1,943 research outputs found
Establishing Visible Interferometer System Responses: Resolved and Unresolved Calibrators
The propagation of errors through the uniform disk visibility function is
examined. Implications of those errors upon measures of absolute visibility
through optical and near-infrared interferometers are considered within the
context of using calibration stars to establish system visibilities for these
instruments. We suggest a simple ratio test to establish empirically whether or
not the measured visibilities produced by such an instrument are relative
(errors dominated by calibrator angular size prediction error) or absolute
(errors dominated by measurement error).Comment: 20 pages, 7 figures, to be published in the PAS
Spitzer 24-micron Time-Series Observations of the Eclipsing M-dwarf Binary GU Bootis
We present a set of {\it Spitzer} 24m MIPS time series observations of
the M-dwarf eclipsing binary star GU Bo\"otis. Our data cover three secondary
eclipses of the system: two consecutive events and an additional eclipse six
weeks later. The study's main purpose is the long wavelength (and thus limb
darkening-independent) characterization of GU Boo's light curve, allowing for
independent verification of the results of previous optical studies. Our
results confirm previously obtained system parameters. We further compare GU
Boo's measured 24m flux density to the value predicted by spectral fitting
and find no evidence for circumstellar dust. In addition to GU Boo, we
characterize (and show examples of) light curves of other objects in the field
of view. Analysis of these light curves serves to characterize the photometric
stability and repeatability of {\it Spitzer's} MIPS 24\micron array over short
(days) and long (weeks) timescales at flux densities between approximately
300--2,000Jy. We find that the light curve root mean square about the
median level falls into the 1--4% range for flux densities higher than 1mJy.
Finally, we comment on the fluctuations of the 24\micron background on short
and long timescales.Comment: ApJ accepted. 10 pages, 12 figure
Spitzer Space Telescope Observations of Circumbinary Dust Disks around Polars
We present Spitzer Space Telescope IRAC photometry of the magnetic cataclysmic variables EF Eri, MR Ser, VV Pup, V834 Cen, GG Leo and V347 Pav. When we combine our results with the 2MASS data, we find that at least five of the polars have flux densities in the mid-IR in excess of the emission expected from the stellar components alone. We are unable to model this mid-IR excess with cyclotron emission, but we can recreate the observed spectral energy distributions with the inclusion of a simple circumbinary dust disk model. Importantly, we find that the masses of our modelled disks are approximately 12 orders of magnitude lower than required to significantly affect CV evolution. The accretion disk-less polars are ideal places to search for these disks, since the luminous accretion disk in most CVs would drown out the faint IR signature of the cooler, dimmer circumbinary disks
Outbursts of EX Hydrae Revisited
We present optical spectroscopy of EX Hya during its 1991 outburst. This
outburst is characterised by strong irradiation of the front face of the
secondary star by the white dwarf, an overflowing stream which is seen strongly
in HeII and by a dip in the light curves, which extends from 0.1-0.6 in the
binary and spin phases. Strong irradiation of the accretion curtain and that of
the inner regions of the disc led to strong emission of HeII and to the
suppression of the Hg and Hb emission.
Disc overflow was observed in quiescence in earlier studies, where the
overflow stream material was modulated at high velocities close to 1000 km/s.
In outburst, the overflowing material is modulated at even higher velocities
(~1500 km/s). These are streaming velocities down the field lines close to the
white dwarf. Evidence for material collecting near the outer edge of the disc
and corotating with the accretion curtain was observed. In decline, this
material and the accretion curtain obscured almost all the emission near binary
phase 0.4, causing a dip. The dip minimum nearly corresponds with spin pulse
minimum. This has provided additional evidence for an extended accretion
curtain, and for the corotation of material with the accretion curtain at the
outer edge of the disc. From these observations we suggest that a mechanism
similar to that of Spruit & Taam, where outbursts result due to the storage and
release of matter outside the magnetosphere, triggers the outbursts of EX Hya.
This is followed by the irradiation of the secondary star due to accretion
induced radiation.Comment: 12 pages, 14 figures, 1 table. Figures 6, 7, 8 and 11 at low
resolution. Paper accepted by the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical
Societ
Hipparcos red stars in the HpV_{T2} and VI_C systems
For Hipparcos M, S, and C spectral type stars, we provide calibrated
instantaneous (epoch) Cousins color indices using newly derived
photometry. Three new sets of ground-based Cousins data have
been obtained for more than 170 carbon and red M giants. These datasets in
combination with the published sources of photometry served to obtain the
calibration curves linking Hipparcos/Tycho with the Cousins
index. In total, 321 carbon stars and 4464 M- and S-type stars have new
indices. The standard error of the mean is about 0.1 mag or better down
to although it deteriorates rapidly at fainter magnitudes. These
indices can be used to verify the published Hipparcos color
indices. Thus, we have identified a handful of new cases where, instead of the
real target, a random field star has been observed. A considerable fraction of
the DMSA/C and DMSA/V solutions for red stars appear not to be warranted. Most
likely such spurious solutions may originate from usage of a heavily biased
color in the astrometric processing.Comment: 10 figures, 1 electronic table, accepted in A&
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