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The disk around HD 142527 attracts a great amount of attention compared to others because of its resolved (sub-)millimeter dust continuum that is concentrated into the shape of a horseshoe toward the north of the star. In this Letter we present spatially resolved ALMA detections of the HCN J = 4–3 and CS J = 7–6 emission lines. These lines give us a deeper view into the disk compared to the (optically thicker) CO isotopes. This is the first detection of CS J = 7–6 coming from a protoplanetary disk. Both emission lines are azimuthally asymmetric and are suppressed under the horseshoe-shaped continuum emission peak. A possible mechanism for explaining the decrease under the horseshoe-shaped continuum is the increased opacity coming from the higher dust concentration at the continuum peak. Lower dust and/or gas temperatures and an optically thick radio-continuum reduce line emission by freezing out and shielding emission from the far side of the disk.

We present a study of the waiting time distributions (WTDs) of solar energetic particle (SEP) events observed with the spacecraft WIND and GOES. The WTDs of both solar electron events (SEEs) and solar proton events (SPEs) display a power-law tail of ∼Δt^−γ. The SEEs display a broken power-law WTD. The power-law index is γ₁ = 0.99 for the short waiting times (<70 hr) and γ₂ = 1.92 for large waiting times (>100 hr). The break of the WTD of SEEs is probably due to the modulation of the corotating interaction regions. The power-law index, γ ∼ 1.82, is derived for the WTD of the SPEs which is consistent with the WTD of type II radio bursts, indicating a close relationship between the shock wave and the production of energetic protons. The WTDs of SEP events can be modeled with a non-stationary Poisson process, which was proposed to understand the waiting time statistics of solar flares. We generalize the method and find that, if the SEP event rate λ = 1/Δt varies as the time distribution of event rate f(λ) = Aλ^−αexp (− βλ), the time-dependent Poisson distribution can produce a power-law tail WTD of ∼Δt^{α − 3}, where 0 ⩽ α < 2.

We present a solution to the long outstanding meter barrier problem in planet formation theory. As solids spiral inward due to aerodynamic drag, they will enter disk regions that are characterized by high temperatures, densities, and pressures. High partial pressures of rock vapor can suppress solid evaporation, and promote collisions between partially molten solids, allowing rapid growth. This process should be ubiquitous in planet-forming disks, which may be evidenced by the abundant class of Systems with Tightly packed Inner Planets discovered by the NASA Kepler Mission.

In this Letter, the results of our low-resolution spectroscopic survey for identifying hydrogen-deficient stars in the red giant sample of the globular cluster ω Cen are reported. Spectral analyses were carried out on the basis of the strengths of the (0, 0) MgH band and the Mg b triplet. In our sample, four giants were identified with weak/absent MgH bands in their observed spectra, which was unexpected for their well determined stellar parameters. The Mg abundances for the program stars were determined from the subordinate lines of the MgH band to the blue of the Mg b triplet, using the spectral synthesis technique. The derived Mg abundances for the program stars were as expected for the red giants of ω Cen, except for the four identified candidates. The determined Mg abundances of these four candidates are much lower than that expected for the red giants of ω Cen, and are unacceptable based on the strengths of the Mg b triplet in their observed spectra. Hence, a plausible explanation for the weak/absent MgH bands in the observed spectra of these stars is a relatively lower abundance of hydrogen in their atmospheres. These giants may belong to the group of helium-enriched red giants of ω Cen.

RBS 1032 is a supersoft (Γ ∼ 5), luminous (∼10⁴³ erg s⁻¹) ROSAT PSPC source which has been associated with an inactive dwarf galaxy at z = 0.026, SDSS J114726.69+494257.8. We have analyzed an XMM-Newton observation that confirms that RBS 1032 is indeed associated with the dwarf galaxy. Moreover, RBS 1032 has undergone a factor of ∼100–300 decay since 1990 November. This variability suggests that RBS 1032 may not be a steadily accreting intermediate-mass black hole, but rather an accretion flare from the tidal disruption of a star by the central black hole (which may or may not be intermediate-mass). We suggest that additional tidal disruption events may remain unidentified in archival ROSAT data, such that disruption rate estimates based upon ROSAT All-Sky Survey data may need reconsideration.

