The HU Aqr planetary system hypothesis revisited Goździewski, K; Słowikowska, A; Dimitrov, D ...
Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society,
04/2015, Letnik:
448, Številka:
2
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We study the mid-egress eclipse timing data gathered for the cataclysmic binary HU Aquarii during the years 1993–2014. The (O−C) residuals were previously attributed to a single ∼7 Jupiter mass ...companion in ∼5 au orbit or to a stable two-planet system with an unconstrained outermost orbit. We present 22 new observations gathered between 2011 June and 2014 July with four instruments around the world. They reveal a systematic deviation of ∼60–120 s from the older ephemeris. We re-analyse the whole set of the timing data available. Our results provide an erratum to the previous HU Aqr planetary models, indicating that the hypothesis for a third and fourth body in this system is uncertain. The dynamical stability criterion and a particular geometry of orbits rule out coplanar two-planet configurations. A putative HU Aqr planetary system may be more complex, e.g. highly non-coplanar. Indeed, we found examples of three-planet configurations with the middle planet in a retrograde orbit, which are stable for at least 1 Gyr, and consistent with the observations. The (O−C) may be also driven by oscillations of the gravitational quadrupole moment of the secondary, as predicted by the Lanza et al. modification of the Applegate mechanism. Further systematic, long-term monitoring of HU Aqr is required to interpret the (O−C) residuals.
Turn-over in pulsar spectra around 1 GHz Kijak, J.; Gupta, Y.; Krzeszowski, K.
Astronomy and astrophysics (Berlin),
02/2007, Letnik:
462, Številka:
2
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Aims.The main aim is to investigate the possibility of a high frequency turn-over in the radio spectrum of pulsars. Methods.Using the GMRT, multi-frequency flux density measurements of several ...candidate pulsars have been carried out and their spectra have been extended to lower frequencies. Results.We present the first direct evidence for turn-over in pulsar radio spectra at high frequencies. A total of 3 pulsars (including 2 new ones from this study) are now shown to have a turn-over frequency $\ga$1 GHz, and one is shown to have a turn-over at ~600 MHz.
The magnetospheric locations of pulsar radio emission region are not well known. The actual form of the so-called radius-to-frequency mapping should be reflected in the aberration–retardation (A/R) ...effects that shift and/or delay the photons depending on the emission height in the magnetosphere. Recent studies suggest that in a handful of pulsars the A/R effect can be discerned with respect to the peak of the central core emission region. To verify these effects in an ensemble of pulsars, we launched a project analysing multifrequency total intensity pulsar profiles obtained from the new observations from the Giant Meterwave Radio Telescope (GMRT), Arecibo Observatory (AO) and archival European Pulsar Network (EPN) data. For all these profiles, we measure the shift of the outer cone components with respect to the core component, which is necessary for establishing the A/R effect. Within our sample of 23 pulsars, seven show the A/R effects, 12 of them (doubtful cases) show a tendency towards this effect, while the remaining four are obvious counterexamples. The counterexamples and doubtful cases may arise from uncertainties in the determination of the location of the meridional plane and/or the core emission component. Hence, it appears that the A/R effects are likely to operate in most pulsars from our sample. We conclude that in cases where those effects are present the core emission has to originate below the conal emission region.
We show the results of microsecond resolution radio data analysis focused on flux measurements of single pulses of PSR B1133+16. The data were recorded at 4.85 and 8.35 GHz with 0.5- and 1.1-GHz ...bandwidth, respectively, using Radio Telescope Effelsberg (Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie). The most important conclusion of the analysis is that the strongest single pulse emission at 4.85 and 8.35 GHz contributes almost exclusively to the trailing part of the leading component of the pulsar mean profile, whereas studies at lower frequencies report that the contribution is spread almost uniformly, covering all phases of the pulsar mean profile. We also estimate the radio emission heights to be around 1-2 per cent of the light-cylinder radius, which is in agreement with previous studies. Additionally, these observations allowed us to add two more measurements of the flux density to the PSR B1133+16 broad-band radio spectrum, covering frequencies from 16.7 MHz up to 32 GHz. We fit two different models to the spectrum: a broken power law and a spectrum based on the flicker-noise model, which represents the spectrum in a simpler, but similarly accurate, way.
