119 research outputs found
Catching VY Sculptoris in a low state
Context. In the context of a large campaign to determine the system
parameters of high mass transfer cataclysmic variables, we found VY Scl in a
low state in 2008. Aims. Making use of this low state, we study the stellar
components of the binary with little influence of the normally dominating
accretion disc. Methods. Time-resolved spectroscopy and photometry of VY Scl
taken during the low state are presented. We analysed the light-curve and
radial velocity curve and use time-resolved spectroscopy to calculate Doppler
maps of the dominant emission lines. Results. The spectra show narrow emission
lines of Halpha, Hbeta, HeI, NaID, and FeII, as well as faint TiO absorption
bands that trace the motion of the irradiated secondary star, and Halpha and
HeI emission line wings that trace the motion of the white dwarf. From these
radial velocities, we find an orbital period of 3.84 h, and put constraints on
binary parameters such as the mass ratio M2/M1 of 0.43 and the inclination of
15 deg. With a secondary's mass between 0.3 and 0.35 Msol, we derive the mass
for the white dwarf as M1 = 0.6-0.1 Msol.Comment: 8 pages, 9 figures, accepted for publication in A&
The Supergiant Shell LMC2: II. Physical Properties of the 10^6 K Gas
LMC2 has the highest X-ray surface brightness of all know supergiant shells
in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). The X-ray emission peaks within the
ionized filaments that define the shell boundary, but also extends beyond the
southern border of LMC2 as an X-ray bright spur. ROSAT HRI images reveal the
X-ray emission from LMC2 and the spur to be truly diffuse, indicating a hot
plasma origin. We have obtained ROSAT PSPC and ASCA SIS spectra to study the
physical conditions of the hot gas interior to LMC2 and the spur. Raymond-Smith
thermal plasma model fits to the X-ray spectra, constrained by HI 21-cm
emission-line measurements of the column density, show the plasma temperature
of the hot gas interior of LMC2 to be kT = 0.1 - 0.7 keV and of the spur to be
kT = 0.1 - 0.5 keV. We have compared the physical conditions of the hot gas
interior to LMC2 with those of other supergiant shells, superbubbles, and
supernova remnants (SNRs) in the LMC. We find that our derived electron
densities for the hot gas inside LMC2 is higher than the value determined for
the supergiant shell LMC4, comparable to the value determined for the
superbubble N11, and lower than the values determined for the superbubble N44
and a number of SNRs.Comment: 29 pages, 5 figures, to be published in Ap
Photometry and spectroscopy of faint candidate spectrophotometric standard DA white dwarfs
We present precise photometry and spectroscopy for 23 candidate
spectrophotometric standard white dwarfs. The selected stars are distributed in
the Northern hemisphere and around the celestial equators and are all fainter
than r ~ 16.5 mag. This network of stars, when established as standards,
together with the three Hubble Space Telescope primary CALSPEC white dwarfs,
will provide a set of spectrophotometric standards to directly calibrate data
products to better than 1%. These new faint standard white dwarfs will have
enough signal-to-noise ratio in future deep photometric surveys and facilities
to be measured accurately while still avoiding saturation in such surveys. They
will also fall within the dynamic range of large telescopes and their
instruments for the foreseeable future. This paper discusses the provenance of
the observational data for our candidate standard stars. The comparison with
models, reconciliation with reddening, and the consequent derivation of the
full spectral energy density distributions for each of them is reserved for a
subsequent paper.Comment: 31 pages, 17 figures, 10 tables, ApJ in press (accepted on December
23rd, 2018
The population of X-ray supernova remnants in the Large Magellanic Cloud
We present a comprehensive X-ray study of the population of supernova
remnants (SNRs) in the LMC. Using primarily XMM-Newton, we conduct a systematic
spectral analysis of LMC SNRs to gain new insights on their evolution and the
interplay with their host galaxy. We combined all the archival XMM observations
of the LMC with those of our Very Large Programme survey. We produced X-ray
images and spectra of 51 SNRs, out of a list of 59. Using a careful modelling
of the background, we consistently analysed all the X-ray spectra and measure
temperatures, luminosities, and chemical compositions. We investigated the
spatial distribution of SNRs in the LMC and the connection with their
environment, characterised by various SFHs. We tentatively typed all LMC SNRs
to constrain the ratio of core-collapse to type Ia SN rates in the LMC. We
compared the X-ray-derived column densities to HI maps to probe the
three-dimensional structure of the LMC. This work provides the first
homogeneous catalogue of X-ray spectral properties of LMC SNRs. It offers a
complete census of LMC SNRs exhibiting Fe K lines (13% of the sample), or
revealing contribution from hot SN ejecta (39%). Abundances in the LMC ISM are
found to be 0.2-0.5 solar, with a lower [/Fe] than in the Milky Way.
