At a distance of 1.295 parsecs, 1 the red-dwarf Proxima Centauri (α Centauri C, GL 551, HIP 70890, or simply Proxima) is the Sun's closest stellar neighbour and one of the best studied low-mass stars. It has an effective temperature of only ∼ 3050 K, a luminosity of ∼0.1 per cent solar, a measured radius of 0.14 R ⊙ 2 and a mass of about 12 per cent the mass of the Sun. Although Proxima is considered a moderately active star, its rotation period is ∼ 83 days, 3 and its quiescent activity levels and X-ray luminosity 4 are comparable to the Sun's. New observations reveal the presence of a small planet orbiting Proxima with a minimum mass of 1.3 Earth masses and an orbital period of ∼11.2 days. Its orbital semi-major axis is ∼ 0.05 AU, with an equilibrium temperature in the range where water could be liquid on its surface. 5 The results presented here consist of the analysis of previously obtained Doppler measurements (pre-2016 data), and the confirmation of a signal in a specifically designed follow-up campaign in 2016. The Doppler data comes from two precision radial velocity instruments, both at the European Southern Observatory (ESO): the High Accuracy Radial velocity Planet Searcher (HARPS) and the Ultraviolet and Visual Echelle Spectrograph (UVES). HARPS is a high-resolution stabilized echelle spectrometer installed at the ESO 3.6m telescope (La Silla observatory, Chile), and is calibrated in wavelength using hollow cathode lamps. HARPS has demonstrated radial velocity measurements at ∼1 ms −1 precision over time-scales of years, 6 including on low-mass stars. 7 All HARPS spectra were extracted and calibrated with the standard ESO Data Reduction Software, and radial velocities were measured using a least-squares template matching technique. 7 HARPS data is separated into two datasets. The first set includes all data obtained before 2016 by several programmes (HARPS pre-2016 work, and its value is then used to assess the false-alarm probability (or FAP) of the detection. 14 A FAP below 1% is considered suggestive of periodic variability, and anything below 0.1% is considered to be a significant detection. In the Bayesian framework, signals are first searched using a specialized sampling method 16 that enables exploration of multiple local maxima of the posterior density (the result of this process are the gray lines in Figure 1), and significances are then assessed by obtaining the ratios of evidences of models. If the evidence ratio exceeds some threshold (e.g. B 1 /B 0 > 10 3 ), then the model in the numerator (with one planet) is favoured against the model in the denominator (no planet).A well isolated peak at ∼11.2 days was recovered when analyzing all the night averages in the pre-2016 datasets (Figure 1, panel a). Despite the significance of the signal, the analysis of pre-2016 subsets produced slightly different periods depending on the noise assumptions and which subsets were considered. Confirmation or refutation of this signal at 11.2 days was the main driver for proposing the HARPS PRD campaign. T...

[1] The quality of the retrieved temperature-versus-pressure (or T(p)) profiles is described for the middle atmosphere for the publicly available Sounding of the Atmosphere using Broadband Emission Radiometry (SABER) Version 1.07 (V1.07) data set. The primary sources of systematic error for the SABER results below about 70 km are (1) errors in the measured radiances, (2) biases in the forward model, and (3) uncertainties in the corrections for ozone and in the determination of the reference pressure for the retrieved profiles. Comparisons with other correlative data sets indicate that SABER T(p) is too high by 1-3 K in the lower stratosphere but then too low by 1 K near the stratopause and by 2 K in the middle mesosphere. There is little difference between the local thermodynamic equilibrium (LTE) algorithm results below about 70 km from V1.07 and V1.06, but there are substantial improvements/differences for the non-LTE results of V1.07 for the upper mesosphere and lower thermosphere (UMLT) region. In particular, the V1.07 algorithm uses monthly, diurnally averaged CO 2 profiles versus latitude from the Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model. This change has improved the consistency of the character of the tides in its kinetic temperature (T k ). The T k profiles agree with UMLT values obtained from ground-based measurements of column-averaged OH and O 2 emissions and of the Na lidar returns, at least within their mutual uncertainties. SABER T k values obtained near the mesopause with its daytime algorithm also agree well with the falling sphere climatology at high northern latitudes in summer. It is concluded that the SABER data set can be the basis for improved, diurnal-to-interannual-scale temperatures for the middle atmosphere and especially for its UMLT region.Citation: Remsberg, E. E., et al. (2008), Assessment of the quality of the Version 1.07 temperature-versus-pressure profiles of the middle atmosphere from TIMED/SABER,

An extensive and up-dated list of δ Sct stars is presented here. More than 500 papers, published during the last few years, have been revised and 341 new variables have been added to our last list, six years ago. This catalogue is intended to be a comprehensive review on the observational characteristics of all the δ Sct stars known until now, including stars contained in earlier catalogues together with other new discovered variables, covering information published until January 2000. In summary, 636 variables, 1149 references and 182 individual notes are presented in this new list.

