arXiv subjects

Bohdan Paczynski

Publications and source records attributed to Bohdan Paczynski.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2006

Astronomy with Small Telescopes

The All Sky Automated Survey (ASAS) is monitoring all sky to about 14 mag with a cadence of about 1 day; it has discovered about 10^5 variable stars, most of them new. The instrument used for the survey had aperture of 7 cm. A search for planetary transits has lead to the discovery of about a dozen confirmed planets, so called 'hot Jupiters', providing the information of planetary masses and radii. Most discoveries were done with telescopes with aperture of 10 cm. We propose a search for optical transients covering all sky with a cadence of 10 - 30 minutes and the limit of 12 - 14 mag, with an instant verification of all candidate events. The search will be made with a large number of 10 cm instruments, and the verification will be done with 30 cm instruments. We also propose a system to be located at the L_1 point of the Earth - Sun system to detect 'killer asteroids'. With a limiting magnitude of about 18 mag it could detect 10 m boulders several hours prior to their impact, provide warning against Tunguska-like events, as well as to provide news about spectacular but harmless more modest impacts.

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arXiv2005

Improved Correlation between the Variability and Peak Luminosity of Gamma-Ray Bursts

A new procedure for smoothing a gamma-ray burst (GRB) lightcurve and calculating its variability is presented. Applying the procedure to a sample of 25 long GRBs, we have obtained a very tight correlation between the variability and the peak luminosity. The only significant outlier in the sample is GRB 030329. With this outlier excluded, the data scatter is reduced by a factor of \sim 3 compared to that of Guidorzi et al. (2005), measured by the deviation of fit. Possible causes for the outlier are discussed.

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arXiv2005

On the nature of the S stars in the Galactic Center

Davies and King have suggested that the bright stars observed on short-period orbits about Sgr A* (``S stars'') are old, low-mass stripped AGB stars rather than young, high-mass main-sequence stars. If the observationally inferred effective temperatures and luminosities of these stars are correct, however, then DK have grossly overestimated the post-AGB lifetimes and hence underestimated the production rate in steady state. In fact, the total mass in stars stripped over the age of the Galaxy would exceed that of the stellar cusp bound to Sgr A*. We take issue also with Davies & King's estimates of the energetics involved in capturing the stars onto their present orbits.

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arXiv2003

Geometrically Thin Disk Accreting Into a Black Hole

A numerical model of a steady state, thin accretion disk with a constant effective speed of sound is presented. We demonstrate that `zero torque' inner boundary condition is a reasonable approximation provided that the disk thickness, including the thickness of the torquing magnetic fields, is small everywhere. It is likely that this conclusion is correct also for non-steady disks, as long as the total thickness at the sonic point, H_c, is much smaller than the radius there, r_c ~ r_{ms}. The very existence of thin disks is not proved or disproved in this work, but such disks are believed to exist for moderate accretion rates. Within our model there is a small torque at r_{ms}, which may increase disk luminosity by several percent. An important result of our analysis is that the physically acceptable steady state solutions in our toy model exist only for α< 0.14 (100 v_s/c)^{1/3}. A significant torque may be applied to a thin disk if there is a large scale magnetic field, like in a modified Blandford-Znajek mechanism.

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arXiv2003

Gravitational Microlensing: Black Holes, Planets; OGLE, VLTI, HST and Space Probes

OGLE and other projects are likely to discover first stellar mass black holes and the first planets through gravitational lensing in the next year or two. It is important to have follow-up projects ready, using diverse observing methods. The best for black hole detection would be a measurement of image splitting with VLTI, or any other optical interferometer. Alternative approach is to measure non-linear motion of the light centroid with the HST, or even with a ground based telescope. Every year OGLE detects several very long duration microlensing events brighter than I = 16 mag and K = 14 mag. The two images may be separated by up to 10 mas. Ground based detection of strong caustic crossing planetary events will provide mass ratios and proper motions for the detected systems. For most events photometric parallax needed for mass determination will require a space instrument at least as far as the L2 point, to provide long enough baseline.

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arXiv2003

The Distance to Pleiades

The distance to Pleiades remains controversial. There is a simple way to resolve the dispute definitely by measuring the distance to one of its brightest members, Atlas, which is astrometric and spectroscopic binary.

