arXiv subjects

H. Korhonen

Publications and source records attributed to H. Korhonen.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

arXiv2016

Mass Measurements of Isolated Objects from Space-based Microlensing

We report on the mass and distance measurements of two single-lens events from the 2015 \emph{Spitzer} microlensing campaign. With both finite-source effect and microlens parallax measurements, we find that the lens of OGLE-2015-BLG-1268 is very likely a brown dwarf. Assuming that the source star lies behind the same amount of dust as the Bulge red clump, we find the lens is a $45\pm7$ $M_{\rm J}$ brown dwarf at $5.9\pm1.0$ kpc. The lens of of the second event, OGLE-2015-BLG-0763, is a $0.50\pm0.04$ $M_\odot$ star at $6.9\pm1.0$ kpc. We show that the probability to definitively measure the mass of isolated microlenses is dramatically increased once simultaneous ground- and space-based observations are conducted.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2016

Investigating magnetic activity in very stable stellar magnetic fields: long-term photometric and spectroscopic study of the fully convective M4 dwarf V374 Peg

The ultrafast-rotating ($P_\mathrm{rot}\approx0.44 d$) fully convective single M4 dwarf V374 Peg is a well-known laboratory for studying intense stellar activity in a stable magnetic topology. As an observable proxy for the stellar magnetic field, we study the stability of the light curve, and thus the spot configuration. We also measure the occurrence rate of flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs). We analyse spectroscopic observations, $BV(RI)_C$ photometry covering 5 years, and additional $R_C$ photometry that expands the temporal base over 16 years. The light curve suggests an almost rigid-body rotation, and a spot configuration that is stable over about 16 years, confirming the previous indications of a very stable magnetic field. We observed small changes on a nightly timescale, and frequent flaring, including a possible sympathetic flare. The strongest flares seem to be more concentrated around the phase where the light curve indicates a smaller active region. Spectral data suggest a complex CME with falling-back and re-ejected material, with a maximal projected velocity of $\approx$675km/s. We observed a CME rate much lower than expected from extrapolations of the solar flare-CME relation to active stars.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2016

High-resolution Imaging of Transiting Extrasolar Planetary systems (HITEP). I. Lucky imaging observations of 101 systems in the southern hemisphere

(abridged) Context. Wide binaries are a potential pathway for the formation of hot Jupiters. The binary fraction among host stars is an important discriminator between competing formation theories, but has not been well characterised. Additionally, contaminating light from unresolved stars can significantly affect the accuracy of photometric and spectroscopic measurements in studies of transiting exoplanets. Aims. We observed 101 transiting exoplanet host systems in the Southern hemisphere in order to create a homogeneous catalogue of both bound companion stars and contaminating background stars. We investigate the binary fraction among the host stars in order to test theories for the formation of hot Jupiters, in an area of the sky where transiting exoplanetary systems have not been systematically searched for stellar companions. Methods. Lucky imaging observations from the Two Colour Instrument on the Danish 1.54m telescope at La Silla were used to search for previously unresolved stars at small angular separations. The separations and relative magnitudes of all detected stars were measured. For 12 candidate companions to 10 host stars, previous astrometric measurements were used to evaluate how likely the companions are to be physically associated. Results. We provide measurements of 499 candidate companions within 20 arcseconds of our sample of 101 planet host stars. 51 candidates are located within 5 arcseconds of a host star, and we provide the first published measurements for 27 of these. Calibrations for the plate scale and colour performance of the Two Colour Instrument are presented. Conclusions. We find that the overall multiplicity rate of the host stars is 38 +17 -13%, consistent with the rate among solar-type stars in our sensitivity range, suggesting that planet formation does not preferentially occur in long period binaries compared to a random sample of field stars.

astro-ph.EP↗

arXiv2016

High-precision photometry by telescope defocussing. VIII. WASP-22, WASP-41, WASP-42 and WASP-55

We present 13 high-precision and four additional light curves of four bright southern-hemisphere transiting planetary systems: WASP-22, WASP-41, WASP-42 and WASP-55. In the cases of WASP-42 and WASP-55, these are the first follow-up observations since their discovery papers. We present refined measurements of the physical properties and orbital ephemerides of all four systems. No indications of transit timing variations were seen. All four planets have radii inflated above those expected from theoretical models of gas-giant planets; WASP-55b is the most discrepant with a mass of 0.63 Mjup and a radius of 1.34 Rjup. WASP-41 shows brightness anomalies during transit due to the planet occulting spots on the stellar surface. Two anomalies observed 3.1 d apart are very likely due to the same spot. We measure its change in position and determine a rotation period for the host star of 18.6 +/- 1.5 d, in good agreement with a published measurement from spot-induced brightness modulation, and a sky-projected orbital obliquity of lambda = 6 +/- 11 degrees. We conclude with a compilation of obliquity measurements from spot-tracking analyses and a discussion of this technique in the study of the orbital configurations of hot Jupiters.

