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AstroSat spectra of the black hole system GRS 1915+105 during the heartbeat state (with a varying oscillation period from 150 to 100 secs) were analysed using a truncated relativistic disc model along with a Comptonization component. Spectra were fitted for segments of length ~ 24 secs. The oscillation can be described as coordinated variations of the accretion rate, Comptonised flux, and the inner disc radius, with the latter ranging from 1.235-5 gravitational radii. Comparison with results from the $\chi$ and Intermediate states shows that while the accretion rate and the high energy photon index were similar, the inner disc radius and the fraction of Comptonised photons were larger for these states than for the heartbeat one. The coronal efficiency $\eta \equiv L_{ac}/\dot M c^2$, where $L_{ac}$ is the radiative luminosity generated in the corona is found to be approximately $\propto \dot M^{-2/3}$ for all the observations. The efficiency decreases with inner radii for the heartbeat state but has similar values for the $\chi$ and Intermediate states where the inner radii is larger. The implications of these results are discussed., Comment: 7 pages, 5 figures, Accepted for publication in MNRAS

A convergent and efficient approach towards the total synthesis of Kadcotrione B is described. For this purpose, the syntheses of two fragments, 6/6/5-fused tricyclic ring and C-9 side chain, were accomplished. The salient features of these syntheses are the utilization of aldol condensation, Evans aldol reaction, Horner–Wadsworth–Emmons olefination, Michael addition, Robinson annulation, and Wacker oxidation.

The origins of X-ray and radio emissions during an X-ray binary outburst are comparatively better understood than those of ultraviolet, optical and infrared radiation. This is because multiple competing mechanisms peak in these mid-energy ranges. Ascertaining the true emission mechanism and segregating the contribution of different mechanisms, if present, is important for correct understanding of the energetics of the system and hence its geometry. We have studied the multi-wavelength spectral energy distribution of the galactic X-ray binary GRS 1716-249 ranging from near infrared (0.0005 keV) to hard X-rays (120 keV) using observations from AstroSat, Swift, and Mount Abu Infrared Observatory. Broadband spectral fitting suggests that the irradiated accretion disk dominates emission in ultraviolet and optical regimes. The near infrared emission exhibits some excess than the prediction of the irradiated disk model, which is most likely due to Synchrotron emission from jets as suggested by radio emission. Irradiation of the inner disk by the hard X-ray emission from the Corona also plays a significant role in accounting for the soft X-ray emission., 11 pages, 8 figures and 2 tables. Published in the Journal of Astrophysics & Astronomy

The Large Area X-ray Proportional Counter (LAXPC) instrument on-board AstroSat has three nominally identical detectors for timing and spectral studies in the energy range of 3--80 keV. The performance of these detectors during the five years after the launch of AstroSat is described. Currently, only one of the detector is working nominally. The variation in pressure, energy resolution, gain and background with time are discussed. The capabilities and limitations of the instrument are described. A brief account of available analysis software is also provided., Comment: Accepted for publication in JAA

We report the results from analysis of six observations of Cygnus X-1 by Large Area X-ray Proportional Counters (LAXPC) and Soft X-ray Telescope (SXT) on-board AstroSat, when the source was in the hard spectral state as revealed by the broad band spectra. The spectra obtained from all the observations can be described by a single temperature Comptonizing region with disk and reflection components. The event mode data from LAXPC provides unprecedented energy dependent fractional root mean square (rms) and time-lag at different frequencies which we fit with empirical functions. We invoke a fluctuation propagation model for a simple geometry of a truncated disk with a hot inner region. Unlike other propagation models, the hard X-ray emission (> 4 keV) is assumed to be from the hot inner disk by a single temperature thermal Comptonization process. The fluctuations first cause a variation in the temperature of the truncated disk and then the temperature of the inner disk after a frequency dependent time delay. We find that the model can explain the energy dependent rms and time-lag at different frequencies., Accepted for Publication in MNRAS; 13 pages, 9 figures, Typos Corrected on Page 6