We have identified a potentially important source of mixing in stellar radiation zones which would arise whenever two conditions are satisfied: (1) the presence of an inverse vertical compositional gradient, and (2) the presence of density-compensating horizontal gradients of temperature and composition. The former can be caused by off-center nuclear burning, atomic diffusion, or surface accretion. The latter could be caused by rotation, tides, meridional flows, etc. The linear instability and its nonlinear development have been studied in an oceanographic context. It is known to drive the formation of stacks of fingering layers separated by diffusive interfaces, called intrusions. Using three-dimensional numerical simulations of the process in the astrophysically relevant region of parameter space, we find similar results and demonstrate that the material transport in the intrusive regime can be highly enhanced compared with pure diffusion, even in systems which would otherwise be stable to fingering (thermohaline) convection.

We present Rossiter–McLaughlin observations of the transiting super-Earth 55 Cnc e collected during six transit events between 2012 January and 2013 November with HARPS and HARPS-N. We detect no radial velocity signal above 35 cm s⁻¹ (3σ) and confine the stellar v sin  i_⋆ to 0.2 ± 0.5 km s⁻¹. The star appears to be a very slow rotator, producing a very low amplitude Rossiter–McLaughlin effect. Given such a low amplitude, the Rossiter–McLaughlin effect of 55 Cnc e is undetected in our data, and any spin–orbit angle of the system remains possible. We also performed Doppler tomography and reach a similar conclusion. Our results offer a glimpse of the capacity of future instrumentation to study low amplitude Rossiter–McLaughlin effects produced by super-Earths.

The most iron-poor stars in the Milky Way provide important observational clues to the astrophysical objects that enriched the primordial gas with heavy elements. Among them, the recently discovered iron-deficient star SMSS J031300.36−670839.3 shows a remarkable chemical composition with a non-detection of iron ([Fe/H] <−7.1) and large enhancement of carbon and magnesium relative to calcium. We investigate supernova yields of metal-free (Population III) stars to interpret the abundance pattern observed in this star. We report that the high [C/Ca] and [C/Mg] ratios and upper limits of other elemental abundances are well reproduced with the yields of core–collapse supernovae (which have normal kinetic energies of explosion E of E₅₁ = E/10⁵¹ erg =1) and hypernovae (E₅₁ ⩾ 10) of Population III 25 M_☉ or 40 M_☉ stars. The best-fit models assume that the explosions undergo extensive matter mixing and fallback, leaving behind a black hole remnant. In these models, Ca is produced by static/explosive O burning and incomplete Si burning in the Population III supernova/hypernova, in contrast to the suggestion that Ca is originated from the hot-CNO cycle during pre-supernova evolution. Chemical abundances of four carbon-rich iron-poor stars with [Fe/H] <−4.5, including SMSS J031300.36−670839.3, are consistently explained by faint supernova models with ejected masses of ⁵⁶Ni less than 10⁻³M_☉.

We use three-dimensional hydrodynamical simulations to show that a highly misaligned accretion disk around one component of a binary system can exhibit global Kozai–Lidov cycles, where the inclination and eccentricity of the disk are interchanged periodically. This has important implications for accreting systems on all scales, for example, the formation of planets and satellites in circumstellar and circumplanetary disks, outbursts in X-ray binary systems, and accretion onto supermassive black holes.

