UX Virginis and Its Neighbour

UX Vir has been classified as an RRab star with the period of P =0.^d51286 on the basis of new V(RI) _C CCD photometry. A new variable star has also been discovered in the neighbourhood of UX Vir, which is most probably a flare star. The positions, reddening and distances have also been derived. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

The Hβ and Hγ lines in the spectrum of V1057 Cyg

We present the equivalent widths of the Hβ and Hγ absorption lines in the spectrum of V1057 Cyg measured from 1978–1990 spectrograms. The mean equivalent widths of these lines decreased approximately twofold during 1978–1985 and somewhat increased during 1987–1990. Using published UBV photometry, we show that there has been a correlation between the Hβ equivalent width and the ?U-B? color since 1983, with ?W _λ(Hβ)? increasing with decreasing?U-B? Based on our spectroscopic and photometric observations in 1978–1990, we assume that V1057 Cyg has passed to a qualitatively new stage of its development after 1985.     

Photometric properties of zodiacal light particles

From published ground-base, spacecraft, and rocket photometry and polarimetry of the zodiacal light, a number of optical and physical parameters have been derived. It was assumed that the number density, mean particle size, and albedo vary with heliocentric distance, and shown that average individual interplanetary particles have a small but definite opposition effect, a mean single-scattering albedo in the V band at 1-AU heliocentric distance of 0.09 ± 0.01, and a zero-phase geometric albedo of 0.04. Modeled by a power law, both albedos decrease with increasing heliocentric distance as r^?0.54. The corresponding exponents for changes in mean particle size and number density are related in a simple way. The median orbital inclination of zodiacal light particles with respect to the ecliptic is 12°, close to the observed median value for faint asteroids and short-period comets. Furthermore, the color of dust particles and its variation with solar phase angle closely resemble those of C asteroids. These findings are, at least, consistent with the zodiacal cloud originating primarily from collisions among asteroids. Finally, a value of ?10¹⁸?_ErmE g was derived for the mass of the zodiacal cloud, where ?_E is the mean particle radius (in micrometers) at 1-AU-heliocentric distance. For extinction in the ecliptic, $\text{Δm = 10}{}^{\mathrm{?5}}\text{?}{}^{\mathrm{<mtext>?1</mtext><mtext>2</mtext>}}\text{mag}$ was obtained, where ? is the solar elongation in degrees.     

Aqueous alteration affecting the irregular outer planets satellites: Evidence from spectral reflectance

The surface reflectance properties of the irregular outer planets satellites are probed for evidence for the presence of aqueous alteration products on their surfaces using the strong correlation between the 3.0-μm water of hydration absorption feature and the 0.7-μm Fe²⁺ → Fe³⁺ oxidized iron feature seen in low-albedo asteroid reflectances, in an effort to expand our understanding of the composition of the precursor bodies from which the dynamical satellite clusters are derived. Equations converting Johnson V and Kron-Cousins RI photometry to Eight Color Asteroid Survey v (0.550 μm), w (0.701 μm), and x (0.853 μm) photometry are derived from relationships defined by Howell (1995, Ph.D. thesis), and coupled with an algorithm previously defined to detect the presence of the 0.7-μm absorption feature in ECAS asteroid photometry [Vilas, F., 1994. Icarus 111, 456-467]. Broadband VRI photometry of Ch-class Asteroid 19 Fortuna acquired during 2004 confirms the efficacy of this method of identifying the presence of the 0.7-μm feature. Photometric observations of many recently discovered irregular outer jovian, saturnian, uranian, and neptunian satellites, coupled with limited asteroid spectroscopy, were examined for the presence of aqueous alteration. The dynamical clusters of outer irregular jovian satellites are mixed between objects that do and do not show this absorption feature. Multiple observations of some objects test both positively and negatively, similar to the surface variegation that has been observed among many C-class asteroids in the main asteroid belt. Evidence for aqueous alteration on these jovian satellites augers for an origin in or near the same location as the asteroids now occupying the aqueous alteration zone (2.6-3.5 AU), at heliocentric distances internal to Jupiter's orbit. Among the saturnian irregular satellites, only S IX Phoebe shows limited evidence of aqueous alteration from ground-based observations. The other satellites show no sign of this feature, and have general reflectance properties very similar to the D-class asteroids, supporting an origin for their precursor bodies in the outer Solar System, perhaps the Centaur region. Only two uranian satellites were tested: U XVII Caliban tests positively for the feature. The differences in surface reflectance properties support the idea that Caliban and U XVI Sycorax derive from separate parent bodies. One observation of neptunian satellite N II Nereid shows no sign of this absorption feature.     

