SY Cnc, a case for unstable mass transfer?

Intermediate-resolution (0.5–1 Å) optical spectroscopy of the cataclysmic variable (CV) SY Cnc reveals the spectrum of the donor star. Our data enable us to resolve the orbital motion of the donor and provide a new orbital solution, binary mass ratio and spectral classification. We find that the donor star has spectral-type G8 ± 2 V and orbits the white dwarf with   P = 0.382 3753 ± 0.000 0003  d,   K ₂= 88.0 ± 2.9  km s⁻¹ and   V sin  i = 75.5 ± 6.5  km s⁻¹. Our values are significantly different from previous works and lead to   q = M ₂/ M ₁= 1.18 ± 0.14  . This is one of the highest mass ratios known in a CV and is very robust, because it is based on resolving the rotational broadening over a large number of metallic absorption lines. The donor could be a slightly evolved main sequence or descendant from a massive star which underwent an episode of thermal time-scale mass transfer.     

A mystery solved: the mass ratio of the dwarf nova EM Cygni

We have discovered that the spectrum of the well-known dwarf nova EM Cyg is contaminated by light from a K25V star (in addition to the K-type mass donor star). The K25V star contributes approximately 16 per cent of the light from the system and if not taken into account has a considerable effect upon radial velocity measurements of the mass donor star. We obtain a new radial velocity amplitude for the mass donor star of K ₂=202±3 km s¹, compared with the value of K ₂=135±3 km s¹ obtained in Stover, Robinson & Nather's classic study of EM Cyg. The revised value of the amplitude, combined with a measurement of rotational broadening of the mass donor, v  sin  i =140±6 km s¹, leads to a new mass ratio of q M ₂ M ₁=0.88±0.05. This solves a long-standing problem with EM Cyg, because Stover et al.'s measurements indicated a mass ratio q >1, a value that should have led to dynamically unstable mass transfer for the secondary mass deduced by Stover et al. The revised value of the mass ratio, combined with the orbital inclination i =67±2°, leads to masses of 0.99±0.12 M and 1.12±0.08 M for the mass donor and white dwarf respectively. The mass donor is evolved, because it has a later spectral type (K3) than its mass would imply.
We discuss whether the K star could be physically associated with EM Cyg or not, and present the results of the spectroscopic study.     

Ultraluminous X-ray source populations in normal galaxies: a preliminary survey with Chandra

We present results of a Chandra survey of the ultraluminous X-ray sources (ULX) in 13 normal galaxies, in which we combine source detection with X-ray flux measurement. 22 ULX were detected, i.e. with   L _x > 1 × 10³⁹ erg s⁻¹ ( L ₁₀)  and 39 other sources were detected with   L _x > 5 × 10³⁸ erg s⁻¹ ( L ₅)  . We also use radial intensity profiles to remove extended sources from the sample. The majority of sources are not extended, which for a typical distance constrains the emission region size to less than 50 pc. X-ray colour–colour diagrams and spectral fitting results were examined for indicators of the ULX nature. In the case of the brighter sources, spectral fitting generally requires two-component models. In only a few cases do colour–colour diagrams or spectral fitting provide evidence of a black hole nature. We find no evidence of a correlation with stellar mass, however, there is a strong correlation with star formation as indicated by the 60-μm flux as found in previous studies.     

Optical spectroscopy of the quiescent counterpart to EXO 0748−676

We present phase resolved optical spectroscopy and X-ray timing of the neutron star X-ray binary EXO 0748−676 after the source returned to quiescence in the autumn of 2008. The X-ray light curve displays eclipses consistent in orbital period, orbital phase and duration with the predictions and measurements before the return to quiescence. Hα and He  i emission lines are present in the optical spectra and show the signature of the orbit of the binary companion, placing a lower limit on the radial velocity semi-amplitude of   K ₂ > 405 km s⁻¹  . Both the flux in the continuum and the emission lines show orbital modulations, indicating that we observe the hemisphere of the binary companion that is being irradiated by the neutron star. Effects due to this irradiation preclude a direct measurement of the radial velocity semi-amplitude of the binary companion; in fact, no stellar absorption lines are seen in the spectrum. Nevertheless, our observations place a stringent lower limit on the neutron star mass of   M ₁ > 1.27 M_⊙  . For the canonical neutron star mass of   M ₁= 1.4 M_⊙  , the mass ratio is constrained to  0.075 < q < 0.105  .     

