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Rotation is expected to have an important influence on the structure and the evolution of stars. However, the mechanisms of angular momentum transport in stars remain theoretically uncertain and very complex to take into account in stellar models. To achieve a better understanding of these processes, we desperately need observational constraints on the internal rotation of stars, which until very recently were restricted to the Sun. In this paper, we report the detection of mixed modes - i.e. modes that behave both as g modes in the core and as p modes in the envelope - in the spectrum of the early red giant KIC7341231, which was observed during one year with the Kepler spacecraft. By performing an analysis of the oscillation spectrum of the star, we show that its non-radial modes are clearly split by stellar rotation and we are able to determine precisely the rotational splittings of 18 modes. We then find a stellar model that reproduces very well the observed atmospheric and seismic properties of the star. We use this model to perform inversions of the internal rotation profile of the star, which enables us to show that the core of the star is rotating at least five times faster than the envelope. This will shed new light on the processes of transport of angular momentum in stars. In particular, this result can be used to place constraints on the angular momentum coupling between the core and the envelope of early red giants, which could help us discriminate between the theories that have been proposed over the last decades., Comment: Accepted in ApJ, 39 pages, 16 figures

Carbon monoxide is a commonly used IR/submillimeter tracer of gas in protoplanetary disks. We present an analysis of ultraviolet CO emission in Hubble Space Telescope Cosmic Origins Spectrograph spectra for 12 Classical T Tauri stars (CTTSs). Several ro-vibrational bands of the CO A 1Π–X 1Σ+ (Fourth Positive) electronic transition system are spectrally resolved from emission of other atoms and H2. The CO A 1Π v′ = 14 state is populated by absorption of Lyα photons, created at the accretion column on the stellar surface. For targets with strong CO emission, we model the Lyα radiation field as an input for a simple fluorescence model to estimate CO rotational excitation temperatures and column densities. Typical column densities range from N CO = 1018 to 1019 cm−2. Our measured excitation temperatures are mostly below T CO = 600 K, cooler than typical M-band CO emission. These temperatures and the emission line widths imply that the UV emission originates in a different population of CO than that which is IR-emitting. We also find a significant correlation between CO emission and the disk accretion rate and age. Our analysis shows that ultraviolet CO emission can be a useful diagnostic of CTTS disk gas.

We present a far-ultraviolet (FUV) spectral atlas consisting of spectra of 91 pre-main sequence stars. Most stars in this sample were observed with the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS) and Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) on the \emph{Hubble Space Telescope} (\emph{HST}). We find strong correlations among the \ion{O}{1} $\lambda$1304 triplet, %\ion{C}{2} $\lambda$1335, the \ion{Si}{4} $\lambda\lambda$1394/1403 doublet, the \ion{C}{4} $\lambda$1549 doublet, and the \ion{He}{2} $\lambda$1640 line luminosities. For classical T Tauri stars (CTTSs), we also find strong correlations between these lines and the accretion luminosity, suggesting that these lines form in processes related to accretion. These FUV line fluxes and X-ray luminosity correlate loosely with large scatters. The FUV emission also correlates well with H$\alpha$, H$\beta$, and \ion{Ca}{2} K line luminosities. These correlations between FUV and optical diagostics can be used to obtain rough estimates of FUV line fluxes from optical observations. Molecular hydrogen (H$_{2}$) emission is generally present in the spectra of actively accreting CTTSs but not the weak-lined T Tauri stars (WTTSs) that are not accreting. The presence of H$_2$ emission in the spectrum of HD 98800 N suggests that the disk should be classified as actively accreting rather than a debris disk. The spectra in the atlas are available at http://archive.stsci.edu/prepds/ttauriatlas., Comment: 89 pages, 30 figures, published in ApJ

We exploit the high sensitivity and moderate spectral resolution of the Hubble Space Telescope Cosmic Origins Spectrograph to detect far-ultraviolet (UV) spectral features of carbon monoxide (CO) present in the inner regions of protoplanetary disks for the first time. We present spectra of the classical T Tauri stars HN Tau, RECX-11, and V4046 Sgr, representative of a range of CO radiative processes. HN Tau shows CO bands in absorption against the accretion continuum. The CO absorption most likely arises in warm inner disk gas. We measure a CO column density and rotational excitation temperature of N(CO) = (2 ± 1) × 1017 cm−2 and T rot(CO) 500 ± 200 K for the absorbing gas. We also detect CO A–X band emission in RECX-11 and V4046 Sgr, excited by UV line photons, predominantly H i Lyα. All three objects show emission from CO bands at λ > 1560 Å, which may be excited by a combination of UV photons and collisions with non-thermal electrons. In previous observations these emission processes were not accounted for due to blending with emission from the accretion shock, collisionally excited H2, and photo-excited H2, all of which appeared as a “continuum” whose components could not be separated. The CO emission spectrum is strongly dependent upon the shape of the incident stellar Lyα emission profile. We find CO parameters in the range: N(CO) ∼ 1018–1019 cm−2, T rot(CO) ≳ 300 K for the Lyα-pumped emission. We combine these results with recent work on photo-excited and collisionally excited H2 emission, concluding that the observations of UV-emitting CO and H2 are consistent with a common spatial origin. We suggest that the CO/H2 ratio (≡ N(CO)/N(H2)) in the inner disk is ∼1, a transition between the much lower interstellar value and the higher value observed in solar system comets today, a result that will require future observational and theoretical study to confirm.

