159 research outputs found
Determination of the basic parameters of the dwarf nova EY Cygni
High-dispersion spectroscopy of EY Cyg obtained from data spanning twelve
years show, for the first time, the radial velocity curves from both emission
and absorption line systems, yielding semi-amplitudes K_{em}=24+/- 4 km s^-1
and K_{abs}=54+/- 2 km s^-1. The orbital period of this system is found to be
0.4593249(1)d. The masses of the stars, their mass ratio and their separation
are found to be M_1 sin^3 i = 0.015+/-0.002 M_sun, M_2 sin^3 i = 0.007+/-0.002
M_sun, q = K_1/K_2 = M_2/M_1 = 0.44+/-0.02 and a sin i = 0.71+/-0.04 R_sun. We
also found that the spectral type of the secondary star is around K0,consistent
with an early determination by Kraft(1962). From the spectral type of the
secondary star and simple comparisons with single main sequence stars, we
conclude that the radius of the secondary star is about 30 per cent larger than
a main sequence star of the same mass. We also present VRI CCD photometric
observations, some of them simultaneous with the spectroscopic runs. The
photometric data shows several light modulations, including a sinusoidal
behaviour with twice the frequency of the orbital period, characteristic of the
modulation coming from an elongated, irradiated secondary star. Low and high
states during quiescence are also detected and discussed. From several
constrains, we obtain tight limits for the inclination angle of the binary
system between 13 and 15 degrees, with a best value of 14 degrees obtained from
the sinusoidal light curve analysis. From the above results we derive masses
M_1 = 1.10+/-0.09 M_sun, M_2 = 0.49+/-0.09 M_sun, and a binary separation a =
2.9+/- 0.1 R_sun.Comment: 14 pages, 14 figures, accepted for publication on A&
He~I Emission in the Orion Nebula and Implications for Primordial Helium Abundance
We apply a recently developed theoretical model of helium emission to
observations of both the Orion Nebula and a sample of extragalactic H II
regions. In the Orion analysis, we eliminate some weak and blended lines and
compare theory and observation for our reduced line list. With our best
theoretical model we find an average difference between theoretical and
observed intensities . We argue that
both the red and blue ends of the spectrum may have been inadequately corrected
for reddening. For the 22 highest quality lines, with , our best model predicts observations to an
average of 3.8%. We also perform an analysis of the reported observational
errors and conclude they have been underestimated. In the extragalactic
analysis, we demonstrate the likelihood of a large systematic error in the
reported data and discuss possible causes. This systematic error is at least as
large as the errors associated with nearly all attempts to calculate the
primordial helium abundance from such observations. Our Orion analysis suggests
that the problem does not lie in the theoretical models. We demonstrate a
correlation between equivalent width and apparent helium abundance of lines
from extragalactic sources that is most likely due to underlying stellar
absorption. Finally, we present fits to collisionless case-B He I emissivities
as well as the relative contributions due to collisional excitations out of the
metastable term.Comment: accepted for publication in Ap
Composite Accretion Disk and White Dwarf Photosphere Analyses of the FUSE and HST Observations of EY Cygni
We explore the origin of FUSE and HST STIS far UV spectra of the dwarf nova,
EY Cyg, during its quiescence using \emph{combined} high gravity photosphere
and accretion disk models as well as model accretion belts. The best-fitting
single temperature white dwarf model to the FUSE plus HST STIS spectrum of EY
Cygni has TK, log , with an Si abundance of 0.1 x
solar and C abundance of 0.2 x solar but the distance is only 301 pc. The
best-fitting composite model consists of white dwarf with TK,
log , plus an accretion belt with TK covering 27% of
the white dwarf surface with V km/s. The accretion belt
contributes 63% of the FUV light and the cooler white dwarf latitudes
contribute 37%. This fit yields a distance of 351 pc which is within 100 pc of
our adopted distance of 450 pc. EY Cyg has very weak C {\sc iv} emission and
very strong N {\sc v} emission, which is atypical of the majority of dwarf
novae in quiescence. We also conducted a morphological study of the
surroundings of EY Cyg using direct imaging in narrow nebular filters from
ground-based telescopes. We report the possible detection of nebular material^M
associated with EY Cygni. Possible origins of the apparently large N {\scv}/C
