Apsidal motion in massive close binary systems. I. HD 165052 an extreme case?

We present a new set of radial-velocity measurements of the spectroscopic binary HD 165052 obtained by disentangling of high-resolution optical spectra. The longitude of the periastron (60 +- 2 degrees) shows a variation with respect to previous studies. We have determined the apsidal motion rate of the system (12.1 +- 0.3 degree/yr), which was used to calculate the absolute masses of the binary components: M_1 = 22.5 +- 1.0 and M_2 = 20.5 +- 0.9 solar masses. Analysing the separated spectra we have re-classified the components as O7Vz and O7.5Vz stars

Stellar populations in the Carina region: The Galactic plane at l = 291

Previous studies of the Carina region have revealed its complexity and richness as well as a significant number of early-type stars. In many cases, these studies only concentrated on the central region or were not homogeneous. This latter aspect, in particular, is crucial because very different ages and distances for key clusters have been claimed in recent years. The aim of this work is to study in detail an area of the Galactic plane in Carina. We analyze the properties of different stellar populations and focus on a sample of open clusters and their population of YSOs and highly reddened early stars. We also studied the stellar mass distribution in these clusters and the possible scenario of their formation. Finally, we outline the Galactic spiral structure in this direction. We obtained photometric data for six young open clusters located in Carina at l = 291, and their adjacent stellar fields, which we complemented with spectroscopic observations of a few selected targets. We also culled additional information from the literature. Our results provide more reliable estimates of distances, color excesses, masses, and ages of the stellar populations in this direction. We estimate the basic parameters of the studied clusters and find that they identify two overdensities of young stellar populations. We find evidence of PMS populations inside them, with an apparent coeval stellar formation in the most conspicuous clusters. We also discuss apparent age and distance gradients in the direction NW-SE. We study the mass distributions of several clusters in the region. They consistently show a canonical IMF slope. We discover and characterise an abnormally reddened massive stellar population. Spectroscopic observations of ten stars of this latter population show that all selected targets were massive OB stars. Their location is consistent with the position of the Car-Sag spiral arm.Comment: 15 pages, 13 figure

Discovery of a deep Seyfert-2 galaxy at z = 0.222 behind NGC 300

We report on the unveiling of the nature of the unidentified X-ray source 3XMM J005450.3-373849 as a Seyfert-2 galaxy located behind the spiral galaxy NGC 300 using Hubble Space Telescope data, new spectroscopic Gemini observations and available XMM-Newton and Chandra data. We show that the X-ray source is positionally coincident with an extended optical source, composed by a marginally resolved nucleus/bulge, surrounded by an elliptical disc-like feature and two symmetrical outer rings. The optical spectrum is typical of a Seyfert-2 galaxy redshifted to z=0.222 +/- 0.001, which confirms that the source is not physically related to NGC 300. At this redshift the source would be located at 909+/-4 Mpc (comoving distance in the standard model). The X-ray spectra of the source are well-fitted by an absorbed power-law model. By tying $N_\mathrm{H}$ between the six available spectra, we found a variable index $\Gamma$ running from ~2 in 2000-2001 years, to 1.4-1.6 in the 2005-2014 period. Alternatively, by tying $\Gamma$, we found variable absorption columns of N_H ~ 0.34 x $10^{-22}$ cm$^{-2}$ in 2000-2001 years, and 0.54-0.75 x $10^{-22}$ cm$^{-2}$ in the 2005-2014 period. Although we cannot distinguish between an spectral or absorption origin, from the derived unabsorbed X-ray fluxes, we are able to assure the presence of long-term X-ray variability. Furthermore, the unabsorbed X-ray luminosities of 0.8-2 x 10$^{43}$ erg s$^{-1}$ derived in the X-ray band are in agreement with a weakly obscured Seyfert-2 AGN at $z \approx 0.22$.Comment: MNRAS, accepte

The new Wolf-Rayet binary system WR62a

Context. A significant number of the Wolf-Rayet stars seem to be binary or multiple systems, but the nature of many of them is still unknown. Dedicated monitoring of WR stars favours the discovery of new systems. Aims. We explore the possibility that WR62a is a binary system. Methods. We analysed the spectra of WR62a, obtained between 2002 and 2010, to look for radial-velocity and spectral variations that would suggest there is a binary component. We searched for periodicities in the measured radial velocities and determined orbital solutions. A period search was also performed on the "All-Sky Automated Survey" photometry. Results. We find that WR62a is a double-lined spectroscopic binary with a WN5 primary star and an O 5.5-6 type secondary component in orbit with a period of 9.1447 d. The minimum masses range between 21 and 23 Mo for the WN star and between 39 and 42 Mo for the O-type star, thus indicating that the WN star is less massive than the O-type component. We detect a phase shift in the radial-velocity curve of the He II 4686 emission line relative to the other emission line curves. The equivalent width of this emission line shows a minimum value when the WN star passes in front of the system. The analysis of the ASAS photometry confirms the spectroscopic periodicity, presenting a minimum at the same phase.Comment: 7 pages, 8 figures, accepted for publication in A&

Photometric and spectroscopic variations of the Be star HD 112999

Be objects are stars of B spectral type showing lines of the Balmer series in emission. The presence of these lines is attributed to the existence of an extended envelope, disk type, around them. Some stars are observed in both the Be and normal B-type spectroscopic states and they are known as transient Be stars. In this paper we show the analysis carried out on a new possible transient Be star, labelled HD 112999, using spectroscopic optical observations and photometric data.Comment: 10 pages, 5 figures, accepted for publication in IBV