Multicolour photometry of EO Ceti (PB 8783)

We present the first-look analysis of the high-speed multicolour photometry of the bright V361 Hya-type star EO?Ceti (m _V=12.3). The observations were gathered with the three-channel ULTRACAM instrument attached to the 4.2-m William Herschel Telescope. The data set has a total time span of 6.2?d and consists of 31 h simultaneous three colour photometry. The main power regions in all three colours are the same as previously reported in the white light photometric campaigns on EO?Ceti. We calculate the frequencies, amplitudes and phases of the significant modes in three colours of the SDSS system, r′, g′ and u′. The amplitudes of the detected modes are the highest in the u′ lightcurve, and the phases are the same in all three colours within the measurement accuracy. The amplitudes of the highest signal-to-noise modes show time variability in all three colours. We analyse the amplitude and phase variations of the five highest signal-to-noise modes in different colours. Even though the amplitudes show variations from night to night, the amplitude ratios are found to be constant to within 2σ level. This result is promising as it allows us to compare the observed amplitude ratios with theoretically calculated amplitude ratios. This may further constrain the mode identification of the highest amplitude modes in EO?Ceti and let us test the proposed seismic and binary evolution models.     

Magnetic-field dependence of chemical anomalies in CP stars

The dependence of the degree of anomaly of parameter Z of Geneva photometry (Z0 = Z _CP ?Z _norm.) on the average surface magnetic field Bs is analyzed. The Z0 value is proportional to the degree of anomaly of chemical composition. It was found that Bs → 0 corresponds Z0 → ?0.010÷ ?0.015, i.e., part of CP stars are virtually devoid of magnetic field, but exhibit chemical anomalies. This effect may be due to selection whereby only objects with strong chemical anomalies are classified as CP stars, thereby producing a deficit of stars with relatively weak anomalies. Moreover, CP stars have other sources of stabilization of their atmospheres besides the magnetic field, e.g., slow rotation. Formulas relating Z0 to Bs are derived.     

Two-micron spectrophotometry of Uranus and its rings

Multiaperture K photometry and 2.0- to 2.5-μm spectrophotometry of Uranus and its ring system are presented. The photometric results are used, together with a previously published measurement, to set limits on the geometric albedos of Uranus and the rings at ～2.2 μm: (0.74 ± 0.02) × 10(su?4) ≤ p_K (Uranus) ≤ (1.5 ± 0.3) × 10^?4, and (2.7 ± 0.6) × 10^?2 ≤ p_K (rings) ≤ (3.4 ± 0.1) × 10^?2. Reflectance spectra of Uranus and Uranus plus rings show features in the planet's spectrum which are attributed to gaseous CH₄ absorption, and a 2.20-μm feature in the combined spectrum which may be due to the rings. This feature is tentatively identified with either the 2.26-μm absorption feature of NH₃ frost, or the 2.2-μm OH band exhibited by certain silicate minerals. The results of JHK photometry of Uranus' satellite, Ariel (U1), indicate that the infrared colors of this object are very similar to those of the satellites U2, U3, and U4.     

An attempt to identify the pulsation modes in the δ Scuti star QQ Tel

We present simultaneous UBVRI photometry and high-dispersion spectroscopy of the δ Scuti star QQ Tel. At least seven periodicities are detected in the light curve, but there are likely to be many more. The line profile variations suggest that some of the observed frequencies may be due to modes of moderately high degree  (ℓ≳4)  .     

