18240213
VSOP: The Variable Star One-shot Project ⋆ I. Project presentation and first data release
Context. About 500 new variable stars enter the General Catalogue of Variable Stars (GCVS) every year. Most of them however lack spectroscopic observations, which remains critical for a correct assignement of the variability type and for the understanding of the object. Aims. The Variable Star One-shot Project (VSOP) is aimed at (1) providing the variability type and spectral type of all unstudied variable stars, (2) process, publish, and make the data available as automatically as possible, and (3) generate serendipitous discoveries. This first paper describes the project itself, the acquisition of the data, the dataflow, the spectroscopic analysis and the on-line availability of the fully calibrated and reduced data. We also present the results on the 221 stars observed during the first semester of the project. Methods. We used the high-resolution echelle spectrographs HARPS and FEROS in the ESO La Silla Observatory (Chile) to survey known variable stars. Once reduced by the dedicated pipelines, the radial velocities are determined from cross correlation with synthetic template spectra, and the spectral types are determined by an automatic minimum distance matching to synthetic spectra, with traditional manual spectral typing cross-checks. The variability types are determined by manually evaluating the available light curves and the spectroscopy. In the future, a new automatic classifier, currently being developed by members of the VSOP team, based on these spectroscopic data and on the photometric classifier developed for the COROT and Gaia space missions, will be used. Results. We confirm or revise spectral types of 221 variable stars from the GCVS. We identify 26 previously unknown multiple systems, among them several visual binaries with spectroscopic binary individual components. We present new individual results for the multiple systems V349 Vel and BC Gru, for the composite spectrum star V4385 Sgr, for the T Tauri star V1045 Sco, and for DM Boo which we re-classify as a BY Draconis variable. The complete data release can be accessed via the VSOP web site.
118040393
A Search for Wide (Sub)Stellar Companions Around Extrasolar Planet Host Stars
We present an overview of our ongoing systematic search for wide (sub)stellar companions around the stars known to host rad‐vel planets. By using a relatively large field of view and going very deep, our survey can find all directly detectable stellar and massive brown dwarf companions (m>40 MJup) within a 1000 AU orbit.
10656237
Rotation periods of Post-T Tauri stars in Lindroos systems
We present a rotational study of Post-T Tauri stars (PTTSs) in Lindroos systems, defined as binaries with early type primaries on the main-sequence (MS) and late-type secondaries on the pre-main-sequence (PMS) phase. The importance of this study in comparison with previous ones is that the Lindroos sample is not X-ray selected so we avoid a possible bias towards fast rotators. In this preliminary study we have monitored eleven stars in the UBVRI bands during two campaigns of ten consecutive nights each. Eight of the observed PTTSs show periodic modulations in their lightcurves and the derived periods range from 1.9 d to 8.0 d. The comparison of these results with theoretical rotational tracks based on disk-star locking theory shows that star-disk decoupling times of 1−20 Myr could reproduce the rotational properties of the targets, assuming an initial rotation period of ∼ 8d and a mass of 1M� . We have studied the rotation-activity relations of Lindroos PTTSs and compared them with those found in other groups of PMS and zero-age main-sequence (ZAMS) ∼1 Mstars. The Lindroos sample displays activity-rotation relations very similar to those found in TTSs. It contains a mixture of very active stars, with LX/Lbol ratios close to the saturation level of -3, and less active (unsaturated) stars. This could be the result of different star-disk decoupling times. Future monitoring of a larger and unbiased sample of PTTS will be important to confirm the significance of these results.
118472064
Coordinated Multiwavelength Observations of V410Tau
In November 2001 we undertook a coordinated observing campaign to study the connection between X-ray and optical variability in the weak-line T Tauri star V410Tau. The observing plan included three 15 ksec observations with Chandra using the Advanced CCD Imaging Spectrometer for Spectroscopy scheduled for different phases of the known 1.87 d starspot cycle. Photometric and spectroscopic monitoring of V410Tau involving telescopes on three different continents was scheduled simultaneously with the Chandra exposures.
