Photometric and polarimetric studies of three W UMa-type binaries: FZ Ori,V407 Peg and LP UMa

We present analyses of new optical photometric observations of three W UMa-type contact binaries FZ Ori, V407 Peg and LP UMa. Results from the first polarimetric observations of the FZ Ori and V407 Peg are also presented. The periods of FZ Ori, V407 Peg and LP UMa are derived to be 0.399986, 0.636884 and 0.309898 d, respectively. The O?C analyses indicate that the orbital periods of FZ Ori and LP UMa have increased with the rate of 2.28×10^?8 and 1.25×10^?6 d?yr^?1, respectively and which is explained by transfer of mass between the components. In addition to the secularly increasing rate of orbital period, it was found that the period of FZ Ori has varied in sinusoidal way with oscillation period of ～30.1 yr. The period of oscillations are most likely to be explained by the light-time effect due to the presence of a tertiary companion. Small asymmetries have been seen around the primary and secondary maxima of light curves of all three systems, which is probably due to the presence of cool/hot spots on the components. The light curves of all three systems are analysed by using Wilson-Devinney code (WD) and the fundamental parameters of these systems have been derived. The present analyses show that FZ Ori is a W-subtype, and V407 Peg and LP UMa are A-subtype of the W UMa-type contact binary systems. The polarimetric observations in B, V, R and I bands, yield average values of polarization to be 0.26±0.03, 0.22±0.02, 0.22±0.03 and 0.22±0.05 per cent for FZ Ori and 0.21±0.02, 0.29±0.03, 0.31±0.01 and 0.31±0.04 per cent for V407 Peg, respectively.     

Non-linear stability of L 4 in the restricted problem when the primaries are finite straight segments under resonances

The non-linear stability of L ₄ in the restricted three-body problem when both primaries are finite straight segments in the presence of third and fourth order resonances has been investigated. Markeev’s theorem (Markeev in Libration Points in Celestial Mechanics and Astrodynamics, 1978) is used to examine the non-linear stability for the resonance cases 2:1 and 3:1. It is found that the non-linear stability of L ₄ depends on the lengths of the segments in both resonance cases. It is also found that the range of stability increases when compared with the classical restricted problem. The results have been applied in the following asteroids systems: (i) 216 Kleopatra–951 Gaspara, (ii) 9 Metis–433 Eros, (iii) 22 Kalliope–243 Ida.     

Interpretation of vector magnetograph data including magneto-optic effects

In this paper, the presence of Faraday rotation in measurements of the orientation of a sunspot's transverse magnetic field is investigated. Using observations obtained with the Marshall Space Flight Center's (MSFC) vector magnetograph, the derived vector magnetic field of a simple, symmetric sunspot is used to calculate the degree of Faraday rotation in the azimuth of the transverse field as a function of wavelength from analytical expressions for the Stokes parameters. These results are then compared with the observed rotation of the field's azimuth which is derived from observations at different wavelengths within the Fei 5250 Å spectral line. From these comparisons, we find: the observed rotation of the azimuth is simulated to a reasonable degree by the theoretical formulations if the line-formation parameter η _o is varied over the sunspot; these variations in η _o are substantiated by the line-intensity data; for the MSFC system, Faraday rotation can be neglected for field strengths less than 1800 G and field inclinations greater than 45°; to minimize the effects of Faraday rotation in sunspot umbrae, MSFC magnetograph measurements must be made in the far wings of the Zeeman-sensitive spectral line.     

The 3:1 mean motion resonance between Miranda and the inner Uranian satellites,Cressida and Desdemona

We build a simple dissipative analytical model considering an averaged restricted 3-body problem taking into account the effect of the oblateness of a planet on a small satellite and on its perturber. We apply this model to the inner Uranian system and we follow the dynamical evolution of the satellites Cressida or Desdemona, these latter being close to a 3:1 commensurability with the large satellite Miranda. Our analysis shows that the positions of the two inner satellites, on both sides of the exact resonance, are temporary, Cressida having already crossed the resonance, and Desdemona approaching the commensurability to jump over later on.     

Stellar 5 min oscillations

Estimates are given for the amplitudes of stochastically excited oscillations in Main Sequence stars and cool giants; these were obtained using the equipartition between convective and pulsational energy which was originally proposed by Goldreich and Keeley. The amplitudes of both velocity and luminosity perturbation generally increase with increasing mass along the Main Sequence as long as convection transports a major fraction of the total flux, and the amplitudes also increase with the age of the model. The 1.5 M _⊙ ZAMS model, of spectral type F0, has velocity amplitudes ten times larger than those found in the Sun. For very luminous red supergiants luminosity amplitudes of up to about 0 ^m .1 are predicted, in rough agreement with observations presented by Maeder.     

