VLT Telescopes Research Articles

A sub-Earth-mass planet orbiting Barnard’s star

Context. ESPRESSO guaranteed time observations (GTOs) at the 8.2m VLT telescope were performed to look for Earth-like exoplanets in the habitable zone of nearby stars. Barnard’s star is a primary target within the ESPRESSO GTO as it is the second closest neighbour to our Sun after the α Centauri stellar system. Aims. We present here a large set of 156 ESPRESSO observations of Barnard’s star carried out over four years with the goal of exploring periods of shorter than 50 days, thus including the habitable zone (HZ). Methods. Our analysis of ESPRESSO data using Gaussian process (GP) to model stellar activity suggests a long-term activity cycle at 3200 d and confirms stellar activity due to rotation at 140 d as the dominant source of radial velocity (RV) variations. These results are in agreement with findings based on publicly available HARPS, HARPS-N, and CARMENES data. ESPRESSO RVs do not support the existence of the previously reported candidate planet at 233 d. Results. After subtracting the GP model, ESPRESSO RVs reveal several short-period candidate planet signals at periods of 3.15 d, 4.12 d, 2.34 d, and 6.74 d. We confirm the 3.15 d signal as a sub-Earth mass planet, with a semi-amplitude of 55 ± 7 cm s−1, leading to a planet minimum mass mp sin i of 0.37 ± 0.05 M⊕, which is about three times the mass of Mars. ESPRESSO RVs suggest the possible existence of a candidate system with four sub-Earth mass planets in circular orbits with semi-amplitudes from 20 to 47 cm s−1, thus corresponding to minimum masses in the range of 0.17–0.32 M⊕. Conclusions. The sub-Earth mass planet at 3.1533 ± 0.0006 d is in a close-to circular orbit with a semi-major axis of 0.0229 ± 0.0003 AU, thus located inwards from the HZ of Barnard’s star, with an equilibrium temperature of 400 K. Additional ESPRESSO observations would be required to confirm that the other three candidate signals originate from a compact short-period planet system orbiting Barnard’s star inwards from its HZ.

Exploring dark matter spike distribution around the Galactic centre with stellar orbits

ABSTRACT Precise measurements of the stellar orbits around Sagittarius A* have established the existence of a supermassive black hole (SMBH) at the Galactic centre (GC). Due to the interplay between the SMBH and dark matter (DM), the DM density profile in the innermost region of the Galaxy, which is crucial for the DM indirect detection, is still an open question. Among the most popular models in the literature, the theoretical spike profile proposed by Gondolo & Silk (GS hereafter) is well adopted. In this work, we investigate the DM spike profile using updated data from the Keck and Very Large Telescope (VLT) telescopes considering that the presence of such an extended mass component may affect the orbits of the S-stars in the GC. We examine the radius and slope of the generalized Navarro–Frenk–White (NFW) spike profile, analyse the Einasto spike, and discuss the influence of DM annihilation on the results. Our findings indicate that an initial slope of γ ≳ 0.92 for the generalized NFW spike profile is ruled out at a 95 per cent confidence level. Additionally, the spike radius Rsp larger than 21.5 pc is rejected at 95 per cent probability for the Einasto spike with α = 0.17, which also contradicts the GS spike model. The constraints with the VLT/GRAVITY upper limits are also projected. Although the GS NFW spike is well constrained by the Keck and VLT observation of S2, an NFW spike with a weak annihilation cusp may still be viable, as long as the DM annihilation cross-section satisfies $\left\langle \sigma v \right\rangle \gtrsim 7.7\times 10^{-27}~{\rm cm^3\, s^{-1}} (m_{\rm DM}/100~{\rm GeV})$ at 95 per cent level.

To grow old and peculiar: Survey of anomalous variable stars in M80 with age determinations using K2 and Gaia

The globular cluster Messier 80 was monitored by the Kepler space telescope for 80 days during the K2 mission. Continuous, high-precision photometry of such an old, compact cluster allows us for studies of its variable star population in unprecedented detail. We used differential-image photometry to extract light curves for 27 variable stars A search for new variables in the images has led to the discovery of two new variable stars: an RR Lyrae and a variable red giant star. An analysis of the RR Lyrae population reveals multiple RRc stars with additional modes and/or peculiar modulation cycles. We have newly classified the star V28 as a spotted extreme horizontal branch variable. Despite their faintness, we were also able to clearly detect the three SX Phe stars, but we did not find new pulsation modes beyond the known ones in them. Spectra taken with the VLT and Magellan Clay telescopes, as well as absolute color-magnitude diagrams of the cluster based on Gaia and Pan-STARRS observations, confirm the classification of the peculiar modulated variables as bona fide RRc stars. We propose that they highlight a subgroup of overtone stars that may have been overlooked before. We fit MESA isochrones to the CMDs to estimate the age and metallicity of the cluster. We confirm that M80 is old and metal-poor, but we show that isochrone fitting to old populations comes with numerous uncertainties.

