Radial Velocities of Six OB Stars

We present new results from a radial velocity study of six bright OB stars with little or no prior measurements. One of these, HD 45314, may be a long-period binary, but the velocity variations of this Be star may be related to changes in its circumstellar disk. Significant velocity variations were also found for HD 60848 (possibly related to nonradial pulsations) and HD 61827 (related to wind variations). The other three targets, HD 46150, HD 54879, and HD 206183, are constant velocity objects, but we note that HD 54879 has H$\alpha$ emission that may originate from a binary companion. We illustrate the average red spectrum of each target.Comment: Accepted for publication in PASP July 2007 issu

The Long Period, Massive Binaries HD 37366 and HD 54662: Potential Targets for Long Baseline Optical Interferometry

We present the results from an optical spectroscopic analysis of the massive stars HD 37366 and HD 54662. We find that HD 37366 is a double-lined spectroscopic binary with a period of 31.8187 +/- 0.0004 days, and HD 54662 is also a double lined binary with a much longer period of 557.8 +/- 0.3 days. The primary of HD 37366 is classified as O9.5 V, and it contributes approximately two-thirds of the optical flux. The less luminous secondary is a broad-lined, early B-type main-sequence star. Tomographic reconstruction of the individual spectra of HD 37366 reveals absorption lines present in each component, enabling us to constrain the nature of the secondary and physical characteristics of both stars. Tomographic reconstruction was not possible for HD 54662; however, we do present mean spectra from our observations that show that the secondary component is approximately half as bright as the primary. The observed spectral energy distributions (SEDs) were fit with model SEDs and galactic reddening curves to determine the angular sizes of the stars. By assuming radii appropriate for their classifications, we determine distance ranges of 1.4 - 1.9 and 1.2 - 1.5 kpc for HD 37366 and HD 54662, respectively.Comment: 27 pages, 8 figures, Accepted for publication in Ap

Comparison of the ICare® rebound tonometer with the Goldmann tonometer in a normal population

The aim of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of measurement of intraocular pressure (IOP) using a new induction/impact rebound tonometer (ICare) in comparison with the Goldmann applanation tonometer (AT). The left eyes of 46 university students were assessed with the two tonometers, with induction tonometry being performed first. The ICare was handled by an optometrist and the Goldmann tonometer by an ophthalmologist. In this study, statistically significant differences were found when comparing the ICare rebound tonometer with applanation tonometry (AT) (p < 0.05). The mean difference between the two tonometers was 1.34 +/- 2.03 mmHg (mean +/- S.D.) and the 95% limits of agreement were +/-3.98 mmHg. A frequency distribution of the differences demonstrated that in more than 80% of cases the IOP readings differed by <3 mmHg between the ICare and the AT. In the present population the ICare overestimates the IOP value by 1.34 mmHg on average when compared with Goldmann tonometer. Nevertheless, the ICare tonometer may be helpful as a screening tool when Goldmann applanation tonometry is not applicable or not recommended, as it is able to estimate IOP within a range of +/-3.00 mmHg in more than 80% of the populatio

Mass and Angular Momentum Transfer in the Massive Algol Binary RY Persei

We present an investigation of H-alpha emission line variations observed in the massive Algol binary, RY Per. We give new radial velocity data for the secondary based upon our optical spectra and for the primary based upon high dispersion UV spectra. We present revised orbital elements and an estimate of the primary's projected rotational velocity (which indicates that the primary is rotating 7 times faster than synchronous). We use a Doppler tomography algorithm to reconstruct the individual primary and secondary spectra in the region of H-alpha, and we subtract the latter from each of our observations to obtain profiles of the primary and its disk alone. Our H-alpha observations of RY Per show that the mass gaining primary is surrounded by a persistent but time variable accretion disk. The profile that is observed outside-of-eclipse has weak, double-peaked emission flanking a deep central absorption, and we find that these properties can be reproduced by a disk model that includes the absorption of photospheric light by the band of the disk seen in projection against the face of the star. We developed a new method to reconstruct the disk surface density distribution from the ensemble of H-alpha profiles observed around the orbit, and this method accounts for the effects of disk occultation by the stellar components, the obscuration of the primary by the disk, and flux contributions from optically thick disk elements. The resulting surface density distribution is elongated along the axis joining the stars, in the same way as seen in hydrodynamical simulations of gas flows that strike the mass gainer near trailing edge of the star. This type of gas stream configuration is optimal for the transfer of angular momentum, and we show that rapid rotation is found in other Algols that have passed through a similar stage.Comment: 39 pages, 12 figures, ApJ in press, 2004 June 20 issu

