctly reproduced. Pion Compton scattering is also studied as an archetypal two-photon process: here the problem of Pomeron Reggeization is similarly resolved. The Froissart-Gribov continuation is briefly discussed, as is the forward peak in π+ photoproduction.RiassuntoUsando gli accoppiamenti di invarianti di gauge si estende il formalismo della reggeizzazione covariante a trattare processi che coinvolgono i fotoni. Si dedica particolare attenzione alla fotoproduzione dei pioni, dimostrando che gli scambi reggeizzati del pione e del nucleone si raccordano agli scambi elementari sia per la forma degli accoppiamenti di vertice sia pei loro rispettivi contributi alle ampiezze invarianti. In quest'ultimo approccio si riproduce correttamente la struttura a poli doppi dei termini di Born coulombiani. Si studia anche lo scattering Compton del pione come un processo archetipo a due fotoni: in questo caso si risolve in modo analogo il problema della reggeizzazione del pomerone. Si discute brevemente la continuazione di Froissart-Gribov, come pure si discute il picco in avanti nella fotoproduzione del π+.РезюмеИспользуя калибровочно инвариантные связи, формлизм ковариантной реджеизации распространяется, чтобы рассмотреть процессы, включающие фотоны. Особенное внимание уделяется фоторождению пионов, где, как показывается, реджеизованный пионный и нуклонный обмен связаны плавно с элементарными обменами и из формы вершинных связей и из их сооттветствующих вкладов в инвариантные амплитуды. В последнем подходе корректно воспроизводится структура двойных полюсов кулоновских борновских членов. Также исследуется комптоновское рассеяние пионов, как архитипичный двух-фотонный процесс: где проблема реджеизации Померона разрешается аналогично. Вкратце обсуждается продолжение Фройссарта-Грибова, которое представляет пик вперед в π+ фоторождении.