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Accreting low mass X-ray binaries (LMXBs) are capable of launching powerful outflows such as accretion disc winds. In disc winds, vast amounts of material can be carried away, potentially greatly impacting the binary and its environment. Previous studies have uncovered signatures of disc winds in the X-ray, optical, near-infrared, and recently even the UV band, predominantly in LMXBs with large discs ($P_{orb}{\geq}20$ hrs). Here, we present the discovery of transient UV outflow features in UW CrB, a high-inclination ($i{\geq}77$\deg) neutron star LMXB with an orbital period of only $P_{orb}{\approx}111$ min. We present P-Cygni profiles detected for Si iv 1400\r{A} and tentatively for N v 1240\r{A} in one 15 min exposure, which is the only exposure covering orbital phase $\phi{\approx}0.7{-}0.8$, with a velocity of ${\approx}1500$ km/s. We show that due to the presence of black body emission from the neutron star surface and/or boundary layer, a thermal disc wind can be driven despite the short $P_{orb}$, but explore alternative scenarios as well. The discovery that thermal disc winds may occur in NS-LMXBs with $P_{orb}$ as small as ${\approx}111$ min, and can potentially be transient on time scales as short as ${\approx}15$ min, warrants further observational and theoretical work., Comment: 5 pages, 5 figures. Submitted to MNRAS

After the announcement of a new outburst of the transient Be/X-ray binary and X-ray pulsar 1A 0535+262 (Atel #14157), and its continuously increasing X-ray flux since then (Atel #14170, Atel #14171, Atel #14173, Atel #14179), we have observed this source with the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA) to search for a radio counterpart.

We present results of time-series analysis of the first year of the Fairall 9 intensive disc-reverberation campaign. We used Swift and the Las Cumbres Observatory global telescope network to continuously monitor Fairall 9 from X-rays to near-infrared at a daily to sub-daily cadence. The cross-correlation function between bands provides evidence for a lag spectrum consistent with the $\tau\propto\lambda^{4/3}$ scaling expected for an optically thick, geometrically thin blackbody accretion disc. Decomposing the flux into constant and variable components, the variable component's spectral energy distribution is slightly steeper than the standard accretion disc prediction. We find evidence at the Balmer edge in both the lag and flux spectra for an additional bound-free continuum contribution that may arise from reprocessing in the broad-line region. The inferred driving light curve suggests two distinct components, a rapidly variable ($100$ days) component with an opposite lag to the reverberation signal., Comment: 19 pages, 12 figures, accepted in MNRAS

Status Conference Research Vessels 2020 : conference transcript / edited by and layout: Projectmanagement J��lich, Forschungszentrum J��lich GmbH ; Oliver Zielinski ; Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment (ICBM) at the University of Oldenburg 1st Status Conference Research Vessels, , cancelled; J��lich : Forschungszentrum J��lich GmbH, Zentralbibliothek, Verlag, Schriftenreihe Projekttr��ger J��lich 13, 83-89 (2020)., Published by Forschungszentrum J��lich GmbH, Zentralbibliothek, Verlag, J��lich

We present the results of a pilot Hubble Space Telescope (HST) imaging study of the host galaxies of ten quasars from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Reverberation Mapping (SDSS-RM) project. Probing more than an order of magnitude in BH and stellar masses, our sample is the first statistical sample to study the BH-host correlations beyond z>0.3 with reliable BH masses from reverberation mapping rather than from single-epoch spectroscopy. We perform image decomposition in two HST bands (UVIS-F606W and IR-F110W) to measure host colors and estimate stellar masses using empirical relations between broad-band colors and the mass-to-light ratio. The stellar masses of our targets are mostly dominated by a bulge component. The BH masses and stellar masses of our sample broadly follow the same correlations found for local RM AGN and quiescent bulge-dominant galaxies, with no strong evidence of evolution in the M_BH-M_*,bulge relation to z~0.6. We further compare the host light fraction from HST imaging decomposition to that estimated from spectral decomposition. We found a good correlation between the host fractions derived with both methods. However, the host fraction derived from spectral decomposition is systematically smaller than that from imaging decomposition by ~30%, indicating different systematics in both approaches. This study paves the way for upcoming more ambitious host galaxy studies of quasars with direct RM-based BH masses at high redshift., 19 pages, 8 figures, submitted to ApJ

IGR J19294+1816 is an accreting pulsar in high-mass X-ray binary thatwas discovered by Integral on 31st of March 2009 (ATel #1997). Further studies using Swift/XRT data have found pulsation period of 12.45s (ATel #1998; #2002) and that it falls within the region of pulse period vs. orbital period parameter space expected for a Be X-ray binary system(ATel #2008).

We analyse new optical spectroscopic, direct-image and X-ray observations of the recently discovered a high-proper motion cataclysmic variable V1838 Aql. The data were obtained during its 2013 superoutburst and its subsequent quiescent state. An extended emission around the source was observed up to 30 d after the peak of the superoutburst, interpreted it as a bow shock formed by a quasi-continuous outflow from the source in quiescence. The head of the bow shock is coincident with the high-proper motion vector of the source (v⊥ = 123 ± 5 km s⁻¹) at a distance of d = 202 ± 7 pc. The object was detected as a weak X-ray source (0.015 ± 0.002 counts s⁻¹) in the plateau of the superoutburst and its flux lowered by two times in quiescence (0.007 ± 0.002 counts s⁻¹). Spectroscopic observations in quiescence we confirmed the orbital period value Porb = 0.0545 ± 0.0026 d, consistent with early-superhump estimates, and the following orbital parameters: γ = −21 ± 3 km s−1 and K₁ = 53 ± 3 km s⁻¹. The white dwarf is revealed as the system approaches quiescence, which enables us to infer the effective temperature of the primary Teff = 11 600 ± 400 K. The donor temperature is estimated ≲2200 K and suggestive of a system approaching the period minimum. Doppler maps in quiescence show the presence of the hotspot in He i line at the expected accretion disc-stream shock position and an unusual structure of the accretion disc in Hα.

