Tidal torques on infrequently colliding particle disks in binary systems and the truncation of the asteroid belt

We study numerically and analytically the conditions leading to the truncation, at the 2:1 resonance, of a disk of infrequently colliding particles surrounding the primary of a binary system. We focus on systems with small mass ratios, q, such as the Sun-Jupiter system with q = 10^?3. Previous studies showed that if collisions are frequent with respect to the orbital period, truncation 3nly occurs if the Reynolds number is greater than q^?2. This corresponds to particle eccentricity, e, less than of order q for a particle disk of optical depth unity. In thepresent case collisions are less frequent than $\text{q}{}^{\mathrm{<mtext>?2</mtext><mtext>3</mtext>}}$ orbital periods (the period of the forced eccentricity at the 2:1 resonance), and truncation occurs and (Kirkwood) gaps are produced only if e is less than some critical value which we estimate to be of order $\text{q}{}^{\mathrm{<mtext>5</mtext><mtext>9</mtext>}}$, or ～0.02 for the Sun-Jupiter case. We mention several means whereby the eccentricities may have been subsequently increased to their observed values.     

Constraints the properties of neutron star matter from the mass of neutron star PSR J1614-2230

The constraints on the properties of neutron star matter from the mass of neutron star PSR J1614-2230 are examined in the framework of the relativistic mean field theory. We find that there are little differences between the σ potentials of large mass neutron star and those of canonnical mass neutron star. For potentials of ω, ρ, neutrons and electrons, the values corresponding to the large mass neutron star are larger than those to the canonnical mass neutron star as the baryon number density is more than a certain value. We also find that for the relative particle number density of electrons, muons, neutrons and protons and the pressure of the neutron star, the values corresponding to the large mass neutron star are far larger than those to the canonnical mass neutron star. For the relative particle number density of hyperons Λ, Σ^?, Σ⁰, Σ⁺ and Ξ^?, the values corresponding to the large mass neutron star are far smaller than those to the canonnical mass neutron star. These mean that the larger mass of neutron star is more advantageous to the production of protons but is not advantageous to the production of hyperons.     

Analysis of HST ultraviolet spectra for T Tauri stars: DR Tau

We analyze the spectra of DR Tau in the wavelength range 1200 to 3100 Å obtained with the GHRS and STIS spectrographs from the Hubble Space Telescope. The profiles for the C IV 1550 and He II 1640 emission lines and for the absorption features of some lines indicate that matter falls to the star at a velocity ～300 km s^?1. At the same time, absorption features were detected in the blue wings of the N I, Mg I, Fe II, Mg II, C II, and Si II lines, suggesting mass outflow at a velocity up to 400 km s^?1. The C II, Si II, and Al II intercombination lines exhibit symmetric profiles whose peaks have the same radial velocity as the star. This is also true for the emission features of the Fe II and H₂ lines. We believe that stellar activity is attributable to disk accretion of circumstellar matter, with matter reaching the star mainly through the disk and the boundary layer. At the time of observations, the accretion luminosity was L_ac ? 2L_⊙ at an accretion rate ?10^?7M_⊙ yr^?1. Concurrently, a small (<10%) fraction of matter falls to the star along magnetospheric magnetic field lines from a height ～R_*. Within a region of size ?3.5R_*, the disk atmosphere has a thickness ～0.1R_* and a temperature ?1.5 × 10⁴ K. We assume that disk rotation in this region significantly differs from Keplerian rotation. The molecular hydrogen lines are formed in the disk at a distance <1.4 AU from the star. Accretion is accompanied by mass outflow from the accretion-disk surface. In a region of size <10R_*, the wind gas has a temperature ～7000 K, but at the same time, almost all iron is singly ionized by H I L _α photons from inner disk regions. Where the warm-wind velocity reaches ?400 km s^?1, the gas moves at an angle of no less than 30° to the disk plane. We found no evidence of regions with a temperature above 10⁴ K in the wind and leave open the question of whether there is outflow in the H₂ line formation region. According to our estimate, the star has the following set of parameters: M_* ? 0.9M_⊙, R_* ? 1.8R_⊙, L_* ? 0.9L_⊙, and \(A_V \simeq 0\mathop .\limits^m 9\). The inclination i of the disk axis to the line of sight cannot be very small; however, i≤60°.     

