Variable Stars in the 50BiN Open Cluster Survey.Ⅲ.NGC 884

Open clusters are the basic building blocks that serve as a laboratory for the study of young stellar populations in the Milky Way.Variable stars in open clusters provide a unique way to accurately probe the internal structure,temporal and dynamical evolutionary stages of individual stars and the host cluster.The most powerful tool for such studies is time-domain photometric observations.This paper follows the route of our previous work,concentrating on a photometric search for variable stars in NGC 884.The target cluster is the companion of NGC869,forming the well-known double cluster system that is gravitationally bound.From the observation run in 2016 November,a total of 9247 B-band CCD images and 8218Ⅴ-band CCD images were obtained.We detected a total of 15 stars with variability in visual brightness,including five Be stars,three eclipsing binaries,and seven of unknown types.Two new variable stars were discovered in this work.We also compared the variable star content of NGC 884 with its companion NGC 869.

New Variable Stars Discovered as By-product of the Beijing Astronomical Observatory Supernova Survey

The Beijing Astronomical Observatory (BAO) 0.6 m telescope has been used for nearby supernova survey in more than 3000 fields, covering a total area of 235 deg2. More than 260000 CCD images have been collected since April 1996, with 45 supernovae discovered. We searched for variables in about 90000 images taken during 1996-1998. For the fields in which long period variables (LPVs) were discovered, we reduced further images taken from 1999 to 2000, for the period estimation. Among the 280000 stars selected from the survey fields, i.e., brighter than 18 mag, we discovered seven new LPVs and reconfirmed three known LPVs. Additionally, we found 146 variable star candidates, and reconfirmed about 20 previously known or suspected objects.

Quark-novae in neutron star - white dwarf binaries: a model for luminous (spin-down powered) sub-Chandrasekhar-mass Type Ia supernovae?

We show that, by appealing to a Quark-Nova （QN） in a tight binary system containing a massive neutron star and a CO white dwarf （WD）, a Type Ia explosion could occur. The QN ejecta collides with the WD, driving a shock that triggers carbon burning under degenerate conditions （the QN-Ia）. The conditions in the compressed low-mass WD （MwD 〈 0.9 M） in our model mimic those of a Chandrasekhar mass WD. The spin-down luminosity from the QN compact remnant （the quark star） pro- vides additional power that makes the QN-Ia light-curve brighter and broader than a standard SN-Ia with similar 56Ni yield. In QNe-Ia, photometry and spectroscopy are not necessarily linked since the kinetic energy of the ejecta has a contribution from spin-down power and nuclear decay. Although QNe-Ia may not obey the Phillips relationship, their brightness and their relatively ＂normal looking＂ light-curves mean they could be included in the cosmological sample. Light-curve fitters would be con- fused by the discrepancy between spectroscopy at peak and photometry and would correct for it by effectively brightening or dimming the QNe-Ia apparent magnitudes, thus over- or under-estimating the true magnitude of these spin-down powered SNe-Ia. Contamination of QNe-Ia in samples of SNe-Ia used for cosmological analyses could systematically bias measurements of cosmological parameters if QNe-Ia are numerous enough at high-redshift. The strong mixing induced by spin-down wind combined with the low 56Ni yields in QNe-Ia means that these would lack a secondary maximum in the/-band despite their luminous nature. We discuss possible QNe-Ia progenitors.

Mass-accreting white dwarfs and type Ia supernovae

Type Ia supernovae（SNe Ia） play a prominent role in understanding the evolution of the Universe. They are thought to be thermonuclear explosions of mass-accreting carbon-oxygen white dwarfs（CO WDs） in binaries, although the mass donors of the accreting WDs are still not well determined. In this article, I review recent studies on mass-accreting WDs, including H-and He-accreting WDs. I also review currently most studied progenitor models of SNe Ia, i.e., the single-degenerate model（including the WD＋MS channel, the WD＋RG channel and the WD＋He star channel）, the doubledegenerate model（including the violent merger scenario） and the sub-Chandrasekhar mass model.Recent progress on these progenitor models is discussed, including the initial parameter space for producing SNe Ia, the binary evolutionary paths to SNe Ia, the progenitor candidates for SNe Ia, the possible surviving companion stars of SNe Ia, some observational constraints, etc. Some other potential progenitor models of SNe Ia are also summarized, including the hybrid CONe WD model, the core-degenerate model, the double WD collision model, the spin-up/spin-down model and the model of WDs near black holes. To date, it seems that two or more progenitor models are needed to explain the observed diversity among SNe Ia.

