We present the results of our long-term (13 years) J and K photometry of the X-ray binary Cyg X-1. The object's JK variability amplitudes were less than 0.2mag. The J and K orbital light curves are appreciably asymmetric in quadratures. The secondary minimum is deeper, in comparison to the primary, and it is probable that the star becomes hotter at secondary minima.
Continuing the observational campaign initiated by our group, we present the long term spectral evolution of the Galactic black hole candidate Cygnus X-1 in the X-rays and at 15GHz. We present about 200 pointed observations taken between early 1999 and late 2004 with the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer and the Ryle radio telescope. The X-ray spectra are remarkably well described by a simple broken power law spectrum with an exponential cutoff. Physically motivated Comptonization models, e.g., by Titarchuk (1994ApJ...434..570T, compTT) and by Coppi (1999, eqpair), can reproduce this simplicity; however, the success of the phenomenological broken power law models cautions against ``over-parameterizing'' the more physical models. Broken power law models reveal a significant linear correlation between the photon index of the lower energy power law and the hardening of the power law at about 10keV. This phenomenological soft/hard power law correlation is partly attributable to correlations of broad band continuum components, rather than being dominated by the weak hardness/reflection fraction correlation present in the Comptonization model. Specifically, the Comptonization models show that the bolometric flux of a soft excess (e.g., disk component) is strongly correlated with the compactness ratio of the Comptonizing medium, with L_disk{propto}(l_h_/l_s_)^-0.19^. Over the course of our campaign, Cyg X-1 transited several times into the soft state, and exhibited a large number of ``failed state transitions''. The fraction of the time spent in such low radio emission/soft X-ray spectral states has increased from about 10% in 1996-2000 to about 34% since early 2000. We find that radio flares typically occur during state transitions and failed state transitions (at l_h_/l_s_~3), and that there is a strong correlation between the 10-50keV X-ray flux and the radio luminosity of the source. We demonstrate that rather than there being distinctly separated states, in contrast to the timing properties the spectrum of Cyg X-1 shows variations between extremes of properties, with clear cut examples of spectra at every intermediate point in the observed spectral correlations.
We present a new study of the eclipsing cataclysmic variable CzeV404 Her (Porb=0.098d) located in the period gap. This report aims to determine the object's origin, system parameters and probe the system's accretion flow structure. We conducted simultaneous time-resolved photometric and spectroscopic observations of CzeV404 Her. We applied our light curve modeling techniques and the Doppler tomography method to determine the system parameters and analyse the structure of the accretion disk. We found that the system has a massive white dwarf M_WD_=1.00(2)M_{sun}_, a mass ratio of q=0.16, and a relatively hot secondary with an effective temperature T_2_=4100(50)K. The system inclination is 78{deg}. The accretion disk spreads out to the tidal limitation radius and has an extended hot spot/line region. The hot spot/line is hotter than the rest of the disk's outer part in quiescence or intermediate state but does not stand out completely from the disk flux in (super)outbursts. We claim that this object represents a link between two distinct classes of SU UMa-type and SW Sex-type cataclysmic variables. The accretion flow structure in the disk corresponds to the SW Sex systems, but the physical conditions inside the disk passed into behaviors of SU UMa-type objects.
We report the discovery of the relatively bright (V=10.5mag), doubly eclipsing 2+2 quadruple system CzeV1731. This is the third known system of its kind, in which the masses are determined for all four stars and both the inner and outer orbits are characterized. The inner eclipsing binaries are well-detached systems moving on circular orbits: pair A with period P_A_=4.10843d and pair B with P_B_=4.67552d. The inner binaries contain very similar components (q~1.0), making the whole system a so-called double twin. The stars in pair B have slightly larger luminosities and masses and pair A shows deeper eclipses. All four components are main-sequence stars of F/G spectral type. The mutual orbit of the two pairs around the system barycenter has a period of about 33 yr and an eccentricity of about 0.38. However, further observations are needed to reveal the overall architecture of the whole system, including the mutual inclinations of all orbits. This is a promising target for interferometry to detect the double at about 59mas and {DELTA}Mbol<1mag.
A thorough analysis of the multicolour CCD observations of the RRab-type variable, CZ Lacertae, is presented. The observations were carried out in two consecutive observing seasons in 2004 and 2005 within the framework of the Konkoly Blazhko Survey of bright, northern, short-period RRab variables.
