arXiv subjects
Publications and source records attributed to G. Kopacki.
The photometric and spectroscopic observational campaign organized for the 2008/9 eclipse of EE Cep revealed features, which indicate that the eclipsing disk in the EE Cep system has a multi-ring structure. We suggest that the gaps in the disk can be related to the possible planet formation.
We report the discovery of 19 variable stars and two blue-stragglers in the field of the open cluster NGC6866. Three of the variable stars we classify as delta Sct, two, as gamma Dor, four, as WUMa, two, as ellipsoidal variables, and one, as an eclipsing binary. Seven stars show irregular variability. Two of the pulsators, a delta Sct star NGC 6866-29 and a gamma Dor star NGC6866-21, are multiperiodic. From an analysis of proper motions, we conclude that the delta Sct stars, one of the gamma Dor stars and both blue-stragglers are very probable members of the cluster. The position on the color-magnitude diagram of seven other variables suggests that they also belong to the cluster. The eclipsing binary, which we discover to be a new high-velocity star, and the seven irregular variables are non-members. Then, we discuss in detail the age and metallicity of open clusters that host gamma Dor stars and we show that none of these parameters is correlated with the number of gamma Dor stars in cluster.
To expand the range in the colour-magnitude diagram where asteroseismology can be applied, we organized a photometry campaign to find evidence for solar-like oscillations in giant stars in the globular cluster M4. The aim was to detect the comb-like p-mode structure characteristic for solar-like oscillations in the amplitude spectra. The two dozen main target stars are in the region of the bump stars and have luminosities in the range 50-140 Lsun. We collected 6160 CCD frames and light curves for about 14000 stars were extracted. We obtain high quality light curves for the K giants, but no clear oscillation signal is detected. High precision differential photometry is possible even in very crowded regions like the core of M4. Solar-like oscillations are probably present in K giants, but the amplitudes are lower than classical scaling laws predict.
As a result of the reanalysis of the OGLE-I observations by means of the image subtraction method, we present the first part of a catalog, consisting of the data for variable stars in four Galactic fields observed by the OGLE-I, viz. MM1-A, MM1-B, MM7-A, and MM7-B. In total, 2016 variable stars have been found. This increased the number of known variable in these fields stars more than twofold. We comment on the detectability of the variable stars in previous studies. Some interesting findings are also discussed. Among others, we found 45 Delta Scuti stars (38 are new) including several multiperiodic objects. Detailed analysis of the light curves of 47 RR Lyrae stars (24 are new detections) allowed us to find five stars which exhibit nonradial pulsations and one RRd star. Three RRab stars are members of the Sagittarius dwarf galaxy (Sgr dSph). We also find four objects which are probably galactic RV Tauri stars and one W Virginis star which seems to belong to Sgr dSph. This is the first Population II Cepheid found in this satellite galaxy and dSph other than the Fornax one. For eclipsing EW-type binaries, which are the most abundant variables in our catalog, we investigate the amplitude and period distributions. A comparison with the previous OGLE-I catalogs indicates that we found more stars with smaller amplitudes. Finally, in addition to the two microlensing events discovered previously in these fields, we find five more.
Results of a search for variable stars in the central region of the globular cluster M13 are presented. Prior to this study, 36 variable and suspected variable stars were known in this cluster (Osborn 2000; Clement et al. 2001). Of these stars, five were not observed by us. We find v3, v4, v10, v12, and v13 to be constant in light. Surprisingly, only two out of the ten variable star candidates of Kadla et al. (1980) appear to be variable. Both are RRc variables. Additionally, three RR Lyrae stars and one SX Phoenicis variable are discovered. Three close frequencies are detected for an RRc star v36. It appears that this variable is another multi-periodic RR Lyrae star pulsating in non-radial modes. Light curves of the three known BL Herculis stars and all known RR Lyrae stars are presented. The total number of known RR Lyrae stars in M13 is now nine. Only one is an RRab star. The mean period of RRc variables amounts to 0.36 +/- 0.05 d, suggesting that M13 should be included in the group of Oosterhoff type II globular clusters. Mean V magnitudes and ranges of variation are derived for seven RR Lyrae and three BL Herculis variables. Almost all observed bright giants show some degree of variability. In particular, we confirm the variability of two red giants announced to be variable by Osborn (2000) and in addition find five new cases.