We report the discovery of HD 156668b, an extrasolar planet with a minimum mass of M_P sin i = 4.15 M_Earth. This planet was discovered through Keplerian modeling of precise radial velocities from Keck-HIRES and is the second super-Earth to emerge from the NASA-UC Eta-Earth Survey. The best-fit orbit is consistent with circular and has a period of P = 4.6455 d. The Doppler semi-amplitude of this planet, K = 1.89 m/s, is among the lowest ever detected, on par with the detection of GJ 581e using HARPS. A longer period (P ~ 2.3 yr), low-amplitude signal of unknown origin was also detected in the radial velocities and was filtered out of the data while fitting the short-period planet. Additional data are required to determine if the long-period signal is due to a second planet, stellar activity, or another source. Photometric observations using the Automated Photometric Telescopes at Fairborn Observatory show that HD 156668 (an old, quiet K3 dwarf) is photometrically constant over the radial velocity period to 0.1 mmag, supporting the existence of the planet. No transits were detected down to a photometric limit of ~3 mmag, ruling out transiting planets dominated by extremely bloated atmospheres, but not precluding a transiting solid/liquid planet with a modest atmosphere., This planet was announced at the 2010 AAS meeting in Wash. DC; 12 pages, 8 figures, 3 tables, submitted to ApJ

T Tauri stars (TTSs) are young (~few Myr) late type stars that have only recently emerged from their natal molecular cloud material to become visible at optical wavelengths. It is now generally accepted that accretion of circumstellar disk material onto the surface of a TTS is controlled by a strong stellar magnetic field (e.g. see review by Bouvier et al. 2007). The stellar field appears critical for explaining the rotational properties of TTSs (Bouvier et al. 2007, Herbst et al. 2007) and may also play a critical role in driving the outflows seen from many of these sources (e.g. Shang et al. 2007, Mohanty & Shu 2008). As a result, there is a great deal of interest in measuring the magnetic field properties of TTSs (e.g. Johns–Krull 2007, Donati et al. 2008). In particular, disk locking theories predict that an equilibrium is established where the disk is trunctated at or close to corotation and the stellar rotation rate depends only on the (assumed) dipolar magnetic field strength, the stellar mass, radius, and the mass accretion rate in the disk (see Bouvier et al. 2007).

We describe results from two independent analyses of the [Fe/H] abundance of stars in two separate planet search programs. For the Keck, AAT and Lick (KAL) planet search program, we determined stellar parameters spectroscopically. Results for the CORALIE and KAL both show a similar steep increase in the fraction of stars with known planets as stellar [Fe/H] increases. This planet metallicity correlation is a key observational constraint on the formation and evolution of giant planets. We rule out changes in velocity precision as the cause of the correlation. By comparing stars with different convection zone depths (along and off the main sequence), we rule out chemical enrichment by accretion as the origin of the correlation. Most known planets have migrated inwards since formation. The end point of migration does not depend on stellar [Fe/H], but it is still possible that migration occurs only above some metallicity threshold. The planet–metallicity correlation is consistent with core-accretion scenarios of giant planet formation and inconsistent with gravitational instability models (unless migration occurs preferentially in metal-rich disks).

We describe a new technique for determining the instrumental profile (IP) of an astronomical spectrometer. A known instrinsic spectrum of a reference source is convoluted with a parameterized IP and then compared to a spectrum obtained with the spectrometer to be characterized. Nonlinear least-squares (NLLS) optimization is used to solve for the analytic IP that best reproduces the observed spectrum. This technique is most effective for characterizing the central portion of the IP, out to 1% of the peak. IP recovery is demonstrated using both the Sun and an I2 absorption cell as reference spectra. We also describe a second technique employing singular value decomposition (SVD) to recover an approximate IP by directly inverting a discretized convolution. This second technique is less contstrained and therefore gives poorer results than NLLS, but it is useful when the form of the IP is unknown. Using the NLLS technique, we demonstrate by example that the IP is a function of position in the format of cross-dispersed echelle spectrometers. We also compare our results with laser and thorium emission line profiles. Finally, we present the IP for a range of positions in the format of the Hamilton echelle spectrograph at Lick Observatory and the HIRES echelle at the Keck 10-m telescope.

