3,273 research outputs found
RETROCAM: A Versatile Optical Imager for Synoptic Studies
We present RETROCAM, an auxiliary CCD camera that can be rapidly inserted
into the optical beam of the MDM 2.4m telescope. The speed and ease of
reconfiguring the telescope to use the imager and a straightforward user
interface permit the camera to be used during the course of other observing
programs. This in turn encourages RETROCAM's use for a variety of monitoring
projects.Comment: 6 pages, 6 figures, Accepted by A
Cross-linkable azido C60-fullerene derivatives for efficient thermal stabilization of polymer bulk-heterojunction solar cells
International audienceOriginal [60]PCBM-inspired fullerene derivatives bearing an azidofunctional group were synthesized. By incorporating an optimizedquantity of this thermal cross-linker additive in the P3HT:[60]PCBMphotoactive layer, an impressive stabilization of the bulk-heterojunctionmorphology at its optimal photovoltaic performance wasachieved
Microlensing by Compact Objects associated to Gas Clouds
We investigate gravitational microlensing of point-like lenses surrounded by
diffuse gas clouds. Besides gravitational bending, one must also consider
refraction and absorption phenomena. According to the cloud density, the light
curves may suffer small to large deviations from Paczynski curves, up to
complete eclipses. Moreover, the presence of the cloud endows this type of
microlensing events with a high chromaticity and absorption lines recognizable
by spectral analysis. It is possible that these objects populate the halo of
our galaxy, giving a conspicuous contribution to the fraction of the baryonic
dark matter. The required features for the extension and the mass of the cloud
to provide appreciable signatures are also met by several astrophysical
objects.Comment: 11 pages with 4 figures. Accepted by A&
The MACHO project: Microlensing Optical Depth towards the Galactic Bulge from Difference Image Analysis
We present the microlensing optical depth towards the Galactic bulge based on
the detection of 99 events found in our Difference Image Analysis (DIA) survey.
This analysis encompasses three years of data, covering ~ 17 million stars in ~
4 deg^2, to a source star baseline magnitude limit of V = 23. The DIA technique
improves the quality of photometry in crowded fields, and allows us to detect
more microlensing events with faint source stars. We find this method increases
the number of detection events by 85% compared with the standard analysis
technique. DIA light curves of the events are presented and the microlensing
fit parameters are given. The total microlensing optical depth is estimated to
be tau_(total)= 2.43^(+0.39/-0.38) x 10^(-6) averaged over 8 fields centered at
l=2.68 and b=-3.35. For the bulge component we find
tau_(bulge)=3.23^(+0.52/-0.50) x 10^(-6) assuming a 25% stellar contribution
from disk sources. These optical depths are in good agreement with the past
determinations of the MACHO Alcock et al. (1997) and OGLE Udalski et al. (1994)
groups, and are higher than predicted by contemporary Galactic models. We show
that our observed event timescale distribution is consistent with the
distribution expected from normal mass stars, if we adopt the stellar mass
function of Scalo (1986) as our lens mass function. However, we note that as
there is still disagreement about the exact form of the stellar mass function,
there is uncertainty in this conclusion. Based on our event timescale
distribution we find no evidence for the existence of a large population of
brown dwarfs in the direction of the Galactic bulge.Comment: Updated references and corrected optical depth values. tau_tot=
[2.91(+0.47/-0.45) -> 2.43^(+0.39/-0.38)] x 10^(-6) tau_bul =
[3.88(+0.63/-0.60) -> 3.23^(+0.52/-0.50)] x 10^(-6
Improving the Prospects for Detecting Extrasolar Planets in Gravitational Microlensing in 2002
Gravitational microlensing events of high magnification have been shown to be
promising targets for detecting extrasolar planets. However, only a few events
of high magnification have been found using conventional survey techniques.
