The Sun and the transcendental world of binaries

The theory of gravity says that a binary with orbital frequency ν should be a source of gravitational waves at the double frequency and higher harmonics. This implies that long-term exposure of an ensemble of binaries to gravity waves with frequency ν _G can result in (a) a lack of binaries with frequencies near frequency ν _G /2 and its higher harmonics (the effect of unstable orbits) and/or (b) an excess of binaries whose orbital frequencies are “absolutely” incommensurable with ν _G /2 and its higher harmonics (the effect of stable orbits). It is assumed that the stable-orbit frequencies are almost equal to multiples of πν _G /2 and ν _G /2π, where π plays the role of a “perfect” factor ensuring the best antiresonance of binaries. The statistical analysis of frequencies of 5774 Galactic close binary systems (CBSs) with periods P less than 10 days is based on calculating the resonance spectrum that indicates the best common multiple for a given set of frequencies with allowance for the factor π. The CBS distribution turns out to be modulated by the frequency ν _G = 104.4(5) μHz, and this effect is the most pronounced for superfast and compact rotators, such as cataclysmic variables (CVs) and related objects. The frequency ν _G is, within the error, equal to the “enigmatic” frequency ν₀ = 104.160(1) μHz com discovered earlier in the power spectra of the Sun and brightness variations of some extragalactic sources. This confirms the existence of a “coherent cosmic oscillation” of the Universe with frequency ν₀(ν _G ). The new astrophysical phenomenon naturally explains an “CV period gap” at frequencies ≈πν _G /3 (P ≈ 153 min) and maxima at the neighboring frequencies ≈πν _G /2 and ≈πν _G /4 (P ≈ 102 and ≈204 min, respectively). The remarkable and “mysterious” role of the transcendental number π for the world of binaries is emphasized, and the mystery of physical nature of the “universal” oscillation ν₀(ν _G ) is highlighted.     

Intrinsic colour indices of Be stars obtained from 2MASS photometry

This paper is based on 2MASS photometry (J H K_s magnitudes) of 1172 Be stars. The observed mean intrinsic colours have been derived with aid of two‐colour diagrams for Be stars of luminosity classes Ie‐IIe, IIIe and IVe‐Ve. The obtained results are the first determinations of their intrinsic colours in the astronomical literature. The smoothed infrared colours are compared with those obtained for “normal” B stars. Several two‐colour diagrams and plots of observed and smoothed intrinsic colour versus spectral type of luminosity classes Ie‐IIe, IIIe and IVe‐Ve are presented. Generally the determined infrared intrinsic colours of Be stars (V – J)₀, (V – H)₀, and (V – K_s)_o differ substantially from those of “normal” B stars. It is found that the intrinsic colours of B stars are generally bluer than Be stars of corresponding spectral type and luminosity class. The mean absolute visual magnitude M_v of 528 Be stars for luminosity classes Iae, Ibe‐Iabe, IIe, IIIe and IVe‐Ve is derived from HIPPARCOS parallaxes. The M_v calibration is compared with the existing ones. The Be stars are generally brighter than “normal” B stars of corresponding spectral types. (© 2015 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Relationship between low and high frequencies in the δ Scuti star KIC 9764965

Two years of Kepler spacecraft data of the δ Sct/γ Dor star KIC 9764965 revealed 67 statistically significant frequencies from 0.45 to 59.17 c d^–1 (0.005 to 0.685 mHz). The 19 low frequencies do not show equidistant period spacing predicted for gravity modes of successive radial order. We note a favored frequency spacing of 2.053 c d^–1 that appears in both the low‐frequency (gravity mode) region and high‐frequency (pressure mode) regions. The value of this frequency spacing also occurs as a dominant low frequency and in a high‐frequency triplet. A peak at exactly twice the value of the 2.053 cd^–1 mode is shown not to be a Fourier harmonic of the low‐frequency peak due to a different amplitude variability. This behavior is also seen in other δ Sct stars. The test for resonant mode coupling between low and high frequencies could not be carried out due to the small amplitudes of the peaks, making it difficult to separate the parent and child modes. (© 2014 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Proper motions,absolute magnitudes and spatial distribution of Zirconium stars

