Table of contents

We present new astrometric measurements from our ongoing monitoring campaign of the HR 8799 directly imaged planetary system. These new data points were obtained with NIRC2 on the W.M. Keck II 10 m telescope between 2009 and 2014. In addition, we present updated astrometry from previously published observations in 2007 and 2008. All data were reduced using the SOSIE algorithm, which accounts for systematic biases present in previously published observations. This allows us to construct a self-consistent data set derived entirely from NIRC2 data alone. From this data set, we detect acceleration for two of the planets (HR 8799b and e) at >3σ. We also assess possible orbital parameters for each of the four planets independently. We find no statistically significant difference in the allowed inclinations of the planets. Fitting the astrometry while forcing coplanarity also returns χ² consistent to within 1σ of the best fit values, suggesting that if inclination offsets of ≲20° are present, they are not detectable with current data. Our orbital fits also favor low eccentricities, consistent with predictions from dynamical modeling. We also find period distributions consistent to within 1σ with a 1:2:4:8 resonance between all planets. This analysis demonstrates the importance of minimizing astrometric systematics when fitting for solutions to highly undersampled orbits.

We present an analysis of a new detached eclipsing binary, OGLE-LMC-ECL-25658, in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). The system consists of two late G-type giant stars on an eccentric orbit with an orbital period of ∼200 days. The system shows total eclipses and the components have similar temperatures, making it ideal for a precise distance determination. Using multi-color photometric and high resolution spectroscopic data, we have performed an analysis of light and radial velocity curves simultaneously using the Wilson–Devinney code. We derived orbital and physical parameters of the binary with a high precision of $\lt 1$%. The masses and surface metallicities of the components are virtually the same and equal to $2.23\pm 0.02\;{M}_{\odot }$ and $[\mathrm{Fe}/{\rm{H}}]\;=\;-0.63\pm 0.10$ dex. However, their radii and rates of rotation show a distinct trace of differential stellar evolution. The distance to the system was calculated using an infrared calibration between V-band surface brightness and (V–K) color, leading to a distance modulus of $(m-M)\;=\;18.452\pm 0.023$ (statistical) ± 0.046 (systematic). Because OGLE-LMC-ECL-25658 is located relatively far from the LMC barycenter, we applied a geometrical correction for its position in the LMC disk using the van der Marel et al. model of the LMC. The resulting barycenter distance to the galaxy is ${d}_{{\rm{LMC}}}\;=\;50.30\pm 0.53$ (stat.) kpc, and is in perfect agreement with the earlier result of Pietrzyński et al.

Neutral hydrogen (Hi) provides a very important fuel for star formation, but is difficult to detect at high redshift due to weak emission, limited sensitivity of modern instruments, and terrestrial radio frequency interference (RFI) at low frequencies. We report the first attempt to use gravitational lensing to detect Hi line emission from three gravitationally lensed galaxies behind the cluster Abell 773, two at redshifts of 0.398 and one at z = 0.487, using the Green Bank Telescope. We find that a 3σ upper limit for a galaxy with a rotation velocity of 200 km s⁻¹ is M_{H i} = 6.58 × 10⁹ and 1.5 × 10¹⁰M_⊙ at z = 0.398 and z = 0.487. The estimated Hi masses of the sources at z = 0.398 and z = 0.487 are factors of 3.7 and ∼30 times lower than our detection limits at the respective redshifts. To facilitate these observations we have used sigma-clipping to remove both narrow- and wideband RFI but retain the signal from the source. We are able to reduce the noise of the spectrum by ∼25% using our routine instead of discarding observations with too much RFI. The routine is most effective when ∼10% of the integrations or fewer contain RFI. These techniques can be used to study Hi in highly magnified distant galaxies that are otherwise too faint to detect.