astro-ph.EP↗

arXiv2016

Chemical spots on the surface of the strongly magnetic Herbig Ae star HD 101412

Due to the knowledge of the rotation period and the presence of a rather strong surface magnetic field, the sharp-lined young Herbig Ae star HD 101412 with a rotation period of 42 d has become one of the most well-studied targets among the Herbig Ae stars. High-resolution HARPS polarimetric spectra of HD 101412 were recently obtained on seven different epochs. Our study of the spectral variability over the part of the rotation cycle covered by HARPS observations reveals that the line profiles of the elements Mg, Si, Ca, Ti, Cr, Mn, Fe, and Sr are clearly variable while He exhibits variability that is opposite to the behaviour of the other elements studied. Since classical Ap stars usually show a relationship between the magnetic field geometry and the distribution of element spots, we used in our magnetic field measurements different line samples belonging to the three elements with the most numerous spectral lines, Ti, Cr, and Fe. Over the time interval covered by the available spectra, the longitudinal magnetic field changes sign from negative to positive polarity. The distribution of field values obtained using Ti, Cr, and Fe lines is, however, completely different compared to the magnetic field values determined in previous low-resolution FORS 2 measurements, where hydrogen Balmer lines are the main contributors to the magnetic field measurements, indicating the presence of concentration of the studied iron-peak elements in the region of the magnetic equator. Further, we discuss the potential role of contamination by the surrounding warm circumstellar matter in the appearance of Zeeman features obtained using Ti lines.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2016

Spitzer Observations of OGLE-2015-BLG-1212 Reveal a New Path to Breaking Strong Microlens Degeneracies

Spitzer microlensing parallax observations of OGLE-2015-BLG-1212 decisively breaks a degeneracy between planetary and binary solutions that is somewhat ambiguous when only ground-based data are considered. Only eight viable models survive out of an initial set of 32 local minima in the parameter space. These models clearly indicate that the lens is a stellar binary system possibly located within the bulge of our Galaxy, ruling out the planetary alternative. We argue that several types of discrete degeneracies can be broken via such space-based parallax observations.

astro-ph.EP↗

arXiv2016

Planet Hunters X. KIC 8462852 - Where's the Flux?

Over the duration of the Kepler mission, KIC8462852 was observed to undergo irregularly shaped, aperiodic dips in flux of up to $\sim 20$\%. The dipping activity can last for between 5 and 80 days. We characterize the object with high-resolution spectroscopy, spectral energy distribution fitting, radial velocity measurements, high-resolution imaging, and Fourier analyses of the Kepler light curve. We determine that KIC8462852 is a typical main-sequence F3 V star that exhibits no significant IR excess, and has no very close interacting companions. In this paper, we describe various scenarios to explain the dipping events observed in the Kepler light curve. We confirm that the dipping signals in the data are not caused by any instrumental or data processing artifact, and thus are astrophysical in origin. We construct scenario-independent constraints on the size and location of a body in the system that is needed to reproduce the observations. We deliberate over several assorted stellar and circumstellar astrophysical scenarios, most of which have problems explaining the data in hand. By considering the observational constraints on dust clumps in orbit around a normal main-sequence star, we conclude that the scenario most consistent with the data in hand is the passage of a family of exocomet or planetesimal fragments, all of which are associated with a single previous break-up event, possibly caused by tidal disruption or thermal processing. The minimum total mass associated with these fragments likely exceeds $10^{-6}$~\mearth, corresponding to an original rocky body of $>100$~km in diameter. We discuss the necessity of future observations to help interpret the system.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2016