Assessing the Constrained Harmonic Mean Method for Deriving the Kinematics of ICMEs with a Numerical Simulation

In this study we use a numerical simulation of an artificial coronal mass ejection (CME) to validate a method for calculating propagation directions and kinematical profiles of interplanetary CMEs (ICMEs). In this method observations from heliospheric images are constrained with in-situ plasma and field data at 1 AU. These data are used to convert measured ICME elongations into distance by applying the harmonic mean approach, which assumes a spherical shape of the ICME front. We used synthetic white-light images, similar to those observed by STEREO-A/HI, for three different separation angles between remote and in-situ spacecraft of 30^°, 60^°, and 90^°. To validate the results of the method, the images were compared to the apex speed profile of the modeled ICME, as obtained from a top view. This profile reflects the “true” apex kinematics because it is not affected by scattering or projection effects. In this way it is possible to determine the accuracy of the method for revealing ICME propagation directions and kinematics. We found that the direction obtained by the constrained harmonic mean method is not very sensitive to the separation angle (30^° sep: ?=W7; 60^° sep: ?=W12; 90^° sep: ?=W15; true dir.: E0/W0). For all three cases the derived kinematics agree relatively well with the real kinematics. The best consistency is obtained for the 30^° case, while with growing separation angle the ICME speed at 1 AU is increasingly overestimated (30^° sep: ΔV _arr≈??50 km?s^?1, 60^° sep: ΔV _arr≈+?75 km?s^?1, 90^° sep: ΔV _arr≈+?125 km?s^?1). Especially for future L₄/L₅ missions, the 60^° separation case is highly interesting in order to improve space-weather forecasts.     

J, H, K photometry of 433 Eros and other asteroids

We report photometry for nine asteroids at wavelengths of 1.25, 1.65, and 2.22 μm. Three C-type objects (88, 129, and 511) seem slightly redder in H?K and J?H color indices than four S-type objects (5, 6, 7, and 116) and an E-type object (64). Eros has an unusually red J?H color index; its infrared spectral reflectance is consistent with an appreciable quantity of metallic iron plus some pyroxene and olivine on its surface. JHK photometry is less diagnostic of composition than either higher resolution spectrophotometry in the infrared or spectrophotometry at shorter wavelengths.     

Stellar Mass—Halo Mass Relation and Star Formation Efficiency in High-Mass Halos

We study relation between stellar mass and halo mass for high-mass halos using a sample of galaxy clusters with accurate measurements of stellar masses from optical and ifrared data and total masses from X-ray observations. We find that stellar mass of the brightest cluster galaxies (BCGs) scales as M_*,BCG ∝ M ₅₀₀ ^αBCG with the best fit slope of α_BCG ≈ 0.4 ± 0.1. We measure scatter of M_*,BCG at a fixed M₅₀₀ of ≈0.2 dex. We show that stellar mass-halo mass relations from abundance matching or halo modelling reported in recent studies underestimate masses of BCGs by a factor of ～2?4. We argue that this is because these studies used stellar mass functions (SMF) based on photometry that severely underestimates the outer surface brightness profiles of massive galaxies. We show that M_*?M relation derived using abundance matching with the recent SMF calibration by Bernardi et al. (2013) based on improved photometry is in a much better agreement with the relation we derive via direct calibration for observed clusters. The total stellar mass of galaxies correlates with total mass M₅₀₀ with the slope of ≈0.6 ± 0.1 and scatter of 0.1 dex. This indicates that efficiency with which baryons are converted into stars decreases with increasing cluster mass. The low scatter is due to large contribution of satellite galaxies: the stellar mass in satellite galaxies correlates with M₅₀₀ with scatter of ≈0.1 dex and best fit slope of α_sat ≈ 0.8 ± 0.1. We show that for a fixed choice of the initial mass function (IMF) total stellar fraction in clusters is only a factor of 3?5 lower than the peak stellar fraction reached in M ≈ 10¹²M_⊙ halos. The difference is only a factor of ～1.5?3 if the IMF becomes progressively more bottom heavy with increasing mass in early type galaxies, as indicated by recent observational analyses. This means that the overall efficiency of star formation in massive halos is only moderately suppressed compared to L_* galaxies and is considerably less suppressed than previously thought. The larger normalization and slope of the M_*?M relation derived in this study shows that feedback and associated suppression of star formation in massive halos should be weaker than assumed in most of the current semi-analytic models and simulations.     

