CCD‐Δa and BV R photometry of NGC 7296

The first CCD photometric investigation of the open cluster NGC 7296 up to now was performed within the narrow band Δa photometric system, which enables us to detect peculiar objects. A deeper investigation of that cluster followed, using the standard BV R ‐Bessel filter set. The age and E (B – V ) was determined independently to log t = 8.0 ± 0.1 and 0.15 ± 0.02, respectively by using Δa and broadband photometry. In total five Be/Ae objects and two metal‐weak stars showing significant negative Δa ‐values as well as one classical chemically peculiar star could be identified within that intermediate age open cluster. (© 2005 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

QPO as the Rosetta Stone for understanding black hole accretion

Quasi‐periodic oscillations (QPO) seen in the X‐ray fluxes of individual neutron stars and black hole sources are one of most intriguing phenomena in today's astrophysics. The QPO nature is visibly determined by super‐strong Einstein's gravity. I argue here that it also profoundly depends on the MRI turbulence in accretion flows. Understanding the QPO physics may therefore guide accretion theory out of its present state of confusion. Readers will find here an up‐to‐date, comprehensible account of what is known, and what is not, about the QPO physics. (© 2005 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Lithium depletion in the brown dwarf binary GJ 569Bab

GJ 569Bab is the first brown dwarf binary for which the mass of each component has been derived by solving the astrometric and spectroscopic orbit of the pair, i.e., independently of any theoretical assumption. This allows us to test the predictions of the various evolutionary models available in the literature. Particularly interesting are the predictions of lithium depletion for the mass (0.08–0.05M_⊙) and likely age (300–800 Myr) of the substellar components. High‐resolution optical spectra of GJ 569B (the pair is not resolved) obtained with HIRES at the Keck telescope show that there has been significant lithium depletion in both components. We will compare these results to state‐of‐the‐art theoretical calculations. (© 2005 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

The lower mass function of young open clusters: clues to (sub)stellar formation

We report the present day mass functions (PDMFs) of 4 young open clusters over a mass range from 30 Jupiter masses to 3M_ . Three of these clusters have been chosen to have a similar age of ∼100 Myr. Their PDMFs are remarkably similar and are comparable to the field mass function. This suggests little impact of initial conditions (stellar density, metallicity) on the mass distribution and raises some issues concerning the currently debated star and brown dwarf formation theories. The fourth cluster is older (600 Myr) which allow us to investigate the effect of the cluster dynamical evolution on the shape of the mass function. (© 2005 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Ultra‐cool dwarf variability

Ultra‐cool dwarf variability studies have matured into a multi‐wavelength, multi‐method probe of ultra‐cool atmospheres. They have the unique potential to address the question of heterogeneity on the ultra‐cool dwarf surface. The constraints on the models that we can gain though time‐sensitive observations are however hampered by the weak signal detected so far, and the limitations of current atmospheric models, otherwise quite successful, to predict dynamical, or even static 2‐D atmosphere characteristics. Here I review the situation of the ultra‐cool dwarf variability studies: possible sources of variability; methods, their limitations and their results; tentative interpretation and prospects. (© 2005 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Variability of the Fe K line relativistic component in a sample of Seyfert 1 galaxies

We present the analysis of X‐ray spectral variability made on a sample of 7 Seyfert 1 bright galaxies, using XMM‐Newton data. From the “XMM‐Newton Science Archive” we selected those bright Seyfert 1 showing one or more prominent flares in their 2–10 keV light curves. For each of them we extracted spectra in 3 different time intervals: before, during and after the flare. We fitted them with a simple power law and then shifted a narrow emission and absorption line template across the 2.5–10 keV data, in order to investigate the presence of line‐like features with a confidence level greater than 99%. Some highly significant features were detected in 3 out of 7 sources studied. In particular, the 3 sources, namely PG 1211+143, NGC 4051 and NGC 3783, showed the presence of a variable emission feature in the 4.5–5.8 keV band, characterized by an increase of its intensity after the flare peak. Because of the observed variability pattern, this feature seems to be ascribable to a reverbered redshifted relativistic component of the Fe K line. (© 2006 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Charge‐exchange X‐ray emission at hot/cool gas interfaces

Charge‐transfer (CT) X‐ray emission may occur at interfaces between a partially neutral gas and gas possessing high ions, provided there is a relative motion between those two phases. The CTX surface brightness from distant objects must be taken into account if it is not far below other “classical” emission sources, especially the thermal emission from the hot phase. I discuss those conditions and potential spectroscopic or photometric diagnostics. I also mention potential indirect effects of the CT reactions by means of pickup ion production, acceleration and subsequent modification of interface and plasma properties (© 2012 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Application of the relativistic precession model to the accreting milisecond X‐ray pulsar IGR J17511–3057

The observation of a pair of simultaneous twin kHz QPOs in the power density spectrum of a neutron star or a black hole allows its mass‐angular‐momentum relation to be constrained. Situations in which the observed simultaneous pairs are more than one allow the different models of the kHz QPOs to be falsified. Discrepancy between the estimates coming from the different pairs would call the used model into question. In the current paper, the relativistic precession model is applied to the twin kHz QPOs that appear in the light curves of three groups of observations of the accreting millisecond X‐ray pulsar IGR J17511–3057. It was found that the predictions of one of the groups are practically in conflict with the other two. Another interesting result is that the region in which the kHz QPOs have been born is rather broad and extends quite far from the ISCO. (© 2016 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)