M型恒星周围系外行星统计研究

M型恒星(M dwarf)是主序星中质量较小的恒星,也是银河系中数量最多的恒星类型,在其周围形成的行星通常距离主星较近,宜居带也比F、G、K型恒星更靠近主星,更有利于发现系外宜居行星.研究表明, M型恒星周围平均存在2.5颗小质量行星,约为F、 G、 K型恒星的3.5倍,但M型恒星周围巨行星的出现率(occurrence rate)则比F、 G、K型小一个量级.基于M型恒星周围发现的401颗行星的参数开展了统计研究,发现质量越大的行星平均轨道半长径越大.类地行星约占行星总数的74%,且轨道半长径均小于1 au,其中28颗行星具有潜在宜居性.根据行星质量-半径关系,在质量等于4倍地球质量(M⊕)处存在一拐点,除少数几颗行星外,大部分小于该质量的行星可能都是由约65%的硅酸盐和约35%的铁组成,大于该质量的行星半径则随质量增加而迅速增大.约60%的M型恒星周围的行星位于多行星系统且轨道分布紧密,相邻行星轨道在3:2、5:3及2:1等平运动共振位置处存在峰值. M型恒星的多行星系统形成与演化等问题对现今的行星形成理论提出了新挑战.     

球状星团M3天区534颗恒星的绝对自行测定

以《Hipparcos星表》体现的国际天球参考架为基础 ,对球状星团M3(NGC 5 2 72 )中心附近 10 0′×10 0′天区内 5 34颗恒星 ,使用上海天文台佘山 4 0cm折射望远镜拍摄的底片资料 ,以 8颗《Hipparcos星表》中恒星和 4 9颗《Tycho - 2星表》中恒星的位置和绝对自行为参考 ,归算得到了位置和绝对自行 ,并估计了成员概率     

LAMOST-Kepler视场中富锂巨星表面转动研究

Kepler卫星提供的长时序、高精度的光度观测和郭守敬望远镜(LAMOST)提供的大规模光谱观测为研究恒星表面转动周期与富锂巨星锂丰度关系提供了良好的数据.将LAMOST搜寻到的富锂巨星与Kepler观测交叉,获得了619颗共同源,研究了其中295颗有良好观测数据的富锂巨星的表面转动.在205颗有星震学参数的恒星中提取出14颗恒星的转动周期,其中氦核燃烧星(HeB) 11颗,红巨星支(RGB) 2颗, 1颗演化阶段未确定.本样本中的极富锂巨星(A(Li) 3.3 dex)皆为HeB;对于90颗没有星震学参数的样本因而没有依靠星震学手段确定演化阶段的恒星中,有22颗提取出了自转周期.前者的自转探测率为6.8%,显著高于之前工作中大样本巨星2.08%的探测率.同时,此研究首次从自转周期的角度确认了恒星转动与巨星锂增丰存在相关性,在增丰程度较弱时,自转周期分布比较弥散;强锂增丰的星倾向于快速转动.富锂巨星与极富锂巨星在转动速度随锂丰度的演化上展现了两个序列,在转动-锂丰度图上的A(Li)≈3.3 dex处产生第2个下降序列,或许暗示了两者在形成机制上的不同.极富锂巨星的样本中,随巨星锂增丰程度增强,恒星转速加快.这种相关性为由转动引起的额外混合作为富锂巨星形成的机制提供了支持.     

恒星射电耀发6cm波段偏振观测试验

利用新疆天文台南山基地25m射电望远镜在6cm波段对恒星V772 Her和βPer进行了偏振观测试验.通过数据处理和校准得到恒星的射电光变曲线.探测到V772 Her的射电耀发现象,耀发时的线偏振度约达30%,偏振位置角约4°;探测到βPer的缓变成份及叠加其上的快速耀发,βPer耀发时线偏振很弱.     

致密陡谱源1150＋497的VLBI偏振性质

利用美国甚长基线干涉阵对致密陡谱源1150+497进行双波段全偏振观测,获得该源在5GHz和8GHz波段的偏振流量和偏振矢量分布结果,发现该源偏振主要集中在核心处,并通过对三个频率偏振角的拟合,首次获得了源1150+497毫角秒尺度的旋转量约为66 rad/m2.移去旋转量后,获得该源毫角秒尺度的内禀磁场分布,显示磁场矢量与喷流方向一致.     

