The inner Galaxy resolved at IJK using DENIS data

We present the analysis of three-colour optical/near-infrared images, in IJK , taken for the DEep Near Infrared Southern Sky Survey (DENIS) project. The region considered covers 17.4 deg² and lies within <5°, b <1.°5. The adopted methods for deriving photometry and astrometry in these crowded images, together with an analysis of the deficiencies nevertheless remaining, are presented. The numbers of objects extracted in I , J and K are 748 000, 851 000 and 659 000 respectively, to magnitude limits of 17, 15 and 13. Eighty per cent completeness levels typically fall at magnitudes 16, 13 and 10 respectively, fainter by about 2 mag than the usual DENIS limits as a result of the crowded nature of these fields. A simple model to describe the disc contribution to the number counts is constructed, and parameters for the dust layer are derived. We find that a formal fit of parameters for the dust plane, from these data in limited directions, gives a scalelength and scaleheight of 3.4±1.0 kpc and 40±5 pc respectively, and a solar position 14.0±2.5 pc below the plane. This latter value is likely to be affected by localized dust asymmetries. We convolve a detailed model of the systematic and random errors in the photometry with a simple model of the Galactic disc and dust distribution to simulate expected colourmagnitude diagrams. These are in good agreement with the observed diagrams, allowing us to isolate those stars from the inner disc and bulge. After correcting for local dust-induced asymmetries, we find evidence for longitude-dependent asymmetries in the distant J and K sources, consistent with the general predictions of some Galactic bar models. We consider complementary L -band observations in the companion paper.     

HST Planetary Camera images of quasar host galaxies

We present Hubble Space Telescope ( HST ) images of seven low-redshift quasars (six taken with the Planetary Camera, one with the Wide Field Camera). These complete the sample of 14 quasars observed by the Faint Object Camera Investigation Definition Team (FOC IDT). Following subtraction of the quasar nuclear light, host galaxies can be seen in all seven cases. A combination of the optical morphology and luminosity profiles of the residual host galaxies and the results of 2D cross-correlation model fitting implies that five of the objects have elliptical host galaxies and two have disc host galaxies. The luminosities vary from slightly fainter than L ^* to about 1.3 mag brighter than L ^*.   We discuss the properties of the complete sample of 14 quasars. Nine of the objects appear to have elliptical host galaxies (all six of the radio-loud quasars in the sample as well as three radio-quiet quasars). Two further radio-quiet quasars appear to lie in disc galaxies. The other three objects (radio-quiet, ultraluminous infrared quasars) all lie in violently interacting systems. The sample as a whole has an average luminosity about 0.8 mag brighter than L ^*, although the radio-loud objects have hosts on average 0.7 mag brighter than the radio-quiet objects.   We compare our results with those from HST imaging of quasars by other authors. Taken together, our observations are in broad agreement with those of Bahcall et al. Radio-loud quasars appear to lie in luminous elliptical galaxies whereas radio-quiet quasars are found to lie in either elliptical or spiral hosts. Host galaxy luminosities (of radio-quiet and radio-loud quasars) are much brighter than would be expected if they followed a Schechter luminosity function.     

HST colour–magnitude diagrams of six old globular clusters in the LMC

We report on HST observations of six candidate old globular clusters in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC): NGC 1754, 1835, 1898, 1916, 2005 and 2019. Deep exposures with the F555W and F814W filters provide us with colour–magnitude diagrams that reach to an apparent magnitude in V of ∼25, well below the main-sequence turn-off. These particular clusters are associated with significantly high LMC field star densities and care was taken to subtract the field stars from the cluster colour–magnitude diagrams accurately. In two cases there is significant variable reddening across at least part of the image, but only for NGC 1916 does the differential reddening preclude accurate measurements of the CMD characteristics. The morphologies of the colour–magnitude diagrams match well those of Galactic globular clusters of similar metallicity. All six have well-developed horizontal branches, while four clearly have stars on both sides of the RR Lyrae gap. The abundances obtained from measurements of the height of the red giant branch above the level of the horizontal branch are 0.3 dex higher, on average, than previously measured spectroscopic abundances. Detailed comparisons with Galactic globular cluster fiducials show that all six clusters are old objects, very similar in age to classical Galactic globulars such as M5, with little age spread among the clusters. This result is consistent with ages derived by measuring the magnitude difference between the horizontal branch and main-sequence turn-off. We also find a similar chronology by comparing the horizontal branch morphologies and abundances with the horizontal branch evolutionary tracks of Lee, Demarque &38; Zinn. Our results imply that the LMC formed at the same time as the Milky Way Galaxy.     

