0000000001307023
AUTHOR
J. Fabregat
Evidence of H alpha periodicities in LS I+61303
We present the results of analyzing H$\alpha$ spectra of the radio emitting X-ray binary LS I+61303. For the first time, the same 26.5 d radio period is clearly detected in the H$\alpha$ emission line. Moreover, the equivalent width and the peak separation of the H$\alpha$ emission line seem also to vary over a time scale of 1600 days. This points towards the $\sim4$ yr modulation, detected in the radio outburst amplitude, being probably a result of variations in the mass loss rate of the Be star and/or density variability in the circumstellar disk. In addition, the dependence of the peak separation from the equivalent width informs us that the LS I+61303 circumstellar disk is among the den…
Recent Measures of CaII H and K Chromospheric Fluxes in a Sample of RS CVn Systems
In this contribution we present the current status of a high resolution H and K spectroscopic survey of RS CVn and BY Dra systems which is being performed at our Department. The reduction and calibration procedures used in the extraction of emission fluxes are analyzed. We discuss the preliminary results for three of the RS CVn systems: HR 5110, Z Her and RT Lac.
VISTA Milky Way Public Survey
We propose a public IR variability survey, named \Vista Variables in the Vía Láctea" (V V V ), of the Milky Way bulge and an adjacent section of the mid-plane where star formation activity is high. This would take 1920 hours, covering ~ 109 point sources within an area of 520 sq deg, including 33 known globular clusters and ~ 350 open clusters. The final products will be a deep IR atlas in 5 passbands and a catalogue of ~ 106 variable point sources. These will produce a 3-D map of the surveyed region (unlike single-epoch surveys that only give 2-D maps) using well-understood primary distance indicators such as RR Lyrae stars. It will yield important information on the ages of the population…
New JHK Photometry of LS I +61 303
AbstractWe present new JHK photometry of the Be/X-ray binary L SI +61 303, obtained during the period 1994-1998. The IR light curves do not show the modulation with the orbital period apparently present in the smaller photometry set analyzed by Paredes et al. (1994).The reddening-corrected standard photometric values indicate that the circumstellar envelope is optically thick at infrared wavelengths, and much denser than those of isolated Be stars. It is argued that this higher density is produced by disk truncation due to the presence of the compact object in a close orbit.
Spectroscopic Observations of the Delta Scorpii Binary during Its Recent Periastron Passage
The bright star delta Sco has been considered a typical B0-type object for many years. Spectra of the star published prior to 1990 showed no evidence of emission, but only of short-term line profile variations attributed to nonradial pulsations. Speckle interferometric observations show that delta Sco is a binary system with a highly-eccentric orbit and a period of 10.6 years. Weak emission in the H-alpha line was detected in its spectrum for the first time during a periastron passage in 1990. Shortly before the next periastron passage in the summer of 2000, the binary entered a strong H-alpha emission and enhanced mass loss phase. We monitored the spectroscopic development of the Be outbur…
Hβ photometry for UVBY standard stars
From 1984 to 1986 the authors made several observational campaigns at Calar Alto and La Palma Observatories using the uvby and β photometric systems to monitor a selected sample of late-type variable stars. In this paper they present the β values for 38 uvby standard stars to contribute to the uvby-β calibration works on late-type stars. In the final discussion, the β computed values are plotted against the Stroemgren b-y, m_(1), and c_(1) indices.
Photometric observations of the radio bright B[e]/X-ray binary CI Cam
We present multiwavelength (optical, IR, radio) observations of CI Cam, the optical counterpart to the transient X-ray source XTE J0421+560. Pre-outburst quiescent observations reveal the presence of a dusty envelope around the system. Pronounced short term variability is observed at all wavebands from U-K, but no indication of prior flaring of a similar magnitude to the 1998 April outburst is found in these data.\ud \ud Data obtained during the 1998 April X-ray flare reveal pronounced optical-radio flaring. The optical flux was observed to quickly return to quiescent levels, while the radio flare was of much longer duration. The optical component is likely to result from a combination of f…
XRASE: the X-ray spectroscopic explorer
The X-Ray Spectroscopic Explorer (XRASE) has a unique combination of features that will make it possible to address many of NASA's scientific goals. These include how galaxy clusters form, the physics and chemistry of the ISM, the heating of stellar coronae, the amount and content of intergalactic baryonic matter, the mass of black holes and the formation of disks and jets in AGN and galactic binaries. XRASE has a thin foil, multilayered telescope with a large collecting area up to 10 keV, especially in the Fe Kα region (1100 cm2). Its microcalorimeter array combines high energy resolution (7 eV at 6 keV) and efficiency with a field-of-view of 26 arcmin2. A deep orbit allows for long, conti…
BVRI photometry of high-mass X-ray binaries
We present photometric observations of the field around the optical counterparts of high-mass X-ray binaries. Our aim is to study the long-term photometric variability in correlation with their X-ray activity and derive a set of secondary standard stars that can be used for time series analysis. We find that the donors in Be/X-ray binaries exhibit larger amplitude changes in the magnitudes and colours than those hosting a supergiant companion. The amplitude of variability increases with wavelength in Be/X-ray binaries and remains fairly constant in supergiant systems. When time scales of years are considered, a good correlation between the X-ray and optical variability is observed. The X-ra…
Pulsations of HD 181231
HD181231 is a B5IVe star, which has been observed with the CoRoT satellite during ~5 consecutive months and simultaneously from the ground in spectroscopy and spectropolarimetry. By analysing these data, we aim to detect and characterize as many pulsation frequencies as possible, to search for the presence of beating effects possibly at the origin of the Be phenomenon. Our results will also provide a basis for seismic modelling. The fundamental parameters of the star are determined from spectral fitting and from the study of the circumstellar emission. The CoRoT photometric data and ground-based spectroscopy are analysed using several Fourier techniques: Clean-ng, Pasper, and Tisaft, as wel…
Fourier analysis of HD 49330 CoRoT light curve
Be stars undergo outbursts producing a circumstellar disk from the ejected material. The beating of non-radial pulsations has been put forward as a possible mechanism of ejection. We analyze the pulsational behavior of the early B0.5IVe star HD 49330 observed during the first CoRoT long run towards the Galactical anticenter (LRA1). This Be star is located close to the lower edge of the {beta} Cephei instability strip in the HR diagram and showed a 0.03mag outburst during the CoRoT observations. It is thus an ideal case for testing the aforementioned hypothesis.
OMC: An Optical Monitoring Camera for INTEGRAL - Instrument description and performance
The Optical Monitoring Camera (OMC) will observe the optical emission from the prime targets of the gammaray instruments onboard the ESA mission INTEGRAL, with the support of the JEM-X monitor in the X-ray domain. This capability will provide invaluable diagnostic information on the nature and the physics of the sources over a broad wavelength range. Its main scientific objectives are: ( 1) to monitor the optical emission from the sources observed by the gamma- and X-ray instruments, measuring the time and intensity structure of the optical emission for comparison with variability at high energies, and ( 2) to provide the brightness and position of the optical counterpart of any gamma- or X…