On the basis of the Galactic O Star Spectroscopic Survey (GOSSS), we present a detailed systematic investigation of the O Vz stars. The currently used spectral classification criteria are rediscussed, and the Vz phenomenon is recalibrated through the addition of a quantitative criterion based on the equivalent widths of the He iλ4471, He iiλ4542, and He iiλ4686 spectral lines. The GOSSS O Vz and O V populations resulting from the newly adopted spectral classification criteria are comparatively analyzed. The locations of the O Vz stars are probed, showing a concentration of the most extreme cases toward the youngest star-forming regions. The occurrence of the Vz spectral peculiarity in a solar-metallicity environment, as predicted by the fastwind code, is also investigated, confirming the importance of taking into account several processes for the correct interpretation of the phenomenon.

We describe and constrain the origins of interstellar medium (ISM) structures likely created by ongoing intracluster medium (ICM) ram pressure stripping in two Virgo Cluster spirals, NGC 4522 and NGC 4402, using Hubble Space Telescope (HST) BVI images of dust extinction and stars, as well as supplementary H i, Hα, and radio continuum images. With a spatial resolution of ∼10 pc in the HST images, this is the highest-resolution study to date of the physical processes that occur during an ICM–ISM ram pressure stripping interaction, ram pressure stripping's effects on the multi-phase, multi-density ISM, and the formation and evolution of ram-pressure-stripped tails. In dust extinction, we view the leading side of NGC 4402 and the trailing side of NGC 4522, and so we see distinct types of features in both. In both galaxies, we identify some regions where dense clouds are decoupling or have decoupled and others where it appears that kiloparsec-sized sections of the ISM are moving coherently. NGC 4522 has experienced stronger, more recent pressure and has the "jellyfish" morphology characteristic of some ram-pressure-stripped galaxies. Its stripped tail extends up from the disk plane in continuous upturns of dust and stars curving up to ∼2 kpc above the disk plane. On the other side of the galaxy, there is a kinematically and morphologically distinct extraplanar arm of young, blue stars and ISM above a mostly stripped portion of the disk, and between it and the disk plane are decoupled dust clouds that have not been completely stripped. The leading side of NGC 4402 contains two kiloparsec-scale linear dust filaments with complex substructure that have partially decoupled from the surrounding ISM. NGC 4402 also contains long dust ridges, suggesting that large parts of the ISM are being pushed out at once. Both galaxies contain long ridges of polarized radio continuum emission indicating the presence of large-scale, ordered magnetic fields. We propose that magnetic fields could bind together gas of different densities, causing nearby gas of different densities to be stripped at the same rate and creating the large, coherent dust ridges and upturns. A number of factors likely play roles in determining what types of structures form as a result of ram pressure, including ram pressure strength and history, the location within the galaxy relative to the leading side, and pre-existing substructure in the ISM that may be bound together by magnetic fields during stripping.

In this paper, we present a combined photometric, spectroscopic, and orbital period study of three early-type eclipsing binary systems: XZ Aql, UX Her, and AT Peg. As a result, we have derived the absolute parameters of their components and, on that basis, we discuss their evolutionary states. Furthermore, we compare their parameters with those of other binary systems and with theoretical models. An analysis of all available up-to-date times of minima indicated that all three systems studied here show cyclic orbital changes; their origin is discussed in detail. Finally, we performed a frequency analysis for possible pulsational behavior, and as a result we suggest that XZ Aql hosts a δ Scuti component.

We explore the photometrically variable central stars of the planetary nebulae HaTr 4 and Hf 2-2. Both have been classified as close binary star systems previously based on their light curves alone. Here, we present additional arguments and data confirming the identification of both as close binaries with an irradiated cool companion to the hot central star. We include updated light curves, orbital periods, and preliminary binary modeling for both systems. We also identify for the first time the central star of HaTr 4 as an eclipsing binary. Neither system has been well studied in the past, but we utilize the small amount of existing data to limit possible binary parameters, including system inclination. These parameters are then compared to nebular parameters to further our knowledge of the relationship between binary central stars of planetary nebulae and nebular shaping and ejection.

