arXiv subjects

A. Rosenberg

Publications and source records attributed to A. Rosenberg.

18 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2020

Wurtzite III-nitride distributed Bragg reflectors on Si (100) substrates

Distributed Bragg reflectors (DBRs) composed of an AlN/GaN superlattice were demonstrated for the first time on Si (100) substrates. Single-crystal wurtzite superlattice structures were achieved on this cubic substrate by employing offcut Si (100) wafers with the surface normal pointing 4° towards the [110] direction. This misorientation introduced an additional epitaxial constraint that prevented the growth of a two-domain GaN surface as well as cubic GaN inclusions. A crack-free 600 nm GaN cap / 5x AlN / GaN DBR structure on Si (100) was demonstrated. This accomplishment of a wurtzite III-nitride DBRs on Si (100) opens the possibility to integrate novel optical and optoelectronic devices with established Si microelectronics technology.

physics.app-ph↗

arXiv2015

Magnetic coupling at ferromagnetic rare earth / transition-metal interfaces: A comprehensive study

Thin film magnetic heterostructures with competing interfacial coupling and Zeeman energy pro- vide a fertile ground to study phase transition between different equilibrium states as a function of external magnetic field and temperature. A rare-earth (RE) / transition metal (TM) ferro- magnetic multilayer is a classic example where the magnetic state is determined by a competition between the Zeeman energy and antiferromagnetic interfacial exchange coupling energy. Techno- logically, such structures offer the possibility to engineer the macroscopic magnetic response by tuning the microscopic interactions between the layers. We have performed an exhaustive study of a nickel/gadolinium system by using the element-specific measurement technique x-ray magnetic circular dichroism, and determined the full magnetic state diagrams as a function of temperature and magnetic layer thickness. We explain our result based on a modified Stoner-Wohlfarth formal- ism and provide evidence of a thickness-dependent phase transition to a magnetic fan state which is critical in understanding magnetoresistance effects in RE/TM systems. The results provide im- portant insight for spintronics and superconducting spintronics where engineering tunable magnetic inhomogeneity is key for certain applications.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2015

The GAPS Programme with HARPS-N@TNG V. A comprehensive analysis of the XO-2 stellar and planetary systems

XO-2 is the first confirmed wide stellar binary system where the almost twin components XO-2N and XO-2S have planets. This stimulated a detailed characterization study of the stellar and planetary components based on new observations. We collected high-resolution spectra with the HARPS-N spectrograph and multi-band light curves. Spectral analysis led to an accurate determination of the stellar atmospheric parameters and characterization of the stellar activity. We collected 14 transit light curves of XO-2Nb used to improve the transit parameters. Photometry provided accurate magnitude differences between the stars and a measure of their rotation periods. The iron abundance of XO-2N was found to be +0.054 dex greater, within more than 3-sigma, than that of XO-2S. We confirm a long-term variation in the radial velocities of XO-2N, and we detected a turn-over with respect to previous measurements. We suggest the presence of a second massive companion in an outer orbit or the stellar activity cycle as possible causes of the observed acceleration. The latter explanation seems more plausible with the present dataset. We obtained an accurate value of the projected spin-orbit angle for the XO-2N system (lambda=7+/-11 degrees), and estimated the real 3-D spin-orbit angle (psi=27 +12/-27 degrees). We measured the XO-2 rotation periods, and found a value of P=41.6 days in the case of XO-2N, in excellent agreement with the predictions. The period of XO-2S appears shorter, with an ambiguity between 26 and 34.5 days that we cannot solve with the present dataset alone. XO-2N appears to be more active than the companion, and this could be due to the fact that we sampled different phases of their activity cycle, or to an interaction between XO-2N and its hot Jupiter that we could not confirm.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2012

