The primary goal of the VST Photometric H{alpha} Survey of the Southern Galactic Plane and Bulge (VPHAS+) is to collect single-epoch ugri broad-band and Ha narrow-band photometry across the southern Galactic Plane within the latitude range -5{deg}<b<+5{deg} down to point source magnitudes of ~21 or better. The VPHAS+ footprint also includes the inner Galactic Bulge, defined as a 20x20 deg^2^ box around the Galactic Centre: this assures optical coverage of the full VVV footprint. For all massive OBA stars this survey is deep enough to explore all but the most heavily obscured locations of the southern Plane, reaching to >4kpc from the Sun. These data will increase the number of known southern emission line stars by up to an order of magnitude, yielding much better statistics on important short-lived types of object. The wide-area uniform photometry obtained will also facilitate stellar population studies, capable of tracing structure over much of the southern Plane. VPHAS+ will trawl the star-formation history of the Galaxy as seen in stellar remnants of all types.
We have conducted a long-term V-band photometric monitoring of M33 on 95 nights during four observing seasons (2000-2003). A total number of 6418 light curves of bright objects in the range of 14-21mag have been obtained. All measurements are publicly available. A total of 127 new variables were detected, of which 28 are periodic. 10 previously known non-periodic variables were identified as periodic, three of which are Cepheids, and another previously known periodic variable was identified as an eclipsing binary. Our derived periods range from 2.11 to almost 300d. For 50 variables we have combined our observations with those of the DIRECT project, obtaining light curves of up to 500 measurements, with a time-span of ~7yr. We have detected a few interesting variables, including a 99.3d periodic variable with a 0.04mag amplitude, at the position of supernova remnant (SNR) 19.
V, R and I light curves of 4 new low-mass M-type EBs
Short Name:
J/AJ/156/220
Date:
21 Oct 2021
Publisher:
CDS
Description:
We performed multicolor photometric and spectroscopic observations of four new low-mass M-type eclipsing binaries (HAT 225-03429, CRTS J085623.0+282620, CRTS J110302.4+201611, 2MASS J16344899+3716423) in 2017. We obtained new VRI light curves and minimum times of these four systems. Based on our minimum times, we updated the orbital periods and the linear ephemerides using the least squares method. We analyzed these four systems using the Wilson-Devinney program, and obtained the orbital and starspot parameters. The results of our analysis of the light curves indicate that HAT 225-03429 and CRTS J085623.0+282620 are detached eclipsing binaries, CRTS J110302.4+201611 is a semi-detached eclipsing binary, and 2MASS J16344899+3716423 is a contact binary. We performed LAMOST spectroscopic studies of chromospheric activity indicators (H{alpha}, H{beta}, H{gamma}, H{delta}, and Ca II H&K lines) for these four systems for the first time. We first determined their spectral types and calculated the equivalent widths of their chromospheric active indicators. These indicators show that the four low-mass M-type eclipsing binaries are active. Furthermore, the radii of these stars are notably larger than model predictions for their masses, except for the secondary component of HAT 225-03429 and the primary component of CRTS J110302.4+201611.
Knowledge of the red supergiant (RSG) population of nearby galaxies allows us to probe massive star evolution as a function of metallicity; however, contamination by foreground Galactic dwarfs dominates surveys for red stars in Local Group galaxies beyond the Magellanic Clouds. Model atmospheres predict that low-gravity supergiants will have B-V values that are redder by several tenths of a magnitude than foreground dwarfs at a given V-R color, a result that is largely independent of reddening. We conduct a BVR survey of several fields in the Local Group galaxies NGC 6822, M33, and M31 as well as neighboring control fields and identify RSG candidates from CCD photometry. The survey is complete to V=20.5, corresponding to M_V_=-4.5 or an M_bol_ of -6.3 for the reddest stars. Follow-up spectroscopy at the Ca II triplet of 130 stars is used to demonstrate that our photometric criterion for identifying RSGs is highly successful (96% for stars brighter than V=19.5; 82% for V=19.5-20.5). Classification spectra are also obtained for a number of stars in order to calibrate color with spectral type empirically.
VR CCD photometry of variable stars in the GC NGC 4147
Short Name:
J/AJ/158/51
Date:
21 Oct 2021
Publisher:
CDS
Description:
We present results of a search for variable stars in a region of the globular cluster NGC 4147 based on photometric observations with a 4Kx4K CCD imager mounted at the axial port of the recently installed 3.6 m Devasthal optical telescope (DOT) at Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences (ARIES), Nainital, India. We performed time series photometry of NGC 4147 in the V and R bands, and identified 42 periodic variables in the region of NGC 4147, 28 of which have been detected for the first time. Seventeen variable stars are located within the half-light radius ~<0.48', of which 10 stars are newly identified variables. Two of the 10 variables are located within the core radius ~<0.09'. Based on their location in the V/(V-R) color-magnitude diagram and variability characteristics, seven, eight, five, and one newly identified probable member variables are classified as RRc, EA/E, EW, and SX Phe, respectively. The metallicity of NGC 4147 estimated from the light curves of RRab and RRc stars with the help of Fourier decomposition is found to be characteristic of Oosterhoff II. The distance derived using the light curves of RRab stars is consistent with that obtained from the observed V/(V-R) color-magnitude diagram.