We present results from an observation of the Low Mass X-ray Binary 4U 1636-536 obtained with the LAXPC instrument aboard AstroSat. The observations of 4U 1636-536 made during the performance verification phase of AstroSat showed seven thermonuclear X-ray bursts in a total exposure of ~ 65 ks over a period of about two consecutive days. Moreover, the light curve of 4U 1636-536 revealed the presence of a rare triplet of X-ray bursts, having a wait time of about 5.5 minutes between second and the third bursts. We also present results from time-resolved spectroscopy performed during these seven X-ray bursts. In addition, we have also detected a transient Quasi-periodic oscillation (QPO) at ~ 5 Hz. However, we did not find any evidence of kilo-hertz QPOs and/or X-ray burst oscillations, perhaps due to the hard spectral state of the source during this observation., Accepted for publication in MNRAS

A general approach for a collective synthesis of natural products containing substituted THF ring is described. In this paper, Arbusculone, a small molecule natural product accomplished using a short route, is used as the key intermediate to achieve the total synthesis of Andirolactone, Pinnatolide, Ipomolactone, Cyclocapitelline, Isocyclocapitelline and their two isomers in less than ten steps. The present effort highlights protecting-group-free total syntheses and the shortest route to access these natural products from commercially available cheap starting materials.

An alternative scheme is described to estimate the layer 1 LAXPC 20 background for faint sources where the source contribution to the 50-80 keV count rate is less than 0.25 counts/sec (15 milli-crabs or $6 \times 10^{-11}$ ergs/s/cm$^2$). We consider 12 blank sky observations and based on their 50-80 keV count rate in 100 second time-bins, generate four template spectra which are then used to estimate the background spectrum and lightcurve for a given faint source observation. The variance of the estimated background subtracted spectra for the 12 blank sky observations is taken as the energy dependent systematic uncertainty which will dominate over the statistical one for exposures longer than 5 ksecs. The estimated 100 second time bin background lightcurve in the 4-20 keV band with a 3\% systematic error matches with the blank sky ones. The 4-20 keV spectrum can be constrained for a source with flux $\gtrapprox 1$ milli-crab. Fractional r.m.s variability of 10\% can be determined for a $\sim 5$ milli-crab source lightcurve binned at 100 seconds. To illustrate the scheme, the lightcurves, and spectra of three different blank sky observations, three AGN sources (Mrk 0926, Mrk 110, NGC 4593), and LMC X-1 are shown., Comment: 7 pages, 10 figures, 2 tables, accepted for publication in The Journal of Astrophysics and Astronomy

With its large effective area at hard X-rays, high time resolution and having co-aligned other instruments, AstroSat/LAXPC was designed to usher in a new era in rapid variability studies and wide spectral band measurements of the X-ray binaries. Over the last five years, the instrument has successfully achieved to a significant extent these Science goals. In the coming years, it is poised to make more important discoveries. This paper highlights the primary achievements of AstroSat/LAXPC in unraveling the behavior of black hole and neutron star systems and discusses the exciting possibility of the instrument's contribution to future science., Comment: 18 pages, 12 figures, 1 table, Accepted for publication in The Journal of Astrophysics and Astronomy

We present here the results of the first broadband simultaneous spectral and temporal studies of the newly detected black hole binary MAXI J1820+070 as seen by SXT and LAXPC on-board AstroSat.The observed combined spectra in the energy range 0.7-80 keV were well modeled using disk black-body emission, thermal Comptonization and a reflection component. The spectral analysis revealed that the source was in its hard spectral state (Gamma=1.61) with a cool disk (kTin=0.22 keV). We report the energy dependent time-lag and root mean squared (rms) variability at different frequencies in the energy range 3-80 keV using LAXPC data. We also modeled the flux variability using a single zone stochastic propagation model to quantify the observed energy dependence of time-lag and fractional rms variability and then compared the results with that of Cygnus X-1. Additionally, we confirm the detection of a quasi-periodic oscillation with the centroid frequency at 47.7 mHz., Accepted for publication in Astrophysical Journal Letters (ApJL). The article contains 8 pages, 4 figures and 1 Table. Missing reference added. Some typos corrected

