ABSTRACT We present the first results of the Gould's Belt Distances Survey (GOBELINS), a project aimed at measuring the proper motion and trigonometric parallax of a large sample of young stars in ...nearby regions using multi-epoch Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) radio observations. Enough VLBA detections have now been obtained for 16 stellar systems in Ophiuchus to derive their parallax and proper motion. This leads to distance determinations for individual stars with an accuracy of 0.3 to a few percent. In addition, the orbits of six multiple systems were modelled by combining absolute positions with VLBA (and, in some cases, near-infrared) angular separations. Twelve stellar systems are located in the dark cloud Lynds 1688; the individual distances for this sample are highly consistent with one another and yield a mean parallax for Lynds 1688 of mas, corresponding to a distance pc. This represents an accuracy greater than 1%. Three systems for which astrometric elements could be measured are located in the eastern streamer (Lynds 1689) and yield an estimate of mas, corresponding to a distance pc. This suggests that the eastern streamer is located about 10 pc farther than the core, but this conclusion needs to be confirmed by observations of additional sources in the eastern streamer (currently being collected). From the measured proper motions, we estimate the one-dimensional velocity dispersion in Lynds 1688 to be 2.8 1.8 and 3.0 2.0 km s−1, in R.A. and decl., respectively; these are larger than, but still consistent within of, those found in other studies.
Abstract
Sirius, the seventh-nearest stellar system, is a visual binary containing the metallic-line A1 V star Sirius A, the brightest star in the sky, orbited in a 50.13 year period by Sirius B, the ...brightest and nearest white dwarf (WD). Using images obtained over nearly two decades with the
Hubble Space Telescope
(
HST
), along with photographic observations covering almost 20 years and nearly 2300 historical measurements dating back to the 19th century, we determine precise orbital elements for the visual binary. Combined with the parallax and the motion of the A component, these elements yield dynamical masses of
and
for Sirius A and B, respectively. Our precise
HST
astrometry rules out third bodies orbiting either star in the system, down to masses of ∼15–
. The location of Sirius B in the Hertzsprung–Russell diagram is in excellent agreement with theoretical cooling tracks for WDs of its dynamical mass, and implies a cooling age of ∼126 Myr. The position of Sirius B on the mass–radius plane is also consistent with WD theory, assuming a carbon–oxygen core. Including the pre-WD evolutionary timescale of the assumed progenitor, the total age of Sirius B is about 228 ± 10 Myr. We calculated evolutionary tracks for stars with the dynamical mass of Sirius A, using two independent codes. We find it necessary to assume a slightly subsolar metallicity, of about
, to fit its location on the luminosity–radius plane. The age of Sirius A based on these models is about 237–247 Myr, with uncertainties of ±15 Myr, consistent with that of the WD companion. We discuss astrophysical puzzles presented by the Sirius system, including the probability that the two stars must have interacted in the past, even though there is no direct evidence for this and the orbital eccentricity remains high.
The nearby star Procyon is a visual binary containing the F5 IV-V subgiant Procyon A, orbited in a 40.84-year period by the faint DQZ white dwarf (WD) Procyon B. Using images obtained over two ...decades with the Hubble Space Telescope, and historical measurements back to the 19th century, we have determined precise orbital elements. Combined with measurements of the parallax and the motion of the A component, these elements yield dynamical masses of 1.478 plus or minus 0.012M and 0.592 plus or minus 0.006M for A and B, respectively. The mass of Procyon A agrees well with theoretical predictions based on asteroseismology and its temperature and luminosity. Use of a standard core-overshoot model agrees best for a surprisingly high amount of core overshoot. Under these modeling assumptions, Procyon A's age is approximately 2.7 Gyr. Procyon B's location in the H-R diagram is in excellent agreement with theoretical cooling tracks for WDs of its dynamical mass. Its position in the mass-radius plane is also consistent with theory, assuming a carbon-oxygen core and a helium-dominated atmosphere. Its progenitor's mass was 1.9-2.2M, depending on its amount of core overshoot. Several astrophysical puzzles remain. In the progenitor system, the stars at periastron were separated by only approximately AU, which might have led to tidal interactions and even mass transfer; yet there is no direct evidence that these have occurred. Moreover the orbital eccentricity has remained high (approximately 0.40). The mass of Procyon B is somewhat lower than anticipated from the initial-to-final-mass relation seen in open clusters. The presence of heavy elements in its atmosphere requires ongoing accretion, but the place of origin is uncertain.