TESS空间卫星单扇区变星的周期性研究

TESS (Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite)空间卫星提供的短曝光、高精度光度测量为寻找并区分变星与搜寻行星提供了良好的数据.利用变星源的光变曲线,使用周期频谱分析与光变折叠等一系列方法分析了TESS空间卫星21扇区19995颗拥有高质量光变数据的目标源,并对这些源进行了分类,共获得4624颗变星,其中食双星322颗、脉动变星470颗、行星凌星37颗.所得变星结果与VSX (The International Variable Star Index)变星表进行了交叉比较,共交叉匹配了625颗变星源,这些交叉源中共有131颗为食双星系统、31颗为脉动变星,并通过周期频谱分析获取了双星绕转以及脉动周期.另外在59颗变星中发现明显耀发现象,交叉源中有8颗变星为行星凌星并同样通过周期频谱分析获取了行星绕转周期,从而验证了TESS空间卫星数据对变星分析的可行性.通过利用TESS空间卫星21扇区获得的变星周期结果与VSX变星表中提供的变星周期对比,发现与VSX变星表中绝大部分变星的周期一致,有一部分结果与VSX变星表中的结果差别较大,对这些变星周期结果做了进一步修正,并给出了变星表未列出的变星周期结果.     

一个大质量恒星形成复合体的动力学性质

恒星形成于分子云之中, 分子外向流是恒星形成正在进行的重要动力学特征, 也是研究和认识恒星形成的重要契入点. 利用紫金山天文台青海观测站德令哈13.7m毫米波望远镜, 采用5种分子谱线探针(包括¹²CO、¹³CO、C¹⁸O、HCO$^+$ $J=1-0$和CS $J=2-1$, J为角动量量子数), 对一个包含IRAS 19230+1506、IRAS 19232+1504和G050.3179--00.4186这3个源的大质量恒星形成复合体进行了成图观测研究. 通过对以上分子谱线数据并结合红外波段巡天数据的分析, 在这3个源中首次探测到了分子外向流活动, 并确定了分子外向流的中心驱动源. 最后对这3个源进行了分子外向流相关物理量参数的计算, 分析了这些物理量参数之间的关系, 结果表明分子外向流的性质与中心驱动源的性质息息相关.     

近红外偏振观测在恒星形成研究中的应用

近红外偏振是研究恒星形成的有效工具.该文介绍了近红外偏振器的工作原理,然后分几个方面介绍了近红外偏振在恒星形成研究中的应用.红外反射云能很好地示踪年轻星天体及分子外流,通过分析偏振矢量的方法确定红外反射云的偏振对称中心,从而确定它的照亮源;偏振波长相关曲线包含了年轻星天体的星周物质的很多信息;年轻星的分子外流导致了红外反射云的形成,因此红外反射云的照亮源通常与年轻星天体成协,并是分子外流的驱动源;一些年轻星天体埋藏得很深,一般在近红外波段无法直接探测到,人们称之为深埋源,通过分析偏振矢量的方法可以找到深埋源;一般认为比较年轻的年轻星天体都是有尘埃盘的,尘埃盘的存在会导致它的偏振形态出现偏振盘,偏振盘町以用来研究尘埃盘;恒星形成区里成员星的偏振主要是由尘埃的二色性消光产生的,这样偏振方向会平行于致使尘埃排列的磁场的方向,从而能够揭示磁场的结构.最后进行了总结,并论述了中远红外偏振研究的优势和意义.     

主并合星系对SFR的增幅与其他参数关系的研究

主并合星系对是研究星系同时受到本身与外部环境影响的绝佳实验对象,而星系恒星形成率的变化可以示踪这些影响产生的作用.星系的恒星质量、星系对之间的投影距离与相对倾角都是影响恒星形成率的几个重要因素.研究结果表明,更大恒星质量星系倾向于有更大的恒星形成率增幅,相对倾角接近平行的星系同样趋于有更大的恒星形成率增幅,而投影距离在研究范围内与恒星形成率没有相关性.     

