arXiv subjects

G. Pietrzynski

Publications and source records attributed to G. Pietrzynski.

At least 163 records · Page 9Linked to original sources

arXiv2008

Binary Lenses in OGLE III EWS Database. Season 2005

We present nine new binary lens candidates from OGLE-III Early Warning System database for the season of 2005. We have also found four events interpreted as single mass lensing of double sources. The candidates have been selected by visual light curves inspection. Examining the models of binary lenses in our previous studies (10 caustic crossing events of OGLE-II seasons 1997--1999 and 34 binary lens events of OGLE-III seasons 2002--2004, including one planetary event), in this work and in three publications concerning planetary events of season 2005, we find four cases of extreme mass ratio binaries (q<0.01), and almost all other models with mass ratios in the range 0.1<q<1.0, which may indicate the division between planetary systems and binary stars.

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arXiv2007

OGLE-TR-211 - a new transiting inflated hot Jupiter from the OGLE survey and ESO LP666 spectroscopic follow-up program

We present results of the photometric campaign for planetary and low-luminosity object transits conducted by the OGLE survey in 2005 season (Campaign #5). About twenty most promising candidates discovered in these data were subsequently verified spectroscopically with the VLT/FLAMES spectrograph. One of the candidates, OGLE-TR-211, reveals clear changes of radial velocity with small amplitude of 82 m/sec, varying in phase with photometric transit ephemeris. Thus, we confirm the planetary nature of the OGLE-TR-211 system. Follow-up precise photometry of OGLE-TR-211 with VLT/FORS together with radial velocity spectroscopy supplemented with high resolution, high S/N VLT/UVES spectra allowed us to derive parameters of the planet and host star. OGLE-TR-211b is a hot Jupiter orbiting a F7-8 spectral type dwarf star with the period of 3.68 days. The mass of the planet is equal to 1.03+/-0.20 M_Jup while its radius 1.36+0.18-0.09 R_Jup. The radius is about 20% larger than the typical radius of hot Jupiters of similar mass. OGLE-TR-211b is, then, another example of inflated hot Jupiters - a small group of seven exoplanets with large radii and unusually small densities - objects being a challenge to the current models of exoplanets.

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arXiv2007

A transiting planet among 23 new near-threshold candidates from the OGLE survey - OGLE-TR-182

By re-processing the data of the second season of the OGLE survey for planetary transits and adding new mesurements on the same fields gathered in subsequent years with the OGLE telescope, we have identified 23 new transit candidates, recorded as OGLE-TR-178 to OGLE-TR-200. We studied the nature of these objects with the FLAMES/UVES multi-fiber spectrograph on the VLT. One of the candidates, OGLE-TR-182, was confirmed as a transiting gas giant planet on a 4-day orbit. We characterised it with further observations using the FORS1 camera and UVES spectrograph on the VLT. OGLE-TR-182b is a typical ``hot Jupiter'' with an orbital period of 3.98 days, a mass of 1.01 +- 0.15 MJup and a radius of 1.13 (+0.24-0.08) RJup. Confirming this transiting planet required a large investment in telescope time with the best instruments available, and we comment on the difficulty of the confirmation process for transiting planets in the OGLE survey. We delienate the zone were confirmation is difficult or impossible, and discuss the implications for the Corot space mission in its quest for transiting telluric planets.

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arXiv2007

The Optical Gravitational Lensing Experiment. Period-Luminosity Relations of Variable Red Giant Stars

Period-luminosity (PL) relations of variable red giants in the Large (LMC) and Small Magellanic Clouds (SMC) are presented. The PL diagrams are plotted in three planes: logP-K_S, logP-W_{JK}, and logP-W_I. Fourteen PL sequences are distinguishable, and some of them consist of three closely spaced ridges. Each of the sequences is fitted with a linear or quadratic function. The similarities and differences between the PL relations in both galaxies are discussed for four types of red giant variability: OGLE Small Amplitude Red Giants (OSARGs), Miras and Semiregular Variables (SRVs), Long Secondary Periods (LSPs) and ellipsoidal variables. We propose a new method of separating OSARGs from non-variable stars and SRVs. The method employs the position in the reddening-free PL diagrams and the characteristic period ratios of these multiperiodic variables. The PL relations for the LMC OSARG are compared with the calculated relations for RGB models along isochrones of relevant ages and metallicities. We also compare measured periods and amplitudes of the OSARGs with predictions based on the relations valid for less luminous solar-like pulsators. Miras and SRVs seem to follow PL relation of the same slopes in the LMC and SMC, while for LSP and ellipsoidal variables slopes in both galaxies are different. The PL sequences defined by LSP variables and binary systems overlap in the whole range of analyzed wavebands. We put forward new arguments for the binary star scenario as an explanation of the LSP variability and elaborate on it further. The measured pulsation to orbital period ratio implies nearly constant ratio of the star radius to orbital distance, R/A=0.4, as we find. Combined effect of tidal friction and mass loss enhanced by the low-mass companion may explain why such a value is preferred.

