• Title/Summary/Keyword: Cepheid

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INTRODUCING tlc_s05: A CODE TO FIT CEPHEID JHK BAND LIGHT CURVES USING A TEMPLATE APPROACH

  • NGEOW, CHOW-CHOONG;KANBUR, SHASHI M.
    • Publications of The Korean Astronomical Society
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    • v.30 no.2
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    • pp.225-227
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    • 2015
  • We introduce a code called tlc_s05, to fit sparsely sampled JHK band Cepheid light curve data with template light curves to derive the mean magnitude. A brief description of the code is provided here. We tested the performance of the code in deriving the mean JHK band magnitudes using simulations, and we found that it is better to observe more than four evenly spaced data points per light curve, which permits tlc_s05 to derive accurate mean magnitudes for Cepheid JHK band light curves.

A likely exoplanet around F5 supergiant ${\alpha}$ Persei near the Cepheid instability strip

  • Lee, Byeong-Cheol;Han, In-Woo;Park, Myeong-Gu;Kim, Kang-Min
    • The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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    • v.36 no.1
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    • pp.28.2-28.2
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    • 2011
  • To search for and study the nature of the long-periodic variations of massive stars, we have been carrying out a precise radial velocity (RV) survey for supergiants. Here, we present high-resolution RV measurements of ${\alpha}$ Per which lies near the Cepheid instability strip from November 2005 to February 2011 using the fiber-fed Bohyunsan Observatory Echelle Spectrograph (BOES) at Bohyunsan Optical Astronomy Observatory (BOAO). The orbital solution yields a period of 129 days, a 2K amplitude of 80 m/s, and an eccentricity of 0.1. Assuming a possible stellar mass of 7.3 $M{\bigodot}$, we estimate the minimum mass for the planetary companion to be 7.5 MJup with the orbital semi-major axis of 0.97 AU. We do not find the correlation between RV variations and chromospheric activity indicator (Ca II H & K region). The Hipparcos photometry and bisector velocity span (BVS) do not show any obvious correlations with RV variations. These analyses suggest that ${\alpha}$ Per is a pulsating supergiant that hosts an exoplanet. If the 129 days variations of ${\alpha}$ Per do not come from an exoplanet but Cepheid-like pulsations, the theoretical boundary of the Cepheid instability strip may need to be extended to the bluer side.

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IS THE PEGASUS DWARF GALAXY A MEMBER OF THE LOCAL GROUP?

  • Lee, Myung-Gyoon
    • Journal of The Korean Astronomical Society
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    • v.28 no.2
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    • pp.169-175
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    • 1995
  • Deep V I CCD photometry of the Pegasus dwarf irregular galaxy shows that the tip of the red giant branch (RGB) is located at I = $21.15{\pm}0.10$ mag and (V - I) = $1.58{\pm}0.03$. Using the I magnitude of the tip of the RGB (TRGB), the distance modulus of the Pegasus galaxy is estimated to be $(m\;-\;M)_o\;=\;25.13{\pm}0.11$ mag (corresponding to a distance of d = $1060{\pm}50$ kpc). This result is in a good agreement with the recent distance estimate based on the TRGB method by Aparicio [1994, ApJ, 437, L27],$ (m\;-\;M)_o$ = 24.9 (d = 950 kpc). However, our distance estimate is much smaller than that based on the Cepheid variable candidates by Hoessel et al.[1990, AJ, 100, 1151], $(m\;-\;M)_o\;=\;26.22{\pm}0.20$ (d = $1750{\pm}160$ kpc) mag. The color-magnitude diagram illustrates that the Cepheid candidates used by Hoessel et al.are not located in the Cepheid instability strip, but in the upper part of the giant branch. This result shows that the Cepheid candidates studied by Hoessel et al.are probably not Cepheids, but other types of variable stars. Taking the average of our distance estimate and Aparicio's, the distance to the Pegasus galaxy is d= $1000{\pm}80$ kpc. Considering the distance and velocity of the Pegasus galaxy with respect to the center of the Local Group, we conclude that the Pegasus galaxy is probably a member of the Local Group.

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NEW VARIABLE STARS AROUND THE CEPHEID VARIABLE TU CAS (세페이드형 변광성 TU CAS 근처의 새로운 변광성)

  • Jeon, Young-Beom;Park, Yoon-Ho;Nam, Ki-Hyung;Lee, Kyung-Hoon
    • Publications of The Korean Astronomical Society
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    • v.20 no.1 s.24
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    • pp.29-35
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    • 2005
  • Time-series observations were carried out using a 155mm refractor and a $2k{\times}3k$ CCD camera at Bohyunsan Optical Astronomy Observatory. We found 38 new variable stars in the $2.3^{\circ}{\times}2.4^{\circ}$ region around the Cepheid variable TU Cas: 22 eclipsing binary stars, 11 ${\delta}$ Scuti type stars and an RR Lyrae star, and 4 unclassified variables.

