1,316 research outputs found
Subaru and Swift observations of V652 Herculis: resolving the photospheric pulsation
High-resolution spectroscopy with the Subaru High Dispersion Spectrograph, and Swift ultraviolet photometry are presented for the pulsating extreme helium star V652 Her. Swift provides the best relative ultraviolet photometry obtained to date, but shows no direct evidence for a shock at ultraviolet or X-ray wavelengths. Subaru has provided high spectral and high temporal resolution spectroscopy over six pulsation cycles (and eight radius minima).
These data have enabled a line-by-line analysis of the entire pulsation cycle and provided a description of the pulsating photosphere as a function of optical depth. They show that the photosphere is compressed radially by a factor of at least 2 at minimum radius, that the phase of radius minimum is a function of optical depth and the pulse speed through the photosphere is between 141 and 239 km s−1 (depending how measured) and at least 10 times the local sound speed. The strong acceleration at minimum radius is demonstrated in individual line profiles; those formed deepest in the photosphere show a jump discontinuity of over 70 kms−1 on a time-scale of 150 s. The pulse speed and line profile jumps imply a shock is present at minimum radius. These empirical results provide input for hydrodynamical modelling of the pulsation and hydrodynamical plus radiative transfer modelling of the dynamical spectra
Radial velocity variations of the pulsating subdwarf B star PG 1605+072
We present an analysis of high-speed spectroscopy of the pulsating subdwarf B
star PG 1605+072. Periodic radial motions are detected at frequencies similar
to those reported for photometric variations in the star, with amplitudes of up
to 6 km/s. Differences between relative strengths for given frequency peaks for
our velocity data and previously measured photometry are probably a result of
shifting of power between modes over time. Small differences in the detected
frequencies may also indicate mode-shifting. We report the detection of
line-shape variations using the moments of the cross correlation function
profiles. It may be possible to use the moments to identify the star's
pulsation modes.Comment: 5 pages, 6 figure
Variability in the extreme helium star LSS 5121
We report a photometric and spectroscopic study of the hot extreme helium
star LSS 5121. We found photometric variability, but no period was evident in
its periodogram. This is consistent with the previous proposal, based on
spectral line variations, that LSS 5121 is a non-radial pulsator similar to
other hot extreme helium stars.Comment: 5 pages, 6 figure
The binary properties of the pulsating subdwarf B eclipsing binary PG 1336-018 (NY Virginis)
Aims. We present an unbiased orbit solution and mass determination of the components of the eclipsing binary PG1336−018 as a critical test for the formation scenarios of subdwarf B stars.
Methods. We obtained high-resolution time series VLT/UVES spectra and high-speed multicolour VLT/ULTRACAM photometric
observations of PG1336−018, a rapidly pulsating subdwarf B star in a short period eclipsing binary.
Results. Combining the radial velocity curve obtained from the VLT/UVES spectra with the VLT/ULTRACAM multicolour
lightcurves, we determined numerical orbital solutions for this eclipsing binary. Due to the large number of free parameters and their strong correlations, no unique solution could be found, only families of solutions. We present three solutions of equal statistical
significance, two of which are compatible with the primary having gone through a core He-flash and a common-envelope phase described by the α-formalism. These two models have an sdB primary of 0.466 M and 0.389 M, respectively. Finally, we report the detection of the Rossiter-McLaughlin effect for PG1336−018
Improved SAAO–2MASS photometry transformations
Near-infrared photometry of 599 stars is used to calculate transformations from the South
African Astronomical Observatory (SAAO) JHK system to the Two-Micron All-Sky Survey
(2MASS) JHKS system. Both several-term formal regression relations and simplified transformations
are presented. Inverse transformations (i.e. 2MASS to SAAO) are also given. The
presence of non-linearities in some colour terms is highlighted.Web of Scienc
A survey for pulsating subdwarf B stars with the Nordic Optical Telescope
A search programme for pulsating subdwarf B stars was conducted with the
Nordic Optical Telescope on La Palma over 59 nights between 1999 and 2009. The
purpose of the programme was to significantly extend the number of rapidly
pulsating sdB stars to better understand the properties of this new group of
variable compact stars. Candidates were selected initially from the HS and HE
surveys, but were supplemented with additional objects from other surveys.
Short sequences of time-series photometry were made on the candidates to
determine the presence of rapid pulsations. In total twenty new pulsators were
found in this survey, most of which have already been published and some
extensively studied. We present four new short period pulsators, bringing the
total of such pulsators up to 49. We also give limits on pulsation amplitudes
for 285 objects with no obvious periodic variations, summarise the results of
the survey, and provide improved physical parameters on the composite pulsators
for which only preliminary estimates were published earlier.Comment: 17 pages, accepted for publication in A&
V532 oph is a new R coronae borealis star
V532 Oph has been found to be a member of the rare, hydrogen-deficient R Coronae Borealis (RCB) stars from new photometric and spectroscopic data reported in this article. The light curve of V532 Oph shows the sudden, deep, irregularly spaced declines characteristic of RCB stars. Its optical spectrum is typical of a warm (Teff ∼ 7000 K) RCB star, showing weak or absent hydrogen lines, C2 Swan bands, and no evidence for 13C. In addition, the star shows small pulsations typical of an RCB star and an infrared excess due to circumstellar dust. It also appears to be significantly reddened by foreground dust. The distance to V532 Oph is estimated to be 5.5-8.7 kpc. These new data show that this star was misclassified as an eclipsing binary in the General Catalog of Variable Stars. The new data presented here for V532 Oph reveal the power of high-quality, high-cadence, all-sky photometric surveys, such as ASAS-3, to identify new RCB candidates on the basis of light-curve data alone, now that they have been collecting data for durations sufficiently long to reveal multiple declines. Despite their small numbers, RCB stars may be of great importance in understanding the late stages of stellar evolution. In particular, their measured isotopic abundances imply that many, if not most, RCB stars are produced by WD mergers, which may be the low-mass counterparts of the more massive mergers thought to produce type Ia supernovae. Therefore, establishing the population of RCB stars in the Galaxy will help constrain the frequency of these WD mergers. © 2009. The Astronomical Society of the Pacific. All rights reserved
The Solar Neighborhood. XIX. Discovery and Characterization of 33 New Nearby White Dwarf Systems
We present spectra for 33 previously unclassified white dwarf systems
brighter than V = 17 primarily in the southern hemisphere. Of these new
systems, 26 are DA, 4 are DC, 2 are DZ, and 1 is DQ. We suspect three of these
systems are unresolved double degenerates. We obtained VRI photometry for these
33 objects as well as for 23 known white dwarf systems without trigonometric
parallaxes, also primarily in the southern hemisphere. For the 56 objects, we
converted the photometry values to fluxes and fit them to a spectral energy
distribution using the spectroscopy to determine which model to use (i.e. pure
hydrogen, pure helium, or metal-rich helium), resulting in estimates of
effective temperature and distance. Eight of the new and 12 known systems are
estimated to be within the NStars and Catalogue of Nearby Stars (CNS) horizons
of 25 pc, constituting a potential 18% increase in the nearby white dwarf
sample. Trigonometric parallax determinations are underway via CTIOPI for these
20 systems.
One of the DCs is cool so that it displays absorption in the near infrared.
Using the distance determined via trigonometric parallax, we are able to
constrain the model-dependent physical parameters and find that this object is
most likely a mixed H/He atmosphere white dwarf similar to other cool white
dwarfs identified in recent years with significant absorption in the infrared
due to collision-induced absorptions by molecular hydrogen.Comment: 33 pages, 10 figures, accepted for publication in the Astronomical
Journa
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