The X-shooter Spectral Library (XSL) is an empirical stellar library at medium spectral resolution covering the wavelength range from 3000 to 24800 angstrom. This library aims to provide a benchmark for stellar population studies. In this work, we present a uniform set of stellar atmospheric parameters, effective temperatures, surface gravities, and iron abundances for 754 spectra of 616 XSL stars. We used the full-spectrum fitting package ULySS with the empirical MILES library as reference to fit the ultraviolet-blue (UVB) and visible (VIS) spectra. We tested the internal consistency and we compared our results with compilations from the literature. The stars cover a range of effective temperature 2900<Teff<38000K, surface gravity 0<logg<5.7, and iron abundance -2.5<[Fe/H]<+1.0, with a couple of stars extending down to [Fe/H]=-3.9. The precisions of the measurements for the G- and K-type stars are 0.9%, 0.14, and 0.06 in Teff, log g and [Fe/H], respectively. For the cool giants with logg<1, the precisions are 2.1%, 0.21, and 0.22, and for the other cool stars these values are 1%, 0.14, and 0.10. For the hotter stars (Teff>6500K), these values are 2.6%, 0.20, and 0.10 for the three parameters.
We present a catalog of RR Lyrae stars (RRLs) observed by the Xuyi Schmidt Telescope Photometric Survey (XSTPS). The area we consider is located in the north Galactic cap, covering ~376.75 deg^2^ at RA~150{deg} and DE~27{deg} down to a magnitude limit of i~19. Using the variability information afforded by the multi-epoch nature of our XSTPS data, combined with colors from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, we are able to identify candidate RRLs. We find 318 candidates, derive distances to them, and estimate the detection efficiency. The majority of our candidates have more than 12 observations, and for these we are able to calculate periods. These also allow us to estimate our contamination level, which we predict is between 30% and 40%. Finally, we use the sample to probe the halo density profile in the 9-49 kpc range and find that it can be well fitted by a double power law. We find good agreement between this model and the models derived for the south Galactic cap using the Watkins et al. (2009, J/MNRAS/398/1757) and Sesar et al. (2010, J/ApJ/708/717) RRL data sets, after accounting for possible contamination in our data set from Sagittarius stream members. We consider non-spherical double power-law models of the halo density profile and again find agreement with literature data sets, although we have limited power to constrain the flattening due to our small survey area. Much tighter constraints will be placed by current and future wide-area surveys, most notably ESA's astrometric Gaia mission. Our analysis demonstrates that surveys with a limited number of epochs can effectively be mined for RRLs. Our complete sample is provided as accompanying online material; as an example the first few entries of each electronic table are shown in the text.
In this paper, we investigate the energy dependence of the centroid frequency of the low-frequency quasi-periodic oscillations (QPOs; 0.08-20Hz) in XTE J1550-564. We have used the observational data from the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer during the first half part of the 1998-1999 outburst. We have found that the centroid frequency of the fundamental QPO did not vary with photon energy when its QPO frequency was less than ~0.4-0.8Hz and it did not increase much when its frequency was between ~0.8 and ~3.3Hz. However, it clearly increased with photon energy when it was larger than ~3.3Hz. The most interesting point is that it increased much more quickly with photon energy when its centroid frequency was between ~6 and ~8.5Hz. Subsequently, its rising rate dropped sharply when its frequency was larger than ~8.5Hz.
We have initiated a search for extended ultraviolet disk (XUV-disk) galaxies in the local universe. Here we compare GALEX UV and visible-NIR images of 189 nearby (D<40Mpc) S0-Sm galaxies included in the GALEX Atlas of Nearby Galaxies (Gil de Paz et al. 2007, Cat. J/ApJS/173/185) and present the first catalog of XUV-disk galaxies. We find that XUV-disk galaxies are surprisingly common but have varied relative (UV/optical) extent and morphology. Type 1 objects (>~20% incidence) have structured, UV-bright/optically faint emission features in the outer disk, beyond the traditional star formation threshold. Type 2 XUV-disk galaxies (~10% incidence) exhibit an exceptionally large, UV-bright/optically low surface brightness (LSB) zone having blue UV-K_s_ outside the effective extent of the inner, older stellar population, but not reaching extreme galactocentric distance.
We obtained CCD photometric observations of the Algol-type semidetached binary XX Cephei (XX Cep) during 15 nights from 2002 September 17 to 2003 February 2, and also on 2005 January 21. Except for those data taken on the last night of the concentrated observing season, the 3881 measurements were obtained over an interval of only 106 nights. From these data, four new times of minimum light were calculated. The (O-C) diagram formed from all available timings, and thus the orbital period of the system, can be partly represented as a beat effect between two cyclical variations with different periods (P1'=42yr, P2'=181yr) and amplitudes (K1=0.015d, K2=0.103d), respectively. Both physical and non-physical interpretations of these cycles were investigated.
