arXiv subjects

B. L. Canto Martins

Publications and source records attributed to B. L. Canto Martins.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2018

Revealing the nonlinear behaviour of the lensed quasar Q0957+561

Knowledge about how the nonlinear behaviour of the intrinsic signal from lensed background sources changes on its path to the observer provides much information, particularly about the matter distribution in lensing galaxies and the physical properties of the current universe, in general. Here, we analyse the multifractal (nonlinear) behaviour of the optical observations of A and B images of Q0957+561 in the $r$ and $g$ bands. AIMS: To verify the presence, or absence, of extrinsic variations in the observed signals of the quasar images and investigate whether extrinsic variations affect the multifractal behaviour of their intrinsic signals. METHOD: We apply a wavelet transform modulus maxima-based multifractality analysis approach. RESULTS: We detect strong multifractal (nonlinear) signatures in the light curves of the quasar images. The degree of multifractality for both images in the $r$ band changes over time in a non-monotonic way, possibly indicating the presence of extrinsic variabilities in the light curves of the images, i.e., the signals of the quasar images are a combination of both intrinsic and extrinsic signals. Additionally, in the r band, in periods of quiescent microlensing activity, we find that the degree of multifractality (nonlinearity) of image A is stronger than that of B, while B has a larger multifractal strength in recent epochs (from day 5564 to day 7527) when it appears to be affected by microlensing. Finally, comparing the optical bands in a period of quiescent microlensing activity, we find that the degree of multifractality is stronger in the $r$ band for both quasar images. In the absence of microlensing, the observed excesses of nonlinearity are most likely generated when the broad-line region (BLR) reprocesses the radiation from the compact sources.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2018

Debris disks among Kepler solar rotational analog stars

Observations of circumstellar disks provide a powerful tool for our understanding of planetary systems dynamics. Analogs to the Solar System asteroid belts, debris disks result from the collision of the remaining solid material of the planet formation process. Even if the presence of disk is now reported for hundreds of stars, its detection around stars similar to the Sun is still very sparse. We report the results of a search for debris disks around Kepler stars with surface physical parameters close to solar values, including rotation period, using observations by the Wide-field infrared Survey Explorer (WISE). From the entire sample of Kepler stars, 881 targets were identified with these parameters and only six of them (KIC 1868785, 7267949, 7435796, 10533222, 11352643, and KIC 11666436) show unambiguous infrared excess, for which we determined debris disk physical parameters. Interestingly, the present study reveals traces of debris disks much more massive and brighter than the Solar System zodiacal dust, probably resulting from recent violent collisional events, orbiting stars with ages around the solar values.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2018

On the incidence of planet candidates in open clusters and a planet confirmation

Detecting exoplanets in clusters of different ages is a powerful tool for understanding a number of open questions, such as how the occurrence rate of planets depends on stellar metallicity, on mass, or on stellar environment. We present the first results of our HARPS long-term radial velocity (RV) survey which aims to discover exoplanets around intermediate-mass (between ~ 2 and 6 Msun) evolved stars in open clusters. We selected 826 bona fide HARPS observations of 114 giants from an initial list of 29 open clusters and computed the half peak-to-peak variability of the HARPS RV measurements, namely DeltaRV/2, for each target, to search for the best planet-host candidates. We also performed time series analysis for a few targets with enough observations to search for orbital solutions. Although we attempted to rule out the presence of binaries on the basis of previous surveys, we detected 14 new binary candidates in our sample, most of them identified from a comparison between HARPS and CORAVEL data. We also suggest 11 new planet-host candidates based on a relation between the stellar surface gravity and DeltaRV/2. Ten of the candidates have less than 3 Msun, showing evidence of a low planet occurrence rate for massive stars. One of the planet-host candidates and one of the binary candidates show very clear RV periodic variations, allowing us to confirm the discovery of a new planet and to compute the orbital solution for the binary. The planet is IC 4651 9122b, with a minimum mass of msini = 6.3 MJ and a semi-major axis a = 2.0 AU. The binary companion is NGC 5822 201B, with a very low minimum mass of msini = 0.11 Msun and a semi-major axis a = 6.5 AU, which is comparable to the Jupiter distance to the Sun.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2018

