arXiv subjects

D. Hatzidimitriou

Publications and source records attributed to D. Hatzidimitriou.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2021

Gaia Early Data Release 3: Structure and properties of the Magellanic Clouds

We compare the Gaia DR2 and Gaia EDR3 performances in the study of the Magellanic Clouds and show the clear improvements in precision and accuracy in the new release. We also show that the systematics still present in the data make the determination of the 3D geometry of the LMC a difficult endeavour; this is at the very limit of the usefulness of the Gaia EDR3 astrometry, but it may become feasible with the use of additional external data. We derive radial and tangential velocity maps and global profiles for the LMC for the several subsamples we defined. To our knowledge, this is the first time that the two planar components of the ordered and random motions are derived for multiple stellar evolutionary phases in a galactic disc outside the Milky Way, showing the differences between younger and older phases. We also analyse the spatial structure and motions in the central region, the bar, and the disc, providing new insights into features and kinematics. Finally, we show that the Gaia EDR3 data allows clearly resolving the Magellanic Bridge, and we trace the density and velocity flow of the stars from the SMC towards the LMC not only globally, but also separately for young and evolved populations. This allows us to confirm an evolved population in the Bridge that is slightly shift from the younger population. Additionally, we were able to study the outskirts of both Magellanic Clouds, in which we detected some well-known features and indications of new ones.

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arXiv2020

Gaia Early Data Release 3: Acceleration of the solar system from Gaia astrometry

Context. Gaia Early Data Release 3 (Gaia EDR3) provides accurate astrometry for about 1.6 million compact (QSO-like) extragalactic sources, 1.2 million of which have the best-quality five-parameter astrometric solutions. Aims. The proper motions of QSO-like sources are used to reveal a systematic pattern due to the acceleration of the solar system barycentre with respect to the rest frame of the Universe. Apart from being an important scientific result by itself, the acceleration measured in this way is a good quality indicator of the Gaia astrometric solution. Methods. The effect of the acceleration is obtained as a part of the general expansion of the vector field of proper motions in Vector Spherical Harmonics (VSH). Various versions of the VSH fit and various subsets of the sources are tried and compared to get the most consistent result and a realistic estimate of its uncertainty. Additional tests with the Gaia astrometric solution are used to get a better idea on possible systematic errors in the estimate. Results. Our best estimate of the acceleration based on Gaia EDR3 is $(2.32 \pm 0.16) \times 10^{-10}$ m s${}^{-2}$ (or $7.33 \pm 0.51$ km s$^{-1}$ Myr${}^{-1}$) towards $α= 269.1^\circ \pm 5.4^\circ$, $δ= -31.6^\circ \pm 4.1^\circ$, corresponding to a proper motion amplitude of $5.05 \pm 0.35$ $μ$as yr${}^{-1}$. This is in good agreement with the acceleration expected from current models of the Galactic gravitational potential. We expect that future Gaia data releases will provide estimates of the acceleration with uncertainties substantially below 0.1 $μ$as yr${}^{-1}$.

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arXiv2019

The Hubble Catalog of Variables (HCV)

The Hubble Space Telescope (HST) has obtained multi-epoch observations providing the opportunity for a comprehensive variability search aiming to uncover new variables. We have therefore undertaken the task of creating a catalog of variable sources based on version 3 of the Hubble Source Catalog (HSC), which relies on publicly available images obtained with the WFPC2, ACS, and WFC3 instruments onboard the HST. We adopted magnitude-dependent thresholding in median absolute deviation (a robust measure of light curve scatter) combined with sophisticated preprocessing techniques and visual quality control to identify and validate variable sources observed by Hubble with the same instrument and filter combination five or more times. The Hubble Catalog of Variables (HCV) includes 84,428 candidate variable sources (out of 3.7 million HSC sources that were searched for variability) with $V \leq 27$ mag; for 11,115 of them the variability is detected in more than one filter. The data points in the light curves of the variables in the HCV catalog range from five to 120 points (typically having less than ten points); the time baseline ranges from under a day to over 15 years; while $\sim$8% of all variables have amplitudes in excess of 1 mag. Visual inspection performed on a subset of the candidate variables suggests that at least 80% of the candidate variables that passed our automated quality control are true variable sources rather than spurious detections resulting from blending, residual cosmic rays, and calibration errors. The HCV is the first, homogeneous catalog of variable sources created from archival HST data and currently is the deepest catalog of variables available. The catalog includes variable stars in our Galaxy and nearby galaxies, as well as transients and variable active galactic nuclei. (abbreviated)

