451 research outputs found
Kinematic segregation of nearby disk stars from the Hipparcos database
To better understand our Galaxy, we investigate the pertinency of describing
the sys tem of nearby disk stars in terms of a two-components Schwarzschild
velocity distributio n.Using the proper motion and parallax information of
Hipparcos database, we determine t he parameters characterizing the local
stellar velocity field of a sample of 22000 disk stars. The sample we use is
essentially the same as the one described by the criteria ad opted to study the
LSR and the stream motion of the nearby stellar populationComment: 19 page
Une sonde photométrique pour l'analyse in situ : Principe, méthode, premiers essais
Certains composés dissous ne sont pas stables une fois prélevés hors de leur milieu. Pour éviter que l'information ne se perde entre le prélèvement et l'analyse, il est nécessaire d'effectuer cette dernière in situ. La solution que nous présentons, consiste à développer une réaction colorimétrique en profondeur; la cellule photométrique est immergée et reliée à un spectrophotomètre en surface, par 2 fibres optiques (fig. 1a, b, c). Cependant, lors d'un essai préliminaire, nous avons observé que, dans le circuit de mélange de la sonde, les proportions entre réactif et échantillon ne sont pas constantes. Ces variations de débits sont corrigées par des mesures à deux longueurs d'onde (λ1 et λ2)* et par l'adjonction d'un colorant auxiliaire ne perturbant pas la réaction calorimétrique. L'étalonnage se fait directement sur la cellule photométrique : dans un diagramme Absorbance à λ1 = f (Absorbance à λ2) (fig. 2), on place une droite d'étalonnage et des points particuliers. Les règles de mélange sont vérifiées indépendamment de toute réaction chimique avec différentes solutions d'hélianthine dans un tampon à pH 7 et du rouge de chlorophénol à la place du réactif (fig. 4 et 5). En outre nous utilisons le rouge de chlorophénol, jaune sous forme acide, comme colorant auxiliaire pour le dosage du fer total dans un premier essai in situ (lac d'Aydat, Puy de Dôme, France). Les résultats sont comparés à ceux obtenus par prélèvements et analyses au laboratoire (fig. 6). L'accord est satisfaisant. L'incorporation au système présenté, d'une pompe osmotique devrait permettre, avec cet appareillage simple, des mesures pendant plusieurs mois sans intervention.Various dissolved compounds are mot stables in surface conditions. We realized a prototype to collect chemical data related to redox sensitive species without any contact with the atmospheric oxygen.The principle of this probe for in situ measurements is to produce colorimetric reaction in depth. A photometric cell and a horizontal coiled glass tube for fluid mixing are immersed and connected with two optic fibers to a spectrophotometer on boat (fig. la, b, c). Reagent is injected continuously from surface and sample is sucked up with a peristaltic pump through a tubular filter.Every species which can be analysed by colorimetric method should be determined, in deep river or in lake, with this simple equipment.Nevertheless, during preliminary trial, we detected a lack of reproducibility in the mixing ratio of the sample with the complexing agent. The problem is solved by adding an auxiliary dye with reagent and measuring optical densities at two different wavelengths (λ1 and λ2). In the system, with a the sample proportion, absorbance A at λ is expressed as :A=ɛe∙l∙Ce∙α+ɛr∙l∙Cr∙(1-α)We suggest to calibrate directly the cell of the probe and work in a calibration graph. It is built with first, marking on an A1λ1=f(A2λ2)graph (fig. 2), the « pivot » point (P) (when α= 0), second, plotting the « calibration curve »A2=A1 (ɛe2/ɛe1)(when α= 1), third, plotting the different S1 (A1i, A2i) measured from standards. Therefore, if sample signal Re at two wavelengths is plotted in this graph, by joining P and Re, the straight line intersects with calibration curve at C. On this curve, interpolation of C between two standards determine the concentration of the analyte.Experimental verification of the mixing rule has been clone independently of chemical reaction, with different heliantine solutions in pH 7 buffer as samples and chlorophenol red as reagent, bath in laboratory and at 15 meters depth (Beffes lake, France) (fig. 4 and 5).Furthermore, chlorophenol red, previously tested, is used as auxiliary dye for total iron measurement, in Aydat lake (Puy de Dôme, France) for a first in situ trial.Results are compared to those got from oceanographic bottle sampling and laboratory analysis (fig. 6). Data from the probe are in good agreement with data from the laboratory method.Next development of this chemical sensor will consist in adding to the system an osmotic pump which should allow measurements without intervention during several months
Reassessing the origin of Triton
Agnor & Hamilton (2006) demonstrated that the disruption of a binary was an
effective mechanism to capture Triton. The subsequent evolution of Triton's
post-capture orbit could have proceeded through gravitational tides. The study
by Agnor & Hamilton (2006) is repeated in the framework of the Nice model to
determine the post-capture orbit of Triton. After capture it is then subjected