Photometry of δ Sct-type and Related Stars: Results of AD Ari, IP Vir and YZ Boo

Photometric results of three δ Scuti stars, AD Ari, IP Vir and YZ Boo from new observations obtained at the:Xinglong Station of the Beijing Astronom- ical Observatory (BAO) during 2000 aELd 2001 are reported. We present here the preliminary analyses. Detailed studies of these stars based on additional data will be published separately.

Searching for Variable Stars in the Field of NGC 7789

We present the results of a time-series CCD photometric survey of variable stars in the field of the open cluster NGC 7789. In a field of about one degree centering on the cluster, a total of 28 new variable stars are discovered (14 W UMa systems, nine EA-type eclipsing binaries, one RR Lyr star, and four unclassified). In addition, we recovered 11 old variables previously discovered by other authors. Preliminary parameters are given for some of these variables.

The Fifth Edition of the General Catalogue of Variable Stars:experiences in the constellation Centaurus

We have recently announced that the General Catalogue of Variable Stars enters the stage of its fifth, purely electronic edition （GCVS 5.1）. We have included 1408 variable stars in the constellation Centaurus in this new version, GCVS 5.1. Working on this revision, we applied current possibilities from data mining, suggested new variability types for many variable stars and found new light elements for a large number of periodic variables. This paper describes the work completed during the preparation of GCVS 5.1 for Centaurus and discusses in detail a number of the most astrophysically significant cases.

Imprints of the Jittering Jets Explosion Mechanism in the Morphology of the Supernova Remnant SNR 0540-69.3

I identify a point-symmetric structure in recently published VLT/MUSE velocity maps of different elements in a plane along the line of sight at the center of the supernova remnant SNR 0540-69.3,and argue that jittering jets that exploded this core collapse supernova shaped this point-symmetric structure.The four pairs of two opposite clumps that compose this point symmetric structure suggest that two to four pairs of jittering jets shaped the inner ejecta in this plane.In addition,intensity images of several spectral lines reveal a faint strip(the main jet-axis)that is part of this plane of jittering jets and its similarity to morphological features in a few other SNRs and in some planetary nebulae further suggests shaping by jets.My interpretation implies that in addition to instabilities,jets also mix elements in the ejecta of core collapse supernovae.Based on the point-symmetric structure and under the assumption that jittering jets exploded this supernova,I estimate the component of the neutron star natal kick velocity on the plane of the sky to be■235 km s^(-1),and at an angle of■47°to the direction of the main jet-axis.I analyze this natal kick direction together with 12 other SNRs in the frame of the jittering jets explosion mechanism.

Pulsation and Long-Term Variability of the High-Amplitude δ Scuti Star AD Canis Minoris

Time-series photometry was made for the large-amplitude δ Scuff star AD CMi in 2005 and 2006. High-quality photometric data provided in the literature were used to analyze the pulsation of the star, with the derived multiple frequencies fitted to our new data. Besides the dominant frequency and its harmonics, one low frequency （2.27402 c d^-1） is discovered, which provides a reasonable interpretation for the long-noticed luminosity variation at the maximum and minimum light. Combining the nine new times of light maxima determined from the new data with the 64 times collected from the literature, we analyzed the long-term variability of AD CMi with the O - C technique. The results provide the updated value of period of 0.122974478 days, and seem to be in favor of the model of combination of the evolutionary effect and light-time effect of a binary system, of which some parameters are hereby deduced.

G328: A Small-Amplitude Red Variable with a Period Near One Day

G328 = A65 = L3314 （V = 13.83, B - V = 1.91） is a field star in the direction of the globular cluster M4. If we take E（B - V） = 0.40, then its （B - V）0 = 1.51, corresponding to a spectral type of K5Ⅲ if it is a giant star; or of dM2 if it is a dwarf. Observations at both the MSSSO and Yunnan Observatory have shown that G328 is a new variable with peak to peak amplitude ≌ 0.05 mag in V. While it is not unusual for so red a star to be a variable, special attention must be paid to its short period of about one day. If the variability is due to pulsation, the spectral type and luminosity as well as effective temperature should be determined in order to compare it with Xiong＇s theory.

Discovery of Four Peculiar Variable Stars

Four stars, GSC 1258–0143, GSC 1986–1665, GSC 3045–0892 and GSC 2983–1597 were found to be new variables during a campaign of CCD photometric monitoring of short-period eclipsing binary stars. The variabilities of these new variables are reported. The main characteristics and probable classifications of the variables are discussed through a preliminary analysis on their light curves. Among these stars, GSC 1258–0143 is classified as a RR Lyr star of sub-type a. Its pulsation period is determined to be about 0.5206 days. The other three stars, are definite variables, but their periods and types of light variations remain unknown.

