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.

General Relativistic Orbital Effects in Compact Binary Stars (Solution by the Method of Celestial Mechanics)

Perturbation methods are employed to calculate time variation in the orbital elements of a compact binary system. It turns out that the semi-major axis and eccentricity exhibit only periodic variations. The longitude of periastron and mean longitude of epoch exhibit both secular and periodic variation. In addition, the relativistic effects on the time of periastron passage of binary stars are also given. Four compact binary systems (PSRJ0737-3039, PSR1913+16, PSR1543+12 and M33X-7) are considered. Numerical results for both secular and periodic effects are presented, and the possibility of observing them is discussed.

The Progenitors of Be-stars Paired with O-subdwarfs:The Spin-up of a Be Star at the Stage of Conservative Mass Exchange

The spinning-up of the accreting component in the process of conservative mass exchange is considered in binary systems—progenitors of systems consisting of a main sequence Be-star and an O-subdwarf.During the mass exchange,the meridional circulation transfers 80%-85%of the angular momentum that entered the accretor together with the accreted matter to the accretor surface.This angular momentum is removed from the accretor by the disk.When the mass exchange finishes,the accretor has a rotation typical of classical Be-type stars.

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.

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.

Investigation of the shortest period Am type eclipsing binary TYC 6408–989–1

The first BV bands photometric observations and the low-resolution spectrum of the shortest period Am type eclipsing binary TYC 6408-989-1 have been obtained.The stellar atmospheric parameters of the primary star were obtained through the spectral fitting as follows:Teff=6990±117 K,log g=4.25±0.26 cm s^(-2),[Fe/H]=-0.45±0.03 dex.The original spectra obtained by European Southern Observatory(ESO)were processed with an IRAF package by us.Based on the ESO blue-violet spectra,TYC 6408-989-1 was concluded as a marginal Am(Am:)star with a spectral type of kA3 hF1 mA5Ⅳ-Ⅴidentified through the MKCLASS program.The observed light curves were analyzed through the WilsonDevinney code.The final photometric solutions show that TYC 6408-989-1 is a marginal contact binary with a low mass ratio(q=0.27).The temperature of the secondary component derived through the light curve analysis is significantly higher than main sequence stars.In addition,TYC 6408-989-1 is a poor thermal contact binary.The temperature differences between the two components is about 1800 K.TYC6408-989-1 should be located in the oscillation stage predicted by the thermal relaxation oscillations theory(TRO)and will evolve into the shallow contact stage eventually.The very short period(less than one day),marginal Am peculiarity and quite large rotational velocity(v sin i■160 km s^(-1))make TYC 6408-989-1 become a challenge to the cut-off of rotation velocities and periods of Am stars.We have collected the well known eclipsing Am binaries with absolute parameters from the literature.

An Update of the Catalog of Radial Velocity Standard Stars from the APOGEE DR17

We present an updated catalog of 46,753 radial velocity(RV)standard stars selected from the APOGEE DR17.These stars cover the Northern and Southern Hemispheres almost evenly,with 62%being red giants and 38%being main sequence stars.These RV standard stars are stable on a baseline longer than 200 days(with 54%longer than one year and 10%longer than five years)with a median stability better than 215 m s~(-1).The average number of observations of those stars is 5 and each observation is required to have signal-to-noise ratio greater than50 and RV measurement error smaller than 500 m s~(-1).Based on the new APOGEE RV standard star catalog,we have checked the RV zero-points(RVZPs)for current large-scale stellar spectroscopic surveys including RAVE,LAMOST,GALAH and Gaia.By careful analysis,we estimate their mean RVZP to be+0.149 kms~(-1),+4.574 km s~(-1)(for LRS),-0.031 km s~(-1)and+0.014 kms~(-1),respectively,for the four surveys.In the RAVE,LAMOST(for MRS),GALAH and Gaia surveys,RVZP exhibits a systematic trend with stellar parameters(mainly[Fe/H],T_(eff),log g,G_(BP)-G_(RP)and G_(RVS)).The corrections to those small but clear RVZPs are of vital importance for these massive spectroscopic surveys in various studies that require extremely high RV accuracies.