Formation of the regular satellites of giant planets in an extended gaseous nebula II: satellite migration and survival

For a satellite to survive in the disk the time scale of satellite migration must be longer than the time scale for gas dissipation. For large satellites (∼1000 km) migration is dominated by the gas tidal torque. We consider the possibility that the redistribution of gas in the disk due to the tidal torque of a satellite with mass larger than the inviscid critical mass causes the satellite to stall and open a gap (W.R. Ward, 1997, Icarus 26, 261-281). We adapt the inviscid critical mass criterion to include gas drag, and m-dependent nonlocal deposition of angular momentum. We find that such a model holds promise of explaining the survival of satellites in the subnebula, the mass versus distance relationship apparent in the saturnian and uranian satellite systems, the concentration of mass in Titan, and the observation that the satellites of Jupiter get rockier closer to the planet whereas those of Saturn become increasingly icy. It is also possible that either weak turbulence (close to the planet) or gap-opening satellite tidal torque removes gas on a similar time scale (10⁴-10⁵ years) as the orbital decay time of midsized (200-700 km) regular satellites forming in the inner disk (inside the centrifugal radius (I. Mosqueira and P.R. Estrada, 2003, Icarus, this issue)). We argue that Saturn’s satellite system bridges the gap between those of Jupiter and Uranus by combining the formation of a Galilean-sized satellite in a gas optically thick subnebula with a strong temperature gradient, and the formation of smaller satellites, closer to the planet, in a disk with gas optical depth ?1, and a weak temperature gradient.Using an optically thick inner disk (given gaseous opacity), and an extended, quiescent, optically thin outer disk, we show that there are regions of the disk of small net tidal torque (even zero) where satellites (Iapetus-sized or larger) may stall far from the planet. For our model these outer regions of small net tidal torque correspond roughly to the locations of Callisto and Iapetus. Though the precise location depends on the (unknown) size of the transition region between the inner and outer disks, the result that Saturn’s is found much farther out (at ∼3rcS, where rcS is Saturn’s centrifugal radius) than Jupiter’s (at ∼ 2rcJ, where rcJ is Jupiter’s centrifugal radius) is mostly due to Saturn’s less massive outer disk and larger Hill radius. However, despite the large separation between Ganymede and Callisto and Titan and Iapetus, the long formation and migration time scales for Callisto and Iapetus (I. Mosqueira and P.R. Estrada, 2003, Icarus, this issue) makes it possible (depending on the details of the damping of acoustic waves) that the tidal torque of Ganymede and Titan clears the gas disk out to their location, thus stranding Callisto and Iapetus far from the planet. Either way, our model provides an explanation for the presence of regular satellites outside the centrifugal radii of Jupiter and Saturn, and the absence of such a satellite for Uranus.     

Devasthal Fast Optical Telescope Observations of Wolf–Rayet Dwarf Galaxy Mrk 996

The Devasthal Fast Optical Telescope (DFOT) is a 1.3 meter aperture optical telescope, recently installed at Devasthal, Nainital. We present here the first results using an Hα filter with this telescope on a Wolf–Rayet dwarf galaxy Mrk 996. The instrumental response and the Hα sensitivity obtained with the telescope are (3.3 ± 0.3) × 10^???15 erg s^?1 cm^?2/counts s^?1 and 7.5 × 10^???17 erg s^?1 cm^?2 arcsec^?2 respectively. The Hα flux and the equivalent width for Mrk 996 are estimated as (132 ± 37) × 10^?14 erg s^?1 cm^?2 and ～96 Å respectively. The star formation rate is estimated as 0.4 ± 0.1M _⊙ yr^?1. Mrk 996 deviates from the radio-FIR correlation known for normal star forming galaxies with a deficiency in its radio continuum. The ionized gas as traced by Hα emission is found in a disk shape which is misaligned with respect to the old stellar disk. This misalignment is indicative of a recent tidal interaction in the galaxy. We believe that galaxy–galaxy tidal interaction is the main cause of the WR phase in Mrk 996.     

