694 research outputs found
A Census of White Dwarfs Within 40 Parsecs of the Sun
Our aim is to compile a catalog of white dwarfs within 40 parsecs of the Sun,
in which newly discovered objects would significantly increase the completeness
of the current census. White dwarf candidates are identified from the
SUPERBLINK proper motion database (Lepine & Shara 2005), which allows us to
investigate stars down to a proper motion limit as low as 40 mas yr-1. The
selection criteria and distance estimates are based on a combination of
color-magnitude and reduced proper motion diagrams. Candidates with distances
less than 50 parsecs are selected for spectroscopic follow-up. We present our
preliminary sample of spectroscopically confirmed white dwarfs, as well as
their atmospheric parameters. These parameters are obtained using the
spectroscopic technique developed in Bergeron et al.(1992) for DA stars. DB,
DQ, and DZ stars are also analyzed spectroscopically. For featureless spectra
as well as those showing only Halpha, we perform a detailed photometric
analysis of their energy distribution.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures, to appear in AIP Conference Proceedings for the
17th European White Dwarf Worksho
Mean-field theory of the spin-Peierls systems: Application to CuGeO3
A mean-field theory of the spin Peierls systems based on the two dimensional
dimerized Heisenberg model is proposed by introducing an alternating bond order
parameter. Improvements with respect to previous mean-field results are found
in the one-dimensional limit for the ground state and the gap energies. In two
dimensions, the analysis of the competition between antiferromagnetic long
range order and the spin-Peierls ordering is given as a function of the
coupling constants. We show that the lowest energy gap to be observed does not
have a singlet-triplet character in agreement with the low temperature
thermodynamic properties of CuGeO3.Comment: 3 Revtex pages. Submitted to Rapid Comm. Figures available upon
reques
On the Reported Death of the MACHO Era
We present radial velocity measurements of four wide halo binary candidates
from the sample in Chaname & Gould (2004; CG04) which, to date, is the only
sample containing a large number of such candidates. The four candidates that
we have observed have projected separations >0.1 pc, and include the two widest
binaries from the sample, with separations of 0.45 and 1.1 pc. We confirm that
three of the four CG04 candidates are genuine, including the one with the
largest separation. The fourth candidate, however, is spurious at the 5-sigma
level. In the light of these measurements we re-examine the implications for
MACHO models of the Galactic halo. Our analysis casts doubt on what MACHO
constraints can be drawn from the existing sample of wide halo binaries.Comment: 6 Pages, 4 Figures, Accepted for MNRAS Letter
Does the momentum flux generated by gravitational contraction drive AGB mass-loss?
Gravitational contraction always generates a radially directed momentum flux.
A particularly simple example occurs in the electron-degenerate cores of AGB
stars, which contract steadily under the addition of helium ashes from shell
hydrogen burning. The resulting momentum flux is quantified here. And since the
cores of AGB stars lack efficient momentum cancellation mechanisms, they can
maintain equilibrium by exporting their excess momentum flux to the stellar
envelope, which disposes of much of it in a low velocity wind. Gravitational
contraction easily accounts for the momentum flux in the solar wind, as well as
the flux required to lift mass into the dust formation zone of every AGB star,
whereon radiation pressure continues its ejection as a low velocity wind. This
mechanism explains the dependence of the AGB mass-loss rate on core mass; its
generalization to objects with angular momentum and/or strong magnetic fields
suggests a novel explanation of why most planetary nebulae and proto planetary
nebulae exhibit axial symmetry.
Quasistatic contraction is inherently biased to the generation of the maximum
possible momentum flux. Its formalism is therefore readily adapted to providing
an upper limit to the momentum flux needed to sustain mass loss when this
begins from a semi-continuous rather than impulsive process.Comment: 35 pages, including 1 fig and 2 tables, to appear in Astrophysical
Journal -- ps documen
Characterization of the Benchmark Binary NLTT 33370
We report the confirmation of the binary nature of the nearby, very low-mass
system NLTT 33370 with adaptive optics imaging and present resolved
near-infrared photometry and integrated light optical and near-infrared
spectroscopy to characterize the system. VLT-NaCo and LBTI-LMIRCam images show
significant orbital motion between 2013 February and 2013 April. Optical
spectra reveal weak, gravity sensitive alkali lines and strong lithium 6708
Angstrom absorption that indicate the system is younger than field age.