{\sc iv} emission ratio are discussed in the context of nova explosions,
contamination of the secondary star and accretion of nova abundance-enriched
matter back to the white dwarf via the accretion disk or as a descendant of a
precursor binary that survived thermal timescale mass transfer. The scenario
involving pollution of the secondary by past novae may be supported by the
possible presence of a nova remnant-like nebula around EY Cyg.Comment: To appear in AJ, Oct. 2004. 5 figures, including 2 color ones (2D
pictures
G 112-29 (=NLTT 18149), a Very Wide Companion to GJ 282 AB with a Common Proper Motion, Common Parallax, Common Radial Velocity and Common Age
We have made a search for common proper motion (CPM) companions to the wide
binaries in the solar vicinity. We found that the binary GJ 282AB has a very
distant CPM companion (NLTT 18149) at a separation s=1.09 \arcdeg. Improved
spectral types and radial velocities are obtained, and ages determined for the
three components. The Hipparcos trigonometric parallaxes and the new radial
velocities and ages turn out to be very similar for the three stars, and
provide strong evidence that they form a physical system. At a projected
separation of 55733AU from GJ 282AB, NLTT 18149 ranks among the widest physical
companions known.Comment: 13 pages, 3 figures, submmited to Ap
Doppler tomography and photometry of the cataclysmic variable 1RXS J064434.5+334451
We have obtained simultaneous photometric and spectroscopic observations of the cataclysmic variable 1RXS J064434.5+334451. We have calibrated the spectra for slit losses using simultaneous photometry, allowing us to construct reliable Doppler images from Hα and He ii 4686-Å emission lines. We have improved the ephemeris of the object based on new photometric eclipse timings, obtaining HJD = 245 3403.759 533 + 0.269 374 46E. Some eclipses present a clear internal structure, which we attribute to a central He ii emission region surrounding the white dwarf, a finding supported by Doppler tomography. This indicates that the system has a large inclination angle i = 78 ± 2°. We have also analysed the radial velocity curve from the emission lines to measure its semi-amplitude, K1, from Hα and He ii 4686 and derive the masses of the components M1 = 0.82 ± 0.06 M⊙, M2 = 0.78 ± 0.04 M⊙ and their separation a = 2.01 ± 0.06 R⊙. The Doppler tomography and other observed features in this nova-like system strongly suggest that this is a SW Sex type system.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe
U Geminorum: a test case for orbital parameters determination
High-resolution spectroscopy of U Gem was obtained during quiescence. We did
not find a hot spot or gas stream around the outer boundaries of the accretion
disk. Instead, we detected a strong narrow emission near the location of the
secondary star. We measured the radial velocity curve from the wings of the
double-peaked H emission line, and obtained a semi-amplitude value that
is in excellent agreement with the obtained from observations in the
ultraviolet spectral region by Sion et al. (1998). We present also a new method
to obtain K_2, which enhances the detection of absorption or emission features
arising in the late-type companion. Our results are compared with published
values derived from the near-infrared NaI line doublet. From a comparison of
the TiO band with those of late type M stars, we find that a best fit is
obtained for a M6V star, contributing 5 percent of the total light at that
spectral region. Assuming that the radial velocity semi-amplitudes reflect
accurately the motion of the binary components, then from our results: K_em =
107+/-2 km/s; K_abs = 310+/-5 km/s, and using the inclination angle given by
Zhang & Robinson(1987); i = 69.7+/-0.7, the system parameters become: M_WD =
1.20+/-0.05 M_sun,; M_RD = 0.42+/-0.04 M_sun; and a = 1.55+/- 0.02 R_sun. Based
on the separation of the double emission peaks, we calculate an outer disk
radius of R_out/a ~0.61, close to the distance of the inner Lagrangian point
L_1/a~0.63. Therefore we suggest that, at the time of observations, the
accretion disk was filling the Roche-Lobe of the primary, and that the matter
leaving the L_1 point was colliding with the disc directly, producing the hot
spot at this location.Comment: 36 pages, 14 figures, ccepted for publication in A
YSOVAR: Six pre-main-sequence eclipsing binaries in the Orion Nebula Cluster
Eclipsing binaries (EBs) provide critical laboratories for empirically
testing predictions of theoretical models of stellar structure and evolution.