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arXiv2007

The Araucaria Project. Near-Infrared Photometry of Cepheid Variables in the Sculptor Galaxy NGC 55

We have obtained deep images in the near-infrared J and K filters of four fields in the Sculptor Group spiral galaxy NGC 55 with the ESO VLT and ISAAC camera. For 40 long-period Cepheid variables in these fields which were recently discovered by Pietrzy{ń}ski et al., we have determined mean J and K magnitudes from observations at two epochs, and derived distance moduli from the observed PL relations in these bands. Using these values together with the previously measured distance moduli in the optical V and I bands, we have determined a total mean reddening of the NGC 55 Cepheids of E(B-V)=0.127 $\pm$ 0.019 mag, which is mostly produced inside NGC 55 itself. For the true distance modulus of the galaxy, our multiwavelength analysis yields a value of 26.434 $\pm$ 0.037 mag (random error), corresponding to a distance of 1.94 $\pm$ 0.03 Mpc. This value is tied to an adopted true LMC distance modulus of 18.50 mag. The systematic uncertainty of our derived Cepheid distance to NGC 55 (apart from the uncertainty on the adopted LMC distance) is $\pm$4%, with the main contribution likely to come from the effect of blending of some of the Cepheids with unresolved companion stars. The distance of NGC 55 derived from our multiwavelength Cepheid analysis agrees within the errors with the distance of NGC 300, strengthening the case for a physical association of these two Sculptor Group galaxies.

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arXiv2007

First Space-Based Microlens Parallax Measurement: Spitzer Observations of OGLE-2005-SMC-001

We combine Spitzer and ground-based observations to measure the microlens parallax of OGLE-2005-SMC-001, the first such space-based determination since S. Refsdal proposed the idea in 1966. The parallax measurement yields a projected velocity \tilde v ~ 230 km/s, the typical value expected for halo lenses, but an order of magnitude smaller than would be expected for lenses lying in the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) itself. The lens is a weak (i.e., non-caustic-crossing) binary, which complicates the analysis considerably but ultimately contributes additional constraints. Using a test proposed by Assef et al. (2006), which makes use only of kinematic information about different populations but does not make any assumptions about their respective mass functions, we find that the likelihood ratio is L_halo/L_SMC = 20. Hence, halo lenses are strongly favored but SMC lenses are not definitively ruled out. Similar Spitzer observations of additional lenses toward the Magellanic Clouds would clarify the nature of the lens population. The Space Interferometry Mission could make even more constraining measurements.

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arXiv2007

The Araucaria Project. The Distance to the Local Group Galaxy WLM from Cepheid Variables discovered in a Wide-Field Imaging Survey

We have conducted an extensive wide-field imaging survey for Cepheid variables in the Local Group irregular galaxy WLM. From data obtained on 101 nights, we have discovered 60 Cepheids which include 14 of the 15 Cepheid variables previously detected by Sandage and Carlson. Down to a period of 3 days, our Cepheid survey in WLM should be practically complete. Importantly, we have found for the first time a long-period Cepheid (P=54.2 days) in this galaxy, alleviating the puzzle that WLM with its many blue, massive stars does not contain Cepheids with periods longer than about 10 days. Our data define tight period-luminosity relations in V, I and the reddening-free Wesenheit magnitude ${\rm W}_{\rm I}$ which are all extremely well fit by the corresponding slopes of the LMC Cepheid PL relation, suggesting no change of the PL relation slope down to a Cepheid metal abundance of about -1.0 dex, in agreement with other recent studies. We derive a true distance modulus to WLM of 25.144 $\pm$0.03 (r) $\pm$0.07 (s) mag from our data, in good agreement with the earlier 24.92 $\pm$ 0.21 mag determination of Lee, Freedman and Madore (1993a) from Cepheid variables. The quoted value of the systematic uncertainty does not include the contribution from the LMC distance which we have assumed to be 18.50 mag, as in the previous papers in our project.