Physical parameters and orbital period variation of a newly discovered cataclysmic variable GSC 4560-02157

GSC 4560-02157 is a new eclipsing cataclysmic variable with an orbital period of 0.265359 days. By using the published V- and R-band data together with our observations, we discovered that the O - C curve of GSC 4560-02157 may show a cyclic variation with a period of 3.51 years and an amplitude of 1.40 min. If this variation is caused by a light travel-time effect via the existence of a third body, then its mass can be derived as M3 sin i1≈ 91.08 Mjup, and it should be a low-mass star. In addition, several physical parameters were measured. The color of the secondary star was determined to be V - R = 0.77（±0.03） which corresponds to a spectral type of K2-3. The secondary star＇s mass was estimated as M2 = 0.73（±0.02） Mo by combing the derived V - R value around phase 0 with the assumption that it obeys the mass-luminosity relation for main sequence stars. This mass is consistent with the mass-period relation for CV donor stars. For the white dwarf, the eclipse durations and contacts of the white dwarf yield an upper limit on the white dwarf＇s radius corresponding to a lower limit on mass of M1 ≈ 0.501 M⊙. The overestimated radius and previously published spectral data indicate that the boundary layer may have a very high temperature.

Variable stars in the field of open cluster NGC 2126

We report the results of a time-series CCD photometric survey of variable stars in the field of open cluster NGC 2126. In about a one square degree field covering the cluster, a total of 21 variable candidates are detected during this survey, of which 16 are newly found. The periods, classifications and spectral types of 14 newly discovered variables are discussed, which consist of six eclipsing binary systems, three pulsating variable stars, three long period variables, one RS CVn star, and one W UMa or δ Scuff star. In addition, there are two variable candidates, the properties of which cannot be determined. By a method based on fitting observed spectral energy distributions of stars with theoretical ones, the membership probabilities and the fundamental parameters of this cluster are determined. As a result, five variables are probably members of NGC 2126. The fundamental parameters of this cluster are determined as： metallicity to be 0.008 Z, age log（t） = 8.95, distance modulus （m - M）0 = 10.34 and reddening value E（B - V） = 0.55 mag.

Distribution of ^(56)Ni Yields of Type Ia Supernovae and its Implication for Progenitors

The amount of 56↑Ni produced in Type Ia supernova （SN Ia） explosion is probably the most important physical parameter underlying the observed correlation of SN Ia luminosities with their light curves. Based on an empirical relation between the 56↑Ni mass and the light curve parameter △m15, we obtained rough estimates of the 56↑Ni mass for a large sample of nearby SNe Ia with the aim of exploring the diversity in SN Ia. We found that the derived 56↑Ni masses for different SNe Ia could vary by a factor of ten （e.g., MNi = 0.1 - 1.3 M⊙）, which cannot be explained in terms of the standard Chandrasekhar-mass model （with a 56↑Ni mass production of 0.4 - 0.8 M⊙）. Different explosion and/or progenitor models are clearly required for various SNe Ia, in particular, for those extremely nickel-poor and nickel-rich producers. The nickel-rich （with MNi 〉 0.8 M⊙） SNe Ia are very luminous and may have massive progenitors exceeding the Chandrasekhar-mass limit since extra progenitor fuel is required to produce more 56↑Ni to power the light curve. This is also consistent with the finding that the intrinsically bright SNe Ia prefer to occur in stellar environments of young and massive stars. For example, 75% SNe Ia in spirals have △ml5 〈 1.2 while this ratio is only 18% in E/S0 galaxies. The nickel-poor SNe Ia （with MNi 〈 0.2 M⊙） may invoke the sub- Chandrasekhar model, as most of them were found in early-type E/S0 galaxies dominated by the older and low-mass stellar populations. This indicates that SNe Ia in spiral and E/S0 galaxies have progenitors of different properties.

Long-term photometric behavior of the eclipsing Z Cam-type dwarf nova AY Psc

New eclipse timings of the Z Cam-type dwarf nova AY Psc were measured and the orbital ephemeris was revised. In addition, based on long-term AAVSO data, the outburst behaviors were also explored. Our analysis suggests that normal outbursts are quasi-periodic, with an amplitude of 2.5（4-0.1） mag and a period of - 18.3（4-0.7） d. The amplitude vs. recurrence-time relation ofAY Psc is discussed, and we conclude that this relation may represent general properties of dwarf nova outbursts. The observed standstill ends with an outburst, which is inconsistent with the general picture of Z Cam- type stars. This unusual behavior was considered to be related to mass-transfer outbursts. Moreover, the average luminosity Is brighter during standstills than during outburst cycles. The changes in brightness mark variations in M2 due to the fact that the disk of AY Psc is nearly steady state.M2 value was limited to the range from 6.35 × 10-9 to 1.18 × 10-8 M yr-1. More detailed examination shows that there are a few small outbursts present during standstills. These events with amplitudes of - 0.5 - 0.9 mag are very similar to the stunted outbursts reported in some nova-like cataclysmic variables. We discussed several possible mechanisms and suggested that the most reasonable mechanism for these stunted outbursts is a changing mass-transfer rate.