The computational algorithm to determine the the proper motions of Zirconium stars on the basis of catalogues “Carte du Ciel” and on the recent photographic observations carried out with the 70cm Abastumani meniscus telescope is presented. It allowed to determine the proper motions of 288 stars in the region around α Per with a rms error of ± 0,004 arcsec/yr. Applying the method proper motions of 74 Zirconium stars and 146 control stars have been obtained. The error of proper motions obtained for the North Zone (δ > −2°) 109 AGK₃ control stars is ± 0.006 arcsec/yr. On the basis of proper motins absolute magnitudes were separately calculated for the MCLPZS and LASZS. For the MCLPZS the average absolute visual magnitude at maximum, corresponding to the mean period of P = 350 days, equals −3^ϕm.9. For the LASZS the mean absolute visual magnitude, corresponding to the apparent median ones equals −1^ϕm.9. Low luminosity (M_v = −1^ϕmϕ9) Zirconium stars escape rather far (at a distance of up to 2 kpc) to the South from the Galactic plane into the region l ∼ 240 – 260°, where its assumed to be a connection with the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) begins to appear. Low luminosity Zirconium stars are weakly correlated with position of the Galaxy spiral arms. The MCLPZS show a somewhat other distribution.     

Observations of variable stars with the R Coronae Borealis phenomenon and other unique objects

The results of photometry and polarimetry of the R Coronae Borealis type stars and other interesting objects are given. The observation of the former objects are obtained at the light maximum or at a brightness lower by 2-3 mag. The polarization of R CrB stars at light maximum has interstellar origin. The absolute magnitude of V 854 Cen is estimated to Ms_vw = −3^m, and for Y Mus it is M_v > −3^m.7. ρ Cas has a variable polarization and is probably a giant (M_v ≅ 0^m) rather than a supergiant. Many early stars in its surroundings are photometrically and polarimetrically variable. The protoplanetary star BD −0°3679 has a polarization with the Rayleigh component.     

Delta Scuti stars in the Praesepe cluster observed by the MOST satellite

The Praesepe cluster contains a number of δ Sct and γ Dor pulsators. Asteroseismology of cluster stars is simplified by the common distance, age and stellar abundances. Since asteroseismology requires a large number of known frequencies, the small pulsation amplitudes of these stars require space satellite campaigns. The present study utilizes photometric MOST satellite measurements in order to determine the pulsation frequencies of two evolved (EP Cnc, BT Cnc) and two main‐sequence (BS Cnc, HD 73872) δ Sct stars in the Praesepe cluster. The frequency analysis of the 2008 and 2009 data detected up to 34 frequencies per star with most amplitudes in the submillimag range. In BS Cnc, two modes showed strong amplitude variability between 2008 and 2009. The frequencies ranged from 0.76 to 41.7 cd^–1. After considering the different evolutionary states and mean stellar densities of these four stars, the differences and large ranges in frequency remain (© 2011 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Polarimetric Investigations of Stellar Associations

The degree of polarization of light from stars in 44 O B associations as a function of interstellar absorption is investigated. It is shown that the character of the dependence of P on A _V for stars in associations and stars not in associations depends on the value of A _V: for A _V 2 ^m .5 it has a linear character and is the same for both groups of stars. For A _V > 2 ^m .5 the dependence of P on A _V for stars in and not in associations departs from linearity and for A _V = 4 ^m .5 it reaches P _ass = 1.8% and P _nonass = 1%, respectively. Such a difference is explained by the additional depolarization in stellar associations. Such strong depolarization in associations may be due to the overall magnetic field of the Galaxy and to physical peculiarities in the association itself.     