The OSCROX stellar oscillaton code

This paper describes the OSCROX stellar oscillation code for the calculation of the adiabatic oscillations of low degree ? of a spherical star. There are two principal versions: one in Lagrangian variables (oscroxL), the second in Eulerian variables (oscroxE). The Lagrangian code does not require values of the Brunt Väisälä frequency or equivalently the density gradient. For ?=1 the oscillation equations have both an exact integral and an exact partial wave solution, and codes oscroxL1 and oscroxE1 incorporate these exact solutions. The difference in the frequencies obtained with the various codes gives some estimate of the uncertainty in the results due both to limited accuracy of hydrostatic support of the stellar model, and the limited accuracy of the integration of the oscillation equations. We compare the results of the different methods by calculating the frequencies in the range 20–2500 μHz of a model of a 1.5 M_⊙ main-sequence star (ModelJC) kindly provided by J. Christensen-Dalsgaard for the purposes of cross comparison of codes, a modified version of this model (ModelJCA) with improved hydrostatic support, and of a highly accurate n=3 polytropic model of a star with the same mass and radius. For the polytropic model the frequencies as calculated by all codes agree to within 0.001 μHz, whereas for the 1.5 M_⊙ main sequence model the frequency differences reach a maximum of 0.04 μHz, due primarily to the limited accuracy of hydrostatic support in the model; this is reduced to 0.01 μHz for ModelJCA.     

A comparison of the entropies of collapsing stars and black holes

We considered three modes of black hole formation: (I) a black hole kernel first forms at the centre of a collapsing star and as the outer matter falls, the kernel grows until the whole star becomes a black hole; (II) all the layers of a collapsing simultaneously satisfy the Schwarzschild condition; (III) the outermost layer first satisfies the Schwarzschild condition. For each mode, we calculated the entropy carried by the collapsing matter, S_m, and the entropy of the black hole so formed, S_BH. We found S_BH to be 10¹⁹ times S_m and the lower limit of the mass capable of becoming a black hole to be the Planck mass, M_p = 10^?5g. A discussion on the nature of S_BH led us to think that S_BH possibly contains things other than the ordinary thermodynamical entropy.     

Detection of low-amplitude brightness oscillations in the unique eclipsing system V718 Per (HMW 15, H 187)

We present new results of our visual (V, R, I) and near-infrared (J,H,K) photometry for the unusual young star V718 Per. They show that, in addition to prolonged eclipses following one another with a period of 4.7 yr, the star also exhibits low-amplitude brightness oscillations with a period that is approximately a factor of 8 shorter than the main one. In contrast to the large-scale eclipses accompanied by the star’s reddening, the low-amplitude oscillations are neutral in character and are produced by large particles. Bimodal oscillations of this type can arise in a circumstellar disk divided by a large matter-free gap into two zones—an inner, dense region and an outer, less dense disk. Such configurations emerge in the presence of a fairly massive perturbing body in the disk. In this case, density waves rotating with different angular velocities can be formed in each of these zones. Therefore, when such systems are observed nearly edge-on, two oscillation modes with different periods can be present in the extinction variations. We suggest that such a situation takes place in the case of V718 Per. Since this star exhibits no signatures of spectroscopic binarity, the perturbing body can be either a giant planet or a brown dwarf.     