The formation of neutron star systems through accretion-induced collapse in white-dwarf binaries

The accretion-induced collapse(AIC)scenario was proposed 40 years ago as an evolutionary end state of oxygen-neon white dwarfs(ONe WDs),linking them to the formation of neutron star(NS)systems.However,there has been no direct detection of any AIC event so far,even though there exists a lot of indirect observational evidence.Meanwhile,the evolutionary pathways resulting in NS formation through AIC are still not thoroughly investigated.In this article,we review recent studies on the two classic progenitor models of AIC events,i.e.,the single-degenerate model(including the ONe WD+MS/RG/He star channels and the CO WD+He star channel)and the double-degenerate model(including the double CO WD channel,the double ONe WD channel and the ONe WD+CO WD channel).Recent progress on these progenitor models is reviewed,including the evolutionary scenarios leading to AIC events,the initial parameter space for producing AIC events and the related objects(e.g.,the pre-AIC systems and the post-AIC systems).For the single-degenerate model,the pre-AIC systems(i.e.,the progenitor systems of AIC events)could potentially be identified as supersoft X-ray sources,symbiotics and cataclysmic variables(such as classical novae,recurrent novae,Ne novae and He novae)in the observations,whereas the post-AIC systems(i.e.,NS systems)could potentially be identified as low-/intermediate-mass X-ray binaries,and the resulting low-/intermediate-mass binary pulsars,most notably millisecond pulsars.For the double-degenerate model,the pre-AIC systems are close double WDs with short orbital periods,whereas the post-AIC systems are single isolated NSs that may correspond to a specific kind of NS with peculiar properties.We also review the predicted rates of AIC events,the mass distribution of NSs produced via AIC and the gravitational wave(GW)signals from double WDs that are potential GW sources in the Galaxy in the context of future spacebased GW detectors,such as LISA,TianQin,Taiji,etc.Recent theoretical and observational constraints on the detection of AIC events are summarized.In order to confirm the existence of the AIC process,and resolve this long-term issue presented by current stellar evolution theories,more numerical simulations and observational identifications are required.

The fractions of post-binary-interaction stars and evolved blue straggler stars on the red giant branch of globular clusters

The red giant branch(RGB)of globular clusters(GCs)is home to some exotic stars,which may provide clues on the formation of multiple stellar populations in GCs.It is well known that binary interactions are responsible for many exotic stars.Thus,it is important to understand what fraction of stars on the RGB of GCs is the result of binary interactions.In this paper,we performed a binary population synthesis study to track the number of post-binary-interaction(post-BI)stars that appear on the RGB,with particular emphasis on the evolved blue straggler stars(E-BSSs).Assuming an initial binary fraction of nearly 50%,we find that about half of the objects on the RGB(called giants)underwent the binary interactions,and that E-BSSs account for around 10%of the giants in our standard simulation.We also compare the properties of post-BI giants that evolved from different channels.We find that the initial orbital period and mass ratio distributions significantly affect the fraction of post-BI giants.Our results imply that the non-standard stars from binary interactions provide a non-negligible contribution to the RGB stars in GCs,which should be considered in future investigations of the origin of multiple stellar populations.

Variable stars in the open cluster NGC 2141

We report the results of a search for variable stars in the open cluster NGC 2141. Ten variable stars are detected, among which nine are new variable stars and they are classified as three short-period W UMa-type eclipsing binaries, two EA- type eclipsing binaries, one EB-type eclipsing binary, one very short-period RS CVn- type eclipsing binary, one d-type RR Lyrae variable star, and one unknown type of variable star. The membership and physical properties are discussed, based on their light curves, positions in the color magnitude diagrams, spatial locations and periods. A known EB-type eclipsing binary is also identified as a blue straggler candidate in the cluster. Furthermore, we find that all eclipsing contact binaries have prominent asymmetric eclipses and display the O＇Connell effect, which increases with a decrease in orbital periods. This suggests that the O＇Connell effect is probably related to the evolution of the orbital period in short period eclipsing binary systems.

Preface: Stars and interstellar medium

This issue presents proceedings of the ＂Stars and Interstellar Medium＂ section of the All- Russian Astronomical Conference VAK-2017. Sixteen papers （selected from about 70 talks） cover dif- ferent problems related to stars, pulsars, interstellar gas and dust, and star formation. The preface briefly reviews these papers.

Four New Eclipsing Binary Systems in the TESS field:CD-3413220,HD 295082,TYC 6484–426–1 and TYC 6527–2310–1

We present the first evidence for the binarity of four targets in the TESS field.The temperatures are estimated by SED analysis and the orbital periods are determined.The TESS light curves of the systems are analyzed and the orbital and the absolute parameters are derived.The targets are also compared to wellstudied binary systems with the same morphological type and their evolutionary states are discussed.Our results indicate that the stars belong to the class of eclipsing detached binary systems.

