V606 Cen: A Newly Formed Massive Contact Binary in a Hierarchical Triple System

V606 Centauri (V606 Cen) is an early B-type close binary with an orbital period of 1.4950935 days, and its complete light curves are very difficult to observe on the ground. By analyzing the continuous light curve obtained by TESS, we found that it is a marginal contact binary with a very low fill-out factor of about 2%. The O − C diagram of V606 Cen is constructed for the first time based on 118.8 yr of eclipse times. The O − C diagram has been found to show a downward parabolic change together with a cyclic oscillation with a semiamplitude of 0.0545 days and a period of 88.3 yr. The downward parabolic variation reveals a linear period decrease at a rate of dP/dt = −2.08 × 10−7 days yr−1 that can be explained by the mass transfer from the more massive component to the less massive one. Both the marginal contact configuration and the continuous period decrease suggest that V606 Cen is a newly formed contact binary via Case A mass transfer. The cyclic change in the O − C diagram can be explained by the light-travel time effect via the presence of a third body. The lowest mass of the tertiary companion is determined to be M 3 = 4.51 (±0.43) M ⊙ and the tertiary is orbiting around the central eclipsing binary in a nearly circular orbit (e = 0.33). All of the results indicate that V606 Cen is a newly formed massive contact binary in a hierarchical triple system.

The dynamics of surface boundary layer during total Solar eclipse 1995

A microclimatological tower of 1.6 m height with six instrumented booms at different heights carrying wind speed, temperature and humidity sensors was set up at Robertsgun 24° 42'N, 83°4'E, 3l2m amsl) to study the implication of the total Solar eclipse on the dynamics of Atmospheric Boundary Layer (ABL). Apart from this, the soil temperature and heat flux were also measured during the same time. The observations were taken with a one minute average interval and recorded continuously with the data logger and then transferred to a PC for later use. The data were collected during 2l –26 October 1995. During the eclipse period decrease of surface temperature and soil temperature by 6.2°C and 3.5°C respectively and increase of humidity by nearly 60% were observed. Due to the decrease in velocity fluctuations, the mean wind speed showed the sharp increase compared to other days. The setting of stable atmosphere before the total solar eclipse was observed.

Energy, Exergy, Exergoeconomic and Exergoenvironmental Impact Analyses and Optimization of Various Geothermal Power Cycle Configurations

Energy, exergy, and exergoeconomic evaluations of various geothermal configurations are reported. The main operational and economic parameters of the cycles are evaluated and compared. Multi-objective optimization of the cycles is conducted using the artificial bee colony algorithm. A sensitivity assessment is carried out on the effect of production well temperature variation on system performance from energy and economic perspectives. The results show that the flash-binary cycle has the highest thermal and exergy efficiencies, at 15.6% and 64.3%, respectively. The highest generated power cost and pay-back period are attributable to the simple organic Rankine cycle (ORC). Raising the well-temperature can increase the exergy destruction rate in all configurations. However, the electricity cost and pay-back period decrease. Based on the results, in all cases, the exergoenvironmental impact improvement factor decreases, and the temperature rises. The exergy destruction ratio and efficiency of all components for each configuration are calculated and compared. It is found that, at the optimum state, the exergy efficiencies of the simple organic Rankine cycle, single flash, double flash, and flash-binary cycles respectively are 14.7%, 14.4%, 12.6%, and 14.1% higher than their relevant base cases, while the pay-back periods are 10.6%, 1.5% 1.4%, and 0.6% lower than the base cases.

A Brown Dwarf Companion to the Nova-like Variable RW Tri

The orbital period of Nova-like variable RW Tri is expected to experience a long-term evolution due to a stable mass transfer from the red dwarf to the white dwarf. By adding 297 new eclipse timings obtained from our own observations and a cross-identification of many databases, we fully reinvestigated the variations in orbital period of RW Tri, based on a total of 658 data points spanning over 80 years. The new O-C diagram demonstrates a more complicate pattern than a pure sinusoidal modulation shown in the previous O-C analyses. The best fit of the O-C variations is a quadratic-plus-sinusoidal curve with a period of 22.66 (2) years and a typical decrease rate of P˙ = −2d.32(4) × 10−9 yr−1. To explain secular orbital period decrease, the magnetic braking effect is required to cause the orbital angular moment loss in RW Tri with a mass ratio less than unity, while a conserved mass transfer is also enough for RW Tri with a mass ratio larger than unity. No matter what the mass ratio is, a slightly enhanced mass transfer rate, 2.4–5.3 × 10−9 M⊙ yr−1, derived from our O-C diagram, providing an evidence supporting the disk instability model and the standard/revised models of cataclysmic variable evolution, is almost the same as that obtained from the light-curve modeling. This further confirms our observed orbital period decrease and the controversial system parameter, mass transfer rate. Our updated O-C analysis further verifies the claimed cyclical changes of orbital period with a period range of 21–24 years, which is approximately one half of the results in the literature. In accordance with the light-travel time effect, this periodical variation shown in our new O-C diagram indicates a brown dwarf hidden in RW Tri at a coplanar orbit. Note that the large scatter in the data range of 0–3 × 104 cycles requires the high-precision photometry in the longer base line in the future.