类太阳色球活动恒星的高色散光谱观测和锂丰度

基于对9颗类太阳色球活动恒星高信噪比的高色散光谱观测, 测量了这些恒星锂线(入 = 6707.8 A'')的等值宽度, 计算了这些恒星表层锂元素丰度. 通过研究这些类太阳色球活动恒星锂丰度和X射线光度之间的关系, 发现X射线光度 强的类太阳色球活动恒星锂丰度值大于X射线较弱的恒星. 也就是说活动性较强的类太阳色球活动恒星其锂丰度较高, 活动性较弱的类太阳色球活动恒星其锂丰度较低. 考虑到主序的类太阳恒星锂元素和恒星自转速度随着恒星年龄的增加逐渐减少, 以及随着类太阳色球活动恒星自转速度的减小, 色球活动又逐渐变弱. 因此类似于锂丰度, 类太阳色球活动恒星自转速度的大小和恒星的 活动水平也同样可以表明恒星的年龄.     

A Revisit to the Optical Starlight Polarization Catalogue by Heiles: Distance Update

Starlight polarization serves one of the powerful tools to study magnetic fields in the Galactic interstellar medium. Heiles catalogue contains polarization information for 9286 stars, and is by far the biggest. This catalogue has been extensively used to study the magnetic fields. However, the distance parameters of the stars in this catalogue are from photometric observations, and very uncertain. We cross match Heiles catalogue with Gaia Data Release 2 (DR2), and identify 7613 stars using both angular separation and magnitude as constraints. We then obtain precise distances from Gaia DR2 for these stars. For more than 90% of the stars, the relative errors of the new distances are within 20%. Based on the new catalogue, we demonstrate how starlight polarization can probe Galactic magnetic fields.     

Kinematics of the galaxy from OB stars with proper motions from the Gaia DR1 catalogue

We consider two samples of OB stars with different distance scales that we have studied previously. The first and second samples consist of massive spectroscopic binaries with photometric distances and distances determined from interstellar calcium lines, respectively. The OB stars are located at heliocentric distances up to 7 kpc. We have identified them with the Gaia DR1 catalogue. Using the proper motions taken from the Gaia DR1 catalogue is shown to reduce the random errors in the Galactic rotation parameters compared to the previously known results. By analyzing the proper motions and parallaxes of 208 OB stars from the Gaia DR1 catalogue with a relative parallax error of less than 200%, we have found the following kinematic parameters: (U, V)_⊙ = (8.67, 6.63)± (0.88, 0.98) km s^?1, Ω₀ = 27.35 ± 0.77 km s^?1 kpc^?1, Ω′₀ = ?4.13 ± 0.13 km s^?1 kpc^?2, and Ω″₀ = 0.672 ± 0.070 km s^?1 kpc^?3, the Oort constants are A = ?16.53 ± 0.52 km s^?1 kpc^?1 and B = 10.82 ± 0.93 km s^?1 kpc^?1, and the linear circular rotation velocity of the local standard of rest around the Galactic rotation axis is V ₀ = 219 ± 8 km s^?1 for the adopted R ₀ = 8.0 ± 0.2 kpc. Based on the same stars, we have derived the rotation parameters only from their line-of-sight velocities. By comparing the estimated values of Ω′₀, we have found the distance scale factor for the Gaia DR1 catalogue to be close to unity: 0.96. Based on 238 OB stars of the combined sample with photometric distances for the stars of the first sample and distances in the calcium distance scale for the stars of the second sample, line-of-sight velocities, and proper motions from the Gaia DR1 catalogue, we have found the following kinematic parameters: (U, V, W)_⊙ = (8.19, 9.28, 8.79)± (0.74, 0.92, 0.74) km s^?1, Ω₀ = 31.53 ± 0.54 km s^?1 kpc^?1, Ω′₀ = ?4.44 ± 0.12 km s^?1 kpc^?2, and Ω″₀ = 0.706 ± 0.100 km s^?1 kpc^?3; here, A = ?17.77 ± 0.46 km s^?1 kpc^?1, B = 13.76 ± 0.71 km s^?1 kpc^?1, and V ₀ = 252 ± 8 km s^?1.     

