70 research outputs found
System Parameters for the Eclipsing B-Star Binary HD 42401
I present results from an optical spectroscopic investigation of the binary
system HD 42401 (V1388 Ori; B2.5 IV-V + B3 V). A combined analysis of V-band
photometry and radial velocities indicates that the system has an orbital
period of 2.18706 +/- 0.00005 days and an inclination of 75.5 +/- 0.2 degrees.
This solution yields masses and radii of M1 = 7.42 +/- 0.08 Solar Masses and R1
= 5.60 +/- 0.04 Solar Radii for the primary and M2 = 5.16 +/- 0.03 Solar Masses
and R2 = 3.76 +/- 0.03 Solar Radii for the secondary. Based on the position of
the two stars plotted on a theoretical H-R diagram, I find that the age of the
system is > 25 Myr and that both stars appear overluminous for their masses
compared to single star evolutionary tracks. A fit of the spectral energy
distribution based on photometry from the literature yields a distance to HD
42401 of 832 +/- 89 parsecs.Comment: 20 pages, 8 figures, Added and modified figures and text. Accepted to
A
First Results from the CHARA Array. II. A Description of the Instrument
The CHARA Array is a six 1-m telescope optical/IR interferometric array
located on Mount Wilson California, designed and built by the Center for High
Angular Resolution Astronomy of Georgia State University. In this paper we
describe the main elements of the Array hardware and software control systems
as well as the data reduction methods currently being used. Our plans for
upgrades in the near future are also described
Early-type stars in the young open cluster IC1805. II. The probably single stars HD15570 and HD15629, and the massive binary/triple system HD15558
Aims: We address the issue of the multiplicity of the three brightest
early-type stars of the young open cluster IC1805, namely HD15570, HD15629 and
HD15558. Methods: For the three stars, we measured the radial velocity by
fitting Gaussian curves to line profiles in the optical domain. In the case of
the massive binary HD15558, we also used a spectral disentangling method to
separate the spectra of the primary and of the secondary in order to derive the
radial velocities of the two components. These measurements were used to
compute orbital solutions for HD15558. Results: For HD15570 and HD15629, the
radial velocities do not present any significant trend attributable to a binary
motion on time scales of a few days, nor from one year to the next. In the case
of HD15558 we obtained an improved SB1 orbital solution with a period of about
442 days, and we report for the first time on the detection of the spectral
signature of its secondary star. We derive spectral types O5.5III(f) and O7V
for the primary and the secondary of HD15558. We tentatively compute a first
SB2 orbital solution although the radial velocities from the secondary star
should be considered with caution. The mass ratio is rather high, i.e. about 3,
and leads to very extreme minimum masses, in particular for the primary object.
Minimum masses of the order of 150 \pm 50 and 50 \pm 15 M_\odot are found
respectively for the primary and the secondary. Conclusions: We propose that
HD15558 could be a triple system. This scenario could help to reconcile the
very large minimum mass derived for the primary object with its spectral type.
