We present the discovery and spectroscopic follow-up of a nearby late-type L dwarf (2M0614+3950), and two extremely wide very-low-mass binary systems (2M0525-7425AB and 2M1348-1344AB), resulting from ...our search for common proper motion pairs containing ultracool components in the Two Micron All Sky Survey (2MASS) and the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) catalogs. The near-infrared spectrum of 2M0614+3950 indicates a spectral type L9 ± 1 object residing at a distance of 26.0 ± 1.8 pc. The optical spectrum of 2M0525-7425A reveals an M3.0 ± 0.5 dwarf primary, accompanied by a secondary previously classified as L2. The system has an angular separation of ~ 44″, equivalent to ~ 2000 AU at distance of 46.0 ± 3.0 pc. Using optical and infrared spectra, respectively, we classify the components of 2M1348-1344AB as M4.5 ± 0.5 and T5.5 ± 1. The angular separation of ~ 68″ is equivalent to ~ 1400 AU at a distance of 20.7 ± 1.4 pc. 2M1348-1344AB is one of only six very wide (separation > 1000 AU) systems containing late T dwarfs known to date.
It is likely that a number of Galactic globular clusters remain to be discovered, especially toward the Galactic bulge. High stellar density combined with high and differential interstellar reddening ...are the two major problems for finding globular clusters located toward the bulge. We use the deep near-IR photometry of the VISTA Variables in the Vía Láctea (VVV) Survey to search for globular clusters projected toward the Galactic bulge, and hereby report the discovery of 22 new candidate globular clusters. These objects, detected as high density regions in our maps of bulge red giants, are confirmed as globular cluster candidates by their color-magnitude diagrams. We provide their coordinates as well as their near-IR color-magnitude diagrams, from which some basic parameters are derived, such as reddenings and heliocentric distances. The color-magnitude diagrams reveal well defined red giant branches in all cases, often including a prominent red clump. The new globular cluster candidates exhibit a variety of extinctions (0.06 < AKs < 2.77) and distances (5.3 < D < 9.5 kpc). We also classify the globular cluster candidates into 10 metal-poor and 12 metal-rich clusters, based on the comparison of their color-magnitude diagrams with those of known globular clusters also observed by the VVV Survey. Finally, we argue that the census for Galactic globular clusters still remains incomplete, and that many more candidate globular clusters (particularly the low luminosity ones) await to be found and studied in detail in the central regions of the Milky Way.
We present the VVV-SkZ_pipeline, a DAOPHOT-based photometric pipeline, created to perform PSF-fitting photometry of "VISTA Variables in the Vía Láctea" (VVV) ESO Public Survey data. The pipeline ...replaces the user avoiding repetitive interaction in all the operations, retaining all of the benefits of the power and accuracy of the DAOPHOT suite. The pipeline provides an astrometrized photometric catalog reliable up to more than 2 magnitudes brighter than the saturation limit, where other techniques fail. It also produces deeper and more accurate photometry. These achievements allow the VVV-SkZ_pipeline to produce data well anchored to the selected standard photometric system and analyze important phenomena (i.e. TRGB, RGB slope, HB morphology, RR Lyrae), that other methods are not able to manage.
This is the first in a series of papers studying the variable stars in Large Magellanic Cloud globular clusters. The primary goal of this series is to better understand how the RR Lyrae stars in ...Oosterhoff-intermediate systems compare to those in Oosterhoff I/II systems. In this paper, we present the results of our new time-series BV photometric study of NGC 1466. A total of 62 variables were identified in the cluster, of which 16 are new discoveries. The variables include 30 RRab stars, 11 RRc stars, 8 RRd stars, 1 candidate RR Lyrae, 2 long-period variables, 1 potential anomalous Cepheid, and 9 variables of undetermined classification. We present photometric parameters for these variables. For the RR Lyrae stars physical properties derived from Fourier analysis of their light curves are presented. The RR Lyrae stars were used to determine a reddening-corrected distance modulus of (m -- M)0 = 18.43 ? 0.15. We discuss several different indicators of Oosterhoff type and find NGC 1466 to be an Oosterhoff-intermediate object.