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arXiv2019

Discrete star formation events in the central Bar of the Small Magellanic Cloud

We present the results of the photometric analysis of a large part of the main body of the Small Magellanic Cloud. Using the 6.5m Magellan Telescope at the Las Campanas Observatory in Chile, we have acquired deep B and I images in four fields (0.44 degree each in diameter), yielding accurate photometry for 1,068,893 stars down to 24th magnitude, with a spatial resolution of 0.20 arcsec per pixel. Colour-magnitude diagrams and (completeness corrected) luminosity functions have been constructed, yielding significant new results that indicate at least two discrete star formation events over a period from 2.7 to 4 Gyr ago. Also, we have derived star formation rates as a function of look back time and have found enhancements of SF between 4-6 Gyr and at younger ages.

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arXiv2019

The HST Key Project galaxies NGC 1326A, NGC 1425 and NGC 4548: New variable stars and massive star population

Studies on the massive star population in galaxies beyond the Local Group are the key to understand the link between their numbers and modes of star formation in different environments. We present the analysis of the massive star population of the galaxies NGC 1326A, NGC 1425 and NGC 4548 using archival Hubble Space Telescope Wide Field Planetary Camera 2 images in the F555W and F814W filters. Through high precision point spread function fitting photometry for all sources in the three fields we identified 7640 candidate blue supergiants, 2314 candidate yellow supergiants, and 4270 candidate red supergiants. We provide an estimation the ratio of blue to red supergiants for each field as a function of galactocentric radius. Using Modules for Experiments in Stellar Astrophysics (MESA) at solar metallicity, we defined the luminosity function and estimated the star formation history of each galaxy. We carried out a variability search in the V and I filters using three variability indexes: the median absolute deviation, the interquartile range, and the inverse von-Neumann ratio. This analysis yielded 243 new variable candidates with absolute magnitudes ranging from Mv= -4 to -10 mag. We classified the variable stars based on their absolute magnitude and their position on the color-magnitude diagram using the MESA evolutionary tracks at solar metallicity. Our analysis yielded 8 candidate variable blue supergiants, 12 candidate variable yellow supergiants, 21 candidate variable red supergiants, and 4 candidate periodic variables.

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arXiv2019

The Gaia-ESO Survey: The inner disc, intermediate-age open cluster Pismis 18

Pismis 18 is a moderately populated, intermediate-age open cluster located within the solar circle at a Galactocentric distance of about 7 kpc. Few open clusters have been studied in detail in the inner disc region before the Gaia-ESO Survey. New data from the Gaia-ESO Survey allowed us to conduct an extended radial velocity membership study as well as spectroscopic metallicity and detailed chemical abundance measurements for this cluster. Gaia-ESO Survey data for 142 potential members, lying on the upper MS and on the red clump, yielded radial velocity measurements, which, together with proper motion measurements from the Gaia DR2, were used to determine the systemic velocity of the cluster and membership of individual stars. Photometry from Gaia DR2 was used to re-determine cluster parameters based on high confidence member stars only. Cluster abundance measurements of six radial-velocity member stars with UVES high-resolution spectroscopy are presented for 23 elements. According to the new estimates, based on high confidence members, Pismis 18 has an age of $700^{+40}_{-50}$ Myr, interstellar reddening of E(B-V) = $0.562^{+0.012}_{-0.026}$ mag and a de-reddened distance modulus of $DM_0 = 11.96^{+0.10}_{-0.24}$ mag. The median metallicity of the cluster (using the six UVES stars) is [Fe/H] = $+0.23 \pm 0.05$ dex, with [$α$/Fe]= $0.07 \pm 0.13$ and a slight enhancement of s- and r- neutron-capture elements. With the present work, we fully characterized the open cluster Pismis 18, confirming its present location in the inner disc. We estimated a younger age than the previous literature values and gave, for the first time, its metallicity and its detailed abundances. Its [$α$/Fe] and [s-process/Fe], both slightly super-solar, are in agreement with other inner-disc open clusters observed by the Gaia-ESO survey. [abridged]