The component masses of the cataclysmic variable V347 Puppis

We present time-resolved spectroscopy and photometry of the double-lined eclipsing cataclysmic variable V347 Pup (=LB 1800). There is evidence of irradiation on the inner hemisphere of the secondary star, which we correct for using a model to give a secondary-star radial velocity of   K _R= 198 ± 5 km s⁻¹  . The rotational velocity of the secondary star in V347 Pup is found to be   v sin  i = 131 ± 5 km s⁻¹  and the system inclination is   i = 840 ± 23  . From these parameters we obtain masses of   M ₁= 0.63 ± 0.04 M_⊙  for the white dwarf primary and   M ₂= 0.52 ± 0.06 M_⊙  for the M0.5V secondary star, giving a mass ratio of   q = 0.83 ± 0.05  . On the basis of the component masses, and the spectral type and radius of the secondary star in V347 Pup, we find tentative evidence for an evolved companion. V347 Pup shows many of the characteristics of the SW Sex stars, exhibiting single-peaked emission lines, high-velocity S-wave components and phase-offsets in the radial velocity curve. We find spiral arms in the accretion disc of V347 Pup and measure the disc radius to be close to the maximum allowed in a pressureless disc.     

Continuous frequency spectrum of the global hydromagnetic oscillations of a magnetically confined mountain on an accreting neutron star

We compute the continuous part of the ideal-magnetohydrodynamic (ideal-MHD) frequency spectrum of a polar mountain produced by magnetic burial on an accreting neutron star. Applying the formalism developed by Hellsten & Spies, extended to include gravity, we solve the singular eigenvalue problem subject to line-tying boundary conditions. This spectrum divides into an Alfvén part and a cusp part. The eigenfunctions are chirped and anharmonic with an exponential envelope, and the eigenfrequencies cover the whole spectrum above a minimum ω_low. For equilibria with accreted mass  1.2 × 10⁻⁶≲ M _a/M_⊙≲ 1.7 × 10⁻⁴  and surface magnetic fields  10¹¹≲ B _*/G ≲ 10¹³, ω_low  is approximately independent of   B _*  , and increases with M _a. The results are consistent with the Alfvén spectrum excited in numerical simulations with the zeus-mp solver. The spectrum is modified substantially by the Coriolis force in neutron stars spinning faster than ∼100 Hz. The implications for gravitational-wave searches for low-mass X-ray binaries are considered briefly.     

Mass transfer in eccentric binary stars

The concept of Roche lobe overflow is fundamental to the theory of interacting binaries. Based on potential theory, it is dependent on all the relevant material corotating in a single frame of reference. Therefore if the mass losing star is asynchronous with the orbital motion or the orbit is eccentric, the simple theory no longer applies and no exact analytical treatment has been found. We use an analytic approximation whose predictions are largely justified by smoothed particle hydrodynamic simulations (SPH). We present SPH simulations of binary systems with the same semi-major axis   a = 5.55 R_⊙  , masses   M ₁= 1 M_⊙, M ₂= 2 M_⊙  and radius   R ₁= 0.89 R_⊙  for the primary star but with different eccentricities   e = 0.4, 0.5, 0.6  and 0.7. In each case the secondary star is treated as a point mass. When   e = 0.4  no mass is lost from the primary while at   e = 0.7  catastrophic mass transfer, partly through the L₂ point, takes place near periastron. This would probably lead to common-envelope evolution if star 1 were a giant or to coalescence for a main-sequence star. In between, at   e ≥ 0.5  , some mass is lost through the L₁ point from the primary close to periastron. However, rather than being all accreted by the secondary, some of the stream appears to leave the system. Our results indicate that the radius of the Roche lobe is similar to circular binaries when calculated for the separation and angular velocity at periastron. Part of the mass loss occurs through the L₂ point.     

