arXiv subjects

Ignacio Negueruela

Publications and source records attributed to Ignacio Negueruela.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

The potential broader complex linked to the key Cepheid SV Vul

A new distance was established to the Cepheid SV Vul ($P\simeq45^{d}$) and its host cluster Alicante 13, and is tied in part to deeper UKIDSS-DR6 photometry and Gaia DR3 observations ($d=2.30\pm0.13$ kpc). SV Vul and Alicante 13 possibly belong to a broader coeval stellar complex, which could include Liu-Pang 1738. The clusters and Cepheid share comparable astrometry (e.g., $\sigma_\pi\simeq0.02$ mas, $\sigma_{\mu_\delta}\simeq0.06$ mas yr$^{-1}$), and similar cluster turnoffs (ages) exist as indicated by ultraviolet UVEX color-color analyses, Gaia XP spectroscopically differentially dereddened color-magnitude diagrams, and Padova isochrones. Yet SV Vul may be comparatively overluminous. Robust radial velocities for both clusters could substantiate certain hypotheses.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2026

Astrophysical parameters of LS 437 and the nature of X0726-260

Be/X-ray binaries, the most common class of high-mass X-ray binaries, are characterised by OBe companions, but display a rich variety of X-ray behaviours. One of the most atypical systems is X0726-260, which also has the earliest optical counterpart among the whole Milky Way and Magellanic Cloud sample. We intend to improve the characterisation of the optical counterpart, LS 437, and to constrain the physical mechanisms responsible for the anomalous properties of X0726-260. We analyse high-quality, high-resolution optical spectroscopy of LS 437 with standard quantitative methodology to derive stellar parameters. We also make use of archival X-ray monitoring. We derive a moderate projected rotational velocity v sin i $\approx$ 155 km/s and a spectral type O7.5 Ve (Teff = 36 000 K), which makes LS 437 substantially earlier than any other Oe star in an X-ray binary. At this spectral type, the stellar wind likely contributes significantly to mass accretion, and the X-ray light curve is strongly suggestive of an orbitally modulated wind accretor. The source shows marked carbon depletion, whereas nitrogen is only slightly above solar abundance. LS 437 is the earliest Oe star known in the Galaxy, alongside HD 155806. Long-term X-ray lightcurves of X0726-260 strengthen the identification of a persistent 34.5 d periodicity as the orbital period, demonstrating that the X-ray emission is orbitally modulated and no X-ray outbursts have occurred over the past 30 years. Likewise, emission features in the optical spectrum indicate a remarkably stable circumstellar disk, with no sign of major structural changes over the past 40 years. All these characteristics set X0726-260 clearly apart from typical Be/X-ray binaries.

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arXiv2025

Science Enabled by a 30-Meter-Class Telescope in the Northern Hemisphere: Massive Stars at Low Metallicity

Massive stars are at the core of our observations of the Universe up to the reionization epoch, both through their intense ionizing fluxes and through the energetic end products that release fresh elements into the interstellar medium. Our interpretation of very high redshift galaxies and transient phenomena depends on knowledge derived from massive star populations in the Milky Way and nearby galaxies, with characteristics that only remotely resemble the conditions in the early Universe. However, the models supporting these interpretations have been tested in a narrow range of environments and carry significant uncertainties when extrapolated. Advancing in our understanding of the Universe beyond the Local Volume therefore requires extending massive star studies to conditions representative of the early Universe. The next generation of telescopes has the potential to accomplish this goal.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2025

NGC 663 as a laboratory for massive star evolution

Massive young clusters with rich populations of high-mass stars are ideal laboratories to explore their evolutionary paths. Despite being the most prominent cluster in the Perseus-arm Cas OB8 association, NGC 663 remains comparatively little studied. We present a comprehensive investigation of its properties, integrating astrometric, photometric and spectroscopic data for the cluster and its surroundings, including accurate spectral classification for over 150 members. Gaia astrometry indicates over 300 B-type members, possibly rendering NGC 663 the most massive cluster in the Perseus arm, with initial mass likely exceeding 10000 M_\sun . This large population makes NGC 663 an excellent laboratory for studying massive star evolution. Spectral analysis of the earliest members reveals approximately solar metallicity and a turn-off mass of approximate 8.5 M_\sun, consistent with the photometric age of 23 Ma. We identify five spectroscopic blue stragglers, including the Be/X-ray binary RX J0146.9$+$6121. We outline its evolutionary history and compare its properties with other Be stars. Although the cluster contains many Be stars, their relative fraction is not particularly high. Intriguingly, four of the six blue supergiant members appear to have significantly higher masses than the brightest giants near the Hertzsprung gap. These observations suggest that most mid-B supergiants may form via mergers, unless stars of 10-12 M_\sun born as primaries in binaries rarely undergo supernova explosions. Similarly, if Be stars form through the binary channel, then either most are produced through case A evolution or supernovae are uncommon among primaries in this mass range.

