A number of recent investigations have revealed that transverse waves are ubiquitous in the solar chromosphere. The vast majority of these have been reported in limb spicules and active region ...fibrils. We investigate long-lived, quiet-Sun, on-disk features such as chromospheric mottles (jet-like features located at the boundaries of supergranular cells) and their transverse motions. The observations were obtained with the Rapid Oscillations in the Solar Atmosphere instrument at the Dunn Solar Telescope. The data set is comprised of simultaneous imaging in the H alpha core, Ca II K, and G band of an on-disk quiet-Sun region. Time-distance techniques are used to study the characteristics of the transverse oscillations. We detect over 40 transverse oscillations in both bright and dark mottles, with periods ranging from 70 to 280 s, with the most frequent occurrence at ~165 s. The velocity amplitudes and transverse displacements exhibit characteristics similar to limb spicules. Neighboring mottles oscillating in-phase are also observed. The transverse oscillations of individual mottles are interpreted in terms of magnetohydrodynamic kink waves. Their estimated periods and damping times are consistent with phase mixing and resonant mode conversion.
We present high-cadence observations and simulations of the solar photosphere, obtained using the Rapid Oscillations in the Solar Atmosphere imaging system and the MuRAM magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) ...code, respectively. Each data set demonstrates a wealth of magnetoacoustic oscillatory behavior, visible as periodic intensity fluctuations with periods in the range 110-600 s. Almost no propagating waves with periods less than 140 s and 110 s are detected in the observational and simulated data sets, respectively. High concentrations of power are found in highly magnetized regions, such as magnetic bright points and intergranular lanes. Radiative diagnostics of the photospheric simulations replicate our observational results, confirming that the current breed of MHD simulations are able to accurately represent the lower solar atmosphere. All observed oscillations are generated as a result of naturally occurring magnetoconvective processes, with no specific input driver present. Using contribution functions extracted from our numerical simulations, we estimate minimum G-band and 4170 A continuum formation heights of 100 km and 25 km, respectively. Detected magnetoacoustic oscillations exhibit a dominant phase delay of -8 Degree-Sign between the G-band and 4170 A continuum observations, suggesting the presence of upwardly propagating waves. More than 73% of MBPs (73% from observations and 96% from simulations) display upwardly propagating wave phenomena, suggesting the abundant nature of oscillatory behavior detected higher in the solar atmosphere may be traced back to magnetoconvective processes occurring in the upper layers of the Sun's convection zone.
We report the discovery of WASP-3b, the third transiting exoplanet to be discovered by the WASP and SOPHIE collaboration. WASP-3b transits its host star USNO-B1.0 1256−0285133 every 1.846 834 ± 0.000 ...002 d. Our high-precision radial velocity measurements present a variation with amplitude characteristic of a planetary-mass companion and in phase with the light curve. Adaptive optics imaging shows no evidence for nearby stellar companions, and line-bisector analysis excludes faint, unresolved binarity and stellar activity as the cause of the radial velocity variations. We make a preliminary spectroscopic analysis of the host star and find it to have Teff= 6400 ± 100 K and log g= 4.25 ± 0.05 which suggests it is most likely an unevolved main-sequence star of spectral type F7-8V. Our simultaneous modelling of the transit photometry and reflex motion of the host leads us to derive a mass of 1.76+0.08−0.14MJ and radius 1.31+0.07−0.14RJ for WASP-3b. The proximity and relative temperature of the host star suggests that WASP-3b is one of the hottest exoplanets known, and thus has the potential to place stringent constraints on exoplanet atmospheric models.
The few genetically informative studies to examine post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and alcohol dependence (AD), all of which are based on a male veteran sample, suggest that the co-morbidity ...between PTSD and AD may be attributable in part to overlapping genetic influences, but this issue has yet to be addressed in females.MethodData were derived from an all-female twin sample (n=3768) ranging in age from 18 to 29 years. A trivariate genetic model that included trauma exposure as a separate phenotype was fitted to estimate genetic and environmental contributions to PTSD and the degree to which they overlap with those that contribute to AD, after accounting for potential confounding effects of heritable influences on trauma exposure.
Additive genetic influences (A) accounted for 72% of the variance in PTSD; individual-specific environmental (E) factors accounted for the remainder. An AE model also provided the best fit for AD, for which heritability was estimated to be 71%. The genetic correlation between PTSD and AD was 0.54.
The heritability estimate for PTSD in our sample is higher than estimates reported in earlier studies based almost exclusively on an all-male sample in which combat exposure was the precipitating traumatic event. However, our findings are consistent with the absence of evidence for shared environmental influences on PTSD and, most importantly, the substantial overlap in genetic influences on PTSD and AD reported in these investigations. Additional research addressing potential distinctions by gender in the relative contributions of genetic and environmental influences on PTSD is merited.
