- ID:
- ivo://CDS.VizieR/J/MNRAS/448/2717
- Title:
- Bayesian analysis of resolved stellar spectra
- Short Name:
- J/MNRAS/448/2717
- Date:
- 21 Oct 2021
- Publisher:
- CDS
- Description:
- We introduce a Bayesian method for fitting faint, resolved stellar spectra in order to obtain simultaneous estimates of redshift and stellar-atmospheric parameters. We apply the method to thousands of spectra - covering 5160-5280{AA} at resolution R~20000 - that we have acquired with the MMT/Hectochelle fibre spectrograph for red giant and horizontal branch candidates along the line of sight to the Milky Way's dwarf spheroidal satellite in Draco. The observed stars subtend an area of ~4deg^2^, extending ~3 times beyond Draco's nominal 'tidal' radius. For each spectrum, we tabulate the first four moments - central value, variance, skewness and kurtosis - of posterior probability distribution functions representing estimates of the following physical parameters: line-of-sight velocity (v_los_), effective temperature (T_eff_), surface gravity (logg) and metallicity ([Fe/H]). After rejecting low-quality measurements, we retain a new sample consisting of 2813 independent observations of 1565 unique stars, including 1879 observations for 631 stars with (as many as 13) repeat observations. Parameter estimates have median random errors of v_los_=0.88km/s, T_eff_=162K, {sigma}logg=0.37dex and {sigma}[Fe/H]=0.20dex. Our estimates of physical parameters distinguish ~470 likely Draco members from interlopers in the Galactic foreground.
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Search Results
- ID:
- ivo://CDS.VizieR/J/ApJ/758/11
- Title:
- Bayesian distances to M31 satellites
- Short Name:
- J/ApJ/758/11
- Date:
- 21 Oct 2021
- Publisher:
- CDS
- Description:
- In "A Bayesian Approach to Locating the Red Giant Branch Tip Magnitude (Part I)," a new technique was introduced for obtaining distances using the tip of the red giant branch (TRGB) standard candle. Here we describe a useful complement to the technique with the potential to further reduce the uncertainty in our distance measurements by incorporating a matched-filter weighting scheme into the model likelihood calculations. In this scheme, stars are weighted according to their probability of being true object members. We then re-test our modified algorithm using random-realization artificial data to verify the validity of the generated posterior probability distributions (PPDs) and proceed to apply the algorithm to the satellite system of M31, culminating in a three-dimensional view of the system. Further to the distributions thus obtained, we apply a satellite-specific prior on the satellite distances to weight the resulting distance posterior distributions, based on the halo density profile. Thus in a single publication, using a single method, a comprehensive coverage of the distances to the companion galaxies of M31 is presented, encompassing the dwarf spheroidals Andromedas I-III, V, IX-XXVII, and XXX along with NGC 147, NGC 185, M33, and M31 itself. Of these, the distances to Andromedas XXIV-XXVII and Andromeda XXX have never before been derived using the TRGB. Object distances are determined from high-resolution tip magnitude posterior distributions generated using the Markov Chain Monte Carlo technique and associated sampling of these distributions to take into account uncertainties in foreground extinction and the absolute magnitude of the TRGB as well as photometric errors. The distance PPDs obtained for each object both with and without the aforementioned prior are made available to the reader in tabular form. The large object coverage takes advantage of the unprecedented size and photometric depth of the Pan-Andromeda Archaeological Survey.
- ID:
- ivo://CDS.VizieR/J/A+A/618/A81
- Title:
- Bayesian group finder applied to the 2MRS data
- Short Name:
- J/A+A/618/A81
- Date:
- 21 Oct 2021
- Publisher:
- CDS
- Description:
- We propose a probabilistic galaxy group detection algorithm based on marked point processes with interactions. The pattern of galaxy groups in a catalogue is seen as a random set of interacting objects. The positions and the interactions of these objects are governed by a probability density. The parameters of the probability density are chosen using a priori knowledge. The estimator of the unknown cluster pattern is given by the configuration of objects maximising the proposed probability density. Adopting the Bayesian framework, the proposed probability density is maximised using a simulated annealing (SA) algorithm. At fixed temperature, the SA algorithm is a Monte Carlo sampler of the probability density. Hence, the method provides "for free" additional information such as the probabilities that a point or two points in the observation domain belong to the cluster pattern, respectively. These supplementary tools allow the construction of tests and techniques to validate and to refine the detection result. To test the feasibility of the proposed methodology, we applied it to the well-studied 2MASS Redshift Survey (2MRS) data set. Compared to previously published Friends-of-Friends (FoF) group finders, the proposed Bayesian group finder gives overall similar results. However, for specific applications, like the reconstruction of the local Universe, the details of the grouping algorithms are important.