Trajectories of Bright Stars and Shadows around Supermassive Black Holes as Tests of Gravity Theories

General relativity (GR), created more than a century ago, has been checked in various experimental and observational tests. At an early stage of its development, GR predictions were tested in problems where the gravitational field is weak and relativistic corrections can be considered as small perturbations of the Newtonian theory of gravity. However, in recent years due to the progress of new technologies it turned out to be possible to verify the predictions of GR in the limit of a strong gravitational field, as it was done to verify predictions about the profile of the X-ray line of iron Kalpha , estimates of the gravitational wave signal during the mergers of binary black holes and/or neutron stars and during the reconstruction of the shadows of black holes in Sgr A* and M87*. Groups of astronomers using the Keck and VLT (GRAVITY) telescopes confirmed the GR predictions for the redshift of the spectral lines of the S2 star near the passage of its pericenter (these predictions were done in the first post-Newtonian approximation). It is expected that in the near future, observations of bright stars using large telescopes VLT (GRAVITY), Keck, E-ELT and TMT will allow us to verify the predictions of GR in the strong gravitational field of supermassive black holes. Observations of bright stars in the vicinity of the Galactic Center and reconstructions of the shadows of black holes allow not only to verify the predictions of the GR, but also to obtain restrictions on alternative theories of gravity.

Polarization-dependent beam shifts upon metallic reflection in high-contrast imagers and telescopes

Context. To directly image rocky exoplanets in reflected (polarized) light, future space- and ground-based high-contrast imagers and telescopes aim to reach extreme contrasts at close separations from the star. However, the achievable contrast will be limited by reflection-induced polarization aberrations. While polarization aberrations can be modeled with numerical codes, these computations provide little insight into the full range of effects, their origin and characteristics, and possible ways to mitigate them. Aims. We aim to understand polarization aberrations produced by reflection off flat metallic mirrors at the fundamental level. Methods. We used polarization ray tracing to numerically compute polarization aberrations and interpret the results in terms of the polarization-dependent spatial and angular Goos-Hänchen and Imbert-Federov shifts of the beam of light as described with closed-form mathematical expressions in the physics literature. Results. We find that all four beam shifts are fully reproduced by polarization ray tracing. We study the origin and characteristics of the shifts as well as the dependence of their size and direction on the beam intensity profile, incident polarization state, angle of incidence, mirror material, and wavelength. Of the four beam shifts, only the spatial Goos-Hänchen and Imbert-Federov shifts are relevant for high-contrast imagers and telescopes because these shifts are visible in the focal plane and create a polarization structure in the point-spread function that reduces the performance of coronagraphs and the polarimetric speckle suppression close to the star. Conclusions. Our study provides a fundamental understanding of the polarization aberrations resulting from reflection off flat metallic mirrors in terms of beam shifts and lays out the analytical and numerical tools to describe these shifts. The beam shifts in an optical system can be mitigated by keeping the f-numbers large and angles of incidence small. Most importantly, mirror coatings should not be optimized for maximum reflectivity, but should be designed to have a retardance close to 180°. The insights from our study can be applied to improve the performance of SPHERE-ZIMPOL at the VLT and future telescopes and instruments such as the Roman Space Telescope, the Habitable Worlds Observatory, GMagAO-X at the GMT, PSI at the TMT, and PCS (or EPICS) at the ELT.

