scholarly journals HORuS transmission spectroscopy of 55 Cnc e

2020 ◽  
Vol 498 (3) ◽  
pp. 4222-4229
Author(s):  
H M Tabernero ◽  
C Allende Prieto ◽  
M R Zapatero Osorio ◽  
J I González Hernández ◽  
C del Burgo ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT The High Optical Resolution Spectrograph (HORuS) is a new high-resolution echelle spectrograph available on the 10.4-m Gran Telescopio Canarias (GTC). We report on the first HORuS observations of a transit of the super-Earth planet 55 Cnc e. We investigate the presence of Na i and Hα in its transmission spectrum and explore the capabilities of HORuS for planetary transmission spectroscopy. Our methodology leads to residuals in the difference spectrum between the in-transit and out-of-transit spectra for the Na i doublet lines of (3.4 ± 0.4) × 10−4, which sets an upper limit to the detection of line absorption from the planetary atmosphere that is one order of magnitude more stringent that those reported in the literature. We demonstrate that we are able to reach the photon-noise limit in the residual spectra using HORuS to a degree that we would be able to easily detect giant planets with larger atmospheres. In addition, we modelled the structure, chemistry, and transmission spectrum of 55 Cnc e using state-of-the-art open source tools.

2020 ◽  
Vol 641 ◽  
pp. A120 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Jens Hoeijmakers ◽  
Samuel H. C. Cabot ◽  
Lily Zhao ◽  
Lars A. Buchhave ◽  
René Tronsgaard ◽  
...  

We report detections of atomic species in the atmosphere of MASCARA-2 b, using the first transit observations obtained with the newly commissioned EXPRES spectrograph. EXPRES is a highly stabilized optical echelle spectrograph, designed to detect stellar reflex motions with amplitudes down to 30 cm s−1, and has recently been deployed at the Lowell Discovery Telescope. By analyzing the transmission spectrum of the ultra-hot Jupiter MASCARA-2 b using the cross-correlation method, we confirm previous detections of Fe I, Fe II, and Na I, which likely originate in the upper regions of the inflated atmosphere. In addition, we report significant detections of Mg I and Cr II. The absorption strengths change slightly with time, possibly indicating different temperatures and chemistry in the day- and nightside terminators. Using the effective stellar line-shape variation induced by the transiting planet, we constrain the projected spin-orbit misalignment of the system to 1.6 ± 3.1 degrees, consistent with an aligned orbit. We demonstrate that EXPRES joins a suite of instruments capable of phase-resolved spectroscopy of exoplanet atmospheres.


2021 ◽  
Vol 502 (3) ◽  
pp. 4392-4404
Author(s):  
Adam B Langeveld ◽  
Nikku Madhusudhan ◽  
Samuel H C Cabot ◽  
Simon T Hodgkin

ABSTRACT Using high-resolution ground-based transmission spectroscopy to probe exoplanetary atmospheres is difficult due to the inherent telluric contamination from absorption in Earth’s atmosphere. A variety of methods have previously been used to remove telluric features in the optical regime and calculate the planetary transmission spectrum. In this paper we present and compare two such methods, specifically focusing on Na detections using high-resolution optical transmission spectra: (1) calculating the telluric absorption empirically based on the airmass and (2) using a model of the Earth’s transmission spectrum. We test these methods on the transmission spectrum of the hot Jupiter HD 189733 b using archival data obtained with the HARPS spectrograph during three transits. Using models for Centre-to-Limb Variation and the Rossiter–McLaughlin effect, spurious signals which are imprinted within the transmission spectrum are reduced. We find that correcting tellurics with an atmospheric model of the Earth is more robust and produces consistent results when applied to data from different nights with changing atmospheric conditions. We confirm the detection of sodium in the atmosphere of HD 189733 b, with doublet line contrasts of $-0.64 \pm 0.07~{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ (D2) and $-0.53 \pm 0.07~{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ (D1). The average line contrast corresponds to an effective photosphere in the Na line located around 1.13 Rp. We also confirm an overall blueshift of the line centroids corresponding to net atmospheric eastward winds with a speed of 1.8 ± 1.2 km s−1. Our study highlights the importance of accurate telluric removal for consistent and reliable characterization of exoplanetary atmospheres using high-resolution transmission spectroscopy.


2020 ◽  
Vol 642 ◽  
pp. A98 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. Yan ◽  
N. Espinoza ◽  
K. Molaverdikhani ◽  
Th. Henning ◽  
L. Mancini ◽  
...  