Multifractality Signatures in Quasars Time Series. I. 3C 273

The presence of multifractality in a time series shows different correlations for different time scales as well as intermittent behaviour that cannot be captured by a single scaling exponent. The identification of a multifractal nature allows for a characterization of the dynamics and of the intermittency of the fluctuations in non-linear and complex systems. In this study, we search for a possible multifractal structure (multifractality signature) of the flux variability in the quasar 3C 273 time series for all electromagnetic wavebands at different observation points, and the origins for the observed multifractality. This study is intended to highlight how the scaling behaves across the different bands of the selected candidate which can be used as an additional new technique to group quasars based on the fractal signature observed in their time series and determine whether quasars are non-linear physical systems or not. The Multifractal Detrended Moving Average algorithm (MFDMA) has been used to study the scaling in non-linear, complex and dynamic systems. To achieve this goal, we applied the backward (θ = 0) MFDMA method for one-dimensional signals. We observe weak multifractal (close to monofractal) behaviour in some of the time series of our candidate except in the mm, UV and X-ray bands. The non-linear temporal correlation is the main source of the observed multifractality in the time series whereas the heaviness of the distribution contributes less.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2017

New Suns in the Cosmos IV: the multifractal nature of stellar magnetic activity in \textit{Kepler} cool stars

In the present study, we investigate the multifractal nature of a long-cadence time series observed by the \textit{Kepler} mission for a sample of 34 M dwarf stars and the Sun in its active phase. Using the Multifractal Detrending Moving Average algorithm (MFDMA), which enables the detection of multifractality in nonstationary time series, we define a set of multifractal indices based on the multifractal spectrum profile as a measure of the level of stellar magnetic activity. This set of indices is given by the ($A$,$Δα$,$C$,$H$)-quartet, where $A$, $Δα$ and $C$ are related to geometric features from the multifractal spectrum and the global Hurst exponent $H$ describes the global structure and memorability of time series dynamics. As a test, we measure these indices and compare them with a magnetic index defined as $S_{ph}$ and verify the degree of correlation among them. First, we apply the Poincaré plot method and find a strong correlation between the $\left\langle S_{ph}\right\rangle$ index and one of the descriptors that emerges from this method. As a result, we find that this index is strongly correlated with long-term features of the signal. From the multifractal perspective, the $\left\langle S_{ph}\right\rangle$ index is also strongly linked to the geometric properties of the multifractal spectrum except for the $H$ index. Furthermore, our results emphasize that the rotation period of stars is scaled by the $H$ index, which is consistent with Skumanich's relationship. Finally, our approach suggests that the $H$ index may be related to the evolution of stellar angular momentum and a star's magnetic properties.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2016

EELT-HIRES the high-resolution spectrograph for the E-ELT

The first generation of E-ELT instruments will include an optical-infrared High Resolution Spectrograph, conventionally indicated as EELT-HIRES, which will be capable of providing unique breakthroughs in the fields of exoplanets, star and planet formation, physics and evolution of stars and galaxies, cosmology and fundamental physics. A 2-year long phase A study for EELT-HIRES has just started and will be performed by a consortium composed of institutes and organisations from Brazil, Chile, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and United Kingdom. In this paper we describe the science goals and the preliminary technical concept for EELT-HIRES which will be developed during the phase A, as well as its planned development and consortium organisation during the study.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2016

New Suns in the Cosmos III: multifractal signature analysis

In present paper, we investigate the multifractality signatures in hourly time series extracted from CoRoT spacecraft database. Our analysis is intended to highlight the possibility that astrophysical time series can be members of a particular class of complex and dynamic processes which require several photometric variability diagnostics to characterize their structural and topological properties. To achieve this goal, we search for contributions due to nonlinear temporal correlation and effects caused by heavier tails than the Gaussian distribution, using a detrending moving average algorithm for one-dimensional multifractal signals (MFDMA). We observe that the correlation structure is the main source of multifractality, while heavy-tailed distribution plays a minor role in generating the multifractal effects. Our work also reveals that rotation period of stars is inherently scaled by degree of multifractality. As a result, analyzing the multifractal degree of referred series, we uncover an evolution of multifractality from shorter to larger periods.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2016

