A Spin-Orbit Alignment for the Hot Jupiter HATS-3b

We have measured the alignment between the orbit of HATS-3b (a recently discovered, slightly inflated Hot Jupiter) and the spin-axis of its host star. Data were obtained using the CYCLOPS2 optical-fiber bundle and its simultaneous calibration system feeding the UCLES spectrograph on the Anglo-Australian Telescope. The sky-projected spin-orbit angle of $\lambda = 3\pm25^{\circ}$ was determined from spectroscopic measurements of Rossiter-McLaughlin effect. This is the first exoplanet discovered through the HATSouth transit survey to have its spin-orbit angle measured. Our results indicate that the orbital plane of HATS-3b is consistent with being aligned to the spin axis of its host star. The low obliquity of the HATS-3 system, which has a relatively hot mid F-type host star, agrees with the general trend observed for Hot Jupiter host stars with effective temperatures $>6250$K to have randomly distributed spin-orbit angles.Comment: 13 pages. Accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journa

A Nearly Polar Orbit for the Extrasolar Hot Jupiter WASP-79b

We report the measurement of a spin-orbit misalignment for WASP-79b, a recently discovered, bloated transiting hot Jupiter from the WASP survey. Data were obtained using the CYCLOPS2 optical-fiber bundle and its simultaneous calibration system feeding the UCLES spectrograph on the Anglo-Australian Telescope. We have used the Rossiter-McLaughlin effect to determine the sky-projected spin-orbit angle to be lambda = -106+19-13 degrees. This result indicates a significant misalignment between the spin axis of the host star and the orbital plane of the planet -- the planet being in a nearly polar orbit. WASP-79 is consistent with other stars that have Teff > 6250K and host hot Jupiters in spin-orbit misalignment.Comment: 8 pages, 2 figures, in press ApJL (accepted 2 August 2013

Risk Prediction Scores for Postoperative Mortality After Esophagectomy: Validation of Different Models

Background: Different prediction models for operative mortality after esophagectomy have been developed. The aim of this study is to independently validate prediction models from Philadelphia, Rotterdam, Munich, and the ASA. Methods: The scores were validated using logistic regression models in two cohorts of patients undergoing esophagectomy for cancer from Switzerland (n = 170) and Australia (n = 176). Results: All scores except ASA were significantly higher in the Australian cohort. There was no significant difference in 30-day mortality or in-hospital death between groups. The Philadelphia and Rotterdam scores had a significant predictive value for 30-day mortality (p = 0.001) and in-hospital death (p = 0.003) in the pooled cohort, but only the Philadelphia score had a significant prediction value for 30-day mortality in both cohorts. Neither score showed any predictive value for in-hospital death in Australians but were highly significant in the Swiss cohort. ASA showed only a significant predictive value for 30-day mortality in the Swiss. For in-hospital death, ASA was a significant predictor in the pooled and Swiss cohorts. The Munich score did not have any significant predictive value whatsoever. Conclusion: None of the scores can be applied generally. A better overall predictive score or specific prediction scores for each country should be develope

HATS-3b: An inflated hot Jupiter transiting an F-type star

We report the discovery by the HATSouth survey of HATS-3b, a transiting extrasolar planet orbiting a V=12.4 F-dwarf star. HATS-3b has a period of P = 3.5479d, mass of Mp = 1.07MJ, and radius of Rp = 1.38RJ. Given the radius of the planet, the brightness of the host star, and the stellar rotational velocity (vsini = 9.0km/s), this system will make an interesting target for future observations to measure the Rossiter-McLaughlin effect and determine its spin-orbit alignment. We detail the low/medium-resolution reconnaissance spectroscopy that we are now using to deal with large numbers of transiting planet candidates produced by the HATSouth survey. We show that this important step in discovering planets produces logg and Teff parameters at a precision suitable for efficient candidate vetting, as well as efficiently identifying stellar mass eclipsing binaries with radial velocity semi-amplitudes as low as 1 km/s.Comment: 11 pages, 10 figures, submitted to A