The hot sub-Saturn-mass exoplanet HAT-P-12b is an ideal target for transmission spectroscopy because of its inflated radius. We observed one transit of the planet with the multi-object double spectrograph (MODS) on the Large Binocular Telescope (LBT) with the binocular mode and obtained an atmosphere transmission spectrum with a wavelength coverage of ~0.4–0.9 μm. The spectrum is relatively flat and does not show any significant sodium or potassium absorption features. Our result is consistent with the revised Hubble Space Telescope (HST) transmission spectrum of a previous work, except that the HST result indicates a tentative detection of potassium. The potassium discrepancy could be the result of statistical fluctuation of the HST dataset. We fit the planetary transmission spectrum with an extensive grid of cloudy models and confirm the presence of high-altitude clouds in the planetary atmosphere. The fit was performed on the combined LBT and HST spectrum, which has an overall wavelength range of 0.4–1.6 μm. The LBT/MODS spectrograph has unique advantages in transmission spectroscopy observations because it can cover a wide wavelength range with a single exposure and acquire two sets of independent spectra simultaneously.


1984 ◽  
Vol 67 (5) ◽  
pp. 939-941
Author(s):  
Abdel-Azim M Habib ◽  
Abdalla A Omar ◽  
Taha M Sarg

Abstract Santonin gives a characteristic alkaline vs acidic difference spectrum. This was used for its estimation in pharmaceuticals and in the crude drug. Santonin was first extracted and purified through a specific partition procedure; then the difference absorbance was measured either at the maximum, 285 nm, or the minimum, 242 nm. The percentage of santonin can be calculated either by reference to the difference absorbance of a reference santonin sample, treated similarly, or by making use of the determined absorptivity. Measurement at the maximum is advisable, especially when the crude drug is assayed, because natural contaminants may interfere with the difference absorbance at the minimum.


1970 ◽  
Vol 37 (2) ◽  
pp. 259-267 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. C. Cheeseman ◽  
Dorothy J. Knight

SummaryThe dissociation of casein aggregates by the detergent sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) gave rise to difference spectra and these spectra were characteristic for each of the different types of casein. Increase in absorption by the chromophore groups, tyrosine and tryptophan, when αs1- and β-casein aggregates were dissociated indicated binding of the detergent at regions of the molecule containing these residues. A decrease in absorption when κ-casein was dissociated indicated that the tyrosine and tryptophan residues were not in the region of the molecule to which the detergent was bound and that in the κ-casein aggregate these residues were in a more hydrophobic environment. Peaks on the difference spectra were obtained at 280 and 288 nm for αs1-casein and 284 and 291 nm for β-casein and troughs at 278 and 286 nm for κ-casein. The difference spectrum reached a maximum value when the αsl- and β-casein aggregates were dissociated and the further binding of SDS did not alter this value. The large negative change in the difference spectrum of κ-casein did not occur until after most of the aggregates were dissociated and did not reach a maximum until binding with SDS was complete. The value obtained for ΔOD was found to be temperature-dependent for β-casein-SDS interaction, but not for αs1- and κ-casein. Changes in spectra were also observed when αs1- and κ-casein interacted to form aggregates. The data obtained confirmed the importance of hydrophobic binding in casein aggregate formation and indicated the possible involvement of tyrosine and tryptophan residues in this binding.


The present paper describes an investigation of diffusion in the solid state. Previous experimental work has been confined to the case in which the free energy of a mixture is a minimum for the single-phase state, and diffusion decreases local differences of concentration. This may be called ‘diffusion downhill’. However, it is possible for the free energy to be a minimum for the two-phase state; diffusion may then increase differences of concentration; and so may be called ‘diffusion uphill’. Becker (1937) has proposed a simple theoretical treatment of these two types of diffusion in a binary alloy. The present paper describes an experimental test of this theory, using the unusual properties of the alloy Cu 4 FeNi 3 . This alloy is single phase above 800° C and two-phase at lower temperatures, both the phases being face-centred cubic; the essential difference between the two phases is their content of copper. On dissociating from one phase into two the alloy develops a series of intermediate structures showing striking X-ray patterns which are very sensitive to changes of structure. It was found possible to utilize these results for a quantitative study of diffusion ‘uphill’ and ‘downhill’ in the alloy. The experimental results, which can be expressed very simply, are in fair agreement with conclusions drawn from Becker’s theory. It was found that Fick’s equation, dc / dt = D d2c / dx2 , can, within the limits of error, be applied in all cases, with the modification that c denotes the difference of the measured copper concentration from its equilibrium value. The theory postulates that D is the product of two factors, of which one is D 0f the coefficient of diffusion that would be measured if the alloy were an ideal solid solution. The theory is able to calculate D/D 0 , if only in first approximation, and the experiments confirm this calculation. It was found that in most cases the speed of diffusion—‘uphill’ or ‘downhill’—has the order of magnitude of D 0 . * Now with British Electrical Research Association.


2014 ◽  
Vol 790-791 ◽  
pp. 97-102
Author(s):  
Zoltán Erdélyi ◽  
Zoltán Balogh ◽  
Gabor L. Katona ◽  
Dezső L. Beke

The critical nucleus size—above which nuclei grow, below dissolve—during diffusion controlled nucleation in binary solid-solid phase transformation process is calculated using kinetic Monte Carlo (KMC). If atomic jumps are slower in an A-rich nucleus than in the embedding B-rich matrix, the nucleus traps the A atoms approaching its surface. It doesn’t have enough time to eject A atoms before new ones arrive, even if it would be favourable thermodynamically. In this case the critical nucleus size can be even by an order of magnitude smaller than expected from equilibrium thermodynamics or without trapping. These results were published in [Z. Erdélyi et al., Acta Mater. 58 (2010) 5639]. In a recent paper M. Leitner [M. Leitner, Acta Mater. 60 (2012) 6709] has questioned our results based on the arguments that his simulations led to different results, but he could not point out the reason for the difference. In this paper we summarize our original results and on the basis of recent KMC and kinetic mean field (KMF) simulations we show that Leitner’s conclusions are not valid and we confirm again our original results.


