The carbon abundance in two h 2 regions of the small Megallanic Cloud

Observations of the ultraviolet spectra of two locations in the H II region NGC 346 and of the entire H II region IC 1644 in the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) were made using the International Ultraviolet Explorer (IUE) satellite. The abundance of carbon in the nebulae was derived using theoretical model analysis combined with ground-based spectrophotometry of other emission lines. The abundance of C relative to H in the SMC was found to be lower by -0.9 dex compared with the Sun and lower by -0.8 dex compared with the Orion Nebula. This C deficiency is similar to that of O, Ne, S, and Ar in the SMC, but not as great as found for N. The sites and history of C nucleosynthesis in galaxies is similar to that of O, Ne, S, and Ar, in contrast to that of N, which appears to be more complex, perhaps because of a mixture of secondary primary sources or a significant contribution from intermediate-mass long-lived stars

Casimir-Polder shifts on quantum levitation states

An ultracold atom above a horizontal mirror experiences quantum reflection from the attractive Casimir-Polder interaction, which holds it against gravity and leads to quantum levitation states. We analyze this system by using a Liouville transformation of the Schr\"odinger equation and a Langer coordinate adapted to problems with a classical turning point. Reflection on the Casimir-Polder attractive well is replaced by reflection on a repulsive wall and the problem is then viewed as an ultracold atom trapped inside a cavity with gravity and Casimir-Polder potentials acting respectively as top and bottom mirrors. We calculate numerically Casimir-Polder shifts of the energies of the cavity resonances and propose a new approximate treatment which is precise enough to discuss spectroscopy experiments aiming at tests of the weak equivalence principle on antihydrogen. We also discuss the lifetimes by calculating complex energies associated with cavity resonances.Comment: Accepted in PR

Stability control of nonlinear micromechanical resonators under simultaneous primary and superharmonic resonances

Fast effects of a slow excitation on the main resonance of a nonlinear micromechanical resonator are analytically and experimentally investigated. We show, in particular, how the bifurcation topology of an undesirable unstable behavior is modified when the resonator is simultaneously actuated at its primary and superharmonic resonances. A stabilization mechanism is proposed and demonstrated by increasing the superharmonic excitation

Premiers résultats sur l'excrétion et la production du zooplancton de la Lagune Ebrié (Côte d'Ivoire)

Biomass and metabolic rates (total nitrogen and phosphorus excretion and respiration) were measured at 4 stations, representative of the lagoon environment, during high-water (Oct-Nov), dry (Dec-Jan) and rainy (July) seasons. In low-salinity waters (4o/oo) Acartia clausi is almost the only species, whereas a marine and diversified fauna is brought in from the ocean during the dry season. O/NT and O/PT atomic ratios between respiration (O) and total nitrogen (NT) and phosphorus (PT) excretions are high (15.1 and 111, respectively) and show a marked hydrocarbon feeding of zooplankton. Production was assessed from excretion via the net growth efficiency coefficient, K2 , calculated from N/P ratios for particles (a1), zooplankton excretion (a2) and constitution (a3). Daily productivity indices (i.e. daily production/biomass ratio) are high and equivalent to 1.2-3.8 day turn-over times. These high values may be ascribed to high temperatures (26.5-30 C) and phytoplankton richness (surface chlorophyll 'a' concentrations are always greater than 4 mg/m-3). Finally, the paper deals with trophic relationships between phyto- and zooplankton (ingestion /primary production ratio and transfer coefficient) and the question of relationships between zooplankton and predators

The Discovery of the Most Metal-Rich White Dwarf: Composition of a Tidally Disrupted Extrasolar Dwarf Planet

Cool white dwarf stars are usually found to have an outer atmosphere that is practically pure in hydrogen or helium. However, a small fraction have traces of heavy elements that must originate from the accretion of extrinsic material, most probably circumstellar matter. Upon examining thousands of Sloan Digital Sky Survey spectra, we discovered that the helium-atmosphere white dwarf SDSS J073842.56+183509.6 shows the most severe metal pollution ever seen in the outermost layers of such stars. We present here a quantitative analysis of this exciting star by combining high S/N follow-up spectroscopic and photometric observations with model atmospheres and evolutionary models. We determine the global structural properties of our target star, as well as the abundances of the most significant pollutants in its atmosphere, i.e., H, O, Na, Mg, Si, Ca, and Fe. The relative abundances of these elements imply that the source of the accreted material has a composition similar to that of Bulk Earth. We also report the signature of a circumstellar disk revealed through a large infrared excess in JHK photometry. Combined with our inferred estimate of the mass of the accreted material, this strongly suggests that we are witnessing the remains of a tidally disrupted extrasolar body that was as large as Ceres.Comment: 7 pages in emulateapj, 5 figures, accepted for publication in Ap