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arXiv2002

Massive Variability Search and Monitoring by OGLE and ASAS

OGLE and ASAS are long term observing projects operated by the Warsaw University Observatory at the Las Campanas site in Chile. OGLE is currently monitoring almost 200 million stars in the Galactic Bulge and the Magellanic Clouds, and has detected so far almost 1,000 events of gravitational microlensing with the dedicated 1.3-meter telescope. ASAS uses several very small instruments to monitor all southern sky for variability down to approximately 14 magnitude. A total of almost 300 thousand variable stars were discovered so far by the two projects, and all photometric data is available on the WWW. Both projects aim at real time recognition and verification of all new phenomena in the sky. OGLE is likely to discover planets by 2003 and stellar mass black holes by 2004-2005. All OGLE and ASAS data is made public domain as soon as possible, and may be used by a Virtual Observatory.

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arXiv2002

Constraining the Galactic Bar Parameters with Red Clump Giants

We show that the small intrinsic spread in luminosities of red clump giants can be used to constrain the differences in the streaming motions of Galatic bulge stars on the near side and those on the far side. We propose two methods to select two samples with one preferentially on the near side and the other on the far side. In the first method, we divide red clump giants into a bright sample and a faint one; stars in the bright sample will be on average more on the near side and vice versa. The second method relies on the fact that lensed bulge stars lie preferentially on the far side due to the enhanced lensing probability by the stars on the near side and in the disk. If the radial streaming motion is ~50km/s, we find the difference in the average radial velocity between the bright and faint samples can reach ~33km/s while the corresponding difference is about ~10km/s between the lensed stars and all observed stars. The difference in the average proper motion between the bright and faint samples is about ~1.6mas/yr if there is a tangential streaming motion of 100km/s; the corresponding shift between the lensed stars and all observed stars is ~1mas/yr. To observe the shifts in the radial velocity and proper motion, roughly one hundred microlensing events, and/or bright/faint red clump giants, need to be observed either spectroscopically or astrometrically. The spectroscopic observations can be performed efficiently using multi-object spectrographs already available. The proper motion signature of microlensed objects can be studied using ground-based telescopes and HST. These observations will provide strong constraints on the Galactic bar parameters (abridged).

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arXiv2001

Gamma-Ray Burst - Supernova Relation

There is growing evidence that long and hard gamma-ray bursts (GRBs), discovered at redshifts between 0.4 and 3.4, are related to some type of supernova (SN) explosions. The GRB ejecta are ultra-relativistic, and possibly beamed. There is a possibility that some SN ejecta are also beamed and/or relativistic. Prospects for farther advances guided by expected and unexpected observational developments are very good. The prospects for developing a sound and quantitative GRB theory any time soon are rather modest, if histories of quasars, radio pulsars and supernovae are used for reference. However, the current progress in the understanding of GRB afterglows (which are relativistic) and remnants (which are non-relativistic) is likely to continue, as these appear to be simpler than the GRBs. According to the current analysis of GRB 970508 the energy of gamma rays released by this event was about the same as the total energy of explosion. If correct, this result is difficult to reconcile with the internal shock models. It also implies that the global energy generation rate by GRBs is four orders of magnitude lower than the rate due to ordinary supernovae, which makes it very unlikely that the highly energetic supernova remnants were created by GRBs.

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arXiv2001

Massive Variability Searches: The Past, Present and Future Massive Variability Searches

Many decades ago a search for variable stars was one of the main areas of astrophysical research. Such searches, conducted with CCD detectors rather than with photographic plates, became a by-product of several projects seeking gravitational microlensing events towards the Magellanic Clouds and/or the Galactic Bulge: EROS, MACHO, and OGLE. These searches demonstrated that is is possible and practical to process in near real time photometry of tens of millions of stars every night, and to discover hundreds of thousands of variable stars. A limited subset of new variable star catalogs was published, but no comprehensive database of all photometric results became public domain so far. In the last few years a much broader, but shallower searches have been undertaken, and many other are at various stages of implementation or planning. There is a need to develop a system that would allow all these data to be processed and to be posted on the Internet in real time. Full information related to variability of point sources is made of a relatively few data types, hence it may be relatively easy to handle. Yet, it may be diverse enough to be interesting to a large number of users, professional as well as amateur, making it possible to do real time virtual observing, as well as data mining.

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arXiv2001

Optical Flashes Preceding GRBs

Only one optical flash associated with a gamma-ray burst has been detected so far by ROTSE. There are also upper limits obtained by several groups for several bursts. Recent model calculations indicate a possibility that optical flash may precede the main GRB. Such flashes are undetectable in the currently popular observing mode, with optical instruments responding to GRB triggers. There is a need to develop all sky optical monitoring system capable of recognizing flashes in real time, and more powerful instruments that could respond robotically to optical triggers and carry out follow up observations.