Metallicity of Young and Old Stars in Irregular Galaxies

Based on archived images obtained with the Hubble Space Telescope, stellar photometry for 105 irregular galaxies has been conducted. We have shown the red supergiant and giant branches in the obtained Hertzsprung-Russel diagrams. Using the TRGB method, distances to galaxies and metallicity of red giants have been determined. The color index (V ? I) of the supergiant branch at the luminosity level M_I = ?7 was chosen as the metallicity index of red supergiants. For the galaxies under study, the diagrams have been built, in which the correlation can be seen between the luminosity of galaxies (M_B) and metallicity of red giants and supergiants. The main source of variance of the results in the obtained diagrams is, in our opinion, uncertainty inmeasurements of galaxy luminosities and star-forming outburst. The relation between metallicity of young and old stars shows that main enrichment of galaxies with metals has taken place in the remote past. Deviations of some galaxies in the obtained relation can possibly be explained with the fall of the intergalactic gas on them, although, this inconsiderably affects metallicities of the stellar content.     

Spectroscopy of the W Virginis star V1 (K 307 ) in the globular cluster M12

High-resolution CCD spectra have been obtained for the first time for the W Virginis star V1 (K 307) in the globular cluster M12 and its closest neighbor K 307b (m _pg=14^m; the angular distance from the W Vir star is δ<1 arcsec). We determined the fundamental parameters (T _eff=5600 K, logg=1.3, and T _eff=4200 K, logg=1.0 for the W Vir star and the neighboring star, respectively) and their detailed chemical composition. The derived metallicities of the two stars ([Fe/H]=?1.27 and ?1.22 relative to the solar value) are in good agreement with the metallicities of other cluster members. Changed CNO abundances were found in the atmosphere of the W Vir star: a small carbon overabundance, [C/Fe]=+0.30 dex, and a large nitrogen overabundance, [N/Fe]=+1.15 dex, with oxygen being underabundant, [O/Fe]≈?0.2 dex. The C/O ratio is ≥1. Na and the α-process elements Mg, Al, Si, Ca, and Ti are variously enhanced with respect to iron. We found an enhanced abundance of s-process metals relative to iron: [X/Fe]=+0.34 for Y, Zr, and Ba. The overabundance of the heavier metals La, Ce, and Nd with respect to iron is larger: [X/Fe]=+0.49. The largest overabundance was found for the r-process element europium, [Eu/Fe]=+0.82. The spectrum of the W Vir star exhibits the Hα and Hβ absorption-emission profiles and the He I λ5876 Å emission line, which are traditionally interpreted as a result of shock passage in the atmosphere. However, the radial velocities determined from absorption and emission features are in conflict with the formation pattern of a strong shock. The high luminosity log L/L _⊙ = 2.98, the chemica peculiarities, and the spectral peculiarity are consistent with the post-AGB evolution in the instability strip. The pattern of relative elemental abundances [X/Fe]in the atmosphere of the neighboring star K 307b is solar. Statistically significant differences were found only for sodium and α-process elements: the mean overabundance of light metals is [X/Fe]=+0.35.     

A rare reflection effect eclipsing sdB+dM binary: 2M 1533+3759

In this paper, we report a rare reflection effect eclipsing sdB+dM binary, 2M?1533+3759. It is the seventh eclipsing sdB+dM binary that has been discovered to date. This system has an orbital period of 0.16177042 day and a velocity semi-amplitude of 71.1 km?s^?1. Using a grid of zero-metallicity NLTE model atmospheres, we derived T _eff=29250 K, log?g=5.58 and [He/H]=?2.37 from spectra taken near the reflection effection minimum. Lightcurve modeling resulted in a system mass ratio of 0.301 and an orbital inclination angle of 86.6°. The derived primary mass for 2M?1533+3759, 0.376±0.055 M _⊙, is significantly lower than the canonical mass (0.48 M _⊙) found for most previously investigated sdB stars. This implies an initial progenitor mass >1.8 M _⊙, at least a main sequence A star and perhaps even one massive enough to undergo non-degenerate helium ignition.     

