Proper motion L and T dwarf candidate members of the Pleiades

We present the results of a deep optical–near-infrared (optical–NIR) multi-epoch survey covering 2.5 deg² of the Pleiades open star cluster to search for new very low-mass brown dwarf members. A significant (∼5 yr) epoch difference exists between the optical (CFH12k I -, Z -band) and NIR (UKIRT WFCAM J -band) observations. We construct I , I − Z and Z , Z − J colour–magnitude diagrams to select candidate cluster members. Proper motions are computed for all candidate members and compared to the background field objects to further refine the sample. We recover all known cluster members within the area of our survey. In addition, we have discovered nine new candidate brown dwarf cluster members. The seven faintest candidates have red Z − J colours and show blue NIR colours. These are consistent with being L- and T-type Pleiads. Theoretical models predict their masses to be around 11 M _Jup.     

Pleiades卫星图像正射纠正方法

Pleiades卫星图像是一种应用时间尚短的新型遥感图像,目前还缺少对其专用的正射纠正处理方法。为此,以湖北省大冶—阳新地区的6景Pleiades图像为例,在Visual Studio 2008环境下,采用C#语言开发了针对Pleiades图像有理多项式系数(rational polynomial coefficients,RPC)文件格式的转换软件包,用于将Pleiades图像的RPC文件格式转换为IKONOS图像的RPC文件格式,并采用ERDAS9.2中的IKONOS图像的正射纠正模型对其进行纠正。该方法解决了对Pleiades图像进行正射纠正所需要解决的相关问题,开发的RPC文件转换程序可以用于批量的Pleiades卫星RPC文件格式转换,提高了转换效率和准确性,为大规模应用Pleiades图像奠定了基础。     

Hipparcos后的昴星团距离

详细介绍了Hipparcos测定的昴星团距离与以往地面测定结果比较所出现的差异、近年来对昴星团距离新的测定和对Hipparcos数据作的重新处理以及对造成不一致的原因所进行的探讨，最后对有关进展加以评述。     

New brown dwarf candidates in the Pleiades

We have performed deep, wide‐field imaging on a ∼0.4 deg² field in the Pleiades (Melotte 22). The selected field was not yet target of a deep search for low mass stars and brown dwarfs. Our limiting magnitudes are R ∼ 22 mag and I ∼ 20 mag, sufficient to detect brown dwarf candidates down to 40 M_J. We found 197 objects, whose location in the (I, R – I) color magnitude diagram is consistent with the age and the distance of the Pleiades. Using CTK R and I as well as JHK photometry from our data and the 2MASS survey we were able to identify 7 new brown dwarf candidates. We present our data reduction technique, which enables us to resample, calibrate, and co‐add many images by just two steps. We estimate the interstellar extinction and the spectral type from our optical and the NIR data using a two‐dimensional χ² fitting (© 2009 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

The lower mass function of young open clusters: clues to (sub)stellar formation

We report the present day mass functions (PDMFs) of 4 young open clusters over a mass range from 30 Jupiter masses to 3M_ . Three of these clusters have been chosen to have a similar age of ∼100 Myr. Their PDMFs are remarkably similar and are comparable to the field mass function. This suggests little impact of initial conditions (stellar density, metallicity) on the mass distribution and raises some issues concerning the currently debated star and brown dwarf formation theories. The fourth cluster is older (600 Myr) which allow us to investigate the effect of the cluster dynamical evolution on the shape of the mass function. (© 2005 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Discriminating lava flows of different age within Nyamuragira’s volcanic field using spectral mixture analysis

In this study, linear spectral mixture analysis (LSMA) is used to characterize the spectral heterogeneity of lava flows from Nyamuragira volcano, Democratic Republic of Congo, where vegetation and lava are the two main land covers. In order to estimate fractions of vegetation and lava through satellite remote sensing, we made use of 30 m resolution Landsat Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+) and Advanced Land Imager (ALI) imagery. 2 m Pleiades data was used for validation. From the results, we conclude that (1) LSMA is capable of characterizing volcanic fields and discriminating between different types of lava surfaces; (2) three lava endmembers can be identified as lava of old, intermediate and young age, corresponding to different stages in lichen growth and chemical weathering; (3) a strong relationship is observed between vegetation fraction and lava age, where vegetation at Nyamuragira starts to significantly colonize lava flows ∼15 years after eruption and occupies over 50% of the lava surfaces ∼40 years after eruption. Our study demonstrates the capability of spectral unmixing to characterize lava surfaces and vegetation colonization over time, which is particularly useful for poorly known volcanoes or those not accessible for physical or political reasons.     

Maximum likelihood estimation of the mean parallax and kinematic parameters of the Pleiades

A simultaneous, maximum-likelihood determination of the distance and kinematic parameters of the Pleiades is made. The results are: distance of the cluster d = 135.56 ± 0.72 pc, dispersion σ_d = 7.66 ± 0.80 pc; space velocity V = 25.94 ± 0.13 km/s, dispersion σ_v = 0.58 ± 0.09 km/s coordinates of the convergent point A = 101.95° ± 0.47°, D = −41.36° ± 0.29°.     

Proper motion Pleiades candidate L‐type brown dwarfs

We present results of an optical and near‐infrared (IR) 1.8 deg² survey in the Pleiades open cluster to search for substellar objects. From optical I ‐band images from the CFHT and J ‐band images from the 3.5m CAHA Telescope, we identify 18 faint and very red L brown dwarf candidates, with I > 20.9 and I – J > 3.2. The follow‐up observations of nine objects in the H ‐ and K _s‐bands confirm that eight belong to the IR sequence of the cluster and the proper motion measurements of seven candidates confirm that they are Pleiades members. A preliminary estimation of the substellar mass spectrum dN/ dM in the form of a power law M c^–α provides α = +0.57 ± 0.14. We extrapolate this function to estimate the number of planetary mass objects that could be present in the cluster down to 1 M_Jup. Sensitive searches combining far red and near‐IR observations may unveal these objects in a near future. (© 2005 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Pleiades遥感数据融合在地理国情调查中的应用

地理国情调查工作中,数据源的选取和预处理在工程过程中占重要地位,由于航空影像数据获取时相受到一定的限制,因此,航天遥感数据作为影像有效补充。普利亚(Pleiades)航天数据以其优越的数据质量在地理国情调查工作中得到有效应用。本文从普利亚(Pleiades)地理国情调查应用出发,以探索全波段与多波段数据融合方法,提高数据可用性为目的,研究了遥感数据的几种融合方法,并对融合后的数据进行定量评价,从中选取最优方案,从而提高普利亚(Pleiades)数据的空间分辨率,达到数据分割,解译准确、精确的目标。