Stellar models applied to large stellar surveys of the Milky Way need to be properly tested against a sample of stars with highly reliable fundamental stellar parameters. We have established a program aiming to deliver such a sample. We present new f
undamental stellar parameters of nine dwarfs that will be used as benchmarks for large stellar surveys. One of these stars is the solar-twin 18Sco, which is one of the Gaia-ESO benchmarks. The goal is to reach a precision of 1% in Teff. This precision is important for accurate determinations of the full set of fundamental parameters and abundances of stars observed by the surveys. We observed HD131156 (xiBoo), HD146233 (18Sco), HD152391, HD173701, HD185395 (thetaCyg), HD186408 (16CygA), HD186427 (16CygB), HD190360 and HD207978 (15Peg) using the high angular resolution optical interferometric instrument PAVO/CHARA. We derived limb-darkening corrections from 3D model atmospheres and determined Teff directly from the Stefan-Boltzmann relation, with an iterative procedure to interpolate over tables of bolometric corrections. Surface gravities were estimated from comparisons to Dartmouth stellar evolution model tracks. We collected spectroscopic observations from the ELODIE spectrograph and estimated metallicities ([Fe/H]) from a 1D non-local thermodynamic equilibrium (NLTE) abundance analyses of unblended lines of neutral and singly ionized iron. For eight of the nine stars, we measure the Teff less than 1%, and for one star better than 2%. We determined the median uncertainties in logg and Fe/H as 0.015dex and 0.05dex, respectively. This study presents updated fundamental stellar parameters of nine dwarfs that can be used as a new set of benchmarks. All parameters were based on consistently combining interferometric observations, 3D limb-darkening modelling and spectroscopic analysis. The next paper will extend our sample to metal-rich giants.
We present an analysis of the first 20-second cadence light curves obtained by the TESS space telescope during its extended mission. We find a precision improvement of 20-second data compared to 2-minute data for bright stars when binned to the same
cadence (~10-25% better for T<~8 mag, reaching equal precision at T~13 mag), consistent with pre-flight expectations based on differences in cosmic ray mitigation algorithms. We present two results enabled by this improvement. First, we use 20-second data to detect oscillations in three solar analogs (gamma Pav, zeta Tuc and pi Men) and use asteroseismology to measure their radii, masses, densities and ages to ~1%, ~3%, ~1% and ~20% respectively, including systematic errors. Combining our asteroseismic ages with chromospheric activity measurements we find evidence that the spread in the activity-age relation is linked to stellar mass and thus convection-zone depth. Second, we combine 20-second data and published radial velocities to re-characterize pi Men c, which is now the closest transiting exoplanet for which detailed asteroseismology of the host star is possible. We show that pi Men c is located at the upper edge of the planet radius valley for its orbital period, confirming that it has likely retained a volatile atmosphere and that the asteroseismic radius valley remains devoid of planets. Our analysis favors a low eccentricity for pi Men c (<0.1 at 68% confidence), suggesting efficient tidal dissipation (Q/k <~ 2400) if it formed via high-eccentricity migration. Combined, these early results demonstrate the strong potential of TESS 20-second cadence data for stellar astrophysics and exoplanet science.
Over the last two decades, asteroseismology has increasingly proven to be the observational tool of choice for the study of stellar physics, aided by the high quality of data available from space-based missions such as CoRoT, Kepler, K2 and TESS. TES
S in particular will produce more than an order of magnitude more such data than has ever been available before. While the standard TESS mission products include light curves from 120-sec observations suitable for both exoplanet and asteroseismic studies, they do not include light curves for the vastly larger number of targets observed by the mission at a longer 1800-sec cadence in Full Frame Images (FFIs). To address this lack, the TESS Data for Asteroseismology (TDA) group under the TESS Asteroseismic Science Consortium (TASC), has constructed an open-source pipeline focused on producing light curves for all stars observed by TESS at all cadences, currently including stars down to a TESS magnitude of 15. The pipeline includes target identification, background estimation and removal, correction of FFI timestamps, and a range of potential photometric extraction methodologies, though aperture photometry is currently the default approach. For the brightest targets, we transparently apply a halo photometry algorithm to construct a calibrated light curve from unsaturated pixels in the image. In this paper, we describe in detail the algorithms, functionality, and products of this pipeline, and summarize the noise metrics for the light curves. Companion papers will address the removal of systematic noise sources from our light curves, and a stellar variability classification from these.
