Infrared photometry of the symbiotic novae V1016 Cyg and HM Sge in 1978–1999

The photometric JHKLM observations of the symbiotic novae V1016 Cyg and HM Sge in 1978–1999 are presented. Parameters of the cool stars themselves and the dust envelopes are estimated. The periods of 470±5 days (for V1016 Cyg) and 535±5 days (for HM Sge) are reliably determined from the entire set of our photometric J data for V1016 Cyg and HM Sge. In addition, monotonic light and color variations are observed on a time scale of several thousand days, with the increase in infrared brightness occurring with the simultaneous decrease in infrared color indices; i.e., the dust envelopes in which both components of the systems were embedded before the outburst of their hot sources in 1964 and 1975, respectively, had continued to disperse until late 1999. The amplitudes of these variations for HM Sge are almost twice those for V1016 Cyg. For HM Sge, the dust envelope reached a maximum density near JD 2447500 and then began to disperse. In the case of V1016 Cyg, a maximum density of the dust envelope was probably reached near JD 2444800, and its dispersal has been continuing for about 20 years. Thus, in both symbiotic novae, their dust envelopes reached a maximum density approximately eight years after the outburst of the hot component and then began to disperse. An analysis of the color-magnitude (J–K, J) diagram reveals that grains in the dust envelopes of V1016 Cyg and HM Sge are similar in their optical properties to impure silicates. The observed [J–K, K–L] color variations for the symbiotic novae under study can be explained in terms of the simple model we chose by variations in the Mira's photospheric temperature from 2400 to 3000 K and in the dust-envelope optical depth from 1 to 3 at a wavelength of 1.25 µm for a constant grain temperature. The observed J–K and K–L color indices for both symbiotic novae, while decreasing, tend to the values typical of Miras. The dust envelopes of both symbiotic novae are optically thick. The dust envelope around HM Sge is, on the average, twice as dense as that around V1016 Cyg; the Mira in V1016 Cyg is slightly cooler (~2800–2900 K) than that in HM Sge (~2600–2700 K). The dust-envelope density decreases as the Mira's temperature increases. The absolute bolometric magnitudes are $ - 5\mathop .\limits^m 1 \pm 0\mathop .\limits^m 15$ for V 1016 Cyg and $5\mathop .\limits^m 27 \pm 0\mathop .\limits^m 17$ for HM Sge. Their distances are 2.8±0.6 and 1.8±0.4 kpc, respectively; the luminosities and radii of their cool components (Miras) are 8.6×10³ L _⊙, 1×10⁴ L _⊙, 500R _⊙, and 540R _⊙. The radii of their dust envelopes are 1400R _⊙ and 1500R _⊙; the masses are (3?3.3) × 10^?5M_⊙ and (4?8) × 10^?5M_⊙ The dust envelope of V1016 Cyg disperses slower than that of HM Sge by almost a factor of 25.     

Combined satellite and ground-based observations of the quiescent,high latitude symbiotic variable AG Draconis=BD+67°922

Satellite observations, fromEinstein,IUE, andIRAS, have been combined with ground-based observations to derive the quiescent energy distribution of the symbiotic star AG Draconis. A detailed comparison is made between the combined observations and various steady-state composite models, including blackbody accretion disks.Paper presented at the IAU Colloquium No. 93 on Cataclysmic Variables. Recent Multi-Frequency Observations and Theoretical Developments, held at Dr. Remeis-Sternwarte Bamberg, F.R.G., 16–19 June, 1986.     

Observations of the Orion Nebula in Hα, [NII] and Hβ lines

Monochromatic photographs of the Orion Nebula taken through narrow bandpass interference filters (Δλ=10 Å) centred on Hα, Hβ and [NII] lines are presented. Ratio contours of Hα/[NII] and Hα/Hβ are derived. They enable a detailed study of the point-to-point variation in ionization structure and temperature throughout the nebula. Dust located within the ionized gas is studied from the Hα/Hβ ratio which varies from point to point over the nebula. Its strongest concentration, apart in the obvious ‘dark bay’, occurs in a shell surrounding the exciting stars, with about 2′ of diameter. Close to Θ¹ Ori the Hα/Hβ ratio, corrected for interstellar reddening, is about 3.0 in good agreement with the predicted value (Brocklehurst, 1971). To account for these measures, the following arguments are proposed:

1. Dust grains are completely or partially destroyed in region close to the exciting stars.
2. Radiation pressure and stellar wind push the remaining dust up to some equilibrium distance outwards. The consequence of this action is obviously the formation of a ‘dust mantle’ which is seen as a ring in projection.

