An entry from the Cambridge Structural Database, the world’s repository for small molecule crystal structures. The entry contains experimental data from a crystal diffraction study. The deposited dataset for this entry is freely available from the CCDC and typically includes 3D coordinates, cell parameters, space group, experimental conditions and quality measures.
Precision radial velocities from the Automated Planet Finder (APF) and Keck/HIRES reveal an Msin (i) = 18 ± 2 M⊕ planet orbiting the nearby M3V star GJ 687. This planet has an orbital period P = 38.14 days and a low orbital eccentricity. Our Strömgren b and y photometry of the host star suggests a stellar rotation signature with a period of P = 60 days. The star is somewhat chromospherically active, with a spot filling factor estimated to be several percent. The rotationally induced 60 day signal, however, is well separated from the period of the radial velocity variations, instilling confidence in the interpretation of a Keplerian origin for the observed velocity variations. Although GJ 687 b produces relatively little specific interest in connection with its individual properties, a compelling case can be argued that it is worthy of remark as an eminently typical, yet at a distance of 4.52 pc, a very nearby representative of the galactic planetary census. The detection of GJ 687 b indicates that the APF telescope is well suited to the discovery of low-mass planets orbiting low-mass stars in the as yet relatively un-surveyed region of the sky near the north celestial pole.
Supercritical fluid electrodeposition is a new technique being developed that aims to deposit technologically important p-block materials at the nanoscale. This requires significant synthetic effort in precursor development, and investigations into fundamental p-block coordination chemistries, primarily through the use of neutral phosphine and arsine ligands, have been undertaken to aid the design process. The compounds synthesised have been characterised by microanalysis, IR spectroscopy and multinuclear NMR spectroscopy (1H, 11B, 19F, 31P{1H}, 27Al and 119Sn, where appropriate), while single crystal X-ray structure determinations have been performed for representative examples. AlX3 (X = Cl, Br, I) form both [AlX3(PMe3)] and [AlX3(PMe3)2] depending on the reagent stoichiometry employed. While all reported arsine complexes are four-coordinate, neutral diphosphine ligands show a preference for six-coordinate Al; the crystal structures of [AlCl2{o-C6H4(PR2)2}2][AlCl4] (R = Me, Ph) and [AlCl2{Me2P(CH2)2PMe2}2][AlCl4] are reported, along with [(AlCl3)2{?-R2P(CH2)2PR2}] (R = Me, Cy). The importance of solvent choice and hydrolysis in these systems is discussed. Steric and electronic effects are considered in comparing the behaviour of MX3 (M = Al, Ga, In) towards phosphines. A number of new phosphine complexes of BX3 (X = F, Cl, Br, I) have been synthesised, and [BF3(PMe3)] is crystallographically authenticated. Flexible diphosphine ligands yield bridging [(BX3)2{?-R2P(CH2)2PR2}] (R = Me, Et), while rigid chelating ligands produce the unusual ionic [BX2{o-C6H4(PMe2)2}]+ and [BCl2{o-C6H4(AsMe2)2}]+. The d(B–P) are consistent with the order of Lewis acidity being BI3 > BBr3 > BCl3 > BF3. The rare [B2F7]- ion is thought to drive the unexpected formation of [BF2{Ph2P(O)CH2P(O)Ph2}][B2F7]. The effect of the weakly coordinating fluoroanions [BF4]- and [SiF6]2- on the coordination environments around Pb(II) in di- and tri-imine complexes is investigated, with several different coordination modes observed. A method is devised to synthesise some Pb(II) diphosphine complexes; the crystal structures of [Pb{o-C6H4(PMe2)2}(H2O)(SiF6)]·H2O and [Pb(L–L)(NO3)2] (L–L = Me2P(CH2)2PMe2, o-C6H4(PMe2)2) are reported, which reveal chelating diphosphines and intermolecular anion interactions, giving extended structures. Adventitious O2 forms the bridging ligand complex [Pb{Et2(O)P(CH2)2P(O)Et2}2(NO3)2]. The well-defined and stable [NnBu4][SnX3] and [PPh4][PbX3] (X = Cl, Br, I) precursors are shown by cyclic voltammetry to give reproducible metal deposition and stripping peak features in CH2Cl2, with the reduction potential becoming more accessible Cl ? Br ? I. Good quality thin films of Sn and Pb can be electrodeposited from CH2Cl2 using these precursors, which are analysed by SEM, EDX and XRD. Subsequent work in the group has shown that [NnBu4][SnCl3] can be used to deposit 13 nm Sn nanowires from supercritical CH2F2, highlighting the potential of this versatile electrolyte system for future applications in p-block materials deposition at the extreme nanoscale, and device fabrication.
Abstract The recent discoveries of Neptune-sized ultra-short-period planets (USPs) challenge existing planet formation theories. It is unclear whether these residents of the Hot Neptune Desert have similar origins to smaller, rocky USPs, or if this discrete population is evidence of a different formation pathway altogether. We report the discovery of TOI-3261b, an ultrahot Neptune with an orbital period P = 0.88 day. The host star is a V = 13.2 mag, slightly supersolar metallicity ([Fe/H] ≃0.15), inactive K1.5 main-sequence star at d = 300 pc. Using data from the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite and the Las Cumbres Observatory Global Telescope, we find that TOI-3261b has a radius of 3.82−0.35+0.42 R ⊕ . Moreover, radial velocities from ESPRESSO and HARPS reveal a mass of 30.3−2.4+2.2 M ⊕ , more than twice the median mass of Neptune-sized planets on longer orbits. We investigate multiple mechanisms of mass loss that can reproduce the current-day properties of TOI-3261b, simulating the evolution of the planet via tidal stripping and photoevaporation. Thermal evolution models suggest that TOI-3261b should retain an envelope potentially enriched with volatiles constituting ∼5% of its total mass. This is the second highest envelope mass fraction among ultrahot Neptunes discovered to date, making TOI-3261b an ideal candidate for atmospheric follow-up observations.