Kinematic parameters of the galactic spiral pattern from data on open star clusters and OB stars

Data on the positions, radial velocities, and proper motions of open star clusters and OB stars are used to obtain the rotation curve of the Galaxy fitted by a polynomial in inverse powers of the distances from the Galactic rotation axis. We determine the locations of the corotation region and the inner and outer Lindblad resonances using a previously estimated pattern speed. Based on data for objects of the Carina-Sagittarius and Orion arms, we have determined the distortion amplitudes of the velocity field of the Galactic disk, ?_R = ?3.97±4.79 km s^?1 and f_θ=+13.27±2.57 km s^?1.     

Wind dynamics and circumstellar extinction variations in the T Tauri star RY Tau

The wind interaction with the dusty environment of the classical T Tauri star RY Tau has been investigated. During two seasons from 2013 to 2015, we carried out a spectroscopicmonitoring of this star with simultaneous BV R photometry. A correlation between the stellar brightness and the radial velocity of the wind determined from the Hα and Na D line profiles has been found. The irregular stellar brightness variations are shown to be caused by extinction in a dusty disk wind at a distance of about 0.2 AU from the star. We hypothesize that the circumstellar extinction variations result from a cyclic rearrangement of the magnetosphere and coronal mass ejections, which affect the dusty disk wind near the inner boundary of the circumstellar disk.     

Evolutionary processes in protoplanetary accretion disks: the propagation of axisymmetric shock waves

In this paper we investigate both the global and the local hydrodynamics of axisymmetric accretion disks around young stellar objects under the simultaneous action of viscosity, self-gravity and pressure forces. For simplicity, we take for the global model a polytropic equation of state, make the infinitely thin disk approximation and characterize the surface density and temperature profiles in the disk as power laws in the radial distance r from the protostar. We solve the problem of the general density profile of a Keplerian disk showing that self-gravity could not be an important factor for the fast formation of the rocky cores of giant gaseous planets in our solar system. Under the hypothesis that the unperturbed rotation curve of the disk is nearly Keplerian throughout the radial extent, we can estimate with our polytropic model a lower limit for the resulting masses M_d(r) of stable disks up to 100 AU. These masses are in the range of the so-called minimum mass solar nebular (_d/M_s ≈ 0.01–0.02).By adopting a simplified viscosity model, where the height-integrated turbulent dynamical viscosity ν is a function of the surface density σ like η ∝ σ^Γ, we derive in the local shearing sheet model linearized evolution equations for small density perturbations describing both a diffusion process and the propagation of acoustic density waves. We solve a special initial value problem and calculate the appropriate Green's function. The analytical solutions so obtained describe in the case Γ < 0 the successive formation of quasi-stationary ring-shaped density structures in a disk with a definite mode of maximum instability, whereas in the case Γ > Γ_c the density wave equation describes the propagation of an “overstable” ring-shaped acoustic density wavelet to the outer ranges of the accretion disk. Whereas the group velocity of the wave packet is subsonic, the phase velocities of individual wave crests in the wave packet are supersonic. The mode of maximum instability, the growth rate and the number of growing waves in the wavelet are controlled by Γ and α. Our present knowledge concerning turbulent viscosity in protoplanetary disks is not sufficient to decide whether or not the case Γ > Γ_c is realized.The suggested structuring processes in the linear theory should initiate in the non-linear regime the formation of narrow ring-shaped density shock waves moving through the protoplanetary disk. These non-linear waves could produce extremely spatially and temporally heterogeneous temperature regions in the disk. We speculate that ring-shaped density waves, excited by inner boundary conditions and which have dominated the disk's evolution at early times, are responsible both for the fast growth of dust to planetesimals and at least for the rapid accretion of the rocky cores of giant gaseous planets in the protoplanetary accretion disk (shock wave trigger hypothesis). We derive provisional scaling rules for planetary systems regarding the spacing of orbits as a function of the mass ratio of the protoplanetary disk to the protostar. However, further analytical work and linear as well as nonlinear numerical simulations of density waves excited by inner boundary conditions are needed to consolidate the results and speculations of our linear wave mechanics in the future.     