Neutron star retention and millisecond pulsar production in globular clusters

We investigate the conditions by which neutron star retention in globular clusters is favoured. We find that neutron stars formed in massive binaries are far more likely to be retained. Such binaries are likely to then evolve into contact before encountering other stars, possibly producing a single neutron star after a common envelope phase. A large fraction of the single neutron stars in globular clusters are then likely to exchange into binaries containing moderate-mass main-sequence stars, replacing the lower-mass components of the original systems. These binaries will become intermediate-mass X-ray binaries (IMXBs), once the moderate-mass star evolves off the main sequence, as mass is transferred on to the neutron star, possibly spinning it up in the process. Such systems may be responsible for the population of millisecond pulsars (MSPs) that has been observed in globular clusters. Additionally, the period of mass-transfer (and thus X-ray visibility) in the vast majority of such systems will have occurred 5–10 Gyr ago, thus explaining the observed relative paucity of X-ray binaries today, given the MSP population.     

Cygnus A: stars, dust and cones

We present new Hubble Space Telescope ( HST  ) continuum and spectral line images of the radio galaxy Cygnus A. The images show much complex structure in the central kpc². Continuum images show the central dust lane in detail, allowing detailed maps of E ( B  −  V ) to be constructed; the dust appears to follow a roughly Galactic extinction law. The emission-line components are resolved in the line images and investigated in detail. A clear 'opening cone' morphology is found, especially in the lines of Hα and [O  i ]. Blue condensations are seen in the south-eastern emission component and surrounding the central region. These are almost certainly due to star formation, which began <1 Gyr ago as deduced from the colour of the regions. More extended blue continuum is also seen and corresponds to the blue polarized component detected by other recent spectropolarimetric observations.     

High-velocity stars from decay of small stellar systems

In this paper we present numerical results on the decay of small stellar systems under different initial conditions (multiplicity 3 ≤  N  ≤ 10, and various mass spectra, initial velocities and initial configurations). The numerical treatment uses the CHAIN1 code (Mikkola &38; Aarseth). Particular attention is paid to the distribution of high-velocity escapers: we define these as stars with velocity above 30 km s⁻¹. These numerical experiments confirm that small N -body systems are dynamically unstable and produce cascades of escapers in the process of their decay. It is shown that the fraction of stars that escape from small dense stellar systems with an escape velocity greater than 30 km s⁻¹ is ∼1 per cent for all systems treated here. This relatively small fraction must be considered in relation to the rate of star formation in the Galaxy in small groups: this could explain some moderately high-velocity stars observed in the Galactic disc and possibly some young stars with relatively high metallicity in the thick disc.     

CCD Polarimetric Imaging Of Comet Hale-Bopp (C/1995 O1)

Polarimetric observations of the light scattered by dust have been carried out at Pic-du-Midi Observatory with the 2 m telescope in June and September–October 1996, and at Haute-Provence Observatory with the 0.80 m telescope in April 1997. They cover a total number of 11 nights and a large (6.9°–47.7°) phase angle range. The spatial resolution allows to underline structures in the coma, as well in the brightness images as in the polarization maps, with a correlation between the regions of bright structures and the regions of higher polarization. A clear difference appears between the sunward and antisunward side, with higher polarization on the antisunward side. The phase angle coverage allows us to obtain a polarimetric phase curve for the whole coma and to compare it with other cometary phase curves. The degree of polarization is higher for Hale-Bopp than for the comets previously observed. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Existence and Stability of L4,5 In The Relativistic Restricted Three-Body Problem

The existence and stability of triangular libration points in the relativistic restricted three-body problem has been studied. It is found that L_4,5 are unstable in the whole range 0 ≤ μ ≤ 1/2 in contrast to the classical restricted three-body problem where they are stable for 0 < μ < μ₀, where μ is the mass parameter and μ₀ = 0.03852.... This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.