New Suns in the Cosmos II: Differential rotation in Kepler Sun-like stars

The present study reports the discovery of Sun-like stars, namely main-sequence stars with $T_{\rm eff}$, $\log g$ and rotation periods $P_{rot}$ similar to solar values, presenting evidence of surface differential rotation. An autocorrelation of the time series was used to select stars presenting photometric signal stability from a sample of 881 stars with light curves collected by the $Kepler$ space-borne telescope, in which we have identified 17 stars with stable signals. A simple two-spot model together with a Bayesian information criterion were applied to these stars in the search for indications of differential rotation; in addition, for all 17 stars, it was possible to compute the spot rotation period $P$, the mean values of the individual spot rotation periods and their respective colatitudes, and the relative amplitude of the differential rotation.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2016

Search for giant planets in M67 III: excess of hot Jupiters in dense open clusters

Since 2008 we used high-precision radial velocity (RV) measurements obtained with different telescopes to detect signatures of massive planets around main-sequence and evolved stars of the open cluster (OC) M67. We aimed to perform a long-term study on giant planet formation in open clusters and determine how this formation depends on stellar mass and chemical composition. A new hot Jupiter (HJ) around the main-sequence star YBP401 is reported in this work. An update of the RV measurements for the two HJ host-stars YBP1194 and YBP1514 is also discussed. Our sample of 66 main-sequence and turnoff stars includes 3 HJs, which indicates a high rate of HJs in this cluster (~5.6% for single stars and ~4.5% for the full sample ). This rate is much higher than what has been discovered in the field, either with RV surveys or by transits. High metallicity is not a cause for the excess of HJs in M67, nor can the excess be attributed to high stellar masses. When combining this rate with the non-zero eccentricity of the orbits, our results are qualitatively consistent with a HJ formation scenario dominated by strong encounters with other stars or binary companions and subsequent planet-planet scattering, as predicted by N-body simulations.

astro-ph.EP↗

arXiv2015

Rotation period distribution of CoRoT and Kepler Sun-like stars

We study the distribution of the photometric rotation period (Prot), which is a direct measurement of the surface rotation at active latitudes, for three subsamples of Sun-like stars: one from CoRoT data and two from Kepler data. We identify the main populations of these samples and interpret their main biases specifically for a comparison with the solar Prot. Prot and variability amplitude (A) measurements were obtained from public CoRoT and Kepler catalogs combined with physical parameters. Because these samples are subject to selection effects, we computed synthetic samples with simulated biases to compare with observations, particularly around the location of the Sun in the HR diagram. Theoretical grids and empirical relations were used to combine physical parameters with Prot and A. Biases were simulated by performing cutoffs on the physical and rotational parameters in the same way as in each observed sample. A crucial cutoff is related with the detectability of the rotational modulation, which strongly depends on A. The synthetic samples explain the observed Prot distributions of Sun-like stars as having two main populations: one of young objects (group I, with ages younger than ~1 Gyr) and another of MS and evolved stars (group II, with ages older than ~1 Gyr). The proportions of groups I and II in relation to the total number of stars range within 64-84% and 16-36%, respectively. Hence, young objects abound in the distributions, producing the effect of observing a high number of short periods around the location of the Sun in the HR diagram. Differences in the Prot distributions between the CoRoT and Kepler Sun-like samples may be associated with different Galactic populations. Overall, the synthetic distribution around the solar period agrees with observations, which suggests that the solar rotation is normal with respect to Sun-like stars within the accuracy of current data.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2015

Stellar Cycles from Photometric Data: CoRoT Stars

Until a few years ago, the amplitude variation in the photometric data had been limitedly explored mainly because of time resolution and photometric sensitivity limitations. This investigation is now possible thanks to the Kepler and CoRoT databases which provided a unique set of data for studying of the nature of stellar variability cycles. The present study characterizes the amplitude variation in a sample of main--sequence stars with light curves collected using CoRoT exo--field CCDs. We analyze potential stellar activity cycles by studying the variability amplitude over small boxes. The cycle periods and amplitudes were computed based on the Lomb-Scargle periodogram, harmonic fits, and visual inspection. As a first application of our approach we have considered the photometric data for 16 CoRoT FGK main sequence stars, revisited during the IRa01, LRa01 and LRa06 CoRoT runs. The 16 CoRoT stars appear to follow the empirical relations between activity cycle periods ($P_{cyc}$) and the rotation period ($P_{rot}$) found by previous works. In addition to the so-called A (active) and I (inactive) sequences previously identified, there is a possible third sequence, here named S (short-cycles) sequence. However, recovery fractions estimated from simulations suggest that only a half of our sample has confident cycle measurements. Therefore, more study is needed to verify our results and Kepler data shall be notably useful for such a study. Overall, our procedure provides a key tool for exploring the CoRoT and Kepler databases to identify and characterize stellar cycle variability.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2015