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arXiv2019

Robust Identification of Active Galactic Nuclei through HST Optical Variability in GOODS-S: Comparison with the X-ray and mid-IR Selected Samples

Identifying Active Galactic Nuclei (AGNs) through their X-ray emission is efficient, but necessarily biased against X-ray-faint objects. We aim to characterize this bias by comparing X-ray-selected AGNs to the ones identified through optical variability and mid-IR colours. We present a catalogue of AGNs selected through optical variability using all publicly available z-band Hubble Space Telescope images in the GOODS-South field. For all objects in the catalogue, we compute X-ray upper limits or discuss detections in the deepest available 7 Ms Chandra Deep Field South images and present the Spitzer/IRAC mid-IR colours. For the variability study, we consider only sources observed over at least five epochs and over a time baseline of up to ten years. We adopt the elevated median absolute deviation as a variability indicator robust against individual outlier measurements and identify 113 variability-selected AGN candidates. Among these, 26 have an X-ray counterpart and lie within the conventional AGN area in the FX/Fopt diagram. The candidates with X-ray upper limits are on average optically fainter, have higher redshifts compared to the X-ray detected ones and are consistent with low luminosity AGNs. Out of 41 variable optical sources with IR detections, 13 fulfill the IR AGN colour selection criteria. Our work emphasizes the importance of optical variability surveys for constructing complete samples of AGNs including the ones that remain undetected even by the deepest X-ray and IR surveys.

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arXiv2018

Deep XMM-Newton observations of the northern disc of M31. I. Source catalogue

We carried out new observations of two fields in the northern ring of M31 with XMM-Newton with two exposures of 100 ks each and obtained a complete list of X-ray sources down to a sensitivity limit of ~7 x 10^34 erg s^-1 (0.5 - 2.0 keV). The major objective of the observing programme was the study of the hot phase of the ISM in M31. The analysis of the diffuse emission and the study of the ISM is presented in a separate paper. We analysed the spectral properties of all detected sources using hardness ratios and spectra if the statistics were high enough. We also checked for variability. We cross-correlated the source list with the source catalogue of a new survey of the northern disc of M31 carried out with Chandra and Hubble (Panchromatic Hubble Andromeda Treasury, PHAT) as well as with other existing catalogues. We detected a total of 389 sources, including 43 foreground stars and candidates and 50 background sources. Based on the comparison to the Chandra/PHAT survey, we classify 24 hard X-ray sources as new candidates for X-ray binaries (XRBs). In total, we identified 34 XRBs and candidates and 18 supernova remnants (SNRs) and candidates. Three of the four brightest SNRs show emission mainly below 2 keV, consistent with shocked ISM. The spectra of two of them also require an additional component with a higher temperature. The SNR [SPH11] 1535 has a harder spectrum and might suggest that there is a pulsar-wind nebula inside the SNR. We find five new sources showing clear time variability. We also studied the spectral properties of the transient source SWIFT J004420.1+413702, which shows significant variation in flux over a period of seven months (June 2015 to January 2016) and associated change in absorption. Based on the likely optical counterpart detected in the Chandra/PHAT survey, the source is classified as a low-mass X-ray binary.

