646 research outputs found
Observational Evidence for the Effect of Amplification Bias in Gravitational Microlensing Experiments
Recently Alard\markcite{alard1996} proposed to detect the shift of a star's
image centroid, , as a method to identify the lensed source among
blended stars. Goldberg & Wo\'zniak\markcite{goldberg1997} actually applied
this method to the OGLE-1 database and found that 7 out of 15 events showed
significant centroid shifts of arcsec. The amount of
centroid shift has been estimated theoretically by
Goldberg.\markcite{goldberg1997} However, he treated the problem in general and
did not apply it to a particular survey or field, and thus based his estimates
on simple toy model luminosity functions (i.e., power laws). In this paper, we
construct the expected distribution of for Galactic bulge events by
using the precise stellar LF observed by Holtzman et al.\markcite{holtzman1998}
using HST. Their LF is complete up to (),
corresponding to faint M-type stars. In our analysis we find that regular
blending cannot produce a large fraction of events with measurable centroid
shifts. By contrast, a significant fraction of events would have measurable
centroid shifts if they are affected by amplification-bias blending. Therefore,
Goldberg & Wo\'zniak's measurements of large centroid shifts for a large
fraction of microlensing events confirms the prediction of Han and Alard that a
large fraction of Galactic bulge events are affected by amplification-bias
blending.Comment: total 15 pages, including 6 figures, and no Table, submitted to ApJ
on Apr 26 1998, email [email protected]
Using Astrometry to Deblend Microlensing Events
We discuss the prospect of deblending microlensing events by observing
astrometric shifts of the lensed stars. Since microlensing searches are
generally performed in very crowded fields, it is expected that stars will be
confusion limited rather than limited by photon statistics. By performing
simulations of events in crowded fields, we find that if we assume a dark lens
and that the lensed star obeys a power law luminosity function, , over half the simulated events show a measurable astrometric
shift. Our simulations included 20000 stars in a Nyquist
sampled CCD frame. For , we found that 58% of the events were
significantly blended , and of those, 73% had a
large astrometric shift . Likewise, for , we found
that 85% of the events were significantly blended, and that 85% of those had
large shifts. Moreover, the shift is weakly correlated to the degree of
blending, suggesting that it may be possible not only to detect the existence
of a blend, but also to deblend events statistically using shift information.Comment: 24 pages, 7 postscript Figure
Bias-Free Shear Estimation using Artificial Neural Networks
Bias due to imperfect shear calibration is the biggest obstacle when
constraints on cosmological parameters are to be extracted from large area weak
lensing surveys such as Pan-STARRS-3pi, DES or future satellite missions like
Euclid. We demonstrate that bias present in existing shear measurement
pipelines (e.g. KSB) can be almost entirely removed by means of neural
networks. In this way, bias correction can depend on the properties of the
individual galaxy instead on being a single global value. We present a
procedure to train neural networks for shear estimation and apply this to
subsets of simulated GREAT08 RealNoise data. We also show that circularization
of the PSF before measuring the shear reduces the scatter related to the PSF
anisotropy correction and thus leads to improved measurements, particularly on
low and medium signal-to-noise data. Our results are competitive with the best
performers in the GREAT08 competition, especially for the medium and higher
signal-to-noise sets. Expressed in terms of the quality parameter defined by
GREAT08 we achieve a Q = 40, 140 and 1300 without and 50, 200 and 1300 with
circularization for low, medium and high signal-to-noise data sets,
respectively.Comment: 19 pages, 8 figures; accepted for publication in Ap
Earthworm community characteristics during afforestation of abandoned chalk grasslands (Upper Normandy, France)