Rotation,activity, and lithium abundance in cool binary stars

We have used two robotic telescopes to obtain time‐series high‐resolution optical echelle spectroscopy and VI and/or by photometry for a sample of 60 active stars, mostly binaries. Orbital solutions are presented for 26 double‐lined systems and for 19 single‐lined systems, seven of them for the first time but all of them with unprecedented phase coverage and accuracy. Eighteen systems turned out to be single stars. The total of 6609 R = 55000 échelle spectra are also used to systematically determine effective temperatures, gravities, metallicities, rotational velocities, lithium abundances and absolute Hα‐core fluxes as a function of time. The photometry is used to infer unspotted brightness, V – I and/or b – y colors, spot‐induced brightness amplitudes and precise rotation periods. An extra 22 radial‐velocity standard stars were monitored throughout the science observations and yield a new barycentric zero point for our STELLA/SES robotic system. Our data are complemented by literature data and are used to determine rotation‐temperature‐activity relations for active binary components. We also relate lithium abundance to rotation and surface temperature. We find that 74% of all known rapidly‐rotating active binary stars are synchronized and in circular orbits but 26% (61 systems) are rotating asynchronously of which half have P_rot > P_orb and e > 0. Because rotational synchronization is predicted to occur before orbital circularization active binaries should undergo an extra spin‐down besides tidal dissipation. We suspect this to be due to a magnetically channeled wind with its subsequent braking torque. We find a steep increase of rotation period with decreasing effective temperature for active stars, P_rot α T^–7_eff, for both single and binaries, main sequence and evolved. For inactive, single giants with P_rot > 100 d, the relation is much weaker, P_rot α T^‐1.12_eff. Our data also indicate a period‐activity relation for Hα of the form R_Hα α P_0.24^rot for binaries and R_Hα α P_‐0.14^rot for singles. Its power‐law difference is possibly significant. Lithium abundances in our (field‐star) sample generally increase with effective temperature and are paralleled with an increase of the dispersion. The dispersion for binaries can be 1–2 orders of magnitude larger than for singles, peaking at an absolute spread of 3 orders of magnitude near T_eff ≈ 5000 K. On average, binaries of comparable effective temperature appear to exhibit 0.25 dex less surface lithium than singles, as expected if the depletion mechanism is rotation dependent. We also find a trend of increased Li abundance with rotational period of form log n (Li) α –0.6 log P_rot but again with a dispersion of as large as 3‐4 orders of magnitude (© 2012 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

A photometric study of the nova‐like variable TT Arietis with the MOST satellite

Variability on all time scales between seconds and decades is typical for cataclysmic variables (CVs). One of the brightest and best studied CVs is TT Ari, a nova‐like variable which belongs to the VY Scl subclass, characterized by occasional low states in their light curves. It is also known as a permanent superhumper at high state, revealing “positive” (P_S > P₀) as well as “negative” (P_S < P₀) superhumps, where PS is the period of the superhump and P₀ the orbital period. TT Ari was observed by the Canadian space telescope MOST for about 230 hours nearly continuously in 2007, with a time resolution of 48 seconds. Here we analyze these data, obtaining a dominant “negative” superhump signal with a period P_S = 0.1331 days and a mean amplitude of 0.09 mag. Strong flickering with amplitudes up to 0.2 mag and peak‐to‐peak time scales of 15–20 minutes is superimposed on the periodic variations. We found no indications for significant quasi‐periodic oscillations with periods around 15 minutes, reported by other authors. We discuss the known superhump behaviour of TTAri during the last five decades and conclude that our period value is at the upper limit of all hitherto determined “negative” superhump periods of TTAri, before and after the MOST run. (© 2013 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Four‐colour photometry of EY Dra: A study of an ultra‐fast rotating active dM1‐2e star

We present more than 1000‐day long photometry of EY Draconis in BV (RI)_C passbands. The changes in the light curve are caused by the spottedness of the rotating surface. Modelling of the spotted surface shows that there are two large active regions present on the star on the opposite hemispheres. The evolution of the surface patterns suggests a flip‐flop phenomenon. Using Fourier analysis, we detect a rotation period of P_rot = 0.45875 d, and an activity cycle with P ≈ 350 d, similar to the 11‐year long cycle of the Sun. This cycle with its year‐long period is the shortest one ever detected on active stars. Two bright flares are also detected and analysed (© 2010 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Effective temperature vs. line‐depth ratio for ELODIE spectra: Gravity and rotational velocity effects

The dependence on the temperature of photospheric line‐depth ratios (LDRs) in the spectral range 6190–6280 Å is investigated by using a sample of 174 ELODIE Archive stellar spectra of luminosity class from V to III. The rotational broadening effect on LDRs is also studied. We provide useful calibrations of effective temperature versus LDRs for giant and main sequence stars with 3800 ≃ T_eff ≃6000 K and v sin i in the range 0–30 km s^–1. We found that, with the exception of very few line pairs, LDRs, measured at a spectral resolution as high as 42 000, depend on v sin i and that, by neglecting the rotational broadening effect, the T_eff determination can be wrong by ∼100 K in the worst cases. (© 2007 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Extrasolar worlds: We should contact aliens?

More than 840 exoplanets have been discovered and many people believe that on some of these planets there may be extraterrestrial civilizations. Astronomers, however, warn against contacts with aliens because of the possible dangers to humankind… In this paper I show that the solar system is a unique phenomenon in the universe and there cannot be any extraterrestrial civilizations. Being the “anthropic center” of the world, the earth and the sun are “designed” for the development of humankind and the cosmos as a supercomputer. This conclusion follows from an analysis of exoplanet orbits that is based on a coherent cosmic oscillation with a period of P ₀ ≈ 9600.6 s (discovered in the sun and some extragalactic sources). The non-Doppler nature of the P ₀ phenomenon is emphasized; this phenomenon appears to be related to the absolute time of the universe in the Newtonian sense.     