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arXiv2018

The massive star population of the Virgo Cluster galaxy NGC 4535

We analyzed the massive star population of the Virgo Cluster galaxy NGC 4535 using archival Hubble Space Telescope Wide Field Planetary Camera 2 images in filters F555W and F814W, equivalent to Johnson V and Kron-Cousins I. We performed high precision point spread function fitting photometry of 24353 sources including 3762 candidate blue supergiants, 841 candidate yellow supergiants and 370 candidate red supergiants. We estimated the ratio of blue to red supergiants as a decreasing function of galactocentric radius. Using Modules for Experiments in Stellar Astrophysics isochrones at solar metallicity, we defined the luminosity function and estimated the star formation history of the galaxy over the last 60 Myrs. We conducted a variability search in the V and I filters using three variability indexes: the median absolute deviation, the interquartile range and the inverse von-Neumann ratio. This analysis yielded 120 new variable candidates with absolute magnitudes ranging from M$_{V}$ = $-$4 to $-$11 mag. We used the MESA evolutionary tracks at solar metallicity, to classify the variables based on their absolute magnitude and their position on the color-magnitude diagram. Among the new candidate variable sources are eight candidate variable red supergiants, three candidate variable yellow supergiants and one candidate luminous blue variable, which we suggest for follow-up observations.

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arXiv2018

Variability search in M 31 using Principal Component Analysis and the Hubble Source Catalog

Principal Component Analysis (PCA) is being extensively used in Astronomy but not yet exhaustively exploited for variability search. The aim of this work is to investigate the effectiveness of using the PCA as a method to search for variable stars in large photometric data sets. We apply PCA to variability indices computed for light curves of 18152 stars in three fields in M 31 extracted from the Hubble Source Catalogue. The projection of the data into the principal components is used as a stellar variability detection and classification tool, capable of distinguishing between RR Lyrae stars, long period variables (LPVs) and non-variables. This projection recovered more than 90% of the known variables and revealed 38 previously unknown variable stars (about 30% more), all LPVs except for one object of uncertain variability type. We conclude that this methodology can indeed successfully identify candidate variable stars.

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arXiv2018

The Hubble Catalog of Variables (HCV)

The Hubble Source Catalog (HSC) combines lists of sources detected on images obtained with the WFPC2, ACS and WFC3 instruments aboard the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) available in the Hubble Legacy Archive. The catalog contains time-domain information with about two million of its sources detected with the same instrument and filter in at least five HST visits. The Hubble Catalog of Variables (HCV) project aims to identify HSC sources showing significant brightness variations. A magnitude-dependent threshold in the median absolute deviation of photometric measurements (an outlier-resistant measure of lightcurve scatter) is adopted as the variability-detection statistic. It is supplemented with a cut in $χ_{\rm red}^2$ that removes sources with large photometric errors. A pre-processing procedure involving bad image identification, outlier rejection and computation of local magnitude zero-point corrections is applied to HSC lightcurves before computing the variability detection statistic. About 52000 HSC sources are identified as candidate variables, among which 7800 show variability in more than one filter. Visual inspection suggests that $\sim 70\%$ of the candidates detected in multiple filters are true variables while the remaining $\sim 30\%$ are sources with aperture photometry corrupted by blending, imaging artifacts or image processing anomalies. The candidate variables have AB magnitudes in the range 15-27$^{m}$ with the median 22$^{m}$. Among them are the stars in our own and nearby galaxies as well as active galactic nuclei.

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arXiv2017

Identification of two new HMXBs in the LMC: a $\sim$2013 s pulsar and a probable SFXT

We report on the X-ray and optical properties of two high-mass X-ray binary systems located in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). Based on the obtained optical spectra, we classify the massive companion as a supergiant star in both systems. Timing analysis of the X-ray events collected by XMM-Newton revealed the presence of coherent pulsations (spin period $\sim$2013 s) for XMMU J053108.3-690923 and fast flaring behaviour for XMMU J053320.8-684122. The X-ray spectra of both systems can be modelled sufficiently well by an absorbed power-law, yielding hard spectra and high intrinsic absorption from the environment of the systems. Due to their combined X-ray and optical properties we classify both systems as SgXRBs: the 19$^{\rm th}$ confirmed X-ray pulsar and a probable supergiant fast X-ray transient in the LMC, the second such candidate outside our Galaxy.

