Discovery of a large dust disk around the nearby star AU Microscopii

We present the discovery of a circumstellar dust disk surrounding AU Microscopii (AU Mic, GJ 803, HD 197481). This young M star at 10 parsec has the same age and origin as beta Pictoris, another nearby star surrounded by a dust disk. The AU Mic disk is detected between 50 astronomical units (AU) and 210 AU radius, a region where dust lifetimes exceed the present stellar age. Thus, AU Mic is the nearest star where we directly observe the solid material required for planet formation. Because 85% of stars are M-type, the AU Mic disk provides new clues on how the majority of planetary systems might form and evolve.     

ROSAT X-ray detection of a young brown dwarf in the chamaeleon I dark cloud

Photometry and spectroscopy of the object Cha Halpha 1, located in the Chamaeleon I star-forming cloud, show that it is a approximately 10(6)-year-old brown dwarf with spectral type M7.5 to M8 and 0.04 +/- 0.01 solar masses. Quiescent x-ray emission was detected in a 36-kilosecond observation with 31.4 +/- 7.7 x-ray photons, obtained with the Rontgen Satellite (ROSAT), with 9final sigma detection significance. This corresponds to an x-ray luminosity of 2.57 x 10(28) ergs per second and an x-ray to bolometric luminosity ratio of 10(-3.44). These are typical values for late M-type stars. Because the interior of brown dwarfs may be similar to that of convective late-type stars, which are well-known x-ray sources, x-ray emission from brown dwarfs may indicate magnetic activity.     

A young white dwarf companion to pulsar B1620-26: evidence for early planet formation

The pulsar B1620-26 has two companions, one of stellar mass and one of planetary mass. We detected the stellar companion with the use of Hubble Space Telescope observations. The color and magnitude of the stellar companion indicate that it is an undermassive white dwarf (0.34 +/- 0.04 solar mass) of age 480 x 10(6) +/- 140 x 10(6) years. This places a constraint on the recent history of this triple system and supports a scenario in which the current configuration arose through a dynamical exchange interaction in the cluster core. This implies that planets may be relatively common in low-metallicity globular clusters and that planet formation is more widespread and has happened earlier than previously believed.     

Isolated and companion young brown dwarfs in the taurus and chamaeleon molecular clouds

Infrared imaging observations have detected a dozen faint young stellar objects (YSOs) in the Taurus and Chamaeleon molecular clouds whose near-infrared colors are similar to those of classical T Tauri stars (TTS). They are around four magnitudes fainter than low-luminosity YSOs in Taurus detected in earlier surveys and as much as eight magnitudes fainter than typical TTS. The extreme faintness of the objects and their lower luminosity relative to previously identified brown dwarfs in the Pleiades indicate that these faint YSOs are very young brown dwarfs on the order of 1 million years old.     

Quasars and a dwarf star break the rules in tucson

Earlier this month, more than 2000 astronomers convened in Tucson, Arizona, for the American Astronomical Society's largest meeting ever. Even the war drums beaten by a few local Apaches and their supporters, protesting a University of Arizona telescope project, could not drown out lecture-hall and corridor discussions of topics such as naked quasars, flaring stars, and planetary searches.     

Discovery of young, isolated planetary mass objects in the final sigma Orionis star cluster

We present the discovery by optical and near-infrared imaging of an extremely red, low-luminosity population of isolated objects in the young, nearby stellar cluster around the multiple, massive star final sigma Orionis. The proximity (352 parsecs), youth (1 million to 5 million years), and low internal extinction make this cluster an ideal site to explore the substellar domain from the hydrogen mass limit down to a few Jupiter masses. Optical and near-infrared low-resolution spectroscopy of three of these objects confirms the very cool spectral energy distribution (atmospheric effective temperatures of 1700 to 2200 kelvin) expected for cluster members with masses in the range 5 to 15 times that of Jupiter. Like the planets of the solar system, these objects are unable to sustain stable nuclear burning in their interiors, but in contrast they are not bound to stars. This new kind of isolated giant planet, which apparently forms on time scales of less than a few million years, offers a challenge to our understanding of the formation processes of planetary mass objects.     

A search for companions to nearby brown dwarfs: the binary DENIS-P J1228.2-1547

Hubble Space Telescope imaging observations of two nearby brown dwarfs, DENIS-P J1228.2-1547 and Kelu 1, made with the near-infrared camera and multiobject spectrometer (NICMOS), show that the DENIS object is resolved into two components of nearly equal brightness with a projected separation of 0.275 arc second (5 astronomical units for a distance of 18 parsecs). This binary system will be able to provide the first dynamical measurement of the masses of two brown dwarfs in only a few years. Upper limits to the mass of any unseen companion in Kelu 1 yield a planet of 7 Jupiter masses aged 0. 5 x 10(9) years, which would have been detected at a separation larger than about 4 astronomical units. This example demonstrates that giant planets could be detected by direct imaging if they exist in Jupiter-like orbits around nearby young brown dwarfs.     