- ID:
- ivo://CDS.VizieR/J/MNRAS/445/2268
- Title:
- Bayesian method for detecting stellar flares
- Short Name:
- J/MNRAS/445/2268
- Date:
- 21 Oct 2021
- Publisher:
- CDS
- Description:
- We present a Bayesian-odds-ratio-based algorithm for detecting stellar flares in light-curve data. We assume flares are described by a model in which there is a rapid rise with a half-Gaussian profile, followed by an exponential decay. Our signal model also contains a polynomial background model required to fit underlying light-curve variations in the data, which could otherwise partially mimic a flare. We characterize the false alarm probability and efficiency of this method under the assumption that any unmodelled noise in the data is Gaussian, and compare it with a simpler thresholding method based on that used in Walkowicz et al. We find our method has a significant increase in detection efficiency for low signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) flares. For a conservative false alarm probability our method can detect 95 per cent of flares with S/N less than 20, as compared to S/N of 25 for the simpler method. We also test how well the assumption of Gaussian noise holds by applying the method to a selection of 'quiet' Kepler stars. As an example we have applied our method to a selection of stars in Kepler Quarter 1 data. The method finds 687 flaring stars with a total of 1873 flares after vetos have been applied. For these flares we have made preliminary characterizations of their durations and and S/N.
- ID:
- ivo://CDS.VizieR/J/MNRAS/454/28
- Title:
- Bayesian statistics for massive stars
- Short Name:
- J/MNRAS/454/28
- Date:
- 21 Oct 2021
- Publisher:
- CDS
- Description:
- Spectral analysis is a powerful tool to investigate stellar properties and it has been widely used for decades now. However, the methods considered to perform this kind of analysis are mostly based on iteration among a few diagnostic lines to determine the stellar parameters. While these methods are often simple and fast, they can lead to errors and large uncertainties due to the required assumptions. Here, we present a method based on Bayesian statistics to find simultaneously the best combination of effective temperature, surface gravity, projected rotational velocity, and microturbulence velocity, using all the available spectral lines. Different tests are discussed to demonstrate the strength of our method, which we apply to 54 mid-resolution spectra of field and cluster B stars obtained at the Observatoire du Mont-Megantic. We compare our results with those found in the literature. Differences are seen which are well explained by the different methods used. We conclude that the B-star microturbulence velocities are often underestimated. We also confirm the trend that B stars in clusters are on average faster rotators than field B stars.
- ID:
- ivo://CDS.VizieR/J/ApJ/886/20
- Title:
- Bayesian time-resolved spectra of Fermi GBM pulses
- Short Name:
- J/ApJ/886/20
- Date:
- 21 Oct 2021
- Publisher:
- CDS
- Description:
- We performed time-resolved spectroscopy on a sample of 38 single pulses from 37 gamma-ray bursts detected by the Fermi/Gamma-ray Burst Monitor during the first 9yr of its mission. For the first time a fully Bayesian approach is applied. A total of 577 spectra are obtained and their properties studied using two empirical photon models, namely the cutoff power law (CPL) and Band model. We present the obtained parameter distributions, spectral evolution properties, and parameter relations. We also provide the result files containing this information for usage in further studies. It is found that the CPL model is the preferred model, based on the deviance information criterion and the fact that it consistently provides constrained posterior density maps. In contrast to previous works, the high-energy power-law index of the Band model, {beta}, has in general a lower value for the single pulses in this work. In particular, we investigate the individual spectrum in each pulse, that has the largest value of the low-energy spectral indexes, {alpha}. For these 38 spectra, we find that 60% of the {alpha} values are larger than -2/3, and thus incompatible with synchrotron emission. Finally, we find that the parameter relations show a variety of behaviors. Most noteworthy is the fact that the relation between {alpha} and the energy flux is similar for most of the pulses, independent of any evolution of the other parameters.
