1–100 μm energy spectra and 2.3–4 μm spectrophotometry of MSC stars

The JHKL' photometry and 2.3–4 μm spectrophotometry of some M giants, S type stars and carbon stars are presented in this paper. It is found that in combination with IRAS data, the energy spectra in 1–100 μm of S type stars are intermediate between those of M giants and carbon stars, which are obviously different. The spectrophotometry in the near infrared shows that, besides carbon stars, which have HCN and C₂H₂ strong absorptions at 3.1 μm, some S type stars have the similar but weaker absorption in the same spectral region. However, no trace of any absorption at 3.1 μm can be seen in M giants. These results probably provide more evidence for the M-S-C sequence in the late stage of stellar evolution.     

On the resolved radio emission from AG Draconis: evidence for jet ejection?

The recent detection of resolved radio emission from AG Dra by MERLIN reported by Ogley et al. is discussed in the context of the wind environment and the physical parameters and geometry of this symbiotic binary system. In particular, it is shown that the two radio components are closely aligned with the binary axis, and their separation suggests their origin in jets ejected from AG Dra during the recent 1995–98 series of oubtbursts.     

The Cepheid impostor HD 18391 and its anonymous parent cluster

New and existing photometry for the G0 Ia supergiant HD 18391 is analyzed in order to confirm the nature of the variability previously detected in the star, which lies off the hot edge of the Cepheid instability strip. Small‐amplitude variability at a level of δV = 0.016 ± 0.002 is indicated, with a period of P = 123^d.04 ± 0^d.06. A weaker second signal may be present at P = 177^d.84 ± 0^d.18 with δV = 0.007 ± 0.002, likely corresponding to fundamental mode pulsation if the primary signal represents overtone pulsation (123.04/177.84 = 0.69). The star, with a spectroscopic reddening of E_B–V = 1.02 ± 0.003, is associated with heavily‐reddened B‐type stars in its immediate vicinity that appear to be outlying members of an anonymous young cluster centered ∼10′ to the west and 1661 ± 73 pc distant. The cluster has nuclear and coronal radii of r_n = 3.5′ and R_c = 14′, respectively, while the parameters for HD 18391 derived from membership in the cluster with its outlying B stars are consistent with those implied by its Cepheid‐like pulsation, provided that it follows the semi‐period‐luminosity relation expected of such objects. Its inferred luminosity as a cluster member is M_V = –7.76 ± 0.10, its age (9 ± 1) × 10⁶ years, and its evolutionary mass ∼19 M_⊙. HD 18391 is not a classical Cepheid, yet it follows the Cepheid period‐luminosity relation closely, much like another Cepheid impostor, V810 Cen (© 2009 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

New brown dwarf candidates in the Pleiades

We have performed deep, wide‐field imaging on a ∼0.4 deg² field in the Pleiades (Melotte 22). The selected field was not yet target of a deep search for low mass stars and brown dwarfs. Our limiting magnitudes are R ∼ 22 mag and I ∼ 20 mag, sufficient to detect brown dwarf candidates down to 40 M_J. We found 197 objects, whose location in the (I, R – I) color magnitude diagram is consistent with the age and the distance of the Pleiades. Using CTK R and I as well as JHK photometry from our data and the 2MASS survey we were able to identify 7 new brown dwarf candidates. We present our data reduction technique, which enables us to resample, calibrate, and co‐add many images by just two steps. We estimate the interstellar extinction and the spectral type from our optical and the NIR data using a two‐dimensional χ² fitting (© 2009 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

X-ray spectral evolution of the extragalactic Z source LMC X-2

We present the results obtained by a detailed study of the extragalactic Z source LMC X-2, using broad-band Suzaku data and a large (∼750 ks) data set obtained with the proportional counter array (PCA) onboard the Rossi X-ray Timing Experiment ( RXTE ). The PCA data allow the study of the complete spectral evolution along the horizontal, normal and flaring branches of the Z track. Comparison with previous studies shows that the details of spectral evolution (like the variation of Comptonizing electron temperature) are similar to those of GX 17+2 but unlike those of Cyg X-2 and GX 349+2. This suggests that Z sources are a heterogeneous group, with perhaps LMC X-2 and GX 17+2 being members of a subclass. However, non-monotonic evolution of the Compton y parameter seems to be generic to all sources. The broad-band Suzaku data reveal that the case in which the additional soft component of the source is modelled as disc blackbody emission is strongly preferred over the one where it is taken to be a blackbody spectrum. This component, as well as the temperature of seed photons, does not vary when the source goes into flaring mode, and the entire variation can be ascribed to the Comptonizing cloud. The bolometric unabsorbed luminosity of the source is constrained to be  ∼2.23 × 10³⁸ erg s⁻¹  , which, if the source is Eddington-limited, implies a neutron star mass of  1.6 M_⊙  . We discuss the implications of these results.     

Old stellar population synthesis： new age and mass estimates for Mayall Ⅱ = G1

Mayall Ⅱ = G1 is one of the most luminous globular clusters （GCs） in M31. Here, we determine its age and mass by comparing multicolor photometry with theoretical stellar population synthesis models. Based on far- and near-ultraviolet GALEX photometry, broad-band UBVRI, and infrared JHKs 2MASS data, we construct the most extensive spectral energy distribution of G 1 to date, spanning the wavelength range from 1538 to 20 000A. A quantitative comparison with a variety of simple stellar population （SSP） models yields a mean age which is consistent with G1 being among the oldest building blocks of M31 and having formed within ～1.7 Gyr after the Big Bang. Irrespective of the SSP model or stellar initial mass function adopted, the resulting mass estimates （of order 10^7M⊙） indicate that GI is one of the most massive GCs in the Local Group. However, we speculate that the cluster＇s exceptionally high mass suggests that it may not be a genuine GC. Our results also suggest that G1 may contain, on average, （1.65±0.63） × 10^2L⊙ far-ultraviolet-bright, hot, extreme horizontal-branch stars, depending on the adopted SSP model. In addition, we demonstrate that extensive multi-passband photometry coupled with SSP analysis enables one to obtain age estimates for old SSPs that have similar accuracies as those from integrated spectroscopy or resolved stellar photometry, provided that some of the free parameters can be constrained independently.