The variability behavior of CoRoT M-giant Stars

For 6 years the Convection, Rotation, and Planetary Transits (CoRoT) space mission has acquired photometric data from more than one hundred thousand point sources towards and directly opposite from the inner and outer regions of the Galaxy. The high temporal resolution of the CoRoT data combined with the wide time span of the observations has enabled the study of short and long time variations in unprecedented detail. From the initial sample of 2534 stars classified as M-giants in the CoRoT databasis, we selected 1428 targets that exhibit well defined variability, using visual inspection. The variability period and amplitude of C1 stars (stars having Teff < 4200 K) were computed using Lomb-Scargle and harmonic fit methods. The trends found in the V-I vs J-K color-color diagram are in agreement with standard empirical calibrations for M-giants. The sources located towards the inner regions of the Galaxy are distributed throughout the diagram while the majority of the stars towards the outer regions of the Galaxy are spread between the calibrations of M-giants and the predicted position for Carbon stars. The stars classified as supergiants follow a different sequence from the one found for giant stars. We also performed a KS test of the period and amplitude of stars towards the inner and outer regions of the Galaxy. We obtained a low probability that the two samples come from the same parent distribution. The observed behavior of the period-amplitude and period-Teff diagrams are, in general, in agreement with those found for Kepler sources and ground based photometry, with pulsation being the dominant cause responsible for the observed modulation. We also conclude that short-time variations on M-Giant stars do not exist orare very rare and the few cases we found are possibly related to biases or background stars.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2015

Kepler rapidly rotating giant stars

Rapidly rotating giant stars are relatively rare and may represent important stages of stellar evolution, resulting from stellar coalescence of close binary systems or accretion of sub-stellar companions by their hosting stars. In the present letter we report 17 giant stars observed in the scope of the Kepler space mission exhibiting rapid rotation behavior. For the first time the abnormal rotational behavior for this puzzling family of stars is revealed by direct measurements of rotation, namely from photometric rotation period, exhibiting very short rotation period with values ranging from 13 to 55 days. This finding points for remarkable surface rotation rates, up to 18 times the Sun rotation. These giants are combined with 6 other recently listed in the literature for mid-IR diagnostic based on WISE information, from which a trend for an infrared excess is revealed for at least a half of the stars, but at a level far lower than the dust excess emission shown by planet-bearing main-sequence stars.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2015

Stellar parameters for stars of the CoRoT exoplanet field

Aims:To support the computation and evolutionary interpretation of periods associated with the rotational modulation, oscillations, and variability of stars located in the CoRoT fields, we are conducting a spectroscopic survey for stars located in the fields already observed by the satellite. These observations allow us to compute physical and chemical parameters for our stellar sample. Method: Using spectroscopic observations obtained with UVES/VLT and Hydra/Blanco, and based on standard analysis techniques, we computed physical and chemical parameters ($T_{\rm{eff}}$, $\log \,(g)$, $\rm{[Fe/H]}$, $v_{\rm{mic}}$, $v_{\rm{rad}}$, $v \sin \,(i)$, and $A(\rm{Li})$) for a large sample of CoRoT targets. Results: We provide physical and chemical parameters for a sample comprised of 138 CoRoT targets. Our analysis shows the stars in our sample are located in different evolutionary stages, ranging from the main sequence to the red giant branch, and range in spectral type from F to K. The physical and chemical properties for the stellar sample are in agreement with typical values reported for FGK stars. However, we report three stars presenting abnormal lithium behavior in the CoRoT fields. These parameters allow us to properly characterize the intrinsic properties of the stars in these fields. Our results reveal important differences in the distributions of metallicity, $T_{\rm eff}$, and evolutionary status for stars belonging to different CoRoT fields, in agreement with results obtained independently from ground-based photometric surveys. Conclusions: Our spectroscopic catalog, by providing much-needed spectroscopic information for a large sample of CoRoT targets, will be of key importance for the successful accomplishment of several different programs related to the CoRoT mission, thus it will help further boost the scientific return associated with this space mission.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2015

