arXiv subjects

Pasi Hakala

Publications and source records attributed to Pasi Hakala.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2021

Detection of an energetic flare from the M5V secondary star in the Polar MQ Dra

MQ Dra is a strongly magnetic Cataclysmic Variable whose white dwarf accretes material from its secondary star through a stellar wind at a low rate. TESS observations were made of MQ Dra in four sectors in Cycle 2 and show a short duration, high energy flare (~10^35 erg) which has a profile characteristic of a flare from the M5V secondary star. This is one of the few occasions where an energetic flare has been seen from a Polar. We find no evidence that the flare caused a change in the light curve following the event and consider whether a coronal mass ejection was associated with the flare. We compare the frequency of energetic flares from the secondary star in MQ Dra with M dwarf stars and discuss the overall flare rate of stars with rotation periods shorter than 0.2 d and how such fast rotators can generate magnetic fields with low differential rotation rates.

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arXiv2019

TESS observations of the asynchronous polar CD Ind: mapping the changing accretion geometry

We present the results of near continuous TESS optical observations of the asynchronous polar CD Ind (RX J2115-5840). The 27.9 d long light curve, with 2 min resolution, reveals remarkable changes in the magnetic accretion geometry of the system over the 7.3 d beat period. We have modelled the changes in the optical spin period pulse shape using a cyclotron emission mapping technique. The resulting cyclotron emission maps of the magnetic white dwarf reveal how the accretion geometry changes from single to two pole accretion and back over the beat cycle. Finally, we present the results from particle based numerical magnetic accretion simulations, that agree with our interpretation of the changing accretion scenario.

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arXiv2017

Variable polarisation and Doppler tomography of PSR J1023+0038 - Evidence for the magnetic propeller during flaring?

Transitional millisecond pulsars are systems that alternate between an accreting low-mass X-ray binary (LMXB) state, and a non-accreting radio pulsar state. When at the LMXB state, their X-ray and optical light curves show rapid flares and dips, origin of which is not well understood. We present results from our optical and NIR observing campaign of PSR J1023+0038, a transitional millisecond pulsar observed in an accretion state. Our wide band optical photopolarimetry indicates that the system shows intrinsic linear polarisation, the degree of which is anticorrelated with optical emission, i.e. the polarisation could be diluted during the flares. However, the change in position angle during the flares suggests an additional emerging polarised component during the flares. We also find, based on our H$_α$ spectroscopy and Doppler tomography, that there is indication for change in the accretion disc structure/emission during the flares, possibly due to a change in accretion flow. This, together with changing polarisation during the flares, could mark the existence of magnetic propeller mass ejection process in the system. Furthermore, our analysis of flare profiles in both optical and NIR shows that NIR flares are at least as powerful as the optical ones and both can exhibit transition time scales less than 3 sec. The optical/NIR flares therefore seem to originate from a separate, polarised transient component, which might be due to Thomson scattering from propeller ejected matter.

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arXiv2015

Continuous `stunted' outbursts detected from the Cataclysmic Variable KIC 9202990 using Kepler data

Based on early Kepler data, Ostensen et al. (2010) found that KIC 9202990 showed a 4 hr and a two-week photometric period. They suggested the 4 hr period was a signature of an orbital period; the longer period was possibly due to precession of an accretion disk and KIC 9202990 was a cataclysmic variable with an accretion disk which is always in a bright state (a nova-like system). Using the full Kepler dataset on KIC 9202990 which covers 1421 d (Quarter 2--17), and includes 1 min cadence data from the whole of Quarters 5 and 16, we find that the 4 hr period is stable and therefore a signature of the binary orbital period. In contrast, the 10--12 d period is not stable and shows an amplitude between 20--50 percent. This longer period modulation is similar to those nova-like systems which show `stunted' outbursts. We discuss the problems that a precessing disk model has in explaining the observed characteristics and indicate why we favour a stunted outburst model. Although such stunted events are considered to be related to the standard disk instability mechanism, their origin is not well understood. KIC 9202990 shows the lowest amplitude and shortest period of continuous stunted outburst systems, making it an ideal target to better understand stunted outbursts and accretion instabilities in general.

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arXiv2015

Searching for I band variability in stars in the M/L spectral transition region

We report on I band photometric observations of 21 stars with spectral types between M8 and L4 made using the Isaac Newton Telescope. The total amount of time for observations which had a cadence of <2.3 mins was 58.5 hrs, with additional data with lower cadence. We test for photometric variability using the Kruskal-Wallis H-test and find that 4 sources (2MASS J10224821+5825453, 2MASS J07464256+2000321, 2MASS J16262034+3925190 and 2MASS J12464678+4027150) were found to be significantly variable at least on one epoch. Three of these sources are reported as photometrically variable for the first time. If we include sources which were deemed marginally variable, the number of variable sources is 6 (29 percent). No flares were detected from any source. The percentage of sources which we found were variable is similar to previous studies. We summarise the mechanisms which have been put forward to explain the light curves of brown dwarfs.