BF Eridani: a cataclysmic variable with a massive white dwarf and an evolved secondary

We present high- and medium-resolution spectroscopic observations of the cataclysmic variable BF Eridani (BF Eri) during its low and bright states. The orbital period of this system was found to be 0.270881(3) d. The secondary star is clearly visible in the spectra through the absorption lines of the neutral metals Mg  i , Fe  i and Ca  i . Its spectral type was found to be K3±0.5. A radial velocity study of the secondary yielded a semi-amplitude of   K ₂= 182.5 ± 0.9 km s⁻¹  . The radial velocity semi-amplitude of the white dwarf was found to be   K ₁= 74 ± 3 km s⁻¹  from the motion of the wings of the Hα and Hβ emission lines. From these parameters, we have obtained that the secondary in BF Eri is an evolved star with a mass of  0.50–0.59 M_⊙  , whose size is about 30 per cent larger than a zero-age main-sequence single star of the same mass. We also show that BF Eri contains a massive white dwarf  ( M ₁≥ 1.2 M_⊙)  , which allows us to consider the system as a Type Ia supernova progenitor. BF Eri also shows a high γ-velocity  (γ=−94 km s⁻¹)  and substantial proper motion. With our estimation of the distance to the system  ( d ≈ 700 ± 200 pc)  , this corresponds to a space velocity of ∼350 km s⁻¹ with respect to the dynamical local standard of rest. The cumulative effect of repeated nova eruptions with asymmetric envelope ejection might explain the high space velocity of the system. We analyse the outburst behaviour of BF Eri and question the current classification of the system as a dwarf nova. We propose that BF Eri might be an old nova exhibiting 'stunted' outbursts.     

Extended dust emission in NGC 7465

We present SCUBA 850-μm, JCMT  CO( J =2→1)  , B -band imaging and VLA H  i observations of the NGC 7465/4/3 group of galaxies. The 850-μm emission associated with NGC 7465 extends to at least ∼2 R ₂₅ and is well correlated with the H  i . We investigate a range of possible mechanisms by which dust beyond R ₂₅ may be heated to give the observed extended submillimetre emission. By modelling the dust heating by stars in two extreme geometries, we fail to find any reasonable star formation scenario that is consistent with both the 850-μm and optical data. Furthermore, we do not detect any  CO( J =2→1)  emission coincident with the extended dust and atomic gas as would be expected if significant star formation were occurring. We show that shock-heating of dust via cloud–cloud collisions in the stripped interstellar medium of NGC 7465 could be sufficient to explain the extended 850-μm emission and lack of optical emission in the stripped gas, and suggest that cloud–cloud collisions may be an important dust heating mechanism in gas-rich systems.     

