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DOE OSTI2016

1,2-Propanediol Dehydration in Roseburia inulinivorans : Structural Basis for Substrate and Enantiomer Selectivity

Glycyl radical enzymes (GREs) represent a diverse superfamily of enzymes that utilize a radical mechanism to catalyze difficult, but often essential, chemical reactions. Here, we present the first biochemical and structural data for a GRE-type diol dehydratase from the organism Roseburia inulinivorans (RiDD). Despite high sequence (48% identity) and structural similarity to the GRE-type glycerol dehydratase from Clostridium butyricum , we demonstrate that the RiDD is in fact a diol dehydratase. In addition, the RiDD will utilize both (S)-1,2- propanediol and (R)-1,2-propanediol as a substrate, with an observed preference for the S enantiomer. Based on the new structural information we developed and successfully tested a hypothesis that explains the functional differences we observe.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

DOE OSTI2012

Hydrolysis of organonitrate functional groups in aerosol particles

Organonitrate (ON) groups are important substituents in secondary organic aerosols. Model simulations and laboratory studies indicate a large fraction of ON groups in aerosol particles, but much lower quantities are observed in the atmosphere. Hydrolysis of ON groups in aerosol particles has been proposed recently. To test this hypothesis, we simulated formation of ON molecules in a reaction chamber under a wide range of relative humidity (0% to 90%). The mass fraction of ON groups (5% to 20% for high-NOx experiments) consistently decreased with increasing relative humidity, which was best explained by hydrolysis of ON groups at a rate of 4 day-1 (lifetime of 6 hours) for reactions under relative humidity greater than 20%. In addition, we found that secondary nitrogen-containing molecules absorb light, with greater absorption under dry and high-NOx conditions. This work provides the first evidence for particle-phase hydrolysis of ON groups, a process that could substantially reduce ON group concentration in the atmosphere.

Liu, Shang↗

DOE OSTI2023

Previous exposure to Spike-providing parental strains confers neutralizing immunity to XBB lineage and other SARS-CoV-2 recombinants in the context of vaccination

The emergence of SARS-CoV-2 recombinants is of particular concern as they can result in a sudden increase in immune evasion due to antigenic shift. Recent recombinants XBB and XBB.1.5 have higher transmissibility than previous recombinants such as “Deltacron.” We hypothesized that immunity to a SARS-CoV-2 recombinant depends on prior exposure to its parental strains. To test this hypothesis, we examined whether Delta or Omicron (BA.1 or BA.2) immunity conferred through infection, vaccination, or breakthrough infection could neutralize Deltacron and XBB/XBB.1.5 recombinants. We found that Delta, BA.1, or BA.2 breakthrough infections provided better immune protection against Deltacron and its parental strains than did the vaccine booster. None of the sera were effective at neutralizing the XBB lineage or its parent BA.2.75.2, except for the sera from the BA.2 breakthrough group. These results support our hypothesis. In turn, our findings underscore the importance of multivalent vaccines that correspond to the antigenic profile of circulating variants of concern and of variant-specific diagnostics that may guide public health and individual decisions in response to emerging SARS-CoV-2 recombinants.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2015

THE Ch-CLASS ASTEROIDS: CONNECTING A VISIBLE TAXONOMIC CLASS TO A 3 μm BAND SHAPE

Asteroids belonging to the Ch spectral taxonomic class are defined by the presence of an absorption near 0.7 μm, which is interpreted as due to Fe-bearing phyllosilicates. Phyllosilicates also cause strong absorptions in the 3 μm region, as do other hydrated and hydroxylated minerals and H{sub 2}O ice. Over the past decade, spectral observations have revealed different 3 μm band shapes in the asteroid population. Although a formal taxonomy is yet to be fully established, the “Pallas-type” spectral group is most consistent with the presence of phyllosilicates. If Ch class and Pallas type are both indicative of phyllosilicates, then all Ch-class asteroids should also be Pallas-type. In order to test this hypothesis, we obtained 42 observations of 36 Ch-class asteroids in the 2 to 4 μm spectral region. We found that 88% of the spectra have 3 μm band shapes most consistent with the Pallas-type group. This is the first asteroid class for which such a strong correlation has been found. Because the Ch class is defined by the presence of an absorption near 0.7 μm, this demonstrates that the 0.7 μm band serves not only as a proxy for the presence of a band in the 3 μm region, but specifically for the presence of Pallas-type bands. There is some evidence for a correlation between band depth at 2.95 μm and absolute magnitude and/or albedo. However, we find only weak correlations between 2.95 μm band depth and semimajor axis. The connection between band depths in the 0.7 and 3 μm regions is complex and in need of further investigation.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

