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Hideyuki Izumiura

Publications and source records attributed to Hideyuki Izumiura.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Discovery of an Eccentric Hot Super-Jupiter Leaving the Transiting Geometry of the Early-A-type star TOI-1355

Hot Jupiters orbiting hot stars ($T_\mathrm{eff} > 7000$ K) are suggested to have experienced high-eccentricity migration, often evidenced by the tendency for misaligned orbits, despite their circular orbits. In this paper, we present the discovery of TOI-1355 b: an eccentric ($e\sim0.22$) hot Jupiter with a mass of $m_{\mathrm{p}}\sim5.8M_J$ and a radius of $R_{\mathrm{p}}\sim 1.4R_J$ orbiting an A-type star with a period of about $2.17$ days, identified from the TESS transit survey and subsequent follow-up observations. We measured the stellar parameters using the data from the high-resolution spectrograph Seimei/GAOES-RV and obtained the planetary parameters from the photometric data acquired by TESS and ground-based telescopes. This is one of the rare eccentric hot Jupiters around hot stars. This system could be undergoing high-eccentricity migration. We detected nodal precession by measuring the change in its impact parameter. This implies that its transit will no longer be observable from the middle of 2033. Nevertheless, TOI-1355 b is anticipated to be a compelling target for future atmospheric observations, given the hint of atmospheric variability detected in this study.

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Discovery of a compact hierarchical triple main-sequence star system while searching for binary stars with compact objects

We have discovered a compact hierarchical triple main-sequence star system, which is cataloged as Gaia DR3 1010268155897156864 or TIC 21502513. Hereafter, we call it ``G1010''. G1010 consists of a primary (the most massive) star and inner binary that orbit each other. The primary star is a $0.85_{-0.03}^{+0.03}\;{\rm M}_\odot$ main-sequence (MS) star, and the inner binary components are $0.63_{-0.02}^{+0.02}$ and $0.61_{-0.02}^{+0.02}\;{\rm M}_\odot$ MS stars. The outer and inner orbital periods are $277.2_{-1.3}^{+1.6}$ and $\sim 18.26$ days, respectively. G1010 is categorized as a single-lined spectroscopic binary, and its orbital solution indicates that G1010 possibly accompanies a massive compact object, such as a neutron star or massive white dwarf. In order to confirm the presence of a massive compact object, we have performed several-times low signal-to-ratio (SNR) and one-time high SNR spectroscopic observations, and determined the outer orbital parameters. Moreover, we have deeply analyzed the high SNR spectroscopic data, and found that G1010 accompanies not a massive compact object, but an inner binary. We have investigated G1010's light curve in Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), and concluded that the inner binary is actually an eclipsing binary, not included in TESS Eclipsing Binary Stars. We have obtained the inner orbital parameters from the TESS light curve. G1010 is similar to compact hierarchical triple star systems previously discovered by eclipse timing variation analysis. Our discovery has shown that such triple star systems can be discovered by combination of low- and high-SNR spectroscopic observations with the help of Gaia DR3 and the upcoming Gaia DR4/DR5.

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Two unseen massive white dwarf candidates in close binaries

We report the discovery of two binary systems, each consisting of a slightly bloated G-type main-sequence star and an unseen companion, identified through photometric data from TESS and radial velocity variation from Gaia. High-resolution spectroscopy confirms orbital periods of 1.37 and 2 .67 d with circular orbits. The visible components have masses of $\sim$0.9--1.0$\,M_\odot$, while the minimum masses of the unseen companions are $1.078^{+0.058}_{-0.060}\, M_\odot$ and $0.943^{+0.048}_{-0.049}\, M_\odot$, respectively. Assuming tidal synchronization, we estimate the companion masses to be $1.13^{+0.11}_{-0.08} M_\odot$ and $1.05^{+0.15}_{-0.10} M_\odot$. The absence of detectable spectral features from the companions rules out main-sequence stars of these masses, suggesting that the unseen companions are likely O/Ne or C/O massive white dwarfs. The short orbital periods imply that these systems are post-common envelope binaries. Their subsequent evolution is uncertain, with possible outcomes including cataclysmic variables, Type Ia supernovae, or accretion-induced collapse, depending on the nature of future mass transfer.