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arXiv2025

Quantifying the scale of star formation across the Perseus spiral arm using young clusters around Cas OB5

Cas OB5 is an OB association located at a distance of 2.5-3 kpc that intercepts the Perseus spiral arm. It carries a moderate amount of reddening ($A_V \sim$ 2-3 mag) and contains several well-known open clusters within its boundaries, such as King 12, NGC 7788, and NGC 7790. The availability of modern clustering algorithms, together with \textit{Gaia} DR3 kinematics and complementary spectroscopic data, makes it a suitable site for studies of Galactic structure. We seek to quantify the spatial scale of star formation in the spiral arms, using Cas OB5 as a pilot target before extending our study to more distant and extinguished regions of the Galaxy. We selected 129,695 candidate OBA stars in a 6x8 deg$^2$ region around Cas OB5. We applied a spectral energy distribution (SED) fitting process to this sample to derive the physical parameters. Through this process, we found 56 379 OBA stars, which we then clustered using HDBSCAN. We identified 17 open clusters inside this area, four of which appear to form a coherent structure that we identify as Cas OB5. Nevertheless, our findings suggest that these clusters belong to two different age groups despite sharing a similar position and kinematics. Spectroscopic observations confirm the youth of NGC 7788 (10-15 Myr) compared to NGC 7790 ($110\pm15\:$Myr). We have determined a spatial scale for star formation of a few tens of pc to a few hundreds of pc, comparing the clustered to the diffuse population of Cas~OB5 across this part of the Perseus arm. A spectroscopic analysis was required to complement the clustering algorithm, so that we could separate younger OCs (tracers of the spiral arm) from older ones. These results highlight the need to combine these techniques to fully disentangle the Milky Way structure.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2024

The IACOB project XII. A new grid of northern standards for the spectral classification of B-type stars

With the advent of large spectroscopic surveys, automated stellar parameter determination has become commonplace. Nevertheless, spectral classification still offers a quick and useful alternative for obtaining parameter estimates for large samples of spectra of varying quality. We present a new atlas of stellar spectra covering the B-type range, with the intention of providing detailed classification criteria valid for modern spectra and improving the grid of reliable standards. This new grid will be used in future works to provide classification criteria beyond the classical classification range and addressing, in particular, the use of Gaia/RVS spectra. We analysed historical standards by means of multiple high-resolution spectra, marking out problematic cases and complementing the grid with a new set of reliable comparators. We then elaborated on a new set of classification criteria based on high-quality R=4000 spectra. Our new classification grid is much thicker than any previous set of standards, presenting a high degree of self-consistency. Although it is based entirely on morphological criteria, the grid demonstrates a much better correlation with different physical parameters. The new grid can be used to study classification criteria in other spectral ranges, providing a valuable tool for the study of B-type stars that covers a very wide range of temperatures, luminosities, and stellar masses. The very process of classification also offers valuable insights into stellar evolution.

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arXiv2024

NIR spectral classification of the companion in the gamma-ray binary HESS J1832-093 as an O6 V star

HESS J1832-093 is a member of the rare class of gamma-ray binaries, as recently confirmed by the detection of orbitally modulated X-ray and gamma-ray emission with a period of ~86 d. The spectral type of the massive companion star has been difficult to retrieve as there is no optical counterpart, but the system is coincident with a near-infrared source. Previous results have shown that the infrared counterpart is consistent with an O or B type star, but a clear classification is still lacking. We observed the counterpart twice, in 2019 and 2021, with the X-Shooter spectrograph operating on the VLT. The obtained spectra classify the counterpart as an O6 V type star. We estimate a distance to the source of $6.7 \pm 0.5$ kpc, although this estimate can be severely affected by the high extinction towards the source. This new O6 V classification for the companion star in HESS J1832-093 provides further support to an apparent grouping around a given spectral type for all discovered gamma-ray binaries that contain an O-type star. This may be due to the interplay between the initial mass function and the wind-momentum-luminosity relation.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2024