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arXiv2015

K2 and MAXI observations of Sco X-1 - Evidence for disc precession?

Sco X-1 is the archetypal low mass X-ray binary (LMXB) and the brightest persistent extra-solar X-ray source in the sky. It was included in the K2 Campaign 2 field and was observed continuously for 71 days with 1 minute time resolution. In this paper we report these results and underline the potential of K2 for similar observations of other accreting compact binaries. We reconfirm that Sco X-1 shows a bimodal distribution of optical "high" and "low" states and rapid transitions between them on timescales less than 3 hours (or 0.15 orbits). We also find evidence that this behaviour has a typical systemic timescale of 4.8 days, which we interpret as a possible disc precession period in the system. Finally, we confirm the complex optical vs. X-ray correlation/anticorrelation behaviour for "high" and "low" optical states respectively.

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arXiv2014

Simultaneous optical and near-IR photometry of 4U 1957+115 - a missing secondary star

We report the results of quasi-simultaneous optical and NIR photometry of the low-mass X-ray binary, 4U 1957+115. Our observations cover B, V, R, I, J, H and K-bands and additional time-series NIR photometry. We measure a spectral energy distribution, which can be modelled using a standard multi-temperature accretion disc, where the disc temperature and radius follow a power-law relation. Standard accretion disc theory predicts the power law exponent to be -3/4, and this yields, perhaps surprisingly, acceptable fits to our SED. Given that the source is a persistent X-ray source, it is however likely that the accretion disc temperature distribution is produced by X-ray heating, regardless of its radial dependence. Furthermore, we find no evidence for any emission from the secondary star at any wavelength. However, adding a secondary component to our model allows us to derive a 99\% lower limit of 14 or 15 kpc based on Monte Carlo simulations and using either an evolved K2 or G2V secondary star respectively. In $>$60\% of cases the distance is $>$80kpc. Such large distances favor models with a massive ($>$15 M$_{\odot}$) black hole primary. Our quasi-simultaneous J and V-band time-series photometry, together with the SED, reveals that the optical/NIR emission must originate in the same region i.e. the accretion disc. The likely extreme mass ratio supports suggestions that the accretion disc must be precessing which, depending on the length of the precession period, could play a major part in explaining the variety of optical light curve shapes obtained over the last two decades.

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arXiv2014

Red giant pulsations from the suspected symbiotic star StHA 169 detected in Kepler data

We present Kepler and Swift observations of StHa 169 which is currently classified as a symbiotic binary. The Kepler light curve shows quasi periodic behaviour with a mean period of 34 d and an amplitude of a few percent. Using Swift data we find a relatively strong UV source at the position of StHa 169 but no X-ray counterpart. Using a simple two component blackbody fit to model the combined Swift and 2MASS spectral energy distribution and an assessment of the previously published optical spectrum, we find that the source has a hot (~10,000K) component and a cooler (~3700K) component. The Kepler light is dominated by the cool component and we attribute the variability to pulsations in a red giant star. If we remove this approximate month long modulation from the light curve, we find no evidence for additional variability in the light curve. The hotter source is assigned to a late B or early A main sequence star. We briefly discuss the implications of these findings and conclude that StHA 169 is a red giant plus main sequence binary.

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arXiv2013

RATS-Kepler -- a deep high cadence survey of the Kepler field

We outline the purpose, strategy and first results of a deep, high cadence, photometric survey of the Kepler field using the Isaac Newton Telescope on La Palma and the MDM 1.3m Telescope on Kitt Peak. Our goal was to identify sources located in the Kepler field of view which are variable on a timescale of a few mins to 1 hour. The astrophysically most interesting sources would then have been candidates for observation using Kepler using 1 min sampling. Our survey covered ~42% of the Kepler field of view and we have obtained light curves for 7.1x10^5 objects in the range 13<g<20. We have discovered more than 100 variable sources which have passed our two stage identification process. As a service to the wider community, we make our data products and cleaned CCD images available to download. We obtained Kepler data of 18 sources which we found to be variable using our survey and we give an overview of the currently available data here. These sources include a pulsating DA white dwarf, eleven delta Sct stars which have dominant pulsation periods in the range 24 min to 2.35 hrs, three contact binaries, and a cataclysmic variable (V363 Lyr). One of the delta Sct stars is in a contact binary.