Transformations between 2MASS, SDSS and BVRI photometric systems: bridging the near-infrared and optical

We present colour transformations for the conversion of the Two Micron All Sky Survey (2MASS) photometric system to the Johnson–Cousins UBVRI system and further into the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) ugriz system. We have taken SDSS gri magnitudes of stars measured with the 2.5-m telescope from SDSS Data Release 5 (DR5), and BVRI and   JHK _s   magnitudes from Stetson's catalogue and Cutri et al., respectively. We matched thousands of stars in the three photometric systems by their coordinates and obtained a homogeneous sample of 825 stars by the following constraints, which are not used in previous transformations: (1) the data are dereddened, (2) giants are omitted and (3) the sample stars selected are of the highest quality. We give metallicity, population type and transformations dependent on two colours. The transformations provide absolute magnitude and distance determinations which can be used in space density evaluations at short distances where some or all of the SDSS ugriz magnitudes are saturated. The combination of these densities with those evaluated at larger distances using SDSS ugriz photometry will supply accurate Galactic model parameters, particularly the local space densities for each population.     

Galactic Rotation Parameters Based on Stars from Active Star-Forming Regions with Data from the Gaia DR2 Catalogue

Astronomy Letters - We have studied a sample of more than 25?000 young stars with proper motions and trigonometric parallaxes from the Gaia DR2 catalogue. The relative errors of their...     

Investigation of the Kinematics of Stars from the Gaia Data Release 2 with Radial Velocities Catalogue Using Scalar and Vector Spherical Harmonics

Astronomy Letters - This paper is a continuation of our work. The proper motions and radial velocities of stars from the Gaia DR2 with RV catalogue have been decomposed. We have confirmed that the...     

Three new late-type hypervelocity star candidates from Gaia DR2 with refined selection criteria

Several dozen hypervelocity star(HVS) candidates have been reported based on the second data release of Gaia(Gaia DR2). However, it has been proven that the radial velocities of some Gaia HVS candidates are not reliable. In this paper, we employ refined astrometric criteria to re-examine Gaia DR2,arriving at a more reliable sample of HVS and high velocity star candidates than those found by previous authors. We develop a method called Binary Escape Probability Analysis to identify some HVS candidates.This method allows us to work with stars having only two epochs of measured radial velocity. These stars were usually discarded in previous similar studies. A scrutiny of our final results sheds light on selection effects present in our studies, which we propose to be the focus of future studies. In total, we find three late-type(2 G-type and 1 K-type) HVS and 21 high velocity star candidates, 3 and 11 of which are new,respectively. Judging by their historical trajectories, which we calculate, all three HVS candidates could not have had Galactic center origins. Further monitoring is required to confirm their status.     

Globular Clusters: Absolute Proper Motions and Galactic Orbits

We cross-match objects from several different astronomical catalogs to determine the absolute proper motions of stars within the 30-arcmin radius fields of 115 Milky-Way globular clusters with the accuracy of 1–2 mas yr^?1. The proper motions are based on positional data recovered from the USNO-B1, 2MASS, URAT1, ALLWISE, UCAC5, and Gaia DR1 surveys with up to ten positions spanning an epoch difference of up to about 65 years, and reduced to Gaia DR1 TGAS frame using UCAC5 as the reference catalog. Cluster members are photometrically identified by selecting horizontal- and red-giant branch stars on color–magnitude diagrams, and the mean absolute proper motions of the clusters with a typical formal error of about 0.4 mas yr^?1 are computed by averaging the proper motions of selected members. The inferred absolute proper motions of clusters are combined with available radial-velocity data and heliocentric distance estimates to compute the cluster orbits in terms of the Galactic potential models based on Miyamoto and Nagai disk, Hernquist spheroid, and modified isothermal dark-matter halo (axisymmetric model without a bar) and the same model + rotating Ferre’s bar (non-axisymmetric). Five distant clusters have higher-than-escape velocities, most likely due to large errors of computed transversal velocities, whereas the computed orbits of all other clusters remain bound to the Galaxy. Unlike previously published results, we find the bar to affect substantially the orbits of most of the clusters, even those at large Galactocentric distances, bringing appreciable chaotization, especially in the portions of the orbits close to the Galactic center, and stretching out the orbits of some of the thick-disk clusters.     