Alfvén waves in the solar atmosphere

We examine the propagation of Alfvén waves in the solar atmosphere. The principal theoretical virtues of this work are: (i) The full wave equation is solved without recourse to the small-wavelength eikonal approximation (ii) The background solar atmosphere is realistic, consisting of an HSRA/VAL representation of the photosphere and chromosphere, a 200 km thick transition region, a model for the upper transition region below a coronal hole (provided by R. Munro), and the Munro-Jackson model of a polar coronal hole. The principal results are:

1. If the wave source is taken to be near the top of the convection zone, where n _H = 5.2 × 10¹⁶ cm^?3, and if B _⊙ = 10.5 G, then the wave Poynting flux exhibits a series of strong resonant peaks at periods downwards from 1.6 hr. The resonant frequencies are in the ratios of the zeroes of J ₀, but depend on B _⊙, and on the density and scale height at the wave source. The longest period peaks may be the most important, because they are nearest to the supergranular periods and to the observed periods near 1 AU, and because they are the broadest in frequency.
2. The Poynting flux in the resonant peaks can be large enough, i.e. P _⊙ ≈ 10⁴–10⁵ erg cm^?2s^?1, to strongly affect the solar wind.
3. ¦δv¦ and ¦δB¦ also display resonant peaks.
4. In the chromosphere and low corona, ¦δv ≈ 7–25 kms^?1 and ¦δB¦ ≈0.3–1.0 G if P _⊙≈10⁴-10⁵ erg cm^?2s^?1.
5. The dependences of ¦δv¦ and ¦δB¦ on height are reduced by finite wavelength effects, except near the wave source where they are enhanced.
6. Near the base, ¦δB¦ ≈ 350–1200 G if P _⊙ ～- 10⁴–10⁵. This means that nonlinear effects may be important, and that some density and vertical velocity fluctuations may be associated with the Alfvén waves.
7. Below the low corona most wave energy is kinetic, except near the base where it becomes mostly magnetic at the resonances.
8. ?₀ < δv ² > v _A or < δB ² > v _A/4π are not good estimators of the energy flux.
9. The Alfvén wave pressure tensor will be important in the transition region only if the magnetic field diverges rapidly. But the Alfvén wave pressure can be important in the coronal hole.

     

Sunspots and physics of magnetic flux tubes overstability and Kelvin-Helmholtz instability in a magnetic field

We have studied the dynamical properties of convective overstability and Kelvin-Helmholtz instability in a vertical magnetic field with a downdraft. The Kelvin-Helmholtz instability and overstability produce the upward downward propagating Alfvén waves depending upon the magnitudes of the kinematic viscosity coefficient (eddy viscosity) ν, and thermometric conductivity κ. It is found that the instability may be driven by the density stratification and the effect of the eddy viscosity is to make the system stable. We discuss also the interaction of the overstability inx<0 and the downdraft inx>0, and the overstability at a vertical boundary of the field.     

Areas of Polar Coronal Holes from 1996 Through 2010

Polar coronal holes (PCHs) trace the magnetic variability of the Sun throughout the solar cycle. Their size and evolution have been studied as proxies for the global magnetic field. We present measurements of the PCH areas from 1996 through 2010, derived from an updated perimeter-tracing method and two synoptic-map methods. The perimeter-tracing method detects PCH boundaries along the solar limb, using full-disk images from the SOlar and Heliospheric Observatory/Extreme ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (SOHO/EIT). One synoptic-map method uses the line-of-sight magnetic field from the SOHO/Michelson Doppler Imager (MDI) to determine the unipolarity boundaries near the poles. The other method applies thresholding techniques to synoptic maps created from EUV image data from EIT. The results from all three methods suggest that the solar maxima and minima of the two hemispheres are out of phase. The maximum PCH area, averaged over the methods in each hemisphere, is approximately 6 % during both solar minima spanned by the data (between Solar Cycles 22/23 and 23/24). The northern PCH area began a declining trend in 2010, suggesting a downturn toward the maximum of Solar Cycle 24 in that hemisphere, while the southern hole remained large throughout 2010.     

Synthetic light curves of two eclipsing binary systems,U Sge and AW UMa

Photometric curve fits have been investigated by means of numerical quadratures to develop theoretical light curves appropriate to stars built up in accordance with the Roche model. The method has been applied previously to β Per (Al-Naimiy and Budding, 1977) on the basis of available observations in red and infrared, while presently applied to two systems with contact components.

1. U Sge, spherical primary totally eclipsed by a contact component secondary. Improved photometric elements of the system have been found, and compared with those obtained by Kopal's method in the frequency domain. The outcome of the curve fitting corresponds well with the results of an analysis in the frequency domain.
2. AW UMa, exhibiting the shallowest minima known for totally eclipsing W UMa systems. The physical and geometrical elements of the system have been found, and the contact nature of the two components confirmed.

