arXiv subjects

James Windsor

Publications and source records attributed to James Windsor.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2021

Outbursts and stellar properties of the classical Be star HD 6226

The bright and understudied classical Be star HD 6226 has exhibited multiple outbursts in the last several years during which the star grew a viscous decretion disk. We analyze 659 optical spectra of the system collected from 2017-2020, along with a UV spectrum from the Hubble Space Telescope and high cadence photometry from both TESS and the KELT survey. We find that the star has a spectral type of B2.5IIIe, with a rotation rate of 74% of critical. The star is nearly pole-on with an inclination of $13.4$ degree. We confirm the spectroscopic pulsational properties previously reported, and report on three photometric oscillations from KELT photometry. The outbursting behavior is studied with equivalent width measurements of H$α$ and H$β$, and the variations in both of these can be quantitatively explained with two frequencies through a Fourier analysis. One of the frequencies for the emission outbursts is equal to the difference between two photometric oscillations, linking these pulsation modes to the mass ejection mechanism for some outbursts. During the TESS observation time period of 2019 October 7 to 2019 November 2, the star was building a disk. With a large dataset of H$α$ and H$β$ spectroscopy, we are able to determine the timescales of dissipation in both of these lines, similar to past work on Be stars that has been done with optical photometry. HD 6226 is an ideal target with which to study the Be disk-evolution given its apparent periodic nature, allowing for targeted observations with other facilities in the future.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2020

Distinguishing multicellular life on exoplanets by testing Earth as an exoplanet

Can multicellular life be distinguished from single cellular life on an exoplanet? We hypothesize that abundant upright photosynthetic multicellular life (trees) will cast shadows at high sun angles that will distinguish them from single cellular life and test this using Earth as an exoplanet. We first test the concept using Unmanned Arial Vehicles (UAVs) at a replica moon landing site near Flagstaff, Arizona and show trees have both a distinctive reflectance signature (red edge) and geometric signature (shadows at high sun angles) that can distinguish them from replica moon craters. Next, we calculate reflectance signatures for Earth at several phase angles with POLDER (Polarization and Directionality of Earth's reflectance) satellite directional reflectance measurements and then reduce Earth to a single pixel. We compare Earth to other planetary bodies (Mars, the Moon, Venus, and Uranus) and hypothesize that Earths directional reflectance will be between strongly backscattering rocky bodies with no weathering (like Mars and the Moon) and cloudy bodies with more isotropic scattering (like Venus and Uranus). Our modelling results put Earth in line with strongly backscattering Mars, while our empirical results put Earth in line with more isotropic scattering Venus. We identify potential weaknesses in both the modeled and empirical results and suggest additional steps to determine whether this technique could distinguish upright multicellular life on exoplanets.

astro-ph.EP↗

arXiv2017

A 2MASS/AllWISE Search for Extremely Red L Dwarfs -- The Discovery of Several Likely L Type Members of $β$ Pic, AB Dor, Tuc-Hor, Argus, and the Hyades

Young brown dwarfs share many properties with directly imaged giant extrasolar planets. They therefore provide unique laboratories for investigating the full range of temperature and mass encompasses by the growing collection of planets discovered outside our Solar System. Furthermore, if they can be tied to a particular group of coeval stars, they also provide vital anchor points for low-mass empirical isochrones. We have developed a novel procedure for identifying such objects based on their unique 2MASS and AllWISE colors. Using our search criteria, we have identified 50 new, late-type L dwarf candidates, 47 of which are spectroscopically confirmed as L dwarfs with follow-up near-infrared spectroscopy. We evaluate the potential membership of these objects in nearby, young moving groups using their proper motions, photometric distance estimates, and spectroscopic indicators of youth, and find seven likely L-type members belonging to the $β$ Pictoris moving group, the AB Doradus moving group, the Tucana-Horologium association, or the Argus association, in addition to several lower probability members. Also found are two late-type (L5 and L6) potential members of the nearby Hyades cluster (WISEA J043642.75$+$190134.8 and WISEA J044105.56$+$213001.5).

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2016

WISEA J114724.10-204021.3: A Free-Floating Planetary Mass Member of the TW Hya Association

We present WISEA J114724.10$-$204021.3, a young, low-mass, high probability member of the TW Hya association. WISEA J114724.10$-$204021.3 was discovered based on its red AllWISE color (W1$-$W2 = 0.63 mag) and extremely red 2MASS $J-K_{\rm S}$ color ($>$ 2.64 mag), the latter of which is confirmed with near-infrared photometry from the VISTA Hemisphere Survey ($J-K_{\rm S}$ = 2.57$\pm$0.03). Follow-up near-infrared spectroscopy shows a spectral type of L7 $\pm$ 1 as well as several spectroscopic indicators of youth. These include a peaked $H$-band shape and a steeper $K$-band slope, traits typically attributed to low surface gravity. The sky position, proper motion, and distance estimates of WISEA J114724.10$-$204021.3 are all consistent with membership in the $\sim$10 Myr old TW Hya association. Using the age of the TW Hya association and evolutionary models, we estimate the mass of WISEA J114724.10$-$204021.3 to be 5$-$13 $M_{\rm Jup}$, making it one of the youngest and lowest mass free-floating objects yet discovered in the Solar neighborhood.

astro-ph.SR↗