Context. The Vela X-1 system is one of the best-studied X-ray binaries because it was detected early, has persistent X-ray emission, and a rich phenomenology at many wavelengths. The system is ...frequently quoted as the archetype of wind-accreting high-mass X-ray binaries, and its parameters are referred to as typical examples. Specific values for these parameters have frequently been used in subsequent studies, however, without full consideration of alternatives in the literature, even more so when results from one field of astronomy (e.g., stellar wind parameters) are used in another (e.g., X-ray astronomy). The issues and considerations discussed here for this specific, very well-known example will apply to various other X-ray binaries and to the study of their physics. Aims. We provide a robust compilation and synthesis of the accumulated knowledge about Vela X-1 as a solid baseline for future studies, adding new information where available. Because this overview is targeted at a broader readership, we include more background information on the physics of the system and on methods than is usually done. We also attempt to identify specific avenues of future research that could help to clarify open questions or determine certain parameters better than is currently possible. Methods. We explore the vast literature for Vela X-1 and on modeling efforts based on this system or close analogs. We describe the evolution of our knowledge of the system over the decades and provide overview information on the essential parameters. We also add information derived from public data or catalogs to the data taken from the literature, especially data from the Gaia EDR3 release. Results. We derive an updated distance to Vela X-1 and update the spectral classification for HD 77518. At least around periastron, the supergiant star may be very close to filling its Roche lobe. Constraints on the clumpiness of the stellar wind from the supergiant star have improved, but discrepancies persist. The orbit is in general very well determined, but a slight difference exists between the latest ephemerides. The orbital inclination remains the least certain factor and contributes significantly to the uncertainty in the neutron star mass. Estimates for the stellar wind terminal velocity and acceleration law have evolved strongly toward lower velocities over the years. Recent results with wind velocities at the orbital distance in the range of or lower than the orbital velocity of the neutron star support the idea of transient wind-captured disks around the neutron star magnetosphere, for which observational and theoretical indications have emerged. Hydrodynamic models and observations are consistent with an accretion wake trailing the neutron star. Conclusions. With its extremely rich multiwavelength observational data and wealth of related theoretical studies, Vela X-1 is an excellent laboratory for exploring the physics of accreting X-ray binaries, especially in high-mass systems. Nevertheless, much room remains to improve the accumulated knowledge. On the observational side, well-coordinated multiwavelength observations and observing campaigns addressing the intrinsic variability are required. New opportunities will arise through new instrumentation, from optical and near-infrared interferometry to the upcoming X-ray calorimeters and X-ray polarimeters. Improved models of the stellar wind and flow of matter should account for the non-negligible effect of the orbital eccentricity and the nonspherical shape of HD 77581. There is a need for realistic multidimensional models of radiative transfer in the UV and X-rays in order to better understand the wind acceleration and effect of ionization, but these models remain very challenging. Improved magnetohydrodynamic models covering a wide range of scales are required to improve our understanding of the plasma-magnetosphere coupling, and they are thus a key factor for understanding the variability of the X-ray flux and the torques applied to the neutron star. A full characterization of the X-ray emission from the accretion column remains another so far unsolved challenge.
Gaia Data Release 1 Moitinho, A.; Krone-Martins, A.; Savietto, H. ...
Astronomy & astrophysics,
09/2017, Letnik:
605
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
Context. The first Gaia data release (DR1) delivered a catalogue of astrometry and photometry for over a billion astronomical sources. Within the panoplyof methods used for data exploration, ...visualisation is often the starting point and even the guiding reference for scientific thought. However, this is a volume of data that cannot be efficiently explored using traditional tools, techniques, and habits. Aims. We aim to provide a global visual exploration service for the Gaia archive, something that is not possible out of the box for most people. The service has two main goals. The first is to provide a software platform for interactive visual exploration of the archive contents, using common personal computers and mobile devices available to most users. The second aim is to produce intelligible and appealing visual representations of the enormous information content of the archive. Methods. The interactive exploration service follows a client-server design. The server runs close to the data, at the archive, and is responsible for hiding as far as possible the complexity and volume of the Gaia data from the client. This is achieved by serving visual detail on demand. Levels of detail are pre-computed using data aggregation and subsampling techniques. For DR1, the client is a web application that provides an interactive multi-panel visualisation workspace as well as a graphical user interface. Results. The Gaia archive Visualisation Service offers a web-based multi-panel interactive visualisation desktop in a browser tab. It currently provides highly configurable 1D histograms and 2D scatter plots of Gaia DR1 and the Tycho-Gaia Astrometric Solution (TGAS) with linked views. An innovative feature is the creation of ADQL queries from visually defined regions in plots. These visual queries are ready for use in the Gaia Archive Search/data retrieval service. In addition, regions around user-selected objects can be further examined with automatically generated SIMBAD searches. Integration of the Aladin Lite and JS9 applications add support to the visualisation of HiPS and FITS maps. The production of the all-sky source density map that became the iconic image of Gaia DR1 is described in detail. Conclusions. On the day of DR1, over seven thousand users accessed the Gaia Archive visualisation portal. The system, running on a single machine, proved robust and did not fail while enabling thousands of users to visualise and explore the over one billion sources in DR1. There are still several limitations, most noticeably that users may only choose from a list of pre-computed visualisations. Thus, other visualisation applications that can complement the archive service are examined. Finally, development plans for Data Release 2 are presented.