The eccentric short-period orbit of the supergiant fast X-ray transient HD 74194 (=LM Vel)

Aims. We present the first orbital solution for the O-type supergiant star HD 74194, which is the optical counterpart of the supergiant fast X-ray transient IGR J08408-4503. Methods. We measured the radial velocities in the optical spectrum of HD 74194, and we determined the orbital solution for the first time. We also analysed the complex H{\alpha} profile. Results. HD 74194 is a binary system composed of an O-type supergiant and a compact object in a short-period ($P=9.5436\pm0.0002$ d) and high-eccentricity ($e=0.63\pm0.03$) orbit. The equivalent width of the H{\alpha} line is not modulated entirely with the orbital period, but seems to vary in a superorbital period ($P=285\pm10$ d) nearly 30 times longer than the orbital one.Comment: 4 pages, 6 figures, accepted for publication in A&

Spectroscopic and photometric analysis of the early-type spectroscopic binary HD 161853 in the centre of an H II region

We study the O-type star HD 161853, which has been noted as a probable double-lined spectroscopic binary system. We secured high-resolution spectra of HD 161853 during the past nine years. We separated the two components in the system and measured their respective radial velocities for the first time. We confirm that HD 161853 is an $\sim$1 Ma old binary system consisting of an O8 V star ($M_{\rm A,RV} \geq 22$ M$_\odot$) and a B1--3 V star ($M_{\rm B,RV} \geq 7.2$ M$_\odot$) at about 1.3 kpc. From the radial velocity curve, we measure an orbital period $P$ = 2.66765$\pm$0.00001 d and an eccentricity $e$ = 0.121$\pm$0.007. Its $V$-band light curve is constant within 0.014 mag and does not display eclipses, from which we impose a maximum orbital inclination $i=54$ deg. HD 161853 is probably associated with an H II region and a poorly investigated very young open cluster. In addition, we detect a compact emission region at 50 arcsec to HD 161853 in 22$\mu$m-WISE and 24$\mu$m-Spitzer images, which may be identified as a dust wave piled up by the radiation pressure of the massive binary system.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures, to appear in A&

The massive Wolf-Rayet Binary LSS1964 (=WR29), II: the V light curve

Context. WR 29 is a known WN7h+O double-lined binary system with a rather short period (3.164 days). Aims. We search for light variations to determine the inclination of the system and thus the absolute masses of both components. Methods. We observed photometrically the field of WR 29 between December, 2002, and February, 2006. Results. We find that the V light of WR 29 varies in phase with the spectroscopic period of 3.16412 days, presenting two minima corresponding to the conjunctions of the binary components. Numerical models fitted to the light curve indicate an orbital inclination of about 44◦, and masses of 53 M and 42 M for the O- and WN-type components, respectively.Fil: Gamen, Roberto Claudio. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Astronómicas y Geofísicas; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto de Astrofísica La Plata. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Astronómicas y Geofísicas. Instituto de Astrofísica La Plata; ArgentinaFil: Fernandez Lajus, Eduardo Eusebio. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Astronómicas y Geofísicas; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto de Astrofísica La Plata. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Astronómicas y Geofísicas. Instituto de Astrofísica La Plata; ArgentinaFil: Niemela, Virpi Sinikka. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Astronómicas y Geofísicas; ArgentinaFil: Barba, Rodolfo Hector. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - San Juan. Instituto de Ciencias Astronómicas, de la Tierra y del Espacio. Universidad Nacional de San Juan. Instituto de Ciencias Astronómicas, de la Tierra y del Espacio; Argentin

The Galactic O-Star Spectroscopic Survey (GOSSS). II. Bright Southern Stars

We present the second installment of GOSSS, a massive spectroscopic survey of Galactic O stars, based on new homogeneous, high signal-to-noise ratio, R ~ 2500 digital observations from both hemispheres selected from the Galactic O-Star Catalog (GOSC). In this paper we include bright stars and other objects drawn mostly from the first version of GOSC, all of them south of delta = -20 degrees, for a total number of 258 O stars. We also revise the northern sample of paper I to provide the full list of spectroscopically classified Galactic O stars complete to B = 8, bringing the total number of published GOSSS stars to 448. Extensive sequences of exceptional objects are given, including the early Of/WN, O Iafpe, Ofc, ON/OC, Onfp, Of?p, and Oe types, as well as double/triple-lined spectroscopic binaries. The new spectral subtype O9.2 is also discussed. The magnitude and spatial distributions of the observed sample are analyzed. We also present new results from OWN, a multi-epoch high-resolution spectroscopic survey coordinated with GOSSS that is assembling the largest sample of Galactic spectroscopic massive binaries ever attained. The OWN data combined with additional information on spectroscopic and visual binaries from the literature indicate that only a very small fraction (if any) of the stars with masses above 15-20 M_Sol are born as single systems. In the future we will publish the rest of the GOSSS survey, which is expected to include over 1000 Galactic O stars.Comment: 110 pages, 16 figures, accepted for publication in ApJS. Some figures have low quality due to arXiv file size limitations, alternative version available at http://jmaiz.iaa.es/files/Sotaetal14.pd