Browsing by Author "Guo, Zhen"

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    Large-amplitude periodic outbursts and long-period variables in the VVV VIRAC2-β data base
    (2022) Guo, Zhen; Lucas, P. W.; Smith, L. C.; Clarke, C.; Contreras Peña, C.; Bayo, A.; Briceño, C.; Elias, J.; Kurtev, R. G.; Borissova, J.; Alonso-García, J.; Minniti, D.; Catelan, Márcio; Nikzat, F.; Morris, C.; Miller, N.
    The VISTA Variables in the Via Lactea (VVV) survey obtained near-infrared photometry towards the Galactic bulge and the southern disc plane for a decade (2010-2019). We designed a modified Lomb-Scargle method to search for large-amplitude ($\Delta K_{s, 2-98{{\ \rm per\ cent}}}$ > 1.5 mag) mid to long-term periodic variables (P> 10 d) in the 2nd version of VVV Infrared Astrometric Catalogue (VIRAC2-β). In total, 1520 periodic sources were discovered, including 59 candidate periodic outbursting young stellar objects (YSOs), based on the unique morphology of the phase-folded light curves, proximity to Galactic H II regions and mid-infrared colours. Five sources are spectroscopically confirmed as accreting YSOs. Both fast-rise/slow-decay and slow-rise/fast-decay periodic outbursts were found, but fast-rise/slow-decay outbursts predominate at the highest amplitudes. The multiwavelength colour variations are consistent with a variable mass accretion process, as opposed to variable extinction. The cycles are likely to be caused by dynamical perturbations from stellar or planetary companions within the circumstellar disc. An additional search for periodic variability amongst YSO candidates in published Spitzer-based catalogues yielded a further 71 candidate periodic accretors, mostly with lower amplitudes. These resemble cases of pulsed accretion but with unusually long periods and greater regularity. The majority of other long-period variables are pulsating dusty Miras with smooth and symmetric light curves. We find that some Miras have redder W3 - W4 colours than previously thought, most likely due to their surface chemical compositions....
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    Spectroscopic confirmation of high-amplitude eruptive YSOs and dipping giants from the VVV survey
    (2024) Guo, Zhen; Lucas, P. W.; Kurtev, R.; Borissova, J.; Pena, C. Contreras; Yurchenko, S. N.; Smith, L. C.; Minniti, D.; Saito, R. K.; Bayo, A.; Catelan, M.; Alonso-Garcia, J.; Garatti, A. Caratti o; Morris, C.; Froebrich, D.; Tennyson, J.; Mauco, K.; Aguayo, A.; Miller, N.; Muthu, H. D. S.
    During the pre-main-sequence (pre-MS) evolution stage of a star, significant amounts of stellar mass are accreted during episodic accretion events, such as multidecade FUor-type outbursts. Here, we present a near-infrared spectroscopic follow-up study of 33 high-amplitude (most with Delta K-s > 4 mag) variable sources discovered by the Vista Variables in the Via Lactea (VVV) survey. Based on the spectral features, 25 sources are classified as eruptive young stellar objects (YSOs), including 15 newly identified FUors, six with long-lasting, but EXor-like bursts of magnetospheric accretion and four displaying outflow-dominated spectra. By examining the photometric behaviours of eruptive YSOs, we found most FUor-type outbursts have higher amplitudes (Delta K-s and Delta W2), faster eruptive time-scales and bluer infrared colours than the other outburst types. In addition, we identified seven post-MS variables apparently associated with deep dipping events and an eruptive star with deep aluminium monoxide absorption bands resembling those seen in the V838 Mon stellar merger.
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    The ASAS-SN bright supernova catalogue - I. 2013-2014
    (OXFORD UNIV PRESS, 2017) Holoien, T. W. S.; Stanek, K. Z.; Kochanek, C. S.; Shappee, B. J.; Prieto, J. L.; Brimacombe, J.; Bersier, D.; Bishop, D. W.; Dong, Subo; Brown, J. S.; Danilet, A. B.; Simonian, G. V.; Basu, U.; Beacom, J. F.; Falco, E.; Pojmanski, G.; Skowron, D. M.; Wozniak, P. R.; Avila, C. G.; Conseil, E.; Contreras, C.; Cruz, I.; Fernandez, J. M.; Koff, R. A.; Guo, Zhen; Herczeg, G. J.; Hissong, J.; Hsiao, E. Y.; Jose, J.; Kiyota, S.; Long, Feng; Monard, L. A. G.; Nicholls, B.; Nicolas, J.; Wiethoff, W. S.
    We present basic statistics for all supernovae discovered by the All-Sky Automated Survey for SuperNovae (ASAS-SN) during its first year-and-a-half of operations, spanning 2013 and 2014. We also present the same information for all other bright (mV <= 17), spectroscopically confirmed supernovae discovered from 2014 May 1 through the end of 2014, providing a comparison to the ASAS-SN sample starting from the point where ASAS-SN became operational in both hemispheres. In addition, we present collected redshifts and near-UV through IR magnitudes, where available, for all host galaxies of the bright supernovae in both samples. This work represents a comprehensive catalogue of bright supernovae and their hosts from multiple professional and amateur sources, allowing for population studies that were not previously possible because the all-sky emphasis of ASAS-SN redresses many previously existing biases. In particular, ASAS-SN systematically finds bright supernovae closer to the centres of host galaxies than either other professional surveys or amateurs, a remarkable result given ASAS-SN's poorer angular resolution. This is the first of a series of yearly papers on bright supernovae and their hosts that will be released by the ASAS-SN team.