Here we demonstrate that high magnification events can be readily found in
microlensing surveys using a strategy that combines high frequency sampling of
target fields with online difference imaging analysis. We present 10
microlensing events with peak magnifications greater than 40 that were detected
in real-time towards the Galactic Bulge during 2001 by MOA. We show that Earth
mass planets can be detected in future events such as these through intensive
follow-up observations around the event peaks. We report this result with
urgency as a similar number of such events are expected in 2002.Comment: 11 pages, 3 embedded ps figures including 2 colour, revised version
accepted by MNRA
Discovery of a peculiar Cepheid-like star towards the northern edge of the Small Magellanic Cloud
For seven years, the EROS-2 project obtained a mass of photometric data on
variable stars. We present a peculiar Cepheid-like star, in the direction of
the Small Magellanic Cloud, which demonstrates unusual photometric behaviour
over a short time interval. We report on data of the photometry acquired by the
MARLY telescope and spectroscopy from the EFOSC instrument for this star,
called EROS2 J005135-714459(sm0060n13842), which resembles the unusual Cepheid
HR 7308. The light curve of our target is analysed using the Analysis of
Variance method to determine a pulsational period of 5.5675 days. A fit of
time-dependent Fourier coefficients is performed and a search for proper motion
is conducted. The light curve exhibits a previously unobserved and spectacular
change in both mean magnitude and amplitude, which has no clear theoretical
explanation. Our analysis of the spectrum implies a radial velocity of 104 km
s and a metallicity of -0.40.2 dex. In the direction of right
ascension, we measure a proper motion of 17.46.0 mas yr using EROS
astrometry, which is compatible with data from the NOMAD catalogue. The nature
of EROS2 J005135-714459(sm0060n13842) remains unclear. For this star, we may
have detected a non-zero proper motion for this star, which would imply that it
is a foreground object. Its radial velocity, pulsational characteristics, and
photometric data, however, suggest that it is instead a Cepheid-like object
located in the SMC. In such a case, it would present a challenge to
conventional Cepheid models.Comment: Correction of typos in the abstrac
Observation of periodic variable stars towards the galactic spiral arms by EROS II
We present the results of a massive variability search based on a photometric
survey of a six square degree region along the Galactic plane at (, ) and (, ). This
survey was performed in the framework of the EROS II (Exp\'erience de Recherche
d'Objets Sombres) microlensing program. The variable stars were found among
1,913,576 stars that were monitored between April and June 1998 in two
passbands, with an average of 60 measurements. A new period-search technique is
proposed which makes use of a statistical variable that characterizes the
overall regularity of the flux versus phase diagram. This method is well suited
when the photometric data are unevenly distributed in time, as is our case.
1,362 objects whose luminosity varies were selected. Among them we identified 9
Cepheids, 19 RR Lyrae, 34 Miras, 176 eclipsing binaries and 266 Semi-Regular
stars. Most of them are newly identified objects. The cross-identification with
known catalogues has been performed. The mean distance of the RR Lyrae is
estimated to be kpc undergoing an average absorption of
magnitudes. This distance is in good agreement with the one
of disc stars which contribute to the microlensing source star population.Our
catalogue and light curves are available electronically from the CDS,
Strasbourg and from our Web site http://eros.in2p3.fr.Comment: 15 pages, 11 figures, accepted in A&A (april 2002
MACHO 96-LMC-2: Lensing of a Binary Source in the LMC and Constraints on the Lensing Object
We present photometry and analysis of the microlensing alert MACHO 96-LMC-2.
The ~3% photometry provided by the Global Microlensing Alert Network follow--up
effort reveals a periodic modulation in the lightcurve. We attribute this to
binarity of the lensed source. Microlensing fits to a rotating binary source
magnified by a single lens converge on two minima, separated by delta chi^2 ~
1. The most significant fit X1 predicts a primary which contributes ~100% of
the light, a dark secondary, and an orbital period (T) of 9.2 days. The second
fit X2 yields a binary source with two stars of roughly equal mass and
luminosity, and T = 21.2 days.
The lensed object appears to lie on the upper LMC main sequence. We estimate
the mass of the primary component of the binary system, M ~2 M_sun. For the
preferred model X1, we explore the range of dark companions by assuming 0.1
M_sun and 1.4 M_sun objects in models X1a and X1b, respectively. We find lens
velocities projected to the LMC in these models of v^hat_X1a = 18.3 +/- 3.1
km/s and v^hat_X1b = 188 +/- 32 k/ms. In both these cases, a likelihood
analysis suggests an LMC lens is preferred over a Galactic halo lens, although
only marginally so in model X1b. We also find v^hat_X2 = 39.6 +/- 6.1 k/ms,
where the likelihood for the lens location is strongly dominated by the LMC
disk. In all cases, the lens mass is consistent with that of an M-dwarf. The
LMC self-lensing rate contributed by 96-LMC-2 is consistent with model
self-lensing rates. (Abridged)Comment: 23 pages, including 3 tables and 6 figures; Accepted for publication
in The Astrophysical Journa
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