Mag Star Research Articles

The Astrometric Performance Test of 80 cm Telescope at Yaoan Station and Precise CCD Positions of Apophis

Abstract The 80 cm azimuthal telescope has newly been mounted at Yaoan Station, Purple Mountain Observatory since 2018. The astrometric performance of the telescope is tested in the following three aspects. (a) The geometric distortion of its CCD attached. It is stable in both a single epoch and multi epochs. Eight distortion solutions are derived over about one year. The maximum values range from 0.75 to 0.79 pixel and the median values range from 0.14 to 0.16 pixel. (b) The limit magnitude of stars. About 20.5 mag (Gaia-G) stars can be detected with Johnson-V filter exposured in 300 s. The astrometric error of about 20.5 mag stars is estimated at 0.″14 using the fitted sigmoidal function. (c) The astrometric accuracy and the precision of stacked fast-moving faint object. 24 stacked frames of the potentially hazardous asteroid (99942) Apophis were derived on 2021 April 14 and 15 (fainter than 18 mag) based on the ephemeris shifts. During data reduction, the newest Gaia EDR3 Catalog and Jet Propulsion Laboratory Horizons ephemeris are referenced as theoretical positions of stars and Apophis, respectively. Our results show that the mean (O − C)s (observed minus computed) of Apophis are −0.″018 and 0.″020 in R.A. and decl., and the dispersions are estimated at 0.″094 and 0.″085, respectively, which show the consistency of the stacked results by Astrometrica.

The Value-added Catalog for LAMOST DR8 Low-resolution Spectra

Abstract We present a value-added catalog containing stellar parameters estimated from 7.10 million low-resolution spectra for 5.16 million unique stars with spectral signal-to-noise ratios (S/N) higher than 10 obtained by the Large Sky Area Multi-Object Fibre Spectroscopic Telescope (LAMOST) Galactic spectroscopic surveys. The catalog presents values of stellar atmospheric parameters (effective temperature T eff, surface gravity log g, metallicity [Fe/H]/[M/H]), α-element to metal abundance ratio [α/M], carbon and nitrogen to iron abundance ratios [C/Fe] and [N/Fe], and 14 bands’ absolute magnitudes deduced from LAMOST spectra using the neural network method. The spectrophotometric distances of those stars are also provided based on the distance modulus. For stars with a spectral S/N larger than 50, precisions of T eff, log g, [Fe/H], [M/H], [C/Fe], [N/Fe], and [α/M] are 85 K, 0.098 dex, 0.05 dex, 0.05 dex, 0.052 dex, 0.082 dex, and 0.027 dex, respectively. The errors of 14 band’s absolute magnitudes are 0.16–0.22 mag for stars with a spectral S/N larger than 50. The spectrophotometric distance is accurate to 8.5% for stars with a spectral S/N larger than 50 and is more accurate than the geometrical distance for stars with a distance larger than 2.0 kpc. Our estimates of [Fe/H] are reliable down to [Fe/H] ∼−3.5 dex, significantly better than previous results. The catalog provides 26,868 unique very metal-poor star candidates ([Fe/H] ≤−2.0). The catalog would be a valuable dataset to study the structure and evolution of the galaxy, especially the solar neighborhood and the outer disk.

Prediction of Astrometric-microlensing Events from Gaia eDR3 Proper Motions* †

Abstract Astrometric microlensing is a unique tool to measure stellar masses. It allows us to determine the mass of the lensing star with an accuracy of a few percent. In this paper, we update, extend, and refine our predictions of astrometric-microlensing events based on Gaia’s early Data release 3 (eDR3). We selected about 500.000 high-proper-motion stars from Gaia eDR3 with μ tot > 100 mas yr−1 and searched for background sources close to their paths. We applied various selection criteria and cuts in order to exclude spurious sources and co-moving stars. By forecasting the future positions of lens and source, we determined epoch of and angular separation at closest approach, and determined an expected positional shift and magnification. Using Gaia eDR3, we predict 1758 new microlensing events with expected shifts larger than 0.1 mas between the epochs J2010.5 and mid J2066.0. Further, we provide more precise information on the angular separation at closest approach for 3084 previously predicted events. This helps to select better targets for observations, especially for events that occur within the next decade. Our search lead to the new prediction of an interesting astrometric-microlensing event by the white dwarf Gaia eDR3-4053455379420641152. In 2025 it will pass by a G = 20.25 mag star, which will lead to a positional shift of the major image of δ θ + = 1.2 − 0.5 + 2.0 mas . Since the background source is only ΔG = 2.45 mag fainter than the lens, also the shift of the combined center of light will be measurable, especially using a near-infrared filter, where the background star is brighter than the lens (ΔKs = −1.1 mag).

