PG 1316+678: A young pre-cataclysmic binary with weak reflection effects

The PG 1316+678 star is classified as a pre-cataclysmic binary, as is evidenced by its photometric and spectroscopic observations. Its orbital period is determined to be P _orb = 3.3803^d, which coincides with the photometric period. The intensities of the emission HI and HeI lines are shown to vary synchronously with the brightness of the object (Δm _V = 0.065 ^m , Δm _R = 0.08 ^m ). These variations arise as the UV radiation from the DAO white dwarf is reflected from the surface of the cold companion. The parameters of the binary are estimated and the time of its evolution after the common-envelope phase is determined to be t ≈ 240 000 years. Thus, PG 1316+678 is a young pre-cataclysmic NN Ser variable with the smallest known photometric reflection effect.     

The first hours of the optical afterglow from the cosmic gamma-ray burst 030329

We describe the first results of our observations of the exceptionally bright optical afterglow from the cosmic gamma-ray burst (GRB) of March 29, 2003 (030329), with the 1.5-m Russian-Turkish telescope (RTT150) installed at the TUBITAK National Observatory (Turkey) at Mount Bakyrlytepe. RTT150 was one of the first medium-class telescopes pointed at the afterglow. The observations began as early as about six hours after the GRB. During the first five hours of our observations, the BV RI flux fell off exactly as a power law with the same slope ?1.19±0.01. Subsequently, in all of the BV RI bands, we observed the same increase in the power-law slope of the light curve to a value that was later recorded during the observations at observatories in the western hemisphere. The break in the power-law light curve occurs at t ? t ₀ ≈ 0.57 days (13.5 h) and lasts for about 0.2 days. Apart from this smooth decrease in the flux, the afterglow exhibited no flux variability. The upper limits on the variability are 10–1% on time scales of 0.1–1000 s, respectively. The BV RI spectral flux distribution during the first night of our observations closely corresponds to a power-law spectrum with a spectral index α=0.66±0.01. The change in the power-law slope of the light curve at the end of our observations is probably attributable to the deceleration of the ultrarelativistic jet to a gamma factor when its structural features begin to show up in the light curve. The radio, optical, and X-ray broadband spectrum is consistent with the assumption about the synchrotron radiation of the ultrarelativistic jet. This unique object continues to be observed with RTT150.     

Observational constraints on potassium synthesis during the formation of stars of the Galactic disk

The non-LTE potassium abundances in the atmospheres of 33 Galactic-disk stars are derived and the parameters of the atmospheres of 23 of the stars are determined. Neglecting departures from LTE results in a systematic overestimation of the potassium abundances and an increase in their dispersion, even for differential analyses relative to the Sun. The non-LTE corrections are significant ((?0.2)–(?0.6) dex) and depend on the surface gravities and effective temperatures of the stars. The mean potassium abundance for a sample of ten stars with [Fe/H]～0.0 is in agreement with the solar and meteoritic abundances (log ? _⊙(K)=5.12). As the stellar metallicity increases from [Fe/H]=(?1.0) to (0.2) dex, the [K/Fe] ratio decreases systematically from 0.3 dex to ?0.1 dex. The derived dependence [K/Fe]-[Fe/H] is in agreement with the results of published model calculations of the chemical evolution of the Galaxy. This indicates the dominance of explosive oxygen burning in massive type II supernovae during the synthesis of potassium in the Galactic disk.     

The evolutionary status of UX CVn

We have analyzed available spectroscopic and photometric observations of the close binary UX CVn using model atmospheres. Theoretical spectra and light curves were derived from models of a precataclysmic variable and a close binary consisting of degenerate stars. We have used the 6-m telescope of the Special Astrophysical Observatory to obtain ten moderate-resolution spectra at three orbital phases. Our analysis of the radial-velocity curve shows that the orbital period of the system has been stable over 40 yrs, and the variations of the intensities of lines of various elements at different phases and radial velocities indicates an absence of the reflection effect. As a result, we have classified UX CVn as a detached close binary consisting of a hot, low-luminosity sub-dwarf primary and a white-dwarf secondary.     

A method for modeling the formation of caii lines in the spectra of irradiated stellar atmospheres

We have developed a method for calculating deviations from LTE of level populations and profiles of selected spectral lines in stellar atmospheres in the presence of external radiation. The influence of Thomson scattering at the frequencies of the external radiation is considered. The method used to calculate model irradiated atmospheres in a semi-grey approximation has been improved. We have modified the NONLTE3 code used to determine the level populations to make it suitable for irradiated atmospheres. A model for the CaII atom including 42 energy levels of CaII, the ground state of CaIII, and 80 linearized transitions was constructed for these calculations. This atomic model takes into account the effect of all relevant collisional processes and radiative processes at the frequencies of the internal and external radiation. We investigated the correctness of the non-LTE calculations for the CaII ion by analyzing 16 lines of ionized calcium in the solar spectrum. The influence of uncertainties in the atomic data on the non-LTE level populations and CaII line profiles was also analyzed, and the van der Waals broadening coefficients C ₆ were refined. The scaling coefficient in the Dravin formula was taken to be 0.1. We found the non-LTE abundance corrections for most lines to be significant (Δlog?(Ca)=0.05?0.15dex), even under the conditions for the solar atmosphere. The lines of the λ=8498, 8542, 8662 Å infrared triplet can be adequately described. Differences in the mean calcium abundance obtained using different model atmospheres are smaller than 0.02 dex. Our final estimate of the mean calcium abundance in the solar atmosphere is log?(Ca)=6.31, in good agreement with the meteoritic abundance, log?(Ca)=6.32.     

Observations of the optical afterglow from GRB 060526 with the RTT-150 telescope

Multicolor photometric observations of the optical afterglow from GRB 060526 with the Russian-Turkish 1.5-m RTT-150 telescope (Mount Bakyrlytepe, Turkey) are presented. The afterglow light curve was measured in detail starting from about 5 h after the GRB and over five ensuing nights. In addition, upper limits were obtained on the rapid variability of the afterglow on the first night of observations and the history of afterglow color variations was measured in detail. In the time interval from 6 to 16 h after the burst, the flux gradually decreased approximately as a power law with a slope of ?1.14 ± 0.02. Subsequently, variability was observed on a time scale δt < t and the afterglow began to decay much faster. The afterglow color was approximately constant (V?R ≈ 0.5) throughout the observations, despite the flux variability. Variability time scales up to δt/t ≈ 0.0055 were observed at ΔF _ν/F _ν ≈ 0.3, which violates many constraints on the variability of the observed emission from an ultrarelativistic jet obtained by Ioka et al. (2005). We suggest explaining this variability by the fact that the shell motion is no longer ultrarelativistic at this time.     

Analysis of optical light curves for the components of the gravitationally lensed quasar SBS 1520+530 based on observations with the 1.5-m RTT-150 telescope in 2001–2005

We present the R _c-band light curves for components A and B of the gravitationally lensed quasar SBS 1520+530 obtained during 2001–2005 with the 1.5-m Russian-Turkish Telescope (RTT-150) at the TUBITAK National Observatory (Turkey). Based on an analysis of the data for the period 2001–2002, we have estimated the time delay of the brightness fluctuations between components A and B of the quasar to be 128 days. This time delay agrees with its previously published values for the periods 1999–2001 and 2003–2004. Using all of the published data on the brightnesses of components A and B of SBS 1520+530 for the 6-year period, we have found at least two microlensing events. One event has the pattern of a long-term linear trend; the duration of the other event is several hundred days.