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Shogo Nishiyama

Publications and source records attributed to Shogo Nishiyama.

58 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

Interstellar Extinction Law in the J, H, and Ks Bands toward the Galactic Center

We have determined the ratios of total to selective extinction in the near-infrared bands (J, H, Ks) toward the Galactic center from the observations of the region |l| < 2.0deg and 0.5deg < |b| < 1.0deg with the IRSF telescope and the SIRIUS camera. Using the positions of red clump stars in color-magnitude diagrams as a tracer of the extinction and reddening, we determine the average of the ratios of total to selective extinction to be A(Ks)/E(H-Ks) = 1.44+-0.01, A(Ks)/E(J-Ks) = 0.494+-0.006, and A(H)/E(J-H) = 1.42+-0.02, which are significantly smaller than those obtained in previous studies. From these ratios, we estimate that A(J) : A(H) : A(Ks) = 1 : 0.573+-0.009 : 0.331+-0.004 and E(J-H)/E(H-Ks) = 1.72+-0.04, and we find that the power law A(lambda) \propto lambda^{-1.99+-0.02} is a good approximation over these wavelengths. Moreover, we find a small variation in A(Ks)/E(H-Ks) across our survey. This suggests that the infrared extinction law changes from one line of sight to another, and the so-called ``universality'' does not necessarily hold in the infrared wavelengths.

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Near-Infrared Photometric Monitoring of a Pre-Main-Sequence Object KH 15D

An extensive photometric monitoring of KH 15D, an enigmatic variable in the young star cluster NGC 2264, has been conducted. Simultaneous and accurate near-infrared (JHKs-bands) photometry is presented between 2003 December and 2005 March covering most of the variable phase. The infrared variability is characterized by large-amplitude and long-lasting eclipse, as observed at optical. The period of variability is 48.3 +/- 0.2 days, the maximum photometric amplitude of variability is ~4.2 mag, and the eclipse duration is \~0.5 in phase units. These are consistent with the most recent period, amplitude, and duration at optical. The blueing of the J-H color (~0.16 mag) during the eclipse, which has been suggested before, is unambiguously confirmed; a similar blueing at H-Ks is less clear but is probably present at a similar level. The overall shape of the JHKs light curves is very similar to the optical one, including a fair time-symmetry and a less stable flux during the eclipse with a slight hump near the zero phase. Most of these variability features of KH 15D observed at near-infrared wavelengths can be explained with the recent model employing an eclipse by the inclined, precessing disk and an outer scattering region around a pre-main-sequence binary.

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A Distinct Structure Inside the Galactic Bar

We present the result of a near-infrared (J H Ks) survey along the Galactic plane, -10.5deg < l < +10.5deg and b=+1.0deg, with the IRSF 1.4m telescope and the SIRIUS camera. Ks vs. H-Ks color-magnitude diagrams reveal a well-defined population of red clump (RC) stars whose apparent magnitude peak changes continuously along the Galactic plane, from Ks=13.4 at l=-10deg to Ks=12.2 at l=+10deg after dereddening. This variation can be explained by the bar-like structure found in previous studies, but we find an additional inner structure at |l| < 4deg, where the longitude - apparent magnitude relation is distinct from the outer bar, and the apparent magnitude peak changes by only 0.1 mag over the central 8deg. The exact nature of this inner structure is as yet uncertain.

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The Infrared Counterpart of the X-Ray Nova XTE J1720-318

We report on the discovery of an infrared counterpart to the X-ray transient XTE J1720-318 on 2003 January 18, nine days after an X-ray outburst, and the infrared light curve during the first 130 days after the outburst. The infrared light curve shows a decline of about 1.2 mag from the peak magnitude of Ks about 15.3 over the observation period, and a secondary maximum, about 40 days after the outburst. Another small increase in the flux was also recorded about 20 days after the outburst. These increases were also detected in the X-ray light curve. The J H Ks colors are consistent with an X-ray irradiated accretion disk suffering an extinction of Av about 8, which is also inferred from its X-ray spectrum and the extinction map constructed from far-infrared dust emission of this line of sight. These J, H, and Ks observations demonstrate that useful data can be obtained even for such an object, which suffers heavy optical extinction, possibly located beyond the Galactic center.

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