arXiv subjects

Alexandre Gallenne

Publications and source records attributed to Alexandre Gallenne.

43 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

arXiv2013

The Araucaria Project. The distance to the Small Magellanic Cloud from late-type eclipsing binaries

We present a distance determination to the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) based on an analysis of four detached, long period, late type eclipsing binaries discovered by the OGLE Survey. The components of the binaries show negligible intrinsic variability. A consistent set of stellar parameters was derived with low statistical and systematic uncertainty. The absolute dimensions of the stars are calculated with a precision of better than 3%. The surface brightness - infrared color relation was used to derive the distance to each binary. The four systems clump around a distance modulus of (m - M)=18.99 with a dispersion of only 0.05 mag. Combining these results with the distance published by Graczyk et al. for the eclipsing binary OGLE SMC113.3 4007 we obtain a mean distance modulus to the SMC of 18.965 +/- 0.025 (stat.) +/- 0.048 (syst.) mag. This corresponds to a distance of 62.1 +/- 1.9 kpc, where the error includes both uncertainties. Taking into account other recent published determinations of the SMC distance we calculated the distance modulus difference between the SMC and the LMC equal to 0.458 +/- 0.068 mag. Finally we advocate mu_{SMC}=18.95 +/- 0.07 as a new "canonical" value of the distance modulus to this galaxy.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2012

Cepheid distances from the Baade-Wesselink method

Recent progress on Baade-Wesselink (BW)-type techniques to determine the distances to classical Cepheids is reviewed. Particular emphasis is placed on the near-infrared surface-brightness (IRSB) version of the BW method. Its most recent calibration is described and shown to be capable of yielding individual Cepheid distances accurate to 6%, including systematic uncertainties. Cepheid distances from the IRSB method are compared to those determined from open cluster zero-age main-sequence fitting for Cepheids located in Galactic open clusters, yielding excellent agreement between the IRSB and cluster Cepheid distance scales. Results for the Cepheid period-luminosity (PL) relation in near-infrared and optical bands based on IRSB distances and the question of the universality of the Cepheid PL relation are discussed. Results from other implementations of the BW method are compared to the IRSB distance scale and possible reasons for discrepancies are identified.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2011

Cepheids at high angular resolution: circumstellar envelope and pulsation

In 2005, interferometric observations with VLTI/VINCI and CHARA/FLUOR revealed the existence of a circumstellar envelope (CSE) around some Cepheids. This surrounding material is particularly interesting for two reasons: it could have an impact on the distance estimates and could be linked to a past or on-going mass loss. The use of Baade-Wesselink methods for independent distance determinations could be significantly biased by the presence of these envelopes. Although their observations are difficult because of the high contrast between the photosphere of the star and the CSE, several observation techniques have the potential to improve our knowledge about their physical properties. In this thesis, I discuss in particular high angular resolution techniques that I applied to the study of several bright Galactic Cepheids. First, I used adaptive optic observations with NACO of the Cepheid RS Puppis, in order to deduce the flux ratio between the CSE and the photosphere of the star. In addition, I could carry out a statistical study of the speckle noise and inspect a possible asymmetry. Secondly, I analysed VISIR data to study the spectral energy distribution of a sample of Cepheids. These diffraction-limited images enabled me to carry out an accurate photometry in the N band and to detect an IR excess linked to the presence of a circumstellar component. On the other hand, applying a Fourier analysis I showed that some components are resolved. I then explored the K' band with the recombination instrument FLUOR for some bright Cepheids. Thanks to new set of data of Y Oph, I improved the study of its circumstellar envelope, using a ring-like model for the CSE. For two other Cepheids, U Vul and S Sge, I applied the interferometric Baade-Wesselink method in order to estimate their distance.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2011

Thermal infrared properties of classical and type II Cepheids Diffraction limited 10 microns imaging with VLT/VISIR

We present new thermal IR photometry and spectral energy distributions (SEDs) of eight classical Cepheids (type I) and three type II Cepheids, using VISIR thermal IR photometric measurements, supplemented with literature data. We used the BURST mode of the instrument to get diffraction-limited images at 8.59, 11.25 and 11.85 μm. The SEDs show a IR excess at wavelengths longer than 10μm in ten of the eleven stars. We tentatively attribute these excesses to circumstellar emission created by mass loss from the Cepheids. With some hypotheses for the dust composition, we estimated a total mass of the envelope ranging from 10-10 to 10-8 M\odot. We also detect a spatially extended emission around AX Cir, X Sgr, W Sgr, Y Oph and U Car while we do not resolve the circumstellar envelope (CSE) for the other stars. The averaged circumstellar envelope brightnesses relative to the stellar photosphere are α(AX Cir) = 13.8\pm2.5%, α(X Sgr) = 7.9\pm1.4%, α(W Sgr) = 3.8\pm0.6%, α(Y Oph) = 15.1\pm1.4% and α(U Car) = 16.3\pm1.4% at 8.59 μm. With this study, we extend the number of classical Cepheids with detected CSEs from 9 to 14, confirming that at least a large fraction of all Cepheids are experiencing significant mass loss. The presence of these CSEs may also impact the future use of Cepheids as standard candles at near and thermal infrared wavelengths.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2011