DOE OSTI2012

TESTING GRAVITATIONAL LENSING AS THE SOURCE OF ENHANCED STRONG Mg II ABSORPTION TOWARD GAMMA-RAY BURSTS

Sixty percent of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) reveal strong Mg II absorbing systems, which is a factor of {approx}2 times the rate seen along lines of sight to quasars. Previous studies argue that the discrepancy in the strong Mg II covering factor is most likely to be the result of either quasars being obscured due to dust or the consequence of many GRBs being strongly gravitationally lensed. We analyze observations of quasars that show strong foreground Mg II absorption. We find that GRB lines of sight pass closer to bright galaxies than would be expected for random lines of sight within the impact parameter expected for strong Mg II absorption. While this cannot be explained by obscuration in the GRB sample, it is a natural consequence of gravitational lensing. Upon examining the particular configurations of galaxies near a sample of GRBs with strong Mg II absorption, we find several intriguing lensing candidates. Our results suggest that lensing provides a viable contribution to the observed enhancement of strong Mg II absorption along lines of sight to GRBs, and we outline the future observations required to test this hypothesis conclusively.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2012

THE OPTICALLY UNBIASED GRB HOST (TOUGH) SURVEY. VI. RADIO OBSERVATIONS AT z {approx}< 1 AND CONSISTENCY WITH TYPICAL STAR-FORMING GALAXIES

The objective of this paper is to determine the level of obscured star formation activity and dust attenuation in a sample of gamma-ray burst (GRB) hosts, and to test the hypothesis that GRB hosts have properties consistent with those of the general star-forming galaxy populations. We present a radio continuum survey of all z < 1 GRB hosts in The Optically Unbiased GRB Host (TOUGH) sample supplemented with radio data for all (mostly pre-Swift) GRB-SN hosts discovered before 2006 October. We present new radio data for 22 objects and have obtained a detection for three of them (GRB 980425, 021211, 031203; none in the TOUGH sample), increasing the number of radio-detected GRB hosts from two to five. The star formation rate (SFR) for the GRB 021211 host of {approx}825 M{sub Sun} yr{sup -1}, the highest ever reported for a GRB host, places it in the category of ultraluminous infrared galaxies. We found that at least {approx}63% of GRB hosts have SFR < 100 M{sub Sun} yr{sup -1} and at most {approx}8% can have SFR > 500 M{sub Sun} yr{sup -1}. For the undetected hosts the mean radio flux (<35 {mu}Jy 3{sigma}) corresponds to an average SFR < 15 M{sub Sun} yr{sup -1}. Moreover, {approx}> 88% of the z {approx}< 1 GRB hosts have ultraviolet dust attenuation A{sub UV} < 6.7 mag (visual attenuation A{sub V} < 3 mag). Hence, we did not find evidence for large dust obscuration in a majority of GRB hosts. Finally, we found that the distributions of SFRs and A{sub UV} of GRB hosts are consistent with those of Lyman break galaxies, H{alpha} emitters at similar redshifts, and of galaxies from cosmological simulations. The similarity of the GRB population with other star-forming galaxies is consistent with the hypothesis that GRBs, a least at z {approx}< 1, trace a large fraction of all star formation, and are therefore less biased indicators than once thought.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2012