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arXiv2007

A new Neptune-mass planet orbiting HD 219828

Two years ago a new benchmark for the planetary survey was set with the discoveries of three extrasolar planets with masses below 20$M_\oplus$. In particular, the serendipitous discovery of the 14$M_\oplus$ planet around $μ$ Ara found with HARPS with a semi-amplitude of only 4 m s$^{-1}$ put in evidence the tremendous potential of HARPS for the search of this class of very low-mass planets. Aiming to discovering new worlds similar to $μ$ Ara b, we carried out an intensive campaign with HARPS to observe a selected sample of northern stars covering a range of metallicity from about solar to twice solar. Two stars in our program were found to present radial velocity variations compatible with the presence of a planet-mass companion. The first of these, HD 219218, was found to be orbited by a planet with a minimum mass of 19.8 $M_\oplus$ and an orbital period of 3.83 days. It is the 11th Neptune-mass planet found so far orbiting a solar-type star. The radial velocity data clearly show the presence of an additional body to the system, likely of planetary mass. The second planet orbits HD 102195, has a mass of 0.45$M_{Jup}$ and an orbital period of 4.11 days. This planet has been already announced by Ge et al. (2006). Our data confirm and improve the orbital solution found by these authors. We also show that the high residuals of the orbital solution are caused by stellar activity, and use the bisectors of the HARPS cross-correlation function to correct the noise introduced by stellar activity. An improved orbital solution is obtained after this correction. This kind of analysis may be used in the future to correct the radial-velocities for stellar activity induced noise.

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arXiv2007

Binary Lenses in OGLE-III EWS Database. Season 2004

We present 19 binary lens candidates from OGLE-III Early Warning System database for the season of 2004. We have also found five events interpreted as single mass lensing of double sources. The candidates have been selected by visual light curves inspection. Examining the models of binary lenses of this and our previous studies (10 caustic crossing events of OGLE-II seasons 1997--1999 and 15 binary lens events of OGLE-III seasons 2002--2003) we find one case of extreme mass ratio binary (q ~ 0.005, a known planetary lens OGLE 2003-BLG-235/MOA 2003-BLG-53) and almost all other models with mass ratios in the range 0.1<q<1.0, which may indicate the division between planetary systems and binary stars.

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arXiv2007

The Optical Gravitational Lensing Experiment. OGLE-III Long Term Monitoring of the Gravitational Lens QSO 2237+0305

We present results of the long term monitoring of the gravitational lens QSO 2237+0305 conducted during the OGLE survey. Light curves of all four components of the lens obtained during the second phase of the OGLE project (OGLE-II; 1997-2000) are supplemented with the data collected in the OGLE-III phase in the observing seasons 2001-2006. Calibration procedures to tie the new OGLE-III data with already calibrated OGLE-II light curves are described. The resulting homogeneous OGLE data set is the most extensive photometric coverage of the gravitational lens QSO 2237+0305, spanning now one decade - the seasons from 1997 to 2006 - and revealing unique microlensing activity of this spectacular object. All photometric data of the gravitational lens QSO 2237+0305 collected by OGLE are available to the astronomical community from the OGLE Internet archive.

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arXiv2006

The ARAUCARIA Project: VLT-FORS spectroscopy of blue supergiants in NGC 3109 - Classifications, first abundances and kinematics

We have obtained multi-object spectroscopy of luminous blue supergiants in NGC 3109, a galaxy at the periphery of the Local Group at ~1.3 Mpc. We present a detailed catalog including finding charts, V and I magnitudes, spectral classifications, and stellar radial velocities. The radial velocities are seen to trace the rotation curves obtained from studies of the HI gas. From quantitative analysis of eight B-type supergiants we find a mean oxygen abundance of 12+log(O/H) = 7.76 +/-0.07 (1-sigma systematic uncertainty), with a median result of 7.8. Given its distance, we highlight NGC 3109 as the ideal example of a low metallicity, dark-matter dominated, dwarf galaxy for observations with the next generation of ground-based extremely large telescopes (ELTs).