Long-period comet flux in the planetary region: Dynamical evolution from the Oort cloud

This study analyzes the evolution of 2 × 10⁵ orbits with initial parameters corresponding to the orbits of comets of the Oort cloud under the action of planetary, galactic, and stellar perturbations over 2 × 10⁹ years. The dynamical evolution of comets of the outer (orbital semimajor axes a > 10⁴ AU) and inner (5 × 10³ < a (AU) < 10⁴) parts of the comet cloud is analyzed separately. The estimates of the flux of “new” and long-period comets for all perihelion distances q in the planetary region are reported. The flux of comets with a > 10⁴ AU in the interval 15 AU < q < 31 AU is several times higher than the flux of comets in the region q < 15 AU. We point out the increased concentration of the perihelia of orbits of comets from the outer cloud, which have passed several times through the planetary system, in the Saturn-Uranus region. The maxima in the distribution of the perihelia of the orbits of comets of the inner Oort cloud are located in the Uranus-Neptune region. “New” comets moving in orbits with a < 2 × 10⁴ AU and arriving at the outside of the planetary system (q > 25 AU) subsequently have a greater number of returns to the region q < 35 AU. The perihelia of the orbits of these comets gradually drift toward the interior of the Solar System and accumulate beyond the orbit of Saturn. The distribution of the perihelia of long-period comets beyond the orbit of Saturn exhibits a peak. We discuss the problem of replenishing the outer Oort cloud by comets from the inner part and their subsequent dynamical evolution. The annual rate of passages of comets of the inner cloud, which replenish the outer cloud, in the region q < 1 AU in orbits with a > 10⁴ AU (～ 5.0 × 10^?14 yr^?1) is one order of magnitude lower than the rate of passage of comets from the outer Oort cloud (～ 9.1 × 10^?13 yr^?1).     

Formation of the regular satellites of giant planets in an extended gaseous nebula I: subnebula model and accretion of satellites

We model the subnebulae of Jupiter and Saturn wherein satellite accretion took place. We expect each giant planet subnebula to be composed of an optically thick (given gaseous opacity) inner region inside of the planet’s centrifugal radius (where the specific angular momentum of the collapsing giant planet gaseous envelope achieves centrifugal balance, located at rCJ ∼ 15R_J for Jupiter and rCS ∼ 22R_S for Saturn) and an optically thin, extended outer disk out to a fraction of the planet’s Roche-lobe (R_H), which we choose to be ∼R_H/5 (located at ∼150 R_J near the inner irregular satellites for Jupiter, and ∼200R_S near Phoebe for Saturn). This places Titan and Ganymede in the inner disk, Callisto and Iapetus in the outer disk, and Hyperion in the transition region. The inner disk is the leftover of the gas accreted by the protoplanet. The outer disk may result from the nebula gas flowing into the protoplanet during the time of giant planet gap-opening (or cessation of gas accretion). For the sake of specificity, we use a solar composition “minimum mass” model to constrain the gas densities of the inner and outer disks of Jupiter and Saturn (and also Uranus). Our model has Ganymede at a subnebula temperature of ∼250 K and Titan at ∼100 K. The outer disks of Jupiter and Saturn have constant temperatures of 130 and 90 K, respectively.Our model has Callisto forming in a time scale ∼10⁶ years, Iapetus in 10⁶-10⁷ years, Ganymede in 10³-10⁴ years, and Titan in 10⁴-10⁵ years. Callisto takes much longer to form than Ganymede because it draws materials from the extended, low density portion of the disk; its accretion time scale is set by the inward drift times of satellitesimals with sizes 300-500 km from distances ∼100R_J. This accretion history may be consistent with a partially differentiated Callisto with a ∼300-km clean ice outer shell overlying a mixed ice and rock-metal interior as suggested by Anderson et al. (2001), which may explain the Ganymede-Callisto dichotomy without resorting to fine-tuning poorly known model parameters. It is also possible that particulate matter coupled to the high specific angular momentum gas flowing through the gap after giant planet gap-opening, capture of heliocentric planetesimals by the extended gas disk, or ablation of planetesimals passing through the disk contributes to the solid content of the disk and lengthens the time scale for Callisto’s formation. Furthermore, this model has Hyperion forming just outside Saturn’s centrifugal radius, captured into resonance by proto-Titan in the presence of a strong gas density gradient as proposed by Lee and Peale (2000). While Titan may have taken significantly longer to form than Ganymede, it still formed fast enough that we would expect it to be fully differentiated. In this sense, it is more like Ganymede than like Callisto (Saturn’s analog of Callisto, we expect, is Iapetus). An alternative starved disk model whose satellite accretion time scale for all the regular satellites is set by the feeding of planetesimals or gas from the planet’s Roche-lobe after gap-opening is likely to imply a long accretion time scale for Titan with small quantities of NH₃ present, leading to a partially differentiated (Callisto-like) Titan. The Cassini mission may resolve this issue conclusively. We briefly discuss the retention of elements more volatile than H₂O as well as other issues that may help to test our model.     