Qualitative studies suggest that patients with primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) experience significant problems with memory and concentration. Studies of nonhepatic disease have linked hypotension and cognitive impairment. In this study, we determined the prevalence of cognitive symptoms in PBC, examined the relationship between symptoms and overt cognitive impairment and structural brain lesions, and explored the role of autonomic dysfunction. The prevalence of cognitive symptoms was determined in 198 patients with PBC. Twenty-eight representative early-stage female patients with PBC and 11 matched controls underwent formal cognitive testing at baseline and after 2 years of follow-up. Autonomic nervous system function was assessed according to heart rate variability and baroreflex sensitivity. Eleven subjects with PBC had structural brain lesions quantified via magnetic resonance imaging. Cognitive symptoms were frequent in our PBC population, with 53% of patients experiencing moderate or severe problems with concentration and/or memory, which were unrelated in their severity to biochemical and histological makers of liver disease severity, suggesting that this symptom burden is largely or entirely unrelated to hepatic encephalopathy. Perceived cognitive symptoms correlated with objectively assessed cognitive impairment (r2 = 0.2, P < 0.05). Cognitive deficits were seen in the PBC cohort compared with controls, with significant decline detected over 2 years of follow-up. Correlations were seen between cognitive performance (full-scale intelligence quotient) and systolic blood pressure (P = 0.01, r2 = 0.2) with decline in cognitive function associated with autonomic abnormalities. Structural brain lesions were found in PBC, the density of which correlated with degree of cognitive impairment (P = 0.01, r2 = 0.5) and autonomic function (P = 0.03, r2 = 0.2). Conclusion: Cognitive symptoms are prevalent in PBC independent of liver disease severity and are associated with poorer performance on objective cognitive testing. Cognitive impairment is, in turn, associated with structural brain lesions and autonomic dysfunction, which may predict risk of cognitive decline. (HEPATOLOGY 2008.)
Abstract Zechmeister et al. surveyed 38 nearby M dwarfs from 2000 to 2007 March with VLT2 and the Ultraviolet and Visual Echelle Spectrograph (UVES) spectrometer. These data have recently been reanalyzed, yielding a significant improvement in the Doppler velocity precision. Spurred by this, we have combined the UVES data with velocity sets from High Accuracy Radial velocity Planet Searcher, Magellan/Planet Finder Spectrograph, and Keck/High Resolution Echelle Spectrometer. Sixteen planet candidates have been uncovered orbiting nine M dwarfs. Five of them are new planets corresponding to radial velocity signals, which are not sensitive to the choice of noise models and are identified in multiple data sets over various time spans. Eight candidate planets require additional observation to be confirmed. We also confirm three previously reported planets. Among the new planets, GJ 180 d and GJ 229A c are super-Earths located in the conservative habitable zones of their host stars. We investigate their dynamical stability using the Monte Carlo approach and find both planetary orbits are robust to the gravitational perturbations of the companion planets. Due to their proximity to the Sun, the angular separation between the host stars and the potentially habitable planets in these two systems is 25 and 59 mas, respectively. They are thus good candidates for future direct imaging by James Webb Space Telescope and E-ELT. In addition, we find GJ 433 c, a cold super-Neptune belonging to an unexplored population of Neptune-like planets. With a separation of 0.″5 from its host star, GJ 433 c is probably the first realistic candidate for the direct imaging of cold Neptunes. A comprehensive survey of these planets is important for the studies of planet formation.
An entry from the Cambridge Structural Database, the world’s repository for small molecule crystal structures. The entry contains experimental data from a crystal diffraction study. The deposited dataset for this entry is freely available from the CCDC and typically includes 3D coordinates, cell parameters, space group, experimental conditions and quality measures.
We describe the target selection procedure by which stars are selected for 2-minute and 20-second observations by TESS. We first list the technical requirements of the TESS instrument and ground systems processing that limit the total number of target slots. We then describe algorithms used by the TESS Payload Operation Center (POC) to merge candidate targets requested by the various TESS mission elements (the Target Selection Working Group, TESS Asteroseismic Science Consortium, and Guest Investigator office). Lastly, we summarize the properties of the observed TESS targets over the two-year primary TESS mission. We find that the POC target selection algorithm results in 2.1 to 3.4 times as many observed targets as target slots allocated for each mission element. We also find that the sky distribution of observed targets is different from the sky distributions of candidate targets due to technical constraints that require a relatively even distribution of targets across the TESS fields of view. We caution researchers exploring statistical analyses of TESS planet-host stars that the population of observed targets cannot be characterized by any simple set of criteria applied to the properties of the input Candidate Target Lists.
An entry from the Cambridge Structural Database, the world’s repository for small molecule crystal structures. The entry contains experimental data from a crystal diffraction study. The deposited dataset for this entry is freely available from the CCDC and typically includes 3D coordinates, cell parameters, space group, experimental conditions and quality measures.