Stars with unusual elemental abundances offer clues about rare astrophysical events or nucleosynthetic pathways. Stars with significantly depleted magnesium and enhanced potassium ([Mg/Fe] < -0.5; [K/Fe] > 1) have to date only been found in the massive globular cluster NGC 2419 and, to a lesser extent, NGC 2808. The origin of this abundance signature remains unknown, as does the reason for its apparent exclusivity to these two globular clusters. Here we present 112 field stars, identified from 454 180 LAMOST giants, that show significantly enhanced [K/Fe] and possibly depleted [Mg/Fe] abundance ratios. Our sample spans a wide range of metallicities (-1.5 < [Fe/H] < 0.3), yet none show abundance ratios of [K/Fe] or [Mg/Fe] that are as extreme as those observed in NGC 2419. If confirmed, the identified sample of stars represents evidence that the nucleosynthetic process producing the anomalous abundances ratios of [K/Fe] and [Mg/Fe] probably occurs at a wide range of metallicities. This would suggest that pollution scenarios that are limited to early epochs (such as Population III supernovae) are an unlikely explanation, although they cannot be ruled out entirely. This sample is expected to help guide modelling attempts to explain the origin of the Mg-K abundance signature.

Here we present the discovery of 895 s-process-rich candidates from 454 180 giant stars observed by the Large Sky Area Multi-Object Fibre Spectroscopic Telescope (LAMOST) using a data-driven approach. This sample constitutes the largest number of s-process enhanced stars ever discovered. Our sample includes 187 s-process-rich candidates that are enhanced in both barium and strontium, 49 stars with significant barium enhancement only and 659 stars that show only a strontium enhancement. Most of the stars in our sample are in the range of effective temperature and log g typical of red giant branch (RGB) populations, which is consistent with our observational selection bias towards finding RGB stars. We estimate that only a small fraction (similar to 0.5 per cent) of binary configurations are favourable for s-process enriched stars. The majority of our s-process-rich candidates (95 per cent) show strong carbon enhancements, whereas only five candidates ( <3 per cent) show evidence of sodium enhancement. Our kinematic analysis reveals that 97 per cent of our sample are disc stars, with the other 3 per cent showing velocities consistent with the Galactic halo, The scaleheight of the disc is estimated to be z(h), = 0.634 +/- 0.063 kpc, comparable with values in the literature, A comparison with yields from asymptotic giant branch (AGB) models suggests that the main neutron source responsible for the Ba and Sr enhancements is the C-13(alpha,n)O-16 reaction, We conclude that s-process-rich candidates may have received their overabundances via mass transfer from a previous AGB companion with an initial mass in the range 1-3 M-circle dot.

The metallicity dependence of the wide-binary fraction (WBF) IN stellar populations plays a critical role in resolving the open question of wide-binary formation. In this paper, we investigate the metallicity ([Fe/H]) and age dependence of the WBF (binary separations between 10(3) and 10(4) au) for field F and G dwarfs within 500 pc by combining their metallicity and radial velocity measurements from LAMOST Data Release 5 (DR5) with the astrometric information from Gaia DR2. We show that the WBF strongly depends on the metallicity: as metallicity increases, the WBF first increases, peaks at [Fe/H] similar or equal to 0, and then decreases at the high-metallicity end. The WBF at [Fe/H] = 0 is about two times larger than that at [Fe/H] = -1 and +0.5. This metallicity dependence is dominated by the thin-disc stars. Using stellar kinematics as a proxy of stellar age, we show that younger stars have a higher WBF at fixed metallicity close to solar. We propose that multiple formation channels are responsible for the metallicity and age dependence. In particular, the positive metallicity correlation at [Fe/H] < 0 and the age dependence may be due to the denser formation environments and higher mass clusters at earlier times. The negative metallicity correlation at [Fe/H] > 0 can be inherited from the similar metallicity dependence of close binaries, and radial migration may play a role in enhancing the WBF around the solar metallicity.