ON THE EXISTENCE OF 'RADIO THERMALLY ACTIVE' GALACTIC SUPERNOVA REMNANTS

In this paper, we investigate the possibility of significant production of thermal bremsstrahlung radiation at radio continuum frequencies that could be linked to some Galactic supernova remnants (SNRs). The main targets for this investigation are SNRs expanding in high-density environments. There are several indicators of radio thermal bremsstrahlung radiation from SNRs, such as a flattening at higher frequencies and thermal absorption at lower frequencies intrinsic to an SNR. In this work, we discuss the radio continuum properties of three SNRs that are the best candidates for testing our hypothesis of significant thermal emission. In the case of SNRs IC 443 and 3C 391, thermal absorption has been previously detected. For IC 443, the contribution of thermal emission at 1 GHz, from our model fit is 3%-57%. It is similar to the estimate obtained from the thermal absorption properties (10%-40% at 1 GHz). In the case of the 3C 391 the conclusions are not so clear. The results from our model fit (thermal emission contribution of 10%-25% at 1 GHz) and results obtained from the low-frequency absorption (thermal contribution of 0.15%-7% at 1 GHz) do not overlap. For the SNR 3C 396 we suggest that if previously detected thermal absorption could be intrinsic to the SNR then the thermal emission (<47% at 1 GHz from our model fit) could be significant enough to shape the radio continuum spectrum at high frequencies. Polarization observations for these SNRs can constrain the strength of a thermal component. Reliable observations at low frequencies (<100 MHz) are needed as well as more data at high radio frequencies (>1 GHz), in order to make stronger conclusions about the existence of 'radio thermally active' SNRs.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2012

IDENTIFYING BREAKS AND CURVATURE IN THE FERMI SPECTRA OF BRIGHT FLAT SPECTRUM RADIO QUASARS

Knowing the site of {gamma}-ray emission in active galactic nucleus jets will do much for our understanding of the physics of the source. In particular, if the emission region is close to the black hole then absorption of {gamma}-rays with photons from the broad-line region could become significant. Such absorption is predicted to produce two specific spectral breaks in the {gamma}-ray spectra of Flat Spectrum Radio Quasars (FSRQs). We test this hypothesis using three years of Fermi observations of nine bright FSRQs. A simple power-law fit to the spectrum of each source can be significantly improved by introducing a break, but the break energies are inconsistent with those predicted by the double-absorber model. In some cases the fit can be further improved by a log-parabola. In addition, by dividing the data from each source into two equal epochs we find that the best description of an object's spectrum often varies between a log-parabola and a broken power law.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2012

COMMENTS ON THE SEARCH FOR ELECTROSTATIC DISCHARGES ON MARS

Ruf et al. used the Deep Space Network (DSN) to search for the emission of non-thermal radiation by martian dust storms, theoretically predicted by Renno et al. They detected the emission of non-thermal radiation that they were searching for, but were surprised that it contained spectral peaks suggesting modulation at various frequencies and their harmonics. Ruf et al. hypothesized that the emission of non-thermal radiation was caused by electric discharges in a deep convective dust storm, modulated by Schumann resonances (SRs). Anderson et al. used the Allen Telescope Array (ATA) to search for similar emissions. They stated that they found only radio frequency interference (RFI) during their search for non-thermal emission by martian dust storms and implicitly suggested that the signal detected by Ruf et al. was also RFI. However, their search was not conducted during the dust storm season when deep convective storms are most likely to occur. Here, we show that the ubiquitous dust devils and small-scale dust storms that were instead likely present during their observations are too shallow to excite SRs and produce the signals detected by Ruf et al. We also show that the spectral and temporal behavior of the signals detected by Anderson et al. corroborates the idea that they originated from man-made pulse-modulated telecommunication signals rather than martian electric discharges. In contrast, an identical presentation of the signals detected by Ruf et al. demonstrates that they do not resemble man-made signals. The presentation indicates that the DSN signals were consistent with modulation by martian SRs, as originally hypothesized by Ruf et al. We propose that a more comprehensive search for electrostatic discharges be conducted with either the ATA or DSN during a future martian dust storm season to test the hypothesis proposed by Ruf et al.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2013