Recent work has shown that the z ≃ 2.5 Lyα forest on large scales encodes information about the galaxy and quasar populations that keep the intergalactic medium photoionized. We present the first forecasts for constraining the populations with data from current and next-generation surveys. At a minimum, the forest should tell us whether galaxies or, conversely, quasars dominate the photon production. The number density and clustering strength of the ionizing sources might be estimated to sub-10% precision with a DESI-like survey if degeneracies (e.g., with the photon mean-free-path, small-scale clustering power normalization, and potentially other astrophysical effects) can be broken by prior information. We demonstrate that when inhomogeneous ionization is correctly handled, constraints on dark energy do not degrade.

The detection of gravity modes produced in the solar radiative zone has been a challenge in modern astrophysics for more than 30 yr and their amplitude in the core is not yet determined. In this Letter, we develop a new strategy to look for standing gravity modes through solar neutrino fluxes. We note that due to a resonance effect, the gravity modes of low degree and low order have the largest impact on the ⁸B neutrino flux. The strongest effect is expected to occur for the dipole mode with radial order 2, corresponding to periods of about 1.5 hr. These standing gravity waves produce temperature fluctuations that are amplified by a factor of 170 in the boron neutrino flux for the corresponding period, in consonance with the gravity modes. From current neutrino observations, we determine that the maximum temperature variation due to the gravity modes in the Sun's core is smaller than 5.8 × 10⁻⁴. This study clearly shows that due to their high sensitivity to the temperature, the ⁸B neutrino flux time series is an excellent tool to determine the properties of gravity modes in the solar core. Moreover, if gravity mode footprints are discovered in the ⁸B neutrino flux, this opens a new line of research to probe the physics of the solar core as non-standing gravity waves of higher periods cannot be directly detected by helioseismology but could leave their signature on boron neutrino or on other neutrino fluxes.

Central compact objects (CCOs) constitute a population of radio-quiet, slowly spinning (⩾100 ms) young neutron stars with anomalously high thermal X-ray luminosities. Their spin-down properties imply weak dipole magnetic fields (∼10^10–11 G) and characteristic ages much greater than the ages of their host supernova remnants (SNRs). However, CCOs may posses strong "hidden" internal magnetic fields that may re-emerge on timescales of ≳10 kyr, with the neutron star possibly activating as a radio pulsar in the process. This suggests that the immediate descendants of CCOs may be masquerading as slowly spinning "old" radio pulsars. We present an X-ray survey of all ordinary radio pulsars within 6 kpc that are positionally coincident with Galactic SNRs in order to test the possible connection between the supposedly old but possibly very young pulsars and the SNRs. None of the targets exhibit anomalously high thermal X-ray luminosities, suggesting that they are genuine old ordinary pulsars unrelated to the superposed SNRs. This implies that CCOs are either latent radio pulsars that activate long after their SNRs dissipate or they remain permanently radio-quiet. The true descendants of CCOs remain at large.

We report on empirical trends between the dynamically determined stellar initial mass function (IMF) and stellar population properties for a complete, volume-limited sample of 260 early-type galaxies from the ATLAS^3D project. We study trends between our dynamically derived IMF normalization α_dyn ≡ (M/L)_stars/(M/L)_Salp and absorption line strengths, and interpret these via single stellar population-equivalent ages, abundance ratios (measured as [α/Fe]), and total metallicity, [Z/H]. We find that old and alpha-enhanced galaxies tend to have on average heavier (Salpeter-like) mass normalization of the IMF, but stellar population does not appear to be a good predictor of the IMF, with a large range of α_dyn at a given population parameter. As a result, we find weak α_dyn–[α/Fe] and α_dyn −Age correlations and no significant α_dyn −[Z/H] correlation. The observed trends appear significantly weaker than those reported in studies that measure the IMF normalization via the low-mass star demographics inferred through stellar spectral analysis.