- ID:
- ivo://CDS.VizieR/J/A+A/560/A78
- Title:
- B-Band catalog of sources in Abell 3376
- Short Name:
- J/A+A/560/A78
- Date:
- 21 Oct 2021
- Publisher:
- CDS
- Description:
- The cluster Abell 3376 is a merging cluster of galaxies at redshift z=0.046. It is famous mostly for its giant radio arcs, and shows an elongated and highly substructured X-ray emission, but has not been analysed in detail at optical wavelengths. To improve our understanding of the effects of the major cluster merger on the galaxy properties, we analyse the galaxy luminosity function (GLF) in the B band in several regions as well as the dynamical properties of the substructures.
- ID:
- ivo://CDS.VizieR/J/AZh/79/675
- Title:
- B-band photometry of BL Lac object ON 231
- Short Name:
- J/AZh/79/675
- Date:
- 21 Oct 2021
- Publisher:
- CDS
- Description:
- The results of 19-year optical monitoring of ON 231 are presented. Photographic B-band observations were obtained during 123 nights from April 1972 to March 1990 as part of the quasar monitoring program carried out the Astronomical Institute of St. Petersburg State University.
- ID:
- ivo://CDS.VizieR/J/A+A/430/411
- Title:
- B-band photometry of ellipticals in Virgo
- Short Name:
- J/A+A/430/411
- Date:
- 21 Oct 2021
- Publisher:
- CDS
- Description:
- We report on a complete CCD imaging survey of 226 elliptical galaxies in the North-East quadrant of the Virgo cluster, representative of the properties of giant and dwarf elliptical galaxies in this cluster. We fit their radial light profiles with the Sersic r^1/n^ model of light distribution. We confirm the result of Graham & Guzman (2003AJ....125.2936G) that the apparent dichotomy between E and dE galaxies in the luminosity-<{mu}>_e_ plane no longer appears when other structural parameters are considered and can be entirely attributed to the onset of "core" galaxies at B_T_~-20.5mag. When "core" galaxies are not considered, E and dE form a unique family with n linearly increasing with the luminosity. For 90 galaxies we analyze the B-I color indices, both in the nuclear and in the outer regions. Both indices are bluer toward fainter luminosities. We find also that the outer color gradients do not show any significant correlation with the luminosity. The scatter in all color indicators increases significantly toward lower luminosities, e.g. galaxies fainter than B_T_~-15 have a B-I spread>0.5mag.
- ID:
- ivo://CDS.VizieR/J/A+A/506/213
- Title:
- B6-B9.5 stars abundance analysis
- Short Name:
- J/A+A/506/213
- Date:
- 21 Oct 2021
- Publisher:
- CDS
- Description:
- The CoRoT satellite is collecting precise time-resolved photometry for tens of asteroseismology targets. To ensure a correct interpretation of the CoRoT data, the atmospheric parameters, chemical compositions, and rotational velocities of the stars must be determined. The main goal of the ground-based seismology support program for the CoRoT mission was to obtain photometric and spectroscopic data for stars in the fields monitored by the satellite. These ground-based observations were collected in the GAUDI archive. High-resolution spectra of more than 200 B-type stars are available in this database, and about 45% of them is analysed here. To derive the effective temperature of the stars, we used photometric indices. Surface gravities were obtained by comparing observed and theoretical Balmer line profiles. To determine the chemical abundances and rotational velocities, we used a spectrum synthesis method, which consisted of comparing the observed spectrum with theoretical ones based on the assumption of LTE. Atmospheric parameters, chemical abundances, and rotational velocities were determined for 89 late-B stars. The dominant species in their spectra are iron-peak elements. The average Fe abundance is 7.24+/-0.45dex. The average rotational velocity is 126km/s, but there are 13 and 20 stars with low and moderate Vsini values, respectively. The analysis of this sample of 89 late B-type stars reveals many chemically peculiar (CP) stars. Some of them were previously known, but at least 9 new CP candidates, among which at least two HgMn stars, are identified in our study. These CP stars as a group exhibit Vsini values lower than the stars with normal surface chemical composition.