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Unraveling Year-Long Radial Velocity Variations in Red Clump Region -- I: Comprehensive analysis of a K0 Giant star, 2 Draconis

Slow-rotating evolved stars frequently exhibit radial velocity (RV) variations on annual timescales, complicated by instrumental systematics and aliasing in the one-year regime. Here we investigate the origin of the near-yearly periodicity in 2 Dra, a star located in the red-clump region, assessing possible causes between stellar activity, instrumental profile (IP) effects, sampling alias, and planetary companions. We applied two independent approaches: (1) constraining diagnostic signals and performing a correlation analysis ($r$) between period-confined signals, and (2) evaluating phase stability by partitioning Keplerian fits. These methods enabled us to examine the physical connections and phase coherence among stellar activity indicators, RV measurements, and IP diagnostics. Our analysis suggests a stellar rotation period of $\simeq270\text{--}320$\,d for 2~Dra. The 340-d RV signal does not appear to originate from stellar activity in this chromospherically quiet star ($|r| \lesssim 0.33$), nor from instrumental systematics near the annual period ($|r| \lesssim 0.1$). This conclusion is supported by contrasting phase behavior: the RV and stellar activity phases remain stable, whereas the IP phases do not. We therefore propose that the 340-d variation likely arises from either small-amplitude intrinsic variability or a tentative gas giant companion with potential weak activity-induced modulation. The case of 2~Dra provides a framework for distinguishing the origins of $\sim$1-yr RV variations in other evolved stars.

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Doppler imaging combined with high-cadence photometry. I. Revisiting the surface of a pre-main-sequence flare star

Latitude distribution of stellar magnetic activity is not well constrained by observations, despite its importance for a better understanding of stellar dynamos. We aim to obtain an accurate reconstruction of the surface spot distribution on the young, rapidly rotating K2 star PW And by combining spectroscopic and photometric diagnostics. In particular, we seek to assess how the inclusion of continuous high-precision TESS photometry in parallel with high-resolution spectroscopy improves latitude recovery of starspots, especially at low latitudes and in the southern hemisphere, which are poorly constrained by Doppler imaging (DI) alone. We explore the spatial origins of the observed white-light flares. We performed simultaneous Doppler imaging and light curve inversion (DI+LCI) using contemporaneous high-resolution GAOES-RV spectra from the 3.8 m Seimei telescope (R~65000) and high-precision TESS light curves. Surface reconstructions employ the SpotDIPy code to model both line profiles and continuum brightness variations. We compare DI+LCI maps with DI-only solutions, conduct artificial-spot simulations to evaluate the effects of latitude, phase coverage, and S/N on reconstruction reliability. We also investigate the spatial correlation between the DI+LCI reconstructed map and flares detected in the TESS data. The DI+LCI reconstruction reveals significant spot features at mid-to-low latitudes, equatorial regions, and even in the southern hemisphere. Simulations show that DI+LCI provides more accurate reconstructions than DI-only, especially under conditions of incomplete phase coverage and low S/N, by better recovering both spot latitudes and filling factors. A comparison between the DI+LCI map and the TESS flare timings also suggests potential association between flare occurrence and reconstructed spot longitudes.

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JASMINE image simulator for high-precision astrometry and photometry

JASMINE is a Japanese planned space mission that aims to reveal the formation history of our Galaxy and discover habitable exoEarths. For these objectives, the JASMINE satellite performs high-precision astrometric observations of the Galactic bulge and high-precision transit monitoring of M-dwarfs in the near-infrared (1.0-1.6 microns in wavelength). For feasibility studies, we develop an image simulation software named JASMINE-imagesim, which produces realistic observation images. This software takes into account various factors such as the optical point spread function (PSF), telescope jitter caused by the satellite's attitude control error (ACE), detector flat patterns, exposure timing differences between detector pixels, and various noise factors. As an example, we report a simulation for the feasibility study of astrometric observations using JASMINE-imagesim. The simulation confirms that the required position measurement accuracy of 4 mas for a single exposure of 12.5-mag objects is achievable if the telescope pointing jitter uniformly dilutes the PSF across all stars in the field of view. On the other hand, the simulation also demonstrates that the combination of realistic pointing jitter and exposure timing differences in the detector can significantly degrade accuracy and prevent achieving the requirement. This means that certain countermeasures against this issue must be developed. This result implies that this kind of simulation is important for mission planning and advanced developments to realize more realistic simulations help us to identify critical issues and also devise effective solutions.