146 long-period red variable stars in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) from the three-year Microlensing Observations in Astrophysics (MOA) project data base were analysed. A careful periodic analysis was performed on these stars and a catalogue of their magnitudes, colours, periods and amplitudes is presented. We convert our blue and red magnitudes to K-band values using 19 oxygen-rich stars. A group of red short-period stars separated from the Mira sequence has been found on a (log P,K) diagram. They are located at the short period side of the Mira sequence consistent with the work of Wood & Sebo (1996MNRAS.282..958W). There are two interpretations for such stars; a difference in pulsation mode or a difference in chemical composition. We investigated the properties of these stars together with their colour, amplitude and periodicity. We conclude that they have small amplitudes and less regular variability. They are likely to be higher-mode pulsators. A large scatter has also been found on the long-period side of the (logP,K) diagram. This is possibly a systematic spread given that the blue band of our photometric system covers both standard B and V bands and affects carbon-rich stars.
Sh 2-29 is a conspicuous star-forming region marked by the presence of massive embedded stars as well as several notable interstellar structures. In this research, our goals were to determine the role of magnetic fields and to study the size distribution of interstellar dust particles within this turbulent environment. We have used a set of optical and near-infrared polarimetric data obtained at OPD/LNA (Brazil) and CTIO (Chile), correlated with extinction maps, Two Micron All Sky Survey data, and images from the Digitized Sky Survey and Spitzer. The region's most striking feature is a swept out interstellar cavity whose polarimetric maps indicate that magnetic field lines were dragged outward, piling up along its borders. This led to a higher magnetic strength value ({approx}400{mu}G) and an abrupt increase in polarization degree, probably due to an enhancement in alignment efficiency. Furthermore, dense cloud fragmentations with peak A_V_ between 20 and 37mag were probably triggered by its expansion. The presence of 24{mu}m point-like sources indicates possible newborn stars inside this dense environment. A statistical analysis of the angular dispersion function revealed areas where field lines are aligned in a well-ordered pattern, seemingly due to compression effects from the HII region expansion. Finally, Serkowski function fits were used to study the ratio of the total-to-selective extinction, revealing a dual population of anomalous grain particle sizes. This trend suggests that both effects of coagulation and fragmentation of interstellar grains are present in the region.
We present the results of a dust-reverberation survey of quasars at redshifts z<0.6. We found a delayed response of the K-band flux variation after the optical flux variation in 25 out of 31 targets, and obtained the lag time between them for 22 targets. Combined with the results for nearby Seyfert galaxies, we provide the largest homogeneous collection of K-band dust-reverberation data for 36 type 1 active galactic nuclei (AGNs). This doubles the sample and includes the most distant AGN and the largest lag so far measured. We estimated the optical luminosity of the AGN component of each target using three different methods: spectral decomposition, the flux-variation-gradient method, and image decomposition. We found a strong correlation between the reverberation radius for the innermost dust torus and the optical luminosity over a range of approximately four orders of magnitude in luminosity, as is already known for Seyfert galaxies. We estimated the luminosity distances of the AGNs based on their dust-reverberation lags, and found that the data in the redshift-distance diagram are consistent with the current standard estimates of the cosmological parameters. We also present the radius-luminosity relations for isotropic luminosity indicators such as the hard X-ray (14-195keV), [OIV]25.89{mu}m, and mid-infrared (12{mu}m) continuum luminosities, which are applicable to obscured AGNs.
We present the first CCD photometric observations of the northern open cluster NGC 2126. Data were taken on eight nights in February and December 2002 with a total time span of ~57 hours. Almost 1000 individual V-band frames were examined to find short-period variable stars. We discovered six new variable stars, of which one is a promising candidate for an eclipsing binary with a pulsating component. Here we present single-epoch colours and magnitudes for ~800 stars in the field and the light curve data for the six variables. Note that the coordinates in ngc2126.dat are not particularly accurate because of the applied crude astrometry (errors up to +/-1-2arcsec are quite likely close to the edge). For variable star identification, consult table3.dat.
We present a search for long-period variable (LPV) stars among giant branch stars in M15 which, at [Fe/H]~-2.3, is one of the most metal-poor Galactic globular clusters. We use multicolour optical photometry from the 0.6-m Keele Thornton and 2-m Liverpool Telescopes. Variability of {delta}V~0.15mag is detected in K757 and K825 over unusually long time-scales of nearly a year, making them the most metal-poor LPVs found in a Galactic globular cluster. K825 is placed on the long secondary period sequence, identified for metal-rich LPVs, though no primary period is detectable. We discuss this variability in the context of dust production and stellar evolution at low metallicity, using additional spectra from the 6.5-m Magellan (Las Campanas) telescope. A lack of dust production, despite the presence of gaseous mass loss raises questions about the production of dust and the intracluster medium of this cluster.