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arXiv2006

The Araucaria Project. The Distance to the Sculptor Group Galaxy NGC 55 from a Newly Discovered Abundant Cepheid Population

We have detected, for the first time, Cepheid variables in the Sculptor Group SB(s)m galaxy NGC 55. From wide-field images obtained in the optical V and I bands during 77 nights in 2002-2003, we have found 143 Cepheids with periods ranging from 5.6 to 175.9 days. 133 of these objects have periods longer than 10 days, making NGC 55 to-date the galaxy with the largest known number of long-period Cepheids in the Sculptor Group. We construct period-luminosity relations from our data and obtain distance moduli corrected for the small foreground reddening to NGC 55 of 26.79 $\pm$ 0.04 mag (internal error) in V, 26.66 $\pm$ 0.03 mag in I and 26.40 $\pm$ 0.05 mag in the reddening-independent V-I Wesenheit index. The trend of increasing distance moduli with shorter wavelength hints at the existence of significant reddening intrinsic to NGC 55 which affects the measured Cepheid magnitudes. From our data, we determine the intrinsic mean reddening of the Cepheids in NGC 55 as E(B-V) = 0.102 mag which brings the distance determinations from the different bands into excellent agreement. Our best distance estimate for NGC 55 from the present optical Cepheid photometry is 26.40 mag $\pm$ 0.05 mag (internal error) $\pm$ 0.09 mag (systematic error). This value is tied to an assumed LMC distance of 18.50 mag. Our quoted systematic error of the present NGC 55 Cepheid distance does not take into account the current uncertainty on the distance of the fiducial LMC galaxy itself. Within the small respective uncertainties, the Sculptor Group galaxies NGC 55 and NGC 300 are at the same distance of 1.9 Mpc, strengthening the case for a physical association of these galaxies

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arXiv2006

OGLE 2004-BLG-254: a K3 III Galactic Bulge Giant spatially resolved by a single microlens

We present an analysis of OGLE 2004-BLG-254, a high-magnification and relatively short duration microlensing event in which the source star, a Bulge K3-giant, has been spatially resolved by a point-like lens. We have obtained dense photometric coverage of the event light curve with OGLE and PLANET telescopes, as well as a high signal-to-noise ratio spectrum taken while the source was still magnified by 20, using the UVES/VLT spectrograph. Our dense coverage of this event allows us to measure limb darkening of the source star in the I and R bands. We also compare previous measurements of linear limb-darkening coefficients involving GK-giant stars with predictions from ATLAS atmosphere models. We discuss the case of K-giants and find a disagreement between limb-darkening measurements and model predictions, which may be caused by the inadequacy of the linear limb-darkening law.

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arXiv2006

The Optical Gravitational Lensing Experiment. Variable Baseline Microlensing Events in the Galactic Bulge

We present the first systematic search for microlensing events with variability in their baselines using data from the third phase of the Optical Gravitational Lensing Experiment (OGLE-III). A total of 137 candidates (88 new) was discovered toward the Galactic bulge. Among these, 21 have periodic oscillations in their baselines, 111 are irregular variables and 5 are potential long period detached eclipsing binaries. This is about 10% of the total number of constant baseline events. They are hence quite common and can be regarded as a new type of exotic events, which allow the determination of extra parameters of the events. We show that microlensing of variable stars may allow us to break the degeneracy between the blending parameter and magnification. We note that in some cases variability hidden in the baseline due to strong blending may be revealed in highly magnified events and resemble other exotic microlensing behavior, including planetary deviation. A new system (VEWS) for detecting ongoing variable baseline microlensing events is presented.

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arXiv2006

Planetary Detection Efficiency of the Magnification 3000 Microlensing Event OGLE-2004-BLG-343

OGLE-2004-BLG-343 was a microlensing event with peak magnification A_{max}=3000+/-1100, by far the highest-magnification event ever analyzed and hence potentially extremely sensitive to planets orbiting the lens star. Due to human error, intensive monitoring did not begin until 43 minutes after peak, at which point the magnification had fallen to A~1200, still by far the highest ever observed. As the light curve does not show significant deviations due to a planet, we place upper limits on the presence of such planets by extending the method of Yoo et al. (2004b), which combines light-curve analysis with priors from a Galactic model of the source and lens populations, to take account of finite-source effects. This is the first event so analyzed for which finite-source effects are important, and hence we develop two new techniques for evaluating these effects. Somewhat surprisingly, we find that OGLE-2004-BLG-343 is no more sensitive to planets than two previously analyzed events with A_{max}~100, despite the fact that it was observed at ~12 times higher magnification. However, we show that had the event been observed over its peak, it would have been sensitive to almost all Neptune-mass planets over a factor of 5 of projected separation and even would have had some sensitivity to Earth-mass planets. This shows that some microlensing events being detected in current experiments are sensitive to very low-mass planets. We also give suggestions on how extremely high-magnification events can be more promptly monitored in the future.

