Optical Brightness Variations Research Articles

Constraints on galaxy formation from the cosmic-far-infrared-background – optical-imaging cross-correlation using Herschel and UNIONS

ABSTRACT Using Herschel-SPIRE imaging and the Canada-France Imaging Survey (CFIS) Low Surface Brightness data products from the Ultraviolet Near-Infrared Optical Northern Survey (UNIONS), we present a cross-correlation between the cosmic far-infrared background and cosmic optical background fluctuations. The cross-spectrum is measured for two cases: all galaxies are kept in the images; or all individually detected galaxies are masked to produce ‘background’ maps. We report the detection of the cross-correlation signal at $\gtrsim 18\, \sigma$ ($\gtrsim 14\, \sigma$ for the background map). The part of the optical brightness variations that are correlated with the submm emission translates to an rms brightness of $\simeq 32.5\, {\rm mag}\, {\rm arcsec}^{-2}$ in the r band, a level normally unreachable for individual sources. A critical issue is determining what fraction of the cross-power spectrum might be caused by emission from Galactic cirrus. For one of the fields, the Galactic contamination is 10 times higher than the extragalactic signal; however, for the other fields, the contamination is around 20 per cent. An additional discriminant is that the cross-power spectrum is of the approximate form P(k) ∝ 1/k, much shallower than that of Galactic cirrus. We interpret the results in a halo-model framework, which shows good agreement with independent measurements for the scalings of star-formation rates in galaxies. The approach presented in this study holds great promise for future surveys such as FYST/CCAT-prime combined with Euclid or the Vera Rubin Observatory (LSST), which will enable a detailed exploration of the evolution of star formation in galaxies.

TIMING ANALYSIS OF THE PERIODIC RADIO AND OPTICAL BRIGHTNESS VARIATIONS OF THE ULTRACOOL DWARF, TVLM 513-46546

We describe the arrival time measurements and timing modeling of the periodic radio flares and optical brightness variations of the M9 ultracool dwarf, TVLM 513-46546. We confirm the stability of the observed period and determine its best-fit value to be 7054.468(+/-)0.007 s over the last 7 years, based on both the new and archival radio observations and the archival optical data. The period, when measured separately for the radio flare and the optical periodicities, is the same to within (+/-)0.02 s. We show that the radio flares are out of phase with respect to the optical brightness maxima by 0.41(+/-)0.02 of the period. Our analysis also reveals that, on shorter timescales, the period varies with the amplitude of (+/-)1-2 s about its long-term average and that these variations are correlated between the radio and the optical wavelengths. These results provide further evidence that TVLM 513-46546 is equipped with a stable, approximately dipolar magnetic field which powers the activity of the star observed over a wide wavelength range, and that the active area has been maintaining its identity and positional stability over no less than 7 years. A stepwise decline of the apparent radio flaring period of TVLM 513-46546 deduced from timing observations with the Arecibo radio telescope in late 2012 and early 2013 suggests that this effect may be the manifestation of differential rotation of the star.

A helical jet model for OJ287

Context. OJ287 is a quasar with a quasi-periodic optical light curve, with the periodicity observed for over 120 years. This has lead to a binary black hole model as a common explanation of the quasar. The radio jet of OJ287 has been observed for a shorter time of about 30 years. It has a complicated structure that varies dramatically in a few years time scale. Aims. Here we propose that this structure arises from a helical jet being observed from a small and varying viewing angle. The viewing angle variation is taken to be in tune with the binary orbital motion. Methods. We calculate the effect of the secondary black hole on the inner edge of the accretion disk of the primary using particle simulations. We presume that the axis of the helix is perpendicular to the disk. We then follow the jet motion on its helical path and project the jet to the sky plane. This projection is compared with observations both at mm waves and cm waves. Results. We find that this model reproduces the observations well if the changes in the axis of the conical helix propagate outwards with a relativistic speed of about 0.85c. In particular, this model explains at the same time the long-term optical brightness variations as varying Doppler beaming in a component close to the core, i.e. at parsec scale in real linear distance, while the mm and cm radio jet observations are explained as being due to jet wobble at much larger (100 parsec scale) distances from the core.

An observational correlation between stellar brightness variations and surface gravity

Surface gravity is a basic stellar property, but it is difficult to measure accurately, with typical uncertainties of 25 to 50 per cent if measured spectroscopically and 90 to 150 per cent if measured photometrically. Asteroseismology measures gravity with an uncertainty of about 2 per cent but is restricted to relatively small samples of bright stars, most of which are giants. The availability of high-precision measurements of brightness variations for more than 150,000 stars provides an opportunity to investigate whether the variations can be used to determine surface gravities. The Fourier power of granulation on a star's surface correlates physically with surface gravity: if brightness variations on timescales of hours arise from granulation, then such variations should correlate with surface gravity. Here we report an analysis of archival data that reveals an observational correlation between surface gravity and root mean squared brightness variations on timescales of less than eight hours for stars with temperatures of 4,500 to 6,750 kelvin, log surface gravities of 2.5 to 4.5 (cgs units) and overall brightness variations of less than three parts per thousand. A straightforward observation of optical brightness variations therefore allows a determination of the surface gravity with a precision of better than 25 per cent for inactive Sun-like stars at main-sequence to giant stages of evolution.