The origin of Jupiter-mass planets with orbital periods of only a few days is still uncertain. It is widely believed that these planets formed near the water-ice line of the protoplanetary disk, and subsequently migrated into much smaller orbits. Most of the proposed migration mechanisms can be classified either as disk-driven migration, or as excitation of a very high eccentricity followed by tidal circularization. In the latter scenario, the giant planet that is destined to become a hot Jupiter spends billions of years on a highly eccentric orbit, with apastron near the waterice line. Eventually, tidal dissipation at periastron shrinks and circularizes the orbit. If this is correct, then it should be especially rare for hot Jupiters to be accompanied by another giant planet interior to the water-ice line. Using the current sample of giant planets discovered with the Doppler technique, we find that hot Jupiters with P-orb < 10 days are no more or less likely to have exterior Jupiter-mass companions than longer-period giant planets with P-orb >= 10 days. This result holds for exterior companions both inside and outside of the approximate location of the water-ice line. These results are difficult to reconcile with the high-eccentricity migration scenario for hot Jupiter formation.

Stars with unusual elemental abundances offer clues about rare astrophysical events or nucleosynthetic pathways. Stars with significantly depleted magnesium and enhanced potassium ([Mg/Fe] < -0.5; [K/Fe] > 1) have to date only been found in the massive globular cluster NGC 2419 and, to a lesser extent, NGC 2808. The origin of this abundance signature remains unknown, as does the reason for its apparent exclusivity to these two globular clusters. Here we present 112 field stars, identified from 454 180 LAMOST giants, that show significantly enhanced [K/Fe] and possibly depleted [Mg/Fe] abundance ratios. Our sample spans a wide range of metallicities (-1.5 < [Fe/H] < 0.3), yet none show abundance ratios of [K/Fe] or [Mg/Fe] that are as extreme as those observed in NGC 2419. If confirmed, the identified sample of stars represents evidence that the nucleosynthetic process producing the anomalous abundances ratios of [K/Fe] and [Mg/Fe] probably occurs at a wide range of metallicities. This would suggest that pollution scenarios that are limited to early epochs (such as Population III supernovae) are an unlikely explanation, although they cannot be ruled out entirely. This sample is expected to help guide modelling attempts to explain the origin of the Mg-K abundance signature.

Here we present the discovery of 895 s-process-rich candidates from 454 180 giant stars observed by the Large Sky Area Multi-Object Fibre Spectroscopic Telescope (LAMOST) using a data-driven approach. This sample constitutes the largest number of s-process enhanced stars ever discovered. Our sample includes 187 s-process-rich candidates that are enhanced in both barium and strontium, 49 stars with significant barium enhancement only and 659 stars that show only a strontium enhancement. Most of the stars in our sample are in the range of effective temperature and log g typical of red giant branch (RGB) populations, which is consistent with our observational selection bias towards finding RGB stars. We estimate that only a small fraction (similar to 0.5 per cent) of binary configurations are favourable for s-process enriched stars. The majority of our s-process-rich candidates (95 per cent) show strong carbon enhancements, whereas only five candidates ( <3 per cent) show evidence of sodium enhancement. Our kinematic analysis reveals that 97 per cent of our sample are disc stars, with the other 3 per cent showing velocities consistent with the Galactic halo, The scaleheight of the disc is estimated to be z(h), = 0.634 +/- 0.063 kpc, comparable with values in the literature, A comparison with yields from asymptotic giant branch (AGB) models suggests that the main neutron source responsible for the Ba and Sr enhancements is the C-13(alpha,n)O-16 reaction, We conclude that s-process-rich candidates may have received their overabundances via mass transfer from a previous AGB companion with an initial mass in the range 1-3 M-circle dot.

