Automated analysis of eclipsing binary light curves – II. Statistical analysis of OGLE LMC eclipsing binaries

In the first paper of this series, we presented EBAS – Eclipsing Binary Automated Solver, a new fully automated algorithm to analyse the light curves of eclipsing binaries, based on the ebop code. Here, we apply the new algorithm to the whole sample of 2580 binaries found in the Optical Gravitational Lensing Experiment (OGLE) Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) photometric survey and derive the orbital elements for 1931 systems. To obtain the statistical properties of the short-period binaries of the LMC, we construct a well-defined subsample of 938 eclipsing binaries with main-sequence B-type primaries. Correcting for observational selection effects, we derive the distributions of the fractional radii of the two components and their sum, the brightness ratios and the periods of the short-period binaries. Somewhat surprisingly, the results are consistent with a flat distribution in log P between 2 and 10 d. We also estimate the total number of binaries in the LMC with the same characteristics, and not only the eclipsing binaries, to be about 5000. This figure leads us to suggest that  (0.7 ± 0.4)  per cent of the main-sequence B-type stars in the LMC are found in binaries with periods shorter than 10 d. This frequency is substantially smaller than the fraction of binaries found by small Galactic radial-velocity surveys of B stars. On the other hand, the binary frequency found by Hubble Space Telescope ( HST ) photometric searches within the late main-sequence stars of 47 Tuc is only slightly higher and still consistent with the frequency we deduced for the B stars in the LMC.     

昆仑山8.1级地震前中国大陆的构造应变背景

利用“网络工程”1998～2001年累积的1181个测站的GPS重复观测资料，采用双三次样条函数模型建立中国大陆水平运动模型速度场，用大地坐标在椭球面上计算各类应变场，详细分析了2001年昆仑山8．1级地震前中国大陆水平构造应变场空间分布特征。各类构造应变场的最高值都出现在喜马拉雅构造带与昆仑山地块内(地震断裂带南侧)，鲜水河—安宁河断裂带次之。分析表明，昆仑山8．1级地震正好发生在张性面膨胀应变率的高值区，第一、第二和最大剪应变率高值区边缘的突变区和最大、最小主应变率的高值区。     

Ultraviolet reflectance properties of asteroids

An analysis of the UV spectra of 28 asteroids obtained with the Internal Ultraviolet Explorer (IUE) satellite is presented. The spectra lie within the range 2100–3200 Å. Our results are examined in terms of both asteroid classification and of current ideas concerning the surface mineralogy of asteroids. For all the asteroids examined, UV reflectivity declines approximately linearly toward shorter wavelengths. In general, the same taxonomic groups are seen in the UV as in the visible and IR, although there is some evidence for asteroids with anomalous UV properties and for UV subclasses within the S class. No mineral absorption features are reported of strength similar to the strongest features in the visible and IR regions, but a number of shallow absorptions do occur and may provide valuable information on the surface composition of many asteroids.     

Spectra of simulated lightning on Venus,Jupiter, and Titan

Laser-induced plasmas in various gas mixtures were used to simulate lightning in other planetary atmospheres. This method of simulation has the advantage of producing short-duration, high-temperature plasmas free from electrode contamination. The laser-induced plasma discharges in air are shown to accurately simulate terrestrial lightning and can be expected to simulate lightning spectra in other planetary atmospheres. Spectra from 240 to 880 nm are presented for simulated lightning in the atmospheres of Venus, Earth, Jupiter, and Titan. The spectra of lightning on the other giant planets are expected to be similar to that of Jupiter because the atmospheres of these planets are composed mainly of hydrogen and helium. The spectra of Venus and Titan show substantial amounts of radiation due to the presence of carbon atoms and ions and show CN Violet radiation. Although small amounts of CH₄ and NH₃ are present in the Jovian atmosphere, only emission from hydrogen and helium is observed. Most differences in the spectra can be understood in terms of the elemental ratios of the gas mixtures. Consequently, observations of the spectra of lightning on other planets should provide in situ estimates of the atmospheric and aerosol composition in the cloud layers in which lightning is occuring. In particular, the detection of inert gases such as helium should be possible and the relative abundance of these gases compared to major constituents might be determined.     

Results of Photometric and Polarimetric Observations of the Fuor V1057 Cyg from the Time of an Outburst to the Present

Observations of the brightness, color, and polarization of the fuor V1057 Cyg over more than 30 years are presented and briefly discussed. Variability of the linear polarization was found.     

Resonant oscillations in sunspot umbrae

The Uchida and Sakurai (1975), Thomas and Scheuer (1982), and Scheuer and Thomas (1981) theory of umbral oscillations as resonant modes of magneto-acoustic-gravity waves is re-examined. For an isothermal atmosphere it is found that the quasi-Alfvén approximation is not a good approximation to the complete linearized wave equations. The new results presented here show that 3 min umbral oscillation periods are fairly insensitive to magnetic field strength above some critical value. For a detailed model umbra (Thomas and Scheuer, 1982) the calculations presented here show that 3 min umbral oscillations do not depend to any great extent on the level of forcing of the oscillations for those magnetic field strengths which are observed in sunspot umbras. Modes outside the 3 min range appear, as the lowest mode, as the level of forcing is placed at deeper and deeper levels in the solar atmosphere.