Testing the Distance Scale of the Gaia TGAS Catalogue by the Kinematic Method

We have studied the simultaneous and separate solutions of the basic kinematic equations obtained using the stellar velocities calculated on the basis of data from the Gaia TGAS and RAVE5 catalogues. By comparing the values of Ω'₀ found by separately analyzing only the line-of-sight velocities of stars and only their proper motions, we have determined the distance scale correction factor p to be close to unity, 0.97 ± 0.04. Based on the proper motions of stars from the Gaia TGAS catalogue with relative trigonometric parallax errors less than 10% (they are at a mean distance of 226 pc), we have found the components of the group velocity vector for the sample stars relative to the Sun (U, V,W)_⊙ = (9.28, 20.35, 7.36) ± (0.05, 0.07, 0.05) km s^?1, the angular velocity of Galactic rotation Ω⁰ = 27.24 ± 0.30 km s?1 kpc?1, and its first derivative Ω'₀ = ?3.77 ± 0.06 km s^?1 kpc^?2; here, the circular rotation velocity of the Sun around the Galactic center is V₀ = 218 ± 6 km s^?1 kpc (for the adopted distance R₀ = 8.0 ± 0.2 kpc), while the Oort constants are A = 15.07 ± 0.25 km s^?1 kpc^?1 and B = ?12.17 ± 0.39 km s^?1 kpc^?1, p = 0.98 ± 0.08. The kinematics of Gaia TGAS stars with parallax errors more than 10% has been studied by invoking the distances from a paper by Astraatmadja and Bailer-Jones that were corrected for the Lutz–Kelker bias. We show that the second derivative of the angular velocity of Galactic rotation Ω'₀ = 0.864 ± 0.021 km s^?1 kpc^?3 is well determined from stars at a mean distance of 537 pc. On the whole, we have found that the distances of stars from the Gaia TGAS catalogue calculated using their trigonometric parallaxes do not require any additional correction factor.     

Kinematics and Dynamics of the Galactic Halo from RR Lyrae Variable Stars

Based on a sample of RR Lyrae variable stars including more than 9000 objects with proper motions and distances, we have investigated the kinematics of the Galactic halo from the two-dimensional velocity field. We have used both the proper motions deduced independently by us from the positional data taken from all-sky catalogues in a time interval up to 65 years and the proper motions taken from the Gaia DR2 catalogue. In addition, we have also studied the halo kinematics from the three-dimensional velocity field of ~850 RR Lyrae variables with distances, proper motions, and line-of-sight velocities. The kinematic parameters describing the velocity field have been estimated by the maximum-likelihood method; their change with Galactocentric distance has been investigated. The radial velocity dispersion in spherical coordinates σ_r ≈ 160?170 km s^?1 exceeds its values from previous papers approximately by 20 km s^?1, while the anisotropy parameter β ≈ 0.68?0.72 agrees satisfactorily with previous studies. When estimating the rotation velocity of the population of RR Lyrae stars, we identified the inner and outer halos with weak prograde and retrograde rotations, respectively.     

Investigation of the Galactic bar based on photometry and stellar proper motions

A new method for selecting stars in the Galactic bar based on 2MASS infrared photometry in combination with stellar proper motions from the Kharkiv XPM catalogue has been implemented. In accordance with this method, red clump and red giant branch stars are preselected on the color-magnitude diagram and their photometric distances are calculated. Since the stellar proper motions are indicators of a larger velocity dispersion toward the bar and the spiral arms compared to the stars with circular orbits, applying the constraints on the proper motions of the preselected stars that take into account the Galactic rotation has allowed the background stars to be eliminated. Based on a joint analysis of the velocities of the selected stars and their distribution on the Galactic plane, we have confidently identified the segment of the Galactic bar nearest to the Sun with an orientation of 20°–25° with respect to the Galactic center-Sun direction and a semimajor axis of no more than 3 kpc.