We report the analysis of simultaneous multi-wavelength data of the high energy peaked blazar RGB J0710+591 from the LAXPC, SXT and UVIT instruments on-board AstroSat. The wide band X-ray spectrum (0.35 -- 30 keV) is modelled as synchrotron emission from a non-thermal distribution of high energy electrons. The spectrum is unusually curved, with a curvature parameter $\beta_p \sim 6.4$ for a log parabola particle distribution, or a high energy spectral index $p_2 > 4.5$ for a broken power-law distribution. The spectrum shows more curvature than an earlier quasi-simultaneous analysis of Swift-XRT/NuSTAR data where the parameters were $\beta_p \sim 2.2$ or $p_2 \sim 4$. It has long been known that a power-law electron distribution can be produced from a region where particles are accelerated under Fermi process and the radiative losses in acceleration site decide the maximum attainable Lorentz factor, $\gamma_{max}$. Consequently, this quantity decides the energy at which the spectrum curves steeply. We show that such a distribution provides a more natural explanation for the AstroSat data as well as the earlier XRT/NuSTAR observation, making this as the first well constrained determination of the photon energy corresponding to $\gamma_{max}$. This in turn provides an estimate of the acceleration time-scale as a function of magnetic field and Doppler factor. The UVIT observations are consistent with earlier optical/UV measurements and reconfirm that they plausibly correspond to a different radiative component than the one responsible for the X-ray emission., Comment: 9 pages, 3 figures. Accepted for publication in MNRAS

Using the Insight-HXMT observations of GRS 1915+105 when it exhibits low frequency quasi-periodic oscillations (QPOs), we measure the evolution of the QPO frequency along with disk inner radius and mass accretion rate. We find a tight positive correlation between the QPO frequency and mass accretion rate. Our results extend the finding of previous work with AstroSat to a larger range of accretion rate with independent instruments and observations. Treating the QPO frequency of GRS 1915+105 as the relativistic dynamic frequency of a truncated disk, we are able to confirm the high spin nature of the black hole in GRS 1915+105. We also address the potential of our finding to test general relativity in the future., Comment: 8 pages, 6 figures. v2: refereed version

We have developed a facile and efficient synthetic route to substituted isochromans for the first time by reacting 2-(2-bromoethyl)benzaldehyde with a variety of aryl, heteroaryl amines in AcOH. The reaction is catalyst/additive free and takes place at reflux conditions with short reaction time to furnish products in good to excellent yields. All the compounds have been characterized by spectral techniques such as IR, 1H NMR and Mass etc. Synthesized compounds were evaluated for antimicrobial activity against specific bacterial like 1) Staphylococcus strains aureus 2) Bacillus subtilis 3) Escherichia coli 4) Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Compounds 3e, 3n, 3 m, 3 l, 3 k, 3j and 3b showed most potent in vitro activity against bacterial strains.

An efficient and stereoselective approach for the formal total synthesis of Stigmatellin A has been described. The key steps involved in this synthesis are desymmetrization of the bicyclic olefin to introduce two methyl and two hydroxyl chiral centers, Friedel Crafts acylation, regioselective demethylation, Baker-Venkataraman rearrangement and Grubbs cross metathesis.

The first asymmetric total synthesis of the putative structure of diplopyrone was achieved in 17 linear steps starting from cis-1,4-butene-diol. The synthetic route features iodine-catalyzed tandem isomerization followed by C–O and C–C bond formation reaction strategy developed by our own group to construct the trans-2,6-disubstituted dihydropyran ring, asymmetric α-aminoxylation reaction, and Still–Gennari (Z)-selective olefination reactions. Careful comparison of 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopic data as well as investigation of the UV and circular dichroism spectrum in trifluoroethanol for compound 2 suggest that the putative structure for diplopyrone {6-[(1S)-1-hydroxyethyl]-2,4a(S),6(R),8a(S)-tetrahydropyran[3,2-b]pyran-2-one} requires revision.