Observation of the Apoapsis of S62 in 2019 with NIRC2 and SINFONI

Abstract Given the increased attention toward the detection of faint stars in the Galactic center, we would like to address the detectability of S62 in its apoapsis with the Spectrograph for INtegral Field Observations in the Near Infrared at the Very Large Telescope (SINFONI; VLT) and the Near-Infrared Camera 2 (NIRC2; KECK) in this work. Because of the nearby stars and the chance of confusion, we are using Lucy–Richardson deconvolved images to detect S62 on its Keplerian orbit around Sgr A* with a period of less than 10 yr. We use the same data set as for S62 to trace additionally the S-cluster star S29 at the expected position based on the orbital elements presented in this work. To verify the results of the filtering technique, we are analyzing K-band continuum data of the same epoch independently observed with NIRC2/KECK. Based on the well-derived orbit of S62, we find the star in projection at the expected position in 2019.4 and 2019.5. By analyzing the SINFONI data of 2019.5, we confirm the 16.1 ± 0.2 mag for S62 that was formerly derived with NAOS-CONICA (NACO; VLT). We base our NACO imaging analysis on the robust data set that was previously used to investigate the Schwarzschild precision of S2. We also present a critical discussion of the elsewhere proposed linear trajectory of S62 and its disputed identification with a 19 mag star found with GRAVITY mounted at the VLT Interferometer.

The hot dayside and asymmetric transit of WASP-189 b seen by CHEOPS

The CHEOPS space mission dedicated to exoplanet follow-up was launched in December 2019, equipped with the capacity to perform photometric measurements at the 20 ppm level. As CHEOPS carries out its observations in a broad optical passband, it can provide insights into the reflected light from exoplanets and constrain the short-wavelength thermal emission for the hottest of planets by observing occultations and phase curves. Here, we report the first CHEOPS observation of an occultation, namely, that of the hot Jupiter WASP-189 b, a MP ≈ 2MJ planet orbiting an A-type star. We detected the occultation of WASP-189 b at high significance in individual measurements and derived an occultation depth of dF = 87.9 ± 4.3 ppm based on four occultations. We compared these measurements to model predictions and we find that they are consistent with an unreflective atmosphere heated to a temperature of 3435 ± 27 K, when assuming inefficient heat redistribution. Furthermore, we present two transits of WASP-189 b observed by CHEOPS. These transits have an asymmetric shape that we attribute to gravity darkening of the host star caused by its high rotation rate. We used these measurements to refine the planetary parameters, finding a ~25% deeper transit compared to the discovery paper and updating the radius of WASP-189 b to 1.619 ± 0.021RJ. We further measured the projected orbital obliquity to be λ = 86.4−4.4+2.9°, a value that is in good agreement with a previous measurement from spectroscopic observations, and derived a true obliquity of Ψ = 85.4 ± 4.3°. Finally, we provide reference values for the photometric precision attained by the CHEOPS satellite: for the V = 6.6 mag star, and using a 1-h binning, we obtain a residual RMS between 10 and 17 ppm on the individual light curves, and 5.7 ppm when combining the four visits.

