Redetermination of the Parameters of the Galactic Spiral Pattern from Classical Cepheids

Astronomy Letters - We have studied a sample of Galactic classical Cepheids with their distance estimates taken from Skowron et al. (2019), where they were determined based on the...     

Classical Cepheids in the Galactic outer ring R1R ′2

The kinematics and distribution of classical Cepheids within ∼3 kpc from the Sun suggest the existence of the outer ring R₁R ′₂ in the Galaxy. The optimum value of the solar position angle with respect to the major axis of the bar, θ_b, providing the best agreement between the distribution of Cepheids and model particles, is θ_b = 37° ±13°. The kinematical features obtained for Cepheids with negative galactocentric radial velocity V_R are consistent with the solar location near the descending segment of the outer ring R₂. The sharp rise of extinction toward of the Galactic center can be explained by the presence of the outer ring R₁ near the Sun. (© 2015 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Two period-radius relations for classical Cepheids: Determining the pulsation mode and the distance scale

Based on our radial-velocity measurements and on published photometric observations, we calculated the radii of 64 classical Cepheids that were previously assumed to be fundamental-mode pulsators. Our detailed analysis of the period-radius diagram shows that the sample of Cepheids with pulsation periods shorter than 9 days probably contains a significant fraction (up to 30%) of stars pulsating in the first overtone. This fact leads to incorrect luminosity estimates for Cepheids and may be partly responsible for the discrepancy between the short and long distance scales.     

Effects of metal abundances on the evolutionary period changes of classical Cepheids

Some peculiarities in the behaviour of a model self-gravitating system described by hydrodynamical equations and isothermal equation of state connected with the presence of thermodynamical fluctuations in real systems were investigated in numerical experiment. The values of density and velocity , , respectively, were computed by numerical code perturbed on each time-step and in each computational cell by random values , for modeling such fluctuations. Perturbed values _i = _i + _i ,v _i = _i + v _i were used to initiate the next step of computations. This procedure is equivalent to an introduction into original hydrodynamical equations of Langevin sources which are random functions. It is shown that these small fluctuations (= v =0,² =v ² = 10^–8) grow many times in marginally-stable state.     

Estimation of the Radial Scale Length and Vertical Scale Height of the Galactic Thin Disk from Cepheids

Astronomy Letters - Up-to-date data on 2214 classical Cepheids have been used. The model of an exponential matter density distribution in the Galactic thin disk has been applied. New estimates of...     

Ultra long period Cepheids: a primary standard candle out to the Hubble flow

The cosmological distance ladder crucially depends on classical Cepheids (with P=3–80 days), which are primary distance indicators up to 33 Mpc. Within this volume, very few SNe Ia have been calibrated through classical Cepheids, with uncertainty related to the non-linearity and the metallicity dependence of their period–luminosity (PL) relation. Although a general consensus on these effects is still not achieved, classical Cepheids remain the most used primary distance indicators. A possible extension of these standard candles to further distances would be important. In this context, a very promising new tool is represented by the ultra-long period (ULP) Cepheids (P≳80 days), recently identified in star-forming galaxies. Only a small number of ULP Cepheids have been discovered so far. Here we present and analyse the properties of an updated sample of 37 ULP Cepheids observed in galaxies within a very large metallicity range of 12+log(O/H) from ∼7.2 to 9.2 dex. We find that their location in the colour-magnitude (V−I,V) diagram as well as their Wesenheit (V−I) index-period (WP) relation suggests that they are the counterparts at high luminosity of the shorter-period (P≲80 days) classical Cepheids. However, a complete pulsation and evolutionary theoretical scenario is needed to properly interpret the true nature of these objects. We do not confirm the flattening in the studied WP relation suggested by Bird et al. (Astrophys. J. 695:874, 2009). Using the whole sample, we find that ULP Cepheids lie around a WP relation similar to that of the LMC, although with a large spread (∼ 0.4 mag).     

Doubling period effect in the Ez(air) component of the geomagnetic pulsation field

The effect of doubling of the period of Pc3–4 type of geomagnetic pulsations in the spectrum of the vertical electric component measured in the air is found.     