Sirius, the seventh-nearest stellar system, is a visual binary containing the metallic-line A1 V star Sirius A, the brightest star in the sky, orbited in a 50.13 year period by Sirius B, the ...brightest and nearest white dwarf (WD). Using images obtained over nearly two decades with the Hubble Space Telescope (HST), along with photographic observations covering almost 20 years and nearly 2300 historical measurements dating back to the 19th century, we determine precise orbital elements for the visual binary. Combined with the parallax and the motion of the A component, these elements yield dynamical masses of and for Sirius A and B, respectively. Our precise HST astrometry rules out third bodies orbiting either star in the system, down to masses of ∼15- . The location of Sirius B in the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram is in excellent agreement with theoretical cooling tracks for WDs of its dynamical mass, and implies a cooling age of ∼126 Myr. The position of Sirius B on the mass-radius plane is also consistent with WD theory, assuming a carbon-oxygen core. Including the pre-WD evolutionary timescale of the assumed progenitor, the total age of Sirius B is about 228 10 Myr. We calculated evolutionary tracks for stars with the dynamical mass of Sirius A, using two independent codes. We find it necessary to assume a slightly subsolar metallicity, of about , to fit its location on the luminosity-radius plane. The age of Sirius A based on these models is about 237-247 Myr, with uncertainties of 15 Myr, consistent with that of the WD companion. We discuss astrophysical puzzles presented by the Sirius system, including the probability that the two stars must have interacted in the past, even though there is no direct evidence for this and the orbital eccentricity remains high.
ABSTRACT The nearby star Procyon is a visual binary containing the F5 IV-V subgiant Procyon A, orbited in a 40.84-year period by the faint DQZ white dwarf (WD) Procyon B. Using images obtained over ...two decades with the Hubble Space Telescope, and historical measurements back to the 19th century, we have determined precise orbital elements. Combined with measurements of the parallax and the motion of the A component, these elements yield dynamical masses of 1.478 0.012 M and 0.592 0.006 M for A and B, respectively. The mass of Procyon A agrees well with theoretical predictions based on asteroseismology and its temperature and luminosity. Use of a standard core-overshoot model agrees best for a surprisingly high amount of core overshoot. Under these modeling assumptions, Procyon A's age is ∼2.7 Gyr. Procyon B's location in the H-R diagram is in excellent agreement with theoretical cooling tracks for WDs of its dynamical mass. Its position in the mass-radius plane is also consistent with theory, assuming a carbon-oxygen core and a helium-dominated atmosphere. Its progenitor's mass was 1.9-2.2 M , depending on its amount of core overshoot. Several astrophysical puzzles remain. In the progenitor system, the stars at periastron were separated by only ∼5 AU, which might have led to tidal interactions and even mass transfer; yet there is no direct evidence that these have occurred. Moreover the orbital eccentricity has remained high (∼0.40). The mass of Procyon B is somewhat lower than anticipated from the initial-to-final-mass relation seen in open clusters. The presence of heavy elements in its atmosphere requires ongoing accretion, but the place of origin is uncertain.
We have obtained high-resolution orbital data with the CHARA Array for the bright star 12 Persei, a resolved double-lined spectroscopic binary. We describe the data reduction process, which can give ...precision in separation of up to 25 mas along a given baseline. For this object we find a semimajor axis of a = 53.18 ± 0.15 mas, which is 0.3% smaller than that of Barlow and coworkers, but with much improved precision. The inclination angle i increases to 12817 ± 014, compared to 12677 ± 056 of Barlow and coworkers, again with better precision. We also found an intensity ratio for the components in the K' band (l = 2.13 mm) of r = 0.72 ± 0.01, or K' = 0.409 ± 0.013, after allowing for the partial resolution of the components. Assuming the spectral types of the components, we find that Pub Lclchangemark='ins'>V = 0.51, as compared to 0.57 by Barlow and coworkers. The revised masses (Pub Lclchangemark='ins'>Mp = 1.382 ± 0.019 and Ms = 1.240 ± 0.017 M) are found to be 5.8% larger than those of Barlow and coworkers, and the components are thus even more overmassive. The overall accuracy in the masses is about 1.3%, now primarily limited by the spectroscopically determined radial velocities. The precision of the masses due to the interferometrically derived 'visual' orbit alone is only about 0.2%.
A Communications Interface for SAOimage Gudehus, Donald H.
Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific,
02/1995, Letnik:
107, Številka:
708
Journal Article
Recenzirano
An interface to the X windows pseudocolor display program, SAOimage, has been written to allow the easy display, visualization, and analysis of astronomical data. A user program can now be written ...with little effort to send images, cursors, vectors, and look-up tables to SAOimage, as well as to read back cursor coordinates. A special feature of the enhancement package is the ability to load several images into the display at the same time, with correct reading of the mouse pointer coordinates in each image. It is also possible to send successive frames of data in a slow video mode to visualize time-variable phenomena or to aid in the real-time acquisition of data. All the source code and demonstration programs are available over anonymous ftp.
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