Aims. We aim to investigate the flux density modulation from pulsars and the specific behaviour of the modulation index versus frequency. Methods. Several pulsars were observed with the Effelsberg ...radio telescope at 8.35 GHz. Their flux density time series were corrected for interstellar scintillation effects. Results. We present measurements of modulation indices for eight pulsars. We confirm the presence of a critical frequency at ~1 GHz for these pulsars (including three new ones from this study). We derived intrinsic modulation indices for the resulting flux density time series. Our data analysis revealed strong single pulses detected from five pulsars.
We show the results of microsecond resolution radio data analysis focused on flux measurements of single pulses of PSR B1133+16. The data were recorded at 4.85 and 8.35 GHz with 0.5- and 1.1-GHz ...bandwidth, respectively, using Radio Telescope Effelsberg (Max-Planck-Institut fur Radioastronomie). The most important conclusion of the analysis is that the strongest single pulse emission at 4.85 and 8.35 GHz contributes almost exclusively to the trailing part of the leading component of the pulsar mean profile, whereas studies at lower frequencies report that the contribution is spread almost uniformly, covering all phases of the pulsar mean profile. We also estimate the radio emission heights to be around 1-2 per cent of the light-cylinder radius, which is in agreement with previous studies. Additionally, these observations allowed us to add two more measurements of the flux density to the PSR B1133+16 broad-band radio spectrum, covering frequencies from 16.7 MHz up to 32 GHz. We fit two different models to the spectrum: a broken power law and a spectrum based on the flicker-noise model, which represents the spectrum in a simpler, but similarly accurate, way. PUBLICATION ABSTRACT
Aims. We aim to investigate the flux density modulation from pulsars and the specific behaviour of the modulation index versus frequency. Methods. Several pulsars were observed with the Effelsberg ...radio telescope at 8.35 GHz. Their flux density time series were corrected for interstellar scintillation effects. Results. We present measurements of modulation indices for eight pulsars. We confirm the presence of a critical frequency at ∼1 GHz for these pulsars (including three new ones from this study). We derived intrinsic modulation indices for the resulting flux density time series. Our data analysis revealed strong single pulses detected from five pulsars.
We present the first linear polarimetric survey of white dwarfs (WDs). Our sample consists of WDs of DA and DC spectral types in the SDSS r magnitude range from 13 to 17. We performed polarimetric ...observations with the RoboPol polarimeter attached to the 1.3-m telescope at the Skinakas Observatory. We have 74 WDs in our sample, of which almost all are low polarized WDs with polarization degree (PD) smaller than 1%, while only 2 have PD higher than 1%. There is an evidence that on average the isolated WDs of DC type have higher PD (with median PD of 0.78%) than the isolated DA type WDs (with median PD of 0.36%). On the other hand, the median PD of isolated DA type WDs is almost the same, i.e. 0.36% as the median PD of DA type white dwarfs in binary systems with red dwarfs (dM type), i.e. 0.33%. This shows, as expected, that there is no contribution to the PD from the companion if the WD companion is the red dwarf, which is the most common situation for WDs binary systems. We do not find differences in the polarization degree between magnetic and non-magnetic WDs. Because 97% of WDs in our sample have PD lower than 1%, they can be used as faint zero--polarized standard star in the magnitude range from 13 up to 17 of SDSS r filter. They cover the Northern sky between 13 hour to 23 hour in right ascension and from -11 degrees to 78 degrees in declination. Additionally, we found that for low extinction values (< 0.04) the best model that describes the dependence of PD on E(B-V) is given by the equation: PD_{max, ISM}% = 0.65 x E(B-V)^{0.12}.
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