Optical spectroscopy and Doppler tomography of Cygnus X-2

We present phase resolved optical spectroscopy and Doppler tomography of V1341 Cygni, the optical counterpart to the neutron star low-mass X-ray binary (LMXB) Cygnus X-2 (Cyg X-2). We derive a radial velocity (RV) curve for the secondary star, finding a projected RV semi-amplitude of   K ₂= 79 ± 3 km s⁻¹  , leading to a mass function of  0.51 ± 0.06 M_⊙, ∼30  per cent lower than the previous estimate. We tentatively attribute the lower value of K ₂ (compared to that obtained by other authors) to variations in the X-ray irradiation of the secondary star at different epochs of observations. The limited phase coverage and/or longer timebase of previous observations may also contribute to the difference in K ₂. Our value for the mass function implies a primary mass of  1.5 ± 0.3 M_⊙  , somewhat lower than previous dynamical estimates, but consistent with the value found by analysis of type-I X-ray bursts from this system. Our Doppler tomography of the broad He  ii λ4686 line reveals that most of the emission from this line is produced on the irradiated face of the donor star, with little emission from the accretion disc. In contrast, the Doppler tomogram of the N  iii λ4640.64 Bowen blend line shows bright emission from near the gas stream/accretion disc impact region, with fainter emission from the gas stream and secondary star. This is the first LMXB for which the Bowen blend is dominated by emission from the gas stream/accretion disc impact region, without comparable emission from the secondary star. This has implications for the interpretation of Bowen blend Doppler tomograms of other LMXBs for which the ephemeris may not be accurately known.     

Simulations of the formation of stellar discs in the Galactic Centre via cloud–cloud collisions

Young massive stars in the central parsec of our Galaxy are best explained by star formation within at least one, and possibly two, massive self-gravitating gaseous discs. With help of numerical simulations, we here consider whether the observed population of young stars could have originated from a large angle collision of two massive gaseous clouds at   R ≃ 1 pc  from Sgr A*. In all the simulations performed, the post-collision gas flow forms an inner, nearly circular gaseous disc and one or two eccentric outer filaments, consistent with the observations. Furthermore, the radial stellar mass distribution is always very steep,  Σ_*∝ R ⁻²  , again consistent with the observations. All of our simulations produce discs that are warped by between 30° and 60°, in accordance with the most recent observations. The three-dimensional velocity structure of the stellar distribution is sensitive to initial conditions (e.g. the impact parameter of the clouds) and gas cooling details. For example, the runs in which the inner disc is fed intermittently with material possessing fluctuating angular momentum result in multiple stellar discs with different orbital orientations, contradicting the observed data. In all the cases the amount of gas accreted by our inner boundary condition is large, enough to allow Sgr A* to radiate near its Eddington limit over ∼10⁵ yr. This suggests that a refined model would have physically larger clouds (or a cloud and a disc such as the circumnuclear disc) colliding at a distance of a few parsecs rather than 1 pc as in our simulations.     

VLT spectroscopy of XTE J2123−058 during quiescence: the masses of the two components

We present Very Large Telescope (VLT) low-resolution spectroscopy of the neutron star X-ray transient XTE J2123−058 during its quiescent state. Our data reveal the presence of a K7V companion which contributes 77 per cent to the total flux at λ 6300 and orbits the neutron star at     . Contrary to other soft X-ray transients (SXTs), the H _α emission is almost exactly in antiphase with the velocity curve of the optical companion. Using the light-centre technique we obtain     and hence     This, combined with a previous determination of the inclination angle     yields     and     . M ₂ agrees well with the observed spectral type. Doppler tomography of the H α emission shows a non-symmetric accretion disc distribution mimicking that seen in SW Sex stars. Although we find a large systemic velocity of −     this value is consistent with the galactic rotation velocity at the position of J2123−058, and hence a halo origin. The formation scenario of J2123−058 is still unresolved.     

Spectroscopic solution of the star QX Cas

High-resolution spectroscopic observations around the Hα line of the binary star QX Cas covering the whole orbital period are presented. Our radial velocity solution, the first ever determined, requires an eccentric orbit with the following orbital parameters: eccentricity,   e = 0.22 ± 0.01  ; longitude of periastron,  ω= 45°± 5°  ; semi-amplitudes of the radial velocity curves of the primary and secondary stars,   K ₁ sin  i = 125.8 ± 0.9 km s⁻¹  and   K ₂ sin  i = 144.8 ± 1.1 km s⁻¹  ; gamma velocity,   V ₀= 65.1 ± 0.5 km s⁻¹  ; and mass ratio,   q = 0.869 ± 0.013  . The corresponding lower limits of the masses of the components and their separation are         , and   a sin  i = 31.34 ± 0.48 R_⊙  .     