We present an expression of the external gravitational field of a general ring-like object with axial and plane symmetries such as oval toroids or annular disks with an arbitrary density distribution. The main term is the gravitational field of a uniform, infinitely thin ring representing the limit of zero radial width and zero vertical height of the object. The additional term is derived from a zonal toroidal harmonic expansion of a general solution of Laplace's equation outside the Brillouin toroid of the object. The special functions required are the point value and the first-order derivative of the zonal toroidal harmonics of the first kind, namely, the Legendre function of the first kind of half integer degree and an argument that is not less than unity. We developed a recursive method to compute them from two pairs of seed values explicitly expressed by some complete elliptic integrals. Numerical experiments show that appropriately truncated expansions converge rapidly outside the Brillouin toroid. The truncated expansion can be evaluated so efficiently that, for an oval toroid with an exponentially damping density profile, it is 3000–10,000 times faster than the two-dimensional numerical quadrature. A group of the Fortran 90 programs required in the new method and their sample outputs are available electronically.

We present a catalog of low-mass dense cores observed with the SHARC-II instrument at 350 μm. Our observations have an effective angular resolution of 10'', approximately 2.5 times higher than observations at the same wavelength obtained with the Herschel Space Observatory, albeit with lower sensitivity, especially to extended emission. The catalog includes 81 maps covering a total of 164 detected sources. For each detected source, we tabulate basic source properties including position, peak intensity, flux density in fixed apertures, and radius. We examine the uncertainties in the pointing model applied to all SHARC-II data and conservatively find that the model corrections are good to within ∼3'', approximately 1/3 of the SHARC-II beam. We examine the differences between two array scan modes and find that the instrument calibration, beam size, and beam shape are similar between the two modes. We also show that the same flux densities are measured when sources are observed in the two different modes, indicating that there are no systematic effects introduced into our catalog by utilizing two different scan patterns during the course of taking observations. We find a detection rate of 95% for protostellar cores but only 45% for starless cores, and demonstrate the existence of a SHARC-II detection bias against all but the most massive and compact starless cores. Finally, we discuss the improvements in protostellar classification enabled by these 350 μm observations.

We present the first phase-resolved ultraviolet spectroscopy of two polar systems, BL Hyi and EF Eri, in high and intermediate states from the International Ultraviolet Explorer (IUE) during the periods between 1982–1995 and 1979–1991, respectively. The flux curves for the C iv and He ii emission lines for both systems showing variations in their fluxes at different orbital phases are presented. The emission lines are produced in the accretion stream. The reddening for the two polars is found to be 0.00. Our results show that there are variations of the line fluxes with time, similar to the light curves found for both BL Hyi and EF Eri in the optical, infrared, ultraviolet, and X-ray bands. IUE observations support a radiative shock model of BL Hyi with the heating of matter by radiation from the accretion shock and cooling by the electrons scattering off ultraviolet photons from the surface of the white dwarf. EF Eri observations support a two-temperature white dwarf model producing sufficient ultraviolet flux for orbital modulations.

We present near-IR images of five luminous quasars at z ∼ 2 and one at z ∼ 4 obtained with an experimental adaptive optics (AO) instrument at the European Southern Observatory Very Large Telescope. The observations are part of a program aimed at demonstrating the capabilities of multi-conjugated adaptive optics imaging combined with the use of natural guide stars for high spatial resolution studies on large telescopes. The observations were mostly obtained under poor seeing conditions but in two cases. In spite of these nonoptimal conditions, the resulting images of point sources have cores of FWHM ∼ 0.2 arcsec. We are able to characterize the host galaxy properties for two sources and set stringent upper limits to the galaxy luminosity for the others. We also report on the expected capabilities for investigating the host galaxies of distant quasars with AO systems coupled with future Extremely Large Telescopes. Detailed simulations show that it will be possible to characterize compact (2–3 kpc) quasar host galaxies for quasi-stellar objects at z = 2 with nucleus K-magnitude spanning from 15 to 20 (corresponding to absolute magnitude −31 to −26) and host galaxies that are 4 mag fainter than their nuclei.