Spatial variations of the extinction law in the galactic disk from infrared observations

Infrared photometry in the J (1.2 µm), H (1.7 µm), Ks (2.2 µm) bands from the 2MASS catalogue and in the W1 (3.4 µm), W2 (4.6 µm), W3 (12 µm), W4 (22 µm) bands from the WISE catalogue is used to reveal the spatial variations of the interstellar extinction law in the infrared near the midplane of the Galaxy by the method of extrapolation of the extinction law applied to clump giants. The variations of the coefficients E(H ? W1)/E(H ? Ks), E(H ? W2)/E(H ? Ks), E(H ? W3)/E(H ? Ks), and E(H ? W4)/E(H ? Ks) along the line of sight in 2° × 2° squares of the sky centered at b = 0° and l = 20°, 30°, ..., 330°, 340° as well as in several 4° × 4° squares with |b| = 10° are considered. The results obtained here agree with those obtained by Zasowski et al. in 2009 using 2MASS and Spitzer-IRAC photometry for the same longitudes and similar photometric bands, confirming their main result: in the inner (relative to the Sun) Galactic disk, the fraction of fine dust increases with Galactocentric distance (or the mean dust grain size decreases). However, in the outer Galactic disk that was not considered by Zasowski et al., this trend is reversed: at the disk edge, the fraction of coarse dust is larger than that in the solar neighborhood. This general Galactic trend seems to be explained by the influence of the spiral pattern: its processes sort the dust by size and fragment it so that coarse and fine dust tend to accumulate, respectively, at the outer and inner (relative to the Galactic center) edges of the spiral arms. As a result, fine dust may exist only in the part of the Galactic disk far from both the Galactic center and the edge, while coarse dust dominates at the Galactic center, at the disk edge, and outside the disk.     

RAT0455+1305: another pulsating hybrid sdB star

RAT0455+1305 was discovered during the Rapid Temporal Survey which aims in finding any variability on timescales of a few minutes to several hours. The star was found to be another sdBV star with one high amplitude mode and relatively long period. These features along with estimation of T _eff and log?g makes this star very similar to Balloon?090100001. Encouraged by prominent results obtained for the latter star we have decided to perform white light photometry on RAT0455+1305. In 2009 we used the 1.5 m telescope located in San Pedro Martir Observatory in Mexico. Fourier analysis confirmed the dominant mode found in the discovery data, uncovered another peak close to the dominant one, and three peaks in the low frequency region. This shows that RAT0455+1305 is another hybrid sdBV star pulsating in both p- and g-modes.     

Kinematics of Stars from the TGAS (Gaia DR1) Catalogue

Based on the stellar proper motions of the TGAS (Gaia DR1) catalogue, we have analyzed the velocity field of main-sequence stars and red giants from the TGAS catalogue with heliocentric distances up to 1.5 kpc. We have obtained four variants of kinematic parameters corresponding to different methods of calculating the distances from the parallaxes of stars measured with large relative errors. We have established that within the Ogorodnikov–Milne model changing the variant of distances affects significantly only the solar velocity components relative to the chosen centroid of stars, provided that the solution is obtained in narrow ranges of distances (0.1 kpc). The estimates of all the remaining kinematic parameters change little. This allows the Oort coefficients and related Galactic rotation parameters as well as all the remaining Ogorodnikov–Milne model parameters (except for the solar terms) to be reliably estimated irrespective of the parallax measurement accuracy. The main results obtained from main-sequence stars in the range of distances from 0.1 to 1.5 kpc are: A = 16.29 ± 0.06 km s^?1 kpc^?1, B = ?11.90 ± 0.05 km s^?1 kpc^?1, C = ?2.99 ± 0.06 km s^?1 kpc^?1, K = ?4.04 ± 0.16 km s^?1 kpc^?1, and the Galactic rotation period P = 217.41 ± 0.60 Myr. The analogous results obtained from red giants in the range from 0.2 to 1.6 kpc are: the Oort constants A = 13.32 ± 0.09 km s^?1 kpc^?1, B = ?12.71 ± 0.06 km s^?1 kpc^?1, C = ?2.04 ± 0.08 km s^?1 kpc^?1, K = ?2.72 ± 0.19 km s^?1 kpc^?1, and the Galactic rotation period P = 236.03 ± 0.98 Myr. The Galactic rotation velocity gradient along the radius vector (the slope of the Galactic rotation curve) is ?4.32 ± 0.08 km s^?1 kpc^?1 for main-sequence stars and ?0.61 ± 0.11 km s^?1 kpc^?1 for red giants. This suggests that the Galactic rotation velocity determined from main-sequence stars decreases with increasing distance from the Galactic center faster than it does for red giants.     