A series of novel 1,2,3-triazole and isoxazole-linked pyrazole derivatives have been synthesized from pyrazole and triazole/isoxazole scaffolds. The synthesized congeners were evaluated for their anti-proliferative efficacy in four cancer cell lines (MCF7, HEPG2, IMR32, and HELA). Majority of the compounds demonstrated potent cytotoxic activities, among them 4k and 4l showed significant cytotoxicity in all the tested cell lines.

The first total syntheses of two possible diastereomers of gliomasolide E, a 14-membered macrolides isolated from the marine sponge Phakellia fusca Thiele, which was collected from the South China Sea, is reported. Highlights of the synthesis include macrolactonization through intramolecular Horner–Wadsworth–Emmons olefination, Yamaguchi–Hirao alkynylation, and base-induced elimination reactions for propargyl alcohol synthesis as the key reactions. Detailed comparison of their 1H and 13C NMR (1D and 2D NMR data) and specific rotation with those of the natural product revealed that the absolute stereochemistry of gliomasolide E should be (2E,5R,7R,9R,13R).

A first stereoselective total synthesis of 14-memebered β-resorcylic macrolactone 5′-hydroxyzearalenone (1) has been achieved. The key steps are Jocobsen hydrolytic kinetic resolution, Sharpless asymmetric dihydroxylation, Vilsmeier-Haack reaction, Mitsunobu esterification and ring-closing metathesis.

The Be X-ray Binary 4U 0115+63 was observed by Large Area X-ray Proportional Counter (LAXPC) instrument on AstroSat on 2015 October 24 during the peak of a giant Type II outburst. Prominent intensity oscillations at ~ 1 and ~ 2 mHz frequency were detected during the outburst. Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR) observations made during the same outburst also show mHz quasi periodic oscillations (QPOs). Details of the oscillations and their characteristics deduced from LAXPC/AstroSat and NuSTAR observations are reported in this paper. Analysis of the archival Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer (RXTE)/Proportional Counter Array (PCA) data during 2001-11 also show presence of mHz QPOs during some of the outbursts and details of these QPOs are also reported. Possible models to explain the origin of the mHz oscillations are examined. Similar QPOs, albeit at higher frequencies, have been reported from other neutron star and black hole sources and both may have a common origin. Current models to explain the instability in the inner accretion disk causing the intense oscillations are discussed., Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ

We report on the first analysis of an AstroSat observation of the Z-source GX 5–1 on 2017 February 26−27. The hardness-intensity plot reveals that the source traced out the horizontal and normal branches. The 0.8−20 keV spectra from simultaneous SXT and LAXPC data at different locations of the hardness-intensity plot can be described well by disk emission and a thermal Comptonized component. The ratio of the disk flux to the total flux, i.e., the disk flux ratio, increases monotonically along the horizontal branch to the normal one. Thus, the difference between the normal and horizontal branches is that in the normal branch, the disk dominates the flux while in the horizontal one it is the Comptonized component which dominates. The disk flux scales with the inner disk temperature as T in 5.5 and not as T in 4 , suggesting that either the inner radius changes dramatically or that the disk is irradiated by the thermal component changing its hardness factor. The power spectra reveal a quasi-periodic oscillation (QPO) whose frequency changes from ∼30 Hz to 50 Hz. The frequency is found to correlate well with the disk flux ratio. In the 3−20 keV LAXPC band, the r.m.s. of the QPO increases with energy (r.m.s. ∝ E 0.8 ), while the harder X-rays seem to lag the soft ones with a time-delay of milliseconds. The results suggest that the spectral properties of the source are characterized by the disk flux ratio and that the QPO has its origin in the corona producing the thermal Comptonized component.

