(Sub)stellar companions shape the winds of evolved stars.

Binary interactions dominate the evolution of massive stars, but their role is less clear for low- and intermediate-mass stars. The evolution of a spherical wind from an asymptotic giant branch (AGB) star into a nonspherical planetary nebula (PN) could be due to binary interactions. We observed a sample of AGB stars with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) and found that their winds exhibit distinct nonspherical geometries with morphological similarities to planetary nebulae (PNe). We infer that the same physics shapes both AGB winds and PNe; additionally, the morphology and AGB mass-loss rate are correlated. These characteristics can be explained by binary interaction. We propose an evolutionary scenario for AGB morphologies that is consistent with observed phenomena in AGB stars and PNe.

The millimeter IRAM-30 m line survey toward IK Tau.

AIMS: We aim to investigate the physical and chemical properties of the molecular envelope of the oxygen-rich AGB star IK Tau. METHODS: We carried out a millimeter wavelength line survey between ~79 and 356 GHz with the IRAM-30 m telescope. We analysed the molecular lines detected in IK Tau using the population diagram technique to derive rotational temperatures and column densities. We conducted a radiative transfer analysis of the SO2 lines, which also helped us to verify the validity of the approximated method of the population diagram for the rest of the molecules. RESULTS: For the first time in this source we detected rotational lines in the ground vibrational state of HCO+, NS, NO, and H2CO, as well as several isotopologues of molecules previously identified, namely, C18O, Si17O, Si18O, 29SiS, 30SiS, Si34S, H13CN, 13CS, C34S, H234S, 34SO, and 34SO2. We also detected several rotational lines in vibrationally excited states of SiS and SiO isotopologues, as well as rotational lines of H2O in the vibrationally excited state ν2=2. We have also increased the number of rotational lines detected of molecules that were previously identified toward IK Tau, including vibrationally excited states, enabling a detailed study of the molecular abundances and excitation temperatures. In particular, we highlight the detection of NS and H2CO with fractional abundances of f(NS)~10-8 and f(H2CO)~[10-7-10-8 ]. Most of the molecules display rotational temperatures between 15 and 40 K. NaCl and SiS isotopologues display rotational temperatures higher than the average (~65 K). In the case of SO2 a warm component with Trot~290 K is also detected. CONCLUSIONS: With a total of ~350 lines detected of 34 different molecular species (including different isotopologues), IK Tau displays a rich chemistry for an oxygen-rich circumstellar envelope. The detection of carbon bearing molecules like H2CO, as well as the discrepancies found between our derived abundances and the predictions from chemical models for some molecules, highlight the need for a revision of standard chemical models. We were able to identify at least two different emission components in terms of rotational temperatures. The warm component, which is mainly traced out by SO2, is probably arising from the inner regions of the envelope (at ≲8R∗) where SO2 has a fractional abundance of f(SO2)~10-6. This result should be considered for future investigation of the main formation channels of this, and other, parent species in the inner winds of O-rich AGB stars, which at present are not well reproduced by current chemistry models.

O-bearing Molecules in Carbon-rich Proto-Planetary Objects.

We present Infrared Space Observatory long-wavelength spectrometer observations of the proto-planetary nebula CRL 618, a star evolving very fast toward the planetary nebula stage. In addition to the lines of 12CO, 13CO, HCN, and HNC, we report on the detection of H2O and OH emission together with the fine-structure lines of [O i] at 63 and 145 µm. The abundance of the latter three species relative to 12CO are 4x10-2, 8x10-4, and 4.5 (approximate value) in the regions where they are produced. We suggest that O-bearing species other than CO are produced in the innermost region of the circumstellar envelope. The UV photons from the central star photodissociate most of the molecular species produced in the asymptotic giant branch (AGB) phase and allow a chemistry dominated by standard ion-neutral reactions. They not only allow these reactions for the formation of O-bearing species but also modify the abundances of C-rich molecules like HCN and HNC for which we found an abundance ratio of approximately 1, which is much lower than in AGB stars. The molecular abundances in the different regions of the circumstellar envelope have been derived from radiative transfer models and from our knowledge of its physical structure.

Inversion (14)(q12qter) or (q11.2q32.3): the most frequently acquired rearrangement in lymphocytes.

In a large study of chromosome rearrangements occurring in human lymphocytes from normal subjects, inv (14)(q12qter) or (q11.2q32.3) is found to be the most frequent, affecting 0.15% of mitoses. The same inversion is observed in the lymphocytes of the chimpanzee, indicating the ancestry of this inversion. It is not induced by ionizing radiations, and its frequency may be increased in Fanconi anemia, but not in ataxia telangiectasia. It may represent one of the steps of the process of leukemogenesis.