A quantitative in-depth analysis of the prototype sdB+BD system SDSS J08205+0008 revisited in the Gaia era

Subdwarf B stars are core-helium burning stars located on the extreme horizontal branch. Extensive mass loss on the red giant branch is necessary to form them. It has been proposed that substellar companions could lead to the required mass-loss when they are engulfed in the envelope of the red giant star. J08205+0008 was the first example of a hot subdwarf star with a close, substellar companion candidate to be found. Here we perform an in-depth re-analysis of this important system with much higher quality data allowing additional analysis methods. From the higher resolution spectra obtained with ESO-VLT/XSHOOTER we derive the chemical abundances of the hot subdwarf as well as its rotational velocity. Using the Gaia parallax and a fit to the spectral energy distribution in the secondary eclipse, tight constraints to the radius of the hot subdwarf are derived. From a long-term photometric campaign we detected a significant period decrease of $-3.2(8)\cdot 10^{-12} \, \rm dd^{-1}$. This can be explained by the non-synchronised hot subdwarf star being spun up by tidal interactions forcing it to become synchronised. From the rate of period decrease we could derive the synchronisation timescale to be 4 Myr, much smaller than the lifetime on EHB. By combining all different methods we could constrain the hot subdwarf to a mass of $0.39-0.50\, \rm M_\odot$ and a radius of $R_{\rm sdB}=0.194\pm 0.008\, \rm R_\odot$, and the companion to $0.061-0.071\rm \, M_\odot$ with a radius of $R_{\rm comp}=0.092 \pm 0.005\, \rm R_\odot$, below the hydrogen burning limit. We therefore confirm that the companion is most likely a massive brown dwarf.

Searching for eclipsing binaries in the area of RA: 02h21m36s, Dec: +57○11′32″

ABSTRACT By analysing the data observed by the Comet Search Programme telescope at Xingming Observatory from 2018 October 11 to 2018 December 19, 24 eclipsing binaries were identified. By cross-matching with the VSX (AAVSO) website, we found that four binaries are newly discovered. By analysing the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) data, the light curves of 17 binaries were obtained. First photometric solutions of 23 binaries were obtained by simultaneously analysing all the light curves, except for NSVS 1908107 (first analysed by Pan et al.). Based on the photometric solutions, nine binaries belong to detached binary systems, ten binaries belong to semidetached binary systems, and five binaries belong to contact binary systems. Two W-subtype low-mass ratio contact binaries (the less massive components are hotter), with total eclipsing light curves, were identified: Mis V1395 is a deep contact binary (q = 0.150, $f=80{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$), while NSVS 1917038 is a low-mass ratio binary with an unexpectedly marginal contact degree (q = 1/6.839 = 0.146, $f=4{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$). The total eclipsing detached binary GSC 03698-00022 has an extremely low mass ratio of q = 0.085. The Algol-type binary NSVS 1908107 is also found to have an extremely low mass ratio of q = 0.081. The Algol-type binary DK Per exhibits a continuous period decrease at a rate of dP/dt = −1.26 × 10−7 d yr−1, which may result from the orbital angular momentum loss. Based on the light curves obtained from the TESS data, a pulsating binary candidate (NSVS 1913053) was found.

Antibiotic Consumption in Hospitalized Children at the University Clinic for Pediatric Diseases – Skopje

BACKGROUND: The misuse and overuse of antibiotics contribute to the development of antimicrobial residence. Official data in EU/ EEA in 2017 in the hospital sector suggested that the consumption is lowest in the Netherlands, with 1 DDD per 1,000 inhabitants/day in comparison with Finland, with 2.8 DDD/TID. AIM: The aim of this study was to analyze data on the scope and structure of the antibiotic prescription in pediatric patients at University Children’s Hospital for period of 3 months in 2018 and 2019. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The data for antibiotic consumption were obtained from a hospital pharmacy, which are ordinated to hospitalized patients. RESULTS: The total amount of utilized antibacterial drugs with ATC code J01 for first quarter in 2018 is 33.65 DDD/100BD in comparison to the first quarter of 2019 when it declined to 32.09 DDD/100BD. The most consummated antibiotics in the first trimester of both years were the group of cephalosporins, especially the 3rd- and 4th-generation parenteral cephalosporins with from 16.96 to 19.25 DDD/100BD in the evaluated period. Decrease of penicillin’s, carbapenems, macrolides and quinolones were confirmed in the analyzed period. The most commonly used drugs remain ceftriaxone – 13.49 DDD/100BD in 2018 and increased to 14.41 DDD/100BD in 2019, followed by amikacin 3.21 DDD/100BD in 2018 and increased to 3.50 DDD/100BD in 2019 but azithromycin consumption significantly declined from 1.97 DDD/100BD to 0.81 DDD/100BD administered orally. The third most commonly utilized antibiotic in first quarter of 2019 become meropenem, antimicrobial drug from the group of carbapenems with 2.71 DDD/100BD. CONCLUSION: The benefits of monitoring the antibiotic prescribed pattern are critical due to the fact that they provide adequate data on consumption of antibiotics and adherence to guidelines.