Our nearest neighbor, Proxima Centauri, hosts a temperate terrestrial planet. We detected in radial velocities evidence of a possible second planet with minimum mass mc sin ic = 5.8 ± 1.9M⊕ and orbital period Pc=5.21−0.22+0.26 years. The analysis of photometric data and spectro-scopic activity diagnostics does not explain the signal in terms of a stellar activity cycle, but follow-up is required in the coming years for confirming its planetary origin. We show that the existence of the planet can be ascertained, and its true mass can be determined with high accuracy, by combining Gaia astrometry and radial velocities. Proxima c could become a prime target for follow-up and characterization with next-generation direct imaging instrumentation due to the large maximum angular separation of ~1 arc second from the parent star. The candidate planet represents a challenge for the models of super-Earth formation and evolution.

Abstract. We present the results of a three-year Strömgren uvby photometric study of the recently discovered multiperiodic low amplitude δ Sct-type pulsator HD 129231. Some additional H β -Crawford measurements were also collected. Multiperiodicity is needed to describe the pulsational behaviour of this variable during each of the observing runs. A set of five significant frequencies has been found as the best fitting for the 1997 dataset, but only the two main ones result as significant during the 1995 and 1996 observing runs. Amplitude variations from season to season are also found for the main frequency f1. Nonradial pulsation is suggested for some of the modes. Using the derived uvbyβ indices, the most relevant physical parameters of HD 129231 are also determined placing this object as a hot Population I δ Sct star evolving on its main sequence stage.

Proxima Centauri, the star closest to our Sun, is known to host at least one terrestrial planet candidate in a temperate orbit. Here we report the ALMA detection of the star at 1.3 mm wavelength and the discovery of a belt of dust orbiting around it at distances ranging between 1 and 4 au, approximately. Given the low luminosity of the Proxima Centauri star, we estimate a characteristic temperature of about 40 K for this dust, which might constitute the dust component of a small-scale analog to our solar system Kuiper belt. The estimated total mass, including dust and bodies up to 50 km in size, is of the order of 0.01 Earth masses, which is similar to that of the solar Kuiper belt. Our data also show a hint of warmer dust closer to the star. We also find signs of two additional features that might be associated with the Proxima Centauri system, which, however, still require further observations to be confirmed: an outer extremely cold (about 10 K) belt around the star at about 30 au, whose orbital plane is tilted about 45 degrees with respect to the plane of the sky; and additionally, we marginally detect a compact 1.3 mm emission source at a projected distance of about 1.2 arcsec from the star, whose nature is still unknown.

At a distance of 1.8 parsecs 1 , Barnard's star (Gl 699) is a red dwarf with the largest apparent motion of any known stellar object. It is the closest single star to the Sun, second only to the a Centauri triple stellar system. Barnard's star is also among the least magnetically active red dwarfs known 2,3 and has an estimated age older than our Solar System. Its properties have made it a prime target for planet searches employing techniques such as radial velocity 4,5,6 , astrometry 7,8 , and direct imaging 9 , all with different sensitivity limits but ultimately leading to disproved or null results. Here we report that the combination of numerous measurements from high-precision radial velocity instruments reveals the presence of a low-amplitude but significant periodic signal at 233 days. Independent photometric and spectroscopic monitoring, as well as the analysis of instrumental systematic effects, show that this signal is best explained as arising from a planetary companion. The candidate planet around Barnard's star is a cold super-Earth with a minimum mass of 3.2 Earth masses orbiting near its snow-line. The combination of all radial velocity datasets spanning 20 years additionally reveals a long-term modulation that could arise from a magnetic activity cycle or from a more distant planetary object. Because of its proximity to the Sun, the proposed planet has a maximum angular separation of 220 milliarcseconds from Barnard's star, making it an excellent target for complementary direct imaging and astrometric observations.Barnard's star is the second closest red dwarf to the Solar System, after Proxima Centauri, and thus an ideal target to search for exoplanets with potential for further characterisation 10 . Its very low X-ray flux, lack of Ha emission, low chromospheric emission indices, slow rotation rate, slightly sub-solar metallicity, and membership of the thick disc kinematic population indicate an extremely low magnetic activity level and suggest an age older than the Sun. Because of its apparent brightness and very low variability, Barnard's star is often regarded as a benchmark for intermediate M-type dwarfs. Its basic properties are summarized in Table 1.An early analysis of archival radial velocity datasets of Barnard's star up to 2015 indicated the presence of at least one significant signal with a period of ~230 days but with rather poor sampling. To elucidate its presence and nature we undertook an intensive monitoring campaign with the CARMENES spectrometer 11 , collecting precise radial velocity measurements on every possible night during 2016-2017, and we obtained overlapping observations with the ESO/HARPS and HARPS-N instruments. The combined Doppler monitoring effort of Barnard's star, including archival and newly acquired observations, resulted in 771 radial velocity epochs (nightly averages) with typical individual precisions of 0.9 to 1.8 m s -1 , obtained over a timespan exceeding 20 years from seven different facilities and yielding eight independent datasets (ED Table 1).While e...

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 has a minimum mass of 0.46 Jupiter masses, very high for such a small host star, and an eccentric 204-day orbit. Dynamical models show that the high eccentricity is most likely due to planet-planet interactions. We use simulations to demonstrate that the GJ 3512 planetary system challenges generally accepted formation theories, and that it puts constraints on the planet accretion and migration rates. Disk instabilities may be more efficient in forming planets than previously thought.