The interplay between thermal and quantum fluctuations controls the competition between phases of matter in strongly correlated electron systems. We study finite-temperature properties of the strongly coupled two-dimensional doped Hubbard model using
the minimally-entangled typical thermal states (METTS) method on width $4$ cylinders. We discover that a phase characterized by commensurate short-range antiferromagnetic correlations and no charge ordering occurs at temperatures above the half-filled stripe phase extending to zero temperature. The transition from the antiferromagnetic phase to the stripe phase takes place at temperature $T/t approx 0.05$ and is accompanied by a step-like feature of the specific heat. We find the single-particle gap to be smallest close to the nodal point at $mathbf{k}=(pi/2, pi/2)$ and detect a maximum in the magnetic susceptibility. These features bear a strong resemblance to the pseudogap phase of high-temperature cuprate superconductors. The simulations are verified using a variety of different unbiased numerical methods in the three limiting cases of zero temperature, small lattice sizes, and half-filling. Moreover, we compare to and confirm previous determinantal quantum Monte Carlo results on incommensurate spin-density waves at finite doping and temperature.
Benchmark stars are crucial as validating standards for current as well as future large stellar surveys of the Milky Way. However, the number of suitable metal-poor benchmarks is currently limited. We aim to construct a new set of metal-poor benchmar
ks, based on reliable interferometric effective temperature ($T_text{eff}$) determinations and a homogeneous analysis with a desired precision of $1%$ in $T_text{eff}$. We observed ten late-type metal-poor dwarf and giants: HD2665, HD6755, HD6833, HD103095, HD122563, HD127243, HD140283, HD175305, HD221170, and HD224930. Only three of the ten stars (HD103095, HD122563, and HD140283) have previously been used as benchmarks. For the observations, we used the high angular resolution optical interferometric instrument PAVO at the CHARA array. We modelled angular diameters using 3D limb darkening models and determined $T_text{eff}$ directly from the Stefan-Boltzmann relation, with an iterative procedure to interpolate over tables of bolometric corrections. Surface gravities ($log(g)$) were estimated from comparisons to Dartmouth stellar evolution model tracks. We collected spectroscopic observations from the ELODIE and FIES spectrographs and estimated metallicities ($mathrm{[Fe/H]}$) from a 1D non-LTE abundance analysis of unblended lines of neutral and singly ionized iron. We inferred $T_text{eff}$ to better than $1%$ for five of the stars (HD103095, HD122563, HD127243, HD140283, and HD224930). The $T_text{eff}$ of the other five stars are reliable to between $2-3%$; the higher uncertainty on the $T_text{eff}$ for those stars is mainly due to their having a larger uncertainty in the bolometric fluxes. We also determined $log(g)$ and $mathrm{[Fe/H]}$ with median uncertainties of $0.03,mathrm{dex}$ and $0.09,mathrm{dex}$, respectively. These ten stars can, therefore, be adopted as a new, reliable set of metal-poor benchmarks.
In the current era of Gaia and large, high signal to noise stellar spectroscopic surveys, there is an unmet need for a reliable library of fundamentally calibrated stellar effective temperatures based on accurate stellar diameters. Here we present a
set of precision diameters and temperatures for a sample of 6 dwarf, 5 sub-giant, and 5 giant stars observed with the PIONIER beam combiner at the VLTI. Science targets were observed in at least two sequences with five unique calibration stars each for accurate visibility calibration and to reduce the impact of bad calibrators. We use the standard PIONIER data reduction pipeline, but bootstrap over interferograms, in addition to employing a Monte-Carlo approach to account for correlated errors by sampling stellar parameters, limb darkening coefficients, and fluxes, as well as predicted calibrator angular diameters. The resulting diameters were then combined with bolometric fluxes derived from broadband Hipparcos-Tycho photometry and MARCS model bolometric corrections, plus parallaxes from Gaia to produce effective temperatures, physical radii, and luminosities for each star observed. Our stars have mean angular diameter and temperatures uncertainties of 0.8% and 0.9% respectively, with our sample including diameters for 10 stars with no pre-existing interferometric measurements. The remaining stars are consistent with previous measurements, with the exception of a single star which we observe here with PIONIER at both higher resolution and greater sensitivity than was achieved in earlier work.
