Published in The Astrophysical Journal
We discuss 2.8-3.9 μm spectra from the United Kingdom Infrared Telescope of seven sight lines toward IR sources near Sagittarius A* in the Galactic center (GC). In all lines of sight, the 3.0 μm H 2 O ice feature is present with optical depths in the range 0.33- 1.52. By constructing a simple ice model, we show that the ice profile is not fully acc...
Published in The Astrophysical Journal
Published in The Astrophysical Journal
We have discovered a class of eccentric binary systems within the Kepler data archive that have dynamic tidal distortions and tidally induced pulsations. Each has a uniquely shaped light curve that is characterized by periodic brightening or variability at timescales of 4-20 days, frequently accompanied by shorter period oscillations. We can explai...
Published in The Astrophysical Journal
KOI-81 is a totally eclipsing binary discovered by the Kepler mission that consists of a rapidly rotating B-type star and a small, hot companion. The system was forged through large-scale mass transfer that stripped the mass donor of its envelope and spun up the mass gainer star. We present an analysis of UV spectra of KOI-81 that were obtained wit...
Published in The Astrophysical Journal
The outward migration of a pair of resonant-orbit planets, driven by tidal interactions with a gas-dominated disk, is studied in the context of evolved solar nebula models. The planets masses, M 1 and M 2, correspond to those of Jupiter and Saturn. Hydrodynamical calculations in two and three dimensions are used to quantify the migration rates and...
Published in The Astrophysical Journal
Eighty planetary systems of two or more planets are known to orbit stars other than the Sun. For most, the data can be sufficiently explained by non-interacting Keplerian orbits, so the dynamical interactions of these systems have not been observed. Here we present four sets of light curves from the Kepler spacecraft, each which of shows multiple p...
Published in The Astrophysical Journal
Infrared spectra of carbon-rich objects that have evolved off the asymptotic giant branch reveal a range of dust properties, including fullerenes, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), aliphatic hydrocarbons, and several unidentified features, including the 21 μm emission feature. To test for the presence of fullerenes, we used the position and ...
Published in The Astrophysical Journal
More than 1300 variables classified provisionally as first-overtone RR Lyrae pulsators in the MACHO variable-star database of the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) have been subjected to standard frequency analysis. Based on the remnant power in the prewhitened spectra, we found 70% of the total population to be monoperiodic. The remaining 30%(411 stars...
Published in The Astrophysical Journal
We report on the orbital architectures of Kepler systems having multiple-planet candidates identified in the analysis of data from the first six quarters of Kepler data and reported by Batalha et al.(2013). These data show 899 transiting planet candidates in 365 multiple-planet systems and provide a powerful means to study the statistical propertie...
Published in The Astrophysical Journal
Transit timing variations provide a powerful tool for confirming and characterizing transiting planets, as well as detecting non-transiting planets. We report the results of an updated transit timing variation (TTV) analysis for 1481 planet candidates based on transit times measured during the first sixteen months of Kepler observations. We present...