A Multi-Survey Approach to White Dwarf Discovery

By selecting astrometric and photometric data from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS), the L{\'e}pine & Shara Proper Motion North Catalog (LSPM-North), the Two Micron All Sky Survey (2MASS), and the USNO-B1.0 catalog, we use a succession of methods to isolate white dwarf candidates for follow-up spectroscopy. Our methods include: reduced proper motion diagram cuts, color cuts, and atmospheric model adherence. We present spectroscopy of 26 white dwarfs obtained from the CTIO 4m and APO 3.5m telescopes. Additionally, we confirm 28 white dwarfs with spectra available in the SDSS DR7 database but unpublished elsewhere, presenting a total of 54 WDs. We label one of these as a recovered WD while the remaining 53 are new discoveries. We determine physical parameters and estimate distances based on atmospheric model analyses. Three new white dwarfs are modeled to lie within 25 pc. Two additional white dwarfs are confirmed to be metal-polluted (DAZ). Follow-up time series photometry confirms another object to be a pulsating ZZ Ceti white dwarf.Comment: 9 figures, 3 Tables; http://stacks.iop.org/1538-3881/143/10

Accretion and activity on the post-common-envelope binary RR~Cae

Current scenarios for the evolution of interacting close binaries - such as cataclysmic variables (CVs) - rely mainly on our understanding of low-mass star angular momentum loss (AML) mechanisms. The coupling of stellar wind with its magnetic field, i.e., magnetic braking, is the most promising mechanism to drive AML in these stars. There are basically two properties driving magnetic braking: the stellar magnetic field and the stellar wind. Understanding the mechanisms that drive AML therefore requires a comprehensive understanding of these two properties. RRCae is a well-known nearby (d=20pc) eclipsing DA+M binary with an orbital period of P=7.29h. The system harbors a metal-rich cool white dwarf (WD) and a highly active M-dwarf locked in synchronous rotation. The metallicity of the WD suggests that wind accretion is taking place, which provides a good opportunity to obtain the mass-loss rate of the M-dwarf component. We analyzed multi-epoch time-resolved high-resolution spectra of RRCae in search for traces of magnetic activity and accretion. We selected a number of well-known activity indicators and studied their short and long-term behavior. Indirect-imaging tomographic techniques were also applied to provide the surface brightness distribution of the magnetically active M-dwarf, and reveals a polar feature similar to those observed in fast-rotating solar-type stars. The blue part of the spectrum was modeled using a atmosphere model to constrain the WD properties and its metal enrichment. The latter was used to improve the determination of the mass-accretion rate from the M-dwarf wind. The presence of metals in the WD spectrum suggests that this component arises from accretion of the M-dwarf wind. A model fit to the WD gives Teff=(7260+/-250)K and logg=(7.8+/-0.1) dex with a metallicity of =(-2.8+/-0.1)dex, and a mass-accretion rate of dotMacc=(7+/-2)x1e-16Msun/yr.Comment: 14 pages, 7 Figures, 6 Table

Precise Atmospheric Parameters for the Shortest Period Binary White Dwarfs: Gravitational Waves, Metals, and Pulsations

We present a detailed spectroscopic analysis of 61 low mass white dwarfs and provide precise atmospheric parameters, masses, and updated binary system parameters based on our new model atmosphere grids and the most recent evolutionary model calculations. For the first time, we measure systematic abundances of He, Ca and Mg for metal-rich extremely low mass white dwarfs and examine the distribution of these abundances as a function of effective temperature and mass. Based on our preliminary results, we discuss the possibility that shell flashes may be responsible for the presence of the observed He and metals. We compare stellar radii derived from our spectroscopic analysis to model-independent measurements and find good agreement except for those white dwarfs with Teff < 10,000 K. We also calculate the expected gravitational wave strain for each system and discuss their significance to the eLISA space-borne gravitational wave observatory. Finally, we provide an update on the instability strip of extremely low mass white dwarf pulsators.Comment: 18 pages, 13 figures, 3 tables, accepted for publication in Ap

Design and real-time implementation of robust FACTS controller for damping inter-area oscillation

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