We analyze the 3D morphology and kinematics of 13 open clusters (OCs) located within 500 pc of the Sun, using Gaia EDR3 and kinematic data from literature. Members of OCs are identified using the ...unsupervised machine learning method StarGO, using 5D parameters (X, Y, Z, \(\mu_\alpha \cos\delta, \mu_\delta\)). The OC sample covers an age range of 25Myr--2.65Gyr. We correct the asymmetric distance distribution due to the parallax error using Bayesian inversion. The uncertainty in the corrected distance for a cluster at 500~pc is 3.0--6.3~pc, depending on the intrinsic spatial distribution of its members. We determine the 3D morphology of the OCs in our sample and fit the spatial distribution of stars within the tidal radius in each cluster with an ellipsoid model. The shapes of the OCs are well-described with oblate spheroids (NGC2547, NGC2516, NGC2451A, NGC2451B, NGC2232), prolate spheroids (IC2602, IC4665, NGC2422, Blanco1, Coma Berenices), or triaxial ellipsoids (IC2391, NGC6633, NGC6774). The semi-major axis of the fitted ellipsoid is parallel to the Galactic plane for most clusters. Elongated filament-like substructures are detected in three young clusters (NGC2232, NGC2547, NGC2451B), while tidal-tail-like substructures (tidal tails) are found in older clusters (NGC2516, NGC6633, NGC6774, Blanco1, Coma Berenices). Most clusters may be super-virial and expanding. \(N\)-body models of rapid gas expulsion with an SFE of \(\approx 1/3\) are consistent with clusters more massive than \(250\rm M_\odot\), while clusters less massive than 250\(\rm M_\odot\) tend to agree with adiabatic gas expulsion models. Only six OCs (NGC2422, NGC6633, and NGC6774, NGC2232, Blanco1, Coma Berenices) show clear signs of mass segregation.
We investigate the properties of the host galaxies of compact binary mergers across cosmic time. To this end, we combine population synthesis simulations together with galaxy catalogues from the ...hydrodynamical cosmological simulation EAGLE to derive the properties of the host galaxies of binary neutron star (BNS), black hole-neutron star (BHNS) and binary black hole (BBH) mergers. Within this framework, we derive the host galaxy probability, i.e., the probability that a galaxy hosts a compact binary coalescence as a function of its stellar mass, star formation rate, \(K_s\) magnitude and \(B\) magnitude. This quantity is particularly important for low-latency searches of gravitational wave (GW) sources as it provides a way to rank galaxies lying inside the credible region in the sky of a given GW detection, hence reducing the number of viable host candidates. Furthermore, even if no electromagnetic counterpart is detected, the proposed ranking criterion can still be used to classify the galaxies contained in the error box. Our results show that massive galaxies (or equivalently galaxies with a high luminosity in \(K_s\) band) have a higher probability of hosting BNS, BHNS, and BBH mergers. We provide the probabilities in a suitable format to be implemented in future low-latency searches.
Surface brightness asymmetries are a very common feature of stars. Among other effects they cause a difference between the projected centre of mass and the photocentre. The evolution of those surface ...features makes this difference time-dependent. In some cases the displacement can be a non-negligible fraction of the star radius R, and if R>1 AU, of the parallax. We investigate the impact of surface brightness asymmetries on the Gaia astrometric solution and on the data processing flow. In particular we derive analytical expressions for the change in the derived astrometric parameters for a single-star, with respect to the parameters for a uniformly-bright star, as a function of the characteristics of the surface brightness asymmetries. These predictions are confirmed by the results of the processing of simulated astrometric Gaia data where a photocentre motion caused by surface brightness asymmetries has been added using a Gaussian Markovian model.In the case of a red supergiant star, the average photocentre shift is about 0.1 AU. Such a photocentric noise translates in a 10% inaccuracy on the parallax (independently of the distance), which becomes larger than the statistical error on the parallax derived from the data reduction for stars that are up to about 4 kpc away. For the most nearby stars, we derive an inaccuracy on the parallax that can be 10 times its statistical error. Finally we estimate that up to about 4000 stars among red supergiants and bright giants may have astrometric parameters that are inaccurate at levels bigger than expected because of the surface brightness asymmetries. In the determination of this number, a crucial role is played by the Gaia observable magnitude range. The fact that Gaia will not observe stars brighter than 5.6 in the Gaia G band means that the closest stars will not be observed. Yet, the impact of the surface brightness asymmetries is proportional to their angular size, meaning that the stars whose astrometric accuracy would be most affected are not observed.Various non-Gaussian spot models (as applicable in the case of magnetic spots) have been implemented and analytical predictions for the effects of such magnetic spots are computed for the most representative classes of magnetic stars.Another effect of the presence of surface brightness asymmetries is their impact on Gaia data processing flow. The quality of the fit of the data is evaluated with the F2 parameter that is a transformation of χ2 such that it has a unit normal distribution when the model is adequate and it is independent of the number of measurements. If the goodness-of-fit F2 of the single-star solution is not good enough (F2>3), a chain of solution of growing complexity is tried until a satisfactory one (with F2<3) is obtained. If no good solution is found, a so-called stochastic solution is computed where a "cosmic" error is added to the data in order to obtain a single-star solution with F2=0. We show that the photocentre noise induces an increase in the goodness-of-fit parameter, causing this chain of solutions to be entered. Depending on the characteristics of the photocentre noise, a variable fraction of the stars in our simulations end up with a non-single-star solution. Yet, we show that these (orbital) solutions are not acceptable because non-significant