Main stages of evolution of matter in the universe. II

A possible scenario for the evolution of the universe following the big bang at t > 10^-5 sec is considered. The necessary conditions that must be present for the formation of stars and stellar systems to be possible are formulated. As a condition for the formation of stars we take kT_s≤ GM_sm_p(3R), and for stellar systems HR ? (GM/R)^1/2, where T_s is the temperature of the cosmic plasma, m_p is the mass of a proton, M_s is the mass of a star, M is the mass of a stellar cluster, R is the radius of these celestial bodies, and H is the bubble parameter for the corresponding time. In accordance with these criteria, we assume that in the course of cosmological expansion, neutron stars should have been formed first (times 2.10^-4 ? t ? 1 sec, densities 0.07 ? ρ_B? 2.10⁴ g/cm³) and then, in chronological order, appeared white dwarfs (t ≈ 10² sec, ρ_B ? 5.10^-3 g/cm³), ordinary stars (t ≈ 4.10⁶ sec, ?_B ≈ 10^-11 g/cm³), galactic nuclei (t ≈ 3.10¹¹ sec, ?_B ≈ 5.10^-19 g/cm³, globular clusters (t ≈ 10¹³ sec, ?_B ≈ 4.10^-21 g/cm³), and galaxies (t ≈ 10¹⁵ sec, ?_B ≈ 10^-24 g/cm³), where ?_B is the average density of ordinary (baryon) matter in the universe. It is shown that a galactic nucleus is a stellar system in statistical equilibrium and consists mainly of neutron stars and white dwarfs. The formation of some pulsars (neutron stars with angular rotation rates 1 < Ω < 200 sec^-1) may occur in a galactic nucleus. Observed pulsars should therefore contain some fraction of neutron stars from the nucleus of the Galaxy that were able to escape it over the relaxation time (the tail of the Maxwell distribution, with star velocities v > v₀, where v₀ is the velocity corresponding to the work function 2GMM_s/R, M being the mass and R the radius of the Galaxy’s nucleus.     

New absolute magnitude calibrations for WUrsa Majoris type binaries

Parallaxes of W UMa stars in the Hipparcos catalogue have been analyzed. 31 W UMa stars, which have the most accurate parallaxes (σ_π /π < 0.15) which are neither associated with a photometric tertiary nor with evidence of a visual companion, were selected for re‐calibrating the Period‐Luminosity‐Color (PLC) relation of W UMa stars. Using the Lutz‐Kelker (LK) bias corrected (most probable) parallaxes, periods (0.26 < P < 0.87, P in days), and colors (0.04 < (B – V)₀ < 1.28) of the 31 selected W UMa, the PLC relation have been revised and re‐calibrated. The difference between the old (revised but not bias corrected) and the new (LK bias corrected) relations are almost negligible in predicting the distances of W UMa stars up to about 100 pc. But, it increases and may become intolerable as distances of stars increase. Additionally, using (J – H)₀ and (H – K_s)₀ colors from 2MASS (TwoMicron All Sky Survey) data, a PLC relation working with infrared data was derived. It can be used with infrared colors in the range –0.01 < (J – H)₀ < 0.58, and –0.10 < (H – K_s)₀ < 0.18. Despite of the fact that the 2MASS data refer to single epoch observations which are not guaranteed to be taken at maximum brightness of theWUMa stars, the established relation has been found surprisingly consistent and reliable in predicting LK corrected distances of W UMa stars (© 2009 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

On the rotation period of Capella

We present differential Hα and Hβ photometry of the very bright RS CVn‐binary α Aurigae (Capella)obtained with theVienna automatic photoelectric telescope in the years 1996 through 2000. Low‐level photometric variations of up to 0^m_.04 are detected in Hα. A multifrequency analysis suggests two real periods of 106 ± 3 days and 8.64 ± 0.09 days, that we interpret to be the rotation periods of the cool and the hot component of the Capella binary, respectively. These periods confirm that the hotter component of Capella rotates asynchronously, while the cooler component appears to be synchronized with the binary motion. The combined Hα data possibly contains an additional period of 80.4 days that we, however, believe is either spurious and was introduced due to seasonal amplitude variations or stems from a time‐variable circumbinary mass flow. The rotational periods result in stellar radii of 14.3 ± 4.6 R_⊙ and 8.5 ± 0.5 R_⊙ for the cool and hot component, respectively, and are in good agreement with previously published radii based on radiometric and interferometric techniques. The long‐period eclipsing binary Aurigae served as our check star, and we detected complex light variations outside of eclipse of up to 0^m_.15 in H α and 0^m_.20 in Hβ. Our frequency analysis suggests the existence of at least three significant periods of 132, 89, and 73 days. One of our comparison stars (HD 33167, F5V) was discovered to be a very‐low amplitude variable with a period of 2.6360 ± 0.0055 days.     