This is the third in a series of papers studying the variable stars in old globular clusters in the Large Magellanic Cloud. The primary goal of this series is to look at how the characteristics and ...behavior of RR Lyrae stars in Oosterhoff-intermediate systems compare to those of their counterparts in Oosterhoff-I/II systems. In this paper we present the results of our new time-series BVI photometric study of the globular cluster Reticulum.We found a total of 32 variables stars (22 RRab, 4 RRc, and 6 RRd stars) in our field of view.We present photometric parameters and light curves for these stars. We also present physical properties, derived from Fourier analysis of light curves, for some of the RR Lyrae stars. We discuss the Oosterhoff classification of Reticulum and use our results to re-derive the distance modulus and age of the cluster.
Chemical abundances in three M supergiants in the Local Group dwarf irregular galaxy IC 1613 have been determined using high-resolution spectra obtained with the UVES spectrograph on the ESO 8.2 m ...Kueyen telescope. A detailed synthetic-spectrum analysis has been used to determine the atmospheric parameters and abundances of O, Na, Mg, Al, Si, Ca, Sc, Ti, Cr, Fe, Co, Ni, La, and Eu. We find the overall metallicity of the stars to be Fe/H = -0.67 ± 0.09 and the age 9-13 Myr, which is in excellent agreement with the present-day values in the age-metallicity relationship model of IC 1613 by Skillman et al. We have found that the three supergiants investigated have a mean a/Fe equal to about -0.1, which is lower than seen in Galactic stars at the same metallicity and is in agreement with the results obtained in other dwarf irregular galaxies. The oxygen abundances are in agreement with the upper values of the nebular oxygen determinations in IC 1613. The abundance ratios of s- and r-process elements to iron are enhanced relative to solar by about 0.3 dex. The abundance pattern of the elements studied is similar to that of the Small Magellanic Cloud, except for Co and Ni, which are underabundant in the SMC. The observed elemental abundances are generally in very good agreement with the recent chemical evolution model of Yuk and Lee.
The putative association between the classical Cepheid TW Nor and the open cluster Lynga 6 has generated considerable debate in the literature. New JHKs photometry in tandem with existing radial ...velocities for Lynga 6 stars implies cluster membership for TW Nor and establishes the variable as a high-weight calibrator for classical Cepheid relations. Fundamental mean parameters determined for Lynga 6 are: d = 1.91 ? 0.10 kpc, E(J -- H) = 0.38 ? 0.02, and log Delta *t = 7.9 ? 0.1. The Benedict et al./Turner Galactic VIc Wesenheit function was revised using TW Nor's new parameters: W VI, 0 = (-- 3.37 ? 0.08)log P 0 -- 2.48 ? 0.08. TW Nor/Lynga 6 lie beyond the Sagittarius-Carina spiral arm and occupy the Centaurus arm, along with innumerable young Cepheids and clusters (e.g., VW Cen and VVV CL070).
This is the second in a series of papers studying the variable stars in Large Magellanic Cloud globular clusters. The primary goal of this series is to study how RR Lyrae stars in ...Oosterhoff-intermediate systems compare to their counterparts in Oosterhoff I/II systems. In this paper, we present the results of our new time-series B-V photometric study of the globular cluster NGC 1786. A total of 65 variable stars were identified in our field of view. These variables include 53 RR Lyraes (27 RRab, 18 RRc, and 8 RRd), 3 classical Cepheids, 1 Type II Cepheid, 1 Anomalous Cepheid, 2 eclipsing binaries, 3 Delta Scuti/SX Phoenicis variables, and 2 variables of undetermined type. Photometric parameters for these variables are presented. We present physical properties for some of the RR Lyrae stars, derived from Fourier analysis of their light curves.We discuss several different indicators of Oosterhoff type which indicate that the Oosterhoff classification of NGC 1786 is not as clear cut as what is seen in most globular clusters.
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