486 research outputs found
Dialectical modes of nature in Terrence Malick's 'The Thin Red Line'
No abstract available
Paratexts and the commercial promotion of film authorship: James Wan and Saw
No abstract available
Cataclysmic Variables from the Catalina Real-time Transient Survey
We present 855 cataclysmic variable candidates detected by the Catalina
Real-time Transient Survey (CRTS) of which at least 137 have been
spectroscopically confirmed and 705 are new discoveries. The sources were
identified from the analysis of five years of data, and come from an area
covering three quarters of the sky. We study the amplitude distribution of the
dwarf novae CVs discovered by CRTS during outburst, and find that in quiescence
they are typically two magnitudes fainter compared to the spectroscopic CV
sample identified by SDSS. However, almost all CRTS CVs in the SDSS footprint
have ugriz photometry. We analyse the spatial distribution of the CVs and find
evidence that many of the systems lie at scale heights beyond those expected
for a Galactic thin disc population. We compare the outburst rates of newly
discovered CRTS CVs with the previously known CV population, and find no
evidence for a difference between them. However, we find that significant
evidence for a systematic difference in orbital period distribution. We discuss
the CVs found below the orbital period minimum and argue that many more are yet
to be identified among the full CRTS CV sample. We cross-match the CVs with
archival X-ray catalogs and find that most of the systems are dwarf novae
rather than magnetic CVs.Comment: 15 pages, 17 figures, accepted MNRA
Analysis of RR Lyrae Stars in the Northern Sky Variability Survey
We use data from the Northern Sky Variability Survey (NSVS), obtained from
the first generation Robotic Optical Transient Search Experiment (ROTSE-I), to
identify and study RR Lyrae variable stars in the solar neighborhood. We
initially identified 1197 RRab (RR0) candidate stars brighter than the ROTSE
median magnitude V = 14. Periods, amplitudes, and mean V magnitudes are
determined for a subset of 1188 RRab stars with well defined light curves.
Metallicities are determined for 589 stars by the Fourier parameter method and
by the relationship between period, amplitude, and [Fe/H]. We comment upon the
difficulties of clearly classifying RRc (RR1) variables in the NSVS dataset.
Distances to the RRab stars are calculated using an adopted
luminosity-metallicity relation with corrections for interstellar extinction.
The 589 RRab stars in our final sample are used to study the properties of the
RRab population within 5 kpc of the Sun. The Bailey diagram of period versus
amplitude shows that the largest component of this sample belongs to Oosterhoff
type I. Metal-rich ([Fe/H] > -1) RRab stars appear to be associated with the
Galactic disk. Our metal-rich RRab sample may include a thin disk as well as a
thick disk population, although the uncertainties are too large to establish
this. There is some evidence among the metal-rich RRab stars for a decline in
scale height with increasing [Fe/H], as was found by Layden (1995). The
distribution of RRab stars with -1 < [Fe/H] < -1.25 indicates that within this
metallicity range the RRab stars are a mixture of stars belonging to halo and
disk populations.Comment: 68 pages, 26 figures, 9 tables, accepted to A
NSV 1907 - a new eclipsing, nova-like cataclysmic variable
NSV 1907, formerly listed as an irregular variable in variability catalogues, was classified as an Algol-type eclipsing binary in the Catalina Surveys Periodic Variable Star Catalogue. We have identified NSV 1907 as an ultraviolet (UV) bright source using measurements from the GALEX space telescope and detected obvious out-of-eclipse variability in archival photometric data from the Catalina Sky Survey, which instigated a closer examination of the object. A spectrum and extensive multicolour photometric observations were acquired, from which we deduce that NSV 1907 is a deeply eclipsing, nova-like cataclysmic variable. Apart from the orbital variations (deep eclipses with a period of P â 6.63 hours), changes in mean brightness and irregular short-term variability (flickering) were observed. The presence of a secondary minimum at phase Ï â 0.5 was established, which indicates a significant contribution of the companion star to the optical flux of the system. We find possible evidence for sinusoidal variations with a period of P â 4.2 d, which we interpret as the nodal precession period of the accretion disc. No outbursts or VY Scl-like drops in brightness were detected either by the CSS or during our photometric monitoring. Because of its spectral characteristics and the observed variability pattern, we propose NSV 1907 as a new moderately bright long-period SW Sextantis star. Further photometric and spectroscopic observations are encouraged
Identification of new cataclysmic variables in the 1RXS and USNO-B1.0 catalogs
As a result of applying the original optical variability search method on
publicly available data, we have found eight new cataclysmic variables and two
possible Optically Violent Variable quasars among the previously unidentified
X-ray sources in the ROSAT catalog. We describe the search method and present
the characteristics of the newly identified variable stars. The obtained
results demonstrate the large potential of the concept of Virtual Observatory
for identifying new objects of astrophysical interest.Comment: 16 pages, 11 figures, 2 tables; submitted to Astronomy Letter
The quest for companions to post-common envelope binaries. II. NSVS14256825 and HS0705+6700
We report new mid-eclipse times of the two close binaries NSVS14256825 and
HS0705+6700, harboring an sdB primary and a low-mass main-sequence secondary.
Both objects display clear variations in the measured orbital period, which can
be explained by the action of a third object orbiting the binary. If this
interpretation is correct, the third object in NSVS14256825 is a giant planet
with a mass of roughly 12 M_Jup. For HS0705+6700, we provide evidence that
strengthens the case for the suggested periodic nature of the eclipse time
variation and reduces the uncertainties in the parameters of the brown dwarf
implied by that model. The derived period is 8.4 yr and the mass is 31 M_Jup,
if the orbit is coplanar with the binary. This research is part of the
PlanetFinders project, an ongoing collaboration between professional
astronomers and student groups at high schools.Comment: Accepted by Astron. and Astrophy
Scaling algebras and pointlike fields: A nonperturbative approach to renormalization
We present a method of short-distance analysis in quantum field theory that
does not require choosing a renormalization prescription a priori. We set out
from a local net of algebras with associated pointlike quantum fields. The net
has a naturally defined scaling limit in the sense of Buchholz and Verch; we
investigate the effect of this limit on the pointlike fields. Both for the
fields and their operator product expansions, a well-defined limit procedure
can be established. This can always be interpreted in the usual sense of
multiplicative renormalization, where the renormalization factors are
determined by our analysis. We also consider the limits of symmetry actions. In
particular, for suitable limit states, the group of scaling transformations
induces a dilation symmetry in the limit theory.Comment: minor changes and clarifications; as to appear in Commun. Math.
Phys.; 37 page
- âŠ