72 research outputs found
UBVRI photopolarimetry of the long period eclipsing AM Herculis binary V1309
We report simultaneous UBVRI photo-polarimetric observations of the long
period (7.98 h) AM Her binary V1309 Ori. The length and shape of the eclipse
ingress and egress varies from night to night. We suggest this is due to the
variation in the brightness of the accretion stream. By comparing the phases of
circular polarization zero-crossovers with previous observations, we confirm
that V1309 Ori is well synchronized, and find an upper limit of 0.002 percent
for the difference between the spin and orbital periods. We model the
polarimetry data using a model consisting of two cyclotron emission regions at
almost diametrically opposite locations, and centered at colatitude 35 (deg)
and 145 (deg) on the surface of the white dwarf. We also present archive X-ray
observations which show that the negatively polarised accretion region is X-ray
bright.Comment: 11 pages, 12 figures (2 colour), Fig1 and Fig 4 are in lower
resolution than in original paper, accepted for publication in Monthly
Notices of the Royal Astronomical Societ
Discovery of polarised emission from the long period intermediate polar RX J2133.7+5107
Aims. We intended to investigate the magnetic field properties of the recently identified intermediate polar RX J2133.7+5107.
Methods. We carried out UBVRI photopolarimetric observations of the target using TURPOL on the Nordic Optical Telescope over 2 nights in July/August 2006.
Results. We found that RX J2133.7+5107 emits circularly polarized light in all UBVRI bands (up to 3%). This is the first detection of circular polarization in this object. The circular polarization modulations and flux variations give hints of cyclotron beaming effects and suggest that the field strength in RX J2133.7+5107 is possibly one of the highest found amongst the IPs.
Conclusions. The highly asynchronous rotation of RX J2133.7+5107 (the spin to orbital period ratio is ~0.022), suggests that it has only recently come into contact and although it is likely to evolve into a polar, it is currently a long way from doing so. We suggest a possible link between the detection of a soft X-ray blackbody component and polarized optical emission in intermediate polars
QuickXsort: Efficient Sorting with n log n - 1.399n +o(n) Comparisons on Average
In this paper we generalize the idea of QuickHeapsort leading to the notion
of QuickXsort. Given some external sorting algorithm X, QuickXsort yields an
internal sorting algorithm if X satisfies certain natural conditions.
With QuickWeakHeapsort and QuickMergesort we present two examples for the
QuickXsort-construction. Both are efficient algorithms that incur approximately
n log n - 1.26n +o(n) comparisons on the average. A worst case of n log n +
O(n) comparisons can be achieved without significantly affecting the average
case.
Furthermore, we describe an implementation of MergeInsertion for small n.
Taking MergeInsertion as a base case for QuickMergesort, we establish a
worst-case efficient sorting algorithm calling for n log n - 1.3999n + o(n)
comparisons on average. QuickMergesort with constant size base cases shows the
best performance on practical inputs: when sorting integers it is slower by
only 15% to STL-Introsort
Circular polarization survey of intermediate polars I. Northern targets in the range 17h<R.A.<23h
Context. The origin, evolution, and ultimate fate of magnetic cataclysmic
variables are poorly understood. It is largely the nature of the magnetic
fields in these systems that leads to this poor understanding. Fundamental
properties, such as the field strength and the axis alignment, are unknown in a
majority of these systems. Aims. We undertake to put all the previous circular
polarization measurements into context and systematically survey intermediate
polars for signs of circular polarization, hence to get an indication of their
true magnetic field strengths and try to understand the evolution of magnetic
cataclysmic variables. Methods. We used the TurPol instrument at the Nordic
Optical Telescope to obtain simultaneous UBVRI photo-polarimetric observations
of a set of intermediate polars, during the epoch 2006 July 31 - August 2.
Results. Of this set of eight systems two (1RXS J213344.1+510725 and 1RXS
J173021.5-055933) were found to show significant levels of circular
polarization, varying with spin phase. Five others (V2306 Cyg, AO Psc, DQ Her,
FO Aqr, and V1223 Sgr) show some evidence for circular polarization and
variation of this with spin phase, whilst AE Aqr shows little evidence for
polarized emission. We also report the first simultaneous UBVRI photometry of
the newly identified intermediate polar 1RXS J173021.5-055933. Conclusions.