We present the second data release (DR2) of the XXL Survey, contextually with the appearance of a second A&A special issue dedicated to XXL. This intermediate release includes the following catalogues and data: The X-ray point source catalogue (3XLSS) and the associated multiwavelength catalogues in the XXL-N and XXL-s areas (XXL paper XXVII). The same paper also provides the list of XMM pointings used, and a supplementary catalogue of redshifts obtained with the AAOmega spectrograph in the XXL-S area. The XXL-365-GC galaxy cluster catalogue (XXL paper XX) with the complete subset of clusters for which the selection function is well determined plus all X-ray clusters which are, to date, spectroscopically confirmed. The ATCA 2.1 GHz radio source catalogue in the XXL-S area (XXL paper XXVIII), together with the catalogue of ther optical and near infrared counterparts (XXL paper XXVI). The GMRT 610 MHz radio source catalogue in the XXL-N area (XXL paper XXIX). FITS images of the XXL-North field: continuum radio mosaic from observations with the Giant Meterwave Radio Telescope (GMRT) at 610MHz, and the corresponding noise map. A complete spectrophotometric sample of galaxies within X-ray detected, optically spectroscopically confirmed groups and clusters (G&C), including also field objects, in the XXL-N area (XXL paper XXII). The list of brightest cluster galaxies (BCGs) in the XXL-N area (XXL paper XXVIII). FITS images of the two radio galaxies described in XXL paper XXXIV. ATCA XXL-S source classification data (XXL paper XXXVI) http://sci.esa.int/xmm-newton/60686-tracing-the-universe-x-ray-survey-\ supports-standard-cosmological-model/ List of XXL DR2 papers: XVI. The clustering of X-ray selected galaxy clusters at z~0.3 XVII. X-ray and Sunyaev-Zel'dovich properties of the redshift 2.0 galaxy cluster XLSSC 122 XVIII. ATCA 2.1 GHz radio source catalogue and source counts for the XXL-South field XIX. A realistic population of simulated X-ray AGN: Comparison of models with observations XX. The 365 cluster catalogue XXI. The environment and clustering of X-ray AGN in the XXL-South field XXII. The XXL-North spectrophotometric sample and galaxy stellar mass function in X-ray detected groups and clusters XXIII. The mass scale of XXL clusters from ensemble spectroscopy XXIV. The final detection pipeline XXV. Cosmological analysis of the C1 cluster number counts XXVI. Optical and near infrared identification of the ATCA 2.1 GHz radio sources in the XXL-S field XXVII. The 3XLSS point source catalogue XXVIII. Galaxy luminosity functions of the XXL-N clusters XXIX. GMRT 610 MHz continuum observations XXX. Characterisation of the XLSSsC N01 supercluster and analysis of the galaxy stellar populations XXXI. Classification and host galaxy properties of 2.1 GHz ATCA XXL-S radio sources XXXII. Spatial clustering of the XXL-S AGN XXXIII. Chandra constraints on the AGN contamination of z > 1 XXL galaxy clusters XXXIV. Double irony in XXL-North. A tale of two radio galaxies in a supercluster at z = 0.14 XXXV. The role of cluster mass in AGN activity XXXVI. Evolution and black hole feedback of high-excitation and low-excitation radio galaxies in XXL-S
The quest for the cosmological parameters that describe our universe continues to motivate the scientific community to undertake very large survey initiatives across the electromagnetic spectrum. Over the past two decades, the Chandra and XMM-Newton observatories have sup- ported numerous studies of X-ray-selected clusters of galaxies, active galactic nuclei (AGNs), and the X-ray background. The present paper is the first in a series reporting results of the XXL-XMM survey; it comes at a time when the Planck mission results are being finalised. We present the XXL Survey, the largest XMM programme totaling some 6.9Ms to date and involving an international consortium of roughly 100 members. The XXL Survey covers two extragalactic areas of 25deg^2^ each at a point-source sensitivity of ~5x10^-15^erg/s/cm^2^ in the [0.5-2]keV band (completeness limit). The survey's main goals are to provide constraints on the dark energy equation of state from the space-time distribution of clusters of galaxies and to serve as a pathfinder for future, wide-area X-ray missions. We review science objectives, including cluster studies, AGN evolution, and large-scale structure, that are being conducted with the support of approximately 30 follow-up programmes. List of XXL papers: I. Scientific motivations - XMM-Newton observing plan - Follow-up observations and simulation programme. II. The bright cluster sample: catalogue and luminosity function. III. Luminosity-temperature relation of the bright cluster sample. IV. Mass-temperature relation of the bright cluster sample. VI. The 1000 brightest X-ray point sources. VII. A supercluster of galaxies at z = 0.43. VIII. MUSE characterisation of intracluster light in a z~0.53 cluster of galaxies. IX. Optical overdensity and radio continuum analysis of a supercluster at z=0.43. X. K-band luminosity - weak-lensing mass relation for groups and clusters of galaxies. XI. ATCA 2.1 GHz continuum observations. XII. Optical spectroscopy of X-ray-selected clusters and the frequency of AGN in superclusters. XIII. Baryon content of the bright cluster sample. XIV. AAOmega redshifts for the southern XXL field.