NGTS-12b: A sub-Saturn mass transiting exoplanet in a 7.53 day orbit

ABSTRACT We report the discovery of the transiting exoplanet NGTS-12b by the Next Generation Transit Survey (NGTS). The host star, NGTS-12, is a V = 12.38 mag star with an effective temperature of Teff = 5690 ± 130 K. NGTS-12b orbits with a period of P = 7.53 d, making it the longest period planet discovered to date by the main NGTS survey. We verify the NGTS transit signal with data extracted from the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) full-frame images, and combining the photometry with radial velocity measurements from HARPS and FEROS we determine NGTS-12b to have a mass of 0.208 ± 0.022 MJ and a radius of 1.048 ± 0.032 RJ. NGTS-12b sits on the edge of the Neptunian desert when we take the stellar properties into account, highlighting the importance of considering both the planet and star when studying the desert. The long period of NGTS-12b combined with its low density of just 0.223 ± 0.029 g cm−3 make it an attractive target for atmospheric characterization through transmission spectroscopy with a Transmission Spectroscopy Metric of 89.4.

POLICAN: A Near-infrared Imaging Polarimeter at the 2.1m OAGH Telescope

POLICAN is a near-infrared imaging linear polarimeter developed for the Cananea Near-infrared Camera (CANICA) at the 2.1 m telescope of the Guillermo Haro Astrophysical Observatory (OAGH) located in Cananea, Sonora, México. POLICAN is mounted ahead of CANICA and consist of a rotating super-achromatic (1–2.7 μm) half-wave plate (HWP) as the modulator and a fixed wire-grid polarizer as the analyzer. CANICA has a 1024 × 1024 HgCdTe detector with a plate scale of 0.32 arcsec/pixel and provides a field of view of 5.5 × 5.5 arcmin2. The polarimetric observations are carried out by modulating the incoming light through different steps of half-wave plate angles (0°, 22.°5, 45°, 67.°5) to establish linear Stokes parameters (I, Q, and U). Image reduction consists of dark subtraction, polarimetric flat fielding, and sky subtraction. The astrometry and photometric calibrations are performed using the publicly available data from the Two Micron All Sky Survey. Polarimetric calibration includes observations of globular clusters and polarization standards available in the literature. Analysis of multiple observations of globular clusters yielded an instrumental polarization of 0.51%. Uncertainties in polarization range from 0.1% to 10% from the brightest 7 mag to faintest 16 mag stars. The polarimetric accuracy achieved is better than 0.5% and the position angle errors less than 5° for stars brighter than 13 mag in H-band. POLICAN is mainly being used to study the scattered polarization and magnetic fields in and around star-forming regions of the interstellar medium.

Ground-based adaptive optics coronagraphic performance under closed-loop predictive control

The discovery of the exoplanet Proxima b highlights the potential for the coming generation of giant segmented mirror telescopes (GSMTs) to characterize terrestrial—potentially habitable—planets orbiting nearby stars with direct imaging. This will require continued development and implementation of optimized adaptive optics systems feeding coronagraphs on the GSMTs. Such development should proceed with an understanding of the fundamental limits imposed by atmospheric turbulence. Here, we seek to address this question with a semianalytic framework for calculating the postcoronagraph contrast in a closed-loop adaptive optics system. We do this starting with the temporal power spectra of the Fourier basis calculated assuming frozen flow turbulence, and then apply closed-loop transfer functions. We include the benefits of a simple predictive controller, which we show could provide over a factor of 1400 gain in raw point spread function contrast at 1 λ/D on bright stars, and more than a factor of 30 gain on an I=7.5 mag star such as Proxima. More sophisticated predictive control can be expected to improve this even further. Assuming a photon-noise limited observing technique such as high-dispersion coronagraphy, these gains in raw contrast will decrease integration times by the same large factors. Predictive control of atmospheric turbulence should therefore be seen as one of the key technologies that will enable ground-based telescopes to characterize terrestrial planets.

VLT FORS2 COMPARATIVE TRANSMISSION SPECTROSCOPY: DETECTION OF Na IN THE ATMOSPHERE OF WASP-39b FROM THE GROUND

ABSTRACT We present transmission spectroscopy of the warm Saturn-mass exoplanet WASP-39b made with the Very Large Telescope FOcal Reducer and Spectrograph (FORS2) across the wavelength range 411–810 nm. The transit depth is measured with a typical precision of 240 parts per million (ppm) in wavelength bins of 10 nm on a V = 12.1 mag star. We detect the sodium absorption feature (3.2σ) and find evidence of potassium. The ground-based transmission spectrum is consistent with Hubble Space Telescope (HST) optical spectroscopy, supporting the interpretation that WASP-39b has a largely clear atmosphere. Our results demonstrate the great potential of the recently upgraded FORS2 spectrograph for optical transmission spectroscopy, with which we obtained HST-quality light curves from the ground.