     

The local ISM in three dimensions: kinematics,morphology and physical properties

We summarize the results of our long-term program to study the kinematics, morphology, and physical properties of warm partially ionized interstellar gas located within 100 pc of the Sun. Using the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS) and other spectrographs on the Hubble Space Telescope (HST), we measure radial velocities of neutral and singly ionized atoms that identify comoving structures (clouds) of warm interstellar gas. We have identified 15 of these clouds located within 15 pc of the Sun. Each of them moves with a different velocity vector, and they have narrow ranges of temperature, turbulence, and metal depletions. We compute a three-dimensional model for the Local Interstellar Cloud (LIC), in which the Sun is likely embedded near its edge, and the locations and shapes of the other nearby clouds. These clouds are likely separated by ionized Strömgren sphere gas produced by ? CMa, Sirius B, and other hot white dwarfs. We propose that some of these partially ionized clouds are shells of the Strömgren spheres.     

Studies of galaxies with peculiar nuclei

Photometric, morphological and spectral grounds suggest that the peculiar nuclei regions of NGC 1097, 1672, 2997, 5236, and 7552 are composed basically of a normal nucleus surrounded by several large but otherwise normal (T _e ～8000 K,N _e ～1000/cm³) H II regions. The stellar components are also normal although in some cases (NGC 1097, 1672, 1808 and 7552) there is a larger contribution of late type stars.     

Spectral line changes in RR Telescopii, 1961–72

Spectrophotometric measurements of the nova-like variable RR Tel secured at Cerro Tololo in 1972 with a photoelectric spectrum scanner are compared with previously reported photographic measurements and some photoelectric spectrum scans obtained at Mt. Stromlo in 1961. We have attempted to use these data to calibrate the photographic measurements which had much higher spectral resolution. This effort is complicated by the change of the spectrum with time; [Fevii] and [Nev] seem to be increasing with respect to Hβ, while [Fevi], [oiii], and [Neiii] appear to be weakening.     

Trojan orbits with mass exchange of the primaries

The librational motion round the Lagrangian triangular points L₄, L₅ with mass exchange of the primaries is investigated according to Brown's theory. The results are the same as in the case of isotropic mass variation studied earlier (Horedt, 1974a): (i) The extrema of the elongations with respect to the small mass are unaffected by mass exchange. (ii) The equations for the extrema of the Trojan's distance from the Sun and for the libration period are formally the same as in the constant mass problem, but with the understanding that the masses are now time dependent quantities. A Trojan cannot leave the libration domain due to a mass variation of the primaries obeying the constraints from Equation (2.4), with a mass ratio of the primaries m/M≤0.0401.     

The alignment of the Crab pulsar magnetic axis

The magnetic distortion is estimated for neutron stars in which the matter in the interior consists of superfluid neutrons and superconducting protons. For type II proton superconductivity, the arrangement of magnetic flux in a two-dimensional lattice of quantized fluxoids and the kinetic energy of the supercurrent carriers cause some components of the spatially averaged stress tensor for field and superconductor to be several orders of magnitude greater than the components of the Max-well stress tensor for a uniform distribution of the same magnetic flux. It is shown that for the Crab pulsar PSR 0531+21, which is considered to have the greater part of its mass in the form of superfluid neutrons and superconducting protons, the magnetic distortion is almost certainly more important than the clastic energy of the outer shell in determining the departure of the inertia tensor from its spherically symmetric form. With the assumption that internal and external magnetic fields have the same symmetry axis, the external field dipole moment of the Crab pulsar is predicted to be approximately perpendicular to the spin direction, in agreement with a number of published interpretations of observational data.     

X-ray nova flares

In order to find out the physical nature of galactic X-ray sources, data on variability of 24 sources during 1964–1971 have been investigated. The fluxes of 9 sources are found to be increasing to the maximum value (for several months) and then slowly decreasing (for }3 yr). These 9 sources have been related by us to the class of X-ray novae. The X-ray nova synthetic light curve has been drawn from data on the fluxes of 9 discovered novae. Assumptions have been made on the physical nature of the X-ray novae. Between the flares the X-ray novae may be weak X-ray sources with luminosity about 10³⁴ erg s^?1. During the flares the luminosity increases to about 10³⁸ erg s^?1. The number of X-ray sources in the Galaxy is about 10⁴–10⁵, the average distance between them about 0.5 kpc. The object of the optical identification may be a dwarf star of no earlier spectral class than F.     

