We analyse photometric observations of the young active dwarf EK Dra, spanning altogether 21 years, and including previously unpublished data. The data in Table 2 was observed at the Fairbourn Observatory in southern Arizona using Amadeus, a 0.75m automatic photoelectric telescope (APT) of the University of Vienna. Amadeus is optimised for red wavelengths with an EMI-9828 tube and Johnson-Cousins V(RI)_C_ filters. Differential V magnitudes are variable (EK Dra) - comparison (HD 129390) and check (HD 129798) - comparison (HD 129390). HD 129390 Vmag=7.567
This work presents a high-precision variability survey in the field of the old, super metal-rich open cluster NGC 6791. The data sample consists of more than 75,000 high-precision CCD time series measurements in the V band obtained mainly at the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope, with additional data from S. Pedro Martir and Loiano observatories, over a time span of ten nights. The field covers an area of 42x28arcmin^2^. We have discovered 260 new variables and re-determined periods and amplitudes of 70 known variable stars. By means of a photometric evaluation of the membership in NGC 6791, and a preliminary membership based on the proper motions, we give a full description of the variable content of the cluster and surrounding field in the range 16<V<23.5. Accurate periods can be given for the variables with P<4.0d, while for ones with longer periods the limited time-baseline hampered precise determinations. We categorized the entire sample as follows: 6 pulsating, 3 irregular, 3 cataclysmic, 89 rotational variables and 61 eclipsing systems; moreover, we detected 168 candidate variables for which we cannot give a variability class since their periods are much longer than our time baseline. On the basis of photometric considerations, and of the positions of the stars with respect to the center of the cluster, we inferred that 11 new variable stars are likely members of the cluster, for 22 stars the membership is doubtful and 137 are likely non-members. We also detected an outburst of about 3 mag in the light curve of a very faint blue star belonging to the cluster and we suggest that this star could be a new U Gem (dwarf nova) cataclysmic variable.
Improved distance moduli for the two globular clusters NGC 5634 and NGC 6229 are derived from a photometric investigation of their cluster-type variables. The resulting values are m-M=16.91+/-0.04 for NGC 5634 and m-M=17.53+/-0.02 for NGC 6229. Both globular clusters are of less than average luminosity.
We present high spatial resolution observations in the mid-infrared of the R CrB star RY Sgr obtained with the Very Large Telescope Interferometer (VLTI) of ESO's Paranal Observatory and MIDI, the MID-infrared Interferometric recombiner. MIDI combines the light of two telescopes and provides spectrally resolved visibilities in the N band atmospheric window. The observations of RY Sgr were conducted with the VLT Unit Telescopes (UTs) UT1, UT3 and UT4, providing projected baselines in the range of 57-129 meters oriented from PA=34{deg} to 135{deg}. The UTs observations were made during the nights of May 25-26th 2005, June 24-25th 2005, June 25-26th 2005 and June 27-28th 2005. All the observations were made under rather good atmospheric conditions. The files include all visibility data recorded from these observations as well as all the characteristics concerning the observations. The log of the observations is shown in Table 1 of the paper (table1.dat).
It has long been suggested that circumstellar disks surrounding young stars may be the signposts of planets, and even more so since the recent discoveries of embedded substellar companions. According to models, the planet-disk interaction may create large structures, gaps, rings, or spirals in the disk. In that sense, the Herbig star HD 142527 is particularly compelling, as its massive disk displays intriguing asymmetries that suggest the existence of a dynamical peturber of unknown nature. Our goal was to obtain deep thermal images of the close circumstellar environment of HD 142527 to re-image the reported close-in structures (cavity, spiral arms) of the disk and to search for stellar and substellar companions that could be connected to their presence.
We present results from the analysis of 2997 fundamental mode RR Lyrae variables located in the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC). For these objects, near-infrared time series photometry from the VISTA survey of the Magellanic Clouds system (VMC) and visual light curves from the OGLE IV (Optical Gravitational Lensing Experiment IV) survey are available. In this study, the multi-epoch Ks-band VMC photometry was used for the first time to derive intensity-averaged magnitudes of the SMC RR Lyrae stars. We determined individual distances to the RR Lyrae stars from the near-infrared period-absolute magnitude-metallicity (PM_Ks_Z) relation, which has some advantages in comparison with the visual absolute magnitude-metallicity (M_V_-[Fe/H]) relation, such as a smaller dependence of the luminosity on interstellar extinction, evolutionary effects and metallicity. The distances we have obtained were used to study the three-dimensional structure of the SMC. The distribution of the SMC RR Lyrae stars is found to be ellipsoidal. The actual line-of-sight depth of the SMC is in the range 1-10kpc, with an average depth of 4.3+/-1.0kpc. We found that RR Lyrae stars in the eastern part of the SMC are affected by interactions of the Magellanic Clouds. However, we do not see a clear bimodality observed for red clump stars, in the distribution of RR Lyrae stars.