Z-Distribution and Period Gradient of Classical Cepheids in the Galactic Plane

  • Kim, Chul-Hee
    • Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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    • v.3 no.2
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    • pp.81-92
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    • 1986
  • The z-coordinate distribution of cepheids was studied and the finding of Fernie(1968) that the cepheid layer is inclined to ward a formal Galactic plane and the Sun is located above the cepheid plane was confirmed. It was found that the z-distribution fits better to the parabolic form than a barometric form and a scale height of 54 pc was found. The well known phenomenon that the periods of classical cepheids decrease away from the Galactic center was crudely interpreted as due to an age gradient rater than an abundance gradient under the assumption that relations between the period and galactocentric distance, and between the abundance and period are linear.

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X-Ray, UV and Optical Observations of Classical Cepheids: New Insights into Cepheid Evolution, and the Heating and Dynamics of Their Atmospheres

  • Engle, Scott G.;Guinan, Edward F.
    • Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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    • v.29 no.2
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    • pp.181-189
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    • 2012
  • To broaden the understanding of classical Cepheid structure, evolution and atmospheres, we have extended our continuing secret lives of Cepheids program by obtaining XMM/Chandra X-ray observations, and Hubble space telescope (HST) / cosmic origins spectrograph (COS) FUV-UV spectra of the bright, nearby Cepheids Polaris, ${\delta}$ Cep and ${\beta}$ Dor. Previous studies made with the international ultraviolet explorer (IUE) showed a limited number of UV emission lines in Cepheids. The well-known problem presented by scattered light contamination in IUE spectra for bright stars, along with the excellent sensitivity & resolution combination offered by HST/COS, motivated this study, and the spectra obtained were much more rich and complex than we had ever anticipated. Numerous emission lines, indicating $10^4$ K up to ${\sim}3{\times}10^5$ K plasmas, have been observed, showing Cepheids to have complex, dynamic outer atmospheres that also vary with the photospheric pulsation period. The FUV line emissions peak in the phase range ${\varphi}{\approx}0.8-1.0$ and vary by factors as large as $10{\times}$. A more complete picture of Cepheid outer atmospheres is accomplished when the HST/COS results are combined with X-ray observations that we have obtained of the same stars with XMM-Newton & Chandra. The Cepheids detected to date have X-ray luminosities of log $L_X{\approx}28.5-29.1$ ergs/sec, and plasma temperatures in the $2-8{\times}106$ K range. Given the phase-timing of the enhanced emissions, the most plausible explanation is the formation of a pulsation-induced shocks that excite (and heat) the atmospheric plasmas surrounding the photosphere. A pulsation-driven ${\alpha}^2$ equivalent dynamo mechanism is also a viable and interesting alternative. However, the tight phase-space of enhanced emission (peaking near 0.8-1.0 ${\varphi}$) favor the shock heating mechanism hypothesis.

Lee Sang Gak Telescope (LSGT)

  • Im, Myungshin;Choi, Changsu;Kim, Kihyun
    • The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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    • v.40 no.1
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    • pp.82.2-82.2
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    • 2015
  • In this talk, we introduce the Lee Sang Gak Telescope (LSGT), a 0.43m telescope that can be operated remotely. This telescope was installed at the Siding Spring Observatory in 2015 October, and since then, it has been operated through a robotic reservation system, remotely from Korea. This telescope is now being used for educational and research activities of SNU Astronomy program. By placing the telescope at a place with an excellent astro-climate in Australia, the observation class activity can include objects in the southern hemisphere to the magnitude limit of V=20 mag at an exposure time of a few minutes. For example, Cepheid stars in Magellanic clouds can be observed during a class activity for constructing the classical Cepheid light curves that has been a key distance measure technique. Research activities such as transient observation and monitoring observation of AGN are possible, and we are currently running a high cadence supernovae search program by monitoring nearby galaxies intensively (see a presentation by C. Choi). The installation of the telescope was made possible from a support from the Seoul.

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PULSATIONAL CHARACTERISTICS OF V1719 CYGNI WITH PECULIAR LIGHT CURVE

  • KIM CHULHEE;KIM SEUNG-LI;SADAKANE KOZO
    • Journal of The Korean Astronomical Society
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    • v.26 no.2
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    • pp.115-134
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    • 1993
  • The light curve and radial velocity curve of multiperiodic dwarf cepheid VI719 Cyg (HD200925) with peculiar light curve have been reanalyzed in order to identify the oscillation modes to confirm the helium settling within the envelope. To do these, through the period search for the photometric and radial velocity data from the literature, two different periods were determined and the oscillation modes corresponding to the first and second periods were identified as the fundamental and first radial overtones. Hence the helium settling within the envelope was confirmed from the period ratio. The color excess, metallicity, effective temperature, and surface gravity corresponding to two different modes were determined and it was found that these parameters almost do not depend upon different oscillation mode. By utilizing the surface brightness method, we investigated the variation of angular diameter and radial displacement and it was found that the angular variation is very peculiar. Also by referring to the stellar models, mass and age were determined as $2.7M_{\bigodot}$ and 0.42 Gyr respectively which make this variable star heavier and younger than other multimode dwarf cepheids. Preliminary spectroscopic CCD observations were carried out and it was found that Mg in VI719 Cygni is nearly solar abundent according to the analysis of $5172.68{\AA}MgI$ line which is inconsistent with the photometric result. It was suggested that VI719 Cyg may be classified as a $\rho$ Pup stars according to the photometric characteristics.

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