Pre-main-sequence (PMS) EBs are particularly valuable, both due to their rarity
and the highly dynamic nature of PMS evolution, such that a dense grid of PMS
EBs is required to properly calibrate theoretical PMS models. Analyzing
multi-epoch, multi-color light curves for 2400 candidateOrion Nebula Cluster
(ONC) members from our Warm Spitzer Exploration Science Program YSOVAR, we have
identified 12 stars whose light curves show eclipse features. Four of these 12
EBs are previously known. Supplementing our light curves with follow-up optical
and near-infrared spectroscopy, we establish two of the candidates as likely
field EBs lying behind the ONC. We confirm the remaining six candidate systems,
however, as newly identified ONC PMS EBs. These systems increase the number of
known PMS EBs by over 50% and include the highest mass (Theta1 Ori E, for which
we provide a complete set of well-determined parameters including component
masses of 2.807 and 2.797 solar masses) and longest period (ISOY
J053505.71-052354.1, P \sim 20 days) PMS EBs currently known. In two cases
(Theta1 Ori E and ISOY J053526.88-044730.7), enough photometric and
spectroscopic data exist to attempt an orbit solution and derive the system
parameters. For the remaining systems, we combine our data with literature
information to provide a preliminary characterization sufficient to guide
follow-up investigations of these rare, benchmark systems.Comment: Accepted by Ap
The Expanding Nebular Remnant of the Recurrent Nova RS Ophiuchi (2006): II. Modeling of Combined Hubble Space Telescope Imaging and Ground-based Spectroscopy
We report Hubble Space Telescope imaging, obtained 155 and 449 days after the
2006 outburst of the recurrent nova RS Ophiuchi, together with ground-based
spectroscopic observations, obtained from the Observatorio Astron\'omico
Nacional en San Pedro M\'artir, Baja California, M\'exico and at the
Observatorio Astrof\'isico Guillermo Haro, at Cananea, Sonora, M\'exico. The
observations at the first epoch were used as inputs to model the geometry and
kinematic structure of the evolving RS Oph nebular remnant. We find that the
modeled remnant comprises two distinct co-aligned bipolar components; a
low-velocity, high-density innermost (hour glass) region and a more extended,
high-velocity (dumbbell) structure. This overall structure is in agreement with
that deduced from radio observations and optical interferometry at earlier
epochs. We find that the asymmetry observed in the west lobe is an instrumental
effect caused by the profile of the HST filter and hence demonstrate that this
lobe is approaching the observer. We then conclude that the system has an
inclination to the line of sight of 39 degrees. This is in
agreement with the inclination of the binary orbit and lends support to the
proposal that this morphology is due to the interaction of the outburst ejecta
with either an accretion disk around the central white dwarf and/or a
pre-existing red giant wind that is significantly denser in the equatorial
regions of the binary than at the poles. The second epoch HST observation was
also modeled. However, as no spectra were taken at this epoch, it is more
difficult to constrain any model. Nevertheless, we demonstrate that between the
two HST epochs the outer dumbbell structure seems to have expanded linearly.Comment: 33 pages, 9 figures, 1 table, accepted for publication in Ap
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