Spatially extended emission around the Cepheid RS Puppis in near-infrared hydrogen lines. Adaptive optics imaging with VLT/NACO

It has been recently discovered that Cepheids harbor circumstellar envelopes (CSEs). RS Pup is the Cepheid that presents the most prominent circumstellar envelope known, the origin of which is not yet understood. Our purpose is to estimate the flux contribution of the CSE around RS Pup at the one arcsecond scale (~2000 AU) and to investigate its geometry, especially regarding asymmetries, to constrain its physical properties. We obtained near-infrared images in two narrow band filters centered on λ= 1.644 and 2.180 μm (NB 1.64 and IB 2.18, respectively) that comprise two recombination lines of hydrogen: the 12-4 and 7-4 (Brackett γ) transitions, respectively. We used NACO's cube mode observations in order to improve the angular resolution with the shift-and-add technique, and to qualitatively study the symmetry of the spatially extended emission from the CSE with a statistical study of the speckle noise. We probably detect at a 2σlevel an extended emission with a relative flux (compared with the star in the same filter) of 38 $\pm$ 17% in the NB 1.64 filter and 24 $\pm$ 11% in the IB 2.18 filter. This emission is centered on RS Pup and does not present any detectable asymmetry. We attribute the detected emission to the likely presence of an hydrogen envelope surrounding the star.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2010

Status and new operation modes of the versatile VLT/NACO

This paper aims at giving an update on the most versatile adaptive optics fed instrument to date, the well known and successful NACO . Although NACO is only scheduled for about two more years at the Very Large Telescope (VLT), it keeps on evolving with additional operation modes bringing original astronomical results. The high contrast imaging community uses it creatively as a test-bench for SPHERE and other second generation planet imagers. A new visible wavefront sensor (WFS) optimized for Laser Guide Star (LGS) operations has been installed and tested, the cube mode is more and more requested for frame selection on bright sources, a seeing enhancer mode (no tip/tilt correction) is now offered to provide full sky coverage and welcome all kind of extragalactic applications, etc. The Instrument Operations Team (IOT) and Paranal engineers are currently working hard at maintaining the instrument overall performances but also at improving them and offering new capabilities, providing the community with a well tuned and original instrument for the remaining time it is being used. The present contribution delivers a non-exhaustive overview of the new modes and experiments that have been carried out in the past months.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2009

The circumstellar envelopes of the Cepheids L Car and RS Pup - Comparative study in the infrared with Spitzer, VLT/VISIR and VLTI/MIDI

[Abridged] - Context: Circumstellar envelopes (CSEs) around Cepheids are particularly interesting as they could impact the Cepheid distance scale, and imply stellar mass loss. Aims: Our goal is to establish the spatial and spectral properties of the CSEs of L Car and RS Pup. This is done through a parametrization of the envelopes in terms of fractional flux (with respect to the star) and angular size. - Methods: We retrieved archival Spitzer images of the two stars (3.5-70 mic), and obtained new imaging with the VLT/VISIR camera in BURST mode (8.6-11.9 mic), as well as interferometry with VLTI/MIDI (8-13 mic). This combination allows us to probe the envelopes over arcminute to milliarcsecond scales. - Results: The CSE of RS Pup is resolved at 24 and 70 mic by Spitzer, and around 10 mic by MIDI and VISIR. The compact envelope of L Car is resolved only in the VISIR and MIDI observations. However, the properties of the IR excesses differ considerably : a warm component is present around both stars at a spatial scale of a few 100 to a few 1 000 AU, but RS Pup presents in addition a large (several 100 000 AU) and cold (~40 K) dusty envelope. - Conclusions: We propose that the reflection nebula surrounding RS Pup has an interstellar origin, while the warm CSEs of both stars were created by ongoing stellar mass loss. Such warm circumstellar envelopes are probably common around Cepheids.

astro-ph.SR↗