TURBULENCE AND RADIO MINI-HALOS IN THE SLOSHING CORES OF GALAXY CLUSTERS

A number of relaxed, cool-core galaxy clusters exhibit diffuse, steep-spectrum radio sources in their central regions, known as radio mini-halos. It has been proposed that the relativistic electrons responsible for the emission have been reaccelerated by turbulence generated by the sloshing of the cool core gas. We present a high-resolution MHD simulation of gas sloshing in a galaxy cluster coupled with subgrid simulations of relativistic electron acceleration to test this hypothesis. Our simulation shows that the sloshing motions generate turbulence on the order of {delta}v {approx} 50-200 km s{sup -1} on spatial scales of {approx}50-100 kpc and below in the cool core region within the envelope of the sloshing cold fronts, whereas outside the cold fronts, there is negligible turbulence. This turbulence is potentially strong enough to reaccelerate relativistic electron seeds (with initial {gamma} {approx} 100-500) to {gamma} {approx} 10{sup 4} via damping of magnetosonic waves and non-resonant compression. The seed electrons could remain in the cluster from, e.g., past active galactic nucleus activity. In combination with the magnetic field amplification in the core, these electrons then produce diffuse radio synchrotron emission that is coincident with the region bounded by the sloshing cold fronts, as indeed observed in X-rays and the radio. The result holds for different initial spatial distributions of pre-existing relativistic electrons. The power and the steep spectral index ({alpha} Almost-Equal-To 1-2) of the resulting radio emission are consistent with observations of mini-halos, though the theoretical uncertainties of the acceleration mechanisms are high. We also produce simulated maps of inverse-Compton hard X-ray emission from the same population of relativistic electrons.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2013

AGN JET KINETIC POWER AND THE ENERGY BUDGET OF RADIO GALAXY LOBES

Recent results based on the analysis of radio galaxies and their hot X-ray emitting atmospheres suggest that non-radiating particles dominate the energy budget in the lobes of FR I radio galaxies, in some cases by a factor of more than 1000, while radiating particles dominate the energy budget in FR II radio galaxy lobes. This implies a significant difference in the radiative efficiency of the two morphological classes. To test this hypothesis, we have measured the kinetic energy flux for a sample of 3C FR II radio sources using a new method based on the observed parameters of the jet terminal hotspots, and compared the resulting Q{sub jet}-L{sub radio} relation to that obtained for FR I radio galaxies based on X-ray cavity measurements. Contrary to expectations, we find approximate agreement between the Q{sub jet}-L{sub radio} relations determined separately for FR I and FR II radio galaxies. This result is ostensibly difficult to reconcile with the emerging scenario in which the lobes of FR I and FR II radio galaxies have vastly different energy budgets. However, a combination of lower density environment, spectral aging and strong shocks driven by powerful FR II radio galaxies may reduce the radiative efficiency of these objects relative to FR Is and counteract, to some extent, the higher radiative efficiency expected to arise due to the lower fraction of energy in non-radiating particles. An unexpected corollary is that extrapolating the Q{sub jet}-L{sub radio} relation determined for low power FR I radio galaxies provides a reasonable approximation for high power sources, despite their apparently different lobe compositions.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2013

DYNAMO EFFECTS IN MAGNETOROTATIONAL TURBULENCE WITH FINITE THERMAL DIFFUSIVITY

We investigate the saturation level of hydromagnetic turbulence driven by the magnetorotational instability in the case of vanishing net flux. Motivated by a recent paper of Bodo et al., we here focus on the case of a non-isothermal equation of state with constant thermal diffusivity. The central aim of the paper is to complement the previous result with closure parameters for mean-field dynamo models, and to test the hypothesis that the dynamo is affected by the mode of heat transport. We perform computer simulations of local shearing-box models of stratified accretion disks with approximate treatment of radiative heat transport, which is modeled via thermal conduction. We study the effect of varying the (constant) thermal diffusivity, and apply different vertical boundary conditions (BCs). In the case of impenetrable vertical boundaries, we confirm the transition from mainly conductive to mainly convective vertical heat transport below a critical thermal diffusivity. This transition is however much less dramatic when more natural outflow BCs are applied. Similarly, the enhancement of magnetic activity in this case is less pronounced. Nevertheless, heating via turbulent dissipation determines the thermodynamic structure of accretion disks and clearly affects the properties of the related dynamo. This effect, however, may have been overestimated in previous work, and a careful study of the role played by boundaries will be required.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2013