TASTE. III. A homogeneous study of transit time variations in WASP-3b

The TASTE project is searching for low-mass planets with the Transit Timing Variation (TTV) technique, by gathering high-precision, short-cadence light curves for a selected sample of transiting exoplanets. It has been claimed that the "hot Jupiter" WASP-3b could be perturbed by a second planet. Presenting eleven new light curves (secured at the IAC80 and UDEM telescopes) and re-analyzing thirty-eight archival light curves in a homogeneous way, we show that new data do not confirm the previously claimed TTV signal. However, we bring evidence that measurements are not consistent with a constant orbital period, though no significant periodicity can be detected. Additional dynamical modeling and follow-up observations are planned to constrain the properties of the perturber or to put upper limits to it. We provide a refined ephemeris for WASP-3b and improved orbital/physical parameters. A contact eclipsing binary, serendipitously discovered among field stars, is reported here for the first time.

astro-ph.EP↗

arXiv2011

The ACS Survey of Galactic Globular Clusters. XII. Photometric Binaries along the Main-Sequence

The fraction of binary stars is an important ingredient to interpret globular cluster dynamical evolution and their stellar population. We investigate the properties of main-sequence binaries measured in a uniform photometric sample of 59 Galactic globular clusters that were observed by HST WFC/ACS as a part of the Globular Cluster Treasury project. We measured the fraction of binaries and the distribution of mass-ratio as a function of radial location within the cluster, from the central core to beyond the half-mass radius. We studied the radial distribution of binary stars, and the distribution of stellar mass ratios. We investigated monovariate relations between the fraction of binaries and the main parameters of their host clusters. We found that in nearly all the clusters, the total fraction of binaries is significantly smaller than the fraction of binaries in the field, with a few exceptions only. Binary stars are significantly more centrally concentrated than single MS stars in most of the clusters studied in this paper. The distribution of the mass ratio is generally flat (for mass-ratio parameter q>0.5). We found a significant anti-correlation between the binary fraction in a cluster and its absolute luminosity (mass). Some, less significant correlation with the collisional parameter, the central stellar density, and the central velocity dispersion are present. There is no statistically significant relation between the binary fraction and other cluster parameters. We confirm the correlation between the binary fraction and the fraction of blue stragglers in the cluster.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2009

The Young Stellar Population of IC1613. I. A New Catalogue of OB Associations

Context: Determining the parameters of massive stars is crucial to understand many processes in galaxies and the Universe, since these objects are important sources of ionization, chemical enrichment and momentum. 10m class telescopes enable us to perform detailed quantitative spectroscopic analyses of massive stars in other galaxies, sampling areas of different metallicity. Relating the stars to their environment is crucial to understand the physical processes ruling their formation and evolution. Aims: In preparation for the GTC, our goal is to build a catalogue of massive star candidates in the metal-poor irregular galaxy IC1613 with high astrometric accuracy, apt for the current generation of multi-object spectrographs. A census of OB associations in this galaxy is also needed, to provide important additional information about age and environment of the candidate OB stars. Methods: From INT-WFC observations, we have built an astrometric and photometric catalogue of stars in IC1613. Candidate blue massive stars are preselected from their colors. A friends-of-friends algorithm is developed to find their clustering in the galaxy. While a common physical origin for all the members of the associations cannot be ensured, this is a necessary first step to place candidate OB stars in a population context. Results: We have produced a deep catalogue of targets in IC1613 that covers a large field of view. To achieve high astrometric accuracy a new astrometric procedure is developed for the INT-WFC data. We have also built a catalogue of OB associations in IC1613. We have found that they concentrate in the central regions, specially in the HII bubbles. The study of extinction confirms that it is patchy, with local values of color-excess above the foreground value.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2008

The Second-Generation Guide Star Catalog: Description and Properties

The GSC-II is an all-sky database of objects derived from the uncompressed DSS that the STScI has created from the Palomar and UK Schmidt survey plates and made available to the community. Like its predecessor (GSC-I), the GSC-II was primarily created to provide guide star information and observation planning support for HST. This version, however, is already employed at some of the ground-based new-technology telescopes such as GEMINI, VLT, and TNG, and will also be used to provide support for the JWST and Gaia space missions as well as LAMOST, one of the major ongoing scientific projects in China. Two catalogs have already been extracted from the GSC-II database and released to the astronomical community. A magnitude-limited (R=18.0) version, GSC2.2, was distributed soon after its production in 2001, while the GSC2.3 release has been available for general access since 2007. The GSC2.3 catalog described in this paper contains astrometry, photometry, and classification for 945,592,683 objects down to the magnitude limit of the plates. Positions are tied to the ICRS; for stellar sources, the all-sky average absolute error per coordinate ranges from 0.2" to 0.28" depending on magnitude. When dealing with extended objects, astrometric errors are 20% worse in the case of galaxies and approximately a factor of 2 worse for blended images. Stellar photometry is determined to 0.13-0.22 mag as a function of magnitude and photographic passbands (B,R,I). Outside of the galactic plane, stellar classification is reliable to at least 90% confidence for magnitudes brighter than R=19.5, and the catalog is complete to R=20.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2007