Stellar irradiance variations due to surface temperature inhomogeneities

Observations of rotational modulation of continuum brightness and photospheric and chromospheric spectral-line profiles of late-type stars indicate the presence of very inhomogeneous surface temperature distributions. We present three stellar examples (VY Ari, HR 7275, HU Vir) where time-series photometry is used to trace the evolution of spotted regions. Simultaneous spectroscopy and Doppler imaging for one of the three stars (HU Virgo, Fig. 1) makes it possible to compute the temperature distribution of the photosphere and the relative intensity distribution of parts of the chromosphere (from CaII K and H line profiles). The combination of time-series spot modeling and Doppler imaging enabled us to determine thesign and amount of differential surface rotation on HU Vir. We found a big, cool polar spot (see figure below) and a differential (surface) rotation law where higher-latitude regions rotate faster than lower-latitude regions (opposite to what we see on the Sun). Currently, this ensemble of techniques - time-series photometry and photospheric and chromospheric Doppler imaging - is only applicable to stars overactive by approximately a factor of 100 as compared to the active Sun, e.g. the evolved components in RS CVn-type binaries and some rapidly-rotating, single, pre-main sequence stars or giant stars. Stellar rotation is a fundamental parameter for (magnetic) activity. Starspots, or any other surface inhomogeneities, allow one to derive very precise stellar rotation rates and, if coupled with seismological observations of solar-type stars, could provide information on the internal angular momentum distribution in overactive late-type stars.To be published in Astronomy & Astrophysics.     

A rotational light curve for the Kuiper belt object 1997 CV29

We present R- and V-band rotational light curves for classical Kuiper belt object 1997 CV₂₉. The imaging data was obtained from the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope (CFHT) archive located at the Canadian Astronomical Data Center (CADC). The data consist of one nights observations of a series of 42, 8 minute exposures in R band followed by 33, 8 minute exposures in V band acquired on the following night. Using relative photometry we determined a highly significant variation in the brightness of 1997 CV₂₉. Using phase-dispersion-minimization we find 8.0, 11.2, and 15.8 hrs to be the most likely, periods of rotation and we argue that the ∼16 hr period is the most likely based on our limited observing window. The phased light curve has a peak-to-peak range of Δm?0.4±0.1 mag suggesting an axial ratio of a/b?1.45.     

Low-Mass Young Stars in Cep OB2: Ages, Distribution and Accretion Disks

We are studying the young clusters Tr37 and NGC7160 in the Cep OB2 region as part of a program to understand the evolution of accretion disks at the ages of disk dissipation and planet formation. Here, we present the first identifications of low mass (spectral types K-M) members of the clusters and study the presence and characteristics of their accretion disks, finding evidences of disk evolution. Using optical photometry and spectroscopy, we have identified ～70 members in Tr37 and ～20 in NGC7160, confirming age estimates of 3 and 10 Myr respectively. Accretion rates are ～10^?8 M _⊙yr^?1 in Tr37. We have not found any accreting members in NGC7160, suggesting that disk accretion generally ends before the age of 10 Myr, which is consistent with the results from other populations.