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arXiv2006

The Araucaria Project: Distance to the Local Group Galaxy NGC 3109 from Near-Infrared Photometry of Cepheids

We present near-infrared J- and K-band photometry of 77 Cepheid variables in the Local Group galaxy NGC 3109. Combining our data with the previously published optical V- and I-band photometry of Cepheids in this galaxy we derive an accurate distance and interstellar reddening to NGC 3109. Adopting a distance modulus of 18.5 mag for the Large Magellanic Cloud, we obtain a true distance modulus to NGC 3109 of (m-M)_0 = 25.571 +- 0.024 mag (random error), corresponding to a distance of 1.30 +- 0.02 Mpc. The systematic uncertainty on this value (apart from the adopted LMC distance) is of the order of +-3%, the main contributors to this value being the uncertainty on the photometric zero points, and the effect of blending with unresolved companion stars. The total reddening determined from our multiwavelength solution is E(B-V)=0.087 +- 0.012 mag. About half of the reddening is produced internal to NGC 3109. Our distance result is consistent with previous determinations of the distance to NGC 3109, but has significantly reduced error bars.

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arXiv2006

The Araucaria Project. An Accurate Distance to the Local Group Galaxy NGC 6822 from Near-Infrared Photometry of Cepheid Variables

We have measured near-infrared magnitudes in the J and K bands for 56 Cepheid variables in the Local Group galaxy NGC 6822 with well-determined periods and optical light curves in the V and I bands. Using the template light curve approach of Soszynski, Gieren and Pietrzynski, accurate mean magnitudes were obtained from these data which allowed us to determine with unprecedented accuracy the distance to NGC 6822 from a multi-wavelength period-luminosity solution in the VIJK bands. From our data, we obtain a distance to NGC 6822 of (m-M)_{0} = 23.312 +- 0.021 (random error) mag, with an additional systematic uncertainty of about 3 %. This distance value is tied to an assumed LMC distance modulus of 18.50. From our multiwavelength approach, we find for the total (average) reddening to the NGC 6822 Cepheids E(B-V) = 0.356 +- 0.013 mag, which is in excellent agreement with a previous determination of McGonegal et al. from near-infrared photometry and implies significant internal reddening of the Cepheids in NGC 6822. Our present, definitive distance determination of NGC 6822 from Cepheids agrees within 2 % with the previous distance we had derived from optical photometry alone, but has significantly reduced error bars. Our Cepheid distance to NGC 6822 is in excellent agreement with the recent independent determination of Cioni and Habing from the I-band magnitude of the tip of the red giant branch. It also agrees well, within the errors, with the early determination of McGonegal et al. (1983) from random-phase H-band photometry of nine Cepheids.

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arXiv2006

The Araucaria Project. A Wide-Field Photometric Survey for Cepheid Variables in NGC 3109

We have obtained mosaic images of NGC 3109 in the V and I bands on 74 nights, spanning approximately one year. From these data, we have conducted an extensive search for Cepheid variables over the entire field of the galaxy, resulting in the discovery of 113 variables with periods ranging from 3.4 to 31.4 days. In this sample, 76 Cepheids, including many long-period variables, were not known before. For the previously known 45 Cepheids in this galaxy, our data proved that reported periods were wrong for 14 objects; for nearly all other previously known Cepheid variables we were able to significantly improve on the periods. We construct period-luminosity relations from our data and obtain reddening-corrected distance moduli of 25.72 $\pm$ 0.05 mag in V, and 25.66 $\pm$ 0.04 mag in I. The distance modulus derived form the reddening-independent V-I Wesenheit index turns out to be significantly shorter (25.54 $\pm$ 0.05 mag), which indicates that in addition to the foreground extinction of E(B-V) = 0.05 mag, there is an intrinsic to NGC 3109 redening of about 0.05 mag. Our distance obtained based on the reddening-free Wesenheit magnitudes is consistent with earlier distance determinations of NGC 3109 from Cepheids, and the tip of the red giant branch. We will improve on our distance and extinction determination combining our optical data with the follow-up near-infrared observations of a subsample of NGC 3109 Cepheids.

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