Variability is a key property of stars on the asymptotic giant branch (AGB). Selection criteria are derived based on colour-colour and colour-magnitude diagrams from the combination of VISTA Magellanic Cloud (VMC) survey, Spitzer IRAC, and AllWISE data. After eliminating LPVs with known periods shorter than 450 days, a sample of 1299 candidate obscured AGB stars is selected. K-band LCs are constructed combining the epoch photometry available in the VMC survey with literature data, analysed for variability and fitted with a single period sine curve to derive mean magnitudes, amplitudes and periods. A subset of 254 stars are either new variables, or known variables where the period we find is better determined than the literature value, or longer than 1000 days. The spectral energy distributions (SEDs) of these stars are fitted to a large number of templates. For this purpose the SEDs and Spitzer IRS spectra of some non-AGB stars (Be stars, Hii regions and young stellar objects [YSOs]) are also fitted to have templates of the most likely contaminants in the sample. A sample of 217 likely LPVs is found. Thirty-four stars have periods longer than 1000 days although some of them have alternative shorter periods.
Studies of young stellar objects (YSOs) in the Galaxy have found that a significant fraction exhibits photometric variability. However, no systematic investigation has been conducted on the variability of extragalactic YSOs. Here we present the first variability study of massive YSOs in an ~1.5 square degree region of the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). The aim is to investigate whether the different environmental conditions in the metal-poor LMC (~0.4-0.5Z_{sun}_) have an impact on the variability characteristics. Multi-epoch near-infrared (NIR) photometry was obtained from the VISTA Survey of the Magellanic Clouds (VMC) and our own monitoring campaign using the VISTA telescope. By applying a reduced {Chi}-square-analysis, stellar variability was identified. We found 3062 candidate variable stars from a population of 362425 stars detected. Based on several Spitzer studies, we compiled a sample of high-reliability massive YSOs: a total of 173 massive YSOs have NIR counterparts (down to Ks~18.5mag) in the VMC catalogue, of which 39 display significant (>3{sigma}) variability. They have been classified as eruptive, fader, dipper, short-term variable, and long-period variable YSOs based mostly on the appearance of their Ks-band light curves. The majority of YSOs are aperiodic; only five YSOs exhibit periodic light curves. The observed amplitudes are comparable or smaller than those for Galactic YSOs (only two Magellanic YSOs exhibit {Delta}Ks>1mag), not what would have been expected from the typically larger mass accretion rates observed in the Magellanic Clouds.
We monitored the recent FUor 2MASS J06593158-0405277 (V960 Mon) since November 2009 at various observatories and multiple wavelengths. After the outburst by nearly 2.9mag in r around September 2014 the brightness gently fades until April 2015 by nearly 1mag in U and 0.5mag in z. Thereafter the brightness at {lambda}>5000{AA} was constant until June 2015 while the shortest wavelengths (U,B) indicate a new rise, similar to that seen for the FUor V2493 Cyg (HBC722). Our near-infrared (NIR) monitoring between December 2014 and April 2015 shows a smaller outburst amplitude (~2mag) and a smaller (0.2-0.3mag) post-outburst brightness decline. Optical and NIR color-magnitude diagrams indicate that the brightness decline is caused by growing extinction. The post-outburst light curves are modulated by an oscillating color-neutral pattern with a period of about 17 days and an amplitude declining from ~0.08mag in October 2014 to ~0.04mag in May 2015. The properties of the oscillating pattern lead us to suggest the presence of a close binary with eccentric orbit.
We present a detailed study of V899 Mon (a new member in the FUors/EXors family of young low-mass stars undergoing outburst), based on our long-term monitoring of the source starting from 2009 November to 2015 April. Our optical and near-infrared photometric and spectroscopic monitoring recorded the source transitioning from its first outburst to a short-duration quiescence phase (<1yr), and then returning to a second outburst. We report here the evolution of the outflows from the inner region of the disk as the accretion rate evolved in various epochs. Our high-resolution (R~37000) optical spectrum could resolve interesting clumpy structures in the outflow traced by various lines. Change in far-infrared flux was also detected between two outburst epochs. Based on our observations, we constrained various stellar and envelope parameters of V899 Mon, as well as the kinematics of its accretion and outflow. The photometric and spectroscopic properties of this source fall between classical FUors and EXors. Our investigation of V899 Mon hints at instability associated with magnetospheric accretion being the physical cause of the sudden short-duration pause of the outburst in 2011. It is also a good candidate to explain similar short-duration pauses in outbursts of some other FUors/EXors sources.