Background Achieving hepatitis C elimination is hampered by the costs of treatment and the need to treat hard-to-reach populations. Treatment access could be widened by shortening treatment, but limited research means it is unclear which strategies c
ould achieve sufficiently high cure rates to be acceptable. We present the statistical aspects of a multi-arm trial designed to test multiple strategies simultaneously with a monitoring mechanism to detect and stop those with unacceptably low cure rates quickly. Methods The VIETNARMS trial will factorially randomise patients to three randomisations. We will use Bayesian monitoring at interim analyses to detect and stop recruitment into unsuccessful strategies, defined as a >0.95 posterior probability of the true cure rate being <90%. Here, we tested the operating characteristics of the stopping guideline, planned the timing of the interim analyses and explored power at the final analysis. Results A beta(4.5, 0.5) prior for the true cure rate produces <0.05 probability of incorrectly stopping a group with true cure rate >90%. Groups with very low cure rates (<60%) are very likely (>0.9 probability) to stop after ~25% patients are recruited. Groups with moderately low cure rates (80%) are likely to stop (0.7 probability) before the end of recruitment. Interim analyses 7, 10, 13 and 18 months after recruitment commences provide good probabilities of stopping inferior groups. For an overall true cure rate of 95%, power is >90% to detect non-inferiority in the regimen and strategy comparisons using 5% and 10% margins respectively, regardless of the control cure rate, and to detect a 5% absolute difference in the ribavirin comparison. Conclusions The operating characteristics of the stopping guideline are appropriate and interim analyses can be timed to detect failing groups at various stages.
The binary system $eta$ Carinae is a unique laboratory in which to study particle acceleration to high energies under a wide range of conditions, including extremely high densities around periastron. To date, no consensus has emerged as to the origin
of the GeV $gamma$-ray emission in this important system. With a re-analysis of the full Fermi-LAT dataset for $eta$ Carinae we show that the spectrum is consistent with a pion decay origin. A single population leptonic model connecting the X-ray to $gamma$-ray emission can be ruled out. Here, we revisit the physical model of Ohm et al. (2015), based on two acceleration zones associated to the termination shocks in the winds of both stars. We conclude that inverse-Compton emission from in-situ accelerated electrons dominates the hard X-ray emission detected with NuSTAR at all phases away from periastron, and pion-decay from shock accelerated protons is the source of the $gamma$-ray emission. Very close to periastron there is a pronounced dip in the hard X-ray emission, concomitant with the repeated disappearance of the thermal X-ray emission, which we interpret as being due to the suppression of significant electron acceleration in the system. Within our model, the residual emission seen by NuSTAR at this phase can be accounted for with secondary electrons produced in interactions of accelerated protons, in agreement with the variation in pion-decay $gamma$-ray emission. Future observations with H.E.S.S., CTA and NuSTAR should confirm or refute this scenario.
Asteroseismic analysis of solar-like stars allows us to determine physical parameters such as stellar mass, with a higher precision compared to most other methods. Even in a well-studied cluster such as the Hyades, the masses of the red giant stars a
re not well known, and previous mass estimates are based on model calculations (isochrones). The four known red giants in the Hyades are assumed to be clump (core-helium-burning) stars based on their positions in colour-magnitude diagrams, however asteroseismology offers an opportunity to test this assumption. Using asteroseismic techniques combined with other methods, we aim to derive physical parameters and the evolutionary stage for the planet hosting star epsilon Tau, which is one of the four red giants located in the Hyades. We analysed time-series data from both ground and space to perform the asteroseismic analysis. By combining high signal-to-noise (S/N) radial-velocity data from the ground-based SONG network with continuous space-based data from the revised Kepler mission K2, we derive and characterize 27 individual oscillation modes for epsilon Tau, along with global oscillation parameters such as the large frequency separation and the ratio between the amplitude of the oscillations measured in radial velocity and intensity as a function of frequency. The latter has been measured previously for only two stars, the Sun and Procyon. Combining the seismic analysis with interferometric and spectroscopic measurements, we derive physical parameters for epsilon Tau, and discuss its evolutionary status.
We formulate microscopic optical potentials for nucleon-nucleus scattering from chiral two- and three-nucleon forces. The real and imaginary central terms of the optical potentials are obtained from the nucleon self energy in infinite nuclear matter
at a given density and isospin asymmetry, calculated self-consistently to second order in many-body perturbation theory. The real spin-orbit term is extracted from the same chiral potential using an improved density matrix expansion. The density-dependent optical potential is then folded with the nuclear density distributions of 40Ca, 42Ca, 44Ca, and 48Ca from which we study proton-nucleus elastic scattering and total reaction cross sections using the reaction code TALYS. We compare the results of the microscopic calculations to those of phenomenological models and experimental data up to projectile energies of E = 180 MeV. While overall satisfactory agreement with the available experimental data is obtained, we find that the elastic scattering and total reaction cross sections can be significantly improved with a weaker imaginary optical potential, particularly for larger projectile energies.