We present an atlas of 96 low dispersion spectra of T Tauri stars, both classical and weak-lined. The flux-calibrated spectra extend from Hβ to well blueward of the Balmer jump. Observed equivalent widths and rough blue veilings are presented. We model stars with excess emission as a combination of a weak-lined T Tauri star of a similar spectral type and a slab of hot hydrogen. We tabulate the physical parameters of the slab, and give both intrinsic and observed Balmer jumps. The region responsible for the excess blue continuum has a high density and small surface area, in agreement with previous work. This is consistent with the boundary layer hypothesis, but not unique to it. We suggest that the emission region may actually be the stellar photosphere, heated by accretion shocks at the footpoints of magnetic loops extending to the disk

An attempt to detect magnetic fields on two weak-emission-line T Tauri stars has been made by searching for the enhancement of the equivalent widths of Zeeman-sensitive absorption lines. For both stars, 26 observed Fe I lines were synthesized, which represent a wide range of Zeeman sensitivities, using an LTE Stokes line-transfer calculation. The theoretical growth of equivalent width with magnetic field is discussed for lines with various Zeeman patterns. Oscillator strengths for all lines are empirically determined a priori using a magnetically quiet star of similar spectral type

Several important tests of likely systematic effects in the analysis of Zeeman broadening on cool stars have been performed. The effects of different atmospheric structures inside and outside of magnetic regions are considered, and the effects of field gradients within flux tubes and of errors in the assumed spectral type of a star are considered. It is found that substantial effects are possible which render the results of one-component analyses somewhat uncertain, with systematic errors potentially as great as 40 percent in the derived magnetic flux. However, it appears that two-component models consisting of quiet and flux tube regions may be oversimplified, since the predicted line profiles tend to be shallower than those observed. 39 refs.

The Hubble UV Legacy Library of Young Stars as Essential Standards (ULLYSES) Director's Discretionary Program of low-mass pre-main-sequence stars, coupled with forthcoming data from ALMA and JWST, will provide the foundation to revolutionize our understanding of the relationship between young stars and their protoplanetary disks. A comprehensive evaluation of the physics of disk evolution and planet formation requires understanding the intricate relationships between mass accretion, mass outflow, and disk structure. Here we describe the Outflows and Disks around Young Stars: Synergies for the Exploration of ULLYSES Spectra (ODYSSEUS) Survey and present initial results of the classical T Tauri Star CVSO 109 in Orion OB1b as a demonstration of the science that will result from the survey. ODYSSEUS will analyze the ULLYSES spectral database, ensuring a uniform and systematic approach in order to (1) measure how the accretion flow depends on the accretion rate and magnetic structures, (2) determine where winds and jets are launched and how mass-loss rates compare with accretion, and (3) establish the influence of FUV radiation on the chemistry of the warm inner regions of planet-forming disks. ODYSSEUS will also acquire and provide contemporaneous observations at X-ray, optical, NIR, and millimeter wavelengths to enhance the impact of the ULLYSES data. Our goal is to provide a consistent framework to accurately measure the level and evolution of mass accretion in protoplanetary disks, the properties and magnitudes of inner-disk mass loss, and the influence of UV radiation fields that determine ionization levels and drive disk chemistry., accepted to ApJ

The James Webb Space Telescope will revolutionize transiting exoplanet atmospheric science due to its capability for continuous, long-duration observations and its larger collecting area, spectral coverage, and spectral resolution compared to existing space-based facilities. However, it is unclear precisely how well JWST will perform and which of its myriad instruments and observing modes will be best suited for transiting exoplanet studies. In this article, we describe a prefatory JWST Early Release Science (ERS) program that focuses on testing specific observing modes to quickly give the community the data and experience it needs to plan more efficient and successful future transiting exoplanet characterization programs. We propose a multi-pronged approach wherein one aspect of the program focuses on observing transits of a single target with all of the recommended observing modes to identify and understand potential systematics, compare transmission spectra at overlapping and neighboring wavelength regions, confirm throughputs, and determine overall performances. In our search for transiting exoplanets that are well suited to achieving these goals, we identify 12 objects (dubbed "community targets") that meet our defined criteria. Currently, the most favorable target is WASP-62b because of its large predicted signal size, relatively bright host star, and location in JWST's continuous viewing zone. Since most of the community targets do not have well-characterized atmospheres, we recommend initiating preparatory observing programs to determine the presence of obscuring clouds/hazes within their atmospheres. Measurable spectroscopic features are needed to establish the optimal resolution and wavelength regions for exoplanet characterization. Other initiatives from our proposed ERS program include testing the instrument brightness limits and performing phase-curve observations.(Abridged), This is a white paper that originated from an open discussion at the Enabling Transiting Exoplanet Science with JWST workshop held November 16 - 18, 2015 at STScI (http://www.stsci.edu/jwst/science/exoplanets). Accepted for publication in PASP