Photometric distances to nine dark globules

Distances to nine dark globules are determined by a method using optical ( VRI ) and near-infrared (near-IR) ( JHK ) photometry of stars projected towards the field containing the globules. In this method, we compute intrinsic colour indices of stars projected towards the direction of the globule by dereddening the observed colour indices using various trial values of extinction   A _V   and a standard extinction law. These computed intrinsic colour indices for each star are then compared with the intrinsic colour indices of normal main-sequence stars and a spectral type is assigned to the star for which the computed colour indices best match with the standard intrinsic colour indices. Distances ( d ) to the stars are determined using the   A _V   and absolute magnitude  ( M_V )  corresponding to the spectral types thus obtained. A distance versus extinction plot is made and the distance at which   A _V   undergoes a sharp rise is taken to be the distance to the globule. All the clouds studied in this work are in the distance range 160–400 pc. The estimated distances to dark globules LDN 544, LDN 549, LDN 567, LDN 543, LDN 1113, LDN 1031, LDN 1225, LDN 1252 and LDN 1257 are  180 ± 35, 200 ± 40, 180 ± 35, 160 ± 30, 350 ± 70, 200 ± 40, 400 ± 80, 250 ± 50  and 250 ± 50 pc, respectively. Using the distances determined, we have estimated the masses of the globules and the far-IR luminosity of the IRAS sources associated with them. The mass of the clouds studied are in the range  10–200 M_⊙  .     

Simulation of a population of isolated neutron stars evolving through the emission of gravitational waves

We study, via a Monte Carlo simulation, a population of isolated asymmetric neutron stars where the magnitude of the magnetic field is low enough so that the dynamical evolution is dominated by the emission of gravitational waves. A starting population, with age uniformly distributed back to 100 Myr (or 500 Myr) and endowed with a birth kick velocity, is evolved in the Galactic gravitational potential to the present time. In describing the initial spatial distribution, the Gould belt, with an enhanced neutron star formation rate, is taken into account. Different models for the initial period distribution are considered. The star ellipticity, measuring the amount of deformation, is drawn from an exponential distribution. We estimate the detectability of the emitted gravitational signals by the first and planned second generation of interferometric detectors. Results are parametrized by the fraction of the whole galactic neutron star population made up of these kinds of sources. Some possible mechanisms, which would make possible the existence of such a population, are discussed. A comparison of the gravitational spin-down with the braking due to a possible interaction of the neutron star with the interstellar medium is also presented.     

Anomalous Behavior of the Linear Polarization of the Herbig Ae Star WW Vul during the 1997 Minimum

In the course of photopolarimetric monitoring of the Herbig Ae star WW Vul, an unusual variation of linear polarization upon energence from a deep minimum was recorded, which cannot be explained by the standard mechanism for such objects (UX Ori stars): a variable contribution of radiation scattered by circumstellar dust. An analysis of possible causes of the anomalous behavior of polarization shows that it was most likely due to the presence of aligned, aspherical dust grains in the dust cloud crossing the line of sight at that time.     

A ROSAT WFC observation of SW UMa: the EUV behaviour of dwarf novae in superoutburst explained

During re-processing and analysis of the entire ROSAT Wide Field Camera (WFC) pointed observations data base, we discovered a serendipitous, off-axis detection of the cataclysmic variable SW UMa at the onset of its 1997 October superoutburst. Although long outbursts in this SU UMa-type system are known to occur every ∼ 450 d, none had ever been previously observed in the extreme ultra-violet (EUV) by ROSAT . The WFC observations began just ≈13 hr after the optical rise was detected. With a peak count rate of ∼ 4.5 count s⁻¹ in the S1 filter, SW UMa was temporarily the third brightest object in the sky in this waveband. Over the next ≈19 hr the measured EUV flux dropped to < 2 count s⁻¹, while the optical brightness remained essentially static at m _v∼11 . Similar behaviour has also been recently reported in the EUV light curve of the related SU UMa-type binary OY Car during superoutburst, as reported by Mauche & Raymond. In contrast, U Gem-type dwarf novae show no such early EUV dip during normal outbursts. Therefore, this feature may be common in superoutbursts of SU UMa-like systems. We expand on ideas first put forward by Osaki and Mauche & Raymond and offer an explanation for this behaviour by examining the interplay between the thermal and tidal instabilities that affect the accretion discs in these systems.     