     

Spatially resolved methane band photometry of Jupiter: I. Absolute reflectivity and center-to-limb variations in the 6190-, 7250-, and 8900-Å bands

Spatially resolved measurements of Jupiter's absolute reflectivity in methane bands at 6190, 7250, and 8900 Å and nearby continuum regions are presented. The data were obtained with a 400 × 400 pixel charge-coupled device (CCD) at the 1.54-m Catalina telescope near Tucson, Arizona. Jupiter was imaged on the CCD through narrow-band interference filters. Photometric standard stars were also measured. Calibration data were obtained to remove instrumental effects. Uncertainty in the absolute reflectivity is ±8%. Uncertainty in the relative (across the disk) reflectivity is 1 or 2%. Uncertainty in the geomtry is ±1 pixel (0.22 arcsec) for centering and ±1% in scale. Intensity and scattering geometry are tabulated for points across 10 axisymmetric cloud bands and the Great Red Spot. Because of their high spatial, photometric, and time resolution, these data provide strong constraints on models of the Jovian cloud structure.     

A cold and diffuse giant molecular filament in the region of l=41°,b=-1°

Data of ~(12)CO/~(13)CO/C180 J=1→0 emission toward the Galactic plane region of l=35° to 450 and b=-5° to+ 5° are available with the Milky Way Imaging Scroll Painting(MWISP) project.Using the data,we found a giant molecular filament(GMF) around l≈38°~42°,b≈-3.5°~0°,V_(LSR)≈27~40 km s~(-1),named the GMF MWISP G041-01.At a distance of 1.7 kpc,the GMF is about 160 pc long.With a median excitation temperature about 7.5 K and a median column density about10~(21) cm~(-2),this GMF is very cold and very diffuse compared to known GMFs.Using the morphology in the data cube,the GMF is divided into four components among which three show filamentary structure.Masses of the components are 10~3~10~4 M_☉,with a total mass for the whole filament being about 7×10~4 M_☉from the local thermodynamic equilibrium method.~(13)CO cores inside each component are searched.Virial parameters are about 2.5 for these cores and have a power-law index of -0.34 against the mass.The mass fraction of dense cores traced by ~(13)CO to the diffuse clouds traced by ~(12)CO is about 7% for all components of the GMF.We found signatures of possible large scale filament-filament collision in the GMF.     

Large-scale mapping of the IRAS 0042 + 5530 region in the 12CO (J = 1−0) and 13CO (J = 1−0) molecular lines

We present new radio observations of molecular lines in the region of high mass star formation, namely G122.0-7.1. A large-scale map of the emission observed in the ¹²CO (J = 1−0) and ¹³CO (J = 1−0) lines covers the area of 15′ × 9′, revealing two dense regions. The molecular bipolar outflows have been resolved in ASO1 region. It is associated with the known candidate YSO nearby IRAS 0042 + 5530. Also, a new dense region has been discovered in the North-Western part of the G122.0-7.1 at a distance of 5′ from IRAS 0042 + 5530. Its position is close to the peak of 4850 MHz emission. The text was submitted by the authors in English.     

Investigation of the lines H<Subscript>α</Subscript> and H<Subscript>β</Subscript> in the spectrum of the star HD 206267

The results of investigations of the H_α and H_β lines in the spectrum of the star HD 206267 are presented. Observations were carried out in 2011–2014 at the Cassegrain focus of the 2-m telescope of the Tusi Shamakhy Astrophysical Observatory of the National Academy of Sciences of Azerbaijan using an echelle spectrometer. The following features have been revealed for the first time: the moving discrete absorption components in the core of the H_α line from the red side to the violet, the stable emission in the violet wing of the H_α line, the antiphase variation of the radial velocities and equivalent widths of the H_α line, and the independence of the changes of the equivalent widths of the H_β line from the phase of the orbital period. No spectral features according to which this star could be considered as a source of X-ray radiation have been found.     