2003 ◽  
Vol 17 (7) ◽  
pp. 1192-1202 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gregory B. Fralish ◽  
Brian Dattilo ◽  
David Puett

Abstract Binding of the heterodimeric glycoprotein hormone, chorionic gonadotropin (CG), occurs to the heptahelical LH receptor N-terminal ectodomain (ECD), a large portion of which has been modeled as a leucine-rich repeat protein. In this study, we expressed and purified three single chain N-CG-ECD-C complexes, one comprising the full-length ECD, 1–341 (encoded by exons 1–10 and a portion of 11), and two C-terminal ECD deletion fragments, 1–294 (encoded by exons 1–10) and 1–180 (encoded by exons 1–7). The fusion proteins, including yoked CG (N-β-α-C), were characterized by Western blot analysis and circular dichroism (CD). Analysis of the CD spectra obtained on the CG-ECD fusion proteins, and of the difference spectrum of each after subtracting the CG contribution, yielded secondary structures consistent with a repeating β-strand/α-helix fold as predicted in the homology model. A marked decrease in helicity was observed when the C-terminal 47 amino acid residues were removed from the ECD. Removal of an additional 114 residues, i.e. the region encoded by exons 8–10, results in the loss of fewer helical residues. These results suggest that the hinge region of the ECD, predicted to contain only limited secondary structure, interacts with and stabilizes the ligand-occupied N-terminal portion. Furthermore, the results support a repeating fold, consistent with the proposed model for the LHR ECD.


1966 ◽  
Vol 21 (9) ◽  
pp. 1377-1384
Author(s):  
A. V. Willi

Kinetic carbon-13 and deuterium isotope effects are calculated for the SN2 reaction of CH3I with CN-. The normal vibrational frequencies of CH3I, the transition state I · · · CH3 · · · CN, and the corresponding isotope substituted reactants and transition states are evaluated from the force constants by solving the secular equation on an IBM 7094 computer.Values for 7 force constants of the planar CH3 moiety in the transition state (with an sp2 C atom) are obtained by comparison with suitable stable molecules. The stretching force constants related to the bonds being broken or newly formed (fCC, fCC and the interaction between these two stretches, /12) are chosen in such a way that either a zero or imaginary value for νʟ≠ will result. Agreement between calculated and experimental methyl-C13 isotope effects (k12/ k13) can be obtained only in sample calculations with sufficiently large values of f12 which lead to imaginary νʟ≠ values. Furthermore, the difference between fCI and fCC must be small (in the order of 1 mdyn/Å). The bending force constants, fHCI and fHCC, exert relatively little influence on k12/k13. They are important for the D isotope effect, however. As soon as experimental data on kH/kD are available it will be possible to derive a value for fHCC in the transition state if fHCI is kept constant at 0.205 mdynA, and if fCI, fCC and f12 are held in a reasonable order of magnitude. There is no agreement between experimental and calculated cyanide-C13 isotope effects. Possible explanations are discussed. — Since fCI and fCC cannot differ much it must be concluded that the transition state is relatively “symmetric”, with approximately equal amounts of bond making and bond breaking.


2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (9) ◽  
pp. 2909-2930 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sebastian Lienert ◽  
Fortunat Joos

Abstract. A dynamic global vegetation model (DGVM) is applied in a probabilistic framework and benchmarking system to constrain uncertain model parameters by observations and to quantify carbon emissions from land-use and land-cover change (LULCC). Processes featured in DGVMs include parameters which are prone to substantial uncertainty. To cope with these uncertainties Latin hypercube sampling (LHS) is used to create a 1000-member perturbed parameter ensemble, which is then evaluated with a diverse set of global and spatiotemporally resolved observational constraints. We discuss the performance of the constrained ensemble and use it to formulate a new best-guess version of the model (LPX-Bern v1.4). The observationally constrained ensemble is used to investigate historical emissions due to LULCC (ELUC) and their sensitivity to model parametrization. We find a global ELUC estimate of 158 (108, 211) PgC (median and 90 % confidence interval) between 1800 and 2016. We compare ELUC to other estimates both globally and regionally. Spatial patterns are investigated and estimates of ELUC of the 10 countries with the largest contribution to the flux over the historical period are reported. We consider model versions with and without additional land-use processes (shifting cultivation and wood harvest) and find that the difference in global ELUC is on the same order of magnitude as parameter-induced uncertainty and in some cases could potentially even be offset with appropriate parameter choice.


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