VERY LONG BASELINE ARRAY MULTI-FREQUENCY POLARIMETRIC IMAGING OF RADIO-LOUD BROAD ABSORPTION LINE QUASARS

We conducted the first multi-frequency polarimetric imaging of four broad absorption line (BAL) quasars using the Very Long Baseline Array at milliarcsecond resolutions to investigate the inclination of the nonthermal jet and test the hypothesis that radio sources in BAL quasars are still young. Among these four sources, J0928+446, J1018+0530, and J1405+4056 show one-sided structures in parsec scales and polarized emission detected in the core. These characteristics are consistent with those of blazars. We set constraints on viewing angles to <66 Degree-Sign for these jets in the framework of a Doppler beaming effect. J1159+0112 exhibits an unpolarized gigahertz-peaked spectrum component and several discrete blobs with steep spectra on both sides of the central component across {approx}1 kpc. These properties are consistent with those of young radio sources. We discuss the structures of jets and active galactic nucleus wind.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2013

THE LOCAL ENVIRONMENT OF ULTRALUMINOUS X-RAY SOURCES VIEWED BY XMM-NEWTON's OPTICAL MONITOR

We have used XMM-Newton's Optical Monitor (OM) images to study the local environment of a sample of 27 ultraluminous X-ray sources (ULXs) in nearby galaxies. UVW1 fluxes were extracted from 100 pc regions centered on the ULX positions. We find that at least 4 ULXs (out of 10 published) have spectral types that are consistent with previous literature values. In addition, the colors are similar to those of young stars. For the highest-luminosity ULXs, the UVW1 fluxes may have an important contribution from the accretion disk. We find that the majority of ULXs are associated with recent star formation. Many of the ULXs in our sample are located inside young OB associations or star-forming regions (SFRs). Based on their colors, we estimated ages and masses for SFRs located within 1 kpc from the ULXs in our sample. The resolution of the OM was insufficient to detect young dense superclusters, but some of these SFRs are massive enough to contain such clusters. Only three ULXs have no associated SFRs younger than ∼50 Myr. The age and mass estimates for clusters were used to test runaway scenarios. The data are, in general, compatible with stellar-mass binaries accreting at super-Eddington rates and ejected by natal kicks. We also tested the hypothesis that ULXs are sub-Eddington accreting intermediate mass black holes ejected by three-body interactions; however, this is not supported well by the data.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2013

A REVERSE SHOCK IN GRB 130427A

We present extensive radio and millimeter observations of the unusually bright GRB 130427A at z = 0.340, spanning 0.67-12 days after the burst. We combine these data with detailed multi-band UV, optical, NIR, and Swift X-ray observations and find that the broadband afterglow emission is composed of distinct reverse shock and forward shock contributions. The reverse shock emission dominates in the radio/millimeter and at ∼< 0.1 days in the UV/optical/NIR, while the forward shock emission dominates in the X-rays and at ∼> 0.1 days in the UV/optical/NIR. We further find that the optical and X-ray data require a wind circumburst environment, pointing to a massive star progenitor. Using the combined forward and reverse shock emission, we find that the parameters of the burst include an isotropic kinetic energy of E{sub K,{sub iso}} ≈ 2 × 10{sup 53} erg, a mass loss rate of M-dot ∼3×10{sup -8} M{sub ☉} yr{sup –1} (for a wind velocity of 1000 km s{sup –1}), and a Lorentz factor at the deceleration time of Γ(200 s) ≈ 130. Due to the low density and large isotropic energy, the absence of a jet break to ≈15 days places only a weak constraint on the opening angle, θ{sub j} ∼> 2.°5, and therefore a total energy of E{sub γ} + E{sub K} ∼> 1.2 × 10{sup 51} erg, similar to other gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). The reverse shock emission is detectable in this burst due to the low circumburst density, which leads to a slow cooling shock. We speculate that this property is required for the detectability of reverse shocks in radio and millimeter bands. Following on GRB 130427A as a benchmark event, observations of future GRBs with the exquisite sensitivity of the Very Large Array and ALMA, coupled with detailed modeling of the reverse and forward shock contributions, will test this hypothesis.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2013

CONTAMINATION OF BROADBAND PHOTOMETRY BY NEBULAR EMISSION IN HIGH-REDSHIFT GALAXIES: INVESTIGATIONS WITH KECK'S MOSFIRE NEAR-INFRARED SPECTROGRAPH

