ALBERT

Description: We report the discovery of a low-mass companion to the nearby ( d = 47 pc) F7V star HD 984. The companion is detected 0.19 arcsec away from its host star in the L ' band with the Apodized Phase Plate on NaCo/Very Large Telescope and was recovered by L '-band non-coronagraphic imaging data taken a few days later. We confirm the companion is comoving with the star with SINFONI integral field spectrograph H + K data. We present the first published data obtained with SINFONI in pupil-tracking mode. HD 984 has been argued to be a kinematic member of the 30 Myr-old Columba group, and its HR diagram position is not altogether inconsistent with being a zero-age main sequence star of this age. By consolidating different age indicators, including isochronal age, coronal X-ray emission, and stellar rotation, we independently estimate a main-sequence age of 115 ± 85 Myr (95 per cent CL) which does not rely on this kinematic association. The mass of directly imaged companions are usually inferred from theoretical evolutionary tracks, which are highly dependent on the age of the star. Based on the age extrema, we demonstrate that with our photometric data alone, the companion's mass is highly uncertain: between 33 and 96 M Jup (0.03–0.09 M ) using the COND evolutionary models. We compare the companion's SINFONI spectrum with field dwarf spectra to break this degeneracy. Based on the slope and shape of the spectrum in the H band, we conclude that the companion is an M6.0 ± 0.5 dwarf. The age of the system is not further constrained by the companion, as M dwarfs are poorly fit on low-mass evolutionary tracks. This discovery emphasizes the importance of obtaining a spectrum to spectral type companions around F-stars.

Description: We report the results of a direct imaging survey of A- and F-type main-sequence stars searching for giant planets. A/F stars are often the targets of surveys, as they are thought to have more massive giant planets relative to solar-type stars. However, most imaging is only sensitive to orbital separations 〉30 au, where it has been demonstrated that giant planets are rare. In this survey, we take advantage of the high-contrast capabilities of the Apodizing Phase Plate coronagraph on NACO at the Very Large Telescope. Combined with optimized principal component analysis post-processing, we are sensitive to planetary-mass companions (2–12 M Jup ) at Solar system scales (≤30 au). We obtained data on 13 stars in the L ' band and detected one new companion as part of this survey: an M6.0 ± 0.5 dwarf companion around HD 984. We re-detect low-mass companions around HD 12894 and HD 20385, both reported shortly after the completion of this survey. We use Monte Carlo simulations to determine new constraints on the low-mass (〈80 M Jup ) companion frequency, as a function of mass and separation. Assuming solar-type planet mass and separation distributions, normalized to the planet frequency appropriate for A-stars, and the observed companion mass-ratio distribution for stellar companions extrapolated to planetary masses, we derive a truncation radius for the planetary mass companion surface density of 〈135 au at 95 per cent confidence.

Description: Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) are used as ‘standard candles’ for cosmological distance scales. To fit their light-curve shape–absolute luminosity relation, one needs to assume an intrinsic colour and a likelihood of host galaxy extinction or a convolution of these, a colour distribution prior. The host galaxy extinction prior is typically assumed to be an exponential drop-off for the current supernova programmes ( $P(A_V) \propto {\rm e}^{-A_V/\tau _0}$ ). We explore the validity of this prior using the distribution of extinction values inferred when two galaxies accidentally overlap (an occulting galaxy pair). We correct the supernova luminosity distances from the SDSS-III supernova projects (SDSS-SN) by matching the host galaxies to one of three templates from occulting galaxy pairs based on the host galaxy mass and the A V -bias–prior-scale ( 0 ) relation from Jha et al. We find that introducing an A V prior that depends on host mass results in lowered luminosity distances for the SDSS-SN on average but it does not reduce the scatter in individual measurements. This points, in our view, to the need for many more occulting galaxy templates to match to SN Ia host galaxies to rule out this possible source of scatter in the SN Ia distance measurements. We match occulting galaxy templates based on both mass and projected radius and we find that one should match by stellar mass first with radius as a secondary consideration. We discuss the caveats of the current approach: the lack of enough radial coverage, the small sample of priors (occulting pairs with HST data), the effect of gravitationally interacting as well as occulting pairs, and whether an exponential distribution is appropriate. Our aim is to convince the reader that a library of occulting galaxy pairs observed with HST will provide sufficient priors to improve (optical) SN Ia measurements to the next required accuracy in cosmology.