In addition, considering new and previously published results, we find that the
binary frequency among O-stars in IC1805 has a lower limit of 20%, and that
previously published values (80%) are probably overestimated.Comment: 12 pages, including 6 figures (+ 4 pages of online material),
accepted for publication by A&
Hard X-ray Emission Clumps in the gamma-Cygni Supernova Remnant: an INTEGRAL-ISGRI View
Spatially resolved images of the galactic supernova remnant G78.2+2.1
(gamma-Cygni) in hard X-ray energy bands from 25 keV to 120 keV are obtained
with the IBIS-ISGRI imager aboard the International Gamma-Ray Astrophysics
Laboratory INTEGRAL. The images are dominated by localized clumps of about ten
arcmin in size. The flux of the most prominent North-Western (NW) clump is (1.7
+/- 0.4) 10^{-11} erg/cm^2/s in the 25-40 keV band. The observed X-ray fluxes
are in agreement with extrapolations of soft X-ray imaging observations of
gamma-Cygni by ASCA GIS and spatially unresolved RXTE PCA data. The positions
of the hard X-ray clumps correlate with bright patches of optical line
emission, possibly indicating the presence of radiative shock waves in a
shocked cloud. The observed spatial structure and spectra are consistent with
model predictions of hard X-ray emission from nonthermal electrons accelerated
by a radiative shock in a supernova interacting with an interstellar cloud, but
the powerful stellar wind of the O9V star HD 193322 is a plausible candidate
for the NW source as well.Comment: 5 pages, 5 figures, Astronomy and Astrophysics Letter
Star Formation in Galaxies Along the Hubble Sequence
Observations of star formation rates (SFRs) in galaxies provide vital clues
to the physical nature of the Hubble sequence, and are key probes of the
evolutionary properties of galaxies. The focus of this review is on the broad
patterns in the star formation properties of galaxies along the Hubble
sequence, and their implications for understanding galaxy evolution and the
physical processes that drive the evolution. Star formation in the disks and
nuclear regions of galaxies are reviewed separately, then discussed within a
common interpretive framework. The diagnostic methods used to measure SFRs are
also reviewed, and a self-consistent set of SFR calibrations is presented as an
aid to workers in the field.Comment: 41 pages, with 9 figures. To appear in Volume 36 of the Annual Review
of Astronomy and Astrophysic
High-dispersion spectroscopic monitoring of the Be/X-ray binary A0535+26/V725 Tau I: The long-term profile variability
We report on optical high-dispersion spectroscopic monitoring observations of
the Be/X-ray binary A0535+26/V725 Tau, carried out from November 2005 to March
2009. The main aim of these monitoring observations is to study spectral
variabilities in the Be disc, on both the short (a week or so) and long (more
than hundreds of days) timescales, by taking long-term frequent observations.
Our four-year spectroscopic observations indicate that the V/R ratio, i.e., the
relative intensity of the violet (V) peak to the red (R) one, of the
double-peaked H-alpha line profile varies with a period of 500 days. The H-beta
line profile also varies in phase with the H-alpha profile. With these
observations covering two full cycles of the V/R variability, we reconstruct
the 2-D structure of the Be disc by applying the Doppler tomography method to
the H-alpha and H-beta emission line profiles, using a rigidly rotating frame
with the V/R variability period. The resulting disc structure reveals
non-axisymmetric features, which can be explained by a one-armed perturbation
in the Be disc. It is the first time that an eccentric disc structure is
directly detected by using a method other than the interferometric one.Comment: (10 pages, 9 figures, accepted to MNRAS
Cyclic Variability of the Circumstellar Disc of the Be Star Tau. II. Testing the 2D Global Disc Oscillation Model
Aims. In this paper we model, in a self-consistent way, polarimetric,
photometric, spectrophotometric and interferometric observations of the
classical Be star Tauri. Our primary goal is to conduct a critical
quantitative test of the global oscillation scenario. Methods. We have carried
out detailed three-dimensional, NLTE radiative transfer calculations using the
radiative transfer code HDUST. For the input for the code we have used the most
up-to-date research on Be stars to include a physically realistic description
for the central star and the circumstellar disc. We adopt a rotationally
deformed, gravity darkened central star, surrounded by a disc whose unperturbed
state is given by a steady-state viscous decretion disc model. We further
assume that disc is in vertical hydrostatic equilibrium. Results. By adopting a
viscous decretion disc model for Tauri and a rigorous solution of the
radiative transfer, we have obtained a very good fit of the time-average
properties of the disc. This provides strong theoretical evidence that the
viscous decretion disc model is the mechanism responsible for disc formation.
With the global oscillation model we have successfully fitted spatially
resolved VLTI/AMBER observations and the temporal V/R variations of the
H and Br lines. This result convincingly demonstrates that the
oscillation pattern in the disc is a one-armed spiral. Possible model
shortcomings, as well as suggestions for future improvements, are also
discussed.Comment: 14 pages, 9 figures, accepted to A&
Surprising dissimilarities in a newly formed pair of 'identical twin' stars
The mass and chemical composition of a star are the primary determinants of
its basic physical properties--radius, temperature, luminosity--and how those
properties evolve with time. Thus, two stars born at the same time, from the
same natal material, and with the same mass are 'identical twins,' and as such
might be expected to possess identical physical attributes. We have discovered
in the Orion Nebula a pair of stellar twins in a newborn binary star system.