Dust ring formation due to ice sublimation of radially drifting dust particles under the Poynting-Robertson effect in debris disks

In a disk with a low optical depth, dust particles drift radially inward by the Poynting-Robertson (P-R) drag rather than are blown out by stellar radiation pressure following destructive collisions. We investigate the radial distribution of icy dust composed of pure ice and refractory materials in dust-debris disks taking into account the P-R drag and ice sublimation. We find that icy dust particles form a dust ring by their pile-ups at the edge of their sublimation zone, where they sublime substantially at the temperature 100-110 K. The distance of the dust ring is 20-35 AU from the central star with its luminosity L_??30L_⊙ and 65(L_?/100L_⊙)^1/2 AU for L_??30L_⊙, where L_⊙ is the solar luminosity. The effective optical depth is enhanced by a factor of 2 for L_??100L_⊙ and more than 10 for L_??100L_⊙. The optical depth of the outer icy dust disk exceeds that of the inner disk filled with refractory particles, namely, the residue of ice sublimation, which are further subjected to the P-R effect. As a result, an inner hole is formed inside the sublimation zone together with a dust ring along the outer edge of the hole.     

Evidence for a binary companion to the central compact object 1E 1207.4-5209

Unique among neutron stars, 1E 1207.4-5209 is an X-ray pulsar with a spin period of 424 ms that contains at least two strong absorption features in its energy spectrum. This neutron star is positionally coincident with the supernova remnant PKS 1209-51/52 and has been identified as a member of the growing class of radio-quiet compact central objects in supernova remnants. From previous observations with Chandra and XMM-Newton, it has been found that the 1E 1207.4-5209 is not spinning down monotonically as is common for young, isolated pulsars. The spin frequency history requires either strong, frequent glitches, the presence of a fall-back disk, or a binary companion. Here, we report on a sequence of seven XMM-Newton observations of 1E 1207.4-5209 performed during a 40 day window between 2005 June 22 and July 31. Due to unanticipated variance in the phase measurements during the observation period that was beyond the statistical uncertainties, we could not identify a unique phase-coherent timing solution. The three most probable timing solutions give frequency time derivatives of +0.9, ?2.6, and +1.6×10^?12 Hz s^?1 (listed in descending order of significance). We conclude that the local frequency derivative during our XMM-Newton observing campaign differs from the long-term spin-down rate by more than an order of magnitude. This measurement effectively rules out glitch models for 1E 1207.4-5209. If the long-term spin frequency variations are caused by timing noise, the strength of the timing noise in 1E 1207.4-5209 is much stronger than in other pulsars with similar period derivatives. Therefore, it is highly unlikely that the spin variations are caused by the same physical process that causes timing noise in other isolated pulsars. The most plausible scenario for the observed spin irregularities is the presence of a binary companion to 1E 1207.4-5209. We identified a family of orbital solutions that are consistent with our phase-connected timing solution, archival frequency measurements, and constraints on the companions mass imposed by deep IR and optical observations.     