Орбита внешней пары тройной звезды T Tauri

The T Tauri's triple system of young stars (WDS 04220+1932=Hip 20390) was discovered in 1983. Since that time, a lot of articles are devoted to the study of the physical properties of the stars of this system. Our work is dedicated to astrometric study of this triple system using the apparent motion parameters (AMP) method. The orbit of the inner pair $ SaSb $ with a period of 27 years is now well known \citep{schef20}. The total mass $M_{Sa+Sb}=2.49 M_\odot$ if to use parallax from Gaia DR3 \citep{G2022}. Two orbits of the outer pair N-S are obtained on the basis of published high-precision homogeneous observations on the Keck~1 and VLT telescopes, and one of them is almost circular orbit. For a circular orbit, orbital elements and dynamic parallax can be calculated for a given mass using only apparent motion parameters. This is what made it possible to compare dynamic parallax with high-precision one from the Gaia DR3 catalog and to calculate the components masses depending on the mass of the internal subsystem: $M_{N}=2.4\pm 0.2~M_\odot$, $M_{Sa}=2.09\pm 0.05~M_\odot$, $M_{Sb}=0.40\pm 0.05~M_\odot$. Limits for the orbital period are also estimated: $500\leq {P}\leq {700}$ ~ years.

Dynamic Study of the Triple Star T Tauri

The triple system of young stars T Tauri was discovered relatively recently and has attracted the attention of numerous researchers. Many papers have been dedicated to the study of the physical properties of the system’s stars, which are surrounded by a disk of dust and gas. Our work is focused on the astrometric analysis of this triple system using the method of apparent motion parameters (AMP). Currently, the orbit of the inner pair Sa-Sb with a period of 27 years is well-established. Based on the Gaia DR3 parallax, its total mass MSa + Sb=2.49M⊙. Relying on the published high-precision uniform observations with the Keck 1 and VLT telescopes, we employed the AMP method to derive two orbits for the outer pair N-S, one of which is almost circular. For a circular orbit, it is possible to calculate the orbital elements and dynamic parallax for a given mass solely using the apparent motion parameters. This enabled a comparison between the dynamic parallax and the high-precision parallax from the Gaia DR3 catalog, facilitating the calculation of masses of each component based on the mass of the inner subsystem: MN=(2.4±0.2)M⊙, MSa=(2.09±0.05)M⊙, MSb=(0.40±0.05)M⊙. The boundaries for the orbital period were estimated to be 500⩽P⩽700 years.

Checking the possibility of determining the relative orbits of stars rotating around the center body of the Galaxy

Abstract The results of observations of selected stars orbiting the central body of our Galaxy, which, according to the latest data, has a mass of about 4 million of solar mass, are considered. Using the methods of observation and processing of binary stars used at the Pulkovo Observatory and the published exact relative positions of the star-central body obtained with the Keck and VLT telescopes, we checked the possibility of determining the preliminary orbits of the above objects in some cases from observations covering sufficient short arc in relation to the turnover period. Examples are the stars S02 and S102 with published positions and the graphical data for S27 and S4711. We attempted to calculate the assumed relativistic effects in accordance with the orbital elements obtained by Pulkovo methods. In this case, the estimates of the O–C errors for these orbits turned out to be comparable with the O–C errors for the orbits published by the Keck and VLT observers, in some cases about several milliarcseconds. The theoretical relativistic parameters also turned out to be of the same order of value with the results of these authors.

Gaia-ESO Survey: Detailed elemental abundances in red giants of the peculiar globular cluster NGC 1851

Context. NGC 1851 is one of several globular clusters for which multiple stellar populations of the subgiant branch have been clearly identified and a difference in metallicity detected. A crucial piece of information on the formation history of this cluster can be provided by the sum of A(C+N+O) abundances. However, these values have lacked a general consensus thus far. The separation of the subgiant branch can be based on age and/or A(C+N+O) abundance differences. Aims. Our main aim was to determine carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen abundances for evolved giants in the globular cluster NGC 1851 in order to check whether or not the double populations of stars are coeval. Methods. High-resolution spectra, observed with the FLAMES-UVES spectrograph on the ESO VLT telescope, were analysed using a differential model atmosphere method. Abundances of carbon were derived using spectral synthesis of the C2 band heads at 5135 and 5635.5 Å. The wavelength interval 6470−6490 Å, with CN features, was analysed to determine nitrogen abundances. Oxygen abundances were determined from the [O I] line at 6300 Å. Abundances of other chemical elements were determined from equivalent widths or spectral syntheses of unblended spectral lines. Results. We provide abundances of up to 29 chemical elements for a sample of 45 giants in NGC 1851. The investigated stars can be separated into two populations with a difference of 0.07 dex in the mean metallicity, 0.3 dex in the mean C/N, and 0.35 dex in the mean s-process dominated element-to-iron abundance ratios [s/Fe]. No significant difference was determined in the mean values of A(C+N+O) as well as in abundance to iron ratios of carbon, α- and iron-peak-elements, and of europium. Conclusions. As the averaged A(C+N+O) values between the two populations do not differ, additional evidence is given that NGC 1851 is composed of two clusters, the metal-rich cluster being by about 0.6 Gyr older than the metal-poor one. A global overview of NGC 1851 properties and the detailed abundances of chemical elements favour its formation in a dwarf spheroidal galaxy that was accreted by the Milky Way.

