8,365 research outputs found
A Photometric Technique to Search for Be Stars in Open Clusters
We describe a technique to identify Be stars in open clusters using Stromgren
b, y, and narrow-band Halpha photometry. We first identify the B-type stars of
the cluster using a theoretical isochrone fit to the (b-y, y) color-magnitude
diagram. The strongest Be stars are easily identified in a (b-y, y-Halpha)
color-color diagram, but those with weaker Halpha emission (classified as
possible Be star detections) may be confused with evolved or foreground stars.
Here we present such photometry plus Halpha spectroscopy of members of the
cluster NGC 3766 to demonstrate the accuracy of our technique. Statistical
results on the relative numbers of Be and B-type stars in additional clusters
will be presented in a future paper.Comment: 15 pages, 6 figures, 1 table. Accepted by Ap
Nonlinear modal coupling in a high-stress doubly-clamped nanomechanical resonator
We present results from a study of the nonlinear intermodal coupling between
different flexural vibrational modes of a single high-stress, doubly-clamped
silicon nitride nanomechanical beam. The measurements were carried out at 100
mK and the beam was actuated using the magnetomotive technique. We observed the
nonlinear behavior of the modes individually and also measured the coupling
between them by driving the beam at multiple frequencies. We demonstrate that
the different modes of the resonator are coupled to each other by the
displacement induced tension in the beam, which also leads to the well known
Duffing nonlinearity in doubly-clamped beams.Comment: 15 pages, 7 figure
Including Systematic Uncertainties in Confidence Interval Construction for Poisson Statistics
One way to incorporate systematic uncertainties into the calculation of
confidence intervals is by integrating over probability density functions
parametrizing the uncertainties. In this note we present a development of this
method which takes into account uncertainties in the prediction of background
processes, uncertainties in the signal detection efficiency and background
efficiency and allows for a correlation between the signal and background
detection efficiencies. We implement this method with the Feldman & Cousins
unified approach with and without conditioning. We present studies of coverage
for the Feldman & Cousins and Neyman ordering schemes. In particular, we
present two different types of coverage tests for the case where systematic
uncertainties are included. To illustrate the method we show the relative
effect of including systematic uncertainties the case of dark matter search as
performed by modern neutrino tel escopes.Comment: 23 pages, 10 figures, replaced to match published versio
A Possible Massive Asteroid Belt Around zeta Lep
We have used the Keck I telescope to image at 11.7 microns and 17.9 microns
the dust emission around zeta Lep, a main sequence A-type star at 21.5 pc from
the Sun with an infrared excess. The excess is at most marginally resolved at
17.9 microns. The dust distance from the star is probably less than or equal to
6 AU, although some dust may extend to 9 AU. The mass of observed dust is
\~10^22 g. Since the lifetime of dust particles is about 10,000 years because
of the Poytning-Robertson effect, we robustly estimate at least 4 10^26 g must
reside in parent bodies which may be asteroids if the system is in a steady
state and has an age of ~300 Myr. This mass is approximately 200 times that
contained within the main asteroid belt in our solar system.Comment: 12 pages, 3 figures, ApJL in pres
Current Treatment Strategies for Intracranial Aneurysms: An Overview
Intracranial aneurysm is a leading cause of stroke. Its treatment has evolved over the past 2 decades. This review summarizes the treatment strategies for intracranial aneurysms from 3 different perspectives: open surgery approach, transluminal treatment approach, and new technologies being used or trialed. We introduce most of the available treatment techniques in detail, including contralateral clipping, wrapping and clipping, double catheters assisting coiling and waffle-cone technique, and so on. Data from major trials such as Analysis of Treatment by Endovascular approach of Non-ruptured Aneurysms (ATENA), Internal Subarachnoid Trial (ISAT), Clinical and Anatomical Results in the Treatment of Ruptured Intracranial Aneurysms (CLARITY), and Barrow Ruptured Aneurysm Trial (BRAT) as well as information from other clinical reports and local experience are reviewed to suggest a clinical pathway for treating different types of intracranial aneurysms. It will be a valuable supplement to the current existing guidelines. We hope it could help assisting real-time decision-making in clinical practices and also encourage advancements in managing the disease
The Palomar Testbed Interferometer Calibrator Catalog
The Palomar Testbed Interferometer (PTI) archive of observations between 1998
and 2005 is examined for objects appropriate for calibration of optical
long-baseline interferometer observations - stars that are predictably
point-like and single. Approximately 1,400 nights of data on 1,800 objects were
examined for this investigation. We compare those observations to an
intensively studied object that is a suitable calibrator, HD217014, and
statistically compare each candidate calibrator to that object by computing
both a Mahalanobis distance and a Principal Component Analysis. Our hypothesis
is that the frequency distribution of visibility data associated with
calibrator stars differs from non-calibrator stars such as binary stars.