FK Comae Berenices, King of Spin: The COCOA-PUFS Project

COCOA-PUFS is an energy-diverse, time-domain study of the ultra-fast spinning, heavily spotted, yellow giant FK Com (HD117555; G4 III). This single star is thought to be a recent binary merger, and is exceptionally active by measure of its intense ultraviolet and X-ray emissions, and proclivity to flare. COCOA-PUFS was carried out with Hubble Space Telescope in the UV (120-300 nm), using mainly its high-performance Cosmic Origins Spectrograph, but also high-precision Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph; Chandra X-ray Observatory in the soft X-rays (0.5-10 keV), utilizing its High-Energy Transmission Grating Spectrometer; together with supporting photometry and spectropolarimetry in the visible from the ground. This is an introductory report on the project. FK Com displayed variability on a wide range of time scales, over all wavelengths, during the week-long main campaign, including a large X-ray flare; "super-rotational broadening" of the far-ultraviolet "hot-lines" (e.g., Si IV 139 nm (T~80,000 K) together with chromospheric Mg II 280 nm and C II 133 nm (10,000-30,000 K); large Doppler swings suggestive of bright regions alternately on advancing and retreating limbs of the star; and substantial redshifts of the epoch-average emission profiles. These behaviors paint a picture of a highly extended, dynamic, hot (10 MK) coronal magnetosphere around the star, threaded by cooler structures perhaps analogous to solar prominences, and replenished continually by surface activity and flares. Suppression of angular momentum loss by the confining magnetosphere could temporarily postpone the inevitable stellar spindown, thereby lengthening this highly volatile stage of coronal evolution.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2015

Exploring the crowded central region of 10 Galactic globular clusters using EMCCDs. Variable star searches and new discoveries

Obtain time-series photometry of the very crowded central regions of Galactic globular clusters with better angular resolution than previously achieved with conventional CCDs on ground-based telescopes to complete, or improve, the census of the variable star population in those stellar systems. Images were taken using the Danish 1.54-m Telescope at the ESO observatory at La Silla in Chile. The telescope was equipped with an electron-multiplying CCD and the short-exposure-time images obtained (10 images per second) were stacked using the shift-and-add technique to produce the normal-exposure-time images (minutes). Photometry was performed via difference image analysis. Automatic detection of variable stars in the field was attempted. The light curves of 12541 stars in the cores of 10 globular clusters were statistically analysed in order to automatically extract the variable stars. We obtained light curves for 31 previously known variable stars (3 L, 2 SR, 20 RR Lyrae, 1 SX Phe, 3 cataclysmic variables, 1 EW and 1 NC) and we discovered 30 new variables (16 L, 7 SR, 4 RR Lyrae, 1 SX Phe and 2 NC).

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2015

Physical properties of the planetary systems WASP-45 and WASP-46 from simultaneous multi-band photometry

Accurate measurements of the physical characteristics of a large number of exoplanets are useful to strongly constrain theoretical models of planet formation and evolution, which lead to the large variety of exoplanets and planetary-system configurations that have been observed. We present a study of the planetary systems WASP-45 and WASP-46, both composed of a main-sequence star and a close-in hot Jupiter, based on 29 new high-quality light curves of transits events. In particular, one transit of WASP-45 b and four of WASP-46 b were simultaneously observed in four optical filters, while one transit of WASP-46 b was observed with the NTT obtaining precision of 0.30 mmag with a cadence of roughly three minutes. We also obtained five new spectra of WASP-45 with the FEROS spectrograph. We improved by a factor of four the measurement of the radius of the planet WASP-45 b, and found that WASP-46 b is slightly less massive and smaller than previously reported. Both planets now have a more accurate measurement of the density (0.959 +\- 0.077 ρJup instead of 0.64 +\- 0.30 ρJup for WASP-45 b, and 1.103 +\- 0.052 ρJup instead of 0.94 +\- 0.11 ρJup for WASP-46 b). We tentatively detected radius variations with wavelength for both planets, in particular in the case of WASP-45 b we found a slightly larger absorption in the redder bands than in the bluer ones. No hints for the presence of an additional planetary companion in the two systems were found either from the photometric or radial velocity measurements.