to tidal evolution. The perturbations from the Sun and the figure of Neptune
are included. The perturbations from the Sun acting on Triton cause it to spend
a long time in its high-eccentricity phase, usually of the order of 10 Myr,
while the typical time to circularise to its current orbit is some 200 Myr. The
current orbit of Triton is consistent with an origin through binary capture and
tidal evolution, even though the model prefers Triton to be closer to Neptune
than it is today. The probability of capturing Triton in this manner is
approximately 0.7%. Since the capture of Triton was at most a 50% event --
since only Neptune has one, but Uranus does not -- we deduce that in the
primordial trans-Neptunian disc there were 100 binaries with at least one
Triton-sized member. Morbidelli et al. (2009) concludes there were some 1000
Triton-sized bodies in the trans-Neptunian proto-planetary disc, so the
primordial binary fraction with at least one Triton-sized member is 10%. This
value is consistent with theoretical predictions, but at the low end. If Triton
was captured at the same time as Neptune's irregular satellites, the far
majority of these, including Nereid, would be lost. This suggests either that
Triton was captured on an orbit with a small semi-major axis a < 50 R_N (a rare
event), or that it was captured before the dynamical instability of the Nice
model, or that some other mechanism was at play. The issue of keeping the
irregular satellites remains unresolved.Comment: Accepted in Icarus 201
The first accurate parallax distance to a black hole
Using astrometric VLBI observations, we have determined the parallax of the
black hole X-ray binary V404 Cyg to be 0.418 +/- 0.024 milliarcseconds,
corresponding to a distance of 2.39 +/- 0.14 kpc, significantly lower than the
previously accepted value. This model-independent estimate is the most accurate
distance to a Galactic stellar-mass black hole measured to date. With this new
distance, we confirm that the source was not super-Eddington during its 1989
outburst. The fitted distance and proper motion imply that the black hole in
this system likely formed in a supernova, with the peculiar velocity being
consistent with a recoil (Blaauw) kick. The size of the quiescent jets inferred
to exist in this system is less than 1.4 AU at 22 GHz. Astrometric observations
of a larger sample of such systems would provide useful insights into the
formation and properties of accreting stellar-mass black holes.Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ Letters. 6 pages, 2 figure
Modeling Multi-Wavelength Stellar Astrometry. I. SIM Lite Observations of Interacting Binaries
Interacting binaries consist of a secondary star which fills or is very close
to filling its Roche lobe, resulting in accretion onto the primary star, which
is often, but not always, a compact object. In many cases, the primary star,
secondary star, and the accretion disk can all be significant sources of
luminosity. SIM Lite will only measure the photocenter of an astrometric
target, and thus determining the true astrometric orbits of such systems will
be difficult. We have modified the Eclipsing Light Curve code (Orosz &
Hauschildt 2000) to allow us to model the flux-weighted reflex motions of
interacting binaries, in a code we call REFLUX. This code gives us sufficient
flexibility to investigate nearly every configuration of interacting binary. We
find that SIM Lite will be able to determine astrometric orbits for all
sufficiently bright interacting binaries where the primary or secondary star
dominates the luminosity. For systems where there are multiple components that
comprise the spectrum in the optical bandpass accessible to SIM Lite, we find
it is possible to obtain absolute masses for both components, although
multi-wavelength photometry will be required to disentangle the multiple
components. In all cases, SIM Lite will at least yield accurate inclinations,
and provide valuable information that will allow us to begin to understand the
complex evolution of mass-transferring binaries. It is critical that SIM Lite
maintains a multi-wavelength capability to allow for the proper deconvolution
of the astrometric orbits in multi-component systems.Comment: 12 pages, 6 figures, 6 tables. Accepted for publication in the
Astrophysical Journa
GAIA: Composition, Formation and Evolution of the Galaxy
The GAIA astrometric mission has recently been approved as one of the next
two `cornerstones' of ESA's science programme, with a launch date target of not
later than mid-2012. GAIA will provide positional and radial velocity
measurements with the accuracies needed to produce a stereoscopic and kinematic
census of about one billion stars throughout our Galaxy (and into the Local
Group), amounting to about 1 per cent of the Galactic stellar population.
GAIA's main scientific goal is to clarify the origin and history of our Galaxy,
from a quantitative census of the stellar populations. It will advance
questions such as when the stars in our Galaxy formed, when and how it was
assembled, and its distribution of dark matter. The survey aims for
completeness to V=20 mag, with accuracies of about 10 microarcsec at 15 mag.