Description: We report the discovery of WTS-2 b, an unusually close-in 1.02-d hot Jupiter ( M P  = 1.12 M J , R P  = 1.30 R J ) orbiting a K2V star, which has a possible gravitationally bound M-dwarf companion at 0.6 arcsec separation contributing ~20 per cent of the total flux in the observed J -band light curve. The planet is only 1.5 times the separation from its host star at which it would be destroyed by Roche lobe overflow, and has a predicted remaining lifetime of just ~40 Myr, assuming a tidal dissipation quality factor of $Q_{\star }^{\prime }=10^{6}$ . $Q_{\star }^{\prime }$ is a key factor in determining how frictional processes within a host star affect the orbital evolution of its companion giant planets, but it is currently poorly constrained by observations. We calculate that the orbital decay of WTS-2 b would correspond to a shift in its transit arrival time of T shift ~ 17 s after 15 yr assuming $Q_{\star }^{\prime }=10^{6}$ . A shift less than this would place a direct observational constraint on the lower limit of $Q_{\star }^{\prime }$ in this system. We also report a correction to the previously published expected T shift for WASP-18 b, finding that T shift  = 356 s after 10 yr for $Q_{\star }^{\prime }=10^{6}$ , which is much larger than the estimated 28 s quoted in WASP-18 b discovery paper. We attempted to constrain $Q_{\star }^{\prime }$ via a study of the entire population of known transiting hot Jupiters, but our results were inconclusive, requiring a more detailed treatment of transit survey sensitivities at long periods. We conclude that the most informative and straightforward constraints on $Q_{\star }^{\prime }$ will be obtained by direct observational measurements of the shift in transit arrival times in individual hot Jupiter systems. We show that this is achievable across the mass spectrum of exoplanet host stars within a decade, and will directly probe the effects of stellar interior structure on tidal dissipation.

Description: The young (~16 Myr) pre-main-sequence star in Sco–Cen 1SWASP J140747.93–394542.6, hereafter referred to as J1407, underwent a deep eclipse in 2007 April, bracketed by several shallower eclipses in the surrounding 54 d. This has been interpreted as the first detection of an eclipsing ring system circling a substellar object (dubbed J1407b). We report on a search for this companion with Sparse Aperture Mask imaging and direct imaging with both the UT4 VLT and Keck telescopes. Radial velocity measurements of J1407 provide additional constraints on J1407b and on short period companions to the central star. Follow-up photometric monitoring using the Panchromatic Robotic Optical Monitoring and Polarimetry Telescopes (PROMPT)-4 and ROAD observatories during 2012–2014 has not yielded any additional eclipses. Large regions of mass–period space are ruled out for the companion. For circular orbits the companion period is constrained to the range 3.5–13.8 yr ( a ~= 2.2–5.6 au), and stellar masses (〉80 M Jup ) are ruled out at 3 significance over these periods. The complex ring system appears to occupy more than 0.15 of its Hill radius, much larger than its Roche radius and suggesting a ring structure in transition. Further, we demonstrate that the radial velocity of J1407 is consistent with membership in the Upper Cen–Lup subgroup of the Sco–Cen association, and constraints on the rotation period and projected rotational velocity of J1407 are consistent with a stellar inclination of i * ~= 68° ± 10°.