A METHOD TO CALIBRATE THE HIGH-RESOLUTION CATANIA ASTROPHYSICAL OBSERVATORY SPECTROPOLARIMETER

ABSTRACT The Catania Astrophysical Observatory Spectropolarimeter (CAOS) is a white-pupil cross-dispersed échelle spectrograph with a spectral resolution of up to R = 55,000 in the 375–1100 nm range in a single exposure, with complete coverage up to 856 nm. CAOS is linked to the 36-inch telescope, at Mount Etna Observatory, with a couple of 100 μm optical fibers and it achieves a signal-to-noise ratio better than 60 for a V = 10 mag star in one hour. CAOS is thermally stabilized in temperature within a 0.01 K rms, so that radial velocities are measured with a precision better than 100 m s−1 from a single spectral line. Linear and circular spectropolarimetric observations are possible by means of a Savart plate working in series with a half-wave and a quarter-wave retarder plate in the 376–850 nm range. As is usual for high-resolution spectropolarimeters, CAOS is suitable to measure all Stokes parameters across spectral lines and it cannot measure the absolute degree of polarization. Observations of unpolarized standard stars show that instrumental polarization is generally zero at 550 nm and can increase up to 3% at the other wavelengths. Since polarized and unpolarized standard stars are useless, we suggest a method to calibrate a high-resolution spectropolarimeter on the basis of the polarimetric properties of spectral lines formed in the presence of a magnetic field. As applied to CAOS, observations of magnetic chemically peculiar stars of the main sequence show that the cross-talk from linear to circular polarization is smaller than 0.4% and that conversion from circular to linear is less than 2.7%. Strength and wavelength dependences of cross-talk can be entirely ascribed, via numerical simulations, to the incorrect retardance of achromatic wave plates.

TRIO OF STELLAR OCCULTATIONS BY PLUTO ONE YEAR PRIOR TO NEW HORIZONS’ ARRIVAL

ABSTRACT We observed occultations by Pluto during a predicted series of events in 2014 July with the 1 m telescope of the Mt. John Observatory in New Zealand. The predictions were based on updated astrometry obtained in the previous months at the USNO, CTIO, and Lowell Observatories. We successfully detected occultations by Pluto of an R = 18 mag star on July 23 (14:23:32 ± 00:00:04 UTC to 14:25:30 ± 00:00:04 UTC), with a drop of 75% of the unocculted stellar signal, and of an R = 17 star on July 24 (11:41:30 ± 00:00:08 UTC to 11:43:28 ± 00:00:08 UTC), with a drop of 80% of the unocculted stellar signal, both with 20 s exposures with our frame-transfer Portable Occultation, Eclipse, and Transit System. Since Pluto had a geocentric velocity of 22.51 km s−1 on July 23 and 22.35 km s−1 on July 24, these intervals yield limits on the chord lengths (surface and lower atmosphere) of 2700 ± 130 km and 2640 ± 250 km, respectively, indicating that the events were near central, and therefore provide astrometric constraints on the prediction method. Our coordinated observations with the 4 m AAT in Australia on July 23 and the 6.5 m Magellan/Clay on Las Campanas, the 4.1 m Southern Astrophysical Research Telescope on Cerro Pachön, the 2.5 m DuPont on Las Campanas (LCO), the 0.6 m SARA-South on Cerro Tololo of the Southeastern Association for Research in Astronomy (SARA), the MPI/ESO 2.2 m on La Silla, and the 0.45 m Cerro Calán telescope and 0.36 telescope in Constitución in Chile on July 27 and 31, which would have provided higher-cadence observations for studies of Pluto’s atmosphere, were largely foiled by clouds, but led to detection with the LCO Magellan/Clay and DuPont Telescopes on July 31 of the grazing occultation of a previously unknown 15th-magnitude star, completing the trio of occultations successfully observed and reported in this paper.

