294 research outputs found
Fast Calculation of the Lomb-Scargle Periodogram Using Graphics Processing Units
I introduce a new code for fast calculation of the Lomb-Scargle periodogram,
that leverages the computing power of graphics processing units (GPUs). After
establishing a background to the newly emergent field of GPU computing, I
discuss the code design and narrate key parts of its source. Benchmarking
calculations indicate no significant differences in accuracy compared to an
equivalent CPU-based code. However, the differences in performance are
pronounced; running on a low-end GPU, the code can match 8 CPU cores, and on a
high-end GPU it is faster by a factor approaching thirty. Applications of the
code include analysis of long photometric time series obtained by ongoing
satellite missions and upcoming ground-based monitoring facilities; and
Monte-Carlo simulation of periodogram statistical properties.Comment: Accepted by ApJ. Accompanying program source (updated since
acceptance) can be downloaded from
http://www.astro.wisc.edu/~townsend/resource/download/code/culsp.tar.g
Variable Stars in the Field of the Globular Cluster NGC 3201
We report on the discovery and analysis of 14 short-period variable stars in
the field of the southern globular cluster NGC 3201, located within roughly two
magnitudes on either side of the main-sequence turnoff. 11 of these variable
stars are eclipsing binaries, one is an RR Lyrae, and two are thus far
unclassified systems. Among the eclipsing binary stars, nine are of the W Ursa
Majoris (W UMa) type, one an Algol (EA) system, and one a detached system.
Using spectroscopic follow-up observations as well as analysis of the
variables' locations in the color-magnitude diagram of the cluster, we find
that only one variable star (a W UMa type blue straggler) is actually a member
of NGC 3201. We present the phased photometry lightcurves for all the variable
star systems as well as their locations in the field-of-view and in the
color-magnitude diagram.Comment: 18 pages, 8 figures, 3 tables; accepted for the January 2002 issue of
AJ. For full resolution versions of this paper, go to:
http://www.astro.lsa.umich.edu/users/kaspar/html/vars3201.ps.gz or
http://www.astro.lsa.umich.edu/users/kaspar/html/vars3201.pd
Structure Effects on Coulomb Dissociation of B
Coulomb Dissociation provides an alternative method for determining the
radiative capture cross sections at astrophysically relevant low relative
energies. For the breakup of B on Ni, we calculate the total Coulomb
Dissociation cross section and the angular distribution for E1, E2 and M1. Our
calculations are performed first within the standard first order semiclassical
theory of Coulomb Excitation, including the correct three body kinematics, and
later including the projectile-target nuclear interactions.Comment: 6 pages, proceedings from International Workshop on RNB, Puri, India,
January 1998 - to be published in J. Phys.
A ~4.6 h quasi-periodic oscillation in the BL Lacertae PKS 2155-304?
We report a possible detection of an ~4.6-hour quasi-periodic oscillation
(QPO) in the 0.3-10 keV emission of the high-energy peaked blazar PKS 2155-304
from a 64 ks observation by the XMM-Newton EPIC/pn detector. We identify a
total modulation of ~5% in the light curve and confirm that nominal period by
periodogram, structure function and wavelet analyses. The limited light curve
duration allows the capture of only 3.8 cycles of this oscillation and thus
precludes a very strong claim for this QPO, despite a nominally high (>3 sigma)
statistical significance. We briefly discuss models capable of producing an
X-ray QPO of such a period in a blazar.Comment: 4 pages, 6 figures, accepted for publication in A&A Letter
Analysis of RR Lyrae Stars in the Northern Sky Variability Survey
We use data from the Northern Sky Variability Survey (NSVS), obtained from
the first generation Robotic Optical Transient Search Experiment (ROTSE-I), to
identify and study RR Lyrae variable stars in the solar neighborhood. We
initially identified 1197 RRab (RR0) candidate stars brighter than the ROTSE
median magnitude V = 14. Periods, amplitudes, and mean V magnitudes are
determined for a subset of 1188 RRab stars with well defined light curves.
Metallicities are determined for 589 stars by the Fourier parameter method and
by the relationship between period, amplitude, and [Fe/H]. We comment upon the
difficulties of clearly classifying RRc (RR1) variables in the NSVS dataset.
Distances to the RRab stars are calculated using an adopted
luminosity-metallicity relation with corrections for interstellar extinction.
The 589 RRab stars in our final sample are used to study the properties of the
RRab population within 5 kpc of the Sun. The Bailey diagram of period versus
amplitude shows that the largest component of this sample belongs to Oosterhoff
type I. Metal-rich ([Fe/H] > -1) RRab stars appear to be associated with the
Galactic disk. Our metal-rich RRab sample may include a thin disk as well as a
thick disk population, although the uncertainties are too large to establish
this. There is some evidence among the metal-rich RRab stars for a decline in
scale height with increasing [Fe/H], as was found by Layden (1995). The
distribution of RRab stars with -1 < [Fe/H] < -1.25 indicates that within this
metallicity range the RRab stars are a mixture of stars belonging to halo and
disk populations.Comment: 68 pages, 26 figures, 9 tables, accepted to A
Ground-based variability surveys towards Centaurus A: worthwhile or not?
Context: Difference imaging has proven to be a powerful technique for
detecting and monitoring the variability of unresolved stellar sources in M 31.
