We have imaged the portion of the Shapley Concentration core surrounding the cluster A3556 at wavelengths of 36cm with the Molonglo Observatory Synthesis Telescope (MOST), and at 22 and 13cm with the Australia Telescope Compact Array (ATCA). We have defined a radio sample of 112 radio sources at 22cm. Cross-correlation with optical catalogues allowed the identification of 29 radio sources, nine of which belong to A3556. The radio and optical properties of A3556 have been studied in detail. Two extended radio sources are associated with cluster members, i.e. a narrow-angle-tail source located at a projected distance of 0.06R_A_ from the centre, possibly in the late stages of its existence, and a wide-angle-tail source at the periphery of the cluster. We also performed a statistical analysis of the cluster properties. The optical luminosity function shows that the cluster has an excess of bright optical galaxies. In agreement with well-established results, we found that the probability of radio emission increases for brighter galaxies. Furthermore, our radio luminosity function and those obtained for elliptical galaxies located in different environments (poor groups and rich clusters) are very similar, implying that the peculiar dynamical state of A3556 has no influence on the radio emission properties of the cluster galaxies.
We have performed a search for variable stars in the dwarf irregular galaxy NGC 6822 using wide-field multi-epoch VI photometry down to a limiting magnitude of ~22. A part from the Cepheid variables in this galaxy already reported in an earlier paper by Pietrzynski et al. (2004AJ....128.2815P), we have found 1019 "non-periodic" variable stars, 50 periodically variable stars with periods ranging from 0.12 to 66 days and 146 probably periodic variables. Twelve of these stars are eclipsing binaries and fifteen are likely new, low-amplitude Cepheids.
For the first time, we have detected Cepheid variables in the Sculptor Group spiral galaxy NGC 7793. From wide-field images obtained in the optical V and I bands on 56 nights in 2003-2005, we have discovered 17 long-period (24-62 days) Cepheids whose periods and mean magnitudes define tight period-luminosity relations. We use the (V-I) Wesenheit index to determine a reddening-free true distance modulus to NGC 7793 of 27.68+/-0.05mag (internal error) +/-0.08mag (systematic error).
We present near-infrared J- and K-band photometry of 77 Cepheid variables in the Local Group galaxy NGC 3109. Combining our data with the previously published optical V- and I-band photometry of Cepheids in this galaxy, we derive an accurate distance and interstellar reddening toward NGC 3109.
We have obtained mosaic images of NGC 3109 in the V and I bands on 74 nights, spanning approximately 1yr. From these data, we have conducted an extensive search for Cepheid variables over the entire field of the galaxy, resulting in the discovery of 113 variables with periods ranging from 3.4 to 31.4days. In this sample, 76 Cepheids, including many long-period variables, were not known before. For the previously known 45 Cepheids in this galaxy, our data proved that reported periods were wrong for 14 objects; for nearly all other previously known Cepheid variables, we were able to significantly improve on the periods.
We have detected, for the first time, Cepheid variables in the Sculptor Group SB(s)m galaxy NGC 55. From wide-field images obtained in the optical V and I bands during 77 nights in 2002-2003, we have found 143 Cepheids with periods ranging from 5.6 to 175.9 days; 133 of these objects have periods longer than 10 days, making NGC 55 to date the galaxy with the largest known number of long-period Cepheids in the Sculptor Group.
We have conducted an extensive wide-field imaging survey for Cepheid variables in the Local Group irregular galaxy WLM. From data obtained on 101 nights, we have discovered 60 Cepheids, which include 14 of the 15 Cepheid variables previously detected by Sandage and Carlson. Our Cepheid survey in WLM should be practically complete down to a period of 3-days. Importantly, we have found for the first time a long-period Cepheid (P=54.2-days) in this galaxy, alleviating the problem that WLM with its many blue, massive stars does not contain Cepheids with periods longer than about 10-days.
We have obtained multiobject spectroscopy of luminous blue supergiants in NGC 3109, a galaxy at the periphery of the Local Group at ~1.3Mpc. We present a detailed catalog including finding charts, V and I magnitudes, spectral classifications, and stellar radial velocities. The radial velocities are seen to trace the rotation curves obtained from studies of the H I gas. From quantitative analysis of eight B-type supergiants we find a mean oxygen abundance of 12+log(O/H)=7.76+/-0.07 (1{sigma} systematic uncertainty), with a median result of 7.8. Given its distance, we highlight NGC 3109 as the ideal example of a low-metallicity, dark-matter-dominated dwarf galaxy for observations with the next generation of ground-based extremely large telescopes.
We have obtained deep images in the near-infrared J and K filters of four fields in the Sculptor group spiral galaxy NGC 55 with the ESO VLT and ISAAC camera. For 40 long-period Cepheid variables in these fields, which were recently discovered by Pietrzyski et al., we have determined mean J and K magnitudes from observations at two epochs, and derived distance moduli from the observed period-luminosity (PL) relations in these bands.
We have conducted a survey for Cepheid variables in the Sculptor group spiral NGC 300. Based on observations obtained with the Wide-Field Camera at the 2.2m ESO/MPI telescope at the La Silla observatory in Chile during 29 nights spread over a 5.3 month interval. The telescope was equipped with the ESO mosaic Wide-Field Camera (WFI) consisting of eight 2048x4098 pixel arrays. The CCDs were separated by gaps of 23.8" and 14.3" in right ascension and declination, respectively. The total field of view was about 34'x33' with a scale of 0.238"/pixel. 117 Cepheids and 12 Cepheid candidates were found, which cover the period range from 115 to 5.4 days. We present a catalog that provides equatorial coordinates, period, time of maximum brightness, and intensity mean B and V magnitudes for each variable, and we show phased B and V light curves for all the Cepheids found. We also present the individual B and V observations for each Cepheid in our catalog. During our search we rediscovered all 18 previously known Cepheids and confirmed the Cepheid nature of three Cepheid candidates from the previous photographic survey of Graham (1984AJ.....89.1332G). Star V4 in Graham's list (1984AJ.....89.1332G), classified by him as an eclipsing binary, turns out to be another Cepheid. We find very good agreement between our photometry and that obtained by Freedman et al. (1992ApJ...396...80F) from ground-based CCD data for common stars. Using the earlier data together with our new data, we were able to significantly improve the periods for 15 Cepheids in our sample.