Gaia Early Data Release 3 Brown, A. G. A.; Prusti, T.; Eyer, L. ...
Astronomy and astrophysics (Berlin),
05/2021, Letnik:
649
Journal Article, Web Resource
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
Context.
We present the early installment of the third
Gaia
data release,
Gaia
EDR3, consisting of astrometry and photometry for 1.8 billion sources brighter than magnitude 21, complemented with the ...list of radial velocities from
Gaia
DR2.
Aims.
A summary of the contents of
Gaia
EDR3 is presented, accompanied by a discussion on the differences with respect to
Gaia
DR2 and an overview of the main limitations which are present in the survey. Recommendations are made on the responsible use of
Gaia
EDR3 results.
Methods.
The raw data collected with the
Gaia
instruments during the first 34 months of the mission have been processed by the
Gaia
Data Processing and Analysis Consortium and turned into this early third data release, which represents a major advance with respect to
Gaia
DR2 in terms of astrometric and photometric precision, accuracy, and homogeneity.
Results. Gaia
EDR3 contains celestial positions and the apparent brightness in
G
for approximately 1.8 billion sources. For 1.5 billion of those sources, parallaxes, proper motions, and the (
G
BP
−
G
RP
) colour are also available. The passbands for
G
,
G
BP
, and
G
RP
are provided as part of the release. For ease of use, the 7 million radial velocities from
Gaia
DR2 are included in this release, after the removal of a small number of spurious values. New radial velocities will appear as part of
Gaia
DR3. Finally,
Gaia
EDR3 represents an updated materialisation of the celestial reference frame (CRF) in the optical, the
Gaia
-CRF3, which is based solely on extragalactic sources. The creation of the source list for
Gaia
EDR3 includes enhancements that make it more robust with respect to high proper motion stars, and the disturbing effects of spurious and partially resolved sources. The source list is largely the same as that for
Gaia
DR2, but it does feature new sources and there are some notable changes. The source list will not change for
Gaia
DR3.
Conclusions. Gaia
EDR3 represents a significant advance over
Gaia
DR2, with parallax precisions increased by 30 per cent, proper motion precisions increased by a factor of 2, and the systematic errors in the astrometry suppressed by 30–40% for the parallaxes and by a factor ~2.5 for the proper motions. The photometry also features increased precision, but above all much better homogeneity across colour, magnitude, and celestial position. A single passband for
G
,
G
BP
, and
G
RP
is valid over the entire magnitude and colour range, with no systematics above the 1% level
Gaia Early Data Release 3 Lindegren, L.; Klioner, S. A.; Hernández, J. ...
Astronomy and astrophysics (Berlin),
05/2021, Letnik:
649
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
Context. Gaia
Early Data Release 3 (
Gaia
EDR3) contains results for 1.812 billion sources in the magnitude range
G
= 3–21 based on observations collected by the European Space Agency
Gaia
satellite ...during the first 34 months of its operational phase.
Aims.
We describe the input data, the models, and the processing used for the astrometric content of
Gaia
EDR3, as well as the validation of these results performed within the astrometry task.
Methods.