The orbital evolution of the giant planets after nebular gas was eliminated from the Solar System but before the planets reached their final configuration was driven by interactions with a vast sea of leftover planetesimals. Several variants of planetary migration with this kind of system architecture have been proposed. Here, we focus on a highly successful case, which assumes that there were once five planets in the outer Solar System in a stable configuration: Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and a Neptune-like body. Beyond these planets existed a primordial disk containing thousands of Pluto-sized bodies, ∼50 million D > 100 km bodies, and a multitude of smaller bodies. This system eventually went through a dynamical instability that scattered the planetesimals and allowed the planets to encounter one another. The extra Neptune-like body was ejected via a Jupiter encounter, but not before it helped to populate stable niches with disk planetesimals across the Solar System. Here, we investigate how interactions between the fifth giant planet, Jupiter, and disk planetesimals helped to capture disk planetesimals into both the asteroid belt and first-order mean-motion resonances with Jupiter. Using numerical simulations, we find that our model produces the right proportion of P- and D-type asteroids in the inner, central, and outer main belt, while also populating the Hilda and Thule regions in Jupiter's 3/2 and 4/3 resonances. Moreover, the largest observed P/D types in each sub-population are an excellent fit to our captured population results (within uncertainties). The model produces a factor of ∼10 overabundance of diameter D > 10 km P/D types in the main belt, but this mismatch can likely be explained by various removal mechanisms (e.g., collision evolution over 4 Gyr, dynamical losses via Yarkovsky thermal forces over 4 Gyr, thermal destruction of the planetesimals en route to the inner solar system). Overall, our instability model provides a more satisfying match to constraints than that of Levison et al., and it provides us with strong supporting evidence that the five giant planet instability model is reasonable. Our results lead us to predict that D-type asteroids found in the near-Earth object population on low delta-V orbits with Earth are the surviving relics from the same source population that now make up the Kuiper Belt, the irregular satellites, and the Jupiter Trojans. The singular Tagish Lake meteorite, a primitive sample unlike other carbonaceous chondrite meteorites, is likely a fragment from a D-type asteroid implanted into the inner main belt. This would effectively make it the first known hand sample with the same composition as Kuiper Belt objects.

Binary stars and higher-order multiple systems are a ubiquitous outcome of star formation, especially as the system mass increases. The companion mass-ratio distribution is a unique probe into the conditions of the collapsing cloud core and circumstellar disk(s) of the binary fragments. Inside $a\sim 1000\,{\rm{A}}{\rm{U}}$ the disks from the two forming stars can interact, and additionally companions can form directly through disk fragmentation. We should, therefore, expect the mass-ratio distribution of close companions ($a\lesssim 100$ AU) to differ from that of wide companions. This prediction is difficult to test using traditional methods, in particular, with intermediate-mass primary stars, for a variety of observational reasons. We present the results of a survey searching for companions to A- and B-type stars using the direct spectral detection method, which is sensitive to late-type companions within $\sim 1^{\prime\prime}$ of the primary and which has no inner working angle. We estimate the temperatures and surface gravity of most of the 341 sample stars and derive their masses and ages. We additionally estimate the temperatures and masses of the 64 companions we find, 23 of which are new detections. We find that the mass-ratio distribution for our sample has a maximum near $q\sim 0.3$. Our mass-ratio distribution has a very different form than in previous works, where it is usually well-described by a power law, and indicates that close companions to intermediate-mass stars experience significantly different accretion histories or formation mechanisms than wide companions.

In this brief communication we provide the rationale for and the outcome of the International Astronomical Union (IAU) resolution vote at the XXIXth General Assembly in Honolulu, Hawaii, in 2015, on recommended nominal conversion constants for selected solar and planetary properties. The problem addressed by the resolution is a lack of established conversion constants between solar and planetary values and SI units: a missing standard has caused a proliferation of solar values (e.g., solar radius, solar irradiance, solar luminosity, solar effective temperature, and solar mass parameter) in the literature, with cited solar values typically based on best estimates at the time of paper writing. As precision of observations increases, a set of consistent values becomes increasingly important. To address this, an IAU Working Group on Nominal Units for Stellar and Planetary Astronomy formed in 2011, uniting experts from the solar, stellar, planetary, exoplanetary, and fundamental astronomy, as well as from general standards fields to converge on optimal values for nominal conversion constants. The effort resulted in the IAU 2015 Resolution B3, passed at the IAU General Assembly by a large majority. The resolution recommends the use of nominal solar and planetary values, which are by definition exact and are expressed in SI units. These nominal values should be understood as conversion factors only, not as the true solar/planetary properties or current best estimates. Authors and journal editors are urged to join in using the standard values set forth by this resolution in future work and publications to help minimize further confusion.