astro-ph.EP↗

arXiv2015

HARPS spectropolarimetry of three sharp-lined Herbig Ae stars: New insights

Several arguments have been presented that favour a scenario in which the low detection rate of magnetic fields in Herbig Ae stars can be explained by the weakness of these fields and rather large measurement uncertainties. Spectropolarimetric studies involving sharp-lined Herbig Ae stars appear to be promising for the detection of such weak magnetic fields. These studies offer a clear spectrum interpretation with respect to the effects of blending, local velocity fields, and chemical abundances, and allow us to identify a proper sample of spectral lines appropriate for magnetic field determination. High-resolution spectropolarimetric observations of the three sharp-lined Herbig Ae stars HD101412, HD104237, and HD190073 have been obtained in recent years with the HARPS. We used these archival observations to investigate the behaviour of their longitudinal magnetic fields. To carry out the magnetic field measurements, we used the multi-line singular value decomposition method. We discovered that different line lists for HD101412 yield differences in both the shape of the Stokes V signatures and their field strengths. They could be interpreted in the context of the impact of the circumstellar matter and elemental abundance inhomogeneities on the measurements of the magnetic field. Due to the small size of the Zeeman features on the first three epochs and the lack of near-IR observations, circumstellar and photospheric contributions cannot be estimated unambiguously. In the Stokes V spectrum of HD104237, we detect that the secondary component, a T Tauri star, possesses a rather strong magnetic field =129G, while no significant field is present in the primary component. Our measurements of HD190073 confirm the presence of a variable magnetic field and indicate that the circumstellar environment may have a significant impact on the observed polarization features.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2015

Red noise versus planetary interpretations in the microlensing event OGLE-2013-BLG-446

For all exoplanet candidates, the reliability of a claimed detection needs to be assessed through a careful study of systematic errors in the data to minimize the false positives rate. We present a method to investigate such systematics in microlensing datasets using the microlensing event OGLE-2013-BLG-0446 as a case study. The event was observed from multiple sites around the world and its high magnification (A_{max} \sim 3000) allowed us to investigate the effects of terrestrial and annual parallax. Real-time modeling of the event while it was still ongoing suggested the presence of an extremely low-mass companion (\sim 3M_\oplus ) to the lensing star, leading to substantial follow-up coverage of the light curve. We test and compare different models for the light curve and conclude that the data do not favour the planetary interpretation when systematic errors are taken into account.

astro-ph.EP↗

arXiv2015

Rotation periods and astrometric motions of the Luhman 16AB brown dwarfs by high-resolution lucky-imaging monitoring

Context. Photometric monitoring of the variability of brown dwarfs can provide useful information about the structure of clouds in their cold atmospheres. The brown-dwarf binary system Luhman 16AB is an interesting target for such a study, as its components stand at the L/T transition and show high levels of variability. Luhman 16AB is also the third closest system to the Solar system, allowing precise astrometric investigations with ground-based facilities. Aims. The aim of the work is to estimate the rotation period and study the astrometric motion of both components. Methods. We have monitored Luhman 16AB over a period of two years with the lucky-imaging camera mounted on the Danish 1.54m telescope at La Silla, through a special i+z long-pass filter, which allowed us to clearly resolve the two brown dwarfs into single objects. An intense monitoring of the target was also performed over 16 nights, in which we observed a peak-to-peak variability of 0.20 \pm 0.02 mag and 0.34 \pm 0.02 mag for Luhman 16A and 16B, respectively. Results. We used the 16-night time-series data to estimate the rotation period of the two components. We found that Luhman 16B rotates with a period of 5.1 \pm 0.1 hr, in very good agreement with previous measurements. For Luhman 16A, we report that it rotates slower than its companion and, even though we were not able to get a robust determination, our data indicate a rotation period of roughly 8 hr. This implies that the rotation axes of the two components are well aligned and suggests a scenario in which the two objects underwent the same accretion process. The 2-year complete dataset was used to study the astrometric motion of Luhman 16AB. We predict a motion of the system that is not consistent with a previous estimate based on two months of monitoring, but cannot confirm or refute the presence of additional planetary-mass bodies in the system.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2015

Larger and faster: revised properties and a shorter orbital period for the WASP-57 planetary system from a pro-am collaboration

Transits in the WASP-57 planetary system have been found to occur half an hour earlier than expected. We present ten transit light curves from amateur telescopes, on which this discovery was based, thirteen transit light curves from professional facilities which confirm and refine this finding, and high-resolution imaging which show no evidence for nearby companions. We use these data to determine a new and precise orbital ephemeris, and measure the physical properties of the system. Our revised orbital period is 4.5s shorter than found from the discovery data alone, which explains the early occurrence of the transits. We also find both the star and planet to be larger and less massive than previously thought. The measured mass and radius of the planet are now consistent with theoretical models of gas giants containing no heavy-element core, as expected for the sub-solar metallicity of the host star. Two transits were observed simultaneously in four passbands. We use the resulting light curves to measure the planet's radius as a function of wavelength, finding that our data are sufficient in principle but not in practise to constrain its atmospheric properties. We conclude with a discussion of the current and future status of transmission photometry studies for probing the atmospheres of gas-giant transiting planets.