Earlier work has raised the potential importance of nebular emission in the derivation of the physical characteristics of high-redshift Lyman break galaxies. Within certain redshift ranges, and especially at z ≅ 6-7, such lines may be strong enough to reduce estimates of the stellar masses and ages of galaxies compared with those derived assuming the broadband photometry represents stellar light alone. To test this hypothesis at the highest redshifts where such lines can be probed with ground-based facilities, we examine the near-infrared spectra of a representative sample of 28 3.0 < z < 3.8 Lyman break galaxies using the newly commissioned MOSFIRE near-infrared spectrograph at the Keck I telescope. We use these data to derive the rest-frame equivalent widths (EWs) of [O III] emission and show that these are comparable with estimates derived using the spectral energy distribution (SED) fitting technique introduced for sources of known redshift by Stark et al. Although our current sample is modest, its [O III] EW distribution is consistent with that inferred for Hα based on SED fitting of Stark et al.'s larger sample of 3.8 < z < 5 galaxies. For a subset of survey galaxies, we use the combination of optical and near-infrared spectroscopy to quantify kinematics of outflows in z ≅ 3.5 star-forming galaxies and discuss the implications for reionization measurements. The trends we uncover underline the dangers of relying purely on broadband photometry to estimate the physical properties of high-redshift galaxies and emphasize the important role of diagnostic spectroscopy.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2013

Mergers in galaxy groups. I. Structure and properties of elliptical remnants

We present collisionless simulations of dry mergers in groups of 3 to 25 galaxies to test the hypothesis that elliptical galaxies form at the centers of such groups. Mock observations of the central remnants confirm their similarity to ellipticals, despite having no dissipational component. We vary the profile of the original spiral's bulge and find that ellipticals formed from spirals with exponential bulges have too low Sersic indices. Mergers of spirals with de Vaucouleurs (classical) bulges produce remnants with larger Sersic indices correlated with luminosity, as with Sloan Digital Sky Survey ellipticals. Exponential bulge mergers are better fits to faint ellipticals, whereas classical bulge mergers better match luminous ellipticals. Similarly, luminous ellipticals are better reproduced by remnants undergoing many (>5) mergers, and fainter ellipticals by those with fewer mergers. The remnants follow tight size-luminosity and velocity dispersion-luminosity (Faber-Jackson) relations (<0.12 dex scatter), demonstrating that stochastic merging can produce tight scaling relations if the merging galaxies also follow tight scaling relations. The slopes of the size-luminosity and Faber-Jackson relations are close to observations but slightly shallower in the former case. Both relations' intercepts are offset—remnants are too large but have too low dispersions at fixed luminosity. Some remnants show substantial (v/σ > 0.1) rotational support, although most are slow rotators and few are very fast rotators (v/σ > 0.5). These findings contrast with previous studies concluding that dissipation is necessary to produce ellipticals from binary mergers of spirals. Multiple, mostly minor and dry mergers can produce bright ellipticals, whereas significant dissipation could be required to produce faint, rapidly rotating ellipticals.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2014

MOA-2011-BLG-293LB: First microlensing planet possibly in the habitable zone

We used Keck adaptive optics observations to identify the first planet discovered by microlensing to lie in or near the habitable zone, i.e., at projected separation r = 1.1 ± 0.1 AU from its M{sub L} = 0.86 ± 0.06 M {sub ☉} host, being the highest microlensing mass definitely identified. The planet has a mass m{sub p} = 4.8 ± 0.3 M {sub Jup}, and could in principle have habitable moons. This is also the first planet to be identified as being in the Galactic bulge with good confidence: D{sub L} = 7.72 ± 0.44 kpc. The planet/host masses and distance were previously not known, but only estimated using Bayesian priors based on a Galactic model. These estimates had suggested that the planet might be a super-Jupiter orbiting an M dwarf, a very rare class of planets. We obtained high-resolution JHK images using Keck adaptive optics to detect the lens and so test this hypothesis. We clearly detect light from a G dwarf at the position of the event, and exclude all interpretations other than that this is the lens with high confidence (95%), using a new astrometric technique. The calibrated magnitude of the planet host star is H{sub L} = 19.16 ± 0.13. We infer the following probabilities for the three possible orbital configurations of the gas giant planet: 53% to be in the habitable zone, 35% to be near the habitable zone, and 12% to be beyond the snow line, depending on the atmospherical conditions and the uncertainties on the semimajor axis.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