Explosive nucleosynthesis of a metal-deficient star as the source of a distinct odd-even effect in the solar twin HIP 11915

ABSTRACT The abundance patterns observed in the Sun and in metal-poor stars show a clear odd-even effect. An important question is whether the odd-even effect in solar-metallicity stars is similar to the Sun, or if there are variations that can tell us about different chemical enrichment histories. In this work, we report for the first time observational evidence of a differential odd-even effect in the solar twin HIP 11915, relative to the solar odd-even abundance pattern. The spectra of this star were obtained with high-resolving power (140 000) and signal-to-noise ratio (∼420) using the ESPRESSO spectrograph and the VLT telescope. Thanks to the high spectral quality, we obtained extremely precise stellar parameters (σ(Teff) = 2 K, $\sigma (\rm {[Fe/H]})$ = 0.003 dex, and σ(log g) = 0.008 dex). We determine the chemical abundance of 20 elements (Z ≤ 39) with high precision (∼0.01 dex), which shows a strong pattern of the odd-even effect even after performing galactic chemical evolution corrections. The odd-even effect is reasonably well-reproduced by a core-collapse supernova of 13 $\rm {M_{\odot }}$ and metallicity Z = 0.001 diluted into a metal-poor gas of 1 $\rm {M_{\odot }}$. Our results indicate that HIP 11915 has an odd-even effect slightly different than the Sun, thus confirming a different supernova enrichment history.

STRIDES: Spectroscopic and photometric characterization of the environment and effects of mass along the line of sight to the gravitational lenses DES J0408–5354 and WGD 2038–4008

ABSTRACT In time-delay cosmography, three of the key ingredients are (1) determining the velocity dispersion of the lensing galaxy, (2) identifying galaxies and groups along the line of sight with sufficient proximity and mass to be included in the mass model, and (3) estimating the external convergence κext from less massive structures that are not included in the mass model. We present results on all three of these ingredients for two time-delay lensed quad quasar systems, DES J0408–5354 and WGD 2038–4008 . We use the Gemini, Magellan, and VLT telescopes to obtain spectra to both measure the stellar velocity dispersions of the main lensing galaxies and to identify the line-of-sight galaxies in these systems. Next, we identify 10 groups in DES J0408–5354 and two groups in WGD 2038–4008 using a group-finding algorithm. We then identify the most significant galaxy and galaxy-group perturbers using the ‘flexion shift’ criterion. We determine the probability distribution function of the external convergence κext for both of these systems based on our spectroscopy and on the DES-only multiband wide-field observations. Using weighted galaxy counts, calibrated based on the Millennium Simulation, we find that DES J0408–5354 is located in a significantly underdense environment, leading to a tight (width $\sim 3{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$), negative-value κext distribution. On the other hand, WGD 2038–4008 is located in an environment of close to unit density, and its low source redshift results in a much tighter κext of $\sim 1{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$, as long as no external shear constraints are imposed.

Discovery of optical outflows and inflows in the black hole candidate GRS 1716−249

ABSTRACT We present optical spectroscopy obtained with the GTC, VLT, and SALT telescopes during the decline of the 2016–2017 outburst of the black hole candidate GRS 1716−249 (Nova Oph 1993). Our 18-epoch data set spans 6 months and reveals that the observational properties of the main emission lines are very variable, even on time-scales of a few hours. Several epochs are characterized by P-Cyg (as well as flat-top and asymmetric) profiles in the Hα, Hβ, and He ii (λ4686) emission lines, implying the presence of an accretion disc wind, which is likely hot and dense. The wind’s terminal velocity (∼2000 km s−1) is similar to that observed in other black hole X-ray transients. These lines also show transient and sharp red-shifted absorptions, taking the form of inverted P-Cyg profiles. We argue that these profiles can be explained by the presence of infalling material at ∼1300 km s−1. We propose a failed wind scenario to explain this inflow and discuss other alternatives, such as obscuration produced by an accretion-related structure (e.g. the gas stream) in a high inclination system.