Discovery of a young planetary-mass binary

We have identified a companion to the young planetary-mass brown dwarf Oph 162225-240515. This pair forms a resolved binary consisting of two objects with masses comparable to those of extrasolar giant planets. Several lines of evidence confirm the coevality and youth of the two objects, suggesting that they form a physical binary. Models yield masses of approximately 14 and approximately 7 times the mass of Jupiter for the primary and the secondary object, respectively, at an age of approximately 1 million years. A wide ( approximately 240-astronomical unit) binary in the ultra-low-mass regime poses a challenge to some popular models of brown dwarf formation.     

Anatomy of a flaring proto-planetary disk around a young intermediate-mass star

Although planets are being discovered around stars more massive than the Sun, information about the proto-planetary disks where such planets have built up is sparse. We have imaged mid-infrared emission from polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons at the surface of the disk surrounding the young intermediate-mass star HD 97048 and characterized the disk. The disk is in an early stage of evolution, as indicated by its large content of dust and its hydrostatic flared geometry, indicative of the presence of a large amount of gas that is well mixed with dust and gravitationally stable. The disk is a precursor of debris disks found around more-evolved A stars such as beta-Pictoris and provides the rare opportunity to witness the conditions prevailing before (or during) planet formation.     

Discovery of new variable radio sources in the nucleus of the nearby galaxy messier 82

Widespread variability has been discovered in a large population of radio sources close to the nucleus of an active galaxy. The galaxy, Messier 82 (M82), and others similar to it show evidence for enhanced nuclear activity and unusually strong far-infrared emission. The observational data, obtained with the National Radio Astronomy Observatory's Very Large Array in New Mexico over the past 3 years, provide the first direct "look" at a starburst-the phenomenon of sudden, rapid star formation which occurs near the nucleus of a small fraction of galaxies. Nearly all the brightest of about 40 radio sources in M82' s nucleus decreased in intensity over 2.7 years up to October 1983. One source, which in February 1981 was ten times as bright as our Galaxy's most luminous supernova remnant, turned off within only a few months. Most of the other ten strongest sources are declining so rapidly that they will fade into the background within 30 years. Thus, new supernovae are expected to appear in M82' s nucleus every few years. The discovery has revealed the "engine room" of the mysterious activity in M82 and, by implication, similar active galaxies which have disturbed nuclei and which are unusually luminous in the far infrared. An estimate of the rate of energy input by the radio-visible supernovae closely matches the far-infrared luminosities which were recently measured for M82 and other similar galaxies.     

矮秆玉米自交系82-3植株性状的遗传研究

以矮秆资源82-3自交系为父本与高秆自交系W1杂交,通过对双亲和F1,F2等不同群体植株性状田间调查,分析82-3植株性状在不同世代的遗传.结果表明,矮秆自交系82-3具有株矮、穗位低、穗上叶片数少,但雄穗发达、叶面积大、叶夹角小、叶向值高等特点,对降低杂种后代株高和穗上叶片数有明显作用;在所调查的性状中,不同世代雄穗分枝数以及叶向值的变异性均较强,变异系数多在20%以上,预示这2个性状遗传稳定性较差,选择响应较低;不同性状遗传力各异,矮秆自交系82-3的株高、穗位高以及雄穗特性遗传力较高,而穗上叶片数和叶向值遗传力较低.     

矮秆玉米自交系“82-3”穗部性状的遗传及利用评价

以矮秆资源82-3自交系为父本与高秆自交系W1杂交,通过对双亲、F1和F2等不同群体穗部性状调查,分析82-3穗部性状在不同世代的遗传.结果表明,矮秆自交系82-3除穗轴较粗外,穗部其他各性状表现稳定,且优于亲本W1,F1超亲优势明显,尤其穗重和穗粒重,超亲优势率分别达46.98％和59.51％,F2表现正态分布且超亲...     

1979J3: Discovery of a Previously Unknown Satellite of Jupiter

During a detailed search of Voyager 1 frames for additional observations of the satellite 1979J1, two small dark spots were observed in transit in several consecutive wide-angle frames of the Jovian atmosphere. The size, spacing, and motion of these pairs of dark spots indicated that they were the images of 1979J1 and its shadow. Subsequent analysis of images spanning 6 days, however, proved that the satellite observed in these Voyager 1 frames would have been occulted by Jupiter at the times of the Voyager 2 images of 1979J1 and was, therefore, a new satellite. It was subsequently found in transit on Voyager 2 images within 13 degrees of the Voyager 1 prediction. Its period is 7 hours 4 minutes 30 seconds +/- 3 seconds, and its mean distance is 1.793 Jupiter radii (Jupiter radius = 71,400 kilometers). The observable profile appears to be roughly circular with a diameter of 40 kilometers, and the albedo is approximately 0.05, similar to Amalthea's.     