Using this technique in surveys of galaxies outside the Local Group could have
many interesting applications. Aims: The goal of this paper is to test
difference imaging photometry on Centaurus A, the nearest giant elliptical
galaxy, at a distance of 4 Mpc. Methods: We obtained deep photometric data with
the Wide Field Imager at the ESO/MPG 2.2m at La Silla spread over almost two
months. Applying the difference imaging photometry package DIFIMPHOT, we
produced high-quality difference images and detected variable sources. The
sensitivity of the current observational setup was determined through
artificial residual tests. Results: In the resulting high-quality difference
images, we detect 271 variable stars. We find a difference flux detection limit
corresponding to m_R~24.5. Based on a simple model of the halo of Centaurus A,
we estimate that a ground-based microlensing survey would detect in the order
of 4 microlensing events per year due to lenses in the halo. Conclusions:
Difference imaging photometry works very well at the distance of Centaurus A
and promises to be a useful tool for detecting and studying variable stars in
galaxies outside the local group. For microlensing surveys, a higher
sensitivity is needed than achieved here, which would be possible with a large
ground-based telescope or space observatory with wide-field imaging
capabilities.Comment: 8 pages, 7 figures, accepted for publication in Astronomy and
Astrophysic
Massive pulsating stars observed by BRITE-Constellation. I. The triple system Beta Centauri (Agena)
This paper aims to precisely determine the masses and detect pulsation modes
in the two massive components of Beta Cen with BRITE-Constellation photometry.
In addition, seismic models for the components are considered and the effects
of fast rotation are discussed. This is done to test the limitations of seismic
modeling for this very difficult case. A simultaneous fit of visual and
spectroscopic orbits is used to self-consistently derive the orbital
parameters, and subsequently the masses, of the components. The derived masses
are equal to 12.02 +/- 0.13 and 10.58 +/- 0.18 M_Sun. The parameters of the
wider, A - B system, presently approaching periastron passage, are constrained.
Analysis of the combined blue- and red-filter BRITE-Constellation photometric
data of the system revealed the presence of 19 periodic terms, of which eight
are likely g modes, nine are p modes, and the remaining two are combination
terms. It cannot be excluded that one or two low-frequency terms are rotational
frequencies. It is possible that both components of Beta Cen are Beta Cep/SPB
hybrids. An attempt to use the apparent changes of frequency to distinguish
which modes originate in which component did not succeed, but there is
potential for using this method when more BRITE data become available. Agena
seems to be one of very few rapidly rotating massive objects with rich p- and
g-mode spectra, and precisely known masses. It can therefore be used to gain a
better understanding of the excitation of pulsations in relatively rapidly
rotating stars and their seismic modeling. Finally, this case illustrates the
potential of BRITE-Constellation data for the detection of rich-frequency
spectra of small-amplitude modes in massive pulsating stars.Comment: 17 pages (with Appendix), 15 figures, accepted for publication in A&
Periodic variable stars in CoRoT field LRa02 observed with BEST II
The Berlin Exoplanet Search Telescope II (BEST II) is a small wide
field-of-view photometric survey telescope system located at the Observatorio
Cerro Armazones, Chile. The high duty cycle combined with excellent observing
conditions and millimagnitude photometric precision makes this instrument
suitable for ground based support observations for the CoRoT space mission.
Photometric data of the CoRoT LRa02 target field collected between November
2008 and March 2009 were analysed for stellar variability. The presented
results will help in the future analysis of the CoRoT data, particularly in
additional science programs related to variable stars. BEST II observes
selected CoRoT target fields ahead of the space mission. The photometric data
acquired are searched for stellar variability, periodic variable stars are
identified with time series analysis of the obtained stellar light curves. We
obtained the light curves of 104335 stars in the CoRoT LRa02 field over 41
nights. Variability was detected in light curves of 3726 stars of which 350
showed a regular period. These stars are, with the exception of 5 previously
known variable stars, new discoveries.Comment: The figures with light curves can be find in the A&A journal as
online onl
A Search for Period Changes in Delta Scuti Stars with the Super-LOTIS Sky Patrol System
We have observed a sample of Delta Scuti stars discovered by the ROTSE
collaboration in 1999 with Super-LOTIS in order to characterize changes in
their pulsation periods over a time baseline of roughly three years. Achieving
these goals required the creation of an automated astrometric and photometric
data reduction pipeline for the Super-LOTIS camera. Applying this pipeline to
data from a June 2002 observing campaign, we detect pulsations in 18 objects,
and find that in two cases the periods have changed significantly over the
three years between the ROTSE and Super-LOTIS observations. Since theory
predicts that evolutionary period changes should be quite small, sources of
non-evolutionary period changes due to the interactions of pulsations modes are
discussed.Comment: 9 pages, 3 figures, 2 tables. Accepted for publication in A&
HS 2237+8154 : on the onset of mass transfer or entering the period gap?
We report follow-up observations of a new white dwarf/red dwarf binary HS 2237+8154, identified as a blue variable star from the Hamburg Quasar Survey. Ellipsoidal modulation observed in the R band as well as the radial velocity variations measured from time-resolved spectroscopy determine the orbital period to be Porb = 178.10 +- 0.08 min. The optical spectrum of HS 2237+8154 is well described by a combination of a Teff = 11500 +- 1500 K white dwarf (assuming log g = 8) and a dM 3.5 +- 0.5 secondary star. The distance implied from the flux scaling factors of both stellar components is d = 105 +- 25 pc. Combining the constraints obtained from the radial velocity of the secondary and from the ellipsoidal modulation, we derive a binary inclination of i = 50-70 and stellar masses of and Mwd = 0.47-0.67 M and Msec = 0.2-0.4 M. All observations imply that the secondary star must be nearly Roche-lobe filling. Consequently, HS 2237+8154 may be either a pre-cataclysmic variable close to the start of mass transfer, or - considering its orbital period - a cataclysmic variable that terminated mass transfer and entered the period gap, or a hibernating nova
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