We present sub-millimeter spectra of HCN isotopologues on Titan, derived from publicly available ALMA flux calibration observations of Titan taken in early 2014. We report the detection of a new HCN isotopologue on Titan, H¹³C¹⁵N, and confirm an earlier report of detection of DCN. We model high signal-to-noise observations of HCN, H¹³CN, HC¹⁵N, DCN, and H¹³C¹⁵N to derive abundances and infer the following isotopic ratios: ¹²C/¹³C = 89.8 ± 2.8, ¹⁴N/¹⁵N = 72.3 ± 2.2, D/H = (2.5 ± 0.2) × 10⁻⁴, and HCN/H¹³C¹⁵N = 5800 ± 270 (1σ errors). The carbon and nitrogen ratios are consistent with and improve on the precision of previous results, confirming a factor of ∼2.3 elevation in ¹⁴N/¹⁵N in HCN compared to N₂ and a lack of fractionation in ¹²C/¹³C from the protosolar value. This is the first published measurement of D/H in a nitrile species on Titan, and we find evidence for a factor of ∼2 deuterium enrichment in hydrogen cyanide compared to methane. The isotopic ratios we derive may be used as constraints for future models to better understand the fractionation processes occurring in Titan's atmosphere.

A search has been made using the XMM-Newton satellite for coronal soft X-ray emission from HD 19445, HD 25329, and HD 140283, three Population II stars in the Galactic halo having metallicities of ${\rm{[Fe/H]}}\sim -2$. The program stars, consisting of two subdwarfs and one metal-poor subgiant, were pre-selected from ground-based observations to have He iλ10830 absorption lines with an equivalent width (EW) of 30 mÅ or more. If such stars follow a relation between He i EW and soft X-ray flux applicable to Population I dwarf stars, then they would be expected to have X-ray luminosities $\sim 5\times {10}^{-7}$ times their bolometric luminosity, and as such would yield detectable sources in 20 ks exposures with the XMM-Newton EPIC-PN and MOS cameras. No detections were found in such exposures made with XMM-Newton. Upper limits to soft X-ray emission from the two program stars that have effective temperatures most similar to that of the Sun, namely HD 19445 and HD 140283, are comparable to the level of the quiet Sun. The star HD 25329, a cooler subdwarf, exhibits an upper limit similar to the Sun at maximum activity. These measurements suggest that coronal activity appears to decrease with age among the oldest G dwarfs, but K-M subdwarfs possibly have maintained a solar-like level of activity.

We examine the repeatability, reliability, and accuracy of differential exoplanet eclipse depth measurements made using the InfraRed Array Camera (IRAC) on the SpitzerSpace Telescope during the post-cryogenic mission. We have re-analyzed an existing 4.5 μm data set, consisting of 10 observations of the XO-3b system during secondary eclipse, using seven different techniques for removing correlated noise. We find that, on average, for a given technique, the eclipse depth estimate is repeatable from epoch to epoch to within 156 parts per million (ppm). Most techniques derive eclipse depths that do not vary by more than a factor 3 of the photon noise limit. All methods but one accurately assess their own errors: for these methods, the individual measurement uncertainties are comparable to the scatter in eclipse depths over the 10 epoch sample. To assess the accuracy of the techniques as well as to clarify the difference between instrumental and other sources of measurement error, we have also analyzed a simulated data set of 10 visits to XO-3b, for which the eclipse depth is known. We find that three of the methods (BLISS mapping, Pixel Level Decorrelation, and Independent Component Analysis) obtain results that are within three times the photon limit of the true eclipse depth. When averaged over the 10 epoch ensemble,  5 out of 7 techniques come within 60 ppm of the true value. Spitzer exoplanet data, if obtained following current best practices and reduced using methods such as those described here, can measure repeatable and accurate single eclipse depths, with close to photon-limited results.

