A study on the long term periodicities among the X‐ray binaries: Two new superorbital periods

Long term behaviours of a few selected X‐ray binaries are studied on the basis of RXTE/ASM archive covering a period of ∼13 years of continuous X‐ray data. Two new superorbital periods seem to be revealed for the GX354‐0 and X Persei systems as 8.7 years and 345 days, respectively. Although the X Persei system has two strongest peaks in its power density spectrum at 15.7 years and at 345 days, the latter is much more plausible. The GX354‐0 system also has few additional periodicities appeared in different time intervals (© 2010 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Identification of new low-mass members of the Alpha Persei open cluster by ROSAT. II

The present investigation examines possible optical counterparts to 130 X-ray sources in the region of the α Persei open cluster (d ∽ 170pc, age ∽ 50 Myr) resulting from the analysis of three 22–25 ksec ROSAT PSPC pointings. In the same manner as for 73 X-ray sources from a raster survey in α Per (Prosser & Randich 1998), CCD photometry is employed to obtain magnitudes and colors for stars/objects close to the X-ray positions, with additional echelle and low-dispersion Hα spectra provided for some stars. For almost 60 X-ray sources, an optical counterpart with photometry acceptable for cluster membership is identified, some of which can be excluded from membership on the basis of discrepant radial velocity or X-ray characteristics. On the order of 30 new members or likely members associated with X-ray sources have been identified based on available data. A photometric rotation period has been obtained for one rapid rotator identified in X-rays.     

Chromospheric activity in the late A- and early F-type stars of open clusters – II. Pleiades and Alpha Persei

We report observations of the He  i λ 5876 (D3) line in the late A- and early F-type stars in the Pleiades and Alpha Persei star clusters used to determine chromospheric activity levels. This represents the first sample of young stars in this temperature range with chromospheric activity measurements. We find the same average activity level in the young early F stars as in Hyades-age stars and field stars. In addition, the young star sample shows the same large star-to-star variation in activity as seen in the older stars. Thus, as a whole, chromospheric activity in this photospheric temperature range remains the same over nearly a factor of 100 in stellar age (50 Myr to 3 Gyr), in striking contrast to the behaviour of later-type stars. In the five late A stars we find three certain detections of D3 and one likely detection. This includes the bluest star yet observed with a chromospheric D3 line, Pleiades star HII 1362 at ( B − V )₀=0.22, making it one of the earliest stars with an observed chromosphere. The late A stars have D3 equivalent widths comparable to the weakest early F stars. However, when comparing D3 measurements in the young late A stars with older late A stars, we find evidence for a slight decrease in activity with age based on the large number of non-detections in the older stars. We find an apparently linear relationship between the activity upper limit and B − V over our entire range of B − V . Extrapolated blueward, this relationship predicts that the chromospheric D3 line would disappear for all stars at B − V ≈0.13.     

Flare star activity in the open cluster Alpha Persei

The results from a flare star investigation in the open cluster Alpha Persei are presented. Photographic flare star monitoring and CCD photometry of the discovered 4 new flare stars are made. The flare star activity phenomenon is restricted to the classical flare stars (UV Ceti type) as classified in the GCVS. The V/V‐I diagramme of the members of the cluster with the locations of the considered flare stars is given. Most of the flare stars are probable cluster members. The flare frequency determined from the Rozhen flare star monitoring is very low–one flare event occurs for 38.5 hours effective observing time. Comparison with the flare activity of the Pleiades is made because of the small difference in the age and distance of the clusters.