Shallow Ultraviolet Transits of WD 1145+017

WD 1145+017 is a unique white dwarf system that has a heavily polluted atmosphere, an infrared excess from a dust disk, numerous broad absorption lines from circumstellar gas, and changing transit features, likely from fragments of an actively disintegrating asteroid. Here, we present results from a large photometric and spectroscopic campaign with Hubble, Keck , VLT, Spitzer, and many other smaller telescopes from 2015 to 2018. Somewhat surprisingly, but consistent with previous observations in the u' band, the UV transit depths are always shallower than those in the optical. We develop a model that can quantitatively explain the observed "bluing" and the main findings are: I. the transiting objects, circumstellar gas, and white dwarf are all aligned along our line of sight; II. the transiting object is blocking a larger fraction of the circumstellar gas than of the white dwarf itself. Because most circumstellar lines are concentrated in the UV, the UV flux appears to be less blocked compared to the optical during a transit, leading to a shallower UV transit. This scenario is further supported by the strong anti-correlation between optical transit depth and circumstellar line strength. We have yet to detect any wavelength-dependent transits caused by the transiting material around WD 1145+017.

Fully scalable forward model grid of exoplanet transmission spectra

Simulated exoplanet transmission spectra are critical for planning and interpretation of observations and to explore the sensitivity of spectral features to atmospheric thermochemical processes. We present a publicly available generic model grid of planetary transmission spectra, scalable to a wide range of H$_2$/He dominated atmospheres. The grid is computed using the 1D/2D atmosphere model ATMO for two different chemical scenarios, first considering local condensation only, secondly considering global condensation and removal of species from the atmospheric column (rainout). The entire grid consists of 56,320 model simulations across 22 equilibrium temperatures (400 - 2600 K), four planetary gravities (5 - 50 ms$^{-2}$), five atmospheric metallicities (1x - 200x), four C/O ratios (0.35 - 1.0), four scattering haze parameters, four uniform cloud parameters, and two chemical scenarios. We derive scaling equations which can be used with this grid, for a wide range of planet-star combinations. We validate this grid by comparing it with other model transmission spectra available in the literature. We highlight some of the important findings, such as the rise of SO$_2$ features at 100x solar metallicity, differences in spectral features at high C/O ratios between two condensation approaches, the importance of VO features without TiO to constrain the limb temperature and features of TiO/VO both, to constrain the condensation processes. Finally, this generic grid can be used to plan future observations using the HST, VLT, JWST and various other telescopes. The fine variation of parameters in the grid also allows it to be incorporated in a retrieval framework, with various machine learning techniques.

A CEMP-no star in the ultra-faint dwarf galaxy Pisces II

Aims. A probable carbon enhanced metal-poor (CEMP) star, Pisces II 10694, was discovered recently in the ultra-faint (UFD) galaxy Pisces II. This galaxy is supposed to be very old, suspected to include dark matter, and likely formed the bulk of its stars before the reionisation of the Universe. Methods. New abundances have been obtained from observations of Pisces II 10694 at the Kueyen ESO VLT telescope, using the high-efficiency spectrograph: X-shooter. Results. We found that Pisces II 10694 is a CEMP-no star with [Fe/H] = −2.60 dex. Careful measurements of the CH and C2 bands confirm the enhancement of the C abundance ([C/Fe] = +1.23). This cool giant has very probably undergone extra mixing and thus its original C abundance could be even higher. Nitrogen, O, Na, and Mg are also strongly enhanced, but from Ca to Ni the ratios [X/Fe] are similar to those observed in classical very metal-poor stars. With its low Ba abundance ([Ba/Fe] = −1.10 dex) Pisces II 10694 is a CEMP-no star. No variation in the radial velocity could be detected between 2015 and 2017. The pattern of the elements has a shape similar to the pattern found in galactic CEMP-no stars like CS 22949-037 ([Fe/H] = −4.0) or SDSS J1349+1407 ([Fe/H] = −3.6). Conclusions. The existence of a CEMP-no star in the UFD galaxy Pisc II suggests that this small galaxy likely hosted zero-metallicity stars. This is consistent with theoretical predictions of cosmological models supporting the idea that UFD galaxies are the living fossils of the first star-forming systems.