From the analysis of more than 92 ks of data obtained with the laxpc instrument on board Astrosat we have detected a clear high-frequency QPO whose frequency varies between 67.4 and 72.3 Hz. In the classification of variability classes of GRS 1915+105, at the start of the observation period the source was in class omega and at the end the variability was that of class mu: both classes are characterized by the absence of hard intervals and correspond to disk-dominated spectra. After normalization to take into account time variations of the spectral properties as measured by X-ray hardness, the QPO centroid frequency is observed to vary along the hardness-intensity diagram, increasing with hardness. We also measure phase lags that indicate that HFQPO variability at high energies lags that at lower energies and detect systematic variations with the position on the hardness-intensity diagram. This is the first time that (small) variations of the HFQPO frequency and lags are observed to correlate with other properties of the source. We discuss the results in the framework of existing models, although the small (7%) variability observed is too small to draw firm conclusions., Comment: 7 pages, 9 figures; Accepted in MNRAS. Some figures are at lower resolution than journal version

Total synthesis of spiroketal EBC-23 has been described by two divergent approaches from three simple building blocks. Gold-catalyzed cycloisomerization of alkynol and acid-mediated spirocyclization of diketalketone were successfully utilized to effect spiroketal formation. A Cu(I)-P(Cy)3-catalyzed protocol for the highly regio- and stereocontrolled hydroboration of internal propargylic alcohol was effectively applied toward the β-hydroxy ketone via vinylboronates.

A highly stereoselective formal total synthesis of brevisamide is described that proceeds through a convergent pathway and utilizes our own tandem isomerization/C–O and C–C bond formation reaction as the key step to construct the trans-2,6-disubstituted dihydropyran ring system. Other significant reactions in this synthesis include an iodolactonization, a Crimmins-modified “non-Evans” syn aldol reaction, and a Horner–Wadsworth–Emmons olefination.

A highly stereoselective total synthesis of the diacetonide derivative of the antibiotic thuggacin A has been described. The synthesis features the stereoselective Stille cross-coupling reaction to set up the whole carbon framework, aldol condensation to construct the highly substituted conjugated diene, non-Evans syn aldol, CBS reduction, Hantzsch's thiazole synthesis, Horner-Wadsworth-Emmons reaction, and Shiina's macrolactonization.

Various aldehydes undergo a smooth cascade cyclization with N-(5-hydroxypent-2-yn-1-yl)-4-methyl-N-phenylbenzenesulfonamide in the presence of 10 mol% Ph3PAuCl/AgSbF6/In(OTf)3 to furnish the corresponding tetrahydro-2H-pyrano[3,4-c]quinoline derivatives in good yields with high selectivity. This is the first report on the synthesis of tetrahydro-2H-pyrano[3,4-c]quinolines through a tandem hydroarylation/Prins cyclization process.

The first stereoselective total synthesis of nonenolide (−)-stagonolide D has been accomplished. Midland Alpine borane reduction to install hydroxyl group at C4, Henbest epoxidation to introduce epoxide stereoselectively between C7 and C8, Yamaguchi esterification and Olefin metathesis reaction are the key steps involved in the total synthesis.

We have analyzed AstroSat observations of the galactic micro-quasar system GRS 1915+105, when the system exhibited C-type Quasi-periodic Oscillations (QPOs) in the frequency range of 3.4-5.4 Hz. The broad band spectra (1-50 keV) obtained from simultaneous LAXPC and SXT can be well described by a dominant relativistic truncated accretion disk along with thermal Comptonization and reflection. We find that while the QPO frequency depends on the inner radii with a large scatter, a much tighter correlation is obtained when both the inner radii and accretion rate of the disk are taken into account. In fact, the frequency varies just as the dynamic frequency (i.e. the inverse of the sound crossing time) as predicted decades ago by the relativistic standard accretion disk theory for a black hole with spin parameter of ~0.9. We show that this identification has been possible due to the simultaneous broad band spectral coverage with temporal information as obtained from AstroSat., 7 Pages, 4 Figures, 1 Table, Accepted for publication in Astrophysical Journal Letters (ApJL)