or non-physical. Finally, an important fraction of stars is assigned a stochastic solution with a cosmic noise matching well the photocentric noise./Les asymétries de brillance de surface sont une caractéristique commune des étoiles. Parmi d'autres effets, elles provoquent une différence entre la projection du centre de masse et le photocentre. L'évolution de ces structures de surface rend cette différence variable avec le temps. Dans certains cas, le déplacement du photocentre peut être une fraction non négligeable du rayon de l'étoile R et, si R>1 UA, de la parallaxe. Nous examinons l'impact des asymétries de brillance de surface sur la solution astrométrique de Gaia et sur le processus de traitement des données. En particulier nous dérivons des expressions analytiques pour le changement des paramètres astrométriques déerivées pour une étoile simple, par rapport aux paramètres pour une étoile uniformément lumineuse, en fonction des caractéristiques des asymétries de brillance de surface. Ces prévisions sont confirmées par les résultats de simulations du traitement des données astrométriques de Gaia, auxquelles des mouvements du photocentre causés par des asymétries de brillance de surface ont été ajoutés en utilisant un modèle gaussien markovien.Dans le cas d'une étoile super-géante rouge, le décalage moyen du photocentre est d'environ 0.1 UA. Un bruit photocentrique de cette amplitude se traduit dans une imprécision de 10% sur la parallaxe (indépendamment de la distance), qui peut devenir plus grande que l'erreur statistique sur la parallaxe déerivée par la réduction des données, pour les étoiles plus proches d'environ 4 kpc. Pour les étoiles les plus proches, nous évaluons une imprécision sur la parallaxe qui peut être 10 fois leur erreur statistique. Finalement, nous estimons que jusqu'à environ 4000 étoiles parmi les super-géantes rouges et géantes brillantes peuvent avoir des paramètres astrométriques inexactes à des niveaux plus grands que prévu en raison des asymétries de brillance de surface. Dans la détermination de ce nombre, la gamme de magnitudes observables par Gaia joue un rôle crucial. Le fait que Gaia n'observera pas les étoiles plus brillantes que 5.6 mag (en bande Gaia) signifie que les étoiles les plus proches ne seront pas observées. Pourtant, l'impact des asymétries de brillance de surface est proportionnel à leur taille angulaire, ce qui signifie que les étoiles dont la précision astrométrique seraient la plus affecté ne seront pas observées.Différents modèles de taches ont été réalisés et des prédictions analytiques pour les effets de ces taches magnétiques sont calculés pour les classes les plus représentatives des étoiles magnétiques. Un autre effet de la présence des asymétries de brillance de surface est leur impact sur le traitement des données de Gaia. La qualité de l'ajustement des données est évaluée avec le paramètre F2 qui est une transformation de χ2 telle qu'il ait une distribution normale lorsque le modèle est adéquat. Si la qualité de l'ajustement F2 de la solution étoile-simple n'est pas acceptable (F2>3), une chaîne de solutions de complexité croissante est essayée jusqu'à ce qu'une solution satisfaisante (avec F2<3) soit obtenue. Si aucune solution satisfaisante n'est trouvée, une solution dite stochastique est calculée où une erreur "cosmique" est ajoutée aux données afin d'obtenir une solution étoile-simple avec F2=0. Nous montrons que le bruit du photocentre induit une augmentation de F2, ce qui provoque l'activation de cette chaîne de solutions. Selon les caractéristiques du bruit du photocentre, une solution étoile-non-simple est obtenue pour une fraction variable des étoiles dans nos simulations. Nous montrons que ces solutions (orbitales) ainsi obtenues ne sont pas acceptables car non significatives ou non-physiques. Enfin, une fraction importante d'étoiles se voient attribuer une solution stochastique avec un bruit cosmique correspondant au bruit photocentrique.
Doctorat en Sciences
info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished
abridged Theoretical investigations have suggested the presence of Intermediate Mass Black Holes (IMBHs, with masses in the 100-10000 Msun range) in the cores of some Globular Clusters (GCs). In this ...paper we present the first application of a new technique to determine the presence or absence of a central IMBH in globular clusters that have reached energy equipartition via two-body relaxation. The method is based on the measurement of the radial profile for the average mass of stars in the system, using the fact that a quenching of mass segregation is expected when an IMBH is present. Here we measure the radial profile of mass segregation using main-sequence stars for the globular cluster NGC 2298 from resolved source photometry based on HST-ACS data. The observations are compared to expectations from direct N-body simulations of the dynamics of star clusters with and without an IMBH. The mass segregation profile for NGC 2298 is quantitatively matched to that inferred from simulations without a central massive object over all the radial range probed by the observations, that is from the center to about two half-mass radii. Profiles from simulations containing an IMBH more massive than ~ 300-500 Msun (depending on the assumed total mass of NGC 2298) are instead inconsistent with the data at about 3 sigma confidence, irrespective of the IMF and binary fraction chosen for these runs. While providing a null result in the quest of detecting a central black hole in globular clusters, the data-model comparison carried out here demonstrates the feasibility of the method which can also be applied to other globular clusters with resolved photometry in their cores.
We are conducting a validation study of questionnaire to the parents according to the Griffiths Mental Developmental Scale, used in pediatric follow-up of obstetric studies among the Italian ...population. The questionnaire concerns the child's gross and fine motor and language development, swallowing, respiratory, hearing and vision problems, and hospital admissions within the first 18 months of life. The purpose of this study is to examine the degree of agreement between parental and professional assessment of normal and high-risk infants development at 18 months of life.
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