NLTE Analysis of Copper Lines in Different Stellar Populations∗

Abstract The copper abundances of 29 metal-poor stars are determined based on the high-resolution, high-signal-to-noise ratio spectra from the UVES spectrograph at the ESO VLT telescope. Our sample consists of the stars of the Galactic halo, thick- and thin-disk, with [Fe/H] ranging from ∼−3.2 to ∼0.0 dex. The non-local thermodynamic equilibrium (NLTE) effects of Cu i lines are investigated, and line formation calculations are presented for an atomic model of copper including 97 terms and 1089 line transitions. We adopted the recently calculated photoionization cross sections of Cu i, and investigated the hydrogen collision by comparing the theoretical and observed line profiles of our sample stars. The copper abundances are derived for both local thermodynamic equilibrium (LTE) and NLTE based on the spectrum synthesis methods. Our results show that the NLTE effects for Cu i lines are important for metal-poor stars, in particular for very metal-poor stars, and these effects depend on the metallicity. For very metal-poor stars, the NLTE abundance correction reaches as large as ∼+0.5 dex compared to standard LTE calculations. Our results indicate that [Cu/Fe] is under-abundant for metal-poor stars (∼−0.5 dex) when the NLTE effects are included.

The contribution of faint AGNs to the ionizing background at z ~ 4

Context. Finding the sources responsible for the hydrogen reionization is one of the most pressing issues in observational cosmology. Bright quasi-stellar objects (QSOs) are known to ionize their surrounding neighborhood, but they are too few to ensure the required HI ionizing background. A significant contribution by faint active galactic nuclei (AGNs), however, could solve the problem, as recently advocated on the basis of a relatively large space density of faint active nuclei at z > 4. Aims. This work is part of a long-term project aimed at measuring the Lyman Continuum escape fraction for a large sample of AGNs at z ~ 4 down to an absolute magnitude of M1450 ~ −23. We have carried out an exploratory spectroscopic program to measure the HI ionizing emission of 16 faint AGNs spanning a broad U − I color interval, with I ~ 21–23, and 3.6 < z < 4.2. These AGNs are three magnitudes fainter than the typical SDSS QSOs (M1450 ≲−26) which are known to ionize their surrounding IGM at z ≳ 4. Methods. We acquired deep spectra of these faint AGNs with spectrographs available at the VLT, LBT, and Magellan telescopes, that is, FORS2, MODS1-2, and LDSS3, respectively. The emission in the Lyman Continuum region, close to 900 Å rest frame, has been detected with a signal to noise ratio of ~10–120 for all 16 AGNs. The flux ratio between the 900 Å rest-frame region and 930 Å provides a robust estimate of the escape fraction of HI ionizing photons. Results. We have found that the Lyman Continuum escape fraction is between 44 and 100% for all the observed faint AGNs, with a mean value of 74% at 3.6 < z < 4.2 and − 25.1 ≲ M1450 ≲−23.3, in agreement with the value found in the literature for much brighter QSOs (M1450 ≲−26) at the same redshifts. The Lyman Continuum escape fraction of our faint AGNs does not show any dependence on the absolute luminosities or on the observed U − I colors of the objects. Assuming that the Lyman Continuum escape fraction remains close to ~75% down to M1450 ~ − 18, we find that the AGN population can provide between 16 and 73% (depending on the adopted luminosity function) of the whole ionizing UV background at z ~ 4, measured through the Lyman forest. This contribution increases to 25–100% if other determinations of the ionizing UV background are adopted from the recent literature. Conclusions. Extrapolating these results to z ~ 5–7, there are possible indications that bright QSOs and faint AGNs can provide a significant contribution to the reionization of the Universe, if their space density is high at M1450 ~ −23.

Chemical analysis of eight giant stars of the globular cluster NGC 6366

The metal-rich Galactic globular cluster NGC 6366 is the fifth closest to the Sun. Despite its interest, it has received scarce attention, and little is known about its internal structure. Its kinematics suggests a link to the halo, but its metallicity indicates otherwise. We present a detailed chemical analysis of eight giant stars of NGC 6366, using high resolution and high quality spectra (R > 40000, S/N > 60) obtained at the VLT (8.2 m) and CFHT (3.6 m) telescopes. We attempted to characterize its chemistry and to search for evidence of multiple stellar populations. The atmospheric parameters were derived using the method of excitation and ionization equilibrium of FeI and FeII lines and from those atmospheric parameters we calculated the abundances for other elements and found that none of the elements measured presents star-to-star variation greater than the uncertainties. We compared the derived abundances with those of other globular clusters and field stars available in the literature. We determined a mean [Fe/H] = -0.60 +- 0.03 for NGC 6366 and found some similarity of this object with M 71, another inner halo globular cluster. The Na-O anticorrelation extension is short and no star-to-star variation in Al is found. The presence of second generation stars is not evident in NGC 6366.