118032689
The Variable Star One-shot Project, and its little child: Wikimbad
The Variable Star One-shot Project (VSOP) aimed at providing to the world-wide stellar community the necessary one-shot spectrum of unstudied variable stars, too often classified as such by an analysis of photometric data only. The VSOP has established an new kind of observational model, where all steps from observations to spectral analysis, are automatized (or are underway to be fully automatized). The project is centralized on a collaborative wiki website. The VSOP operational model is very successful, data is continously flowing and being analyszed, and VSOP is now a worldwide open collaboration of people with very different and complementary skills and expertise. The idea of a central wiki website has been extended by one of us to propose a new service to the whole astronomical community, called Wikimbad. Wikimbad is an open wiki website aimed at collecting, organizing and making publicly available all kind of reduced and published astronomical data. Its strengths and a comparison with the Virtual Observatory are discussed. See: this http URL and this http URL
118556816
The stellar content of the young open cluster Trumpler 37
With an apparent cluster diameter of 1.5° and an age of 4 Myr, Trumpler 37 is an ideal target for photometric monitoring of young stars as well as for the search of planetary transits, eclipsing binaries and other sources of variability. The YETI consortium has monitored Trumpler 37 throughout 2010 and 2011 to obtain a comprehensive view of variable phenomena in this region. In this first paper we present the cluster properties and membership determination as derived from an extensive investigation of the literature. We also compared the coordinate list to some YETI images. For 1872 stars we found literature data. Among them 774 have high probability of being member and 125 a medium probability. Based on infrared data we re-calculate a cluster extinction of 0.9–1.2 mag. We can confirm the age and distance to be 3–5 Myr and870 pc. Stellar masses are determined from theoretical models and the mass function is fitted with a power-law index of α = 1.90 (0.1–0.4 M⊙) and α = 1.12 (1–10 M⊙). (© 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
121731391
Revised and extended level scheme of the doubly-odd nucleus 188Ir
High-spin states in the doubly odd $Z=77$ nucleus $^{188}\mathrm{Ir}$ were studied using the reaction $^{186}\mathrm{W}$($^{7}\mathrm{Li}$, $5n$) at 59 MeV and the GASP spectrometer for \ensuremath{\gamma}-ray detection. The level structures recently suggested to be built on the known 4.1(3) ms isomeric state of this nucleus have been considerably revised and extended and an isomer with a lifetime of 17.7(2) ns has been identified within the main decay sequence. In addition two rotational bands built on low spin states below the ms isomer have been observed for the first time. The basic features of the excitation scheme of $^{188}\mathrm{Ir}$ are discussed within the Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov theory within the Lipkin-Nogami approach with the finite-range density-dependent Gogny force.
26141595
First investigation of a novel 2D position-sensitive semiconductor detector concept
This paper presents a first study of the performance of a novel 2D position-sensitive microstrip detector, where the resistive charge division method was implemented by replacing the metallic electrodes with resistive electrodes made of polycrystalline silicon. A characterization of two proof-of-concept prototypes with different values of the electrode resistivity was carried out using a pulsed Near Infra-Red laser. The experimental data were compared with the electrical simulation of the sensor equivalent circuit coupled to simple electronics readout circuits. The good agreement between experimental and simulation results establishes the soundness of resistive charge division method in silicon microstrip sensors and validates the developed simulation as a tool for the optimization of future sensor prototypes. Spatial resolution in the strip length direction depends on the ionizing event position. The average value obtained from the protype analysis is close to 1.2% of the strip length for a 6 MIP signal.
120064071
Semitransparent amorphous silicon sensors for the CMS alignment: an in-depth study
Abstract Semitransparent amorphous silicon sensors have been proposed as the 2D positioning sensors for the link system of the CMS alignment. An in-depth study of the actual performance of these sensors is here reported.
120520890
Silicon microstrip detectors for future tracker alignment systems
Abstract The next experiments at particles colliders will demand stability of the tracking systems to the level of few microns. The available technology cannot provide a supporting structure able to guarantee this degree of stability in working condition, when environmental changes will misalign the detectors out of their nominal position. Based on the successful experience of AMS and CMS tracker systems, we propose to use infrared laser beams traversing consecutive layers of silicon detectors to align them with respect to the beams. For such a laser track to reach the last sensor, high transmittance of microstrip sensors to infrared (IR) light is needed. We simulated the passage of a coherent beam of light through a microstrips detector and we identified the minimum set of changes to the design and technology that boost its transmittance while still respecting its tracking capabilities. The first prototypes are in process at IMB-CNM clean room facilities. We held the fabrication process at an intermediate step and we performed the first measurements of transmittance and reflectance on the sensors.
115154823
Balanced Hermitian metrics from SU(2)-structures
We study the intrinsic geometrical structure of hypersurfaces in six-manifolds carrying a balanced Hermitian SU(3)-structure, which we call balanced SU(2)-structure. We provide sufficient conditions, in terms of suitable evolution equations, which imply that a five-manifold with such structure can be isometrically embedded as a hypersurface in a balanced Hermitian SU(3)-manifold. Any five-dimensional compact nilmanifold has an invariant balanced SU(2)-structure, and we show how some of them can be evolved to give new explicit examples of balanced Hermitian SU(3)-structures. Moreover, for n=3,4, we present examples of compact solvmanifolds endowed with a balanced SU(n)-structure such that the corresponding Bismut connection has holonomy equal to SU(n).