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Three-dimensional atmospheric dynamics of Jupiter from ground-based Doppler imaging spectroscopy in the visible

We present three-dimensional (3D) maps of Jupiter's atmospheric circulation at cloud-top level from Doppler-imaging data obtained in the visible domain with JIVE, the second node of the JOVIAL network, which is mounted on the Dunn Solar Telescope at Sunspot, New Mexico. We report on 12 nights of observations between May 4 and May 30, 2018, representing a total of about 80 hours. Firstly, the average zonal wind profile derived from our data is compatible with that derived from cloud-tracking measurements performed on Hubble Space Telescope images obtained in April 2018 from the Outer Planet Atmospheres Legacy (OPAL) program. Secondly, we present the first ever two-dimensional maps of Jupiter's atmospheric circulation from Doppler measurements. The zonal velocity map highlights well-known atmospheric features, such as the equatorial hot spots and the Great Red Spot (GRS). In addition to zonal winds, we derive meridional and vertical velocity fields from the Doppler data. The motions attributed to vertical flows are mainly located at the boundary between the equatorial belts and tropical zones, which could indicate active motion in theses regions. Qualitatively, these results compare well to recent Juno data that have unveiled the three-dimensional structure of Jupiter's wind field. To the contrary, the motions attributed to meridional circulation are very different from what is obtained by cloud tracking, except at the GRS. Because of limitations with data resolution and processing techniques, we acknowledge that our measurement of vertical or meridional flows of Jupiter are still to be confirmed.

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JASMINE: Near-Infrared Astrometry and Time Series Photometry Science

Japan Astrometry Satellite Mission for INfrared Exploration (JASMINE) is a planned M-class science space mission by the Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency. JASMINE has two main science goals. One is the Galactic archaeology with Galactic Center Survey, which aims to reveal the Milky Way's central core structure and formation history from Gaia-level (~25 $μ$as) astrometry in the Near-Infrared (NIR) Hw-band (1.0-1.6 $μ$m). The other is the Exoplanet Survey, which aims to discover transiting Earth-like exoplanets in the habitable zone from NIR time-series photometry of M dwarfs when the Galactic center is not accessible. We introduce the mission, review many science objectives, and present the instrument concept. JASMINE will be the first dedicated NIR astrometry space mission and provide precise astrometric information of the stars in the Galactic center, taking advantage of the significantly lower extinction in the NIR. The precise astrometry is obtained by taking many short-exposure images. Hence, the JASMINE Galactic center survey data will be valuable for studies of exoplanet transits, asteroseismology, variable stars and microlensing studies, including discovery of (intermediate mass) black holes. We highlight a swath of such potential science, and also describe synergies with other missions.

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Two long-period giant planets around two giant stars: HD 112570 and HD 154391

We present the discoveries of two giant planets orbiting the red giant branch (RGB) star HD 112570 and the red clump (RC) star HD 154391, based on the radial velocity (RV) measurements from Xinglong station and Okayama Astrophysical Observatory (OAO). Spectroscopic and asteroseismic analyses suggest that HD 112570 has a mass of $1.15\pm0.12\,M_{\odot}$, a radius of $9.85\pm0.23\,R_{\odot}$, a metallicity [Fe/H] of $-0.46\pm0.1$ and a ${\rm log}\,g$ of $2.47\pm0.1$. With the joint analysis of RV and Hipparcos-Gaia astrometry, we obtain a dynamical mass of $M_{\rm p}={3.42}_{-0.84}^{+1.4}\ M_{\rm Jup}$, a period of $P={2615}_{-77}^{+85}$ days and a moderate eccentricity of $e={0.20}_{-0.14}^{+0.16}$ for the Jovian planet HD 112570 b. For HD 154391, it has a mass of $2.07\pm0.03\,M_{\odot}$, a radius of $8.56\pm0.05\,R_{\odot}$, a metallicity [Fe/H] of $0.07\pm0.1$ and a ${\rm log}\,g$ of $2.86\pm0.1$. The super-Jupiter HD 154391 b has a mass of $M_{\rm p}={9.1}_{-1.9}^{+2.8}\ M_{\rm Jup}$, a period of $P={5163}_{-57}^{+60}$ days and an eccentricity of $e={0.20}_{-0.04}^{+0.04}$. We found HD 154391 b has one of the longest orbital period among those ever discovered orbiting evolved stars, which may provide a valuable case in our understanding of planetary formation at wider orbits. Moreover, while a mass gap at $4\,M_{\rm Jup}$ seems to be present in the population of giant stars, there appears to be no significant differences in the distribution of metallicity among giant planets with masses above or below this threshold. Finally, The origin of the abnormal accumulation near 2 au for planets around large evolved stars ($R_{\star}>21\,R_{\odot}$), remains unclear.