Prominences in the solar corona are a hundredfold cooler and denser than their surroundings, with a total mass of 10¹³ up to 10¹⁵ g. Here, we report on the first comprehensive simulations of three-dimensional, thermally and gravitationally stratified magnetic flux ropes where in situ condensation to a prominence occurs due to radiative losses. After a gradual thermodynamic adjustment, we witness a phase where runaway cooling occurs while counter-streaming shearing flows drain off mass along helical field lines. After this drainage, a prominence-like condensation resides in concave upward field regions, and this prominence retains its overall characteristics for more than two hours. While condensing, the prominence establishes a prominence-corona transition region where magnetic field-aligned thermal conduction is operative during the runaway cooling. The prominence structure represents a force-balanced state in a helical flux rope. The simulated condensation demonstrates a right-bearing barb, as a remnant of the drainage. Synthetic images at extreme ultraviolet wavelengths follow the onset of the condensation, and confirm the appearance of horns and a three-part structure for the stable prominence state, as often seen in erupting prominences. This naturally explains recent Solar Dynamics Observatory views with the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly on prominences in coronal cavities demonstrating horns.

We report Spitzer/Infrared Array Camera photometry of WD J0959−0200, a white dwarf that displays excess infrared radiation from a disk, likely produced by a tidally disrupted planetesimal. We find that in 2010, the fluxes in both 3.6 μm and 4.5 μm decreased by ∼35% in less than 300 days. The drop in the infrared luminosity is likely due to an increase of the inner disk radius from one of two scenarios: (1) a recent planetesimal impact; (2) instability in the circumstellar disk. The current situation is tantalizing; high-sensitivity, high-cadence infrared studies will be a new tool to study the interplay between a disk and its host white dwarf star.

Coronal mass ejections (CMEs) are the most spectacular eruptive phenomena in the solar atmosphere. It is generally accepted that CMEs are the results of eruptions of magnetic flux ropes (MFRs). However, there is heated debate on whether MFRs exist prior to the eruptions or if they are formed during the eruptions. Several coronal signatures, e.g., filaments, coronal cavities, sigmoid structures, and hot channels (or hot blobs), are proposed as MFRs and observed before the eruption, which support the pre-existing MFR scenario. There is almost no reported observation of MFR formation during the eruption. In this Letter, we present an intriguing observation of a solar eruptive event that occurred on 2013 November 21 with the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly on board the Solar Dynamic Observatory, which shows the formation process of the MFR during the eruption in detail. The process began with the expansion of a low-lying coronal arcade, possibly caused by the flare magnetic reconnection underneath. The newly formed ascending loops from below further pushed the arcade upward, stretching the surrounding magnetic field. The arcade and stretched magnetic field lines then curved in just below the arcade vertex, forming an X-point. The field lines near the X-point continued to approach each other and a second magnetic reconnection was induced. It is this high-lying magnetic reconnection that led to the formation and eruption of a hot blob (∼10 MK), presumably an MFR, producing a CME. We suggest that two spatially separated magnetic reconnections occurred in this event, which were responsible for producing the flare and the hot blob (CME).

We present a deep Suzaku observation of H1821+643, an extremely rare example of a powerful quasar hosted by the central massive galaxy of a rich cooling-core cluster of galaxies. Informed by previous Chandra studies of the cluster, we achieve a spectral separation of emission from the active galactic nucleus (AGN) and the intracluster medium (ICM). With a high degree of confidence, we identify the signatures of X-ray reflection/reprocessing by cold and slowly moving material in the AGN's immediate environment. The iron abundance of this matter is found to be significantly sub-solar (Z ≈ 0.4 Z_☉), an unusual finding for powerful AGN but in line with the idea that this quasar is feeding from the ICM via a Compton-induced cooling flow. We also find a subtle soft excess that can be described phenomenologically (with an additional blackbody component) or as ionized X-ray reflection from the inner regions of a high inclination (i ≈ 57°) accretion disk around a spinning (a > 0.4) black hole. We describe how the ionization state of the accretion disk can be used to constrain the Eddington fraction of the source. Applying these arguments to our spectrum implies an Eddington fraction of 0.25–0.5, with an associated black hole mass of $3\hbox{--}6\times 10^9{\thinspace M_{\odot }}$.