We present the results of VLBA observations at 6 and 3.6cm for eighteen Compact Steep Spectrum radio sources (CSS) from the B3-VLA CSS sample. In most cases these VLBA images display a "Double/Triple" morphology, and the core is unambiguously detected in seven sources. Multifrequency images allow us to study the spectral properties of the individual source components and to constrain the spectral age. In lobe-dominated sources the radiative ages deduced from the synchrotron theory are in the range of up 5x10^3^ years, if equipartition magnetic field is assumed. Polarized emission is detected at a few percent level for two sources only. They were the only two sources displaying polarized emission in VLA A configuration data, and this implies that beam depolarization is not effective in reducing the integrated fractional polarization for these sources.
Polarisation parameters are presented for 192 radiosources of the B3-VLA sample at 1.4, 2.7, 4.8, 10.5GHz. The polarisation has been measured with Effelsberg radiotelescope for 2.7, 4.8, 10.5GHz, while the 1.4 polarization is from NVSS (Cat. <VIII/65>) survey. Rotation Measures (RM) are presented for 143 radiosources.
Table 2 presents flux densities at 151, 327 and 408MHz and 1.4, 4.8 and 10.6GHz of B3-VLA sample and an updated list of the Optical Identifications of the sample.
74MHz flux densities are presented for 365 radiosources of the B3-VLA sample. Data were obtained as a by-product of the VLA A-array 74MHz survey of Tschager et al. (2003, Cat. <J/A+A/402/171>). These A-array data provide the first morphological information at this low frequency.
Cepheids, the principal distance indicators, point to the existence of two inner Galactic spiral arms in the immediate solar neighborhood (within 5kpc). However, the available Cepheids are clearly insufficient for a detailed study of the structure of these arms. Fortunately, southern-sky monitoring (the ASAS project) has led to the discovery of many new variable stars, more than one thousand of which have been identified as possible Cepheids. To improve the classification and to construct reliable light curves for new Cepheids, we have begun their regular photometric observations. Here, we present the first results: 1192 photoelectric BVIc observations were performed for 33 classicalCepheidswith the 76-cm telescope of the South-African Astronomical Observatory (SAAO, the South-African Republic) from December 2006 to January 2008.We provide tables of observations and V light and B-V and V-Ic color curves. The new observations together with ASAS-3 data have been used to improve the elements of the light variations.
It is not easy to identify and classify low-amplitude variables, but it is important that the classification is done correctly. We use photometry and spectroscopy to classify low-amplitude variables in a 246deg^2^ part of the Akerlof et al. (2000, Cat. J/AJ/119/1901) field. Akerlof and Collaborators found that 38% of the RR Lyrae stars in their 2000deg^2^ test field were RR1 (type c). This suggests that these RR Lyrae stars belong to an Oosterhoff Type II population, while their period distribution is primarily Oosterhoff Type I. Our observations support their RR0 (type ab) classifications; however, six of the seven stars that they classified as RR1 (type c) are eclipsing binaries. Our classifications are supported by spectroscopic metallicities, line-broadening, and Galactic rotation measurements. Our 246deg^2^ field contains 16 RR Lyrae stars that are brighter than m_R_=14.5; only four of these are RR1 (type c). This corresponds to an Oosterhoff Type I population in agreement with the period distribution.
Old open clusters are very useful targets to investigate mechanisms responsible for lithium (Li) depletion during the main sequence. Comparison of the Li abundances in clusters of different age allows us to understand the efficiency of the Li destruction process. To determine the membership and Li abundance in a sample of candidate members of the open cluster NGC 3960 (age ~1Gyr), aiming to fill the gap between 0.6 and 2Gyr in the empirical description of the behavior of the average Li abundance as a function of the stellar age. We use VLT/FLAMES Giraffe spectra to determine the radial velocities and thus the membership of a sample of 113 photometrically selected candidate cluster members. From the analysis of the Li line we derive Li abundances for both cluster members and non-members. 39 stars have radial velocities consistent with membership, with an expected fraction of contaminating field stars of about 20%. Li is detected in 29 of the radial velocity members; we consider these stars as cluster members, while we make the reasonable assumption that the remaining 10 radial velocity members without Li are among the contaminating stars. Li abundances of the stars hotter than about 6000K are similar to those of stars in the Hyades, while they are slightly smaller for cooler stars. This confirms that NGC 3960 is older than the Hyades. The average Li abundance of stars cooler than about 6000K indicates that the Li Pop. I plateau might start at ~1Gyr, rather than 2Gyr, which is the upper limit previously derived in the literature. We also find that the fraction of field stars with high Li abundance (>1.5) is about one third of the whole sample, which is in agreement with previous estimates. The fraction of contaminating field stars is consistent with that previously derived by us from photometry.
Using observations obtained with the Tycho instrument of the ESA Hipparcos satellite, a two-colour photometry is produced for components of more than 7000 Hipparcos double and multiple stars with angular separations 0.1 to 2.5 arcsec. We publish 9473 components of 5173 systems with separations above 0.3 arcsec. The majority of them did not have Tycho photometry in the Hipparcos catalogue. The magnitudes are derived in the Tycho B_T and V_T passbands, similar to the Johnson passbands. Photometrically resolved components of the binaries with statistically significant trigonometric parallaxes can be put on an HR diagram, the majority of them for the first time.
Homogeneous B, V photometry is presented for 19324 stars in and around 5 Magellanic Cloud globular clusters: NGC 1466, NGC 1841, NGC 2210, NGC 2257, and Reticulum. The photometry is derived from eight nights of CCD imaging with the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory 0.9m SMARTS telescope. Instrumental magnitudes were transformed to the Johnson B, V system using accurate calibration relations based on a large sample of Landolt-Stetson equatorial standard stars, which were observed on the same nights as the cluster stars. Residual analysis of the equatorial standards used for the calibration, and validation of the new photometry using Stetson's sample of secondary standards in the vicinities of the five Large Magellanic Cloud clusters, shows excellent agreement with our values in both magnitudes and colors. Color-magnitude diagrams reaching to the main-sequence turnoffs at V~22mag, sigma-magnitude diagrams, and various other summaries are presented for each cluster to illustrate the range and quality of the new photometry. The photometry should prove useful for future studies of the Magellanic Cloud globular clusters, particularly studies of their variable stars.