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Revisiting Planetary Systems in Okayama Planet Search Program: A new long-period planet, RV astrometry joint analysis, and multiplicity-metallicity trend around evolved stars

In this study, we revisit 32 planetary systems around evolved stars observed within the framework of the Okayama Planet Search Program and its collaborative framework of the EAPS-Net to search for additional companions and investigate the properties of stars and giant planets in multiple-planet systems. With our latest radial velocities obtained from Okayama Astrophysical Observatory (OAO), we confirm an additional giant planet in the wide orbit of 75 Cet system ($P_{\rm{c}} = 2051.62_{-40.47}^{+45.98}\ \rm{d}$, $M_{\rm{c}}\sin i=0.912_{-0.090}^{+0.088}\ M_{\rm{J}}$, and $a_{\rm{c}}=3.929_{-0.058}^{+0.052}\ \rm{au}$), along with five stars exhibiting long-term radial velocity accelerations, which indicates massive companions in the wide orbits. We have also found that the radial velocity variations of several planet-harboring stars may indicate additional planet candidates, stellar activities, or other understudied sources. These stars include $ε$ Tau, 11 Com, 24 Boo, 41 Lyn, 14 And, HD 32518, and $ω$ Ser. We further constrain the orbital configuration of the HD 5608, HD 14067, HD 120084, and HD 175679 systems by combining radial velocities with astrometry, as their host central stars exhibit significant astrometric accelerations. For other systems, we simply refine their orbital parameters. Moreover, our study indicates that the OPSP planet-harboring stars are more metal-poor compared to the currently known planet-harboring stars, and this is likely due to the $B-V$ color upper limit at 1.0 for star selection in the beginning of the survey. Finally, by investigating the less-massive giant planets ($< 5 M_{\rm{J}}$) around currently known planet-harboring evolved stars, we have found that metallicity positively correlates with the multiplicity and total planet mass of the system, which can be evidence for the core-accretion planet formation model.

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A Close-in Planet Orbiting Giant Star HD 167768

We report the detection of a giant planet orbiting a G-type giant star HD 167768 from radial velocity measurements using HIgh Dispersion Echelle Spectrograph (HIDES) at Okayama Astrophysical Observatory (OAO). HD 167768 has a mass of $1.08_{-0.12}^{+0.14} M_{\odot}$, a radius of $9.70_{-0.25}^{+0.25} R_{\odot}$, a metallicity of $\rm{[Fe/H]}=-0.67_{-0.08}^{+0.09}$, and a surface gravity of $\log g = 2.50_{-0.06}^{+0.06}$. The planet orbiting the star is a warm Jupiter, having a period of $20.6532_{-0.0032}^{+0.0032}\ \rm{d}$, a minimum mass of $0.85_{-0.11}^{+0.12}\ M_{\rm{J}}$, and an orbital semimajor axis of $0.1512_{-0.0063}^{+0.0058}\ \rm{au}$. The planet has one of the shortest orbital periods among those ever found around deeply evolved stars ($\log g < 3.5$) using radial velocity methods. The equilibrium temperature of the planet is $1874\ \rm{K}$, as high as a hot Jupiter. The radial velocities show two additional regular variations at $41\ \rm{d}$ and $95\ \rm{d}$, suggesting the possibility of outer companions in the system. Follow-up monitoring will enable validation of the periodicity. We also calculated the orbital evolution of HD 167768 b and found that the planet will be engulfed within 0.15\,Gyr.

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A Trio of Giant Planets Orbiting Evolved Star HD 184010