We present a thorough analysis of multicolour CCD observations of two modulated RRab-type variables, XY And and UZ Vir. These Blazhko stars show relatively simple light-curve modulation with the usual multiplet structures in their Fourier spectra. One additional, independent frequency with linear-combination terms of the pulsation frequency is also detected in the residual spectrum of each of the two stars. The amplitude and phase relations of the triplet components are studied in detail. Most of the epoch-independent phase differences show a slight, systematic colour dependence. However, these trends have opposite signs in the two stars. The mean values of the global physical parameters and their changes with the Blazhko phase are determined, utilizing the inverse photometric method (IPM). The modulation properties and the IPM results are compared for the two variables. The pulsation period of XY And is the shortest when its pulsation amplitude is the highest, while UZ Vir has the longest pulsation period at this phase of the modulation. Despite this contrasting behaviour, the phase relations of the variations in their mean physical parameters are similar. These results do not agree with the predictions of the Blazhko model of Stothers.
New CCD photometric observations of the chromospherically active binary XY Ursae Majoris (XY UMa) were obtained every year since 2006. The light curves obtained in the late Spring of 2006 show obvious variations on a short timescale, while the light curves obtained in 2008 December do not. But both sets of light curves are markedly asymmetric, and were analyzed using the 2003 version of the Wilson-Devinney code with spot model. New absolute physical parameters are obtained.
The XZ catalog was created at the U.S. Naval Observatory in 1977 by Richard Schmidt and Tom Van Flandern, primarily for the purpose of generating predictions of lunar occultations, and for analyzing timings of these events. It was designed to include all stars from Robertson's Zodiacal Catalog (ZC), the SAO catalog, and the AGK3 catalog that are within 6d 40' of the ecliptic (a region hereafter called "the Zodiac"), which is as far as the Moon's limb can ever get as seen from anywhere on the Earth's surface, leaving some margin for stellar proper motions and change in the obliquity of the ecliptic over the course of three centuries. The original version contained 32,221 entries. Since that time, a number of changes have been made in succeeding versions, including better positions and proper motions, and the elimination and addition of stars. The catalog contains visual magnitudes and radial velocities as well as astrometric data. Two years after the catalog was created, and observations were already reported using its numbers, it was found that about 200 stars near the equator from the AGK3 catalog were outside the Zodiac, and a similar number that should have been included were not. Since the numbering system had already been established, the catalog was not changed to correct this deficiency. Over the years, some errors in the catalog, due mainly to errors in the SAO and AGK3, were corrected. A few stars with very bad data were "eliminated" by changing their declination to -89d and adding 40 to their magnitudes. In 1986, most of the stellar positional data were replaced with improved data from Harrington's and Douglass' Zodical Zone (ZZ) catalog, which used for its observing list SAO stars in the Zodiac (actually broader than the XZ Zodiac because ecliptic latitudes to +/-15d were used) north of declination approximately -25d. The positional data for many of the stars south of declination -25d with right ascensions greater than 18h were improved with data from the Lick Voyager Uranus catalog. In 1991, the photographic magnitudes of the AGK3 stars not in the SAO were converted to photovisual magnitudes by applying corrections based on each star's spectral type, when available. Stellar magnitudes and double-star codes have been updated periodically based on reports from observers. Each time a series of updates was made, the XZ version was changed. The current version is XZ80N, created during the summer of 1992. Late in the summer of 1992, Mitsuru Soma in Japan created a J2000 version of the XZ, which we call XZ80NJ2. The next update is planned for 1994, when the positional data may also be replaced with PPM data; probably only the J2000 version will be updated. The XZ catalog is no longer maintained at the U.S. Naval Observatory (USNO); it is now maintained by the International Occultation Timing Association (IOTA). The changes made to the different versions of the XZ catalog during the past several years have been documented in Occultation Newsletter, IOTA's quarterly publication.
