Weak lensing analysis of CODEX clusters using dark energy camera legacy survey : mass-richness relation

We present the weak-lensing analysis of 279 CODEX clusters using imaging data from 4200 deg(2) of the DECam Legacy Survey (DECaLS) Data Release 3. The cluster sample results from a joint selection in X-ray, optical richness in the range 20 proportional to M-0 (lambda/40)(F lambda). By measuring the CODEX cluster sample as an individual cluster, we obtain the best-fitting values, M-0 = 3.24(-0.27)(+0.29) x 10(14)M(circle dot), and F-lambda = 1.00(-0.22)(+0.22) for the richness scaling index, consistent with a power-law relation. Moreover, we separate the cluster sample into three richness groups; lambda = 20-30, 30-50, and 50-110, and measure the stacked excess surface mass density profile in each group. The results show that both methods are consistent. In addition, we find an excellent agreement between our weak lensing based scaling relation and the relation obtained with dynamical masses estimated from cluster member velocity dispersions measured by the SDSS-IV/SPIDERS team. This suggests that the cluster dynamical equilibrium assumption involved in the dynamical mass estimates is statistically robust for a large sample of clusters.Peer reviewe

A large ground-based observing campaign of the disintegrating planet K2-22b

We present 45 ground-based photometric observations of the K2-22 system collected between 2016 December and 2017 May, which we use to investigate the evolution of the transit of the disintegrating planet K2-22b. Last observed in early 2015, in these new observations we recover the transit at multiple epochs and measure a typical depth of <1.5%. We find that the distribution of our measured transit depths is comparable to the range of depths measured in observations from 2014 and 2015. These new observations also support ongoing variability in the K2-22b transit shape and time, although the overall shallowness of the transit makes a detailed analysis of these transit parameters difficult. We find no strong evidence of wavelength-dependent transit depths for epochs where we have simultaneous coverage at multiple wavelengths, although our stacked Las Cumbres Observatory data collected over days-to-months timescales are suggestive of a deeper transit at blue wavelengths. We encourage continued high-precision photometric and spectroscopic monitoring of this system in order to further constrain the evolution timescale and to aid comparative studies with the other few known disintegrating planets

A study of binary star orbits using precise radial velocity measurements with the HERCULES spectrograph

Orbits of spectroscopic binary systems have been studied for more than a century. Over three thousand orbits of spectroscopic binary systems have been derived. These orbits are based on the radial velocities measured from the spectra recorded by a photographic plate to a high precision spectrum observed from a modern spectrograph. In many cases, the shape of the orbit was assumed to be circular, of hence the eccentricity is zero. This assumption is based on the fact that a small eccentricity (e < 0.1) measured from the observed data might be a result from the error of observations or from the intrinsic variation of a spectroscopic binary system. Sixteen southern spectroscopic binary systems, including twelve single-lined binaries and four double-lined binaries, were selected to study in this research program. These systems were assumed to have circular orbits or have very nearly circular orbits (e < 0.1) from their previous published solutions. The HERCULES spectrograph was used in conjunction with the 1-m McLellan telescope at Mt John University Observatory to collect the spectra of these systems. The observations, taken from October 2004 to August 2007, comprised about 2000 high-resolution spectra of spectroscopic binary systems and standard radial-velocity stars. Radial velocities of spectroscopic binary systems were measured from these spectra and orbital solutions of the systems were derived from these radial velocities. It was found that from HERCULES data, we are able to achieve high-precision orbital solutions of all the systems studied. The best-fit solutions can be improved as much as 70 times from the literature’s orbital solutions. It has been found that the precision of a system depends on the rotational velocities of the components as well as the level of their chromospheric activity. We are able to confirm the eccentricity in the orbit of only one of the selected spectroscopic binary systems, HD194215. Its eccentricity is 0.123 29 ± 0.000 78. The small eccentricities of other systems are not confirmed. There are four systems; HD22905, HD38099, HD85622 and HD197649, that have circular orbital solutions from the large errors in their measured eccentricities. Two systems, HD77258 and HD124425, have too small eccentricities, e = 0.000 85±0.000 19 and 0.002 60 ± 0.000 99 to be acceptable. An intrinsic variation is a presumed cause of the spurious eccentricities derived from the data of the other eight systems. Photometric data from Mt John University Observatory service photometry program, as well as the photometric data from the Hipparcos satellite and information of these systems from the literature, using various methods and instruments, give a wider view on the systems’ behaviour. It is possible that the spurious eccentricities derived for these systems result from the eclipsing behaviour of a system (HD50337), or from the nature of the components, such as, the distortion of their shape (HD352 and HD136905), their chromospheric activity (HD9053, HD3405, HD77137, HD101379 and HD155555), or stellar pulsation (HD30021). Models of the active chromosphere system, HD101379, have been simulated. An analysis of synthetic radial velocity data shows that spots on the star’s photosphere can cause a spurious eccentricity. The values of the spurious eccentricity and the longitude of periastron are dependent on the spot size, the spot temperature, and the position of the spots

Limits on the Electro-Magnetic Counterpart of Binary Black Hole Coalescence at Visible Wavelengths

International audienceWe used the TAROT network of telescopes to search for the electromagnetic counterparts of GW150914, GW170104 and GW170814, which were reported to originate from binary black hole merger events by the LIGO and Virgo collaborations. Our goal is to constrain the emission from a binary black hole coalescence at visible wavelengths. We developed a simple and effective algorithm to detect new sources by matching the image data with the Gaia catalog data release 1. Machine learning was used and an algorithm was designed to locate unknown sources in a large field of view image. The angular distance between objects in the image and in the catalog was used to find new sources; we then process the candidates to validate them as possible new unknown celestial objects. Though several possible candidates were detected in the three gravitational wave source error boxes studied, none of them were confirmed as a viable counterpart. The algorithm was effective for the identification of unknown candidates in a very large field and provided candidates for GW150914, GW170104 and GW170814. The entire 90% GW170814 error box was surveyed extensively within 0.6 days after the GW emission resulting in an absolute limiting R magnitude of-23.8. This strong limit excludes to a great extent a possible emission of a gamma-ray burst with an optical counterpart associated with GW170814

The KELT Follow-up Network and Transit False-positive Catalog: Pre-vetted False Positives for TESS

The Kilodegree Extremely Little Telescope (KELT) project has been conducting a photometric survey for transiting planets orbiting bright stars for over ten years. The KELT images have a pixel scale of ~23"/pixel---very similar to that of NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS)---as well as a large point spread function, and the KELT reduction pipeline uses a weighted photometric aperture with radius 3'. At this angular scale, multiple stars are typically blended in the photometric apertures. In order to identify false positives and confirm transiting exoplanets, we have assembled a follow-up network (KELT-FUN) to conduct imaging with higher spatial resolution, cadence, and photometric precision than the KELT telescopes, as well as spectroscopic observations of the candidate host stars. The KELT-FUN team has followed-up over 1,600 planet candidates since 2011, resulting in more than 20 planet discoveries. Excluding ~450 false alarms of non-astrophysical origin (i.e., instrumental noise or systematics), we present an all-sky catalog of the 1,128 bright stars (6<V<10) that show transit-like features in the KELT light curves, but which were subsequently determined to be astrophysical false positives (FPs) after photometric and/or spectroscopic follow-up observations. The KELT-FUN team continues to pursue KELT and other planet candidates and will eventually follow up certain classes of TESS candidates. The KELT FP catalog will help minimize the duplication of follow-up observations by current and future transit surveys such as TESS.Comment: Accepted for publication in AJ, 21 pages, 12 figures, 7 table