Spectroscopic binaries resolved by PTI, objects known to be unsuitable for
calibrator use, are similarly tested to establish detection limits of this
approach. From this investigation, we find more than 350 observed stars
suitable for use as calibrators (with an additional being
rejected), corresponding to sky coverage for PTI. This approach
is noteworthy in that it rigorously establishes calibration sources through a
traceable, empirical methodology, leveraging the predictions of spectral energy
distribution modeling but also verifying it with the rich body of PTI's on-sky
observations.Comment: 100 pages, 7 figures, 7 tables; to appear in the May 2008ApJS, v176n
New optical and near-infrared Surface Brightness Fluctuations models. A primary distance indicator ranging from Globular Clusters to distant galaxies?
We present new theoretical models for Surface Brightness Fluctuations (SBF)
both for optical and near-infrared bands in standard ground-based and Hubble
Space Telescope filter systems. Simple Stellar Population simulations are
adopted. Models cover the age and metallicity ranges from to and
from to 0.04 respectively. Effects due to the variation of the
Initial Mass Function and the stellar color-temperature relations are explored.
Particular attention is devoted to very bright stars in the color-magnitude
diagram and to investigate the effects of mass loss along the Red Giant Branch
(RGB) and the Asymptotic Giant Branch (AGB). It is found that and bands
SBF amplitudes are powerful diagnostics for the morphology of the Horizontal
Branch and the Post-AGB stars population. We point out that a careful treatment
of mass loss process along the RGB and AGB is fundamental in determining
reliable SBF evaluations. The SBF measurements are used to give robust
constraints on the evolution of AGB stars, suggesting that mass loss activity
on AGB stars should be twice more efficient than on the RGB stars. Our models
are able to reproduce the absolute SBF magnitudes of the Galactic Globular
Clusters and of galaxies, and their integrated colors. New calibrations of
absolute SBF magnitude in , , , and photometric filters are
provided, which appear reliable enough to directly gauge distances bypassing
other distance indicators. The SBF technique is also used as stellar population
tracer to derive age and metallicity of a selected sample of galaxies of known
distances. Finally, {\it SBF color} versus {\it integrated color} diagrams are
proposed as particularly useful in removing the well known {\it age-metallicity
degeneracy} affecting our knowledge of remote stellar systems.Comment: AJ accepted, 46 pages, 21 figures, 10 tables, uses aastex.cl
Stellar Populations of the Sagittarius Dwarf Irregular Galaxy
We present deep BVRI CCD photometry of the stars in the dwarf irregular
galaxy SagDIG. The color-magnitude diagrams of the measured stars in SagDIG
show a blue plume which consists mostly of young stellar populations, and a
well-defined red giant branch (RGB). The foreground reddening of SagDIG is
estimated to be E(B-V)=0.06. The tip of the RGB is found to be at
I_(TRGB)=21.55 +/- 0.10 mag. From this the distance to this galaxy is estimated
to be d = 1.18 +/- 0.10 Mpc. This result, combined with its velocity
information, shows that it is a member of the Local Group. The mean metallicity
of the red giant branch is estimated to be [Fe/H] < -2.2 dex. This shows that
SagDIG is one of the most metal-poor galaxies. Total magnitudes of SagDIG (<
r_H (= 107 arcsec)) are derived to be B^T=13.99 mag, V^T=13.58 mag, R^T=13.19
mag, and I^T=12.88 mag, and the corresponding absolute magnitudes are
M_B=-11.62 mag, M_V=-11.97 mag, M_R=-12.33 mag, and M_I=-12.60 mag. Surface
brightness profiles of the central part of SagDIG are approximately fit by a
King model with a core concentration parameter c = log (r_t / r_c) ~ 0.6, and
those of the outer part follow an exponential law with a scale length of 37
arcsec. The central surface brightness is measured to be mu_B (0) = 24.21 mag
arcsec^(-2) and mu_V (0) =23.91 mag arcsec^(-2). The magnitudes and colors of
the brightest blue and red stars in SagDIG (BSG and RSG) are measured to be,
respectively, _BSG = 19.89 +/- 0.13 mag, _BSG = 0.08 +/- 0.07
mag, _RSG = 20.39 +/- 0.10 mag, and _RSG = 1.29 +/- 0.12 mag.
The corresponding absolute magnitudes are derived to be _BSG = -5.66
mag and _RSG = -5.16 mag, which are about one magnitude fainter than
those expected from conventional correlations with galaxy luminosity.Comment: 16 pages(AASLaTeX), 10 Postscript figures, Accepted for publication
in Astronomical Journal, 200
The Distance of the Gamma-ray Binary 1FGL J1018.6-5856
The recently discovered gamma-ray binary 1FGL J1018.6-5856 has a proposed
optical/near-infrared (OIR) counterpart 2MASS 10185560-5856459. We present
Stromgren photometry of this star to investigate its photometric variability
and measure the reddening and distance to the system. We find that the
gamma-ray binary has E(B-V) = 1.34 +/- 0.04 and d = 5.4^+4.6_-2.1 kpc. While
E(B-V) is consistent with X-ray observations of the neutral hydrogen column
density, the distance is somewhat closer than some previous authors have
suggested.Comment: Accepted to PAS
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