The ACS Survey of Galactic Globular Clusters. III. The Double Subgiant Branch of NGC 1851

Photometry with HST's ACS reveals that the subgiant branch (SGB) of the globular cluster NGC 1851 splits into two well-defined branches. If the split is due only to an age effect, the two SGBs would imply two star formation episodes separated by $\sim$ 1 Gyr. We discuss other anomalies in NGC 1851 which could be interpreted in terms of a double stellar population. Finally, we compare the case of NGC 1851 with the other two globulars known to host multiple stellar populations, and show that all three clusters differ in several important respects.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2007

A new search for planet transits in NGC 6791

Context. Searching for planets in open clusters allows us to study the effects of dynamical environment on planet formation and evolution. Aims. Considering the strong dependence of planet frequency on stellar metallicity, we studied the metal rich old open cluster NGC 6791 and searched for close-in planets using the transit technique. Methods. A ten-night observational campaign was performed using the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope (3.6m), the San Pedro Mártir telescope (2.1m), and the Loiano telescope (1.5m). To increase the transit detection probability we also made use of the Bruntt et al. (2003) eight-nights observational campaign. Adequate photometric precision for the detection of planetary transits was achieved. Results. Should the frequency and properties of close-in planets in NGC 6791 be similar to those orbiting field stars of similar metallicity, then detailed simulations foresee the presence of 2-3 transiting planets. Instead, we do not confirm the transit candidates proposed by Bruntt et al. (2003). The probability that the null detection is simply due to chance coincidence is estimated to be 3%-10%, depending on the metallicity assumed for the cluster. Conclusions. Possible explanations of the null-detection of transits include: (i) a lower frequency of close-in planets in star clusters; (ii) a smaller planetary radius for planets orbiting super metal rich stars; or (iii) limitations in the basic assumptions. More extensive photometry with 3-4m class telescopes is required to allow conclusive inferences about the frequency of planets in NGC 6791.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2006

The ACS Survey of Galactic Globular Clusters. I. Overview and Clusters Without Previous HST Photometry

We present the first results of a large ACS Survey of Galactic globular clusters. This Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Treasury project is designed to obtain photometry with S/N > ~10 for main sequence stars with masses > ~0.2Msun in a sample of globulars using the Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) Wide Field Channel. Here we focus on clusters without previous HST imaging data. These include NGC 5466, 6779, 5053, 6144, Palomar 2, E 3, Lynga 7, Palomar 1, and NGC 6366. Our CMDs extend reliably from the horizontal branch to as much as seven magnitudes fainter than the main sequence turnoff and represent the deepest CMDs published to-date for these clusters. Using fiducial sequences for three standard clusters (M92, NGC 6752, and 47 Tuc) with well-known metallicities and distances, we perform main sequence fitting on the target clusters in order to obtain estimates of their distances and reddenings. These comparisons along with fitting the cluster main sequences to theoretical isochrones yield ages for the target clusters. We find that the majority of the clusters have ages that are consistent with the standard clusters at their metallicities. The exceptions are E 3 which appears ~2 Gyr younger than 47 Tuc, and Pal 1, which could be as much as 8 Gyr younger than 47 Tuc.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2005

