932 research outputs found
Variable stars in the Fornax dSph Galaxy. II. Pulsating stars below the horizontal branch
We have carried out an intensive survey of the northern region of the Fornax
dwarf spheroidal galaxy with the aim of detecting the galaxy's short--period
pulsating stars (P<0.25 days). Observations collected over three consecutive
nights with the Wide Field Imager of the 2.2m MPI telescope at ESO allowed us
to detect 85 high-amplitude (0.20-1.00 mag in B-light) variable stars with
periods in the range from 0.046 to 0.126 days, similar to SX Phoenicis stars in
Galactic metal-poor stellar populations. The plots of the observed periods vs.
the B and V magnitudes show a dispersion largely exceeding the observational
errors. To disentangle the matter, we separated the first-overtone from the
fundamental-mode pulsators and tentatively identified a group of subluminous
variables, about 0.35 mag fainter than the others. Their nature as either
metal-poor intermediate-age stars or stars formed by the merging of close
binary systems is discussed. The rich sample of the Fornax variables also led
us to reconstruct the Period-Luminosity relation for short-period pulsating
stars. An excellent linear fit, M(V)=-1.83(+/-0.08)-3.65(+/-0.07) log P(fund),
was obtained using 153 Delta Scuti and SX Phoenicis stars in a number of
different stellar systems.Comment: 11 pages plus 1 on-line figure and 1 on-line table; accepted for
publication in ApJ. Part of this work has been the subject of the Laurea
thesis of LDA. His supervisor and our colleague, Prof. Laura E. Pasinetti,
suddendly passed away on September 13, 2006. Several astronomers have been
trained under her tutelage and we gratefully honor her memor
A delta Scuti distance to the Large Magellanic Cloud
We present results from a well studied delta Scuti star discovered in the
LMC. The absolute magnitude of the variable was determined from the PL relation
for Galactic delta Scuti stars and from the theoretical modeling of the
observed B,V,I light curves. The two methods give distance moduli for the LMC
of 18.46+-0.19 and 18.48+-0.15, respectively, for a consistent value of the
stellar reddening of E(B-V)=0.08+-0.02. We have also analyzed 24 delta Scuti
candidates discovered in the OGLE II survey of the LMC, and 7 variables
identified in the open cluster LW 55 and in the galaxy disk by Kaluzny et al.
(2003, 2006). We find that the LMC delta Scuti stars define a PL relation whose
slope is very similar to that defined by the Galactic delta Scuti variables,
and yield a distance modulus for the LMC of 18.50+-0.22 mag. We compare the
results obtained from the delta Scuti variables with those derived from the LMC
RR Lyrae stars and Cepheids. Within the observational uncertainties, the three
groups of pulsating stars yield very similar distance moduli. These moduli are
all consistent with the "long" astronomical distance scale for the Large
Magellanic Cloud.Comment: Accepted for publication on A
Stellar evolution through the ages: period variations in galactic RRab stars as derived from the GEOS database and TAROT telescopes
The theory of stellar evolution can be more closely tested if we have the
opportunity to measure new quantities. Nowadays, observations of galactic RR
Lyr stars are available on a time baseline exceeding 100 years. Therefore, we
can exploit the possibility of investigating period changes, continuing the
pioneering work started by V. P. Tsesevich in 1969. We collected the available
times of maximum brightness of the galactic RR Lyr stars in the GEOS RR Lyr
database. Moreover, we also started new observational projects, including
surveys with automated telescopes, to characterise the O-C diagrams better. The
database we built has proved to be a very powerful tool for tracing the period
variations through the ages. We analyzed 123 stars showing a clear O-C pattern
(constant, parabolic or erratic) by means of different least-squares methods.
Clear evidence of period increases or decreases at constant rates has been
found, suggesting evolutionary effects. The median values are beta=+0.14
day/Myr for the 27 stars showing a period increase and beta=-0.20 day/Myr for
the 21 stars showing a period decrease. The large number of RR Lyr stars
showing a period decrease (i.e., blueward evolution) is a new and intriguing
result. There is an excess of RR Lyr stars showing large, positive
values. Moreover, the observed beta values are slightly larger than those
predicted by theoretical models.Comment: 15 pages, 9 figures; to be published in Astronomy and Astrophysics;
full resolution version available at
http://dbrr.ast.obs-mip.fr/tarot/publis/publis.htm
HD 41641: A classical Sct-type pulsator with chemical signatures of an Ap star
Among the known groups of pulsating stars, Sct stars are one of the
least understood. Theoretical models do not predict the oscillation frequencies
that observations reveal. Complete asteroseismic studies are necessary to
improve these models and better understand the internal structure of these
targets. We study the Sct star HD 41641 with the ultimate goal of
understanding its oscillation pattern. The target was simultaneously observed
by the CoRoT space telescope and the HARPS high-resolution spectrograph. The
photometric data set was analyzed with the software package PERIOD04, while
FAMIAS was used to analyze the line profile variations. The method of spectrum
synthesis was used for spectroscopically determining the fundamental
atmospheric parameters and individual chemical abundances. A total of 90
different frequencies was identified and analyzed. An unambiguous
identification of the azimuthal order of the surface geometry could only be
provided for the dominant p-mode, which was found to be a nonradial prograde
mode with m = +1. Using and , we estimated the mass,
radius, and evolutionary stage of HD 41641. We find HD 41641 to be a moderately
rotating, slightly evolved Sct star with subsolar overall atmospheric
metal content and unexpected chemical peculiarities. HD 41641 is a pure
Sct pulsator with p-mode frequencies in the range from 10 d to
20 d. This pulsating star presents chemical signatures of an Ap star and
rotational modulation due to surface inhomogeneities, which we consider
indirect evidence of the presence of a magnetic field.Comment: 11 pages, 11 figures, accepted for publication in A&
Understanding the dynamical structure of pulsating stars: The Baade-Wesselink projection factor of the delta Scuti stars AI Vel and beta Cas
Aims. The Baade-Wesselink method of distance determination is based on the
oscillations of pulsating stars. The key parameter of this method is the
projection factor used to convert the radial velocity into the pulsation
velocity. Our analysis was aimed at deriving for the first time the projection
factor of delta Scuti stars, using high-resolution spectra of the
high-amplitude pulsator AI Vel and of the fast rotator beta Cas. Methods. The
geometric component of the projection factor (i.e. p0) was calculated using a
limb-darkening model of the intensity distribution for AI Vel, and a
fast-rotator model for beta Cas. Then, using SOPHIE/OHP data for beta Cas and
HARPS/ESO data for AI Vel, we compared the radial velocity curves of several
spectral lines forming at different levels in the atmosphere and derived the
velocity gradient associated to the spectral-line-forming regions in the
atmosphere of the star. This velocity gradient was used to derive a dynamical
projection factor p. Results. We find a flat velocity gradient for both stars
and finally p = p0 = 1.44 for AI Vel and p = p0 = 1.41 for beta Cas. By
comparing Cepheids and delta Scuti stars, these results bring valuable insights
into the dynamical structure of pulsating star atmospheres. They suggest that
the period-projection factor relation derived for Cepheids is also applicable
to delta Scuti stars pulsating in a dominant radial mode
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