466 research outputs found
Scientific Expertise in Child Protection Policies and Juvenile Justice Practices in Twentieth-Century Belgium
Modern society cannot function without experts and yet we increasingly question the authority of those who advise us. The essays in this collection explore our reliance on experts within a historical context and across a wide range of fields, including agriculture, engineering, health sciences and labour management. Contributors argue that experts were highly aware of their audiences and used performance to gain both scientific and popular support
Photometry of GSC 762-110, a new triple-mode radially pulsating star
Stars pulsating in three radial modes are very rare; only three examples are
known in the Galaxy. These stars are very useful since their periods may be
measured very precisely, and this will constrain the global stellar parameters
and the models of the star's interior. The purpose of this paper is to present
a new example of the class of triple-mode radial pulsators. A search for
candidate multi-mode pulsators was carried out in public survey data.
Time-series photometry of one of the candidates, GSC 762-110, was performed.
GSC 762-110 was found to be a triple-mode radial pulsator, with a fundamental
period of 0.1945d and period ratios of 0.7641 and 0.8012. In addition two
non-radial modes were found, for which the amplitude has diminished
considerably over the last few years.Comment: Accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysic
The Unique Frequency Spectrum of the Blazhko RRc Star LS Her
The Blazhko effect in RR Lyrae stars is still poorly understood
theoretically. Stars with multiple Blazhko periods or in which the Blazhko
effect itself varies are particularly challenging. This study investigates the
Blazhko effect in the RRc star LS Her. Detailed VRI CCD photometry has been
performed on 63 nights during six months. LS Her is confirmed to have a Blazhko
period of 12.75+/-0.02 days. However, where normally the side frequencies of
the Blazhko triplet are expected, an equidistant group of three frequencies is
found on both sides of the main pulsation frequency. As a consequence the
period and amplitude of the Blazhko effect itself vary in a cycle of 109+/-4
days. LS Her is a unique object turning out to be very important in the
verification of the theories for the Blazhko effect.Comment: Accepted for publication in MNRA
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
Scaling algebras and pointlike fields: A nonperturbative approach to renormalization
We present a method of short-distance analysis in quantum field theory that
does not require choosing a renormalization prescription a priori. We set out
from a local net of algebras with associated pointlike quantum fields. The net
has a naturally defined scaling limit in the sense of Buchholz and Verch; we
investigate the effect of this limit on the pointlike fields. Both for the
fields and their operator product expansions, a well-defined limit procedure
can be established. This can always be interpreted in the usual sense of
multiplicative renormalization, where the renormalization factors are
determined by our analysis. We also consider the limits of symmetry actions. In
particular, for suitable limit states, the group of scaling transformations
induces a dilation symmetry in the limit theory.Comment: minor changes and clarifications; as to appear in Commun. Math.
Phys.; 37 page
New homogeneous iron abundances of double-mode Cepheids from high-resolution echelle spectroscopy
Aims: We define the relationship between the double-mode pulsation of
Cepheids and metallicity in a more accurate way, determine the empirical
metallicities of double-mode Cepheids from homogeneous, high-resolution
spectroscopic data, and study of the period-ratio -- metallicity dependence.
Methods: The high S/N echelle spectra obtained with the FEROS spectrograph were
analyzed using a self-developed IRAF script, and the iron abundances were
determined by comparing with synthetic spectra assuming LTE. Results: Accurate
[Fe/H] values of 17 galactic beat Cepheids were determined. All these stars
have solar or slightly subsolar metallicity. Their period ratio P1/P0 shows
strong correlation with their derived [Fe/H] values. The corresponding period
ratio -- metallicity relation has been evaluated.Comment: 10 pages, 7 figures, accepted in A&
Identification of new cataclysmic variables in the 1RXS and USNO-B1.0 catalogs
As a result of applying the original optical variability search method on
publicly available data, we have found eight new cataclysmic variables and two
possible Optically Violent Variable quasars among the previously unidentified
X-ray sources in the ROSAT catalog. We describe the search method and present
the characteristics of the newly identified variable stars. The obtained
results demonstrate the large potential of the concept of Virtual Observatory
for identifying new objects of astrophysical interest.Comment: 16 pages, 11 figures, 2 tables; submitted to Astronomy Letter
The quest for companions to post-common envelope binaries. II. NSVS14256825 and HS0705+6700
We report new mid-eclipse times of the two close binaries NSVS14256825 and
HS0705+6700, harboring an sdB primary and a low-mass main-sequence secondary.
Both objects display clear variations in the measured orbital period, which can
be explained by the action of a third object orbiting the binary. If this
interpretation is correct, the third object in NSVS14256825 is a giant planet
with a mass of roughly 12 M_Jup. For HS0705+6700, we provide evidence that
strengthens the case for the suggested periodic nature of the eclipse time
variation and reduces the uncertainties in the parameters of the brown dwarf
implied by that model. The derived period is 8.4 yr and the mass is 31 M_Jup,
if the orbit is coplanar with the binary. This research is part of the
PlanetFinders project, an ongoing collaboration between professional
astronomers and student groups at high schools.Comment: Accepted by Astron. and Astrophy
The Konkoly Blazhko Survey: Is light-curve modulation a common property of RRab stars?
A systematic survey to establish the true incidence rate of the Blazhko
modulation among short-period, fundamental-mode, Galactic field RR Lyrae stars
has been accomplished. The Konkoly Blazhko Survey (KBS) was initiated in 2004.
Since then more than 750 nights of observation have been devoted to this
project. A sample of 30 RRab stars was extensively observed, and light-curve
modulation was detected in 14 cases. The 47% occurrence rate of the modulation
is much larger than any previous estimate. The significant increase of the
detected incidence rate is mostly due to the discovery of small-amplitude
modulation. Half of the Blazhko variables in our sample show modulation with so
small amplitude that definitely have been missed in the previous surveys. We
have found that the modulation can be very unstable in some cases, e.g. RY Com
showed regular modulation only during one part of the observations while during
two seasons it had stable light curve with abrupt, small changes in the
pulsation amplitude. This type of light-curve variability is also hard to
detect in other Survey's data. The larger frequency of the light-curve
modulation of RRab stars makes it even more important to find the still lacking
explanation of the Blazhko phenomenon. The validity of the [Fe/H](P,phi_{31})
relation using the mean light curves of Blazhko variables is checked in our
sample. We have found that the formula gives accurate result for
small-modulation-amplitude Blazhko stars, and this is also the case for
large-modulation-amplitude stars if the light curve has complete phase
coverage. However, if the data of large-modulation-amplitude Blazhko stars are
not extended enough (e.g. < 500 data points from < 15 nights), the formula may
give false result due to the distorted shape of the mean light curve used.Comment: Accepted for publication in MNRAS, 14 pages, 7 Figure
Estimating damages from price-fixing: the value of transaction data
We use a unique private data set of about 340,000 invoice positions from 36 smaller and
larger customers of German cement producers to study the value of such transaction data for
an estimation of cartel damages. In particular, we investigate, first, how structural break
analysis can be used to identify the exact end of the cartel agreement and, second, how an
application of before-and-after approaches to estimate the price overcharge can benefit from
such rich data sets. We conclude that transaction data allows such a detailed assessment of the
cartel and its impact on direct customers that its regular application in private antitrust cases is
desired as long as data collection and preparation procedures are not prohibitively expensive
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