Transiting exoplanets from the CoRoT space mission Resolving the nature of transit candidates for the LRa03 and SRa03 fields

CoRoT is a space telescope which aims at studying internal structure of stars and detecting extrasolar planets. We present here a list of transits detected in the light curves of stars observed by CoRoT in two fields in the anti-center direction: the LRa03 one observed during 148 days from 3 October 2009 to 1 March 2010 followed by the SRa03 one from the 5 March 2010 to the 29 March 2010 during 25 days. 5329 light curves for the LRa03 field and 4169 for the SRa03 field were analyzed by the detection team of CoRoT. Then some of the selected exoplanetary candidates have been followed up from the ground. In the LRa03 field, 19 exoplanet candidates have been found, 8?remain unsolved. No secured planet has been found yet. In the SRa03 field, there were 11 exoplanetary candidates among which 6 cases remain unsolved and 3 planets have been found: CoRoT-18b, CoRoT-19b, CoRoT-20b.     

Programs and means developed by C.E.A. for clay characterization

This paper is devoted to the program and means implemented within the Atomic Energy Commission (C.E.A.), with the collaboration of the National Agency for Radioactive Wastes (A.N.D.R.A.), to assess the properties of argillous materials, coming from French deposits. These are good candidates as constituent elements of engineered barriers for the disposal of weakly and highly harmful wastes (such as radioactive wastes).     

The nucleus of comet C/1983 H1 IRAS-Araki-Alcock

We present a synthetic analysis of all available infrared (2-20 μm) and radio (1.3-6.1 cm) observations of comet C/1983 H1 IRAS-Araki-Alcock performed during its close approach to Earth in May 1983. We implement a model based on a spherical nucleus with a macroscopic mosaic of small and numerous active and inactive regions, and take into account the strong phase effect in the calculations of the thermal flux (often neglected in past interpretations). The orientation of the spin axis is assumed to be that determined by Sekanina [1988. Astron. J. 95, 1876-1894]. Additional constraints coming from visible photometry, measurements of the water production rate and the temporal variations of the cometary activity are introduced. We derive an equivalent nucleus radius of 3.4±0.5 km, consistent with a geometric albedo of 0.04 ±0.01 and a phase coefficient in the visible, and an active fraction of 2.9 ±1.9%. Although the nucleus is probably elongated as found in the past (Sekanina, 1988), we show that the relevant measurements were likely contaminated by the contribution of a variable coma.     

The Rotational Parameters Of Hale–Bopp (C/1995 O1) From Observations Of The Dust Jets At Pic Du Midi Observatory

We observed comet Hale-Bopp (C/1995 O1) at Pic du Midi Observatory in 1997 from February 2.24 UT to March 31.89 UT with the 1.05-m telescope equipped with a CCD camera and broad- and narrow-band IHW filters. A total of 30000 images were acquired both during night- and day-time. The images were automatically reduced and all the images obtained within 10 min. were co-added to give a set of ∼1000 images used during the analysis. We can identify two jets on the images. The position angle of the brightest jet from February 2.24 UT to March 5.22 UT is measured using an automatic routine which searches for the averaged position angle of the maximum of brightness at a projected distance of 3200–6100 km from the optocenter. A preliminary model of nucleus rotation is used to fit the data and retrieve the rotational parameters of the nucleus. The best fit is found for a source located at a latitude of 64 ± 3°, a sidereal rotation period of 11.35 ± 0.04 h and a right ascension and declination of the North pole of 275 ± 10° and -57 ± 10°. This preliminary analysis shows no evidence for a precession. Grains with velocities of 450–600 m s⁻¹ and radii <;∼ 1 μm dominate the optical scattering cross section in the jets. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Properties of the dust cloud caused by the Deep Impact experiment

