The initial train radius of sporadic meteors

The height distributions, velocity distributions and flux measurements of underdense echoes determined from meteor radar observations are significantly affected by the attenuation associated with the initial radius of meteor trains. Dual-frequency radar observations of a very large set of sporadic radar meteors at 29 and 38 MHz yield estimates of the initial train radius and its dependence on height and meteoroid speed as determined by the time-delay method. We provide empirical formulae that can be used to correct meteoroid fluxes for the effect of initial train radius at other radio frequencies.     

Jets in the Fanaroff–Riley class I radio galaxies PKS B1234−723, MRC 1452−517 and PKS B2148−555

We present radio observations made with the Australia Telescope Compact Array to study the jets and lobes of three Fanaroff–Riley class I (FR I) radio galaxies: PKS B1234−723, 1452−517 and B2148−555. The total intensity and polarization radio images of the FR I jets are used to determine jet brightness and width variations, magnetic field structure and fractional polarization. The equipartition pressure is determined as a function of distance from the galaxies to probe the intergalactic medium.     

Episodic Quaternary volcanism in France and Germany. David A. G. Nowell,M. Chris Jones and David M. Pyle. Journal of Quaternary Science Vol 21 No 6 2006, pages 645–675.

The original article to which this Erratum refers was published in Journal of Quaternary Science Vol 21 No 6 2006, pages 645–675. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Limits on the 2.2-μm contrast ratio of the close-orbiting planet HD 189733b

We obtained 238 spectra of the close-orbiting extrasolar giant planet HD 189733b with resolution   R ∼ 15 000  during one night of observations with the Near-Infrared High-Resolution Spectrograph (NIRSPEC), at the Keck II Telescope. We have searched for planetary absorption signatures in the  2.0–2.4 μm  region where H₂O and CO are expected to be the dominant atmospheric opacities. We employ a phase-dependent orbital model and tomographic techniques to search for the planetary absorption signatures in the combined stellar and planetary spectra. Because potential absorption signatures are hidden in the noise of each single exposure, we use a model list of lines to apply a spectral deconvolution. The resulting mean profile possesses a signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) that is 20 times greater than that found in individual lines. Our spectral time series thus yields spectral signatures with a mean S/N = 2720. We are unable to detect a planetary signature at a contrast ratio of  log₁₀( F _p/ F _*) =−3.40  , with 63.8 per cent confidence. Our findings are not consistent with model predictions which nevertheless give a good fit to mid-infrared observations of HD 189733b. The 1σ result is a factor of 1.7 times less than the predicted 2.185-μm planet/star flux ratio of  log₁₀( F _p/ F _*) ∼−3.16  .