Long-term optical and radio monitoring of the quasars S5 0716+714 and 4C 38.41 on various time scales

We present the results of long-term radio and optical monitoring of two radio-loud quasars. The aim of the work was to study the objects’ variability on various time scales and search for correlations between the radio and optical emission. The monitoring was performed in 2002–2010. The radio observations were carried out using the 22-m telescope of the Crimean AstrophysicalObservatory, 26-m telescope of the University of Michigan Radio Astronomy Observatory, and 14-m telescope of the Metsahovi Radio Observatory at 4.8, 8.0, 14.5, 22.2, and 36.8 GHz. The optical observations were obtained in the B, V,R bands using the Zeiss-1000 telescope of the Special Astrophysical Observatory with a CCD photometer. Light curves of the quasars 4C 38.41 (1633+382) and S5 0716+714 are presented. Radio flares of 4C 38.41 with amplitudes of 0.5–1.0 Jy at 4.8 and 8 GHz and 1–3 Jy at 22.2 and 36.8 GHz were detected on time scales of about 100 days. The amplitude of the optical brightness variations varied between 0.5 m and 1.5 m over about 200 days. The amplitudes of the flux variations for S5 0716+714 for the period of two months were 0.5–1.6 Jy at centimeter and 1–7 Jy at millimeter wavelengths. The amplitudes of flares in the optical reached 2 m in the B and V filters and 2.5 m in the R filter, on time scales of 200 days. The color indices of these objects did not change during the period covered by observations, i.e., the objects did not become bluer when they brightened. The detected delays between the variations atmillimeter and centimeter wavelengths are several days, which is within the interval between observations during the long-term monitoring. The absence of a distinct correlation between the optical and radio brightness variations was probably due to the presence of substantial time delays between the phenomena occurring in these different wavelength ranges.

EVIDENCE FOR THE WHITE DWARF NATURE OF MIRA B

The nature of the accreting companion to Mira --- the prototypical pulsating asymptotic giant branch star --- has been a matter of debate for more than 25 years. Here we use a quantitative analysis of the rapid optical brightness variations from this companion, Mira B, which we observed with the Nickel telescope at Lick Observatory, to show that it is a white dwarf (WD). The amplitude of aperiodic optical variations on time scales of minutes to tens of minutes (approximately 0.2 mag) is consistent with that of accreting WDs in cataclysmic variables on these same time scales. It is significantly greater than that expected from an accreting main-sequence star. With Mira B identified as a WD, its ultraviolet (UV) and optical luminosities, along with constraints on the WD effective temperature from the UV, indicate that it accretes at ~1e-10 solar masses per year. We do not find any evidence that the accretion rate is higher than predicted by Bondi-Hoyle theory. The accretion rate is high enough, however, to explain the weak X-ray emission, since the accretion-disk boundary layer around a low-mass WD accreting at this rate is likely to be optically thick and therefore to emit primarily in the far or extreme UV. Furthermore, the finding that Mira B is a WD means that it has experienced, and will continue to experience nova explosions, roughly every million years. It also highlights the similarity between Mira AB and other jet-producing symbiotic binaries such as R Aquarii, CH Cygni, and MWC 560, and therefore raises the possibility that Mira B launched the recently discovered bipolar streams from this system.

Measurement of the orbital period of the X-ray burster GS 1826-238 based on observations of its optical brightness variations

The variability of the optical and X-ray fluxes from the binary GS 1826-238 is investigated. An epoch-folding analysis of the optical data obtained with the RTT-150 telescope in 2003–2004 has revealed periodic brightness variations in the source with a period Porb = 2.24940 ± 0.00015 h with a high statistical significance. When estimating the detection significance of the periodic signal, we have specially taken into account the presence of a powerful aperiodic component (“red noise”) in the source’s brightness variability. The source’s power density spectra in the frequency range ∼10−5–0.01 Hz have been obtained. We have detected a statistically significant break in the power density spectrum of GS 1826-238 at a frequency νbr ≈ (8.48 ± 0.14) × 10−5 Hz in both optical and X-ray energy bands. We have estimated the orbital period of the binary GS 1826-238 using the correlation between the break frequency in the power density spectrum and the orbital period of binaries, Porb ∝ 1/νbr, found by Gilfanov and Arefiev (2005): Porb = 3.7 ± 0.8 h and Porb = 11.3 ± 5.9 h when using Sco X-1 and 1H 16267-273, respectively, as reference sources. It seems to us that the method for estimating the orbital periods of low-mass X-ray binaries using the correlation Porb ∝ 1/νbr may turn out to be very promising, especially for persistent low-luminosity X-ray binaries.