We report the discovery of a triple-giant-planet system around an evolved star HD 184010 (HR 7421, HIP 96016). This discovery is based on observations from Okayama Planet Search Program, a precise radial velocity survey, undertaken at Okayama Astrophysical Observatory between 2004 April and 2021 June. The star is K0 type and located at beginning of the red-giant branch. It has a mass of $1.35_{-0.21}^{+0.19} M_{\odot}$, a radius of $4.86_{-0.49}^{+0.55} R_{\odot}$, and a surface gravity $\log g$ of $3.18_{-0.07}^{+0.08}$. The planetary system is composed of three giant planets in a compact configuration: The planets have minimum masses of $M_{\rm{b}}\sin i = 0.31_{-0.04}^{+0.03} M_{\rm{J}}$, $M_{\rm{c}}\sin i = 0.30_{-0.05}^{+0.04} M_{\rm{J}}$, and $M_{\rm{d}}\sin i = 0.45_{-0.06}^{+0.04} M_{\rm{J}}$, and orbital periods of $P_{\rm{b}}=286.6_{-0.7}^{+2.4}\ \rm{d}$, $P_{\rm{c}}=484.3_{-3.5}^{+5.5}\ \rm{d}$, and $P_{\rm{d}}=836.4_{-8.4}^{+8.4}\ \rm{d}$, respectively, which are derived from a triple Keplerian orbital fit to three sets of radial velocity data. The ratio of orbital periods are close to $P_{\rm{d}}:P_{\rm{c}}:P_{\rm{b}} \sim 21:12:7$, which means the period ratios between neighboring planets are both lower than $2:1$. The dynamical stability analysis reveals that the planets should have near-circular orbits. The system could remain stable over 1 Gyr, initialized from co-planar orbits, low eccentricities ($e=0.05$), and planet masses equal to the minimum mass derived from the best-fit circular orbit fitting. Besides, the planets are not likely in mean motion resonance. HD 184010 system is unique: it is the first system discovered to have a highly evolved star ($\log g < 3.5$ cgs) and more than two giant planets all with intermediate orbital periods ($10^2\ \rm{d} < P < 10^3\ \rm{d}$).

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Optical IFU Observations of GOALS Sample with KOOLS-IFU on Seimei Telescope: Initial results of 9 U/LIRGs at $z <$ 0.04

We present ionized gas properties of 9 local ultra/luminous infrared galaxies (U/LIRGs) at $z <$ 0.04 through IFU observations with KOOLS-IFU on Seimei Telescope. The observed targets are drawn from the Great Observatories All-sky LIRG Survey (GOALS), covering a wide range of merger stages. We successfully detect emission lines such as H$β$, [OIII]$λ$5007, H$α$, [NII]$λλ$6549,6583, and [SII]$λλ$6717,6731 with a spectral resolution of $R$ = 1500-2000, which provides (i) spatially-resolved ($\sim$200-700 pc) moment map of ionized gas and (ii) diagnostics for active galactic nucleus (AGN) within the central $\sim$3--11 kpc in diameter for our sample. We find that [OIII] outflow that is expected to be driven by AGN tends to be stronger (i) towards the galactic center and (ii) as a sequence of merger stage. In particular, the outflow strength in the late-stage (stage D) mergers is about 1.5 times stronger than that in the early-state (stage B) mergers, which indicates that galaxy mergers could induce AGN-driven outflow and play an important role in the co-evolution of galaxies and supermassive black holes.

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A Super-Earth Orbiting Near the Inner Edge of the Habitable Zone around the M4.5-dwarf Ross 508

We report the near-infrared radial-velocity (RV) discovery of a super-Earth planet on a 10.77-day orbit around the M4.5 dwarf Ross 508 ($J_\mathrm{mag}=9.1$). Using precision RVs from the Subaru Telescope IRD (InfraRed Doppler) instrument, we derive a semi-amplitude of $3.92^{+0.60}_{-0.58}$ ${\rm m\,s}^{-1}$, corresponding to a planet with a minimum mass $m \sin i = 4.00^{+0.53}_{-0.55}\ M_{\oplus}$. We find no evidence of significant signals at the detected period in spectroscopic stellar activity indicators or MEarth photometry. The planet, Ross 508 b, has a semimajor-axis of $0.05366^{+0.00056}_{-0.00049}$ au. This gives an orbit-averaged insolation of $\approx$1.4 times the Earth's value, placing Ross 508 b near the inner edge of its star's habitable zone. We have explored the possibility that the planet has a high eccentricity and its host is accompanied by an additional unconfirmed companion on a wide orbit. Our discovery demonstrates that the near-infrared RV search can play a crucial role to find a low-mass planet around cool M dwarfs like Ross 508.