VLT-SINFONI near-IR spectra also show weak, gravity sensitive features and
spectral morphology that is consistent with other young, very low-mass dwarfs.
We combine the constraints from all age diagnostics to estimate a system age of
~30-200 Myr. The 1.2-4.7 micron spectral energy distribution of the components
point toward T_eff=3200 +/- 500 K and T_eff=3100 +/- 500 K for NLTT 33370 A and
B, respectively. The observed spectra, derived temperatures, and estimated age
combine to constrain the component spectral types to the range M6-M8.
Evolutionary models predict masses of 113 +/- 8 M_Jup and 106 +/- 7 M_Jup from
the estimated luminosities of the components. KPNO-Phoenix spectra allow us to
estimate the systemic radial velocity of the binary. The Galactic kinematics of
NLTT 33370AB are broadly consistent with other young stars in the Solar
neighborhood. However, definitive membership in a young, kinematic group cannot
be assigned at this time and further follow-up observations are necessary to
fully constrain the system's kinematics. The proximity, age, and late-spectral
type of this binary make it very novel and an ideal target for rapid, complete
orbit determination. The system is one of only a few model calibration
benchmarks at young ages and very low-masses.Comment: 25 pages, 3 tables, 13 figures, accepted for publication in The
Astrophysical Journa
Near-Infrared Photometric Survey of Proto-Planetary Nebula Candidates
We present JHK' photometric measurements of 78 objects mostly consisting of
proto-planetary nebula candidates. Photometric magnitudes are determined by
means of imaging and aperture photometry. Unlike the observations with a
photometer with a fixed-sized beam, the method of imaging photometry permits
accurate derivation of photometric values because the target sources can be
correctly identified and confusion with neighboring sources can be easily
avoided. Of the 78 sources observed, we report 10 cases in which the source
seems to have been misidentified or confused by nearby bright sources. We also
present nearly two dozen cases in which the source seems to have indicated a
variability which prompts a follow-up monitoring. There are also a few sources
that show previously unreported extendedness. In addition, we present H band
finding charts of the target sources.Comment: 3 tables, 1 figur
An Upper Limit to the Age of the Galactic Bar
Using data from the Two Micron All-Sky Survey (2MASS), we identify a
population of infrared carbon (IR C) stars with J-K >= 2 in the Milky Way.
These stars are shown to trace the stellar bar previously identified in IR and
optical surveys. The properties of C stars strongly suggest that they are of
intermediate age. We conclude that the bar is likely to have formed more
recently than 3 Gyr ago, and must be younger than 6 Gyr. Implications and
further tests of this conclusion are briefly discussed.Comment: accepted by ApJ Letters; 13 pages, 4 eps figure
2MTF I. The Tully-Fisher Relation in the 2MASS J, H and K Bands
The 2 Micron All-Sky Survey (2MASS) Tully-Fisher Survey (2MTF) aims to
measure Tully-Fisher (TF) distances to all bright inclined spirals in the 2MASS
Redshift Survey (2MRS). Essential to this project is a universal calibration of
the TF relation in the 2MASS J (1.2 um), H (1.6 um) and K (2.2 um) bands. We
present the first bias corrected or universal TF template in these bands. We
find that the slope of the TF relation becomes steeper as the wavelength
increases being close to L \propto v^4 in K-band and L \propto v^3.6 in J and
H-bands. We also investigate the dependence on galaxy morphology showing that
in all three bands the relation is steeper for later type spirals which also
have a dimmer TF zeropoint than earlier type spirals. We correct the final
relation to that for Sc galaxies. Finally we study the scatter from the TF
relation fitting for a width dependent intrinsic scatter which is not found to
vary significantly with wavelength.Comment: 13 pages, 5 figures. AJ, accepted (scheduled for June 2008). v2 is as
accepted by AJ and includes only minor textual changes from v1. v3 includes a
3 page erratum published as Masters et al. 2014. A coding error was
discovered and corrected, resulting in small changes in the slope and offsets
offsets of the TF relation. All qualitative results still hold. We apologise
for the inconvenienc
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