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    The most variable VVV sources: eruptive protostars, dipping giants in the Nuclear Disc and others
    (2023) Lucas, Phil; Smith, Leigh; Guo, Zhen; Contreras Peña, Carlos; Minniti, Dante; Miller, Niall; Alonso-Garcia, Javier; Catelan, Marcio; Borissova, J.; Saito, Roberto; Kurtev, Radostin; Navarro, M. G.; Morris, Calum; Muthu, Hariharan; Froebrich, Dirk; Ivanov, Valentin; Bayo, Amelia; Caratti, Alessio; Sanders, Jason
    We have performed a comprehensive search of a VISTA Variables in the Via Lactea (VVV) data base of 9.5 yr light curves for variable sources with ΔKs ≥ 4 mag, aiming to provide a large sample of high amplitude eruptive young stellar objects (YSOs) and detect unusual or new types of infrared variable source. We find 222 variable or transient sources in the Galactic bulge and disc, most of which are new discoveries. The sample mainly comprises novae, YSOs, microlensing events, Long Period Variable stars (LPVs), and a few rare or unclassified sources. Additionally, we report the discovery of a significant population of aperiodic late-type giant stars suffering deep extinction events, strongly clustered in the Nuclear Disc of the Milky Way. We suggest that these are metal-rich stars in which radiatively driven mass loss has been enhanced by super-solar metallicity. Among the YSOs, 32/40 appear to be undergoing episodic accretion. Long-lasting YSO eruptions have a typical rise time of ∼2 yr, somewhat slower than the 6–12 month time-scale seen in the few historical events observed on the rise. The outburst durations are usually at least 5 yr, somewhat longer than many lower amplitude VVV events detected previously. The light curves are diverse in nature, suggesting that multiple types of disc instability may occur. Eight long-duration extinction events are seen wherein the YSO dims for a year or more, attributable to inner disc structure. One binary YSO in NGC 6530 displays periodic extinction events (P=59 d) similar to KH 15D.
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    Variable stars in the VVV globular clusters. II. NGC 6441, NGC 6569, NGC 6626 (M 28), NGC 6656 (M 22), 2MASS-GC 02, and Terzan 10
    (2021) Alonso-García, Javier; Smith, Leigh C.; Catelan, Márcio; Minniti, Dante; Navarrete, Camila; Borissova, Jura; Carballo-Bello, Julio A.; Contreras Ramos, Rodrigo; Fernández-Trincado, José G.; Ferreira Lopes, Carlos E.; Gran, Felipe; Garro, Elisa R.; Geisler, Doug; Guo, Zhen; Hempel, Maren; Kerins, Eamonn; Lucas, Philip W.; Palma, Tali; Peña Ramírez, Karla; Ramírez Alegría, Sebastián; Saito, Roberto K.
    Context. The Galactic globular clusters (GGCs) located in the inner regions of the Milky Way suffer from high extinction that makes their observation challenging. High densities of field stars in their surroundings complicate their study even more. The VISTA Variables in the Via Lactea (VVV) survey provides a way to explore these GGCs in the near-infrared where extinction effects are highly diminished. Aims: We conduct a search for variable stars in several inner GGCs, taking advantage of the unique multi-epoch, wide-field, near-infrared photometry provided by the VVV survey. We are especially interested in detecting classical pulsators that will help us constrain the physical parameters of these GGCs. In this paper, the second of a series, we focus on NGC 6656 (M 22), NGC 6626 (M 28), NGC 6569, and NGC 6441; these four massive GGCs have known variable sources, but quite different metallicities. We also revisit 2MASS-GC 02 and Terzan 10, the two GGCs studied in the first paper of this series. Methods: We present an improved method and a new parameter that efficiently identify variable candidates in the GGCs. We also use the proper motions of those detected variable candidates and their positions in the sky and in the color-magnitude diagrams to assign membership to the GGCs. Results: We identify and parametrize in the near-infrared numerous variable sources in the studied GGCs, cataloging tens of previously undetected variable stars. We recover many known classical pulsators in these clusters, including the vast majority of their fundamental mode RR Lyrae. We use these pulsators to obtain distances and extinctions toward these objects. Recalibrated period-luminosity-metallicity relations for the RR Lyrae bring the distances to these GGCs to a closer agreement with those reported by Gaia, except for NGC 6441, which is an uncommon Oosterhoff III GGC. Recovered proper motions for these GGCs also agree with those reported by Gaia, except for 2MASS-GC 02, the most reddened GGC in our sample, where the VVV near-infrared measurements provide a more accurate determination of its proper motions. Lightcurves and full Tables 2, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 are only available at the CDS via anonymous ftp to cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (ftp://130.79.128.5) or via http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr/viz-bin/cat/J/A+A/651/A47...