The processing broadly followed the same procedures as for
Gaia
DR2, but with significant improvements to the modelling of observations. For the first time in the
Gaia
data processing, colour-dependent calibrations of the line- and point-spread functions have been used for sources with well-determined colours from DR2. In the astrometric processing these sources obtained five-parameter solutions, whereas other sources were processed using a special calibration that allowed a pseudocolour to be estimated as the sixth astrometric parameter. Compared with DR2, the astrometric calibration models have been extended, and the spin-related distortion model includes a self-consistent determination of basic-angle variations, improving the global parallax zero point.
Results. Gaia
EDR3 gives full astrometric data (positions at epoch J2016.0, parallaxes, and proper motions) for 1.468 billion sources (585 millionwith five-parameter solutions, 882 million with six parameters), and mean positions at J2016.0 for an additional 344 million.Solutions with five parameters are generally more accurate than six-parameter solutions, and are available for 93% of the sources brighter than the 17th magnitude. The median uncertainty in parallax and annual proper motion is 0.02–0.03 mas at magnitude
G
= 9–14, and around 0.5 mas at
G
= 20. Extensive characterisation of the statistical properties of the solutions is provided, including the estimated angular power spectrum of parallax bias from the quasars.
Summary of the contents and survey properties Brown, A.G.A.; Granvik, Mikael; Zwitter, T.
Astronomy and astrophysics (Berlin),
2018, 2018-01-01, Letnik:
16, Številka:
A1
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
Context. We present the second Gaia data release, Gaia DR2, consisting of astrometry, photometry, radial velocities, and information on astrophysical parameters and variability, for sources brighter ...than magnitude 21. In addition epoch astrometry and photometry are provided for a modest sample of minor planets in the solar system. Aims. A summary of the contents of Gaia DR2 is presented, accompanied by a discussion on the differences with respect to Gaia DR1 and an overview of the main limitations which are still present in the survey. Recommendations are made on the responsible use of Gaia DR2 results. Methods. The raw data collected with the Gaia instruments during the first 22 months of the mission have been processed by the Gaia Data Processing and Analysis Consortium (DPAC) and turned into this second data release, which represents a major advance with respect to Gaia DR1 in terms of completeness, performance, and richness of the data products. Results. Gaia DR2 contains celestial positions and the apparent brightness in G for approximately 1.7 billion sources. For 1.3 billion of those sources, parallaxes and proper motions are in addition available. The sample of sources for which variability information is provided is expanded to 0 : 5 million stars. This data release contains four new elements: broad-band colour information in the form of the apparent brightness in the G(BP) (330-680 nm) and G(RP) (630-1050 nm) bands is available for 1.4 billion sources; median radial velocities for some 7 million sources are presented; for between 77 and 161 million sources estimates are provided of the stellar effective temperature, extinction, reddening, and radius and luminosity; and for a pre-selected list of 14 000 minor planets in the solar system epoch astrometry and photometry are presented. Finally, Gaia DR2 also represents a new materialisation of the celestial reference frame in the optical, the Gaia-CRF2, which is the first optical reference frame based solely on extragalactic sources. There are notable changes in the photometric system and the catalogue source list with respect to Gaia DR1, and we stress the need to consider the two data releases as independent. Conclusions. Gaia DR2 represents a major achievement for the Gaia mission, delivering on the long standing promise to provide parallaxes and proper motions for over 1 billion stars, and representing a first step in the availability of complementary radial velocity and source astrophysical information for a sample of stars in the Gaia survey which covers a very substantial fraction of the volume of our galaxy.
Gaia Early Data Release 3 Carrasco, J. M.; Cooper, W. J.; Brown, A. G. A. ...
Astronomy and astrophysics (Berlin),
05/2021, Letnik:
649
Journal Article, Web Resource
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
Aims.
We produce a clean and well-characterised catalogue of objects within 100 pc of the Sun from the
Gaia
Early Data Release 3. We characterise the catalogue through comparisons to the full data ...release, external catalogues, and simulations. We carry out a first analysis of the science that is possible with this sample to demonstrate its potential and best practices for its use.
Methods.
Theselection of objects within 100 pc from the full catalogue used selected training sets, machine-learning procedures, astrometric quantities, and solution quality indicators to determine a probability that the astrometric solution is reliable. The training set construction exploited the astrometric data, quality flags, and external photometry. For all candidates we calculated distance posterior probability densities using Bayesian procedures and mock catalogues to define priors. Any object with reliable astrometry and a non-zero probability of being within 100 pc is included in the catalogue.
Results.