We select from Paper I a sample of 306 massive star clusters observed with the Large Sky Area Multi–Object Fibre Spectroscopic Telescope (LAMOST) in the vicinity fields of M31 and M33, and determine their metallicities, ages, and masses. Metallicities and ages are estimated by fitting the observed integrated spectra with stellar synthesis population (SSP) models with a pixel–to–pixel spectral fitting technique. Ages for most young clusters are also derived by fitting the multi–band photometric measurements with model spectral energy distributions (SEDs). The estimated cluster ages span a wide range, from several million years to the age of the universe. The numbers of clusters younger and older than 1 Gyr are, respectively, 46 and 260. With ages and metallicities determined, cluster masses are then estimated by comparing the multi–band photometric measurements with SSP model SEDs. The derived masses range from $\sim {10}^{3}$ to $\sim {10}^{7}$M_⊙, peaking at $\sim {10}^{4.3}$ and $\sim {10}^{5.7}$M_⊙ for young ($\lt 1$ Gyr) and old ($\gt 1$ Gyr) clusters, respectively. Our estimated metallicities, ages, and masses are in good agreement with available literature values. Old clusters richer than [Fe/H] ∼ −0.7 dex have a wide range of ages. Those poorer than [Fe/H] ∼ −0.7 dex seem to be composed of two groups, as previously found for Galactic globular clusters—one of the oldest ages with all values of metallicity down to $\sim -2$ dex and another with metallicity increasing with decreasing age. The old clusters in the inner disk of M 31 (0–30 kpc) show a clear metallicity gradient measured at −0.038 ± 0.023 dex kpc⁻¹.

Spectroscopic orbital elements are determined for 15 stars with periods from 8 to 6528 days with six orbits computed for the first time. Improved astrometric orbits are computed for two stars and one new orbit is derived. Visual orbits were previously determined for four stars, four stars are members of multiple systems, and five stars have Hipparcos "G" designations or have been resolved by speckle interferometry. For the nine binaries with previous spectroscopic orbits, we determine improved or comparable elements. For HD 28271 and HD 200790, our spectroscopic results support the conclusions of previous authors that the large values of their mass functions and lack of detectable secondary spectrum argue for the secondary in each case being a pair of low-mass dwarfs. The orbits given here may be useful in combination with future interferometric and Gaia satellite observations.

We analyzed data from Campaigns 0–5 of the K2 mission and report 19 ultra-short-period candidate planets with orbital periods of less than one day (nine of which have not been previously reported). Planet candidates range in size from 0.7 to 16 Earth radii and in orbital period from 4.2 to 23.5 hr. One candidate (EPIC 203533312, Kp = 12.5) is among the shortest-period planet candidates discovered to date ($P=4.2$ hr), and, if confirmed as a planet, must have a density of at least $\rho =8.9\ {\rm{g}}\,{\mathrm{cm}}^{-3}$ to not be tidally disrupted. Five candidates have nominal radius values in the sub-Jovian desert (${R}_{P}=3\mbox{--}11\,{R}_{\oplus }$ and $P\leqslant 1.5$ days) where theoretical models do not favor their long-term stability; the only confirmed planet in this range is thought to be disintegrating (EPIC 201637175). In addition to the planet candidates, we report on four objects that may not be planetary, including one with intermittent transits (EPIC 211152484) and three initially promising candidates that are likely false positives based on characteristics of their light curves and on radial velocity follow-up. A list of 91 suspected eclipsing binaries identified at various stages in our vetting process is also provided. Based on an assessment of our survey's completeness, we estimate an occurrence rate for ultra-short-period planets among K2 target stars that is about half that estimated from the Kepler sample, raising questions as to whether K2 systems are intrinsically different from Kepler systems, possibly as a result of their different galactic location.

