by Elisabeth Newton | Apr 13, 2011 | Daily Paper Summaries
Stellar variability has received more attention recently due to the problems it poses in the detection of exoplanets; however the study of variability is a field of its own. What causes activity? How does magnetic activity vary with different stars? This paper looks at results from the CoRoT satellite (for Convection, Rotation and planetary Transits), which was launched in December of 2006. This paper is concerned with the long-term photometric microvariability of stars and how stellar activity relates to rotation period and temperature.
by Courtney Dressing | Apr 13, 2011 | Daily Paper Summaries
Is there a third companion in the Sirius system? Thalmann et al. conduct direct imaging observations to find out.
by Courtney Dressing | Mar 30, 2011 | Daily Paper Summaries
Do close-in planets cause their host stars to become more magnetically active? Canto Martins et al. compare stars with and without planets to address this question.
by Ian Czekala | Mar 27, 2011 | Daily Paper Summaries
Supernovae, the extremely luminous explosions that are the catastrophic deaths of stars, are used directly and indirectly by astronomers of many disciplines. Cosmologists use type Ia supernovae as powerful “standard candles” to probe the farthest rungs of the cosmic distance ladder. Astrochemists studying the interstellar medium (ISM) track supernovae feedback of heavier elements that enrich the ISM. Astrophysicists working on star formation look for evidence of supernovae-induced collapse of molecular clouds. If supernovae are such ubiquitous tools, then it must be essential to understand the actual supernova (SN) mechanism itself.
by Courtney Dressing | Mar 16, 2011 | Daily Paper Summaries
The Kepler mission is doing a fantastic job detecting planets around main sequence stars, but what about white dwarfs? Do they have planets? If they do, Agol 2011 suggests that those planets could be detected in ground-based transit surveys.
by Courtney Dressing | Jan 28, 2011 | Daily Paper Summaries
One of the big mysteries in astrophysics is the formation of the first stars. This simulation presents one possible formation mechanism for ancient stars.