Study of galaxies in the Lynx-Cancer void. IV. Photometric properties

We present the results of a photometric study of 85 objects from the updated sample of galaxies residing in the nearby Lynx-Cancer void. We perform our photometry on u, g, r, and i-band images of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. We determine model-independent galaxy parameters such as the integrated magnitudes and colors, effective radii and the corresponding surface brightness values, optical radii and Holmberg radii. We analyze the radial surface brightness profiles to determine the central brightness values and scale lengths of the model disks. We analyze the colors of the outer parts of the galaxies and compare them with model evolutionary tracks computed using the PEGASE 2 software package. This allowed us to estimate the time T _SF elapsed since the onset of star formation, which turned out to be on the order of the cosmological time T ₀ for the overwhelming majority of the galaxies studied. However, for 13 galaxies of the sample the time T _SF does not exceed T ₀/2 ～ 7 Gyr, and for 7 of them T _SF ? 3.5 Gyr. The latter are mostly unevolved objects dominated by low-luminosity galaxies with M _B > ?13.2. We use the integrated magnitudes and colors to estimate the stellar masses of the galaxies.We estimate the parameter M(H I)/L _B and the gas mass fractions for void galaxies with known HI-line fluxes. A small subgroup (about 10%) of the gas-richest void galaxies with M(H I)/L _B ? 2.5 has gas mass fractions that reach 94–99%. The outer regions of many of these galaxies show atypically blue colors. To test various statistical differences between void galaxies and galaxies from the samples selected using more general criteria, we compare some of the parameters of void galaxies with similar data for the sample of 195 galaxies from the Equatorial Survey (ES) based on a part of the HIPASS blind HI survey. The compared samples have similar properties in the common luminosity interval ?18.5<M _g < ?13.5. The faintest void galaxies differ appreciably from the ES survey galaxies. However, the ES survey also contains about 7% of the so-called “inchoate” galaxies with highM(H I)/L _B ratios, most of which are located far from massive neighbors and are probably analogs of void galaxies.     

Quasi-terminator orbits near primitive bodies

Quasi-terminator orbits are introduced as a class of quasi-periodic trajectories in the solar radiation pressure (SRP) perturbed Hill dynamics. These orbits offer significant displacements along the Sun-direction without the need for station-keeping maneuvers. Thus, quasi-terminator orbits have application to primitive-body mapping missions, where a variety of observation geometries relative to the Sun (or other directions) can be achieved. This paper describes the characteristics of these orbits as a function of normalized SRP strength and invariant torus frequencies and presents a discussion of mission design considerations for a global surface mapping orbit design.     

Observations of the Orion Nebula in Hα, [NII] and Hβ lines

Monochromatic photographs of the Orion Nebula taken through narrow bandpass interference filters (Δλ=10 Å) centred on Hα, Hβ and [NII] lines are presented. Ratio contours of Hα/[NII] and Hα/Hβ are derived. They enable a detailed study of the point-to-point variation in ionization structure and temperature throughout the nebula. Dust located within the ionized gas is studied from the Hα/Hβ ratio which varies from point to point over the nebula. Its strongest concentration, apart in the obvious ‘dark bay’, occurs in a shell surrounding the exciting stars, with about 2′ of diameter. Close to Θ¹ Ori the Hα/Hβ ratio, corrected for interstellar reddening, is about 3.0 in good agreement with the predicted value (Brocklehurst, 1971). To account for these measures, the following arguments are proposed:

1. Dust grains are completely or partially destroyed in region close to the exciting stars.
2. Radiation pressure and stellar wind push the remaining dust up to some equilibrium distance outwards. The consequence of this action is obviously the formation of a ‘dust mantle’ which is seen as a ring in projection.

     

A second fundamental model for resonance

We analyse a simple one degree of freedom Hamiltonian system depending upon a parameter \(H = - 3(\delta + 1)R + R^2 - 2\sqrt {2R} \cos r\) . This model is much closer to resonance problems arising in Celestial Mechanics than the pendulum. We deduce from it the conditions of capture into resonance or escape from resonance for systems drifting slowly. We apply this analysis to the Enceladus-Dione resonance.     

Spitzer IRS low-resolution spectra for four candidate Seyfert 1-like objects from ULIRGs in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, 2dF Galaxy Redshift Survey and 6dF Galaxy Survey

In this paper we present the Spitzer IRS low-resolution observation for four candidates of Seyfert 1-like objects of ULIRGs from the SDSS-2dF-6dF sample. It is found that they are all real Seyfert 1-like objects because their infrared spectra are similar to that for Seyfert 1 source indicative of AGN nature, i.e. their spectra all show high-ionization lines of [NeV] at 14.32 μm and/or [SIV] at 10.51 μm in the mid-infrared. On the other hand, it is found that they also show PAH features at 6.2, 7.7, 8.6 and 11.25 μm indicative of star formation activity. In addition, it is found that they all show the silicate feature in absorption around 10 μm indicative of heavily material obscured these sources. Furthermore, some correlations among the far infrared colors, the line ratios, the equivalent widths (EWs) of PAH feature and the Silicate strengths are also discussed for these sources.