La biomasse, la densité et la composition spécifique des vers de terre a été évaluée dans différents stades d'une succession secondaire après l'abandon d'une pelouse calcicole pâturée. La biomasse et la densité des populations de vers de terre sont très élevées (51,2 à 130,2 g/m2 et 175,8 à 522,6 ind/m2 en moyenne) dans toutes les parcelles échantillonnées. L'abandon du pâturage conduit à un rapide développement des communautés de vers. La biomase et la densité atteignent leur maximum dans une pelouse récemment mise en exclos, puis diminue dans une pelouse abandonnée depuis 50 ans. La densité croit ensuite, alors que la biomasse diminue légèrement pendant l'installation du bois de feuillus. La densité et la biomasse sont minimales sous pinède. La richesse taxonomique (nombre d'unités taxonomiques) ne change pas pendant la succession, mais la composition spécifique varie de façon nette. La dynamique des communautés de vers de terre semblent être sous l'influence de deux facteurs environnementaux prépondérants, eux-même étroitement liés à deux paramètres de la végétation : la structure verticale de la végétation (importance de la couverture du sol par la végétation herbacée, la litière, les mousses, présence d'arbres) et la qualité des litières restituées, liées à la nature de la végétation (herbacée, conifères ou feuillus). (Résumé d'auteur
On the Nature and Location of the Microlenses
This paper uses the caustic crossing events in the microlens data sets to
explore the nature and location of the lenses. We conclude that the large
majority of lenses, whether they are luminous or dark, are likely to be
binaries. Further, we demonstrate that blending is an important feature of all
the data sets. An additional interpretation suggested by the data, that the
caustic crossing events along the directions to the Magellanic Clouds are due
to lenses located in the Clouds, implies that most of the LMC/SMC events to
date are due to lenses in the Magellanic Clouds. All of these conclusions can
be tested. If they are correct, a large fraction of lenses along the direction
to the LMC may be ordinary stellar binary systems, just as are the majority of
the lenses along the direction to the Bulge. Thus, a better understanding of
the larger-than-anticipated value derived for the Bulge optical depth may allow
us to better interpret the large value derived for the optical depth to the
LMC. Indeed, binarity and blending in the data sets may illuminate connections
among several other puzzles: the dearth of binary-source light curves, the
dearth of non-caustic-crossing perturbed binary-lens events, and the dearth of
obviously blended point-lens events.Comment: 15 pages, 2 figures. Submitted to the Astrophysical Journal Letters,
4 January 199
Factors influencing soil macrofaunal communities in post-pastoral successions of western France
The soil macrofaunal communities (Lumbricidae, Formicidae, Coleoptera, Chilopoda, Diplopoda, Isopoda, Arachnida, Gastropoda) were studied in six plots representing different stages in theoretical post-pastoral succession chalk grassland. Macrofaunal biomass was high in all the plots (70.2-140.3 g/m2). The macroinvertebrate communities along successional gradients respond to two major environmental factors : the structure of the vegetation, which determines the diversity of microhabitats and life conditions for macroinvertebrates ; and the quality of above-ground litter production, which depends on the nature of vegetation and the presence of domestic herbivores. (Résumé d'auteur
Effect of Binary Source Companions on the Microlensing Optical Depth Determination toward the Galactic Bulge Field
Currently, gravitational microlensing survey experiments toward the Galactic
bulge field utilize two different methods of minimizing blending effect for the
accurate determination of the optical depth \tau. One is measuring \tau based
on clump giant (CG) source stars and the other is using `Difference Image
Analysis (DIA)' photometry to measure the unblended source flux variation.
Despite the expectation that the two estimates should be the same assuming that
blending is properly considered, the estimates based on CG stars systematically
fall below the DIA results based on all events with source stars down to the
detection limit. Prompted by the gap, we investigate the previously
unconsidered effect of companion-associated events on determination.
