9,935 research outputs found
SXP 323 - an unusual X-ray binary system in the Small Magellanic Cloud
Spectroscopic observations taken with the VLT/UVES telescope/instrument are
presented of the unusual Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) X-ray binary system SXP
323 = AX J0051-733. This system shows a clear modulation at 0.71d in long term
optical photometry which has been proposed as the binary period of this system.
The high resolution optical spectra, taken at a range of phases during the
0.71d cycle, rule out this possibility. Instead it is suggested that this
long-term effect is due to Non Radial Pulsations (NRP) in the Be star companion
to SXP 323. In addition, the spectra show clear evidence for major changes in
the (V/R) ratio of the double peaks of the Balmer lines indicative of
asymmetries in the circumstellar disk. The complex structure of the
interstellar lines are also discussed in the context of the SMC structure.Comment: Accepted in MNRA
A 0535+26: Back in business
In May/June 2005, after 10 years of inactivity, the Be/X-ray binary system A
0535+26 underwent a major X-ray outburst. In this paper data are presented from
10 years of optical, IR and X-ray monitoring showing the behaviour of the
system during the quiescent epoch and the lead up to the new outburst. The
results show the system going through a period when the Be star in the system
had a minimal circumstellar disk and then a dramatic disk recovery leading,
presumably, to the latest flare up of X-ray emission. The data are interpreted
in terms of the state of the disk and its interaction with the neutron star
companion.Comment: Accepted for publication in MNRA
NGC 3105: a young open cluster with low metallicity
NGC 3105 is a young open cluster hosting blue, yellow and red supergiants.
This rare combination makes it an excellent laboratory to constrain
evolutionary models of high-mass stars. It is poorly studied and fundamental
parameters such as its age or distance are not well defined. We intend to
characterize in an accurate way the cluster as well as its evolved stars, for
which we derive for the first time atmospheric parameters and chemical
abundances. We identify 126 B-type likely members within a radius of
2.70.6 arcmin, which implies an initial mass, 4100
M. We find a distance of 7.20.7 kpc for NGC 3105, placing it at
=10.01.2 kpc. Isochrone fitting supports an age of 286 Ma,
implying masses around 9.5 M for the supergiants. A high fraction of
Be stars (25 %) is found at the top of the main sequence down to
spectral type b3. From the spectral analysis we estimate for the cluster a
=+46.90.9 km s and a low metallicity,
[Fe/H]=-0.290.22. We also have determined, for the first time, chemical
abundances for Li, O, Na, Mg, Si, Ca, Ti, Ni, Rb, Y, and Ba for the evolved
stars. The chemical composition of the cluster is consistent with that of the
Galactic thin disc. An overabundance of Ba is found, supporting the enhanced
-process. NGC 3105 has a low metallicity for its Galactocentric distance,
comparable to typical LMC stars. It is a valuable spiral tracer in a very
distant region of the Carina-Sagittarius spiral arm, a poorly known part of the
Galaxy. As one of the few Galactic clusters containing blue, yellow and red
supergiants, it is massive enough to serve as a testbed for theoretical
evolutionary models close to the boundary between intermediate and high-mass
stars.Comment: 18 pages, 13 figures. Accepted for publication in A&
Connecting your Mobile Shopping Cart to the Internet-of-Things
International audienceOnline shopping has reached an unforeseen success during the last decade thanks to the explosion of the Internet and the development of dedicated websites. Nonetheless, the wide diversity of e-commerce websites does not really foster the sales, but rather leaves the customer in the middle of dense jungle. In particular, finding the best offer for a specific product might require to spend hours browsing the Internet without being sure of finding the best deal in the end. While some websites are providing comparators to help the customer in finding the best offer meeting her/his requirements, the objectivity of these websites remains questionable, the comparison criteria are statically defined, while the nature of products they support is restricted to specific categories (e.g., electronic devices). In this paper, we introduce MACCHIATO as a user-centered platform leveraging online shopping. MACCHIATO implements the principles of the Internet-of-Things by adopting the REST architectural style and semantic web standards to navigate product databases exposed on the Internet. By doing so, customers keep the control of their shopping process by selecting the stores and comparing the offers according to their own preferences
Exploring inside-out Doppler tomography: magnetic cataclysmic variables
Context. Doppler tomography of magnetic cataclysmic variables is a valuable tool for the interpretation of the complex spectroscopic emission line profiles observed for these systems
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