Contribution to the search for binaries among Am stars – VIII. New spectroscopic orbits of eight systems and statistical study of a sample of 91 Am stars

Red clump giant (RCG) stars can be used as distance indicators to trace the mass distribution of the Galactic bar. We use RCG stars from 44 bulge fields from the OGLE-II microlensing collaboration data base to constrain analytic triaxial models for the Galactic bar. We find the bar major-axis is oriented at an angle of 24°–27° to the Sun–Galactic Centre line-of-sight. The ratio of semimajor and semiminor bar axis scalelengths in the Galactic plane   x ₀, y ₀  , and vertical bar scalelength z ₀, is   x ₀ :  y ₀ :  z ₀= 10 : 3.5 : 2.6  , suggesting a slightly more prolate bar structure than the working model of Gerhard which gives the scalelength ratios as   x ₀ :  y ₀ :  z ₀= 10 : 4 : 3  .     

Survival and disruption of subsystems during a cold collapse

Cold collapse of a cluster composed of small identical clumps, each of which is in virial equilibrium, is considered. Since the clumps have no relative motion with respect to each other initially, the cluster collapses under its own gravity. At the first collapse of the cluster, most of the clumps are destroyed, but some survive. In order to find the condition for the clumps to survive, we made a systematic study in two-parameter space: the number of the clumps N _c and the size of the clump r _v . We obtained the condition N _c ≫ 1 and n _k  ≥ 1, where n _k is related to r _v and the initial radius of the cluster R _ini through the relation R _ini/ r _v  = 2 N ^{( n k +5)/6}_c. A simple analytical argument supports the numerical result. This n _k corresponds to the index of the power spectrum of the density fluctuation in the cosmological hierarchical clustering, and thus our result may suggest that in the systems smaller than 2/Ω h ²)Mpc, the first violent collapse is strong enough to sweep away all the substructures that exist before the collapse.     

A theoretical analysis of the systematic errors in the red clump distance to the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC)

We present a detailed analysis of the uncertainty on the theoretical population corrections to the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) red clump (RC) absolute magnitude, by employing a population synthesis algorithm to simulate theoretically the photometric and spectroscopic properties of RC stars, under various assumptions concerning the LMC star formation rate (SFR) and age–metallicity relationship (AMR). A comparison of the outcome of our simulations with observations of evolved low- to intermediate-mass stars in the LMC allows one to select the combinations of SFR and AMR that bracket the real LMC star formation history, and to estimate the systematic error on the associated RC population corrections.
The most accurate estimate of the LMC distance modulus from the RC method (adopting the OGLE-II reddening maps for the LMC) is obtained from the K -band magnitude, and provides  ( m − M )_0,LMC= 18.47 ± 0.01(random)^+0.05_−0.06(systematic)  . Distances obtained from the I band, or from the multicolour RC technique which determines at the same time reddening and distance, both agree (albeit with a slightly larger error bar) with this value.     

An asteroseismic study of the β Cephei star 12 Lacertae: multisite spectroscopic observations, mode identification and seismic modelling

We present the results of a spectroscopic multisite campaign for the β Cephei star 12 (DD) Lacertae. Our study is based on more than thousand high-resolution high S/N spectra gathered with eight different telescopes in a time span of 11 months. In addition, we make use of numerous archival spectroscopic measurements. We confirm 10 independent frequencies recently discovered from photometry, as well as harmonics and combination frequencies. In particular, the slowly pulsating B-stars (SPB)-like g -mode with frequency 0.3428 d⁻¹ reported before is detected in our spectroscopy. We identify the four main modes as  (ℓ₁, m ₁) = (1, 1), (ℓ₂, m ₂) = (0, 0), (ℓ₃, m ₃) = (1, 0)  and  (ℓ₄, m ₄) = (2, 1)  for   f ₁= 5.178 964 d⁻¹, f ₂= 5.334 224 d⁻¹, f ₃= 5.066 316 d⁻¹  and   f ₄= 5.490 133 d⁻¹  , respectively. Our seismic modelling shows that f ₂ is likely the radial first overtone and that the core overshooting parameter  α_ov  is lower than 0.4 local pressure scale heights.     