Although the image of a companion is blended with that of its primary star and
thus not resolved, the event associated with the companion can be detected if
the companion flux is highly magnified. Therefore, companions work effectively
as source stars to microlensing and thus neglect of them in the source star
count could result in wrong \tau estimation. By carrying out simulations based
on the assumption that companions follow the same luminosity function of
primary stars, we estimate that the contribution of the companion-associated
events to the total event rate is ~5f_{bi}% for current surveys and can reach
up to ~6f_{bi}% for future surveys monitoring fainter stars, where f_{bi} is
the binary frequency. Therefore, we conclude that the companion-associated
events comprise a non-negligible fraction of all events. However, their
contribution to the optical depth is not large enough to explain the systematic
difference between the optical depth estimates based on the two different
methods.Comment: 4 pages, 1 figure, 1 table, ApJ, submitte
Difference Image Analysis of Galactic Microlensing I. Data Analysis
This is a preliminary report on the application of Difference Image Analysis
(DIA) to galactic bulge images. The aim of this analysis is to increase the
sensitivity to the detection of gravitational microlensing. We discuss how the
DIA technique simplifies the process of discovering microlensing events by
detecting only objects which have variable flux. We illustrate how the DIA
technique is not limited to detection of so called ``pixel lensing'' events,
but can also be used to improve photometry for classical microlensing events by
removing the effects of blending. We will present a method whereby DIA can be
used to reveal the true unblended colours, positions and light curves of
microlensing events. We discuss the need for a technique to obtain the accurate
microlensing time scales from blended sources, and present a possible solution
to this problem using the existing HST colour magnitude diagrams of the
galactic bulge and LMC. The use of such a solution with both classical and
pixel microlensing searches is discussed. We show that one of the major causes
of systematic noise in DIA is differential refraction. A technique for removing
this systematic by effectively registering images to a common airmass is
presented. Improvements to commonly used image differencing techniques are
discussed.Comment: 18 pages, 8 figures, uses AAS LaTEX 4.0, To appear in Astrophysical
Journa
The `666' collaboration on OGLE transits: I. Accurate radius of the planets OGLE-TR-10b and OGLE-TR-56b with VLT deconvolution photometry
Transiting planets are essential to study the structure and evolution of
extra-solar planets. For that purpose, it is important to measure precisely the
radius of these planets. Here we report new high-accuracy photometry of the
transits of OGLE-TR-10 and OGLE-TR-56 with VLT/FORS1. One transit of each
object was covered in Bessel V and R filters, and treated with the
deconvolution-based photometry algorithm DECPHOT, to ensure accurate
millimagnitude light curves. Together with earlier spectroscopic measurements,
the data imply a radius of 1.22 +0.12-0.07 R_J for OGLE-TR-10b and 1.30 +- 0.05
R_J for OGLE-TR-56b. A re-analysis of the original OGLE photometry resolves an
earlier discrepancy about the radius of OGLE-TR-10. The transit of OGLE-TR-56
is almost grazing, so that small systematics in the photometry can cause large
changes in the derived radius. Our study confirms both planets as inflated hot
Jupiters, with large radii comparable to that of HD 209458 and at least two
other recently discovered transiting gas giants.Comment: Fundamental updates compared to previous version; accepted for
publication in Astronomy & Astrophysic
The unusually large population of Blazhko variables in the globular cluster NGC 5024 (M53)
We report the discovery of amplitude and phase modulations typical of the
Blazhko effect in 22 RRc and 9 RRab type RR Lyrae stars in NGC 5024 (M53). This
brings the confirmed Blazhko variables in this cluster to 23 RRc and 11 RRab,
that represent 66% and 37% of the total population of RRc and RRab stars in the
cluster respectively, making NGC 5024 the globular cluster with the largest
presently known population of Blazhko RRc stars. We place a lower limit on the
overall incidence rate of the Blazhko effect among the RR Lyrae population in
this cluster of 52%. New data have allowed us to refine the pulsation periods.
The limitations imposed by the time span and sampling of our data prevents
reliable estimations of the modulation periods. The amplitudes of the
modulations range between 0.02 and 0.39 mag. The RRab and RRc are neatly
separated in the CMD, and the RRc Blazhko variables are on averge redder than
their stable couterparts; these two facts may support the hypothesis that the
HB evolution in this cluster is towards the red and that the Blazhko
modulations in the RRc stars are connected with the pulsation mode switch.Comment: ACCEPTED IN MNRAS 14 pages, 9 figures and 6 table
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