The rotational behavior of Kepler Stars with Planets

We analyzed the host stars of the present sample of confirmed planets detected by Kepler and Kepler Objects of Interest (KOI) to compute new photometric rotation periods and to study the behavior of their angular momentum. Lomb-Scargle periodograms and wavelet maps were computed for 3,807 stars. For 540 of these stars, we were able to detect rotational modulation of the light curves at a significance level of greater than 99%. For 63 of these 540 stars, no rotation measurements were previously available in the literature. According to the published masses and evolutionary tracks of the stars in this sample, the sample is composed of M- to F-type stars (with masses of 0.48-1.53 M$_{\odot}$) with rotation periods that span a range of 2 to 89 days. These periods exhibit an excellent agreement with previously reported (for the stars for which such values are available), and the observed rotational period distribution strongly agrees with theoretical predictions. Furthermore, for the 540 sources considered here, the stellar angular momentum provides an important test of Kraft's relation based on the photometric rotation periods. Finally, this study directly contributes in a direct approach to our understanding of how angular momentum is distributed between the host star and its (detected) planetary system; the role of angular momentum exchange in such systems is an unavoidable piece of the stellar rotation puzzle.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2013

New Suns in the Cosmos?

The present work reports on the discovery of three stars that we have identified to be rotating Sun-like stars, based on rotational modulation signatures inferred from light curves from the CoRoT mission's Public Archives. In our analysis, we performed an initial selection based on rotation period and position in the Period--$T_{\rm eff}$ diagram. This revealed that the stars CoRoT IDs 100746852, 102709980, and 105693572 provide potentially good matches to the Sun with similar rotation period. To refine our analysis, we applied a novel procedure, taking into account the fluctuations of the features associated to photometric modulation at different time intervals and the fractality traces that are present in the light curves of the Sun and of these "New Sun" candidates alike. In this sense, we computed the so-called Hurst exponent for the referred stars, for a sample of fourteen CoRoT stars with sub- and super-solar rotational periods, and for the Sun, itself, in its active and quiet phases. We found that the Hurst exponent can provide a strong discriminant of Sun-like behavior, going beyond what can be achieved with solely the rotation period itself. In particular, we find that CoRoT ID 105693572 is the star that most closely matches the solar rotation properties, as far as the latter's imprints on light curve behavior is concerned. The stars CoRoT IDs 100746852 and 102709980 have significant smaller Hurst exponents than the Sun, notwithstanding their similarity in rotation periods.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2013

Overview of semi-sinusoidal stellar variability with the CoRoT satellite

To date, the CoRoT space mission has produced more than 124,471 light curves. Classifying these curves in terms of unambiguous variability behavior is mandatory for obtaining an unbiased statistical view on their controlling root-causes. The present study provides an overview of semi-sinusoidal light curves observed by the CoRoT exo-field CCDs. We selected a sample of 4,206 light curves presenting well-defined semi-sinusoidal signatures. The variability periods were computed based on Lomb-Scargle periodograms, harmonic fits, and visual inspection. Color-period diagrams for the present sample show the trend of an increase of the variability periods as long as the stars evolve. This evolutionary behavior is also noticed when comparing the period distribution in the Galactic center and anti-center directions. These aspects indicate a compatibility with stellar rotation, although more information is needed to confirm their root-causes. Considering this possibility, we identified a subset of three Sun-like candidates by their photometric period. Finally, the variability period versus color diagram behavior was found to be highly dependent on the reddening correction.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2011

On the chromospheric activity of stars with planets

Context. Signatures of chromospheric activity enhancement have been found for a dozen stars, pointing to a possible star-planet interaction. Nevertheless in the coronal activity regime, there is no conclusive observational evidence for such an interaction. Does star-planet interaction manifest itself only for a few particular cases, without having a major effect on stars with planets in general? Aims. We aim to add additional observational constraints to support or reject the major effects of star-planet interactions in stellar activity, based on CaII chromospheric emission flux. Methods. We performed a statistical analysis of CaII emission flux of stars with planets, as well as a comparison between CaII and X-ray emission fluxes, searching for dependencies on planetary parameters. Results. In the present sample of stars with planets, there are no significant correlations between chromospheric activity indicator log(R'HK) and planetary parameters. Further, the distribution of the chromospheric activity indicator for stars without planets is not distinguishable from the one with planets.

astro-ph.EP↗