Explanipedia

“I Call It a Self-Rape”: A Qualitative Study of Unwanted Sex Among Adult Men With Women Open

Keren Gueta, B. Zuckerman · 2025

Research on men’s sexual victimization has primarily focused on the psychological impact of childhood abuse by male perpetrators and how societal beliefs about masculinity hinder disclosure. This study broadens the lens by exploring how ad…

Silicate mineralogy and bulk composition of exoplanetary material in polluted white dwarfs Open

Laura K. Rogers, Amy Bonsor, Érika Le Bourdais, Siyi Xu, K. Y. L. Su , et al. · 2025

White dwarf planetary systems uniquely link the bulk elemental composition of exoplanetary material to the mineralogy as photospheric abundances can be compared to circumstellar dust mineralogy. This study re-examines Spitzer/IRS spectra o…

Silicate mineralogy and bulk composition of exoplanetary material in polluted white dwarfs Open

Laura K. Rogers, Amy Bonsor, Érika Le Bourdais, Siyi Xu, K. Y. L. Su , et al. · 2025

White dwarf planetary systems uniquely link the bulk elemental composition of exoplanetary material to the mineralogy as photospheric abundances can be compared to circumstellar dust mineralogy. This study re-examines Spitzer/IRS spectra o…

A machine-learning compositional study of exoplanetary material accreted onto five helium-atmosphere white dwarfs with cecilia Open

Mariona Badenas-Agusti, Siyi Xu, Andrew Vanderburg, Kishalay De, P. Dufour , et al. · 2025

We present the first application of the machine learning (ML) pipeline cecilia to determine the physical parameters and photospheric composition of five metal-polluted He-atmosphere white dwarfs without well-characterized elemental abundan…

A Machine-Learning Compositional Study of Exoplanetary Material Accreted Onto Five Helium-Atmosphere White Dwarfs with $\texttt{cecilia}$ Open

Mariona Badenas-Agusti, Siyi Xu, Andrew Vanderburg, Kishalay De, P. Dufour , et al. · 2025

We present the first application of the Machine Learning (ML) pipeline $\texttt{cecilia}$ to determine the physical parameters and photospheric composition of five metal-polluted He-atmosphere white dwarfs without well-characterised elemen…

Spectroscopic Observations of the GALEX Nearby Young Star Survey Sample. I. Nearby Moving Group Candidates Open

Navya Nagananda, Laura Vican, B. Zuckerman, David Rodríguez, A. S. Binks , et al. · 2024

The GALEX Nearby Young Star Search (GALNYSS) yielded the identification of more than 2000 late-type stars that, based on their ultraviolet and infrared colors and pre-Gaia proper motions, are potentially of age Pic and AB Dor moving groups…

The 40 pc sample of white dwarfs from <i>Gaia</i> Open

Mairi W O’Brien, Pier-Emmanuel Tremblay, B. Klein, D. Koester, Carl Melis , et al. · 2023

We present a comprehensive overview of a volume-complete sample of white dwarfs located within 40 pc of the Sun, a significant proportion of which were detected in Gaia Data Release 3 (DR3). Our DR3 sample contains 1076 spectroscopically c…

Seven white dwarfs with circumstellar gas discs I: white dwarf parameters and accreted planetary abundances Open

Laura K. Rogers, Amy Bonsor, Siyi Xu, P. Dufour, B. Klein , et al. · 2023

Observations of planetary material polluting the atmospheres of white dwarfs are an important probe of the bulk composition of exoplanetary material. Medium- and high-resolution optical and ultraviolet spectroscopy of seven white dwarfs wi…

Seven white dwarfs with circumstellar gas discs I: white dwarf parameters and accreted planetary abundances Open

Laura K. Rogers, Amy Bonsor, Siyi Xu, P. Dufour, B. Klein , et al. · 2023

Observations of planetary material polluting the atmospheres of white dwarfs are an important probe of the bulk composition of exoplanetary material. Medium- and high-resolution optical and ultraviolet spectroscopy of seven white dwarfs wi…

