Search Publications
A single fast radio burst localized to a massive galaxy at cosmological distance
Shimwell, T. W.; Treu, T.; Kerr, M. +51 more
Fast radio bursts (FRBs) are brief radio emissions from distant astronomical sources. Some are known to repeat, but most are single bursts. Nonrepeating FRB observations have had insufficient positional accuracy to localize them to an individual host galaxy. We report the interferometric localization of the single-pulse FRB 180924 to a position 4 …
A noninteracting low-mass black hole-giant star binary system
Bieryla, Allyson; Latham, David W.; Berlind, Perry +14 more
Black hole binary systems with companion stars are typically found via their x-ray emission, generated by interaction and accretion. Noninteracting binaries are expected to be plentiful in the Galaxy but must be observed using other methods. We combine radial velocity and photometric variability data to show that the bright, rapidly rotating giant…
A three-dimensional map of the Milky Way using classical Cepheid variable stars
Udalski, Andrzej; Mróz, Przemek; Szymański, Michał K. +9 more
The Milky Way is a barred spiral galaxy, with physical properties inferred from various tracers informed by the extrapolation of structures seen in other galaxies. However, the distances of these tracers are measured indirectly and are model-dependent. We constructed a map of the Milky Way in three dimensions, based on the positions and distances …
A planetesimal orbiting within the debris disc around a white dwarf star
Reffert, Sabine; Toonen, Silvia; Villaver, Eva +29 more
Many white dwarf stars show signs of having accreted smaller bodies, implying that they may host planetary systems. A small number of these systems contain gaseous debris discs, visible through emission lines. We report a stable 123.4-minute periodic variation in the strength and shape of the Ca II emission line profiles originating from the debri…
A giant exoplanet orbiting a very-low-mass star challenges planet formation models
Schmitt, J. H. M. M.; Rebolo, R.; del Burgo, C. +179 more
Surveys have shown that super-Earth and Neptune-mass exoplanets are more frequent than gas giants around low-mass stars, as predicted by the core accretion theory of planet formation. We report the discovery of a giant planet around the very-low-mass star GJ 3512, as determined by optical and near-infrared radial-velocity observations. The planet …
Galactic archaeology with Gaia
Wyse, Rosemary
The past and present merger activity of the Milky Way galaxy has recently been put into sharp focus through the analysis of data from the Gaia astrometric satellite. These data were released by the European Space Agency in 2016 (DR1) and 2018 (DR2). The emerging picture created is one of persistent disequilibrium, with high merger activity some 10…