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arXiv2013

Short duration high amplitude flares detected on the M dwarf star KIC 5474065

Using data obtained during the RATS-Kepler project we identified one short duration flare in a 1 hour sequence of ground based photometry of the dwarf star KIC 5474065. Observations made using GTC show it is a star with a M4 V spectral type. Kepler observations made using 1 min sampling show that KIC 5474065 exhibits large amplitude (deltaF/F>0.4) optical flares which have a duration as short as 10 mins. We compare the energy distribution of flares from KIC 5474065 with that of KIC 9726699, which has also been observed using 1 min sampling, and ground based observations of other M dwarf stars in the literature. We discuss the possible implications of these short duration, relatively low energy flares would have on the atmosphere of exo-planets orbiting in the habitable zone of these flare stars.

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arXiv2011

Optical counterpart of HLX-1 during the 2010 outburst

We studied the optical counterpart of the intermediate-mass black hole candidate HLX-1 in ESO 243-49. We used a set of Very Large Telescope imaging observations from 2010 November, integrated by Swift X-ray data from the same epoch. We measured standard Vega brightnesses U = 23.89 +/- 0.18 mag, B = 25.19 +/- 0.30 mag, V = 24.79 +/- 0.34 mag and R = 24.71 +/- 0.40 mag. Therefore, the source was ~1 mag fainter in each band than in a set of Hubble Space Telescope images taken a couple of months earlier, when the X-ray flux was a factor of 2 higher. We conclude that during the 2010 September observations, the optical counterpart was dominated by emission from an irradiated disk (which responds to the varying X-ray luminosity), rather than by a star cluster around the black hole (which would not change). We modelled the Comptonized, irradiated X-ray spectrum of the disk, and found that the optical luminosity and colours in the 2010 November data are still consistent with emission from the irradiated disk, with a characteristic outer radius r_{out} ~ 2800 r_{in} ~ 10^{13} cm and a reprocessing fraction ~ 2 x 10^{-3}. The optical colours are also consistent with a stellar population with age <~ 6 Myr (at solar metallicity) and mass ~ 10^4 M_{sun}; this is only an upper limit to the mass, if there is also a significant contribution from an irradiated disk. We strongly rule out the presence of a young super-star-cluster, which would be too bright. An old globular cluster might be associated with HLX-1, as long as its mass <~ 2 x 10^6 M_{sun} for an age of 10 Gyr, but it cannot significantly contribute to the observed very blue and variable optical/UV emission.

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arXiv2011

The long term optical behaviour of helium accreting AM CVn binaries

We present the results of a two and a half year optical photometric monitoring programme covering 16 AM CVn binaries using the Liverpool Telescope on La Palma. We detected outbursts in seven systems, one of which (SDSS J0129) was seen in outburst for the first time. Our study coupled with existing data shows that ~1/3 of these helium-rich accreting compact binaries show outbursts. The orbital period of the outbursting systems lie in the range 24-44 mins and is remarkably consistent with disk-instability predictions. The characteristics of the outbursts seem to be broadly correlated with their orbital period (and hence mass transfer rate). Systems which have short periods (<30 min) tend to exhibit outbursts lasting 1--2 weeks and often show a distinct `dip' in flux shortly after the on-set of the burst. We explore the nature of these dips which are also seen in the near-UV. The longer period bursters show higher amplitude events (5 mag) that can last several months. We have made simulations to estimate how many outbursts we are likely to have missed.

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arXiv2011

New short period stellar pulsators at large Galactocentric distances

We report the discovery of 31 blue, short period, pulsators made using data taken as part of the Rapid Temporal Survey (RATS). We find they have periods between 51-83 mins and full-amplitudes between 0.05-0.65 mag. Using the period-luminosity relationship for short period pulsating stars we determine their distance. Assuming they are pulsating in either the fundamental or first over-tone radial mode the majority are located at a distance greater than 3kpc, with several being more than 20 kpc distant. Most stars are at least 1 kpc from the Galactic plane, with three being more than 10 kpc. One is located in the direction of the Galactic anti-center and has Galactocentric distance of ~30 kpc and is ~20 kpc below the plane: they are therefore potential tracers of Galactic structure. We have obtained low-resolution spectra for a small number our targets and find they have temperatures between 7200--7900K and a metal content less than Solar. The colours of the pulsators and the spectral fits to those stars for which we have spectra indicate that they are either SX Phe or delta Scuti stars. We estimate the number of SX Phe stars in our Galaxy and find significantly fewer per unit mass than reported in massive globular clusters or dwarf spheroidal galaxies.