Accreting CO material onto ONe white dwarfs towards accretion-induced collapse

The final outcomes of accreting ONe white dwarfs（ONe WDs） have been studied for several decades,but there are still some issues that are not resolved. Recently,some studies suggested that the deflagration of oxygen would occur for accreting ONe WDs with Chandrasekhar masses. In this paper,we aim to investigate whether ONe WDs can experience accretion-induced collapse（AIC） or explosions when their masses approach the Chandrasekhar limit. Employing the stellar evolution code Modules for Experiments in Stellar Astrophysics（MESA）,we simulate the longterm evolution of ONe WDs with accreting CO material. The ONe WDs undergo weak multicycle carbon flashes during the mass-accretion process,leading to mass increase of the WDs. We found that different initial WD masses and mass-accretion rates influence the evolution of central density and temperature. However,the central temperature cannot reach the explosive oxygen ignition temperature due to neutrino cooling. This work implies that the final outcome of accreting ONe WDs is electroncapture induced collapse rather than thermonuclear explosion.

Linear nonadiabatic pulsation models of the double-mode Cepheid V371 Per

A recently found double-mode Cepheid with the shortest known period in our Galaxy and abnormal period ratio, V371 Per, is investigated by linear nonadiabatic pulsation models. V371 Per is likely to be crossing the instability strip for the first time, because the mass derived from pulsation models is larger than the evolution mass for the second or higher crossing objects. This result seems to support the conclusion obtained from spectroscopic observation. We also found that models with observed period and period ratio of V371 Per need to have mass and Teff in a narrow range which shifts as heavy element abundance Z changes. We have checked the agreement between Teffranges estimated observationally and derived from pulsation models using observational Z. We found that those ranges overlap marginally. We need more spectroscopic estimations of Teff and [Fe/H], and more photometric monitoring to estimate the evolutional period change for confirmation of our result.

Supernova neutrinos in a strangeon star model

The neutrino burst detected during supernova SN 1987A is explained in a strangeon star model, in which it is proposed that a pulsar-like compact object is composed of strangeons （strangeon： an abbreviation for ＂strange nucleon＂）. A nascent strangeon star＇s initial internal energy is calculated, with the inclusion of pion excitation （energy around 1053 erg, comparable to the gravitational binding energy of a collapsed core）. A liquid-solid phase transition at temperature - 1 - 2 MeV may occur only a few tens of seconds after core collapse, and the thermal evolution of a strangeon star is then modeled. It is found that the neutrino burst observed from SN 1987A can be reproduced in such a cooling model.

Historical Evidence for the Birth of the Newly Discovered Pulsar PSR J1833-1034

Stimulated by the recent discovery of PSR J1833-1034 in SNR G21.5-0.9 and its age parameters presented by two groups of discovery, we demonstrate that the PSR J1833- 1034 was born 2053 years ago from a supernova explosion, the BC 48 guest star observed in the Western Han （Early Han） Dynasty by ancient Chinese. Based on a detailed analysis of the Chinese ancient record of the BC 48 guest star and the new detected physical parameters of PSR J1833-1034, agreements on the visual position, age and distance between PSR J1833- 1034 and the BC 48 guest star are obtained. The initial period/90 of PSR J1833-1034 is now derived from its historical and current observed data without any other extra assumption on P0 itself, except that the factor PP is a constant in its evolution until now.

A Spectroscopic Study of the SU UMa-type Dwarf Nova YZ Cnc during its 2002 Superoutburst

We report on time-resolved spectroscopic observations of the SU Ursae Majoris dwarf nova, YZ Cnc for over llh on two nights during its 2002 January superoutburst. The spectra on the first day only showed absorption-line profiles, while on the second day the lines showed “W” profiles with blue and red troughs. The radial velocity curve of the absorption troughs and emission peaks of H/3 has an amplitude of 49±10 km s^-1 and a phase offset of -0.07±0.04, which are very similar to those measured in quiescence. However, the γ velocity deviates strongly from the systemic velocity measured in quiescence, by some ±60 km s^-1. Large shifts of -70 km s^-1 in the orbital-averaged velocity and -0.09 in the phase are also found in our observations. All these features can be well explained by a precessing, eccentric disk.