Combined with astrophysical information for each star, provided by on-board
multi-colour photometry and (limited) spectroscopy, these data will have the
precision necessary to quantify the early formation, and subsequent dynamical,
chemical and star formation evolution of our Galaxy. Additional products
include detection and orbital classification of tens of thousands of
extra-Solar planetary systems, and a comprehensive survey of some 10^5-10^6
minor bodies in our Solar System, through galaxies in the nearby Universe, to
some 500,000 distant quasars. It will provide a number of stringent new tests
of general relativity and cosmology. The complete satellite system was
evaluated as part of a detailed technology study, including a detailed payload
design, corresponding accuracy assesments, and results from a prototype data
reduction development.Comment: Accepted by A&A: 25 pages, 8 figure
WIMP Annual Modulation with Opposite Phase in Late-Infall Halo Models
We show that in the late-infall model of our galactic halo by P. Sikivie the
expected phase of the annual modulation of a WIMP halo signal in direct
detection experiments is opposite to the one usually expected. If a
non-virialized halo component due to the infall of (collisionless) dark matter
particles cannot be rejected, an annual modulation in a dark matter signal
should be looked for by experimenters without fixing the phase a-priori.
Moreover, WIMP streams coming to Earth from directions above and below the
galactic plane should be expected, with a characteristic pattern of arrival
directions.Comment: 15 pages, 5 figure
Determination of rotation periods in solar-like stars with irregular sampling: the Gaia case
We present a study on the determination of rotation periods (P) of solar-like
stars from the photometric irregular time-sampling of the ESA Gaia mission,
currently scheduled for launch in 2013, taking into account its dependence on
ecliptic coordinates. We examine the case of solar-twins as well as thousands
of synthetic time-series of solar-like stars rotating faster than the Sun. In
the case of solar twins we assume that the Gaia unfiltered photometric passband
G will mimic the variability of the total solar irradiance (TSI) as measured by
the VIRGO experiment. For stars rotating faster than the Sun, light-curves are
simulated using synthetic spectra for the quiet atmosphere, the spots, and the
faculae combined by applying semi-empirical relationships relating the level of
photospheric magnetic activity to the stellar rotation and the Gaia
instrumental response. The capabilities of the Deeming, Lomb-Scargle, and Phase
Dispersion Minimisation methods in recovering the correct rotation periods are
tested and compared. The false alarm probability (FAP) is computed using Monte
Carlo simulations and compared with analytical formulae. The Gaia scanning law
makes the rate of correct detection of rotation periods strongly dependent on
the ecliptic latitude (beta). We find that for P ~ 1 d, the rate of correct
detection increases with ecliptic latitude from 20-30 per cent at beta ~
0{\deg} to a peak of 70 per cent at beta=45{\deg}, then it abruptly falls below
10 per cent at beta > 45{\deg}. For P > 5 d, the rate of correct detection is
quite low and for solar twins is only 5 per cent on average.Comment: 12 pages, 18 figures, accepted by MNRA
Building the cosmic distance scale: from Hipparcos to Gaia
Hipparcos, the first ever experiment of global astrometry, was launched by
ESA in 1989 and its results published in 1997 (Perryman et al., Astron.
Astrophys. 323, L49, 1997; Perryman & ESA (eds), The Hipparcos and Tycho
catalogues, ESA SP-1200, 1997). A new reduction was later performed using an
improved satellite attitude reconstruction leading to an improved accuracy for
stars brighter than 9th magnitude (van Leeuwen & Fantino, Astron. Astrophys.
439, 791, 2005; van Leeuwen, Astron. Astrophys. 474, 653, 2007).
The Hipparcos Catalogue provided an extended dataset of very accurate
astrometric data (positions, trigonometric parallaxes and proper motions),
enlarging by two orders of magnitude the quantity and quality of distance
determinations and luminosity calibrations. The availability of more than 20000
stars with a trigonometric parallax known to better than 10% opened the way to
a drastic revision of our 3-D knowledge of the solar neighbourhood and to a
renewal of the calibration of many distance indicators and age estimations. The
prospects opened by Gaia, the next ESA cornerstone, planned for launch in June
2013 (Perryman et al., Astron. Astrophys. 369, 339, 2001), are still much more
dramatic: a billion objects with systematic and quasi simultaneous astrometric,
spectrophotometric and spectroscopic observations, about 150 million stars with
expected distances to better than 10%, all over the Galaxy. All stellar
distance indicators, in very large numbers, will be directly measured,
providing a direct calibration of their luminosity and making possible detailed
studies of the impacts of various effects linked to chemical element
abundances, age or cluster membership. With the help of simulations of the data
expected from Gaia, obtained from the mission simulator developed by DPAC, we
will illustrate what Gaia can provide with some selected examples.Comment: 16 pages, 16 figures, Conference "The Fundamental Cosmic Distance
scale: State of the Art and the Gaia perspective, 3-6 May 2011, INAF,
Osservatorio Astronomico di Capodimonte, Naples. Accepted for publication in
Astrophysics & Space Scienc
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