Wind Accretion and State Transitions in Cygnus X-1

We present the results of a spectroscopic monitoring program (from 1998 to 2002) of the H-alpha emission strength in HDE 226868, the optical counterpart of the black hole binary, Cyg X-1. The H-alpha profiles consist of (1) a P Cygni component associated with the wind of the supergiant, (2) emission components that attain high velocity at the conjunctions and that probably form in enhanced outflows both towards and away from the black hole, and (3) an emission component that moves in anti-phase with the supergiant's motion. We argue that the third component forms in accreted gas near the black hole, and the radial velocity curve of the emission is consistent with a mass ratio of M_X / M_opt = 0.36 +/- 0.05. We find that there is a general anti-correlation between the H-alpha emission strength and X-ray flux in the sense that when the H-alpha emission is strong (W_\lambda < -0.5 Angstroms) the X-ray flux is weaker and the spectrum harder. On the other hand, there is no correlation between H-alpha emission strength and X-ray flux when H-alpha is weak. During the low/hard X-ray state, the strong wind is fast and the accretion rate is relatively low, while in the high/soft state the weaker, highly ionized wind attains only a moderate velocity and the accretion rate increases. We argue that the X-ray transitions from the normal low/hard to the rare high/soft state are triggered by episodes of decreased mass loss rate in the supergiant donor star.Comment: 45 pages, 16 figures, ApJ, in pres

Spectroscopic Hα and Hγ survey of field Be stars: 2004-2009

Massive O- and B-type stars are cosmic engines in the Universe and can be the dominant source of luminosity in a galaxy. The class of Be stars are rapidly rotating B-type stars that lose mass in an equatorial, circumstellar disk (Porter & Rivinius 2003) and cause Balmer and other line emission. Currently, we are unsure as to why these stars rotate so quickly but three scenarios are possible: they may have been born as rapid rotators, spun up by binary mass transfer, or spun up during the main-sequence evolution of B stars. In order to investigate these scenarios for this population of massive stars, we have been spectroscopically observing a set of 115 field Be stars with the Kitt Peak Coudè Feed telescope in both the Hα and Hγ wavelength regimes since 2004. This time baseline allows for examination of variability properties of the circumstellar disks as well as determine candidates for closer examination for binarity. We find that 90% of the observed stars show some variability with 8% showing significant variability over the 5-year baseline. Such values may be compared with the significant variability seen in some clusters such as NGC 3766 (McSwain 2008). Also, while ~20% of the sample consists of known binaries, we find that another 15-30% of the sample shows indications of binarity. © International Astronomical Union 2011

Joint H-alpha and X-Ray Observations of Massive X-Ray Binaries. II. The Be X-ray Binary and Microquasar LS I +61 303

We present the results of an H-alpha monitoring campaign on the BeXRB and microquasar system LS I +61 303. We use radial velocity measurements of HeI lines in our spectra to re-evaluate the orbital elements and to better establish the time of periastron. We list equivalent widths and other parameters for the H-alpha emission line and discuss the orbital phase related variations observed. We call attention to a dramatic episode of emission weakening that occurred in less than a day that probably resulted from exposure to a transient source of ionizing radiation. We argue that the increase in H-alpha and X-ray emission following periastron probably results from the creation of an extended density wave in the disk created by tidal forces. We also discuss estimates of the size of the disk from the H-alpha equivalent width measurements, and we suggest that the disk radius from the average equivalent width corresponds to a resonant truncation radius of the disk while the maximum equivalent width corresponds to a radius limited by the separation of the stars at periastron. We note that a nearby faint companion is probably an unrelated foreground object.Comment: 18 pages including 7 figures and 2 tables, accepted to Ap

The Massive Runaway Stars HD 14633 and HD 15137

We present results from a radial velocity study of two runaway O-type stars, HD 14633 (ON8.5 V) and HD 15137 (O9.5 III(n)). We find that HD 14633 is a single-lined spectroscopic binary with an orbital period of 15.4083 days. The second target HD 15137 is a radial velocity variable and a possible single-lined spectroscopic binary with a period close to 1 month. Both binaries have large eccentricity, small semiamplitude, and a small mass function. We show the trajectories of the stars in the sky based upon an integration of motion in the Galactic potential, and we suggest that both stars were ejected from the vicinity of the open cluster NGC 654 in the Perseus spiral arm. The binary orbital parameters and runaway velocities are consistent with the idea that both these stars were ejected by supernova explosions in binaries and that they host neutron star companions. We find that the time-of-flight since ejection is longer than the predicted evolutionary timescales for the stars, which may indicate that they have a lower mass than normally associated with their spectral classifications and/or that their lives have been extended through rapid rotation.Comment: Submitted to ApJ, 22 pages, 4 figure