• Journal of The Korean Astronomical Society
• /
• v.43 no.5
• /
• pp.153-159
• /
• 2010

Color excesses of classical Cepheids in the uvby color system are estimated for the calibration stars with distances from the literature that are measured independently. Intrinsic photometric indices for these stars are calculated and a calibrated empirical relation between (b - y)$_0$, period, [$c_1$], and [$m_1$] is derived through a linear fit. This relation is used to determine color excesses E(b-y) for 59 Cepheids. We also examine the period-color [log P : (b - y)$_0$] relation, and find no signs of nonlinearity. We estimate the effective temperature and surface gravity of several Cepheids using both Kurucz and MARCS/SSG grids for [Fe=H]=0.0. We confirm that both temperature and surface gravity are higher, by about 150K and 0.4 respectively, when the MARCS/SSG atmospheric grids are used.

• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
• /
• v.29 no.2
• /
• pp.181-189
• /
• 2012

To broaden the understanding of classical Cepheid structure, evolution and atmospheres, we have extended our continuing secret lives of Cepheids program by obtaining XMM/Chandra X-ray observations, and Hubble space telescope (HST) / cosmic origins spectrograph (COS) FUV-UV spectra of the bright, nearby Cepheids Polaris, ${\delta}$ Cep and ${\beta}$ Dor. Previous studies made with the international ultraviolet explorer (IUE) showed a limited number of UV emission lines in Cepheids. The well-known problem presented by scattered light contamination in IUE spectra for bright stars, along with the excellent sensitivity & resolution combination offered by HST/COS, motivated this study, and the spectra obtained were much more rich and complex than we had ever anticipated. Numerous emission lines, indicating $10^4$ K up to ${\sim}3{\times}10^5$ K plasmas, have been observed, showing Cepheids to have complex, dynamic outer atmospheres that also vary with the photospheric pulsation period. The FUV line emissions peak in the phase range ${\varphi}{\approx}0.8-1.0$ and vary by factors as large as $10{\times}$. A more complete picture of Cepheid outer atmospheres is accomplished when the HST/COS results are combined with X-ray observations that we have obtained of the same stars with XMM-Newton & Chandra. The Cepheids detected to date have X-ray luminosities of log $L_X{\approx}28.5-29.1$ ergs/sec, and plasma temperatures in the $2-8{\times}106$ K range. Given the phase-timing of the enhanced emissions, the most plausible explanation is the formation of a pulsation-induced shocks that excite (and heat) the atmospheric plasmas surrounding the photosphere. A pulsation-driven ${\alpha}^2$ equivalent dynamo mechanism is also a viable and interesting alternative. However, the tight phase-space of enhanced emission (peaking near 0.8-1.0 ${\varphi}$) favor the shock heating mechanism hypothesis.

• Publications of The Korean Astronomical Society
• /
• v.30 no.2
• /
• pp.371-374
• /
• 2015

Classical Cepheids (hereafter Cepheids) belong to a class of important variable stars that can be used to determine distances to nearby galaxies via the famous period-luminosity (PL) relations, i.e. the Leavitt Law. In turn, these distances can then be used to calibrate a host of secondary distance indicators located well within the Hubble flow, and ultimately determine the Hubble constant in a manner independent of the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) measurements. Some recent progress in determining the Hubble constant to within ~ 3% level via the Cepheid-based distance scale ladder (the SH0ES and the Carnegie Hubble Program) were first summarized in this Proceeding, followed by a brief discussion on the prospect of using ultra-long period Cepheids (ULPC) in future distance scale work. ULPC are those Cepheids with periods longer than 80 days, which seem to follow a different PL relation than their shorter period Cepheids. It has been suggested that ULPC can be used to determine the Hubble constant in "one-step". However, based on the two ULPCs found in M31, it was found that the large dispersion in derived distance moduli leads to a less accurate distance modulus to M31 compared to the classical Cepheids. This finding might raise an alert regarding the use of ULPCs in future distance scale work.

• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
• /
• v.35 no.1
• /
• pp.19-30
• /
• 2018

The analysis of the high-resolution spectra of 31 Magellanic Clouds Cepheid variables enabled the identification of thorium lines. The abundances of thorium were found with spectrum synthesis method. The calculated thorium abundances exhibit correlations with the abundances of other chemical elements and atmospheric parameters of the program stars. These correlations are similar for both Clouds. The correlations of iron abundances of thorium, europium, neodymium, and yttrium relative to the pulsational periods are different in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) and the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC), namely the correlations are negative for LMC and positive or close to zero for SMC. One of the possible explanations can be the higher activity of nucleosynthesis in SMC with respect to LMC in the recent several hundred million years.

• Publications of The Korean Astronomical Society
• /
• v.30 no.2
• /
• pp.225-227
• /
• 2015

We introduce a code called tlc_s05, to fit sparsely sampled JHK band Cepheid light curve data with template light curves to derive the mean magnitude. A brief description of the code is provided here. We tested the performance of the code in deriving the mean JHK band magnitudes using simulations, and we found that it is better to observe more than four evenly spaced data points per light curve, which permits tlc_s05 to derive accurate mean magnitudes for Cepheid JHK band light curves.

