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(Sub)stellar companions shape the winds of evolved stars

Waters, L. B. F. M.; Sahai, R.; De Ridder, J. +32 more

Binary interactions dominate the evolution of massive stars, but their role is less clear for low- and intermediate-mass stars. The evolution of a spherical wind from an asymptotic giant branch (AGB) star into a nonspherical planetary nebula (PN) could be due to binary interactions. We observed a sample of AGB stars with the Atacama Large Millimet…

A triple-star system with a misaligned and warped circumstellar disk shaped by disk tearing

Monnier, John D.; Schaefer, Gail H.; Lanthermann, Cyprien +29 more

Young stars are surrounded by a circumstellar disk of gas and dust, within which planet formation can occur. Gravitational forces in multiple star systems can disrupt the disk. Theoretical models predict that if the disk is misaligned with the orbital plane of the stars, the disk should warp and break into precessing rings, a phenomenon known as d…

The Sun is less active than other solar-like stars

Solanki, Sami K.; Reinhold, Timo; Shapiro, Alexander I. +4 more

The magnetic activity of the Sun and other stars causes their brightness to vary. We investigated how typical the Sun’s variability is compared with other solar-like stars, i.e., those with near-solar effective temperatures and rotation periods. By combining 4 years of photometric observations from the Kepler space telescope with astrometric data …

A multiplanet system of super-Earths orbiting the brightest red dwarf star GJ 887

Amado, P. J.; Reiners, A.; Ribas, I. +28 more

The closet exoplanets to the Sun provide opportunities for detailed characterization of planets outside the Solar System. We report the discovery, using radial velocity measurements, of a compact multiplanet system of super-Earth exoplanets orbiting the nearby red dwarf star GJ 887. The two planets have orbital periods of 9.3 and 21.8 days. Assumi…