Data processing pipeline for pointing observations of Lunar-based Ultraviolet Telescope

We describe the data processing pipeline developed to reduce the pointing observation data of Lunar-based Ultraviolet Telescope (LUT), which belongs to the Chang’e-3 mission of the Chinese Lunar Exploration Program. The pointing observation program of LUT is dedicated to monitor variable objects in a near-ultraviolet (245–345 nm) band. LUT works in lunar daytime for sufficient power supply, so some special data processing strategies have been developed for the pipeline. The procedures of the pipeline include stray light removing, astrometry, flat fielding employing superflat technique, source extraction and cosmic rays rejection, aperture and PSF photometry, aperture correction, and catalogues archiving, etc. It has been intensively tested and works smoothly with observation data. The photometric accuracy is typically ∼0.02 mag for LUT 10 mag stars (30 s exposure), with errors come from background noises, residuals of stray light removing, and flat fielding related errors. The accuracy degrades to be ∼0.2 mag for stars of 13.5 mag which is the $5\sigma$ detection limit of LUT.

DISCOVERY OF THE NEAR-INFRARED COUNTERPART TO THE LUMINOUS NEUTRON-STAR LOW-MASS X-RAY BINARY GX 3+1

Using the High Resolution Camera onboard the Chandra X-ray Observatory, we have measured an accurate position for the bright persistent neutron-star X-ray binary and atoll source GX 3+1. At a location that is consistent with this new position we have discovered the near-infrared (NIR) counterpart to GX 3+1 in images taken with the PANIC and FourStar cameras on the Magellan Baade Telescope. The identification of this K_s=15.8+-0.1 mag star as the counterpart is based on the presence of a Br-gamma emission line in a NIR spectrum taken with the FIRE spectrograph on the Baade Telescope. The absolute magnitude derived from the best available distance estimate to GX 3+1 indicates that the mass donor in the system is not a late-type giant. We find that the NIR light in GX 3+1 is likely dominated by the contribution from a heated outer accretion disk. This is similar to what has been found for the NIR flux from the brighter class of Z sources, but unlike the behavior of atolls fainter (Lx ~ 1e36 to 1e37 erg/s) than GX 3+1, where optically-thin synchrotron emission from a jet probably dominates the NIR flux.

The expected performance of stellar parametrization withGaiaspectrophotometry

Gaia will obtain astrometry and spectrophotometry for essentially all sources in the sky down to a broad-band magnitude limit of G = 20, an expected yield of 109 stars. Its main scientific objective is to reveal the formation and evolution of our Galaxy through chemodynamical analysis. In addition to inferring positions, parallaxes and proper motions from the astrometry, we must also infer the astrophysical parameters of the stars from the spectrophotometry, the blue photometer (BP)/red photometer (RP) spectrum. Here we investigate the performance of three different algorithms [Support Vector Machine (SVM), ilium and Aeneas] for estimating the effective temperature, line-of-sight interstellar extinction, metallicity and surface gravity of A–M stars over a wide range of these parameters and over the full magnitude range Gaia will observe (G = 6–20 mag). One of the algorithms, Aeneas, infers the posterior probability density function over all parameters, and can optionally take into account the parallax and the Hertzsprung–Russell diagram to improve the estimates. For all algorithms the accuracy of estimation depends on G and on the value of the parameters themselves, so a broad summary of performance is only approximate. For stars at G = 15 with less than 2 mag extinction, we expect to be able to estimate Teff to within 1 per cent, log g to 0.1–0.2 dex and [Fe/H] (for FGKM stars) to 0.1–0.2 dex, just using the BP/RP spectrum (mean absolute error statistics are quoted). Performance degrades at larger extinctions, but not always by a large amount. Extinction can be estimated to an accuracy of 0.05–0.2 mag for stars across the full parameter range with a priori unknown extinction between 0 and 10 mag. Performance degrades at fainter magnitudes, but even at G = 19 we can estimate log g to better than 0.2 dex for all spectral types and to within 0.35 dex for FGKM stars, for extinctions below 1 mag.