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arXiv2001

Monitoring Variability of the Sky

Variability in the sky has been known for centuries, even millennia, but our knowledge of it is very incomplete even at the bright end. Current technology makes it possible to built small, robotic optical instruments, to record images and to process data in real time, and to archive them on-line, all at a low cost. In addition to obtaining complete catalogs of all kinds of variable objects, spectacular discoveries can be made, like the optical flash associated with GRB 990123 and a planetary transit in front of HD 209458. While prototypes of such robotic instruments have been in operation for several years, it is not possible to purchase a complete system at this time. I expect (hope) that complete systems will become available `off the shelf' in the near future, as monitoring bright sky for variability has a great scientific, educational and public outreach potential.

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arXiv2001

The Distance to the Magellanic Clouds

The distance to LMC and SMC is a subject of controversy, with the difference between the extreme values in distance moduli exceeding 0.5 mag. While currently the best calibrated method is based on red clump giants, and the near future improvement is most likely to come from detached eclipsing binaries, the ultimate goal is to have a purely geometrical determination. The best prospect will be to use relatively wide binary stars, for which spectroscopic orbits will be obtained with large ground based telescopes, and astrometric orbits will be obtained either with SIM, or with future ground based interferometers. A preliminary list of 25 candidate systems is presented. It is based on OGLE catalogs of BVI photometry.

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arXiv2001

Can HST Measure the Mass of the Isolated Neutron Star RX J185635-3754 ?

In June 2003 the isolated neutron star RX J185635-3754 will pass within 0.3'' of a 26.5 mag star, changing its position by about 0.6 mas. The displacement, caused by gravitational lensing, will be proportional to the neutron star mass. The total event duration will be approximately 1 year.

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arXiv2001

Gamma-Ray Bursts at Low Redshift

Long duration gamma-ray bursts (GRB) are at cosmological distance, they appear to be located near star forming regions, and are likely associated with some type of supernovae. They are also likely to be strongly beamed, which lowers their energetics by several orders of magnitude, and increases their rate by the same factor. Therefore, it is likely that one out of 100 - 1000 core collapse supernovae generates ultra-relativistic jets, which beam gamma-rays and all other early emission into two narrow cones. After a year, or so, the jets are decelerated and become non-relativistic, and their emission becomes more or less isotropic. At least two GRB: 970508 (z = 0.835) and 980703 (z = 0.966) show strong radio emission from late, and therefore non-relativistic afterglows. Such events should be readily detectable at low redshift, say z = 0.03. A search for strong radio emitters among recent nearby supernovae should be done $ \sim 1 $ year after the explosion. If some of these explosions generated GRB and their gamma-ray beam missed us, the bipolar structure of the radio remnant should be resolvable with VLBA.

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arXiv2001

Monitoring All Sky for Variability

A few percent of all stars are variable, yet over 90% of variables brighter than 12 magnitude have not been discovered yet. There is a need for an all sky search and for the early detection of any unexpected events: optical flashes from gamma-ray bursts, novae, dwarf novae, supernovae, `killer asteroids'. The ongoing projects like ROTSE, ASAS, TASS, and others, using instruments with just 4 inch aperture, have already discovered thousands of new variable stars, a flash from an explosion at a cosmological distance, and the first partial eclipse of a nearby star by its Jupiter like planet. About one million variables may be discovered with such small instruments, and many more with larger telescopes. The critical elements are software and full automation of the hardware. A complete census of the brightest eclipsing binaries is needed to select objects for a robust empirical calibration of the the accurate distance determination to the Magellanic Clouds, the first step towards the Hubble constant. An archive to be generated by a large number of small instruments will be very valuable for data mining projects. The real time alerts will provide great targets of opportunity for the follow-up observations with the largest telescopes.

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arXiv2000

Extracting Energy from Accretion into Kerr Black Hole

The highest efficiency of converting rest mass into energy by accreting matter into a Kerr black hole is ~ 31% (Thorne 1974). We propose a new process in which periods of accretion from a thin disk, and the associated spin-up of the black hole, alternate with the periods of no accretion and magnetic transfer of energy from the black hole to the disk. These cycles can repeat indefinitely, at least in principle, with the black hole mass increasing by ~ 66% per cycle, and up to ~ 43% of accreted rest mass radiated away by the disk.

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arXiv2000

OGLE Cepheids have Lower Amplitudes in SMC than in LMC

We selected cepheids from the OGLE database for the Magellanic Clouds in the period range 10^{1.1} < P < 10^{1.4} days. There were 33 objects in the LMC and 35 in the SMC. We find that the median amplitude of cepheids in the LMC is 18% larger than in the SMC, a 4 sigma effect. This implies that the period - flux amplitude relation is not universal, and cannot be used to measure distances accurately.

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