Constraints on alternative theories of gravity with observations of the Galactic Center

To evaluate a potential usually one analyzes trajectories of test particles. For the Galactic Center case astronomers use bright stars or photons, so there are two basic observational techniques to investigate a gravitational potential, namely, (a) monitoring the orbits of bright stars near the Galactic Center as it is going on with 10m Keck twin and four 8m VLT telescopes equipped with adaptive optics facilities (in addition, recently the IR interferometer GRAVITY started to operate with VLT); (b) measuring the size and shape of shadows around black hole with VLBI-technique using telescopes operating in mm-band. At the moment, one can use a small relativistic correction approach for stellar orbit analysis, however, in the future the approximation will not be precise enough due to enormous progress of observational facilities and recently the GRAVITY team found that the first post-Newtonian correction has to be taken into account for the gravitational redshift in the S2 star orbit case. Meanwhile for smallest structure analysis in VLBI observations one really needs a strong gravitational field approximation. We discuss results of observations and their interpretations. In spite of great efforts there is a very slow progress to resolve dark matter (DM) and dark energy (DE) puzzles and in these circumstances in last years a number of alternative theories of gravity have been proposed. Parameters of these theories could be effectively constrained with of observations of the Galactic Center. We show some cases of alternative theories of gravity where their parameters are constrained with observations, in particular, we consider massive theory of gravity. We choose the alternative theory of gravity since there is a significant activity in this field and in the last years theorists demonstrated an opportunity to create such theories without ghosts, on the other hand, recently, the joint LIGO & Virgo team presented an upper limit on graviton mass such as mg< 1:2 × 10-22eV [1] analyzing gravitational wave signal in their first paper where they reported about the discovery of gravitational waves from binary black holes as it was suggested by C. Will [2]. So, the authors concluded that their observational data do not indicate a significant deviation from classical general relativity. We show that an analysis of bright star trajectories could estimate a graviton mass with a commensurable accuracy in comparison with an approach used in gravitational wave observations and the estimates obtained with these two approaches are consistent. Therefore, such an analysis gives an opportunity to treat observations of bright stars near the Galactic Center as a useful tool to obtain constraints on the fundamental gravity law. We showed that in the future graviton mass estimates obtained with analysis of trajectories of bright stars would be better than current LIGO bounds on the value, therefore, based on a potential reconstruction at the Galactic Center we obtain bounds on a graviton mass and these bounds are comparable with LIGO constraints. Analyzing size of shadows around the supermassive black hole at the Galactic Center (or/and in the center of M87) one could constrain parameters of different alternative theories of gravity as well.

The OmegaWhite Survey for Short-period Variable Stars. V. Discovery of an Ultracompact Hot Subdwarf Binary with a Compact Companion in a 44-minute Orbit

Abstract We report the discovery of the ultracompact hot subdwarf (sdOB) binary OW J074106.0–294811.0 with an orbital period of minutes, making it the most compact hot subdwarf binary known. Spectroscopic observations using the VLT, Gemini and Keck telescopes revealed a He-sdOB primary with an intermediate helium abundance, = K and = 5.74 ± 0.09. High signal-to-noise ratio light curves show strong ellipsoidal modulation resulting in a derived sdOB mass with a WD companion ( ). The mass ratio was found to be . The derived mass for the He-sdOB is inconsistent with the canonical mass for hot subdwarfs of . To put constraints on the structure and evolutionary history of the sdOB star we compared the derived , , and sdOB mass to evolutionary tracks of helium stars and helium white dwarfs calculated with Modules for Experiments in Stellar Astrophysics (MESA). We find that the best-fitting model is a helium white dwarf with a mass of 0.320 , which left the common envelope ago, which is consistent with the observations. As a helium white dwarf with a massive white dwarf companion, the object will reach contact in 17.6 Myr at an orbital period of 5 minutes. Depending on the spin–orbit synchronization timescale the object will either merge to form an R CrB star or end up as a stably accreting AM CVn-type system with a helium white dwarf donor.