376 research outputs found
Connection between orbital modulation of H-alpha and gamma-rays in the Be/X-ray binary LSI+61303
We studied the average orbital modulation of various parameters (gamma-ray
flux, H-alpha emission line, optical V band brightness) of the radio- and
gamma-ray emitting Be/X-ray binary LSI+61303. Using the Spearman rank
correlation test, we found highly significant correlations between the orbital
variability of the equivalent width of the blue hump of the H-alpha and
Fermi-LAT flux with a Spearman p-value 2e-5, and the equivalent widths ratio
EW_B/EW_R and Fermi-LAT flux with p-value 9e-5. We also found a significant
anti-correlation between Fermi-LAT flux and V band magnitude with p-value
7.10^{-4}.
All these correlations refer to the average orbital variability, and we
conclude that the H-alpha and gamma-ray emission processes in LSI+61303 are
connected. The possible physical scenario is briefly discussed.Comment: accepted as a Letter in Astronomy and Astrophysic
H-alpha observations of the gamma-ray-emitting Be/X-ray binary LSI+61303: orbital modulation, disk truncation, and long-term variability
We report 138 spectral observations of the H-alpha emission line of the
radio- and gamma-ray-emitting Be/X-ray binary LSI+61303 obtained during the
period of September 1998 -- January 2013. From measuring various H-alpha
parameters, we found that the orbital modulation of the H-alpha is best visible
in the equivalent width ratio EW(B)/EW(R), the equivalent width of the blue
hump, and in the radial velocity of the central dip. The periodogram analysis
confirmed that the H-alpha emission is modulated with the orbital and
superorbital periods. For the past 20 years the radius of the circumstellar
disk is similar to the Roche lobe size at the periastron. It is probably
truncated by a 6:1 resonance. The orbital maximum of the equivalent width of
H-alpha emission peaks after the periastron and coincides on average with the
X-ray and gamma-ray maxima. All the spectra are available upon request from the
authors and through the CDS.Comment: 11 pages, accepted for publication in A&
Two methods of assessing the mortality factors affecting the larvae and pupae of Cameraria ohridella in the leaves of Aesculus hippocastanum in Switzerland and Bulgaria
The horse-chestnut leaf miner, Cameraria ohridella, is an invasive alien species defoliating horse-chestnut, a popular ornamental tree in Europe. This paper presents quantitative data on mortality factors affecting larvae and pupae of the leaf miner in Switzerland and Bulgaria, both in urban and forest environments. Two sampling methods were used and compared: a cohort method, consisting of the surveying of pre-selected mines throughout their development, and a grab sampling method, consisting of single sets of leaves collected and dissected at regular intervals. The total mortality per generation varied between 14 and 99%. Mortality was caused by a variety of factors, including parasitism, host feeding, predation by birds and arthropods, plant defence reaction, leaf senescence, intra-specific competition and inter-specific competition with a fungal disease. Significant interactions were found between mortality factors and sampling methods, countries, environments and generation. No mortality factor was dominant throughout the sites, generations and methods tested. Plant defence reactions constituted the main mortality factor for the first two larval stages, whereas predation by birds and arthropods and parasitism were more important in older larvae and pupae. Mortality caused by leaf senescence was often the dominant mortality factor in the last annual generation. The cohort method detected higher mortality rates than the grab sampling method. In particular, mortality by plant defence reaction and leaf senescence were better assessed using the cohort method, which is, therefore, recommended for life table studies on leaf miner
H-alpha variability of the recurrent nova T Coronae Borealis
We analyze H-alpha observations of the recurrent nova T CrB obtained during
the last decade. For the first time the H-alpha emission profile is analyzed
after subtraction of the red giant contribution. Based on our new radial
velocity measurements of the H-alpha emission line we estimate the component
masses of T CrB. It is found that the hot component is most likely a massive
white dwarf. We estimate the inclination and the component masses to be i~67
deg, Mwd = 1.37 +/-0.13 Msun and Msec=1.12 +/-0.23 Msun, respectively. The
radial velocity of the central dip in the H-alpha profile changes nearly in
phase with that of the red giant's absorption lines. This suggests that the dip
is most likely produced by absorption in the giant's wind.
