We have performed H and K sub(s) band observations of the planetary system around HR 8799 using the new AO system at the Large Binocular Telescope and the PISCES Camera. The excellent instrument ...performance (Strehl ratios up to 80% in H band) enabled the detection of the innermost planet, HR 8799e, at H band for the first time. The H and K sub(s) magnitudes of HR 8799e are similar to those of planets c and d, with planet e being slightly brighter. Therefore, HR 8799e is likely slightly more massive than c and d. We also explored possible orbital configurations and their orbital stability. We confirm that the orbits of planets b, c and e are consistent with being circular and coplanar; planet d should have either an orbital eccentricity of about 0.1 or be non-coplanar with respect to b and c. Planet e can not be in circular and coplanar orbit in a 4:2:1 mean motion resonances with c and d, while coplanar and circular orbits are allowed for a 5:2 resonance. The analysis of dynamical stability shows that the system is highly unstable or chaotic when planetary masses of about 5 M sub(J) for b and 7 M sub(J) for the other planets are adopted. Significant regions of dynamical stability for timescales of tens of Myr are found when adopting planetary masses of about 3.5, 5, 5, and 5 M sub(J) for HR 8799b, c, d, and e respectively. These masses are below the current estimates based on the stellar age (30 Myr) and theoretical models of substellar objects.
The new 8.4 m LBT adaptive secondary AO system, with its novel pyramid wavefront sensor, was used to produce very high Strehl (> ~75% at 2.16 mu m) near-infrared narrowband (Br gamma : 2.16 mu m and ...FeII: 1.64 mu m) images of 47 young (~1 Myr) Orion Trapezium theta super(1) Ori cluster members. The inner ~41 x 53" of the cluster was imaged at spatial resolutions of ~0".050 (at 1.64 mu m). A combination of high spatial resolution and high S/N yielded relative binary positions to ~0.5 mas accuracies. Including previous speckle data, we analyze a 15 year baseline of high-resolution observations of this cluster. We are now sensitive to relative proper motions of just ~0.3 mas yr super(-1) (0.6 km s super(-1) at 450 pc); this is a ~7 x improvement in orbital velocity accuracy compared to previous efforts. We now detect clear orbital motions in the theta super(1) Ori B sub(2)B sub(3) system of 4.9 + or - 0.3 km s super(-1) and 7.2 + or - 0.8 km s super(-1) in the theta super(1) Ori A sub(1)A sub(2) system (with correlations of P.A. versus time at >99% confidence). All five members of the theta super(1) Ori B system appear likely a gravitationally bound "mini-cluster." The very lowest mass member of the theta super(1) Ori B system (B sub(4); mass ~0.2 M sub(middot in circle)) has, for the first time, a clearly detected motion (at 4.3 + or - 2.0 km s super(-1); correlation = 99.7%) w.r.t. B sub(1). However, B sub(4) is most likely in a long-term unstable (non-hierarchical) orbit and may "soon" be ejected from this "mini-cluster." This "ejection" process could play a major role in the formation of low-mass stars and brown dwarfs.
It is shown that the main component of living matter, namely liquid water, is not an ensemble of independent molecules but an ensemble of phase correlated molecules kept in tune by an electromagnetic ...(e.m) field trapped in the ensemble. This field and the correlated potential govern the interaction among biomolecules suspended in water and are in turn affected by the chemical interactions of molecules. In particular, the phase of the coherent fields appears to play an important role in this dynamics. Recent experiments reported by the Montagnier group seem to corroborate this theory. Some features of the dynamics of human organisms, as reported by psychotherapy, holistic medicine and Eastern traditions, are analyzed in this frame and could find a rationale in this context.
NICS (the Near Infrared Camera Spectrometer) is a cooled near-infrared camera-spectrometer that has been developed by the Arcetri Infrared Group at the Arcetri Astrophysical Observatory, in ...collaboration with the CAISMI-CNR for the TNG (the Italian National Telescope Galileo at La Palma, Canary Islands, Spain). As NICS is in its scientific commissioning phase, we report its observing capabilities in the near-infrared bands at the TNG, along with the measured performance and the limiting magnitudes. We also describe some technical details of the project, such as cryogenics, mechanics, and the system which executes data acquisition and control, along with the related software.
We have performed H and KS band observations of the planetary system around HR 8799 using the new AO system at the Large Binocular Telescope and the PISCES Camera. The excellent instrument ...performance (Strehl ratios up to 80% in H band) enabled the detection of the innermost planet, HR 8799e, at H band for the first time. The H and KS magnitudes of HR 8799e are similar to those of planets c and d, with planet e being slightly brighter. Therefore, HR 8799e is likely slightly more massive than c and d. We also explored possible orbital configurations and their orbital stability. We confirm that the orbits of planets b, c and e are consistent with being circular and coplanar; planet d should have either an orbital eccentricity of about 0.1 or be non-coplanar with respect to b and c. Planet e can not be in circular and coplanar orbit in a 4:2:1 mean motion resonances with c and d, while coplanar and circular orbits are allowed for a 5:2 resonance. The analysis of dynamical stability shows that the system is highly unstable or chaotic when planetary masses of about 5 MJ for b and 7 MJ for the other planets are adopted. Significant regions of dynamical stability for timescales of tens of Myr are found when adopting planetary masses of about 3.5, 5, 5, and 5 MJ for HR 8799b, c, d, and e respectively. These masses are below the current estimates based on the stellar age (30 Myr) and theoretical models of substellar objects.
We examine mid- to late Holocene centennial-scale climate variability in Ireland using proxy data from peatlands, lakes and a speleothem. A high degree of between-record variability is apparent in ...the proxy data and significant chronological uncertainties are present. However, tephra layers provide a robust tool for correlation and improve the chronological precision of the records. Although we can find no statistically significant coherence in the dataset as a whole, a selection of high-quality peatland water table reconstructions co-vary more than would be expected by chance alone. A locally weighted regression model with bootstrapping can be used to construct a ‘best-estimate’ palaeoclimatic reconstruction from these datasets. Visual comparison and cross-wavelet analysis of peatland water table compilations from Ireland and Northern Britain show that there are some periods of coherence between these records. Some terrestrial palaeoclimatic changes in Ireland appear to coincide with changes in the North Atlantic thermohaline circulation and solar activity. However, these relationships are inconsistent and may be obscured by chronological uncertainties. We conclude by suggesting an agenda for future Holocene climate research in Ireland.
We report a case of drain-site tumour recurrence 2 years after right colon resection for adenocarcinoma of the ascending colon. A large number of case reports concerning port-site tumour recurrences ...after laparoscopic procedures have been reported. However, post-laparotomy incision site cancer recurrence is considered a rare occurrence.
We report 0.9-1.4 μm spectroscopic observations of NGC 1068 collected during the commissioning phase of the near infrared camera spectrometer (NICS) of the Telescopio Nazionale Galileo (TNG). These ...yielded the first extragalactic measurement of P$ $II (1.188 μm) line emission. In the central $0.75\arcsec\times2\arcsec$ the Fe$ $II / P$ $II line-intensity ratio is close to unity, similar to that measured in the Orion bar and a factor of $\la$20 smaller than in supernova remnants. This indicates that most of iron is locked into grains and, therefore, argues against shock excitation being the primary origin of Fe$ $II line emission in the central regions of NGC 1068. We propose the Fe$ $II / P$ $II ratio as a simple and effective tool to study and perhaps resolve the long debated questions related to the origin of Fe$ $II line emission and, more generally, to constrain the role of shock excitation in active galaxies.
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