astro-ph.EP↗

arXiv2015

Spitzer Parallax of OGLE-2015-BLG-0966: A Cold Neptune in the Galactic Disk

We report the detection of a Cold Neptune m_planet=21+/-2MEarth orbiting a 0.38MSol M dwarf lying 2.5-3.3 kpc toward the Galactic center as part of a campaign combining ground-based and Spitzer observations to measure the Galactic distribution of planets. This is the first time that the complex real-time protocols described by Yee et al. (2015), which aim to maximize planet sensitivity while maintaining sample integrity, have been carried out in practice. Multiple survey and follow-up teams successfully combined their efforts within the framework of these protocols to detect this planet. This is the second planet in the Spitzer Galactic distribution sample. Both are in the near-to-mid disk and clearly not in the Galactic bulge.

astro-ph.EP↗

arXiv2015

Study of FK Comae Berenices: VII. Correlating photospheric and chromospheric activity

We study the connection between the chromospheric and photospheric behaviour of the active late-type star FK Comae. We use spot temperature modelling, light curve inversion based on narrow- and wide-band photometric measurements, Halpha observations from 1997-2010, and Doppler maps from 2004-2010 to compare the behaviour of chromospheric and photospheric features. Investigating low-resolution Halpha spectra we find that the changes in the chromosphere seem to happen mainly on a time scale longer than a few hours, but shorter variations were also observed. According to the Halpha measurements prominences are often found in the chromosphere that reach to more than a stellar radius and are stable for weeks, and which seem to be often, but not every time connected with dark photospheric spots. The rotational modulation of the Halpha emission seems to typically be anticorrelated with the light curve, but we did not find convincing evidence of a clear connection in the long-term trends of the Halpha emission and the brightness of the star. In addition, FK Com seems to be in an unusually quiet state in 2009-2010 with very little chromospheric activity and low spot contrast, that might indicate the long-term decrease of activity.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2015

A Census of Variability in Globular Cluster M68 (NGC 4590)

We analyse 20 nights of CCD observations in the V and I bands of the globular cluster M68 (NGC 4590), using these to detect variable objects. We also obtained electron-multiplying CCD (EMCCD) observations for this cluster in order to explore its core with unprecedented spatial resolution from the ground. We reduced our data using difference image analysis, in order to achieve the best possible photometry in the crowded field of the cluster. In doing so, we showed that when dealing with identical networked telescopes, a reference image from any telescope may be used to reduce data from any other telescope, which facilitates the analysis significantly. We then used our light curves to estimate the properties of the RR Lyrae (RRL) stars in M68 through Fourier decomposition and empirical relations. The variable star properties then allowed us to derive the cluster's metallicity and distance. We determine new periods for the variable stars, and search for new variables, especially in the core of the cluster where our method performs particularly well. We detect an additional 4 SX Phe stars, and confirm the variability of another star, bringing the total number of confirmed variable stars in this cluster to 50. We also used archival data stretching back to 1951 in order to derive period changes for some of the single-mode RRL stars, and analyse the significant number of double-mode RRL stars in M68. Furthermore, we find evidence for double-mode pulsation in one of the SX Phe stars in this cluster. Using the different types of variables, we derived an estimate of the metallicity, [Fe/H]=$-2.07 \pm 0.06$ on the ZW scale, and 4 independent estimates of the distance modulus ($μ_0 \sim$ 15.00 mag) for this cluster. Thanks to the first use of difference image analysis on time-series observations of M68, we are now confident that we have a complete census of the RRL stars in this cluster.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2015

Pathway to the Galactic Distribution of Planets: Combined Spitzer and Ground-Based Microlens Parallax Measurements of 21 Single-Lens Events

We present microlens parallax measurements for 21 (apparently) isolated lenses observed toward the Galactic bulge that were imaged simultaneously from Earth and Spitzer, which was ~1 AU West of Earth in projection. We combine these measurements with a kinematic model of the Galaxy to derive distance estimates for each lens, with error bars that are small compared to the Sun's Galactocentric distance. The ensemble therefore yields a well-defined cumulative distribution of lens distances. In principle it is possible to compare this distribution against a set of planets detected in the same experiment in order to measure the Galactic distribution of planets. Since these Spitzer observations yielded only one planet, this is not yet possible in practice. However, it will become possible as larger samples are accumulated.

astro-ph.EP↗