Our observations cover an interval when the H-alpha and the U-band flux vary
by a factor of ~6, while the variability in B and V is much smaller. Based on
our observations, and archival ultraviolet and optical data we show that the
optical, ultraviolet and H-alpha fluxes strongly correlate. We argue that the
presence of an accretion disc can account for most of the observed properties
of T CrB.Comment: 8 pages, 6 EPS figures, to appear in A&
The large-scale ionised outflow of CH Cygni
HST and ground-based [OII} and [NII] images obtained from 1996 to 1999 reveal
the existence of a ionised optical nebula around the symbiotic binary CH Cyg
extending out to 5000 A.U. from the central stars. The observed velocity range
of the nebula, derived from long-slit echelle spectra, is of 130 km/s. In spite
of its complex appearence, the velocity data show that the basic morphology of
the inner regions of the optical nebula is that of a bipolar (or conical)
outflow extending nearly along the plane of the sky out to some 2000 A.U. from
the centre. Even if the extension of this bipolar outflow and its position
angle are consistent with those of the radio jet produced in 1984 (extrapolated
to the time of our optical imagery), no obvious counterpart is visible of the
original, dense radio bullets ejected by the system. We speculate that the
optical bipolar outflow might be the remannt of the interaction of the bullets
with a relatively dense circumstellar medium.Comment: 8 text pages + 3 figures (jpeg). ApJ in press. For a full PostScript
version with figures inline see
ftp://ftp.ll.iac.es/pub/research/preprints/PP252001.ps.g
Non-indigenous scale insects on ornamental plants in Bulgaria and China: A survey
Παρουσιάζεται μια προκαταρκτική λίστα από μη ιθαγενή κοκκοειδή είδη σε καλλωπιστικά φυτά στην Βουλγαρία και την Κίνα. Η δειγματοληψία πραγματοποιήθηκε μεταξύ Απριλίου και Νοεμβρίου, 2009, στο πλαίσιο του προγράμματος “Επεκτατικά αλλόχθονα κοκκοειδή έντομα σε καλλωπιστικά φυτά στην Βουλγαρία και την Κίνα”. Τα έντομα συλλέχθηκαν από φυτώρια, πάρκα, κήπους, βοτανικές συλλογές και θερμοκήπια. Είδη από 4 οικογένειες βρέθηκαν στην Βουλγαρία. Τα περισσότερα είδη ανήκουν στην οικογένεια Diaspididae (οκτώ είδη), στην οι- κογένεια Coccidae βρέθηκαν τέσσερα είδη, στην οικογένεια Pseudococcidae δύο είδη και στην οικογένεια Margarodidae ένα είδος. Τρία είδη μη ιθαγενών κοκκοειδών εντόμων σε καλλωπι- στικά φυτά βρέθηκαν κατά τις δειγματοληψίες στην Κίνα. Τα τρία είδη ανήκουν στην οικογένεια Pseudococcidae.A preliminary list of non-indigenous scale insect species on ornamental plants in Bulgaria and China is presented. The sampling was done between April and November, 2009, in the framework of the project “Invasive scale insects on ornamental plants in Bulgaria and China”. The insects were collected in nurseries, parks, gardens, botanical collections and greenhouses. Representatives from four families have been identified in Bulgaria, the most numerous of which are the Diaspididae (eight species), Coccidae (four species), Pseudococcidae (two species) and Margarodidae (one species). Three species of non-indigenous scale insects associated with ornamental plants were collected in China, all belonging to the family Pseudococcidae. A list of alien scale insect species on ornamental plants is given, including the sampling sites, host plants on which they were found, origin and first report in both countries
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