AMD-stability in presence of first order Mean Motion Resonances

The AMD-stability criterion allows to discriminate between a-priori stable planetary systems and systems for which the stability is not granted and needs further investigations. AMD-stability is based on the conservation of the Angular Momentum Deficit (AMD) in the averaged system at all orders of averaging. While the AMD criterion is rigorous, the conservation of the AMD is only granted in absence of mean-motion resonances (MMR). Here we extend the AMD-stability criterion to take into account mean-motion resonances, and more specifically the overlap of first order MMR. If the MMR islands overlap, the system will experience generalized chaos leading to instability. The Hamiltonian of two massive planets on coplanar quasi-circular orbits can be reduced to an integrable one degree of freedom problem for period ratios close to a first order MMR. We use the reduced Hamiltonian to derive a new overlap criterion for first order MMR. This stability criterion unifies the previous criteria proposed in the literature and admits the criteria obtained for initially circular and eccentric orbits as limit cases. We then improve the definition of AMD-stability to take into account the short term chaos generated by MMR overlap. We analyze the outcome of this improved definition of AMD-stability on selected multi-planet systems from the Extrasolar Planets Encyclopeadia.Comment: Accepted by A and A 07/10/1

Reduction of the COSMOS Southern Sky galaxy survey data to the RC3 standard system

After having cross-identified a subsample of LEDA galaxies in the COSMOS database, we defined the best relations to convert COSMOS parameters (coordinates, position angle, diameter, axis ratio and apparent magnitude) into RC3 system used in the LEDA database. Tiny secondary effects can be tested: distance to plate cenetrs effect and air-mass effect. The converted COSMOS parameters are used to add missing parameters on LEDA galaxies. Key words: galaxies - catalogue - photometryComment: 5 pages, postcript including figures, to appear in MNRAS, reprint requests: [email protected]

Expectations for the Deep Impact collision from cometary nuclei modelling

Using the cometary nucleus model developed by Espinasse et al. (1991), we calculate the thermodynamical evolution of Comet 9P/Tempel 1 over a period of 360 years. Starting from an initially amorphous cometary nucleus which incorporates an icy mixture of H2O and CO, we show that, at the time of Deep Impact collision, the crater is expected to form at depths where ice is in its crystalline form. Hence, the subsurface exposed to space should not be primordial. We also attempt an order-of-magnitude estimate of the heating and material ablation effects on the crater activity caused by the 370 Kg projectile released by the DI spacecraft. We thus show that heating effects play no role in the evolution of crater activity. We calculate that the CO production rate from the impacted region should be about 300-400 times higher from the crater resulting from the impact with a 35 m ablation than over the unperturbed nucleus in the immediate post-impact period. We also show that the H2O production rate is decreased by several orders of magnitude at the crater base just after ablation

Bursting of rigid bubbles

We propose here a fluid dynamics video relating the bursting of soap rigid films.Comment: 4 pages and 2 videos included for the Gallery of Fluid Motion 201

Discovery of a strong magnetic field on the O star HD 191612: new clues to the future of theta1 Orionis C?

From observations made with the ESPaDOnS spectropolarimeter, recently installed on the 3.6-m Canada--France--Hawaii Telescope, we report the discovery of a strong magnetic field in the Of?p spectrum variable HD 191612 -- only the second known magnetic O star (following theta1 Ori C). The stability of the observed Zeeman signature over four nights of observation, together with the non-rotational shape of line profiles, argue that the rotation period of HD 191612 is significantly longer than the 9-d value previously proposed. We suggest that the recently identified 538-d spectral-variability period is the rotation period, in which case the observed line-of-sight magnetic field of -220+-38 G implies a large-scale field (assumed dipolar) with a polar strength of about -1.5 kG. If confirmed, this scenario suggests that HD 191612 is, essentially, an evolved version of the near-ZAMS magnetic O star theta1 Ori C, but with an even stronger field (about 15 kG at an age similar to that of theta1Ori C). We suggest that the rotation rate of HD 191612, which is exceptionally slow by accepted O-star standards, could be due to angular-momentum dissipation through a magnetically confined wind.Comment: Accepted by MNRAS Letters, 5 pages, 2 figures, 2 table

Spot distribution and fast surface evolution on Vega

Spectral signatures of surface spots were recently discovered from high cadence observations of the A star Vega. We aim at constraining the surface distribution of these photospheric inhomogeneities, and investigating a possible short term evolution of the spot pattern. Using data collected over five consecutive nights, we employ the Doppler Imaging method to reconstruct three different maps of the stellar surface, from three consecutive subsets of the whole time-series. The surface maps display a complex distribution of dark and bright spots, covering most of the visible fraction of the stellar surface. A number of surface features are consistently recovered in all three maps, but other features seem to evolve over the time span of observations, suggesting that fast changes can affect the surface of Vega within a few days at most. The short-term evolution is observed as emergence or disappearance of individual spots, and may also show up as zonal flows, with low-latitude and high latitude belts rotating faster than intermediate latitudes. It is tempting to relate the surface brightness activity to the complex magnetic field topology previously reconstructed for Vega, although strictly simultaneous brightness and magnetic maps will be necessary to assess this potential link.Comment: MNRAS Letters, in pres