A cool, magnetic white dwarf accreting planetary debris Open

S. Vennes, A. Kawka, B. Klein, B. Zuckerman, Alycia J. Weinberger , et al. · 2023

We present an analysis of spectroscopic data of the cool, highly magnetic, and polluted white dwarf 2MASS J0916−4215. The atmosphere of the white dwarf is dominated by hydrogen, but numerous spectral lines of magnesium, calcium, titanium, …

A giant planet candidate transiting a white dwarf Open

Andrew Vanderburg, S. Rappaport, Siyi Xu, I.J.M. Crossfield, J.C. Becker , et al. · 2023

Astronomers have discovered thousands of planets outside the Solar System1, most of which orbit stars that will eventually evolve into red giants and then into white dwarfs. During the red giant phase, any close-orbiting planets will be en…

An emerging and enigmatic spectral class of isolated DAe white dwarfs Open

Abbigail K Elms, Pier-Emmanuel Tremblay, B. T. Gänsicke, Andrew Swan, Carl Melis , et al. · 2023

Two recently discovered white dwarfs, WD J041246.84 + 754942.26 and WD J165335.21 − 100116.33, exhibit Hα and Hβ Balmer line emission similar to stars in the emerging DAHe class, yet intriguingly have not been found to have detectable magn…

An emerging and enigmatic spectral class of isolated DAe white dwarfs Open

Abbigail K. Elms, Pier-Emmanuel Tremblay, B. T. Gänsicke, Andrew Swan, Carl Melis , et al. · 2023

Two recently discovered white dwarfs, WDJ041246.84$+$754942.26 and WDJ165335.21$-$100116.33, exhibit H$α$ and H$β$ Balmer line emission similar to stars in the emerging DAHe class, yet intriguingly have not been found to have detectable ma…

Disk or Companion: Characterizing Excess Infrared Flux in Seven White Dwarf Systems with Near-infrared Spectroscopy Open

Dylan A. Owens, Siyi Xu, Elena Manjavacas, S. K. Leggett, S. L. Casewell , et al. · 2023

Excess infrared flux from white dwarf stars is likely to arise from a dusty debris disk or a cool companion. In this work, we present near-infrared spectroscopic observations with Keck/MOSFIRE, Gemini/GNIRS, and Gemini/Flamingos-2 of seven…

New Chondritic Bodies Identified in Eight Oxygen-bearing White Dwarfs Open

Alexandra E. Doyle, B. Klein, P. Dufour, Carl Melis, B. Zuckerman , et al. · 2023

We present observations and analyses of eight white dwarf stars (WDs) that have accreted rocky material from their surrounding planetary systems. The spectra of these helium-atmosphere WDs contain detectable optical lines of all four major…

Unusual Abundances from Planetary System Material Polluting the White Dwarf G238-44 Open

Ted M. Johnson, B. Klein, D. Koester, Carl Melis, B. Zuckerman , et al. · 2022

Ultraviolet and optical spectra of the hydrogen-dominated atmosphere white dwarf star G238-44 obtained with FUSE, Keck/HIRES, HST/COS, and HST/STIS reveal 10 elements heavier than helium: C, N, O, Mg, Al, Si, P, S, Ca, and Fe. G238-44 is o…

<i>Gaia</i> white dwarfs within 40 pc – III. Spectroscopic observations of new candidates in the Southern hemisphere Open

Mairi W O’Brien, Pier-Emmanuel Tremblay, N. P. Gentile Fusillo, Mark Hollands, B. T. Gänsicke , et al. · 2022

We present a spectroscopic survey of 248 white dwarf candidates within 40 pc of the Sun; of these 244 are in the Southern hemisphere. Observations were performed mostly with the Very Large Telescope (X-Shooter) and Southern Astrophysical R…

Infrared and optical detectability of Dyson spheres at white dwarf stars Open

B. Zuckerman · 2022

It has been hypothesized that advanced technological civilizations will construct giant space colonies and supporting infrastructures to orbit about their home stars. With data from recent satellites that operate at infrared and optical wa…

V488 Per Revisited: No Strong Mid-infrared Emission Features and No Evidence for Stellar/substellar Companions Open

Swetha Sankar, Carl Melis, B. Klein, Benjamin J. Fulton, B. Zuckerman , et al. · 2021