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arXiv2017

Hubble Catalog of Variables

The Hubble Catalog of Variables (HCV) project aims to identify the variable sources in the Hubble Source Catalog (HSC), which includes about 92 million objects with over 300 million measurements detected by the WFPC2, ACS and WFC3 cameras on board of the Hubble Space Telescope (HST), by using an automated pipeline containing a set of detection and validation algorithms. All the HSC sources with more than a predefined number of measurements in a single filter/instrument combination are pre-processed to correct systematic effect and to remove the bad measurements. The corrected data are used to compute a number of variability indexes to determine the variability status of each source. The final variable source catalog will contain variables stars, active galactic nuclei (AGNs), supernovae (SNs) or even new types of variables, reaching an unprecedented depth (V$\leq$27 mag). At the end of the project, the first release of the HCV will be available at the Mikulski Archive for Space Telescopes (MAST) and the ESA Hubble Science Archives. The HCV pipeline will be deployed at the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) so that an updated HCV may be generated following future releases of HSC.

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arXiv2017

The Gaia-ESO Survey: double, triple and quadruple-line spectroscopic binary candidates

The Gaia-ESO Survey (GES) is a large spectroscopic survey that provides a unique opportunity to study the distribution of spectroscopic multiple systems among different populations of the Galaxy. We aim at detecting binarity/multiplicity for stars targeted by the GES from the analysis of the cross-correlation functions (CCFs) of the GES spectra with spectral templates. We develop a method based on the computation of the CCF successive derivatives to detect multiple peaks and determine their radial velocities, even when the peaks are strongly blended. The parameters of the detection of extrema (DOE) code have been optimized for each GES GIRAFFE and UVES setup to maximize detection. This code therefore allows to automatically detect multiple line spectroscopic binaries (SBn, n>1). We apply this method on the fourth GES internal data release and detect 354 SBn candidates (342 SB2, 11 SB3 and even one SB4), including only 9 SB2 known in the literature. This implies that about 98% of these SBn candidates are new (because of their faint visual magnitude that can reach V=19). Visual inspection of the SBn candidate spectra reveals that the most probable candidates have indeed a composite spectrum. Among SB2 candidates, an orbital solution could be computed for two previously unknown binaries: 06404608+0949173 (known as V642 Mon) in NGC 2264 and 19013257-0027338 in Berkeley 81. A detailed analysis of the unique SB4 (four peaks in the CCF) reveals that HD 74438 in the open cluster IC 2391 is a physically bound stellar quadruple system. The SB candidates belonging to stellar clusters are reviewed in detail to discard false detections. We warn against the use of atmospheric parameters for these system components rather than by SB-specific pipelines. Our implementation of an automatic detection of spectroscopic binaries within the GES has allowed an efficient discovery of many new multiple systems.

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arXiv2017

The Hubble Catalog of Variables

We aim to construct an exceptionally deep (V ~< 27) catalog of variable objects in selected Galactic and extragalactic fields visited multiple times by the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). While HST observations of some of these fields were searched for specific types of variables before (most notably, the extragalactic Cepheids), we attempt a systematic study of the population of variable objects of all types at the magnitude range not easily accessible with ground-based telescopes. The variability timescales that can be probed range from hours to years depending on how often a particular field has been visited. For source extraction and cross-matching of sources between visits we rely on the Hubble Source Catalog which includes 10^7 objects detected with WFPC2, ACS, and WFC3 HST instruments. The lightcurves extracted from the HSC are corrected for systematic effects by applying local zero-point corrections and are screened for bad measurements. For each lightcurve we compute variability indices sensitive to a broad range of variability types. The indices characterize the overall lightcurve scatter and smoothness. Candidate variables are selected as having variability index values significantly higher than expected for objects of similar brightness in the given set of observations. The Hubble Catalog of Variables will be released in 2018.