香蕉14-3-3蛋白基因Ma-14-3-3d的克隆及序列分析(英文)

[Objective] The aim of the study is to clone and analyze the gene encoding 14-3-3 protein from banana. [Method] Combined with PCR amplification, RACE (rapid amplification of cDNA ends) technique was employed to clone 14-3-3 gene from banana; then the amplified sequence was sequenced and homologically analyzed. [Result] A new cDNA homologous with 14-3-3 protein genes were obtained by RT-PCR and RACE ( rapid amplification of cDNA ends ) approaches. The full length of this cDNA was 866 bp encoding 197 amino acids. Alignment of deduced amino acid sequence with those from other plants revealed that the cDNA shared high homology with 14-3-3 protein genes from other plants, and was designated as Musa acuminata 14-3-3 gene (Ma-14-3-3d). Phylogenetic analysis reveals that Ma-14-3-3d has closer genetic relationship with those from monocotyledon species than those from other species. [Conclusion] Ma-14-3-3d belongs to the same lineage of 14-3-3 from monocotyledon.     

香蕉14-3-3蛋白基因Ma-14-3-3d的克隆及序列分析

[目的]克隆分析香蕉中14-3-3蛋白编码基因。[方法]采用PCR与RACE技术相结合的方法克隆香蕉14-3-3基因,并进行CDNA测序及同源性分析。[结果]所克隆cDNA全长866 bp,编码197个氨基酸残基,具有植物14-3-3蛋白基因的特征结构域,并与其他植物来源的14-3-3蛋白具有很高的序列相似性,将其命名为Ma-14-3-3d(Musa acuminate14-3-3gene)。[结论]Ma-14-3-3d蛋白与来源于单子叶植物的14-3-3蛋白位于同一进化枝上。     

马铃薯腐烂茎线虫14-3-3基因的克隆与序列分析

马铃薯腐烂茎线虫（Ditylenchus destructor）是为害中国甘薯生产的主要病原物之一,由它所引起的甘薯茎线虫病,每年造成严重的经济损失。14-3-3蛋白是真核生物特有,具有高度的保守性,且在信号转导代谢调控、激素信号传导、细胞分裂和对生物和非生物刺激的应答反应等过程起到重要作用。本研究采用EST分析和RACE克隆相结合的方法,从马铃薯腐烂茎线虫中成功克隆出一个14-3-3蛋白基因（Dd-14-3-3a,GenBank accession NO.:ADW77527.1）。Dd-14-3-3a cDNA全长为986 bp,包含一个长度为756 bp的开放阅读框,编码着一个长度为251 aa的蛋白质。Blast比对结果表明：Dd-14-3-3a蛋白与已报道的南方根结线虫（Meloidogyne incognita）、松材线虫（Bursaphelenchus xylophilus）、大豆胞囊线虫（Heterodera glycines）以及水稻干尖线虫（Alphelenchoides besseyi）中的14-3-3蛋白的一致性分别为98%、98%、98%和97%。对该蛋白结构的分析结果表明：Dd-14-3-3a蛋白包含一个典型的14-3-3蛋白结构域,且无信号肽和跨膜结构域。该基因的克隆和分析将有助于明确植物寄生线虫14-3-3蛋白在线虫侵染和与寄主互作中的作用。     

Central object of the 30 doradus nebula, a supermassive star

R136 (HD 38268) is the central object of the 30 Doradus Nebula, a giant region of ionized hydrogen in the Large Magellanic Cloud. Observations of R136 at low and high spectral resolution with the International Ultraviolet Explorer reveal a peculiar hot object with a massive stellar wind. An outflow speed of 3500 kilometers per second and a temperature of approximately 60,000 K are indicated by the spectra. The bulk of the observed ultraviolet radiation must come from R136a, the brightest and bluest component of R136. Its absolute visual magnitude and observed temperature imply a luminosity about 10(8) times that of the sun. Most of the ionizations produced in 30 Doradus are provided by this peculiar object. If RI36a is a dense cluster of very hot stars, about 30 stars of classes O3 and WN3 exist in a region estimated to have a diameter of less than 0.1 parsec. This is inconsistent with the ultraviolet line spectrum and the evidence for optical variability. An alternative interpretation of the observations is that the radiation from R136a is dominated by a single superluminous object with the following approximate properties: luminosity and temperature as given above, a radius 100 times that of the sun, a mass 2500 times that of the sun, and a loss rate of 10(-3.5) solar masses per year. Model interior calculations for hydrogen-burning stars are consistent with these parameters. Such stars, however, are expected to be unstable, and this may account for the massive stellar wind.