Contribution of the Large Magellanic Cloud to the Galactic warp

Multi-scale interaction between the LMC, the Galactic halo, and the disk is examined with N-body simulations, and precise amplitudes of the Galactic warp excitation are obtained. The Galactic models are constructed most realistically to satisfy available observational constraints on the local circular velocity, the mass, surface density and thickness of the disk, the mass and size of the bulge, the local density of the halo matter at the solar radius, and the mass and orbit of the LMC. The mass of the halo within R=50 kpc is set to about 5×10¹¹ M_⊙. Since the observational estimate of the mass distributed in outer region has large ambiguity, two extreme cases are examined; M(<170 kpc)=2.1 and 0.9×10¹² M_⊙. LMC is orbiting in a ellipse with apocentric radii of 100 kpc, thus the main difference between our two models is the mass density in the satellite orbiting region, so that our study can clarify the role of the halo on excitation of the warp.By using hybrid algorithm (SCF–TREE) I have succeeded to follow the evolution with millions of particles. The orbiting satellite excites density enhancement as a wake, and the wake exerts a tidal force on the disk. Because of the additional torque from the wakes in the halo, the amplitudes of the induced warps are much larger than the classical estimate by Hunter and Toomre [ApJ 155 (1969) 747], who considered only the direct torque from the LMC. The obtained amplitudes of m=0, 1, 2 warps in the larger halo model show very good agreement with the observed amplitude in the Milky Way. This result revives the LMC as a possible candidate of the origin of the Galactic warp. Our smaller halo model, however, yield only weak warps in all the harmonic modes. Therefore, the halo still has significant influence on excitation of warp even in the interaction scenario for excitation of warps.     

On the nature of the proposed blob in the inner preplanetary disk of the Herbig Ae/Be star HD141569: evidence for a giant vortex?

Recently, Brittain and Rettig, using the cryogenic echelle spectrograph at the Infrared Telescope Facility to study the infrared emission from the inner preplanetary disk of the Herbig Ae/Be star HD141569, detected CO and H₃⁺ ion emission. This emission has been tentatively interpreted as due to the existence of a forming gas giant planet. The suggested protoplanetary blob appears to be orbiting its host star at about 7 AU being perhaps 2 AU across and roughly five times the mass of Jupiter. Based on numerical modeling of the evolution of the dust disk we show that their observational results are compatible with the presence of an evolved giant vortex in the disk. Our calculations suggest that vortices formed in disks similar to the one found around HD141569 are more effective at capturing solid material than equivalent structures around solar-like stars. On the other hand, we investigate the possibility to find evidence for large-scale vortices in preplanetary disks by submillimeter interferometry. Disks around Herbig Ae/Be stars may be primary targets for giant vortex detection using this technique.     

Embedded star clusters and the formation of the Oort cloud: III. Evolution of the inner cloud during the Galactic phase

In a previous publication [Brasser, R., Duncan, M.J., Levison, H.F., 2006. Icarus 184, 59-82], models of the inner Oort cloud were built which included the effect of an embedded star cluster on cometary orbits about the Sun. The main conclusions of that paper were that the formation efficiency is about 10% and the median distance of the cloud to the Sun only depends on the mean density of gas and stars the Sun encountered. Here we report on the results of simulations which followed the ensuing dynamical evolution of these comet clouds in the current Galactic environment once the Sun left the embedded star cluster. The goal is to determine whether or not the dynamical influence of passing Galactic field stars and the Galactic tidal field is sufficient to replenish the current outer cloud (semi-major axis a>20,000 AU) with enough material from the inner cloud (a<20,000 AU). Since visible new comets come directly from the outer cloud, a mass estimate only exists for the latter, with a lower limit of 1 M_⊕ [Francis, P.J., 2005. Astrophys. J. 635, 1348-1361]. Knowing the amount of expansion of the inner cloud may therefore yield an estimate of the mass of said (unseen) inner cloud. Our results indicate that typically only 10% of the comets from the inner cloud land in the outer cloud and are bound after 4.5 Gyr. If one assumes that in the extreme case all or the majority of the current population of the outer cloud has come from the inner cloud, then a typical value of the mass of the inner cloud is about 10 M_⊕. The results of [Brasser, R., Duncan, M.J., Levison, H.F., 2006. Icarus 184, 59-82] showed that ∼10% of comets from the Jupiter-Saturn region were implanted in the inner Oort cloud, which implies an uncomfortably large value of about 100 M_⊕ for the mass of solids in the primordial Jupiter-Saturn region. This extreme case might be remedied in two says: either the effect of Giant Molecular Cloud complexes on the inner Oort cloud must be much more severe than originally thought, or there was a two-stage formation process for the Oort cloud, in which the outer cloud was largely populated by comets scattered once the Sun had left its primordial birth cluster.     

