An investigation into the radial velocity variations of CoRoT-7
CoRoT-7b, the first transiting “superearth” exoplanet, has a radius of 1.7 R⊕ and a mass of 4.8 M⊕. The HARPS radial velocity (RV) measurements used for deriving this mass also detected an additional companion with a period of 3.7 days and a mass of 8.4 M⊕. The mass of CoRoT-7b is a crucial parameter for planet structure models, but is difficult to determine because CoRoT-7 is a modestly active star and there is at least one additional companion.  The aims of this paper are to assess the statistical significance of the RV variations of CoRoT-7b and CoRoT-7c, to obtain a better measurement of the planet mass for CoRoT-7b, and to search for additional companions in the RV data.  A Fourier analysis is performed on the HARPS spectral data of CoRoT-7. These data include RV measurements, spectral line bisectors, the full width at half maximum of the cross-correlation function, and CaII emission. The latter 3 quantities vary due to stellar activity and were used to assess the nature of the observed RV variations. An analysis of a sub-set of the RV measurements where multiple observations were made per night was also used to estimate the RV amplitude from CoRoT-7b that was less sensitive to activity variations.  Our analysis indicates that the 0.85-d and 3.7-d RV signals of CoRoT-7b and CoRoT-7c are present in the spectral data with a high degree of statistical significance. We also find evidence for another significant RV signal at 9 days. An analysis of the activity indicator data reveals that this 9-d signal most likely does not arise from activity, but possibly from an additional companion. If due to a planetary companion the mass is m = 19.5 M⊕, assuming co-planarity with CoRoT-7b. A dynamical study of the three planet system shows that it is stable over several hundred millions of years. Our analysis yields a RV amplitude of 5.04 ± 1.09 ms −1 for CoRoT-7b which corresponds to a planet mass of m = 6.9 ± 1.4 M⊕. This increased mass would make the planet CoRoT-7b more Earth-like in its internal structure.  CoRoT-7 is confirmed to be a planet system with at least 2 and possibly 3 exoplanets having masses in the range 7−20 M⊕. If the third companion can be confirmed then CoRoT-7 may represent a case of an ultra-compact planetary system.

title: Identification of K+-mesons from subthreshold pA collisions with ANKE at COSY-Jülich
abstract: The spectrometer ANKE has been put into operation at the accelerator COSY of the Forschungszentrum Julich in spring 1998. An initial scientific goal is to study K + -production in pA collisions at subthreshold energies far below the free NN-threshold at T p =1.58 GeV. This requires the identification of K + -mesons in a background of pions and protons, about 10 6 times more intense. In this paper the sophisticated detection system and the software procedures for kaon identification are described. With the help of TOF, energy-loss and range measurements as well as the track information from wire chambers, it is possible to measure d 2 σ/ d Ω d p for deep subthreshold K + production at beam energies down to T p =1.0 GeV.

title: Vector and tensor analysing powers in deuteron-proton breakup reactions at intermediate energies
abstract: Vector and tensor analysing powers of the d → p → ( p p ) n (charge-exchange) and d → p → ( p n ) p (non-charge-exchange) breakup reactions have been measured with the ANKE spectrometer at the COSY ring at a deuteron beam energy of 1170 MeV for small momentum transfers to the low excitation energy ( p p ) or ( p n ) systems. A quantitative understanding of the values of A x x and A y y for the charge-exchange reaction is provided by impulse approximation calculations. The data suggest that spin-flip isospin-flip transitions, which dominate the charge-exchange breakup of the deuteron, are also important in the non-charge-exchange reaction.

title: Inclusive K+-meson production in proton-nucleus interactions
abstract: The production of K+-mesons in pA (A = D, C, Cu, Ag, Au) collisions has been investigated at the COoler SYnchrotron COSY-Jülich for beam energies Tp = 1.0-2.3 GeV. Double differential inclusive pC cross-sections at forward angles ϑ{K^+} < 12° as well as the target mass dependence of the K+ momentum spectra have been measured with the ANKE spectrometer. Far below the free NN threshold at TNN = 1.58 GeV the spectra reveal a high degree of collectivity in the target nucleus. From the target mass dependence of the cross-sections at higher energies, the repulsive in-medium potential of the K+-mesons can be deduced. Using pN cross-section parameterisations from the literature and our measured pD data we derive a cross-section ratio σ(pn↦K+X)/σ(pp↦K+X) ∼ (3-4).

title: THE FORWARD DETECTOR OF THE ANKE SPECTROMETER. SCINTILLATION AND CHERENKOV HODOSCOPES
abstract: Central Institute for Nuclear Research, Rossendorf, GermanyThe scintillation and Cherenkov counter system of the forward detector of ANKE, magnetic spec-trometer at the internal beam of the accelerator COSY in Jeulich, is described. The timing and amplitudecharacteristics are presented as well as the capabilities to select physical processes of interest.¶¨¸O¢ ¥E¸O ¸¨¸E¥³ ¸I¨´E¨²²O I¨µ´´OI ¨ I¥·¥´±µ¢¸±¨I ¸I¥EI¨±µ¢ ¶¥·¥¤´¥£µ ¤¥E¥±Eµ· ANKE, ³ £´¨E´µ£µ ¸¶¥±E·µ³¥E· ´ ¢´EE·¥´´¥³ ¶EI±¥ E¸±µ·¨E¥²O COSY ¢ ²¨I¥. ·¨¢¥¤¥´O¨I ¢·¥³¥´´O¥ ¨ ³¶²¨EE¤´O¥ I · ±E¥·¨¸E¨±¨, E ±¦¥ ¢µ§³µ¦´µ¸E¨ ¨I ¶·¨³¥´¥´¨O ¤²O ¢O¤¥²¥´¨O¨´E¥·¥¸EOÐ¨I E¨§¨I¥¸±¨I ¶·µI¥¸¸µ¢.