Some Comments on the Magnetic Braking of CP Stars

The low rotation velocities of magnetic CP stars are discussed. Arguments against the involvement of the magnetic field in the loss of angular momentum are given: (1) the fields are not strong enough in young stars in the stage of evolution prior to the main sequence; (2) there is no significant statistical correlation between the magnetic field strength and the rotation period of CP stars; (3) stars with short periods have the highest fields; (4) a substantial number of stars with very low magnetic fields (B _e < 500 G) have rotation speeds that are typical of other CP stars; (5) simulations of the magnetic fields by Leroy and the author show that the orientation of dipoles inside rotating stars, both slow and fast, is consistent with an arbitrary orientation of the dipoles; and, (6) slow rotators with P>25 days, which form 12% of the total, probably lie at the edge of the velocity distribution for low mass stars. All of these properties conflict with the hypothesis of magnetic braking of CP stars.     

Infrared photometry for three RV Tau variable stars

We have analyzed our long-term (1995–2008) JHKLM photometry for three variable RV Tau supergiants. It follows from this analysis that: the amplitude of the JHK brightness variations is approximately the same, 0 ^m . 9–1 ^m , for the three stars; a negative linear trend is noticeable in the variations of the mean J brightness for AC Her; and the mean J brightness of R Sct and V Vul remained constant. The observed J brightness fluctuations in the supergiants are shown to be consistent either only with the temperature pulsations (AC Her and V Vul) or with the temperature and radial pulsations (R Sct). We have detected long-term pulsations in the J brightness and J-H color variations of the supergiants with the following characteristic time scales: ∼1500 days (AC Her), ∼3500 days (R Sct), and ∼800 and ∼1500 days (V Vul). Our search for a periodic component in the infrared brightness variations of the three stars has revealed periods that differ from those obtained from optical observations. We show that relatively hot dust shells (T _d ∼ 700–800 K) exist around the supergiants under study; the densest and most massive shell was observed for V Vul. The ranges of optical-depth variations for the dust shells were τ(1.25 μm) ≈ 0.04–0.10 (AC Her), ≈0.02–0.12 (R Sct), and ≈0.18–0.32 (V Vul). The spectral types in the infrared varied over narrower ranges than those that followed from optical observations of these stars.     

Dreifarbenphotometrie des offenen Sternhaufens An King 13

The open cluster An King 13 (α(1950) = 00^h07^m5 δ (1950) = +60°56') was measured in the UBV-system. An King 13 contained 80 stars up to the apparent magnitude m_v = 16.4 mag. The distance of the cluster is 1730 pc. The diameter of An King 13 is 7 pc. The luminocity function was determinated.     

An absolute clock of the cosmos?

In 1968–2005 different observers (mainly, one of the authors—V.M. Lyuty) performed numerous measurements of luminosity of the nucleus of the Seyfert galaxy NGC 4151. It is shown that (a) luminosity of the object pulsated over 38 years with a period of 160.0106(7) min coinciding, within the error limits, with the well-known period P ₀ = 160.0101(2) min of the enigmatic “solar” pulsations, and (b) when registering oscillations of luminosity of NGC 4151 nucleus with the P ₀ period, time moments of observations must be reduced to the earth instead of the sun, i.e., to the reference frame of the observer. The coherent P ₀ oscillation is characterized, therefore, by invariability of both frequency and phase with respect to redshift z and the earth’s orbital motion, respectively. From these results it, thus, follows that the coherent P ₀ oscillation seems to be of a true cosmological origin. The P ₀ period itself might represent a course of the “cosmic clock” related to the existence of an absolute time of the Universe in Newton’s comprehension.     

Circular Polarization of Starlight

Of the 7500 stars cited in the Catalog of starlight polarization, those which satisfy the condition P _obs % and A _V 0^m.5 are selected. It is presumed that the selected stars (n=216) have circularly polarized light.