Since 1967 32 fields in the Milky Way were observed for variable stars. * New variable stars in Cygnus (1982IBVS.2157....1D) [8/65] Survey of an area of 20{deg}x15{deg} centered at 20h50m, +45{deg} in Cygnus. This area has been followed photographically in two colours during the period 1967 to 1981. As a rule one observation per summer was obtained. * New variable stars in Cassiopeia (1986IBVS.2878....1D) [66/105] Survey in an area 20{deg}x15{deg} centered at 1h06m, +60{deg}01'. Seventeen plate pairs exposed in the period 1967 to 1981 were collected and treated in the same way as described in the previous report. These observations provide approximate B and V magnitudes. In addition, six exposures were obtained in the period August 8 to September 23, 1985 on Technical Pan film. * New variable stars in Cygnus, Lyra and Vulpecula (1993IBVS.3855....1D) [106/185] Area of 20{deg}x15{deg} centred at 19h46m +30{deg}. * New variable stars in Cygnus, Lacerta and Andromeda (1996IBVS.4329....1D) [186/220] Area of 20{deg}x15{deg} centered at 20h40m, +45{deg} (1950). * New variable stars in the northern Milky Way (1997IBVS.4458....1D) [221/280] Area of 20{deg}x15{deg} centered at 22h42m, +60{deg} (1950) * New variable stars in the northern Milky Way (1998IBVS.4642....1D) [281/315] Results of a variable-star search in the 20{deg}x15{deg} area centered at 20h18m, +60{deg} (1950). * New variable stars in Andromeda and Cassiopeia (1999IBVS.4734....1D [316/341] Results of a variable-star search in the 20{deg}x15{deg} area centered at 0h30m, +45{deg} (1950). * New variable stars in Lyra and Cygnus (2000IBVS.4898....1D) [342/366] Results of a variable-star search in the 20{deg}x15{deg} area centered at 19h00m/+45{deg} (1950). * New variable stars along the northern Milky way (2001IBVS.5181....1D) [367/420] Results of a variable-star search in the 20{deg}x15{deg} area centered at 21h22m/+{deg} (1950).
We present results of our Hubble Space Telescope Cycle 11 survey for low-redshift (z<1.65) damped Ly{alpha} (DLA) systems in the UV spectra of quasars selected from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) Early Data Release (Cat. <J/AJ/123/567>). These quasars have strong intervening MgII-FeII systems that are known signatures of high column density neutral gas. In total, including our previous surveys, UV observations of Ly{alpha} absorption in 197 MgII systems with z<1.65 and rest equivalent width (REW) W_0_^{lambda}2796^>=0.3{AA} have now been obtained.
We present the results of a survey of damped (DLA, logN(HI)>20.3) and sub-damped Lyman-{alpha} systems (19.5<logN(HI)<20.3) at z>2.55 along the lines-of-sight to 77 quasars with emission redshifts in the range 4<z_em_<6.3. Intermediate resolution (R~4300) spectra were obtained with the Echellette Spectrograph and Imager (ESI) mounted on the Keck telescope. A total of 100 systems with logN(HI)>19.5 were detected of which 40 systems are damped Lyman-{alpha} systems for an absorption length of {Delta}X= 378. About half of the lines of sight of this homogeneous survey have never been investigated for DLAs.
We present a catalogue of the 322 damped Lyman alpha absorbers taken from the literature. All damped Lyman alpha absorbers are included, with no selection on redshift or quasar magnitude. Of these, 123 are candidates and await confirmation using high resolution spectroscopy. For all 322 objects we catalogue the radio properties of the background quasars, when known. Around 60 quasars have radio flux densities above 0.1Jy and approximately half of these have optical magnitudes brighter than V=18. This compilation should prove useful in several areas of extragalactic/cosmological research.
Using a sample of 21 damped Lyman alpha systems (DLAs) and 35 sub-DLAs, we evaluate the D-index=[EW({AA})/{Delta}v(km/s)]x1000 from high-resolution spectra of the MgII {lambda}2796 profile. This sample represents an increase in the sub-DLA statistics by a factor of 4 over the original D-index sample. We investigate various techniques to define the velocity spread ({Delta}v) of the MgII line to determine an optimal D-index for the identification of DLAs. The success rate of DLA identification is 50-55 per cent, depending on the velocity limits used, improving by a few per cent when the column density of FeII is included in the D-index calculation. We recommend the set of parameters that are judged to be most robust, have a combination of high DLA identification rate (57 per cent) and low DLA miss rate (6 per cent) and most cleanly separate the DLAs and sub-DLAs (Kolmogorov-Smirnov probability 0.5 per cent). These statistics demonstrate that the D-index is the most efficient technique for selecting low-redshift DLA candidates.