title: Measurement of Subthreshold K+ Production in pA Collisions with ANKE

title: The effect of bars on the M•-σe relation: offset, scatter and residuals correlations
abstract: We analyse a set of collisionless disc galaxy simulations to study the consequences of bar formation and evolution on the M•-σe relation of supermassive black holes (SMBHs). The redistribution of angular momentum driven by bars leads to a mass increase within the central region, raising the velocity dispersion of the bulge, σe, on average by ˜12 per cent and as much as ˜20 per cent. If a disc galaxy with an SMBH satisfying the M•-σe relation forms a bar, and the SMBH does not grow in the process, then the increase in σe moves the galaxy off the M•-σe relation. We explore various effects that can affect this result including contamination from the disc and anisotropy. The displacement from the M•-σe relation for individual model barred galaxies correlates with both the bulge-to-total stellar mass ratio, M(B)/M(B + D), and the 2D anisotropy, βφ(B + D), both measured within the effective radius of the bulge. Overall, this process leads to an M•-σe for barred galaxies offset from that of unbarred galaxies, as well as an increase in its scatter. We assemble samples of observed unbarred and barred galaxies with classical bulges and find tentative hints of an offset between the two consistent with the predicted. Including all barred galaxies, rather than just those with a classical bulge, leads to a significantly larger offset, which is mostly driven by the significantly larger offset of pseudo bulges

title: DETERMINATION OF THE INCLINATION OF THE MULTI-PLANET HOSTING STAR HR 8799 USING ASTEROSEISMOLOGY*
abstract: Direct imaging of the HR 8799 system was a major achievement in the study of exoplanets. HR 8799 is a {gamma} Doradus variable and asteroseismology can provide an independent constraint on the inclination. Using 650 high signal-to-noise, high-resolution, full visual wavelength spectroscopic observations obtained over two weeks at Observatoire de Haute Provence with the SOPHIE spectrograph, we find that the main frequency in the radial velocity data is 1.9875 day{sup -1}. This frequency corresponds to the main frequency as found in previous photometric observations. Using the FAMIAS software to identify the pulsation modes, we find that this frequency is a prograde l = 1 sectoral mode and obtain the constraint that inclination i {approx}> 40{sup 0}.

title: Three-integral multicomponent dynamical models and simulations of the nuclear star cluster in NGC 4244
abstract: Adaptive optics observations of the flattened nuclear star cluster in the nearby edge-on spiral galaxy NGC 4244 using the Gemini near-infrared integral field spectrograph (NIFS) have revealed clear rotation. Using these kinematics plus 2MASS photometry, we construct a series of axisymmetric two-component particle dynamical models with our improved version of NMAGIC, a flexible χ2-made-to-measure code. The models consist of a nuclear cluster disc embedded within a spheroidal particle population. We find a mass for the nuclear star cluster of M = 1.6+0.5 −0.2 × 107M� within ∼42.4 pc (2 arcsec). We also explore the presence of an intermediate-mass black hole and show that models with a black hole as massive as M• = 5.0 × 105M� are consistent with the available data. Regardless of whether a black hole is present or not, the nuclear cluster is vertically anisotropic (βz < 0), as was found with earlier anisotropic Jeans models. We then use the models as initial conditions for Nbody simulations. These simulations show that the nuclear star cluster is stable against nonaxisymmetric 
perturbations. We also explore the effect of the nuclear cluster accreting star clusters at various inclinations. Accretion of a star cluster with mass 13 per cent that of the nuclear cluster is already enough to destroy the vertical anisotropy, regardless of orbital inclination.

title: Searching for nuclear stellar discs in simulations of star cluster mergers
abstract: The nuclei of galaxies often host small stellar discs with scalelengths of a few tens of parsecs and luminosities up to 107 L�. To investigate the formation and properties of nuclear stellar discs (NSDs), we look for their presence in a set of N-body simulations studying the dissipationless merging of multiple star clusters in galactic nuclei. A few tens of star clusters with sizes and masses comparable to those of globular clusters observed in the Milky Way are accreted on to a pre-existing nuclear stellar component: either a massive super star cluster or a rapidly rotating, compact disc with a scalelength of a few parsecs, mimicking the variety of observed nuclear structures. Images and kinematic maps of the simulation time-steps are then built and analysed as if they were real and at the distance of the Virgo cluster. We use the Scorza–Bender method to search for the presence of disc structures via photometric decomposition. In one case, the merger remnant has all the observed photometric and kinematic properties of NSDs observed in real galaxies. This shows that current observations are consistent with most of the NSD mass being assembled from the migration and accretion of star clusters into the galactic centre. In the other simulation instead, we detect an elongated structure from the unsharp masked image, that does not develop the photometric or kinematic signature of an NSD. Thus, in the context of searches for a disc structure, the Scorza–Bender method is a robust and necessary tool.