The metallicity dependence of the wide-binary fraction (WBF) IN stellar populations plays a critical role in resolving the open question of wide-binary formation. In this paper, we investigate the metallicity ([Fe/H]) and age dependence of the WBF (binary separations between 10(3) and 10(4) au) for field F and G dwarfs within 500 pc by combining their metallicity and radial velocity measurements from LAMOST Data Release 5 (DR5) with the astrometric information from Gaia DR2. We show that the WBF strongly depends on the metallicity: as metallicity increases, the WBF first increases, peaks at [Fe/H] similar or equal to 0, and then decreases at the high-metallicity end. The WBF at [Fe/H] = 0 is about two times larger than that at [Fe/H] = -1 and +0.5. This metallicity dependence is dominated by the thin-disc stars. Using stellar kinematics as a proxy of stellar age, we show that younger stars have a higher WBF at fixed metallicity close to solar. We propose that multiple formation channels are responsible for the metallicity and age dependence. In particular, the positive metallicity correlation at [Fe/H] < 0 and the age dependence may be due to the denser formation environments and higher mass clusters at earlier times. The negative metallicity correlation at [Fe/H] > 0 can be inherited from the similar metallicity dependence of close binaries, and radial migration may play a role in enhancing the WBF around the solar metallicity.

Carbon fluxes from tropical deforestation and regrowth are highly uncertain components of the contemporary carbon budget, due in part to the lack of spatially explicit and consistent information on changes in forest area. We estimate fluxes for the 1980s and 1990s using subpixel estimates of percent tree cover derived from coarse (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer) satellite data in combination with a terrestrial carbon model. The satellite-derived estimates of change in forest area are lower than national reports and remote-sensing surveys from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization Forest Resource Assessment (FRA) in all tropical regions, especially for the 1980s. However, our results indicate that the net rate of tropical forest clearing increased approximate to10% from the 1980s to 1990s, most notably in southeast Asia, in contrast to an 11% reduction reported by the FRA. We estimate net mean annual carbon fluxes from tropical deforestation and regrowth to average 0.6 (0.3-0.8) and 0.9 (0.5-1.4) petagrams (Pg)(.)yr(-1) for the 1980s and 1990s, respectively. Compared with previous estimates of 1.9 (0.6-2.5) Pg(.)yr(-1) based on FRA national statistics of changes in forest area, this alternative estimate suggests less "missing" carbon from the global carbon budget but increasing emissions from tropical land-use change.

The net flux of carbon from land use and land-cover change (LULCC) accounted for 12.5% of anthropogenic carbon emissions from 1990 to 2010. This net flux is the most uncertain term in the global carbon budget, not only because of uncertainties in rates of deforestation and forestation, but also because of uncertainties in the carbon density of the lands actually undergoing change. Furthermore, there are differences in approaches used to determine the flux that introduce variability into estimates in ways that are difficult to evaluate, and not all analyses consider the same types of management activities. Thirteen recent estimates of net carbon emissions from LULCC are summarized here. In addition to deforestation, all analyses considered changes in the area of agricultural lands (croplands and pastures). Some considered, also, forest management (wood harvest, shifting cultivation). None included emissions from the degradation of tropical peatlands. Means and standard deviations across the thirteen model estimates of annual emissions for the 1980s and 1990s, respectively, are 1.14 +/- 0.23 and 1.12 +/- 0.25 PgC yr(-1) (1 Pg = 1015 g carbon). Four studies also considered the period 2000-2009, and the mean and standard deviations across these four for the three decades are 1.14 +/- 0.39, 1.17 +/- 0.32, and 1.10 +/- 0.11 PgC yr(-1). For the period 1990-2009 the mean global emissions from LULCC are 1.14 +/- 0.18 PgC yr(-1). The standard deviations across model means shown here are smaller than previous estimates of uncertainty as they do not account for the errors that result from data uncertainty and from an incomplete understanding of all the processes affecting the net flux of carbon from LULCC. Although these errors have not been systematically evaluated, based on partial analyses available in the literature and expert opinion, they are estimated to be on the order of +/- 0.5 PgC yr(-1).