We present comprehensive photometric and spectroscopic observations of the faint transient SN 2008S discovered in the nearby galaxy NGC 6946. SN 2008S exhibited slow photometric evolution and almost ...no spectral variability during the first nine months, implying a long photon diffusion time and a high-density circumstellar medium. Its bolometric luminosity (≃1041 erg s−1 at peak) is low with respect to most core-collapse supernovae but is comparable to the faintest Type II-P events. Our quasi-bolometric light curve extends to 300 d and shows a tail phase decay rate consistent with that of 56Co. We propose that this is evidence for an explosion and formation of 56Ni (0.0014 ± 0.0003 M⊙). Spectra of SN 2008S show intense emission lines of Hα, Ca ii doublet and Ca ii near-infrared (NIR) triplet, all without obvious P-Cygni absorption troughs. The large mid-infrared (MIR) flux detected shortly after explosion can be explained by a light echo from pre-existing dust. The late NIR flux excess is plausibly due to a combination of warm newly formed ejecta dust together with shock-heated dust in the circumstellar environment. We reassess the progenitor object detected previously in Spitzer archive images, supplementing this discussion with a model of the MIR spectral energy distribution. This supports the idea of a dusty, optically thick shell around SN 2008S with an inner radius of nearly 90 au and outer radius of 450 au, and an inferred heating source of 3000 K. The luminosity of the central star is L≃ 104.6 L⊙. All the nearby progenitor dust was likely evaporated in the explosion leaving only the much older dust lying further out in the circumstellar environment. The combination of our long-term multiwavelength monitoring data and the evidence from the progenitor analysis leads us to support the scenario of a weak electron-capture supernova explosion in a super-asymptotic giant branch progenitor star (of initial mass 6–8 M⊙) embedded within a thick circumstellar gaseous envelope. We suggest that all of main properties of the electron-capture SN phenomenon are observed in SN 2008S and future observations may allow a definitive answer.
Aims. We study the formation and evolution of a failed filament eruption observed in NOAA active region 11121 near the southeast limb on November 6, 2010. Methods. We used a time series of SDO/AIA ...304, 171, 131, 193, 335, and 94 Å images, SDO/HMI magnetograms, as well as ROSA and ISOON Hα images to study the erupting active region. Results. We identify coronal loop arcades associated with a quadrupolar magnetic configuration, and show that the expansion and cancellation of the central loop arcade system over the filament is followed by the eruption of the filament. The erupting filament reveals a clear helical twist and develops the same sign of writhe in the form of inverse γ-shape. Conclusions. The observations support the “magnetic breakout” process in which the eruption is triggered by quadrupolar reconnection in the corona. We propose that the formation mechanism of the inverse γ-shape flux rope is the magnetohydrodynamic helical kink instability. The eruption has failed because of the large-scale, closed, overlying magnetic loop arcade that encloses the active region.
A new application of wavelet analysis is presented that utilizes the inherent phase information residing within the complex Morlet transform. The technique is applied to a weak solar magnetic network ...region, and the temporal variation of phase difference between TRACE 1700 AA and SOHO/SUMER C II 1037 AA intensities is shown. We present, for the first time in an astrophysical setting, the application of wavelet phase coherence, including a comparison between two methods of testing real wavelet phase coherence against that of noise. The example highlights the advantage of wavelet analysis over more classical techniques, such as Fourier analysis, and the effectiveness of the former to identify wave packets of similar frequencies but with differing phase relations is emphasized. Using cotemporal, ground-based Advanced Stokes Polarimeter measurements, changes in the observed phase differences are shown to result from alterations in the magnetic topology.
Impulsively generated short-period fast magneto-acoustic wave trains, guided by solar and stellar coronal loops, are numerically modelled. In the developed stage of the evolution, the wave trains ...have a characteristic quasi-periodic signature. The quasi-periodicity results from the geometrical dispersion of the guided fast modes, determined by the transverse profile of the loop. A typical feature of the signature is a tadpole wavelet spectrum: a narrow-spectrum tail precedes a broad-band head. The instantaneous period of the oscillations in the wave train decreases gradually with time. The period and the spectral amplitude evolution are shown to be determined by the steepness of the transverse density profile and the density contrast ratio in the loop. The propagating wave trains recently discovered with the Solar Eclipse Coronal Imaging System (SECIS) instrument are noted to have similar wavelet spectral features, which strengthens the interpretation of SECIS results as guided fast wave trains.
The large and small-scale (pc) structure of the Galactic interstellar medium can be investigated by utilizing spectra of early-type stellar probes of known distances in the same region of the sky. ...This paper determines the variation in line strength of Call at 3933.661 Aring as a function of probe separation for a large sample of stars, including a number of sight-lines in the Magellanic Clouds. FLAMES-GIRAFFE data taken with the Very Large Telescope towards early-type stars in 3 Galactic and 4 Magellanic open clusters in Call are used to obtain the velocity, equivalent width, column density, and line width of interstellar Galactic calcium for a total of 657 stars, of which 443 are Magellanic Cloud sight-lines. In each cluster there are between 43 and 111 stars observed. For the four Magellanic clusters studied with FLAMES, the strength of the Galactic interstellar Call K equivalent width on transverse scales from ~O.O5-9 pc is found to vary by factors of ~1.8-3.0, corresponding to column density variations of ~0.3-O.5 dex in the optically-thin approximation.
Some of the first results are reported from RISE – a new fast camera mounted on the Liverpool Telescope primarily designed to obtain high time-resolution light curves of transiting extrasolar planets ...for the purpose of transit timing. A full and partial transit of WASP-3 are presented, and a Markov-Chain Monte Carlo analysis is used to update the parameters from the discovery paper. This results in a planetary radius of $1.29^{\rm +0.05}_{-0.12}$ RJ and therefore a density of $0.82^{+0.14}_{-0.09}~{\rho}_J$, consistent with previous results. The inclination is $85.06^{\rm +0.16}_{-0.15}$ deg, in agreement (but with a significant improvement in the precision) with the previously determined value. Central transit times are found to be consistent with the ephemeris given in the discovery paper; however, a new ephemeris calculated using the longer baseline results in Tc(0) = 2 454 605.55915 ± 0.00023 HJD and P = 1.846835 ± 0.000002 days.
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