Circular polarization may be ubiquitous in intermediate polars, albeit at a low
level of one or two percent or less. It is stronger at longer wavelengths in
the visible spectrum. Our results lend further support to the possible link
between the presence of soft X-ray components and the detectability of circular
polarization in intermediate polars.Comment: 14 pages. Accepted for publication in A&
Pulsations and orbital modulation of the intermediate polar 1WGA J1958.2+3232
We present optical photometry, spectroscopy and photopolarimetry, as well as
ASCA X-ray observations, of the recently discovered intermediate polar 1WGA
J1958.2+3232. Through the first detection of an optical beat frequency, we
confirm the previously tentative suggestion that the spin period of the white
dwarf is twice the X-ray and optical pulsation period, which we also confirm in
each case. We detect an orbital modulation in each of the U, B, V, R and I
bands for the first time, and suggest that the true orbital period is the -1d
alias of that previously suggested. We also confirm the presence of circular
polarization in this system, detecting a variable polarization which has
opposite signs in each of the B and R bands. The double peaked pulse profile
and oppositely signed polarization pulses suggest that 1WGA J1958.2+3232
accretes onto both magnetic poles via a disc which is truncated relatively
close to the white dwarf.Comment: All figures now included as postscrip
HS 0139+0559, HS 0229+8016, HS 0506+7725, and HS 0642+5049 : four new long-period cataclysmic variables
We present time-resolved optical spectroscopy and photometry of four relatively bright (V ⌠14.0â15.5) long-period cataclysmic variables(CVs) discovered in the Hamburg Quasar Survey: HS 0139+0559, HS 0229+8016, HS 0506+7725, and HS 0642+5049. Their respective orbital periods, 243.69
± 0.49 min, 232.550 ± 0.049 min, 212.7 ± 0.2 min, and 225.90
± 0.23 min are determined from radial velocity and photometric variability studies. HS 0506+7725 is characterised by strong Balmer and He emission lines, short-period (âŒ10â20 min) flickering, and weak X-ray emission in the ROSAT All Sky Survey. The detection of a deep low state (B 18.5) identifies HS 0506+7725 as a member of the VY Scl
stars. HS 0139+0559, HS 0229+8016, and HS 0642+5049 display thick-disc like spectra and no or only weak flickering activity. HS 0139+0559 and HS 0229+8016 exhibit clean quasi-sinusoidal radial velocity variations of their emission lines but no or very little orbital photometricvariability. In contrast, we detect no radial velocity variation in HS 0642+5049 but a noticeable orbital brightness variation. We identify all three systems either as UX UMa-type novalike variables or as Z Cam-type dwarf novae. Our identification of these four new systems underlines that the currently known sample of CVs is rather incomplete even for bright objects. The four new systems add to the clustering of orbital periods in the 3â4 h range found in the sample of HQS selected CVs, and we discuss the large incidence of magnetic CVs and VY Scl/SW Sex stars found in this period range among the known population of CVs
X-ray spectroscopy and photometry of the long-period polar AI Tri with XMM-Newton
Context. The energy balance of cataclysmic variables with strong magnetic
fields is a central subject in understanding accretion processes on magnetic
white dwarfs. With XMM-Newton, we perform a spectroscopic and photometric study
of soft X-ray selected polars during their high states of accretion. Aims. On
the basis of X-ray and optical observations of the magnetic cataclysmic
variable AI Tri, we derive the properties of the spectral components, their
flux contributions, and the physical structure of the accretion region in soft
polars. Methods. We use multi-temperature approaches in our xspec modeling of
the spectra to describe the physical conditions and the structures of the
post-shock accretion flow and the accretion spot on the white-dwarf surface. In
addition, we investigate the accretion geometry of the system by a timing
analysis of the photometric data. Results. Flaring soft X-ray emission from the
heated surface of the white dwarf dominates the X-ray flux during roughly 70%
of the binary cycle. This component deviates from a single black body and can
be described by a superimposition of mildly absorbed black bodies with a
Gaussian temperature distribution. In addition, weaker hard X-ray emission is
visible nearly all the time. The spectrum from the cooling post-shock accretion
flow is most closely fitted by a combination of thermal plasma mekal models
with temperature profiles adapted from prior stationary two-fluid hydrodynamic
calculations. The soft X-ray light curves show a dip during the bright phase,
which can be interpreted as self-absorption in the accretion stream.
Phase-resolved spectral modeling supports the picture of one-pole accretion and
self-eclipse. One of the optical light curves corresponds to an irregular mode
of accretion. During a short XMM-Newton observation at the same epoch, the
X-ray emission of the system is clearly dominated by the soft component.Comment: A&A, in press; 11 pages, 9 figures, 3 table
Constructing Delaunay triangulations along space-filling curves
Incremental construction con BRIO using a space-filling curve order for insertion is a popular algorithm for constructing Delaunay triangulations. So far, it has only been analyzed for the case that a worst-case optimal point location data structure is used which is often avoided in implementations. In this paper, we analyze its running time for the more typical case that points are located by walking. We show that in the worst-case the algorithm needs quadratic time, but that this can only happen in degenerate cases. We show that the algorithm runs in O(n logn) time under realistic assumptions. Furthermore, we show that it runs in expected linear time for many random point distributions. This research was supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft within the European graduate program âCombinatorics, Geometry, and Computationâ (No. GRK 588/2) and by the Netherlandsâ Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO) under BRICKS/FOCUS grant number 642.065.503 and project no. 639.022.707
Multi-colour optical monitoring of eight red blazars
We present the observational results of multi-colour optical monitoring of
eight red blazars from 2003 September to 2004 February. The aim of our
monitoring is to investigate the spectral variability as well as the flux
variations at short and long time scales. The observations were carried out
using the 1.0 m robotic telescope of Mt. Lemmon Optical Astronomy Observatory,
in Arizona, USA, the 0.6 m telescope of Sobaeksan Optical Astronomy Observatory
and the 1.8 m telescope of Bohyunsan Optical Astronomy Observatory, in the
Republic of Korea. During the observations, all sources show strong flux
variations with amplitudes of larger than 0.5 mag. Variations with amplitudes
of over 1 mag are found in four sources. Intraday variations with amplitudes
larger than 0.15 mag, and a rapid brightness increase with a rate of ~0.2 mag
per day in four days, are detected in S5 0716+71. We investigate the
relationship between the colour index and source brightness for each source. We
find that two out of three FSRQs tend to be redder when they are brighter, and,
conversely, all BL Lac objects tend to be bluer. In particular, we find a
significant anti-correlation between the V-I colour index and R magnitude for
3C 454.3. This implies that the spectrum became steeper when the source was
brighter, which is opposite to the common trend for blazars. In contrast,
significant positive correlations are found in 3C 66A, S5 0716+71, and BL Lac.
However, there are only very weak correlations for PKS 0735+17 and OJ 287. We
propose that the different relative contributions of the thermal versus
non-thermal radiation to the optical emission may be responsible for the
different trends of the colour index with brightness in FSRQs and BL Lac
objects.Comment: 15 pages, 12 figures. Accepted for publication in A&
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