Description: We have identified 274 M-type brown dwarfs in the Hubble Space Telescope 's Wide Field Camera 3 pure parallel fields from the Brightest of Reionizing Galaxies (BoRG) survey for high-redshift galaxies. These are near-infrared observations with multiple lines of sight out of our Milky Way. Using these observed M-type brown dwarfs, we fitted a Galactic disc and halo model with a Markov chain Monte Carlo analysis. This model worked best with the scalelength of the disc fixed at h = 2.6 kpc. For the scaleheight of the disc, we found $z_0 = 0.29^{+0.02}_{-0.019}$  kpc and for the central number density, $\rho _0 = 0.29^{+0.20}_{-0.13}$ # pc –3 . For the halo, we derived a flattening parameter = 0.45 ± 0.04 and a power-law index p = 2.4 ± 0.07. We found the fraction of M-type brown dwarfs in the local density that belong to the halo to be f h = 0.0075 $^{+0.0025}_{-0.0019}$ . We found no correlation between subtype of M-dwarf and any model parameters. The total number of M-type brown dwarfs in the disc and halo was determined to be $58.2^{+9.81}_{-6.70} \times 10^{9}$ . We found an upper limit for the fraction of M-type brown dwarfs in the halo of 7 $^{+5}_{-4}$ per cent. The upper limit for the total Galactic disc mass in M-dwarfs is $4.34^{+0.73}_{-0.5}\times 10^{9}$ M , assuming all M-type brown dwarfs have a mass of 80  M J .

Description: A recently discovered V = 12.3 mag K5 pre-main-sequence star in the SuperWASP (Super Wide Angle Search for Planets) data base shows a peculiar light curve with a highly structured eclipse pattern covering a timespan of at least 54 d with maximum dimming of at least 3.3 mag. The central eclipse is surrounded by two 1 mag eclipses at ±12 and ±26 d. The authors speculate that the star is eclipsed by a substellar companion with an extended and highly structured ring system. To investigate the nightly light-curve structure and to confirm the multiple-ring hypothesis, we have carried out a calibrated reduction of the SuperWASP data, removing both systematic errors and periodic stellar variability. We count at least 24 inflection points on ingress and 16 on egress, consistent with the presence of at least 24 rings in this disc. By measuring the light-curve slope, we find implied speeds for the eclipsing object that are incompatible with a closed Kepler orbit with P = 2.3 yr. We propose several scenarios that could give rise to such light-curve slopes and find that azimuthal ring structure (analogous to ‘spokes’ seen in Saturn's rings) can account for the observed light curve. The highly structured ring system also implies the presence of exomoons orbiting the secondary companion.

Description: Dust in debris discs is constantly replenished by collisions between larger objects. In this paper, we investigate a method to detect these collisions. We generate models based on recent results on the Fomalhaut debris disc, where we simulate a background star transiting behind the disc, due to the proper motion of Fomalhaut. By simulating the expanding dust clouds caused by the collisions in the debris disc, we investigate whether it is possible to observe changes in the brightness of the background star. We conclude that in the case of the Fomalhaut debris disc, changes in the optical depth can be observed, with values of the optical depth ranging from 10 –0.5 for the densest dust clouds to 10 –8 for the most diffuse clouds with respect to the background optical depth of ~1.2 10 –3 .

Description: We report the results of a direct imaging survey of A- and F-type main-sequence stars searching for giant planets. A/F stars are often the targets of surveys, as they are thought to have more massive giant planets relative to solar-type stars. However, most imaging is only sensitive to orbital separations 〉30 au, where it has been demonstrated that giant planets are rare. In this survey, we take advantage of the high-contrast capabilities of the Apodizing Phase Plate coronagraph on NACO at the Very Large Telescope. Combined with optimized principal component analysis post-processing, we are sensitive to planetary-mass companions (2–12 M Jup ) at Solar system scales (≤30 au). We obtained data on 13 stars in the L ' band and detected one new companion as part of this survey: an M6.0 ± 0.5 dwarf companion around HD 984. We re-detect low-mass companions around HD 12894 and HD 20385, both reported shortly after the completion of this survey. We use Monte Carlo simulations to determine new constraints on the low-mass (〈80 M Jup ) companion frequency, as a function of mass and separation. Assuming solar-type planet mass and separation distributions, normalized to the planet frequency appropriate for A-stars, and the observed companion mass-ratio distribution for stellar companions extrapolated to planetary masses, we derive a truncation radius for the planetary mass companion surface density of 〈135 au at 95 per cent confidence.