19 research outputs found
Near-Infrared Light Curves of the Black Hole Binary A0620-00
We measured the near-infrared orbital light curve of the black hole binary
A0620-00 in 1995 and 1996. The light curves show an asymmetric, double-humped
modulation with extra emission in the peak at orbital phase 0.75. There were no
significant changes in the shape of the light curve over the one-year
observation period. There were no sharp dips in the light curves nor reversals
of the asymmetry between the two peaks as seen in earlier observations. The
light curves are well fit by models incorporating ellipsoidal variations from
the mass-losing K-type star plus a beamed bright spot on the accretion disk
around the compact star. The long-term stability of the light curve shape rules
out superhumps and star spots as sources of asymmetry when we observed
A0620-00. The ellipsoidal variations yield a lower limit i >= 38 deg on the
orbital inclination. The light curves show no eclipse features, which places an
upper limit i <= 75 deg. This range of inclinations constrains the mass of the
compact object to 3.3 < M_1 < 13.6 Msun. The light curves do not further
constrain the orbital inclination because the contribution of the accretion
disk to the observed flux is unknown. We argue that a previous attempt to
measure the near-infrared flux from the accretion disk using the dilution of
the 12CO(2,0) bandhead in the spectrum of the K star is not reliable because
the band strength depends strongly on surface gravity.Comment: Accepted for publication in the Astronomical Journal. 17 pages, 4
figures. Prepared using AASTEX V. 5.
RJK Observations of the Optical Afterglow of GRB 991216
We present near-infrared and optical observations of the afterglow to the
Gamma-Ray Burst (GRB) 991216 obtained with the F. L. Whipple Observatory 1.2-m
telescope and the University of Hawaii 2.2-m telescope. The observations range
from 15 hours to 3.8 days after the burst. The temporal behavior of the data is
well described by a single power-law decay with index -1.36 +/-0.04,
independent of wavelength. The optical spectral energy distribution, corrected
for significant Galactic reddening of E(B-V)=0.626, is well fitted by a single
power-law with index -0.58 +/- 0.08. Combining the IR/optical observations with
a Chandra X-ray measurement gives a spectral index of -0.8 +/- 0.1 in the
synchrotron cooling regime. A comparison between the spectral and temporal
power-law indices suggest that a jet is a better match to the observations than
a simple spherical shock.Comment: Accepted to the Astrophysical Journal, 12 pages, 4 postscript figure
Absolute Flux Calibration of the IRAC Instrument on the Spitzer Space Telescope using Hubble Space Telescope Flux Standards
The absolute flux calibration of the James Webb Space Telescope will be based
on a set of stars observed by the Hubble and Spitzer Space Telescopes. In order
to cross-calibrate the two facilities, several A, G, and white dwarf (WD) stars
are observed with both Spitzer and Hubble and are the prototypes for a set of
JWST calibration standards. The flux calibration constants for the four Spitzer
IRAC bands 1-4 are derived from these stars and are 2.3, 1.9, 2.0, and 0.5%
lower than the official cold-mission IRAC calibration of Reach et al. (2005),
i.e. in agreement within their estimated errors of ~2%. The causes of these
differences lie primarily in the IRAC data reduction and secondarily in the
SEDs of our standard stars. The independent IRAC 8 micron band-4 fluxes of
Rieke et al. (2008) are about 1.5 +/- 2% higher than those of Reach et al. and
are also in agreement with our 8 micron result.Comment: 16 pages, 6 figure
Photometry and Spectroscopy of GRB 030329 and Its Associated Supernova 2003dh: The First Two Months
We present extensive optical and infrared photometry of the afterglow of
gamma-ray burst (GRB) 030329 and its associated supernova (SN) 2003dh over the
first two months after detection (2003 March 30-May 29 UT). Optical
spectroscopy from a variety of telescopes is shown and, when combined with the
photometry, allows an unambiguous separation between the afterglow and
supernova contributions. The optical afterglow of the GRB is initially a
power-law continuum but shows significant color variations during the first
week that are unrelated to the presence of a supernova. The early afterglow
light curve also shows deviations from the typical power-law decay. A supernova
spectrum is first detectable ~7 days after the burst and dominates the light
after ~11 days. The spectral evolution and the light curve are shown to closely
resemble those of SN 1998bw, a peculiar Type Ic SN associated with GRB 980425,
and the time of the supernova explosion is close to the observed time of the
GRB. It is now clear that at least some GRBs arise from core-collapse SNe.Comment: 57 pages, 13 figures, accepted by ApJ, revised per referee's
comments, includes full photometry table. Data available at
ftp://cfa-ftp.harvard.edu/pub/kstanek/GRB030329 or through WWW at
http://cfa-www.harvard.edu/cfa/oir/Research/GRB