Seismology of stellar envelopes: probing the outer layers of a star through the scattering of acoustic waves

The outer layers of Sun-like stars are regions of rapid spatial variation which modulate the p-mode frequencies by partially reflecting the constituent acoustic waves. With the accuracy that has been achieved by current solar observations, and that is expected from imminent stellar observations, this modulation can be observed from the spectra of the low-degree modes. We present a new and simple theoretical calculation to determine the leading terms in an asymptotic expansion of the outer phase of these modes, which is determined by the structure of the surface layers of the star. Our procedure is to compare the stellar envelope with a plane-parallel polytropic envelope, which we regard as a smooth reference background state. Then we can isolate a seismic signature of the acoustic phase and relate it to the stratification of the outer layers of the convection zone. One can thereby constrain theories of convection that are used to construct the convection zones of the Sun and Sun-like stars. The accuracy of the diagnostic is tested in the solar case by comparing the predicted outer phase with an exact numerical calculation.     

The Flared Disc Project: RXTE and ASCA observations of X 1822−371

We present archival Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer ( RXTE ) and simultaneous Advanced Satellite for Cosmology and Astrophysics ( ASCA ) data of the eclipsing low mass X-ray binary (LMXB) X 1822−371. Our spectral analysis shows that a variety of simple models can fit the spectra relatively well. Of these models, we explore two in detail through phase-resolved fits. These two models represent the case of a very optically thick and a very optically thin corona. While systematic residuals remain at high energies, the overall spectral shape is well approximated. The same two basic models are fitted to the X-ray light curve, which shows sinusoidal modulations interpreted as absorption by an opaque disc rim of varying height. The geometry we infer from these fits is consistent with previous studies: the disc rim reaches out to the tidal truncation radius, while the radius of the corona (approximated as spherical) is very close to the circularization radius. Timing analysis of the RXTE data shows a time-lag from hard to soft consistent with the coronal size inferred from the fits. Neither the spectra nor the light curve fits allow us to rule out either model, leaving a key ingredient of the X 1822−371 puzzle unsolved. Furthermore, while previous studies were consistent with the central object being a 1.4 M_⊙ neutron star, which has been adopted as the best guess scenario for this system, our light curve fits show that a white dwarf or black hole primary can work just as well. Based on previously published estimates of the orbital evolution of X 1822−371, however, we suggest that this system contains either a neutron star or a low mass (≲2.5 M_⊙) black hole and is in a transitional state of duration shortward of 10⁷ yr.     

Fundamental parameters and new variables of the galactic open cluster NGC 7128

CCD photometry in Johnson UBV and Strömgren uvby systems and medium-resolution spectroscopy of the galactic open cluster NGC 7128 are presented. Spectral types of the brightest 12 stars in the cluster field were determined based on equivalent widths of the H α and the He  i 6678-Å line. The spectroscopic observations also revealed two obvious and one probable Be-type stars showing H α emission. The analysis of the photometric diagrams gave a colour excess of E ( B − V )=1.03±0.06 mag, a distance modulus DM =13.0±0.2 mag and an age above 10 Myr. Time-resolved photometric observations obtained on one night resulted in the detection of short time-scale light variations of seven new and three already known variable stars in the cluster field.     

Accretion stream mapping of HU Aquarii

We present a new mapping algorithm, the Accretion Stream Mapping (ASM), which uses the full phase-coverage of a light curve to derive spatially resolved intensity distributions along the accretion stream in magnetic cataclysmic variables of AM Herculis type (polars). The surface of the accretion stream is approximated as a 12-sided (duodecadon-shaped) tube. After successfully testing this method on artificial data we applied it to emission-line light curves of H β , H γ and He  ii λ 4686 of the bright eclipsing polar HU Aqr. We find hydrogen and helium line emission bright in the threading region of the stream where the stream couples on to magnetic field lines. It is particularly interesting that the stream is bright on the irradiated side facing the white dwarf, which highlights the interplay of collisional and radiative excitation/ionization.