Galactic Globular Cluster Relative Ages. II

We present accurate relative ages for a sample of 55 Galactic globular clusters. The ages have been obtained by measuring the difference between the horizontal branch and the turnoff in two, internally photometrically homogeneous databases. The mutual consistency of the two data sets has been assessed by comparing the ages of 16 globular clusters in common between the two databases. We have also investigated the consistency of our relative age determination within the recent stellar model framework. All clusters with [Fe/H]<-1.7 are found to be old, and coeval, with the possible exception of two objects, which are marginally younger. The age dispersion for the metal poor clusters is 0.6 Gyr (rms), consistent with a null age dispersion. Intermediate metallicity clusters (-1.7<[Fe/H]<-0.8) are on average 1.5 Gyr younger than the metal poor ones, with an age dispersion of 1.0 Gyr (rms), and a total age range of ~3 Gyr. About 15% of the intermediate metallicity clusters are coeval with the oldest clusters. All the clusters with [Fe/H]>-0.8 are ~1 Gyr younger than the most metal poor ones, with a relatively small age dispersion, though the metal rich sample is still too small to allow firmer conclusions. There is no correlation of the cluster age with the Galactocentric distance. We briefly discuss the implication of these observational results for the formation history of the Galaxy.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2000

Photometric catalog of nearby globular clusters (II)

In this paper we present the second and final part of a large and photometrically homogeneous CCD color-magnitude diagram (CMD) data base, comprising 52 nearby Galactic globular clusters (GGC) imaged in the V and I bands. The catalog has been collected using only two telescopes (one for each hemisphere). The observed clusters represent 75% of the known Galactic globulars with (m-M)_v <= 16.15 mag, cover most of the globular cluster metallicity range (-2.2 <= [Fe/H] <= -0.4), and span Galactocentric distances from ~1.2 to ~18.5 kpc. In particular, here we present the CMDs for the 13 GGCs observed in the Northern hemisphere. The remaining 39 Southern hemisphere clusters of the catalog have been presented in a companion paper (Rosenberg et al., 2000, A&AS 144, 5). We present the first CCD color magnitude diagram for NGC6779 (M56). All the CMDs extend from at least ~2 magnitudes below the turn-off (i.e. V_lim ~22) to the tip of the red giant branch. The calibration has been done using a large number of standard stars, and the absolute calibration is reliable to a ~0.02 mag level in both filters. This catalog, because of its homogeneity, is expected to represent a useful data base for the measurement of the main absolute and relative parameters characterizing the CMD of GGCs.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2000

Photometric catalog of nearby globular clusters (I)

We present the first part of the first large and homogeneous CCD color-magnitude diagram (CMD) data base, comprising 52 nearby Galactic globular clusters (GGC) imaged in the V and I bands using only two telescopes (one for each hemisphere). The observed clusters represent 75% of the known Galactic globulars with (m-M)v<=16.15 mag, cover most of the globular cluster metallicity range (-2.2 <= [Fe/H] <= -0.4), and span Galactocentric distances from ~1.2 to ~18.5 kpc. In this paper, the CMDs for the 39 GGCs observed in the southern hemisphere are presented. The remaining 13 northern hemisphere clusters of the catalog are presented in a companion paper. For four clusters (NGC 4833, NGC 5986, NGC 6543, and NGC 6638) we present for the first time a CMD from CCD data. The typical CMD spans from the 22nd V magnitude to the tip of the red giant branch. Based on a large number of standard stars, the absolute photometric calibration is reliable to the ~0.02 mag level in both filters. This catalog, because of its homogeneity, is expected to represent a useful data base for the measurement of the main absolute and relative parameters characterizing the CMD of GGCs.

astro-ph↗

arXiv1999

Galactic Globular Cluster Relative Ages

Based on a new large, homogeneous photometric database of 35 Galactic globular clusters (GGCs), a set of distance and reddening independent relative age indicators has been measured. The observed D(V-I)_2.5 and D(V)(HB-TO) vs. metallicity relations have been compared with the relations predicted by two recent updated libraries of isochrones. Using these models and two independent methods, we have found that self-consistent relative ages can be estimated for our GGC sample. Based on the relative age vs. metallicity distribution, we conclude that: (a) there is no evidence of an age spread for clusters with [Fe/H]<-1.2, all the clusters of our sample in this range being old and coeval; (b) for the intermediate metallicity group (-1.2<=[Fe/H]<-0.9) there is a clear evidence of age dispersion, with clusters up to ~25% younger than the older members; and (c) the clusters within the metal rich group ([Fe/H]>=-0.9) seem to be coeval within the uncertainties (except Pal12), but younger (~17%) than the bulk of the Galactic globulars. The latter result is totally model dependent. From the distribution of the GGC ages with the Galactocentric distance, we can present a possible scenario for the Milky Way formation: The GC formation process started at the same zero age throughout the halo, at least out to ~20 kpc from the Galactic center. According to the present stellar evolution models, the metal-rich globulars are formed at a later time (~ 17% lower age). And finally, significantly younger halo GGCs are found at any R(GC)>8 kpc. For these, a possible scenario associated with mergers of dwarf galaxies to the Milky Way is suggested.