DISCOVERY OF VARIABILITY OF THE PROGENITOR OF SN 2011dh IN M 51 USING THE LARGE BINOCULAR TELESCOPE

We show that the candidate progenitor of the core-collapse SN 2011dh in M51 (8 Mpc away) was fading by 0.039 +- 0.006 mag/year during the three years prior to the supernova, and that this level of variability is moderately unusual for other similar stars in M 51. While there are uncertainties about whether the true progenitor was a blue companion to this candidate, the result illustrates that there are no technical challenges to obtaining fairly high precision light curves of supernova progenitors using ground based observations of nearby (<10 Mpc) galaxies with wide field cameras on 8m-class telescopes. While other sources of variability may dominate, it is even possible to reach into the range of evolution rates required by the quasi-static evolution of the stellar envelope. For M 81, where we have many more epochs and a slightly longer time baseline, our formal 3 sigma sensitivity to slow changes is presently 3 millimag/year for a M_V ~= -8 mag star. In short, there is no observational barrier to determining whether the variability properties of stars in their last phases of evolution (post Carbon ignition) are different from earlier phases.

The supergiant optical counterpart of ULX P13 in NGC 7793

AbstractWe have identified the optical counterpart of the ULX source P13 in the nearby spiral galaxy NGC 7793. The object is a V ∼ 20.5 mag star, ten times brighter than any other established counterpart of a ULX in nearby galaxies. Medium resolution optical spectroscopy carried out in 2008 and 2009 with the ESO‐VLT reveals the presence of narrow high order Balmer, He I and Mg II absorption lines indicating a late B‐type supergiant companion star with mass between 10 and 20 M⊙. Stellar Hβ and He II λ 4686 Å emission lines are also seen superposed on the photospheric spectrum. We detect different patterns of radial velocity variations from the emission and absorption lines over a time interval of one month. The velocity of the high order Balmer absorption lines changes by ∼100 km s–1 while the Hβ and He II λ 4686 Å emission components vary by about the same amount but with a different phasing. Assuming that the observed velocity changes trace the motion of the mass‐donor star and of the X‐ray source implies a mass of the accreting black hole in the range of 3 to 100 M⊙ with a most probable value of ∼10 to 20 M⊙. We expect an orbital period in the range of 20 to 40 days based on the low density of the supergiant star. P13 is likely in a short‐lived, and thus rare high X‐ray luminosity evolutionary state associated with the ascension of the donor star onto the supergiant stage (© 2011 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH &amp; Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

TheXMM-Newtonsurvey of the Small Magellanic Cloud: discovery of the 11.866 s Be/X-ray binary pulsar XMMU J004814.0-732204(SXP11.87)

One of the goals of the XMM-Newton survey of the Small Magellanic Cloud is the study of the Be/X-ray binary population. During one of our first survey observations a bright new transient - XMMUJ004814.0-732204 - was discovered. We present the analysis of the EPIC X-ray data together with optical observations, to investigate the spectral and temporal characteristics of XMMUJ004814.0-732204. We found coherent X-ray pulsations in the EPIC data with a period of (11.86642 +/- 0.00017) s. The X-ray spectrum can be modelled by an absorbed power-law with indication for a soft excess. Depending on the modelling of the soft X-ray spectrum, the photon index ranges between 0.53 and 0.66. We identify the optical counterpart as a B = 14.9mag star which was monitored during the MACHO and OGLE-III projects. The optical light curves show regular outbursts by ~0.5 mag in B and R and up to 0.9 mag in I which repeat with a time scale of about 1000 days. The OGLE-III optical colours of the star are consistent with an early B spectral type. An optical spectrum obtained at the 1.9 m telescope of the South African Astronomical Observatory in December 2009 shows H_alpha emission with an equivalent width of 3.5 +/- 0.6 A. The X-ray spectrum and the detection of pulsations suggest that XMMUJ004814.0-732204 is a new high mass X-ray binary pulsar in the SMC. The long term variability and the H_alpha emission line in the spectrum of the optical counterpart identify it as a Be/X-ray binary system.

CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF FAINT (I∼ 21 mag) MICROLENSED BULGE DWARF OGLE-2007-BLG-514S

We present a high-resolution spectrum of a microlensed G dwarf in the Galactic bulge with spectroscopic temperature T_eff = 5600 +/- 180 K. This I~21 mag star was magnified by a factor ranging from 1160 to 1300 at the time of observation. Its high metallicity ([Fe/H] = 0.33 +/- 0.15) places this star at the upper end of the bulge giant metallicity distribution. Using a K-S test, we find a 1.6% probability that the published microlensed bulge dwarfs share an underlying distribution with bulge giants, properly accounting for a radial bulge metallicity gradient. We obtain abundance measurements for 15 elements and perform a rigorous error analysis that includes covariances between parameters. This star, like bulge giants with the same metallicity, shows no alpha enhancement. It confirms the chemical abundance trends observed in previously analyzed bulge dwarfs. At supersolar metallicities, we observe a discrepancy between bulge giant and bulge dwarf Na abundances.

Precision multi-epoch astrometry with VLT cameras FORS1/2

We investigate the astrometric performance of the FORS1 and FORS2 cameras of the VLT at long time scales with emphasis on systematic errors which normally prevent attainning a precision better than 1mas. The study is based on multi- epoch time series of observations of a single sky region imaged with a time spacing of 2-6 years at FORS1 and 1-5 months at FORS2. We performed a detailed analysis of a random error of positions that was shown to be dominated by the uncertainty of the star photocenter determination. The component of the random error corresponding to image motion was found to be caused primarily by optical aberrations and variations of atmospheric PSF size but not by the effect of atmospheric image motion. Comparison of observed and model annual/monthly epoch average positions yielded estimates of systematic errors for which temporal properties and distribution in the CCD plane are given. At frame center, the systematic component is about 25 mu-as. Systematic errors are shown to be caused mainly by a combined effect of the image asymmetry and seeing variations which therefore should be strongly limited to avoid generating random and systematic errors. For a series of 30 images, we demonstrated presicion of about 50 mu-as stable on daily, monthly, and annual time scales. Relative proper motion and trigonometric parallaxes of stars in the center of the test field were derived with a precision of 20 mu-as/yr and 40 mu-as for 17-19 mag stars.

DETECTION OF THE SECOND ECLIPSING HIGH-MASS X-RAY BINARY IN M 33

Chandra data of the X-ray source [PMH2004] 47 were obtained in the ACIS Survey of M 33 (ChASeM33) in 2006. During one of the observations, the source varied from a high state to a low state and back, in two other observations it varied from a low state to respectively intermediate states. These transitions are interpreted as eclipse ingress and egresses of a compact object in a high mass X-ray binary system. The phase of mid eclipse is given by HJD 2453997.476+-0.006, the eclipse half angle is 30.6+-1.2 degree. Adding XMM-Newton observations of [PMH2004] 47 in 2001 we determine the binary period to be 1.732479+-0.000027 d. This period is also consistent with ROSAT HRI observations of the source in 1994. No short term periodicity compatible with a rotation period of the compact object is detected. There are indications for a long term variability similar to that detected for Her X-1. During the high state the spectrum of the source is hard (power law spectrum with photon index ~0.85) with an unabsorbed luminosity of 2E37 erg/cm2/s (0.2-4.5 keV). We identify as an optical counterpart a V ~ 21.0mag star with T_eff > 19000 K, log(g) > 2.5. CFHT optical light curves for this star show an ellipsoidal variation with the same period as the X-ray light curve. The optical light curve together with the X-ray eclipse can be modeled by a compact object with a mass consistent with a neutron star or a black hole in a high mass X-ray binary. However, the hard power law X-ray spectrum favors a neutron star as the compact object in this second eclipsing X-ray binary in M 33. Assuming a neutron star with a canonical mass of 1.4 M_sun and the best fit companion temperature of 33000 K, a system inclination i = 72 degree and a companion mass of 10.9 M_sun are implied.