• Journal of The Korean Astronomical Society
• /
• v.49 no.5
• /
• pp.209-223
• /
• 2016

We present analyses of ~1250 variable sources identified in a 20 square degree field toward NGC 2784 by the KMTNet Supernova Program. We categorize the variable sources into three groups based on their B-band variability. The first group consists of 31 high variability sources with their B-band RMS variability greater than 0.3 magnitudes. The second group of medium variability contains 265 sources with RMS variability between 0.05 and 0.3 magnitudes. The remaining 951 sources belong to the third group of low variability with an RMS variability smaller than 0.05 magnitudes. Of the entire ~1250 sources, 4 clearly show periods of variability greater than 100 days, while the rest have periods shorter than ~51 days or no reliable periods. The majority of the sources show either rather irregular variability or short periods faster than 2 days. Most of the sources with reliable period determination between 2 and 51 days belong to the low-variability group, although a few belong to the medium-variability group. All the variable sources with periods longer than 35 days appear to be very red with B - V > 1.5 and V - I > 2.1 magnitudes. We classify candidates of 51 Cepheids, 17 semi-regular variables, 3 Mira types, 2 RV(B) Tauri stars, 26 eclipsing binary systems and 1 active galactic nucleus. The majority of long-term variables in our sample belong to either Mira or semi-regular types, indicating that long-term variability may be more prominent in post-main sequence phases of late-type stars. The depth of the eclipsing dips of the 26 candidates for eclipsing binaries is equivalent to ~0.61 as the average relative size of the two stars in the binary system. Our results illustrate the power of the KMTNet Supernova Program for future studies of variable objects.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
• /
• v.40 no.1
• /
• pp.46.4-47
• /
• 2015

Carnegie Hubble Program II (hereafter CHP II) is a large Hubble Space Telescope (HST) observing campaign in the cycle 22 composed of a total of 184 orbits (132 primes + 52 parallels), which aims to measure H0 directly with an unprecedented accuracy. Unlike our previous efforts in CHP I which used Cepheids as a yardstick, CHP II takes the Population II (Pop II) distance indicators such as RR Lyraes and tip of the red giant branch stars (TRGBs) to set up a new calibration to Type Ia supernovae (SN Ia) distance. The Pop II distance scales have two immediate advantages over the classical Cepheid method: 1) The period-luminosity relation of the RR Lyrae has a scatter that is a factor of 2 smaller; 2) The RR Lyrae/TRGB distance scale can be applied to both elliptical and spiral galaxies. This will provide a great systematic benefit by ultimately allowing us to double the number of SN Ia distances based on geometry. By taking advantage of this Pop II route, we expect to measure H0 value to 3 % of error which will be the highest accuracy H0 measurement to date using the "Distance Ladder" method. In this talk I will present a brief background/overview on the CHP II, observations/data acquisition status, and ongoing research progress/preliminary results.

• Journal of The Korean Astronomical Society
• /
• v.26 no.2
• /
• pp.115-134
• /
• 1993

The light curve and radial velocity curve of multiperiodic dwarf cepheid VI719 Cyg (HD200925) with peculiar light curve have been reanalyzed in order to identify the oscillation modes to confirm the helium settling within the envelope. To do these, through the period search for the photometric and radial velocity data from the literature, two different periods were determined and the oscillation modes corresponding to the first and second periods were identified as the fundamental and first radial overtones. Hence the helium settling within the envelope was confirmed from the period ratio. The color excess, metallicity, effective temperature, and surface gravity corresponding to two different modes were determined and it was found that these parameters almost do not depend upon different oscillation mode. By utilizing the surface brightness method, we investigated the variation of angular diameter and radial displacement and it was found that the angular variation is very peculiar. Also by referring to the stellar models, mass and age were determined as $2.7M_{\bigodot}$ and 0.42 Gyr respectively which make this variable star heavier and younger than other multimode dwarf cepheids. Preliminary spectroscopic CCD observations were carried out and it was found that Mg in VI719 Cygni is nearly solar abundent according to the analysis of $5172.68{\AA}MgI$ line which is inconsistent with the photometric result. It was suggested that VI719 Cyg may be classified as a $\rho$ Pup stars according to the photometric characteristics.

• Journal of The Korean Astronomical Society
• /
• v.28 no.2
• /
• pp.169-175
• /
• 1995

Deep V I CCD photometry of the Pegasus dwarf irregular galaxy shows that the tip of the red giant branch (RGB) is located at I = $21.15{\pm}0.10$ mag and (V - I) = $1.58{\pm}0.03$. Using the I magnitude of the tip of the RGB (TRGB), the distance modulus of the Pegasus galaxy is estimated to be $(m\;-\;M)_o\;=\;25.13{\pm}0.11$ mag (corresponding to a distance of d = $1060{\pm}50$ kpc). This result is in a good agreement with the recent distance estimate based on the TRGB method by Aparicio [1994, ApJ, 437, L27],$ (m\;-\;M)_o$ = 24.9 (d = 950 kpc). However, our distance estimate is much smaller than that based on the Cepheid variable candidates by Hoessel et al.[1990, AJ, 100, 1151], $(m\;-\;M)_o\;=\;26.22{\pm}0.20$ (d = $1750{\pm}160$ kpc) mag. The color-magnitude diagram illustrates that the Cepheid candidates used by Hoessel et al.are not located in the Cepheid instability strip, but in the upper part of the giant branch. This result shows that the Cepheid candidates studied by Hoessel et al.are probably not Cepheids, but other types of variable stars. Taking the average of our distance estimate and Aparicio's, the distance to the Pegasus galaxy is d= $1000{\pm}80$ kpc. Considering the distance and velocity of the Pegasus galaxy with respect to the center of the Local Group, we conclude that the Pegasus galaxy is probably a member of the Local Group.