Each star in the binary has a mass of 0.41 +/- 0.01 solar masses, identical to
within 2 percent. Here we report that these twin stars have surface
temperatures that differ by ~300K (~10%), and luminosities that differ by ~50%,
both at high confidence level. Preliminary results indicate that the stars'
radii also differ, by 5-10%. These surprising dissimilarities suggest that one
of the twins may have been delayed by several hundred thousand years in its
formation relative to its sibling. Such a delay could only have been detected
in a very young, definitively equal-mass binary system3 such as that reported
here. Our findings reveal cosmic limits on the age synchronisation of young
binary stars, often used as tests for the age calibrations of star-formation
models.Comment: Published in Nature, 19 June 200
Plaskett's Star: Analysis of the CoRoT photometric data
The SRa02 of the CoRoT space mission for Asteroseismology was partly devoted
to stars belonging to the Mon OB2 association. An intense monitoring was
performed on Plaskett's Star (HD47129) and the unprecedented quality of the
light curve allows us to shed new light on this very massive, non-eclipsing
binary system. We particularly aimed at detecting periodic variability which
might be associated with pulsations or interactions between both components. We
also searched for variations related to the orbital cycle which could help to
constrain the inclination and the morphology of the binary system. A
Fourier-based prewhitening and a multiperiodic fitting procedure were applied
to analyse the time series and extract the frequencies of variations. We
describe the noise properties to tentatively define an appropriate significance
criterion, to only point out the peaks at a certain significance level. We also
detect the variations related to the orbital motion and study them by using the
NIGHTFALL program. The periodogram exhibits a majority of peaks at low
frequencies. Among these peaks, we highlight a list of about 43 values,
including notably two different sets of harmonic frequencies whose fundamental
peaks are located at about 0.07 and 0.82d-1. The former represents the orbital
frequency of the binary system whilst the latter could probably be associated
with non-radial pulsations. The study of the 0.07d-1 variations reveals the
presence of a hot spot most probably situated on the primary star and facing
the secondary. The investigation of this unique dataset constitutes a further
step in the understanding of Plaskett's Star. These results provide a first
basis for future seismic modelling. The existence of a hot region between both
components renders the determination of the inclination ambiguous.Comment: Accepted in A&A, 13 pages, 7 figures, 2 table
Tomographic Separation of Composite Spectra. VIII. The Physical Properties of the Massive Compact Binary in the Triple Star System HD 36486 (delta Orionis A)
Double-lined spectroscopic orbital elements have recently been found for the
central binary in the massive triple, delta Orionis A based on radial
velocities from cross-correlation techniques applied to IUE high dispersion
spectra and He I 6678 spectra obtained at Kitt Peak. The primary and secondary
velocity amplitudes were found to be 94.9 +/- 0.6 km/s and 186 +/- 9 km/s
respectively. Tomographic reconstructions of the primary and secondary stars'
spectra confirm the O9.5 II classification of the primary and indicate a B0.5
III type for the secondary. The widths of the UV cross-correlation functions
are used to estimate the projected rotational velocities, Vsin i = 157 +/- 6
km/s and 138 +/- 16 km/s for the primary and secondary, respectively implying
that both stars rotate faster than their orbital motion. We used the
spectroscopic results to make a constrained fit of the Hipparcos light curve of
this eclipsing binary, and the model fits limit the inclination to the range
between 67 and 77 degrees. The i = 67 degrees solution, which corresponds to a
near Roche-filling configuration, results in a primary mass of 11.2 solar
masses and a secondary mass of 5.6 solar masses, both of which are
substantially below the expected masses for stars of their luminosity. This
binary may have experienced a mass ratio reversal caused by Case A Roche lobe
overflow, or the system may have suffered extensive mass loss through a binary
interaction, perhaps during a common envelope phase, in which most of the
primary's mass was lost from the system rather than transferred to the
secondary.Comment: 27 pages, 15 figures in press, the Astrophysical Journal, February 1,
200
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