ABSTRACT
We present 126 eclipsing binary candidates among 4683 Catalina Sky Surveys (CSS) detached and semi-detached eclipsing binary systems (EBs) showing cyclic or quadratic period variations over ...a 12 yr time span. By using inverse Gaussian profiles of the eclipses coupled with a Markov chain Monte Carlo procedure, times of minima (ToM) were calculated and diagrams with eclipse timing variations (ETVs) were constructed. Numerical tests were performed, involving synthetic EBs with period variations generated by the PHOEBE 2.0 engine and actual data for EBs with well-known period variations from the literature, to verify that the calculation of ToM variations for our CSS systems is reliable. A total of 63 out of the 126 EBs show likely cyclic ETVs, while the remainder present quadratic behaviour instead. Periods, amplitudes, period change rates, and associated errors were determined by using sinusoidal and parabolic models. 12 out of the 63 EBs (19 per cent) that appear to exhibit periodic ETVs are low-mass candidates. Additionally, four out of 126 also have maximum quadrature light variations. The possibility that the cyclic variations are caused by the light traveltime effect due to the presence of a tertiary companion is investigated. The possible nature of the quadratic ETVs is also discussed.
Understanding the nature of dark energy, which appears to drive the expansion of the universe, is one of the central problems of physical cosmology today. In an earlier paper we proposed a novel ...method to determine the expansion rate E(z) and the deceleration parameter q(z) in a largely model-independent way, directly from the data on coordinate distances y(z). Here we expand this methodology to include measurements of the pressure of dark energy p(z), its normalized energy density fraction f(z), and the equation-of-state parameter w(z). We then apply this methodology to a new, combined data set of distances to supernovae and radio galaxies. In evaluating E(z) and q(z), we make only the assumptions that the FRW metric applies and that the universe is spatially flat (an assumption strongly supported by modern cosmic microwave background radiation measurements). The determinations of E(z) and q(z) are independent of any theory of gravity. For evaluations of p(z), f(z), and w(z), a theory of gravity must be adopted, and general relativity is assumed here. No a priori assumptions regarding the properties or redshift evolution of the dark energy are needed. We obtain trends for y(z) and E(z) that are fully consistent with the standard Friedmann-Lemaitre concordance cosmology with Omegasub0 = 0.3 and lambda sub0 = 0.7. The measured trend for q(z) deviates systematically from the predictions of this model on a approx1-2 capital sigma level but may be consistent for smaller values of lambda sub0. We confirm our previous result that the universe transitions from acceleration to deceleration at a redshift zsubT ~ 0.4. The trends for p(z), f(z), and w(z) are consistent with being constant at least out to z approx 0.3-0.5 and broadly consistent with being constant out to higher redshifts, but with large uncertainties. For the present values of these parameters we obtain Esub0 = 0.97 plus or minus 0.03, qsub0 =-0.35 plus or minus 0.15, psub0 =-0.6 plus or minus 0.15, fsub0 =-0.62-(Omegasub0-0.3) plus or minus 0.05, and wsub0 =-0.9- epsilon (Omegasub0-0.3) plus or minus 0.1, where Omegasub0 is the density parameter for nonrelativistic matter and epsilon ~ 1.5 plus or minus 0.1. We note that in the standard Friedmann-Lemaitre models psub0 =- lambda sub0, and thus we can measure the value of the cosmological constant directly and obtain results in agreement with other contemporary results.
We present an updated catalog of 4680 northern eclipsing binaries (EBs) with Algol-type light-curve (LC) morphology (i.e., with well-defined beginnings and ends of primary and secondary eclipses), ...using data from the Catalina Sky Surveys. Our work includes revised period determinations, phenomenological parameters of the LCs, and system morphology classifications based on machine-learning techniques. While most of the new periods are in excellent agreement with those provided in the original Catalina catalogs, improved values are now available for ∼10% of the stars. A total of 3456 EBs were classified as detached and 449 were classified as semi-detached, while 145 could not be classified unambiguously into either subtype. The majority of the SD systems seem to be comprised of short-period Algols. By applying color criteria, we searched for K- and M-type dwarfs in these data, and present a subsample of 609 EB candidates for further investigation. We report 119 EBs (2.5% of the total sample) that show maximum quadrature light variations over long timescales, with periods bracketing the range 4.5-18 years and a fractional luminosity variance range of 0.04-0.13. We discuss possible causes for this, making use of models of variable starspot activity in our interpretation of the results.