We present an analysis of the observations of the Deep Impact event performed by the OSIRIS narrow angle camera aboard the Rosetta spacecraft over two weeks, in an effort to characterize the cometary dust grains ejected from the nucleus of Comet 9P/Tempel 1. We adopt a Monte Carlo approach to generate calibrated synthetic images, and a linear combination of them is fitted to the calibrated images so as to determine the physical parameters of the dust cloud. Our model considers spherical olivine particles with a density of 3780 kg m⁻³. It incorporates constraints on the direction of the cone of emission coming from additional images obtained at Pic du Midi observatory, and constraints on the dust terminal velocities coming from the physics of the impact. We find that the slope of the differential dust size distribution of grains with radii <20 μm (β>0.008) is 3.1±0.3, a value typical of cometary dust tails. This shows that there is no evidence in our data for an enhancement in sub-micron particles in the ejecta compared to the typical dust distribution of active comets. We estimate the mass of particles with radii <1.4 μm (β>0.14) to be 1.5±0.2×¹⁰⁵ kg. These particles represent more than 80% of the cross-section of the observed dust cloud. The mass carried by larger particles depends whether the gas significantly increases the kinetic energy of the grains in the inner coma; it lies in the range 1-14×¹⁰⁶ kg for particles with radii <100 μm (β>0.002). We obtain the distribution of terminal velocities reached by the dust after the dust-gas interaction which is very well constrained between 10 and 600 m s⁻¹. It is characterized by Gaussian with a maximum at about 190 m s⁻¹ and a width at half maximum of 150 m s⁻¹.     

On the mechanisms leading to orphan meteoroid streams

We analyse several mechanisms capable of creating orphan meteoroid streams (OMSs) for which a parent has not been identified. OMSs have been observed as meteor showers since the XIXth century and by the IRAS satellite in the 1980s. We find that the process of close encounters with giant planets (particularly Jupiter) is the most efficient mechanism to create them: only a limited section of the stream is perturbed and follows the parent body on its new orbit, while the majority of the meteoroids remain in their pre-encounter orbit or in an intermediate state, breaking the link with their parent body. Cometary non-gravitational forces can also contribute to the process since they cause the comet to drift away from its stream. However, they are not sufficient by themselves to produce an OMS. Resonances can either split or confine a stream over a long time (>1000 yr). Some meteoroid streams may look like OMSs since their parent comet is dormant or not observable (e.g. long period). Even if new techniques succeed in linking minor objects to meteoroid streams, OMSs will still exist simply because cometary nuclei are subject to complete disruption leading to their disappearance.     

Evidences for extended sources and temporal modulations in molecular observations of C/1995 O1 (Hale-Bopp) at the IRAM interferometer

Comet C/1995 O1 (Hale-Bopp) has been observed on October 5 and 25, 1996 and from March 6 to March 22, 1997 with the Institut de Radioastronomie Millimétrique (IRAM) interferometer at Plateau de Bure (France). Millimetre lines of HCN,HNC, CO, H₂CO, CH₃OH, H₂S, CS and SO were mapped with spatial resolutions of 1.5–3.5 arc sec. These observations allow us to investigate whether these species are released by the nucleus or produced in the coma by extended sources or photo-processes. The brightness distribution of the HCN J (1-0) line is consistent with release from the nucleus. The HNC J (1-0) distribution deviates from that of HCN in the innermost coma, and indicates production of HNC in the coma. This is in agreement with the heliocentric variation of the HNC/HCN ratio (Biver et al., 1997, Science 275, 1915; Irvine et al., 1998, this issue) and formation by chemical reactions (Rodgers and Charnley, 1998, Ap. J. 501, L227; Irvine et al., 1998, Nature 393, 547). There is clear evidence that SO is a photo dissociation product. The observations also confirm that H₂CO is mainly produced by an extended source, as first evidenced in comet P/Halley. The contribution of the nucleus to the total H₂CO production rate does not exceed 6%. The molecular lines have also been monitored hourly with the five antennas of the interferometer in single-dish mode. The line velocity shifts show aperiodic modulation linked to the nucleus rotation. The amplitude of the modulation differs from one species to another. The periodic modulation seen for the CO J (2-1) line on March 11 suggests that a significant fraction of CO is released continuously night and day by an active source situated at equatorial latitudes on the nucleus surface. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.