Modelling the atmospheric CO2 10-μm non-thermal emission in Mars and Venus at high spectral resolution

A study of the CO₂ atmospheric emissions at 10-μm in the upper atmospheres of Mars and Venus is performed in order to explain a number of ground-based measurements of these emissions recently taken at very high spectral resolution in both planets. The measurements are normally used to derive atmospheric temperatures and winds, but uncertainties on the actual emission layers were so far a serious drawback for their correct interpretation. The non-LTE models used for Mars and Venus in the present analysis are entirely similar in order to perform consistent comparisons between the two planets. In particular, the same scheme of CO₂ states and ro-vibrational bands are used, with similar assumptions on collisional routes and rate coef?cients, and also the same radiative transfer approximations. The emissions at 10-μm are produced in both atmospheres by the same excitation mechanism: radiative pumping of the CO₂(00⁰1) vibrational state by direct solar absorption(at 4.3 μm) and indirect absorption (at 2.7 μm, followed by collisional quenching). The computed radiances are specially strong in the upper mesosphere and lower thermosphere of the two planets during maximum solar illumination, producing a population inversion in such conditions with the lower states of the bands, the CO₂ (10⁰0) and CO₂(02⁰0). We obtained that other population inversions are also possible, involving higher energy CO₂ states. The larger solar ?ux available on Venus is found to produce larger vibrational populations and stronger emissions than equivalent atmospheric layers on Mars, in agreement with the observations. A number of perturbation studies were used to determine the exact emission altitudes, or weighting function peaks, for usual nadir sounding. The sensitivity of the emission to non-LTE model uncertainties and to atmospheric variations in temperature and CO₂ density is also presented. The dependence with the solar zenith angle and with the emission angle, as obtained with this model, could also be useful for guiding future observations.     

Eton 5: Simultaneous rocket measurements of the OH meinel Δυ = 2 sequence and (8,3) band emission profiles in the nightglow

Simultaneous rocket measurements of the emission profiles of the OH Meinel (8,3) band and the Δυ = 2 sequence at 1.61 μm are presented and analysed. It is shown that the υ = 8 level of the hydroxyl radical must suffer significant loss in the mesosphere due to collisions with O₂ and/or N₂. The rate coefficients for this removal process are obtained, for certain limiting assumptions about the excitation mechanism, and the coefficients are found to be in good agreement with those deduced from an independent analysis of ground-based observations. A variety of kinetic models, which reproduce the observed (8,3) band profile in some detail, predict Δυ = 2 sequence emission profiles which compare favourably with the measured profile in their total zenith intensities but not in their altitude distributions. The differences between the measured and modelled Δυ = 2 altitude profiles suggest that the 1.61 μm observations may have been contaminated by some unidentified vehicle-induced emission.     

Performance of the stereoscopic system of the HEGRA imaging air erenkov telescopes: Monte Carlo simulations and observations

Based on the Monte Carlo simulations we have studied the performance of the HEGRA system of imaging air erenkov telescopes (IACTs) in its present configuration of 4 IACTs as well as in its future final configuration of 5 IACTs. Here we present the results on the basic characteristics of the IACT system which are used in the standard data analysis procedure, i.e., the collection areas, the detection rates, the angular resolution, the energy resolution, and the γ/hadron-separation efficiency. By comparing several key Monte Carlo predictions with experimental results it is possible to check the accuracy of the simulations. The Monte Carlo results concerning hadron-nuclear showers are tested with the recorded cosmic ray events and the results concerning photon-induced showers are tested with a large data sample of γ-rays observed from BL Lac object Mkn 501 during its high flaring activity in 1997. Summarizing the simulations and current observations we give the basic recommendations of using the instrument and the major values of its sensitivity.