ABSTRACT
We present radio observations of 24 confirmed and candidate strongly lensed quasars identified by the Gaia Gravitational Lenses working group. We detect radio emission from eight systems in ...5.5 and 9 GHz observations with the Australia Telescope Compact Array (ATCA), and 12 systems in 6 GHz observations with the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA). The resolution of our ATCA observations is insufficient to resolve the radio emission into multiple lensed images, but we do detect multiple images from 11 VLA targets. We have analysed these systems using our observations in conjunction with existing optical measurements, including measuring offsets between the radio and optical positions for each image and building updated lens models. These observations significantly expand the existing sample of lensed radio quasars, suggest that most lensed systems are detectable at radio wavelengths with targeted observations, and demonstrate the feasibility of population studies with high-resolution radio imaging.
We present the analysis of 1207 RR Lyrae found in photometry taken by the Catalina Survey's Mount Lemmon telescope. By combining accurate distances for these stars with measurements for ~ 14,000 ...type-ab RR Lyrae from the Catalina Schmidt telescope, we reveal an extended association that reaches Galactocentric distances beyond 100 kpc and overlaps the Sagittarius stream system. This result confirms earlier evidence for the existence of an outer halo tidal stream resulting from a disrupted stellar system. By comparing the RR Lyrae source density with that expected based on halo models, we find the detection has ~8sigma significance. We investigate the distances, radial velocities, metallicities, and period-amplitude distribution of the RR Lyrae. We find that both radial velocities and distances are inconsistent with current models of the Sagittarius stream. We also find tentative evidence for a division in source metallicities for the most distant sources. Following prior analyses, we compare the locations and distances of the RR Lyrae with photometrically selected candidate horizontal branch stars and find supporting evidence that this structure spans at least 60degrees of the sky. We investigate the prospects of an association between the stream and the unusual globular cluster NGC 2419.
ABSTRACT The flux ratios of gravitationally lensed quasars provide a powerful probe of the nature of dark matter. Importantly, these ratios are sensitive to small-scale structure, irrespective of the ...presence of baryons. This sensitivity may allow us to study the halo mass function even below the scales where galaxies form observable stars. For accurate measurements, it is essential that the quasar’s light is emitted from a physical region of the quasar with an angular scale of milliarcseconds or larger; this minimizes microlensing effects by stars within the deflector. The warm dust region of quasars fits this criterion, as it has parsec-size physical scales and dominates the spectral energy distribution of quasars at wavelengths greater than 10 μm. The JWST Mid-Infrared Instrument is adept at detecting redshifted light in this wavelength range, offering both the spatial resolution and sensitivity required for accurate gravitational lensing flux ratio measurements. Here, we introduce our survey designed to measure the warm dust flux ratios of 31 lensed quasars. We discuss the flux-ratio measurement technique and present results for the first target, DES J0405-3308. We find that we can measure the quasar warm dust flux ratios with 3 per cent precision. Our simulations suggest that this precision makes it feasible to detect the presence of 107 M⊙ dark matter haloes at cosmological distances. Such haloes are expected to be completely dark in cold dark matter models.
We present an updated determination of the z ~ 4 QSO luminosity function (QLF), improving the quality of the determination of the faint end of the QLF presented by Glikman et al. (2010). We have ...observed an additional 43 candidates from our survey sample, yielding one additional QSO at z = 4.23 and increasing the completeness of our spectroscopic follow-up to 48% for candidates brighter than R = 24 over our survey area of 3.76 deg2. We study the effect of using K-corrections to compute the rest-frame absolute magnitude at 1450 A compared with measuring M 1450 directly from the object spectra. We find a luminosity-dependent bias: template-based K-corrections overestimate the luminosity of low-luminosity QSOs, likely due to their reliance on templates derived from higher luminosity QSOs. Combining our sample with bright quasars from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey and using spectrum-based M 1450 for all the quasars, we fit a double power law to the binned QLF. Our best fit has a bright-end slope, Delta *a = 3.3 ? 0.2, and faint-end slope, Delta *b = 1.6+0.8 --0.6. Our new data revise the faint-end slope of the QLF down to flatter values similar to those measured at z ~ 3. The break luminosity, though poorly constrained, is at M* = --24.1+0.7 --1.9, approximately 1-1.5 mag fainter than at z ~ 3. This QLF implies that QSOs account for about half the radiation needed to ionize the intergalactic medium at these redshifts.
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