Related papers: Variable stars, distance scale, globular clusters
By combining galaxy tracers from high-resolution N-body and hydrodynamical simulations, we present a consistent picture of the behaviour of galaxy velocities in massive clusters. In haloes above ~ 10^14 Msun, the brightest satellite…
Focusing on B-emission stars, we investigated a set of H$\alpha$ equivalent widths calculated from observed spectra acquired over a period of about 4 years from 2003 to 2007. During this time, changes in equivalent width for our program…
Spectroscopic measurements of Mira variable stars, as a function of phase, probe the stellar atmospheres and underlying pulsation mechanisms. For example, measuring variations in TiO, VO, and ZrO with phase can be used to help determine…
One of the largest uncertainties for using the Baade-Wesselink method to measure Cepheid distances is the value of the projection factor (p-factor). However, p-factors measured using the IRSB technique and from hydrodynamic models disagree.…
Using detailed mock galaxy redshift surveys we investigate to what extent the kinematics of large samples of satellites galaxies extracted from flux-limited surveys can be used to constrain halo masses. Previous host-satellite selection…
We present new time-series CCD \emph{VR} photometry of the globular cluster NGC 5634. We aim to use the known RR Lyrae stars, members of the cluster, as indicators of mean metallicity and distance. Accurate coordinates, periods and an…
We construct a model for the Galactic globular cluster system based on a realistic gravitational potential and a distribution function (DF) analytic in the action integrals. The DF comprises disc and halo components whose functional forms…
Some pulsating stars are good clocks. When they are found in binary stars, the frequencies of their luminosity variations are modulated by the Doppler effect caused by orbital motion. For each pulsation frequency this manifests itself as a…
Aims. The Baade-Wesselink method of distance determination is based on the oscillations of pulsating stars. The key parameter of this method is the projection factor used to convert the radial velocity into the pulsation velocity. Our…
The projection factor p is the key quantity used in the Baade-Wesselink (BW) method for distance determination; it converts radial velocities into pulsation velocities. Several methods are used to determine p, such as geometrical and…
The projection factor (p), which converts the radial velocity to pulsational velocity, is an important parameter in the Baade-Wesselink (BW) type analysis and distance scale work. The p-factor is either adopted as a constant or linearly…
Line ratios in "fir" triplets of helium-like ions have proven to be a powerful diagnostic of conditions in X-ray emitting gas surrounding massive stars. Recent observations indicate that these ratios can be variable with time. The possible…
The projection factor is a key quantity for the interferometric Baade-Wesselink (hereafter IBW) and surface-brightness (hereafter SB) methods of determining the distance of Cepheids. Indeed, it allows a consistent combination of angular and…
The proper motions of stars in the outskirts of globular clusters are used to estimate cluster velocity dispersion profiles as far as possible within their tidal radii. We use individual color-magnitude diagrams to select high probability…
The strength and vertical distribution of atmospheric turbulence is a key factor determining the performance of optical and infrared telescopes, with and without adaptive optics. Yet, this remains challenging to measure. We describe a new…
The light curves of variable stars are commonly described using simple trigonometric models, that make use of the assumption that the model parameters are constant in time. This assumption, however, is often violated, and consequently, time…
The next decade of survey astronomy has the potential to transform our knowledge of variable stars. Stellar variability underpins our knowledge of the cosmological distance ladder, and provides direct tests of stellar formation and…
We propose a new method for measuring the spatial density distribution of the stellar halo of the Milky Way. Our method is based on a pairwise statistic of the distribution of stars on the sky, the angular two-point correlation function…
The influence of new techniques on the discovery and characterization of pulsating variables has been enormous. In this paper, I will review the methods and results of a number of research programmes which have dramatically altered our…
We present new CCD $VI$ photometry of the distant globular cluster Pal 13. Fourier decomposition of the light curves of the three cluster member RRab stars lead to estimations of [Fe/H]=-1.65, and a distance of 23.67$\pm$0.57 kpc. Light and…