Single star scidar: atmospheric parameters profiling using the simulated annealing algorithm

In this paper, we present a new method to estimate, for each turbulent layer labelled i , the horizontal wind speed   v ( h _i )  , the standard deviation of the horizontal wind speed fluctuations  σ _v ( h_i )  and the integrated value of   C ² _n   over the thickness  Δ h_i   of the turbulent layer   C ² _n ( h_i )Δ h_i   , where   h_i   is the altitude of the turbulent layer. These parameters are extracted from single star scintillation spatiotemporal cross-correlation functions of atmospheric speckles obtained within the generalized mode. This method is based on the simulated annealing algorithm to find the optimal solution required to solve the problem. Astrophysics parameters for adaptive optics are also calculated using   C ² _n ( h_i )  and   v ( h_i )  values. The results of other techniques support this new method.     

The SCUBA Half Degree Extragalactic Survey (SHADES) – IX. The environment, mass and redshift dependence of star formation

We present a comparison between the SCUBA (Submillimetre Common User Bolometer Array) Half Degree Extragalactic Survey (SHADES) at 450 and  850 μm  in the Lockman Hole East with a deep Spitzer Space Telescope survey at  3.6–24 μm  conducted in guaranteed time. Using stacking analyses we demonstrate a striking correspondence between the galaxies contributing the submm extragalactic background light, with those likely to dominate the backgrounds at Spitzer wavelengths. Using a combination BRIzK plus Spitzer photometric redshifts, we show that at least a third of the Spitzer -identified submm galaxies at  1 < z < 1.5  appear to reside in overdensities when the density field is smoothed at 0.5–2 Mpc comoving diameters, supporting the high-redshift reversal of the local star formation–galaxy density relation. We derive the dust-shrouded cosmic star formation history of galaxies as a function of assembled stellar masses. For model stellar masses  <10¹¹ M_⊙  , this peaks at lower redshifts than the ostensible   z ∼ 2.2  maximum for submm point sources, adding to the growing consensus for 'downsizing' in star formation. Our surveys are also consistent with 'downsizing' in mass assembly. Both the mean star formation rates  〈d M _*/d t 〉  and specific star formation rates  〈(1/ M _*) d M _*/d t 〉  are in striking disagreement with some semi-analytic predictions from the Millenium Simulation. The discrepancy could either be resolved with a top-heavy initial mass function, or a significant component of the submm flux heated by the interstellar radiation field.     

A signature of the donor star in the extra-galactic X-ray binary LMC X−2

Two nights of phase-resolved medium-resolution Very Large Telescope spectroscopy of the extra-galactic low-mass X-ray binary LMC X−2 have revealed a 0.32 ± 0.02 d spectroscopic period in the radial velocity curve of the He  ii λ4686 emission line that we interpret as the orbital period. However, similar to previous findings, this radial velocity curve shows a longer term variation that is most likely due to the presence of a precessing accretion disc in LMC X−2. This is strengthened by He  ii λ4686 Doppler maps that show a bright spot that is moving from night to night. Furthermore, we detect narrow emission lines in the Bowen region of LMC X−2, with a velocity of   K _em= 351 ± 28 km s⁻¹  , that we tentatively interpret as coming from the irradiated side of the donor star. Since K _em must be smaller than K ₂, this leads to the first upper limit on the mass function of LMC X−2 of   f ( M ₁) ≥ 0.86  M_⊙  (95 per cent confidence), and the first constraints on its system parameters.