Astro+: Design, construction, and scientific exploitation of a large-scale massive star spectroscopic database

Massive stars condition the evolution of the interstellar medium by the amount of energy released during their lives and especially by their deaths as supernova explosions. The vast amounts of spectroscopic data for massive stars provided by previous and existing instruments on ground-based and space-based telescopes have already saturated our capability to process them by the use of human routines. As a consequence, there is a pressing need for machine-assisted tools to help handle incoming data. To this end, we present the development of a massive star spectroscopic multiwavelength interactive database designed for scientific research and a fully automatic stellar parameter determination tool. Here we show the preliminary results of the application of these tools to optical spectra of O-type stars.

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arXiv2023

The IACOB project IX. Building a modern empirical database of Galactic O9-B9 supergiants: sample selection, description, and completeness

Blue supergiants (BSGs) are important objects to study the intermediate phases of massive star evolution, helping to constrain evolutionary models. However, the lack of a holistic study of a statistically significant and unbiased sample of these objects makes several long-standing questions about their nature to remain unsolved. The present and other upcoming papers of the IACOB series are focused in studying - from a pure empirical point of view - a sample of 500 Galactic O9 - B9 stars with luminosity classes I and II (plus 250 late O- and early B-type stars with luminosity classes III, IV and V) and covering distances up to 4 kpc from the Sun. We compile an initial set of 11000 high-resolution spectra of 1600 Galactic late O- and B-type stars. We use a new novel spectroscopic strategy based on a simple fitting of the Hbeta line to select stars in a specific region of the spectroscopic HR diagram. We evaluate the completeness of our sample using the Alma Luminous Star catalog (ALS III) and Gaia-DR3 data. We show the benefits of the proposed strategy for identifying BSGs descending from stellar objects born as O-type stars, in the context of single star evolution. The resulting sample reaches a high level of completeness with respect to the ALS III catalog, gathering the 80% for all-sky targets brighter than Bmag < 9 located within 2 kpc. However, we identify the need for new observations in specific regions of the Southern hemisphere. In conclusion, we have explored a very fast and robust method to select BSGs, providing a valuable tool for large spectroscopic surveys like WEAVE-SCIP or 4MIDABLE-LR, and highlighting the risk of using spectral classifications from the literature. Upcoming works will make use of this large and homogeneous spectroscopic sample to study specific properties of these stars in detail. We initially provide first results about their rotational properties.

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arXiv2023

Gaia colour-magnitude diagrams of young open clusters: Identification in the UBC catalogue and a comparison of manual and automated analysis

Automated analysis of Gaia astrometric data has led to the discovery of many new high-quality open cluster candidates. With a good determination of their parameters, these objects become excellent tools to investigate the properties of our Galaxy. We explore whether young open clusters can be readily identified from Gaia data alone by studying the properties of their Gaia colour-magnitude diagrams. We also want to compare the results of a traditional cluster analysis with those of automated methods. We selected three young open cluster candidates from the UBC catalogue, ranging from a well-populated object with a well-defined sequence to a poorly-populated, poorly-defined candidate. We obtained classification spectra for the brightest stars in each. We redetermined members based on EDR3 data and fitted isochrones to derive age, distance and reddening. All three candidates are real clusters with age below 100 Ma. UBC103 is a moderately populous cluster, with an age around 70 Ma. At a distance of $\sim$ 3 kpc, it forms a binary cluster with the nearby NGC6683. UBC114 is a relatively nearby ($\sim1.5$kpc) poorly-populated cluster containing two early-B stars. UBC587 is a dispersed, very young ($<$ 10 Ma) cluster located at $\sim3$ kpc, behind the Cygnus~X region, and may be a valuable tracer of the Orion arm. The OCfinder methodology for the identification of new open clusters is extremely successful, with even poor candidates resulting in interesting detections. The presence of an almost vertical photometric sequence in the Gaia colour-magnitude diagram is a safe way to identify young open clusters. Automated methods for the determination of cluster properties give approximate solutions, but are still subject to some difficulties. There is some evidence suggesting that artificial intelligence systems may systematically underestimate extinction, which may impact in the age determination.