We have produced a catalogue of 331 312 objects that we estimate contains at least 92% of stars of stellar type M9 within 100 pc of the Sun. We estimate that 9% of the stars in this catalogue probably lie outside 100 pc, but when the distance probability function is used, a correct treatment of this contamination is possible. We produced luminosity functions with a high signal-to-noise ratio for the main-sequence stars, giants, and white dwarfs. We examined in detail the Hyades cluster, the white dwarf population, and wide-binary systems and produced candidate lists for all three samples. We detected local manifestations of several streams, superclusters, and halo objects, in which we identified 12 members of
Gaia
Enceladus. We present the first direct parallaxes of five objects in multiple systems within 10 pc of the Sun.
Conclusions.
We provide the community with a large, well-characterised catalogue of objects in the solar neighbourhood. This is a primary benchmark for measuring and understanding fundamental parameters and descriptive functions in astronomy.
Context. Gaia Data Release 2 provides high-precision astrometry and three-band photometry for about 1.3 billion sources over the full sky. The precision, accuracy, and homogeneity of both astrometry ...and photometry are unprecedented. Aims. We highlight the power of the Gaia DR2 in studying many fine structures of the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram (HRD). Gaia allows us to present many different HRDs, depending in particular on stellar population selections. We do not aim here for completeness in terms of types of stars or stellar evolutionary aspects. Instead, we have chosen several illustrative examples. Methods. We describe some of the selections that can be made in Gaia DR2 to highlight the main structures of the Gaia HRDs. We select both field and cluster (open and globular) stars, compare the observations with previous classifications and with stellar evolutionary tracks, and we present variations of the Gaia HRD with age, metallicity, and kinematics. Late stages of stellar evolution such as hot subdwarfs, post-AGB stars, planetary nebulae, and white dwarfs are also analysed, as well as low-mass brown dwarf objects. Results. The Gaia HRDs are unprecedented in both precision and coverage of the various Milky Way stellar populations and stellar evolutionary phases. Many fine structures of the HRDs are presented. The clear split of the white dwarf sequence into hydrogen and helium white dwarfs is presented for the first time in an HRD. The relation between kinematics and the HRD is nicely illustrated. Two different populations in a classical kinematic selection of the halo are unambiguously identified in the HRD. Membership and mean parameters for a selected list of open clusters are provided. They allow drawing very detailed cluster sequences, highlighting fine structures, and providing extremely precise empirical isochrones that will lead to more insight in stellar physics. Conclusions. Gaia DR2 demonstrates the potential of combining precise astrometry and photometry for large samples for studies in stellar evolution and stellar population and opens an entire new area for HRD-based studies.
Gaia Data Release 2 Bastian, U.; Babusiaux, C.; Breddels, M. A. ...
Astronomy and astrophysics (Berlin),
08/2018, Letnik:
616, Številka:
A12
Journal Article, Web Resource
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
Context.
Aims.
The goal of this paper is to demonstrate the outstanding quality of the second data release of the
Gaia
mission and its power for constraining many different aspects of the dynamics of ...the satellites of the Milky Way. We focus here on determining the proper motions of 75 Galactic globular clusters, nine dwarf spheroidal galaxies, one ultra-faint system, and the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds.
Methods.
Using data extracted from the
Gaia
archive, we derived the proper motions and parallaxes for these systems, as well as their uncertainties. We demonstrate that the errors, statistical and systematic, are relatively well understood. We integrated the orbits of these objects in three different Galactic potentials, and characterised their properties. We present the derived proper motions, space velocities, and characteristic orbital parameters in various tables to facilitate their use by the astronomical community.
Results.
Our limited and straightforward analyses have allowed us for example to (
i
) determine absolute and very precise proper motions for globular clusters; (
ii
) detect clear rotation signatures in the proper motions of at least five globular clusters; (
iii
) show that the satellites of the Milky Way are all on high-inclination orbits, but that they do not share a single plane of motion; (
iv
) derive a lower limit for the mass of the Milky Way of 9.1
-2.6
+6.2
× 10
11
M
⊙
based on the assumption that the Leo I dwarf spheroidal is bound; (
v
) derive a rotation curve for the Large Magellanic Cloud based solely on proper motions that is competitive with line-of-sight velocity curves, now using many orders of magnitude more sources; and (
vi
) unveil the dynamical effect of the bar on the motions of stars in the Large Magellanic Cloud.