Properties of the population of classical Cepheids in the Galaxy

Based on our compiled catalogue of positions, velocities, ages, and abundances of nine chemical elements for 221 classical Cepheids, we analyze the dependences of the relative abundances of α-elements as well as rapid and slow neutron capture elements on metallicity, space velocity components, and Galactocentric distance. We have found that the relative abundances of all elements in Cepheids do not depend on velocity but increase with Galactocentric distance and decrease with increasing metallicity, just as in thin-disk dwarfs and giants. In Cepheids, however, the [α/Fe]-[Fe/H] relation lies below, while the [r/Fe]-[Fe/H] and [s/Fe]-[Fe/H] relations lie above the analogous sequences for dwarfs and giants. We hypothesize that upon reaching a nearly solar metallicity in the interstellar medium of the thin disk, the most massive stars ceased to explode as type II supernovae, which mostly enriched the interstellar medium with α-elements. As a result, an underabundance of α-elements and a slight overabundance of r-process elements, which are ejected into the interstellar medium by less massive (8–10 M _⊙) type II supernovae, were formed in the next generations of stars. The overabundance of s-process elements in Cepheids can be explained by the fact that some of the s-elements were produced in the weak s-process in the interiors of massive stars, which may be able to eject the upper parts of their envelopes even without any explosion like asymptotic giant branch stars. And since such massive stars, exploding as type II supernovae, also enriched the interstellar medium with a considerable amount of iron atoms, the [s/Fe] ratios (along with [r/Fe]) in the next generations of stars must be higher in their absence.     

Effects of Metallicity on Mode Switching in Cepheids

Astronomy Letters - The mode switching in Cepheids is studied using the methods of the nonlinear theory of stellar pulsation, depending on the main sequence mass $$M_{0}$$ and the abundance of...     

Classical Cepheids and the Distances of HST Program Galaxies

The distances of HST program galaxies are revised using the PL-relations we have obtained previously along with a different method from that employed by Freedman et al. On the average, the resulting distances to these galaxies have higher internal accuracies than those obtained before by others. In addition, we have used no corrections for metallicity or for the incompleteness of the samples of classical cepheids in deriving these distances. Despite this, our distance moduli, with a dispersion of ±0^m.395, agree with those of Freedman et al. This indicates that these two effects have little or even no effect for the samples of classical cepheids in the HST program galaxies.     

On the change of period of Dy Pegasi

In the course of testing a 3-channel photon-counting, high-speed photometer, we observed DY Peg on three nights, 1980 September 18, 19, and November 15, and obtained 7 light maxima. Combining with results observed over the past 30 years, we re-calculated the formula for the maximum epoch to be

$\text{T}{}_{\max }\text{=}\text{H.J.D.}\text{2432751.96182 + 0.072926362}\text{E}\text{? 2.28 × 10}{}^{\mathrm{?13}}\text{E}{}^2\text{± 0.00008 ± 0.000000001 ± 0.09}$

and the period decay rate to be (3.1± 0.1) × 10^?8yr^?1.     

造父变星周光关系之实测研究进展

造父变星周光(PL)关系对于宇宙距离尺度研究和哈勃常数测定具有重要意义,所涉及的内容颇为广泛,可包括两类不同星族造父变星的PL关系,PL关系的绝对定标,周光色(PLC)关系,PL关系的金属度效应,多波段PL关系,极大光度PL关系和多相PL关系,以及非线性形式的PL关系,等等。     

Study of the effect of metallicity on the amplitudes of Cepheids

Results concerning the dependence of photometric and radial velocity amplitudes on metallicity are presented based on about 200 Galactic classical Cepheids pulsating in the fundamental mode. The Galactic distribution of the [Fe/H] value of Cepheids is also studied. We show that the photometric amplitude ratio A_I/A_V is independent of metallicity. The observed dependence of this ratio on the pulsation period does not correspond to the theoretical predictions. (© 2007 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

The rate of period change in DAV stars

Grids of DAV star models are evolved by WDEC, taking the element diffusion effect into account. The grid parameters are hydrogen mass log(MH/M_*), helium mass log(MHe/M_*), stellar mass M_*and effective temperature T_(eff) for DAV stars. The core compositions are from white dwarf models evolved by MESA. Therefore, DAV star models evolved by WDEC have historically viable core compositions. Based on those DAV star models, we studied the rate of period change(P˙(k)) for different values of H, He, M_*and T_(eff). The results are consistent with previous work. Two DAV stars G117–B15A and R548 have been observed for around 40 years. The rates of period change of two large-amplitude modes were obtained through the O-C method. We conducted an asteroseismological study on the two DAV stars and then obtained a best-fitting model for each star. Based on the two best-fitting models,the mode identifications(l, k) of the observed modes for G117–B15A and R548 are consistent with previous work. Both the observed modes and the observedP˙ s can be fitted by calculated ones. The results indicate that our method of evolving DAV star models is feasible.     

On Possible Causes of Scatter in the Period-Luminosity-Colour Relation of Cepheids

Some possible causes of scatter in the PLC relation of cepheids are investigated and estimates arising from the presence of rotation, magnetic field, and companion star are presented.