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arXiv2022

Strong lithium lines in red supergiants at different metallicities

Current models of stellar evolution predict that stars more massive than $\sim6\:$M$_{\odot}$ should have completely depleted all lithium (Li) in their atmospheres by the time when they reach the He core burning phase. Against this, a non-negligible number of red giants with masses $>6\:$M$_{\odot}$ presenting strong Li lines have recently been reported. Motivated by this finding, we have carried out a spectroscopic survey of red supergiants (RSGs) in the Perseus Arm and a selection of young open clusters in the Magellanic Clouds to assess the presence of the Li I $λ$6708 doublet line. Based on a sample of >70 objects, close to one third of RSGs in the Perseus Arm display noticeable Li lines, with perhaps a trend towards a lower fraction among more luminous stars. The samples in the Magellanic Clouds are not as large, but hint at a metallicity dependence. Twenty one RSGs in 5 LMC clusters show a very high fraction of Li detection, around 40%. Conversely, 17 RSGs in 5 SMC clusters give only one secure detection. The interpretation of these observational results is not straightforward, but a mechanism for Li production seems most likely. Further characterisation work is ongoing, while theoretical studies into this matter are urgently needed.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2022

Westerlund 1 under the light of Gaia EDR3: Distance, isolation, extent, and a hidden population

(Abridged) We have used Gaia EDR3 data, together with spectra of a large sample of luminous stars in the field surrounding Westerlund 1, to explore the extent of the cluster. We carry out a non-parametric analysis of proper motions and membership determination. We investigate the reddening and proper motions of several dozen OB stars and red supergiants < 1 deg away from Wd 1. We identify a population of kinematic members of Wd 1 that largely includes the known spectroscopic members. From their EDR3 parallaxes, we derive a distance to the cluster of $4.23^{+0.23}_{-0.21}$kpc. Extinction in this direction increases by a large amount around 2.8 kpc, due to dark clouds associated to the Scutum-Crux arm. As a consequence, we hardly see any stars at distances comparable to that of the cluster. The proper motions of Wd 1, however, are very similar to those of stars in the field surrounding it, but distinct. We find a second, astrometrically well-defined population in the foreground ($d\approx2\:$kpc), likely connected to the possible open cluster BH197. Wd 1 is very elongated, an effect not driven by the very heavy extinction to the East and South. We find a low-density halo extending up to 10' from the cluster centre, mainly in the NW quadrant. A few OB stars at larger distances from the cluster, most notably the LBV MN48, share its proper motions, suggesting that Wd 1 has little or no peculiar motion with respect to the field population of the Norma arm. However, we are unable to find any red supergiant that could belong to an extended population related to the cluster, although we observe several dozen such objects in the foreground. We find a substantial population of luminous OB members obscured by several more magnitudes of extinction than most known members. These objects, mostly located in the central region of the cluster, increase the population of OB supergiants by about 25%.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2021

A massive open cluster hiding in full sight

Obscuration and confusion conspire to limit our knowledge of the inner Milky Way. Even at moderate distances, the identification of stellar systems becomes compounded by the extremely high density of background sources. Here we provide a very revealing example of these complications by unveiling a large, massive, young cluster in the Sagittarius arm that has escaped detection until now despite containing more than 30 stars brighter than $G=13$. By combining Gaia DR2 astrometry, Gaia and 2MASS photometry and optical spectroscopy, we find that the new cluster, which we name Valparaiso~1, located at $\sim2.3\:$kpc, is about 75~Ma old and includes a large complement of evolved stars, among which we highlight the 4~d classical Cepheid CM~Sct and an M-type giant that probably represents the first detection of an AGB star in a Galactic young open cluster. Although strong differential reddening renders accurate parameter determination unfeasible with the current dataset, direct comparison to clusters of similar age suggests that Valparaiso~1 was born as one of the most massive clusters in the Solar Neighbourhood, with an initial mass close to $10^{4}\:$M$_{\odot}$.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2020

Advances in Understanding High-Mass X-ray Binaries with INTEGRAL and Future Directions