Conclusions.
All these results highlight the incredible power of the
Gaia
astrometric mission, and in particular of its second data release.
Gaia Data Release 3 Recio-Blanco, A.; de Laverny, P.; Palicio, P. A. ...
Astronomy and astrophysics (Berlin),
06/2023, Letnik:
674
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
Context.
The chemo-physical parametrisation of stellar spectra is essential for understanding the nature and evolution of stars and of Galactic stellar populations. A worldwide observational effort ...from the ground has provided, in one century, an extremely heterogeneous collection of chemical abundances for about two million stars in total, with fragmentary sky coverage.
Aims.
This situation is revolutionised by the
Gaia
third data release (DR3), which contains the parametrisation of Radial Velocity Spectrometer (RVS) data performed by the General Stellar Parametriser-spectroscopy, GSP-Spec, module. Here we describe the parametrisation of the first 34 months of
Gaia
RVS observations.
Methods.
GSP-Spec estimates the chemo-physical parameters from combined RVS spectra of single stars, without additional inputs from astrometric, photometric, or spectro-photometric BP/RP data. The main analysis workflow described here, MatisseGauguin, is based on projection and optimisation methods and provides the stellar atmospheric parameters; the individual chemical abundances of N, Mg, Si, S, Ca, Ti, Cr, Fe
I
, Fe
II
, Ni, Zr, Ce and Nd; the differential equivalent width of a cyanogen line; and the parameters of a diffuse interstellar band (DIB) feature. Another workflow, based on an artificial neural network (ANN) and referred to with the same acronym, provides a second set of atmospheric parameters that are useful for classification control. For both workflows, we implement a detailed quality flag chain considering different error sources.
Results.
With about 5.6 million stars, the
Gaia
DR3 GSP-Spec all-sky catalogue is the largest compilation of stellar chemo-physical parameters ever published and the first one from space data. Internal and external biases have been studied taking into account the implemented flags. In some cases, simple calibrations with low degree polynomials are suggested. The homogeneity and quality of the estimated parameters enables chemo-dynamical studies of Galactic stellar populations, interstellar extinction studies from individual spectra, and clear constraints on stellar evolution models. We highly recommend that users adopt the provided quality flags for scientific exploitation.
Conclusions.
The
Gaia
DR3 GSP-Spec catalogue is a major step in the scientific exploration of Milky Way stellar populations. It will be followed by increasingly large and higher quality catalogues in future data releases, confirming the
Gaia
promise of a new Galactic vision.
Gaia Data Release 3 Creevey, O. L.; Sordo, R.; Pailler, F. ...
Astronomy and astrophysics (Berlin),
06/2023, Letnik:
674
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
Gaia
Data Release 3 contains a wealth of new data products for the community. Astrophysical parameters are a major component of this release, and were produced by the Astrophysical parameters ...inference system (Apsis) within the
Gaia
Data Processing and Analysis Consortium (DPAC). The aim of this paper is to describe the overall content of the astrophysical parameters in
Gaia
DR3 and how they were produced. In Apsis, we use the mean BP/RP and mean RVS spectra along with astrometry and photometry, and we derive the following parameters: source classification and probabilities for 1.6 billion objects; interstellar medium characterisation and distances for up to 470 million sources, including a 2D total Galactic extinction map; 6 million redshifts of quasar candidates; 1.4 million redshifts of galaxy candidates; and an analysis of 50 million outlier sources through an unsupervised classification. The astrophysical parameters also include many stellar spectroscopic and evolutionary parameters for up to 470 million sources. These comprise
T
eff
, log
g
, and M/H (470 million using BP/RP, 6 million using RVS), radius (470 million), mass (140 million), age (120 million), chemical abundances (up to 5 million), diffuse interstellar band analysis (0.5 million), activity indices (2 million), H
α
equivalent widths (200 million), and further classification of spectral types (220 million) and emission-line stars (50 000). This paper is the first in a series of three papers, and focusses on describing the global content of the parameters in
Gaia
DR3. The accompanying Papers II and III focus on the validation and use of the stellar and non-stellar products, respectively. This catalogue is the most extensive homogeneous database of astrophysical parameters to date, and is based uniquely on
Gaia
data. It will only be superseded by
Gaia
Data Release 4, and will therefore remain a key reference over the next four years, providing astrophysical parameters independent of other ground- and space-based data.
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