OBSERVATIONS OF V592 CAS—AN OUTFLOW AT OPTICAL WAVELENGTHS

We present new red optical spectra of V592 Cas aimed at exploring the properties of the outflow of this system in a spectral region where the underlying white dwarf and the accretion disk do not contribute significantly to the observed absorption components of the H-alpha and HeI line profiles. We use the H-alpha emission line to study the wind, which appears as pronounced blueshifted P-Cygni absorption troughs whose low velocity end contaminates the blue side of the emission line profile. The wind appears to be episodic in nature, with multiple events reaching velocities of 5000km/sec in H-alpha. Similar (but weaker) wind signatures appear in the HeI5876AA line but are absent in HeI6678AA. Our data suggest that during wind episodes the wind is phase dependent and is visible for half the orbit of the system. Considering that V592 Cas is viewed almost face-on, the symmetry axis of the outflow can not be orthogonal to the disk and/or the outflow must have some other inherent asymmetry in outflow geometry. A possible origin of the wind is in a disk hotspot, either at the initial impact point of the accretion stream on the disk edge or as a result of disk overflow (similar to SW Sextantis stars). Simultaneous optical photometry during one night of our spectroscopic observations indicate that there is no clear relationship between the optical brightness variations and the strength of the outflow in this system.

Recent RXTE/ASM and ROTSEIIId observations of EXO 2030+375 (V2246 Cygni)

Aims. Using the archival RXTE/ASM and SWIFT/BAT observations, the new orbital phases of type I outbursts of EXO 2030+375 are estimated. A possible correlation between the type II outburst and optical brightness variations is investigated. Methods. In order to estimate the phases of type I outbursts, we fitted Gaussian profiles to the RXTE/ASM and SWIFT/BAT light curves. The time corresponding to the maximum value of the profiles is treated as the arrival time of type I outburst. We used differential magnitudes in the time-series analysis of the optical light curve. MIDAS and its suitable packages were used to reduce and analyze the spectra. Results. Prior to the type II outburst, orbital phases of type I outbursts were delayed for ∼6 days after the periastron passage, which is consistent with findings of Wilson et al. (2002, ApJ, 570, 287; 2005, ApJ, 620, L99). After the giant type II outburst, the phase of type I outbursts underwent a sudden shift of ∼13 days after the periastron passage. The amplitudes of type I outbursts were increased between MJD ∼ 52 500 and ∼53 500. These amplitudes then decreased for 10 orbital cycles until the type II outburst was triggered. If the change of outburst amplitudes correlated with the mass accretion, then during the decrease of these amplitudes mass should be deposited in a disk around neutron star temporarily. The release of this stored mass may ignite the type II outburst. We report that the optical light curve became fainter by 0.4 mag during the decrease of amplitude of the type I outbursts. The observed Hα profiles and their equivalent widths during the decay and after the giant outburst are consistent with previous observations of the system.

Coordinated Observations of the Red Dwarf Flare Star EV Lac in 1993

Results of cooperative observations of the flare star EV Lac in September 1993 are presented. One of the about 30 optical flares detected was powerful enough to permit a quantitative analysis of its intrinsic radiation with the colour-colour technique. Sinusoidal brightness variations due to spottedness of the stellar surface was found to have an amplitude Δ V = 0.m0.24. Behaviour of the K band stellar brightness during strong and weak U band flares are considered. The upper limits of very fast optical brightness variations were estimated during both a moderate flare and quiet state of the star. No decametric bursts were observed during the campaign that could be certainly attributed to flare activity.

The connection between the activity of the quasar 3C 345 in the optical and radio ranges

For the quasar 3C 345, a cross-correlation analysis is carried out of the data on optical and radio variability over long (of the order of hundreds of days) time scales. A high degree of correlation is found between the radio outbursts and the ''slow'' component (the characteristic time of variation being around 1 yr) in the optical brightness variations, the radio outbursts lagging behind by 7001000 days. A comparison of the magnitude of the lag with the apparent ''superluminal'' velocity of the radio components of the millisecond structure of 3C 345 enables to estimate the distance form the nucleus of the region in which the radio emission arises (/tau/ about 0''.7 x 10/sup -3/).

The Optical Brightness Variations and Polarization of the Quasi-Stellar Radio Source 3c 446

The Optical Brightness Variations and Polarization of the Quasi-Stellar Radio Source 3c 446