Photometric activity of the UX Ori star V1184 Tau in the optical and near-infrared spectral ranges

We present the results of our infrared JHK photometry for the unusual UX Ori star V1184 Tau. Comparison with previous observations performed before the catastrophic decline in its optical brightness in 2004 (when the star faded approximately by a factor of 100) has shown the following: the star faded approximately by 2 ^m and 1 ^m in the J and H bands, respectively, while its K brightness remained almost constant. This pattern of infrared variability seems incompatible with the mechanism of variable circumstellar extinction responsible for the dramatic decline in the star’s optical brightness. However, if this mechanism is considered in the context of an accretion disk model with a puffed-up inner rim in the dust sublimation zone and with a disk wind producing an expanding gas-dust atmosphere above the disk surface, then the paradox can be resolved. In this model, the photometric activity of V1184 Tau in both visible and near-infrared spectral ranges, including the sharp brightness decline in 2004, can be explained by an increase in the geometric thickness of the disk in the dust sublimation zone caused by enhanced accretion of circumstellar matter onto the star. There is reason to believe that such events occur periodically and result from the presence of a companion to V1184 Tau moving in a highly eccentric orbit. The offered interpretation of the photometric activity of V1184 Tau allows this object to be classified as an UX Ori star based on the observed photometric effect and, at the same time, as a FU Ori star based on the pattern of the physical process that produced this effect.     

The toroidal iron atmosphere of a protoneutron star: Numerical solution

A numerical method presented by Imshennik et al. (2002) is used to solve the two-dimensional axisymmetric hydrodynamic problem on the formation of a toroidal atmosphere during the collapse of an iron stellar core and outer stellar layers. An evolutionary model from Boyes et al. (1999) with a total mass of 25M_⊙ is used as the initial data for the distribution of thermodynamic quantities in the outer shells of a high-mass star. Our computational region includes the outer part of the iron core (without its central part with a mass of 1M_⊙ that forms the embryo of a protoneutron star at the preceding stage of the collapse) and the silicon and carbon-oxygen shells with a total mass of (1.8–2.5)M_⊙. We analyze in detail the results of three calculations in which the difference mesh and the location of the inner boundary of the computational region are varied. In the initial data, we roughly specify an angular velocity distribution that is actually justified by the final result—the formation of a hydrostatic equilibrium toroidal atmosphere with reasonable total mass, M^tot=(0.117–0.122)M_⊙, and total angular momentum, J^tot=(0.445–0.472)×10⁵⁰ erg s, for the two main calculations. We compare the numerical solution with our previous analytical solution in the form of toroidal atmospheres (Imshennik and Manukovskii 2000). This comparison indicates that they are identical if we take into account the more general and complex equation of state with a nonzero temperature and self-gravitation effects in the atmosphere. Our numerical calculations, first, prove the stability of toroidal atmospheres on characteristic hydrodynamic time scales and, second, show the possibility of sporadic fragmentation of these atmospheres even after a hydrodynamic equilibrium is established. The calculations were carried out under the assumption of equatorial symmetry of the problem and up to relatively long time scales (～10 s).