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The Thirty Millimeter Telescope

A near-infrared telescope with an effective aperture diameter of thirty millimeters has been developed. The primary objective of the development is to observe northern bright stars in the $J$, $H$, and $K_{\rm s}$ bands and provide accurate photometric data on those stars. The second objective is to repeatedly observe a belt-like region along the northern Galactic plane ($|b| \le 5^\circ$ and $δ\ge -30^\circ$) to monitor bright variable stars there. The telescope has been in use since December 2016. The purpose of this paper is to describe the design and operational performances of the telescope, photometric calibration methods, and our scientific goals. We show that the telescope has the ability to provide photometry with an uncertainty of less than 5\% for stars brighter than 7, 6.5, and 6~mag in the $J$, $H$, and $K_{\rm s}$ bands, respectively. The repeatability of the photometric measurements for the same star is better than 1\% for bright stars. Our observations will provide accurate photometry on bright stars that are lacking in the Two Micron Sky Survey and the Two Micron All-Sky Survey. Repeated observations at a good cadence will also reveal their nature of the variability in the near-infrared.

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Regular Radial Velocity Variations in Nine G- and K-type Giant Stars: Eight Planets and One Planet Candidate

We report the detection of radial velocity variations in nine evolved G- and K-type giant stars. The observations were conducted at Okayama Astrophysical Observatory. Planets or planet candidates can best explain these regular variations. However, a coincidence of near 280-day variability among five of them prevents us from fully ruling out stellar origins for some of the variations, since all nine stars behave similarly in stellar properties. In the planet hypotheses to the RV variations, the planets (including one candidate) may survive close to the boundary of the so-called "planet desert" around evolved stars, having orbital periods between 255 and 555 days. Besides, they are the least-massive giant planets detected around G- and K-type giant stars, with minimum masses between 0.45$M_{\rm{J}}$ and 1.34$M_{\rm{J}}$. We further investigated other hypotheses for our detection, yet none of them can better explain regular RV variation. With our detection, it is convinced that year-long regular variation with amplitude down to 15 $\rm{m\ s^{-1}}$ for G- and K-type giant stars is detectable. Moreover, we performed simulations to further confirm the detectability of planets around these stars. Finally, we explored giant planets around intermediate-mass stars, and likewise found a 4 Jupiter mass gap (e.g. Santo et al. 2017), which is probably a boundary of the giant planet population.

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A compact green Ti:Sapphire astro-comb with 43-GHz repetition frequency

A compact green astro-comb with 43-GHz repetition rate is developed based on a Ti:Sapphire optical frequency comb (OFC) and a mode-selecting cavity. The OFC's large repetition rate of 1.6 GHz eases the requirements for the mode-selecting cavity. Unnecessary frequency-modes of the OFC are suppressed down to $5 \times 10^{-4}$ at 535 nm - 550 nm using a single mode-selecting cavity with 70-MHz linewidth. The radial velocity precision $σ\sim 1.4$ m/s is achieved at the High Dispersion Echelle Spectrosraph for the Okayama 188-cm telescope of the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan using our astro-comb. With further improvements of the mode-selecting cavity and removal of fiber modal noises, our system will provide a simple, compact, and precise astro-comb setup in visible wavelength region.

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Long-Term Near-Infrared Brightening of Non-Variable OH/IR Stars

Non-variable OH/IR stars are thought to have just left the asymptotic giant branch (AGB) phase. In this conventional picture, they must still show strong circumstellar extinction caused by the dust ejected during the AGB phase, and the extinction is expected to decrease over time because of the dispersal of the circumstellar dust after the cessation of the stellar mass loss. The reduction of the extinction makes the stars become apparently brighter and bluer with time especially in the near-infrared (NIR) range. We look for such long-term brightening of non-variable OH/IR stars by using 2MASS, UKIDSS, and OAOWFC survey data. As a result, we get multi-epoch NIR data taken over a 20-year period (1997-2017) for 6 of 16 non-variable OH/IR stars, and all six objects are found to be brightening. The K-band brightening rate of five objects ranges from 0.010 to 0.130 mag yr$^{-1}$, which is reasonably explained with the conventional picture. However, one OH/IR star, OH31.0-0.2, shows a rapid brightening, which cannot be explained only by the dispersal of the dust shell. Multi-color (J-, H-, and K-band) data are obtained for three objects, OH25.1-0.3, OH53.6-0.2, and OH77.9+0.2. Surprisingly, none of them appears to have become bluer, and OH53.6-0.2 is found to have been reddened with a rate of 0.013 mag yr$^{-1}$ in (J-K). Our findings suggest other mechanisms such as rapid changes in stellar properties (temperature or luminosity) or a generation of a new batch of dust grains.

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