The ratio of CC/type Ia SN in the LMC is , lower than in local SN surveys and galaxy clusters.
Comparison of X-ray luminosity functions of SNRs in Local Group galaxies
reveals an intriguing excess of bright objects in the LMC. We confirm that 30
Doradus and the LMC Bar are offset from the main disc of the LMC, to the far
and near sides, respectively. (abridged)Comment: Accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysics. 54 pages, 18
figures, 12 tables. The resolution of the figures has been reduced compared
to the journal version; v2: New title, minor text edits; v3: Correct version
Multi-frequency study of a new Fe-rich supernova remnant in the Large Magellanic Cloud, MCSNR J0508-6902
We present a detailed radio, X-ray and optical study of a newly discovered
Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) supernova remnant (SNR) which we denote MCSNR
J0508-6902. Observations from the Australian Telescope Compact Array (ATCA) and
the X-ray observatory are complemented by deep H
images and Anglo Australian Telescope AAOmega spectroscopic data to study the
SNR shell and its shock-ionisation. Archival data at other wavelengths are also
examined. The remnant follows a filled-in shell type morphology in the
radio-continuum and has a size of 74 pc 57 pc at the LMC
distance. The X-ray emission exhibits a faint soft shell morphology with
Fe-rich gas in its interior indicative of a Type Ia origin. The remnant
appears to be mostly dissipated at higher radio-continuum frequencies leaving
only the south-eastern limb fully detectable while in the optical it is the
western side of the SNR shell that is clearly detected. The best-fit
temperature to the shell X-ray emission ( keV) is
consistent with other large LMC SNRs. We determined an O/Fe ratio of and
an Fe mass of 0.5-1.8 in the interior of the remnant, both of which
are consistent with the Type Ia scenario. We find an equipartition magnetic
field for the remnant of 28 G, a value typical of older SNRs and
consistent with other analyses which also infer an older remnant
HST/WFPC2 and VLT/ISAAC observations of PROPLYDS in the giant HII region NGC 3603
We report the discovery of three proplyd-like structures in the giant HII
region NGC 3603. The emission nebulae are clearly resolved in narrow-band and
broad-band HST/WFPC2 observations in the optical and broad-band VLT/ISAAC
observations in the near-infrared. All three nebulae are tadpole shaped, with
the bright ionization front at the head facing the central cluster and a
fainter ionization front around the tail pointing away from the cluster.
Typical sizes are 6,000 A.U. x 20,000 A.U. The nebulae share the overall
morphology of the proplyds (``PROto PLanetarY DiskS'') in Orion, but are 20 to
30 times larger in size. Additional faint filaments located between the nebulae
and the central ionizing cluster can be interpreted as bow shocks resulting
from the interaction of the fast winds from the high-mass stars in the cluster
with the evaporation flow from the proplyds. The striking similarity of the
tadpole shaped emission nebulae in NGC 3603 to the proplyds in Orion suggests
that the physical structure of both types of objects might be the same. We
present 2D radiation hydrodynamical simulations of an externally illuminated
star-disk-envelope system, which was still in its main accretion phase when
first exposed to ionizing radiation from the central cluster. The simulations
reproduce the overall morphology of the proplyds in NGC 3603 very well, but
also indicate that mass-loss rates of up to 10^-5 Mo/yr are required in order
to explain the size of the proplyds. (abbreviated)Comment: 10 pages, 4 Postscript figures, uses emulateapj.sty and psfig.tex.
Astronomical Journal, in press (January 2000 issue
Magnetotransport Properties of Quasi-Free Standing Epitaxial Graphene Bilayer on SiC: Evidence for Bernal Stacking
We investigate the magnetotransport properties of quasi-free standing
epitaxial graphene bilayer on SiC, grown by atmospheric pressure graphitization
in Ar, followed by H intercalation. At the charge neutrality point the
longitudinal resistance shows an insulating behavior, which follows a
temperature dependence consistent with variable range hopping transport in a
gapped state. In a perpendicular magnetic field, we observe quantum Hall states
(QHSs) both at filling factors () multiple of four (), as
well as broken valley symmetry QHSs at and . These results
unambiguously show that the quasi-free standing graphene bilayer grown on the
Si-face of SiC exhibits Bernal stacking.Comment: 12 pages, 5 figure
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