astro-ph↗

arXiv1998

Young Galactic globular clusters II. The case of Palomar 12

We present broadband V,I CCD photometry for ca. 1700 stars towards the Galactic globular cluster Palomar 12, covering a field of 10.7' x 10.7'. From these data, a color-magnitude diagram from the red giant branch tip to ca. 2 mag below the cluster's turn-off is obtained. From a comparison with the color magnitude diagrams of 47 Tuc and M5, and using different theoretical models, we confirm that Pal 12 is younger, finding an age 68% +/- 10% that of both template clusters. Revised structural parameters are also obtained: r(c) = 37.8 +/- 0.6 and c = 1.08 +/- 0.02.

astro-ph↗

arXiv1997

Pal 1: Another Young Galactic Halo Globular Cluster?

Deep V and I CCD images of the loosely populated Galactic globular cluster Pal 1 and the surrounding field have been obtained with the INT. A color magnitude diagram down to V(lim) ~ 24, and a luminosity function complete down to V(lim) ~ 23.25 have been constructed. Adopting a reddening E(V-I)=0.20+/-0.04 and comparing the CMD of Pal 1 with 47 Tucanae, we obtain a distance modulus (m-M)o=15.25+/-0.25, indicating that Pal 1 is located 3.7+/-0.4 kpc above the Galactic disc and 17.3+/-1.6 kpc from the Galactic center. Comparison with 47 Tuc and M71 shows that Pal 1 must be significantly younger. The best fitting isochrones (Bertelli et al, 1994) give an age between 6.3 and 8 Gyrs, which would make Pal 1 the youngest Galactic globular cluster so far identified, casting some doubt on the real nature of this object. The luminosity function shows some evidence for mass segregation, consistent with the very short relaxation time. The global mass function can be fitted with a power law of slope x=-1.4+/-0.7. This mass function is anomalously flat, suggesting either a strong dynamical evolution or an initial mass function significantly different from most of the other halo globular clusters. A discussion on the possible nature of Pal 1 is presented.

astro-ph↗

arXiv1997

The metallicity of Palomar 1

Palomar 1 is a peculiar galactic globular cluster, suspected to be younger than the bulk of the Galactic halo objects. However, such a low age can be confirmed only after a reliable determination of the metallicity. In the present paper, we use the equivalent widths (W) of the Ca II triplet on medium resolution spectra in order to determine the metal content of Pal 1. From the comparison of the luminosity corrected W's in four stars of Palomar 1 with those of a sample of stars in each of three calibration clusters (M2, M15, and M71), we derive [Fe/H]=-0.6+/-0.2 on the Zinn & West (1984) scale or [Fe/H]=-0.7+/-0.2 on the Carretta & Gratton (1997) scale. We also obtain a radial velocity Vr=-82.8+/-3.3 Km/s for Pal 1.

astro-ph↗

arXiv1994

Infrared and Raman Evidence for Dimers and Polymers in Rb1C60

The infrared- and Raman-active vibrational modes of C60 were measured in the various structural states of Rb1C60. According to earlier studies, Rb1C60 has an $fcc$ structure at temperatures above ~100C, a linear chain polymer orthorhombic structure when slowly cooled, and an as yet undetermined structure when very rapidly cooled ("quenched"). We show that the spectra obtained in the polymer state are consistent with each C60 molecule having bonds to two diametrically opposite neighbors. In the quenched state, we find evidence for further symmetry breaking, implying a lower symmetry structure than the polymer state. The spectroscopic data of the quenched phase are shown to be consistent with Rb2(C60)2, a dimerization of C60.

cond-mat↗