We report continued Hubble Space Telescope (HST) ultraviolet spectra and ground-based optical photometry and spectroscopy of GW Librae eight years after its largest known dwarf nova outburst in 2007. This represents the longest cooling timescale measured for any dwarf nova. The spectra reveal that the white dwarf still remains about 3000 K hotter than its quiescent value. Both ultraviolet and optical light curves show a short period of 364–373 s, similar to one of the non-radial pulsation periods present for years prior to the outburst, and with a similar large UV/optical amplitude ratio. A large modulation at a period of 2 hr (also similar to that observed prior to outburst) is present in the optical data preceding and during the HST observations, but the satellite observation intervals did not cover the peaks of the optical modulation, and so it is not possible to determine its corresponding UV amplitude. The similarity of the short and long periods to quiescent values implies that the pulsating, fast spinning white dwarf in GW Lib may finally be nearing its quiescent configuration.

We present a new UV light curve of the Algol eclipsing binary V548 Cyg obtained with the Lunar Ultraviolet Telescope. We model the UV light curve together with two previously published (B and V) light curves, primary star radial velocities, and eclipse timings in a unified multi-data-type solution and determine orbital parameters and absolute dimensions. Timing residuals hint at the presence of a third star in the system. This star is possibly the source of the third light that is needed to obtain a good fit to each of the light curves simultaneously. The light–time oscillation in the timing residuals has a period of either $\approx 19$ or $\approx 46$ years. The third body orbit inclination would have to be low ($23^\circ$ or $15^\circ$, respectively) for the third star to have a mass of $\approx 1.5\,{M}_{\odot }$, which would be expected for a main-sequence star of color $B-V\approx 0.32$, as determined from the light curve solution. In an H–R diagram, the mass-gaining, primary component of V548 Cyg is located between the zero-age and terminal-age main sequence for solar composition stars, and close to the 0.4 Gyr isochrone.

The Cosmicflows database of galaxy distances that in the second edition contained 8188 entries is now expanded to 17,669 entries. The major additions are 2257 distances that we have derived from the correlation between galaxy rotation and luminosity with photometry at $3.6\,\mu {\rm{m}}$ obtained with the Spitzer Space Telescope and 8885 distances based on the Fundamental Plane methodology from the Six Degree Field Galaxy Survey collaboration. There are minor augmentations to the Tip of the Red Giant Branch and Type Ia supernova compilations. A zero-point calibration of the supernova luminosities gives a value for the Hubble Constant of $76.2\pm 3.4\pm 2.7$ (± rand. ± sys.) km s⁻¹ Mpc⁻¹. Alternatively, a restriction on the peculiar velocity monopole term representing global infall/outflow implies ${H}_{0}=75\pm 2$ km s⁻¹ Mpc⁻¹.

The H i and CO components of the interstellar medium (ISM) are usually used to derive the dynamical mass ${M}_{{\rm{dyn}}}$ of nearby galaxies. Both components become too faint to be used as a tracer in observations of high-redshift galaxies. In those cases, the 158 μm line of atomic carbon ([C ii]) may be the only way to derive ${M}_{{\rm{dyn}}}$. As the distribution and kinematics of the ISM tracer affects the determination of ${M}_{{\rm{dyn}}}$, it is important to quantify the relative distributions of H i, CO, and [C ii]. H i and CO are well-characterized observationally, however, for [C ii] only very few measurements exist. Here we compare observations of CO, H i, and [C ii] emission of a sample of nearby galaxies, drawn from the HERACLES, THINGS, and KINGFISH surveys. We find that within R₂₅, the average [C ii] exponential radial profile is slightly shallower than that of the CO, but much steeper than the H i distribution. This is also reflected in the integrated spectrum ("global profile"), where the [C ii] spectrum looks more like that of the CO than that of the H i. For one galaxy, a spectrally resolved comparison of integrated spectra was possible; other comparisons were limited by the intrinsic line-widths of the galaxies and the coarse velocity resolution of the [C ii] data. Using high-spectral-resolution SOFIA [C ii] data of a number of star forming regions in two nearby galaxies, we find that their [C ii] linewidths agree better with those of the CO than the H i. As the radial extent of a given ISM tracer is a key input in deriving ${M}_{{\rm{dyn}}}$ from spatially unresolved data, we conclude that the relevant length-scale to use in determining ${M}_{{\rm{dyn}}}$ based on [C ii] data, is that of the well-characterized CO distribution. This length scale is similar to that of the optical disk.