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arXiv2017

The Hubble Catalog of Variables

The Hubble Catalog of Variables (HCV) is a 3 year ESA funded project that aims to develop a set of algorithms to identify variables among the sources included in the Hubble Source Catalog (HSC) and produce the HCV. We will process all HSC sources with more than a predefined number of measurements in a single filter/instrument combination and compute a range of lightcurve features to determine the variability status of each source. At the end of the project, the first release of the Hubble Catalog of Variables will be made available at the Mikulski Archive for Space Telescopes (MAST) and the ESA Science Archives. The variability detection pipeline will be implemented at the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) so that updated versions of the HCV may be created following the future releases of the HSC.

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arXiv2017

The Gaia-ESO Survey: the inner disk, intermediate-age open cluster Trumpler 23

Context: Trumpler 23 is a moderately populated, intermediate-age open cluster within the solar circle at a Rgc ~6 kpc. It is in a crowded field very close to the Galactic plane and the color-magnitude diagram shows significant field contamination and possible differential reddening; it is a relatively understudied cluster for these reasons, but its location makes it a key object for determining Galactic abundance distributions. Aims: New data from the Gaia-ESO Survey enable the first ever radial velocity and spectroscopic metallicity measurements for this cluster. We aim to use velocities to isolate cluster members, providing more leverage for determining cluster parameters. Methods: Gaia-ESO Survey data for 167 potential members have yielded radial velocity measurements, which were used to determine the systemic velocity of the cluster and membership of individual stars. Atmospheric parameters were also used as a check on membership when available. Literature photometry was used to re-determine cluster parameters based on radial velocity member stars only; theoretical isochrones are fit in the V, V-I diagram. Cluster abundance measurements of ten radial-velocity member stars with high-resolution spectroscopy are presented for 24 elements. These abundances have been compared to local disk stars, and where possible placed within the context of literature gradient studies. Results: We find Trumpler 23 to have an age of 0.80 +/- 0.10 Gyr, significant differential reddening with an estimated mean cluster E(V-I) of 1.02 +0.14/-0.09, and an apparent distance modulus of 14.15 +/- 0.20. We find an average cluster metallicity of [Fe/H] = 0.14 +/- 0.03 dex, a solar [alpha/Fe] abundance, and notably subsolar [s-process/Fe] abundances.

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arXiv2016

Comparative performance of selected variability detection techniques in photometric time series

Photometric measurements are prone to systematic errors presenting a challenge to low-amplitude variability detection. In search for a general-purpose variability detection technique able to recover a broad range of variability types including currently unknown ones, we test 18 statistical characteristics quantifying scatter and/or correlation between brightness measurements. We compare their performance in identifying variable objects in seven time series data sets obtained with telescopes ranging in size from a telephoto lens to 1m-class and probing variability on time-scales from minutes to decades. The test data sets together include lightcurves of 127539 objects, among them 1251 variable stars of various types and represent a range of observing conditions often found in ground-based variability surveys. The real data are complemented by simulations. We propose a combination of two indices that together recover a broad range of variability types from photometric data characterized by a wide variety of sampling patterns, photometric accuracies, and percentages of outlier measurements. The first index is the interquartile range (IQR) of magnitude measurements, sensitive to variability irrespective of a time-scale and resistant to outliers. It can be complemented by the ratio of the lightcurve variance to the mean square successive difference, 1/h, which is efficient in detecting variability on time-scales longer than the typical time interval between observations. Variable objects have larger 1/h and/or IQR values than non-variable objects of similar brightness. Another approach to variability detection is to combine many variability indices using principal component analysis. We present 124 previously unknown variable stars found in the test data.

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