High mass X-ray binaries are among the brightest X-ray sources in the Milky Way, as well as in nearby Galaxies. Thanks to their highly variable emissions and complex phenomenology, they have attracted the interest of the high energy astrophysical community since the dawn of X-ray Astronomy. In more recent years, they have challenged our comprehension of physical processes in many more energy bands, ranging from the infrared to very high energies. In this review, we provide a broad but concise summary of the physical processes dominating the emission from high mass X-ray binaries across virtually the whole electromagnetic spectrum. These comprise the interaction of stellar winds with the high gravitational and magnetic fields of compact objects, the behaviour of matter under extreme magnetic and gravity conditions, and the perturbation of the massive star evolutionary processes by presence in a binary system. We highlight the role of the INTEGRAL mission in the discovery of many of the most interesting objects in the high mass X-ray binary class and its contribution in reviving the interest for these sources over the past two decades. We show how the INTEGRAL discoveries have not only contributed to significantly increase the number of high mass X-ray binaries known, thus advancing our understanding of the population as a whole, but also have opened new windows of investigation that stimulated the multi-wavelength approach nowadays common in most astrophysical research fields. We conclude the review by providing an overview of future facilities being planned from the X-ray to the very high energy domain that will hopefully help us in finding an answer to the many questions left open after more than 18 years of INTEGRAL scientific observations.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2020

Optical and X-ray study of the peculiar high mass X-ray binary XMMU J010331.7-730144

For a long time XMMU J010331.7-730144 was proposed as a high-mass X-ray binary candidate based on its X-ray properties, however, its optical behaviour was unclear - in particular previous observations did not reveal key Balmer emission lines. In this paper we report on optical and X-ray variability of the system. XMMU J010331.7-730144 has been monitored with the Optical Gravitational Lensing Experiment (OGLE) in the I and V-bands for the past 9 years where it has shown extremely large amplitude outbursts separated by long periods of low-level flux. During its most recent optical outburst we obtained spectra with the Southern Africa Large Telescope (SALT) where, for the first time, the H-alpha line is seen in emission, confirming the Be nature of the optical companion. The OGLE colour-magnitude diagrams also exhibit a distinct loop which is explained by changes in mass-loss from the Be star and mass outflow in its disc. In the X-rays, XMMU J010331.7-730144 has been monitored by the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory through the S-CUBED programme. The X-ray flux throughout the monitoring campaign shows relatively low values for a typical Be/X-ray binary system. We show, from the analysis of the optical data, that the variability is due to the Be disc density and opacity changing rather than its physical extent as a result of efficient truncation by the NS. The relatively low X-ray flux can then be explained by the neutron star normally accreting matter at a low rate due to the small radial extent of the Be disc.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2020

Cluster membership for the long period Cepheid calibrator SV Vul

Classical Cepheids represent the first step of the distance scale ladder. Claims of tension between the locally calculated Hubble constant and the values deduced from $Planck$'s results have sparked new interest in these distance calibrators. Cluster membership provides an independent distance measurement, as well as astrophysical context for studies of their stellar properties. Here we report the discovery of a young open cluster in the vicinity of SV Vul, one of the most luminous Cephedis known in the Milky Way. $Gaia$ DR2 data show that SV Vul is a clear astrometric and photometric member of the new cluster, which we name Alicante 13. Although dispersed, Alicante 13 is moderately well populated, and contains three other luminous stars, one early-A bright giant and two low-luminosity red supergiants. The cluster is about 30 Ma old at a nominal distance of 2.5 kpc. With this age, SV Vul should have a mass around $10\:$M$_{\odot}$, in good accordance with its luminosity, close to the highest luminosity for Cepheids allowed by recent stellar models.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2018

An atlas of cool supergiants from the Magellanic Clouds and typical interlopers. A guide for the classification of luminous red stars

We present an atlas composed of more than 1500 spectra of late-type stars (spectral types from G to M) observed simultaneously in the optical and calcium triplet spectral ranges. These spectra were obtained as part of a survey to search for cool supergiants in the Magellanic Clouds and were taken over four epochs. We provide the spectral and luminosity classification for each spectrum (71% are supergiants, 13% are giants or luminous giants, 4% are carbon or S stars, and the remaining 12% are foreground stars of lesser luminosities). We also provide a detailed guide for the spectral classification of luminous late-type stars, the result of the extensive classification work done for the atlas. Although this guide is based on classical criteria, we have put them together and re-elaborated them for modern CCD-spectra as these criteria were scattered among many different works and mainly conceived for use with photographic plate spectra. The result is a systematic, well-tested process for identifying and classifying luminous late-type stars, illustrated with CCD spectra of standard stars and the classifications of our own catalogue.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2018

High-mass stars in Milky Way clusters

Young open clusters are our laboratories for studying high-mass star formation and evolution. Unfortunately, the information that they provide is difficult to interpret, and sometimes contradictory. In this contribution, I present a few examples of the uncertainties that we face when confronting observations with theoretical models and our own assumptions.

astro-ph.SR↗