HATS-13b and HATS-14b: two transiting hot Jupiters from the HATSouth survey

We report the discovery of HATS-13b and HATS-14b, two hot-Jupiter transiting planets discovered by the HATSouth survey. The host stars are quite similar to each other (HATS-13: V = 13.9 mag, M* = 0.96 Msun, R* = 0.89 Rsun, Teff = 5500 K, [Fe/H] = 0.05; HATS-14: V = 13.8 mag, M* = 0.97 Msun, R* = 0.93 Rsun, Teff = 5350 K, [Fe/H] = 0.33) and both the planets orbit around them with a period of roughly 3 days and a separation of roughly 0.04 au. However, even though they are irradiated in a similar way, the physical characteristics of the two planets are very different. HATS-13b, with a mass of Mp = 0.543 MJ and a radius of Rp = 1.212 RJ, appears as an inflated planet, while HATS-14b, having a mass of Mp = 1.071 MJ and a radius of Rp = 1.039 RJ, is only slightly larger in radius than Jupiter.Comment: 13 pages, 7 figures, Submitted to Astronomy & Astrophysics. arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:1503.0006

HATS-1b: The First Transiting Planet Discovered by the HATSouth Survey

We report the discovery of HATS-1b, a transiting extrasolar planet orbiting the moderately bright V=12.05 G dwarf star GSC 6652-00186, and the first planet discovered by HATSouth, a global network of autonomous wide-field telescopes. HATS-1b has a period P~3.4465 d, mass Mp~1.86MJ, and radius Rp~1.30RJ. The host star has a mass of 0.99Msun, and radius of 1.04Rsun. The discovery light curve of HATS-1b has near continuous coverage over several multi-day periods, demonstrating the power of using a global network of telescopes to discover transiting planets.Comment: Submitted to AJ 10 pages, 5 figures, 6 table

The Effectiveness of Co-Determination Laws in Cooperative and Adversarial Employment Relations: When Does Regulation Have Bite?

The German Codetermination Law grants workers of establishments with 200 or more employees the right to have a works councillor who is fully exempted from his or her regular job duties while still paid a regular salary. This article analyses theoretically and empirically how this de jure right to exemption translates into de facto practice, and explicitly takes into account the nature of the employment relations participation regime. It is found that the right of exemption has no effect in cooperative employment relations because exemptions are granted even in the absence of legal rights, but does make a difference in adversarial relations when exemptions are only granted above the threshold where legal rights force employers to do so, i.e. legal rights do make a decisive difference in exactly those situations where the legislators’ intent would not be realized without the right to legal enforcemen

Microscopic Surface Structure of Liquid Alkali Metals

We report an x-ray scattering study of the microscopic structure of the surface of a liquid alkali metal. The bulk liquid structure factor of the eutectic K67Na33 alloy is characteristic of an ideal mixture, and so shares the properties of an elemental liquid alkali metal. Analysis of off-specular diffuse scattering and specular x-ray reflectivity shows that the surface roughness of the K-Na alloy follows simple capillary wave behavior with a surface structure factor indicative of surface induced layering. Comparison of thelow-angle tail of the K67Na33 surface structure factor with the one measured for liquid Ga and In previously suggests that layering is less pronounced in alkali metals. Controlled exposure of the liquid to H2 and O2 gas does not affect the surface structure, indicating that oxide and hydride are not stable at the liquid surface under these experimental conditions.Comment: 12 pages, 3 figures, published in Phys. Rev.

The Herschel Stripe 82 Survey (HerS): maps and early catalog

We present the first set of maps and band-merged catalog from the Herschel Stripe 82 Survey (HerS). Observations at 250, 350, and 500μm were taken with the Spectral and Photometric Imaging Receiver instrument aboard the Herschel Space Observatory. HerS covers 79deg 2 along the SDSS Stripe 82 to an average depth of 13.0, 12.9, and 14.8mJybeam −1 (including confusion) at 250, 350, and 500μm, respectively. HerS was designed to measure correlations with external tracers of the dark matter density field—either point-like (i.e., galaxies selected from radio to X-ray) or extended (i.e., clusters and gravitational lensing)—in order to measure the bias and redshift distribution of intensities of infrared-emitting dusty star-forming galaxies and active galactic nuclei. By locating HerS in Stripe 82, we maximize the overlap with available and upcoming cosmological surveys. The band-merged catalog contains 3.3 × 10 4 sources detected at a significance of ?3σ (including confusion noise). The maps and catalog are available at http://www.astro.caltech.edu/hers/