We present characterization of the planetary system architecture for V488 Per, the dustiest main-sequence star known with a fractional infrared luminosity of ≈16%. Far-infrared imaging photometry confirms the existence of an outer planetar…

Minimal Conditions for Survival of Technological Civilizations in the Face of Stellar Evolution Open

Bradley M. S. Hansen, B. Zuckerman · 2021

The ease of interstellar rocket travel is an issue with implications for the long-term fate of our own and other civilizations and for the much-debated number of technological civilizations in the Galaxy. We show that the physical barrier …

Oumuamua Is Not a Probe Sent to our Solar System by an Alien Civilization Open

B. Zuckerman · 2021

Oumuamua, the first known object of extrasolar origin seen to enter our Solar System, has multiple unusual characteristics that, taken together, are very difficult to explain with conventional astronomical entities like asteroids and comet…

A giant planet candidate transiting a white dwarf Open

Andrew Vanderburg, S. Rappaport, Siyi Xu, Ian J. M. Crossfield, Juliette Becker , et al. · 2020

Atmospheric Temperature Inversions and He i 5876 Core Profile Structure in White Dwarfs Open

B. Klein, Simon Blouin, Diego Romani, B. Zuckerman, Carl Melis , et al. · 2020

We report distinctive core profiles in the strongest optical helium line, He i λ 5876, from high-resolution high-sensitivity observations of spectral type DB white dwarfs. By analyzing a sample of 40 stars from Keck/HIRES and VLT/UVES, we …

Debris Disk Results from the Gemini Planet Imager Exoplanet Survey's Polarimetric Imaging Campaign Open

Thomas M. Esposito, Paul Kalas, Michael P. Fitzgerald, Maxwell A. Millar‐Blanchaer, Gaspard Duchêne , et al. · 2020

We report the results of a ∼4 yr direct imaging survey of 104 stars to resolve and characterize circumstellar debris disks in scattered light as part of the Gemini Planet Imager (GPI) Exoplanet Survey. We targeted nearby (≲150 pc), young (…

Debris Disk Results from the Gemini Planet Imager Exoplanet Survey's Polarimetric Imaging Campaign Open

Thomas M. Esposito, Paul Kalas, Michael P. Fitzgerald, Maxwell A. Millar‐Blanchaer, Gaspard Duchêne , et al. · 2020

We report the results of a ${\sim}4$-year direct imaging survey of 104 stars to resolve and characterize circumstellar debris disks in scattered light as part of the Gemini Planet Imager Exoplanet Survey. We targeted nearby (${\lesssim}150…

First Resolved Scattered-light Images of Four Debris Disks in Scorpius-Centaurus with the Gemini Planet Imager Open

Justin Hom, Jennifer Patience, Thomas M. Esposito, Gaspard Duchêne, Kadin Worthen , et al. · 2020

We present the first spatially resolved scattered-light images of four debris disks around members of the Scorpius-Centaurus (Sco-Cen) OB association with high-contrast imaging and polarimetry using the Gemini Planet Imager (GPI). All four…

Why SETI Will Fail Open

B. Zuckerman · 2019

The union of space telescopes and interstellar spaceships guarantees that if extraterrestrial civilizations were common, someone would have come here long ago.

Why SETI Will Fail Open

B. Zuckerman · 2019

The union of space telescopes and interstellar spaceships guarantees that if extraterrestrial civilizations were common, someone would have come here long ago.

Compositions of Planetary Debris around Dusty White Dwarfs Open

Siyi Xu, P. Dufour, B. Klein, Carl Melis, Nathaniel N. Monson , et al. · 2019

The photospheres of some white dwarfs (WDs) are “polluted” by accretion of material from their surrounding planetary debris. WDs with dust disks are often heavily polluted and high-resolution spectroscopic observations of these systems can…

The Barium Abundance in the Young Star RZ Piscium Open

B. Shen, C. A. Pilachowski, Kristina Punzi, Joel H. Kastner, Carl Melis , et al. · 2019

D'Orazi et al. (2009) found a barium overabundance up to 0.6 dex in clusters younger than 200 Myr compared to older clusters and the Sun.Oddly, while Ba is found to be overabundant, other s-process elements are not (D'Orazi et al. 2017).Th…

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