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arXiv2011

Fast Optical and X-ray Variability in the UCXB 4U0614+09

We present results from several years of fast optical photometry of 4U0614+091 (V1055 Orionis), a candidate ultracompact X-ray binary most likely consisting of a neutron star and a degenerate secondary. We find evidence for strong accretion-driven variability at all epochs, that manifests itself as red noise. This flickering produces transient peaks in the observed power spectrum in the 15-65 min period range. Only in one of our 12 optical datasets can we see evidence for a period that cannot be reproduced using the red noise model. This period of 51 minutes coincides with the strongest period detected by Shahbaz et al. (2008) and can thus be taken as the prime candidate for the orbital period of the system. Furthermore, we find some tentative evidence for the X-ray vs. optical flux anticorrelation discovered by Machin et al. (1990) using our data together with the all-sky X-ray monitoring data from RXTE/ASM. We propose that the complex time series behaviour of 4U0614+09 is a result of drastic changes in the accretion disc geometry/structure on time scales from hours to days. Finally we want to draw attention to the interpretation of moderately strong peaks in the power spectra of, especially accreting, sources. Many of such "periods" can probably be attributed to the presence of red noise (i.e. correlated events) in the data.

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arXiv2011

Stellar variability on time-scales of minutes: results from the first 5 years of the Rapid Temporal Survey (RATS)

The Rapid Temporal Survey (RATS) explores the faint, variable sky. Our observations search a parameter space which, until now, has never been exploited from the ground. Our strategy involves observing the sky close to the Galactic plane with wide-field CCD cameras. An exposure is obtained approximately every minute with the total observation of each field lasting around 2 hours. In this paper we present the first 6 epochs of observations which were taken over 5 years from 2003--2008 and cover over 31 square degrees of which 16.2 is within 10° of the Galactic plane. The number of stars contained in these data is over 3.0 x10^6. We have developed a method of combining the output of two variability tests in order to detect variability on time-scales ranging from a few minutes to a few hours. Using this technique we find 1.2 x 10^5 variables -- equal to 4.1 per cent of stars in our data. Follow-up spectroscopic observations have allowed us to identify the nature of a fraction of these sources. These include a pulsating white dwarf which appears to have a hot companion, a number of stars with A-type spectra that vary on a period in the range 20--35 min. Our primary goal is the discovery of new AM CVn systems: we find 66 sources which appear to show periodic modulation on a time-scales less than 40 min and a colour consistent with the known AM CVn systems. Of those sources for which we have spectra of, none appears to be an AM CVn system, although we have 12 candidate AM CVn systems with periods less than 25 min for which spectra are still required. Although our numbers are not strongly constraining, they are consistent with the predictions of Nelemans et al.

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arXiv2009

RAT J1953+1859: a dwarf nova discovered through high amplitude QPOs in quiescence

We report the discovery of an accreting binary, RAT J1953+1859, made during the RApid Temporal Survey (RATS) on the Isaac Newton Telescope. It showed high amplitude (0.3 mag) quasi-periodic oscillations on a timescale of ~20 mins. Further observations made using the Nordic Optical Telescope showed it to be ~4 mag brighter than in the discovery images. These photometric observations, together with radial velocity data taken using the William Herschel Telescope, point to an orbital period of ~90 mins. These data suggest that RAT J1953+1859 is a dwarf novae of the SU UMa type. What makes RAT J1953+1859 unusual is that it is the first such system to be discovered as a result of high amplitude QPOs during quiescence. This suggests that high-cadence wide-field surveys could be another means to discover cataclysmic variables as a result of their short period variability.

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arXiv2009

2XMMi J225036.9+573154 - a new eclipsing AM Her binary discovered using XMM-Newton

We report the discovery of an eclipsing polar, 2XMMi J225036.9+573154, using XMM-Newton. It was discovered by searching the light curves in the 2XMMi catalogue for objects showing X-ray variability. Its X-ray light curve shows a total eclipse of the white dwarf by the secondary star every 174 mins. An extended pre-eclipse absorption dip is observed in soft X-rays at phi=0.8-0.9, with evidence for a further dip in the soft X-ray light curve at phi~0.4. Further, X-rays are seen from all orbital phases (apart from the eclipse) which makes it unusual amongst eclipsing polars. We have identified the optical counterpart, which is faint (r=21), and shows a deep eclipse (>3.5 mag in white light). Its X-ray spectrum does not show a distinct soft X-ray component which is seen in many, but not all, polars. Its optical spectrum shows Halpha in emission for a fraction of the orbital period.

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arXiv2008

Light Curve Morphology Study of UW CrB -- Evidence for a 5 d Superorbital Period

Since its discovery in 1990, UW CrB (also known as MS1603+2600) has remained a peculiar source without firm classification. Our current understanding is that it is an Accretion Disc Corona (ADC) low mass X-ray binary. In this paper we present results from our photometric campaign dedicated to studying the changing morphology of the optical light curves. We find that the optical light curves show remarkable evidence for strongly evolving light curve shapes. In addition we find that these changes show a modulation at a period of $\sim$ 5 days. We interpret these changes as either due to strong periodic accretion disc warping or other geometrical changes due to disc precession at a period of 5 days. Finally, we have detected 11 new optical bursts, the phase distribution of which supports the idea of a vertically extended asymmetric accretion disc.

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