IGR J17379-3747 is a neutron star low-mass X-ray binary showing Type I bursts (Chelovekov et al. 2006, AstL, 32, 456; see Chelovekov & Grebenev 2010, AstL, 36, 895 for a correction to the positions reportedin the earlier paper).

Pulsed neutron beams available at the ISIS spallation source offer diverse possibilities for materials characterization using diffraction and imaging. In this paper we review a range of applications of the time-of-flight neutron diffraction for the characterization of phase transformation and residual stress states in industrially-relevant situations. The setup of the ENGIN-X instrument at ISIS is described, followed by a series of case studies based on the recently obtained results.

Neutron strain scanning is a well-established experimental technique used to quantify residual stresses in industrial objects. Characteristic elastic strain profiles are introduced by manufacturing processes and by loads experienced during service. Here we report neutron strain scanning experiments on archaeological bronzes, aimed to identify their original manufacturing techniques. The specimens studied were a Picenan necklace from VI BC, and an Etruscan bucket handle from IV BC, exhibited at the Marches National Museum of Archaeology, Ancona, Italy. Time-of-flight neutron diffraction and transmission experiments were performed at the ENGIN-X instrument, Isis, United Kingdom. For the necklace, characteristic bending strain profiles and a small degree of preferred orientation indicated that the specimen has been cold worked. For the handle, broad diffraction peaks and highly distorted Bragg edges -typical of a columnar grain microstructure- suggested that this specimen was cast and did not undergo any significant thermal or mechanical treatment. The relation between the experimental diffracted and transmitted time-of-flight spectra, and the microstructure of a specimen are discussed in this paper.

Swift J1357.2-0933 (J1357) is a peculiar black hole candidate X-ray transient discovered in outburst during 2011 (ATel #3138) and peaked at an X-ray luminosity of ~1e36 erg/s (for an assumed distance of 6 kpc).

Texto en inglés con resumen y palabras claves en inglés y polaco. - International Conference “Hydrogeological Transboundary Problems. West and East European Bridge” (2004. Varsovia), Las Tablas de Daimiel National Park wetlands (Central Spain) have had their main origin in the West La Macha aquifer discharges. Inflows into these wetlands ceased due to the intensive aquifer exploitation. A progresive deterioration of the wetland brought about several attempts of remedial actions by means of building several small dams and pumping groundwater to the Las Tablas basin. The main attempt to preserve these wetlands has been made by means of the inter-basins tranfers. However, a part of these water transfers is lost within the wetland basin due to the infiltration into the underlying aquifer. Infilitration becomes an essential parameter in any study related to the attempts at keemping some water in the basin and, therefore, in the integrated managmeent of the water resources systems related to the wetland. The actual extent of these losses is difficult to quantify due to the poor quality of existing data as well as to the lack of determination of various important parameters. A methodology based on dailiy water balance in the wetland basin allows to assess that losses and can be used for the National Park water management., Dirección de Hidrogeología y Aguas Subterráneas, Instituto Geológico y Minero de España, España, Departamento de Geodinámica, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, España, Dirección de Geología y Geofísica, Instituto Geológico y Minero de España, España, Departamento de Estratigrafía, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, España, Dirección de Recursos Minerales y Geoambiente, Instituto Geológico y Minero de España, España

IGR J17285-2922 is a very-faint X-ray transient that was reported to be in outburst by INTEGRAL/IBIS-ISGRI (ATel #12646). We triggered a joint X-ray and radio monitoring campaign of this X-ray binary with the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory (Swift) and the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA).

We answer in the affirmative a question posed by Ivanov and Vassilev on the existence of a seven dimensional quaternionic contact manifold with closed fundamental 4-form and non-vanishing torsion endomorphism. Moreover, we show an approach to the classification of seven dimensional solvable Lie groups having an integrable left invariant quaternionic contact structure. In particular, we prove that the unique seven dimensional nilpotent Lie group admitting such a structure is the quaternionic Heisenberg group., 23 pages, v2: typos corrected. To appear in Forum Math

We study a type of left-invariant structure on Lie groups, or equivalently on Lie algebras. We introduce obstructions to the existence of a hypo structure, namely the 5-dimensional geometry of hypersurfaces in manifolds with holonomy SU(3). The choice of a splitting g^*=V_1 + V_2, and the vanishing of certain associated cohomology groups, determine a first obstruction. We also construct necessary conditions for the existence of a hypo structure with a fixed almost-contact form. For non-unimodular Lie algebras, we derive an obstruction to the existence of a hypo structure, with no choice involved. We apply these methods to classify solvable Lie algebras that admit a hypo structure., 21 pages; v2: presentation improved, typos corrected, notational conflicts eliminated. To appear in Transformation Groups