Search for variable stars in the open cluster NGC 1245

We used the Nanshan 1 m telescope of Xinjiang Astronomical Observatory to investigate variable stars in the region of NGC 1245. We detected 55 variable stars in the field of view, 42 of them are newly discovered: six binaries, 22 pulsating stars, 14 unclassified variables. We discussed the physical properties and classifications of the variable stars through their light curves. The cross-matching with the members catalog of NGC 1245 suggests that 10 variable stars are identified as probable cluster members, which including one EW type binary, eight δ Scuti stars, and an unknown type variable star. Since the difference of the members catalog of the cluster and the limitations of the instrument, there are some huge differences in the variable list of NGC 1245 compared with the previous work.

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.

On the Formation of the Double Neutron Star Binary PSR J1846-0513

The double neutron star PSR J1846-0513 is discovered by the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope(FAST)in Commensal Radio Astronomy FAST Survey.The pulsar is revealed to be harbored in an eccentric orbit with e=0.208 and an orbital period of 0.613 day.The total mass of the system is constrained to b2.6287(35)M_(⊙),with a mass upper limit of 1.3455 M_(⊙)for the pulsar and a mass lower limit of 1.2845 M_(⊙)for th companion star.To reproduce its evolution history,we perform a 1D model for the formation of PSR J1846-0513whose progenitor is assumed to be neutron star—helium(He)star system via MESA code.Since the larg eccentricity is widely believed to originate from an asymmetric supernova explosion,we also investigate th dynamical effects of the supernova explosion.Our simulated results show that the progenitor of PSR J1846-0513could be a binary system consisting of a He star of 3.3-4.0 M_(⊙)and a neutron star in a circular orbit with an initia period of~0.5 day.

Point-symmetry in SNR G1.9+0.3:A Supernova that Destroyed its Planetary Nebula Progenitor

I analyze a new X-ray image of the youngest supernova remnant(SNR)in the Galaxy,which is the type Ia SNR G1.9+0.3,and reveal a very clear point-symmetrical structure.Since explosion models of type Ia supernovae(SNe Ia)do not form such morphologies,the point-symmetrical morphology must come from the circumstellar material(CSM)into which the ejecta expands.The large-scale point-symmetry that I identify and the known substantial deceleration of the ejecta of SNR G1.9+0.3 suggest a relatively massive CSM of■1M⊙.I argue that the most likely explanation is the explosion of this SN Ia into a planetary nebula.The scenario that predicts a large fraction of SN Ia inside PNe(SNIPs)is the core degenerate scenario.Other SN Ia scenarios might lead to only a very small fraction of SNIPs or none at all.

Study of 26 Galactic Open Clusters with Extended Main-sequence Turnoffs

Recent studies indicate that some Galactic open clusters(OCs)exhibit extended main-sequence turnoff(eMSTO)in their color–magnitude diagrams(CMDs).However,the number of Galactic OCs with eMSTO structures detected so far is limited,and the reasons for their formation are still unclear.This work identifies 26 Galactic OCs with undiscovered eMSTOs and investigates the causes of these features.Stellar population types and fundamental parameters of cluster samples are acquired using CMD fitting methods.Among them,the results of 11 OCs are reliable as the observed CMDs are well-reproduced.We propose the crucial role of stellar binarity and confirm the importance of stellar rotation in reproducing eMSTO morphologies.The results also show that the impact of age spread is important,as it can adequately explain the structure of young OCs and fit the observed CMDs of intermediate-age OCs better.

Timescale Analysis of Spectral Lags

A technique for timescale analysis of spectral lags performed directly in the time domain is developed. Simulation studies are made to compare the time domain technique with the Fourier frequency analysis for spectral time lags. The time domain technique is applied to studying rapid variabilities of X-ray binaries and γ-ray bursts. The results indicate that in comparison with the Fourier analysis the timescale analysis technique is more powerful for the study of spectral lags in rapid variabilities on short time scales and short duration flaring phenomena.

Type Ia Supernova Explosions in Binary Systems:A Review

Type Ia supernovae(SNe Ia)play a key role in the fields of astrophysics and cosmology.It is widely accepted that SNe Ia arise from thermonuclear explosions of white dwarfs(WDs)in binary systems.However,there is no consensus on the fundamental aspects of the nature of SN Ia progenitors and their actual explosion mechanism.This fundamentally flaws our understanding of these important astrophysical objects.In this review,we outline the diversity of SNe Ia and the proposed progenitor models and explosion mechanisms.We discuss the recent theoretical and observational progress in addressing the SN Ia progenitor and explosion mechanism in terms of the observables at various stages of the explosion,including rates and delay times,pre-explosion companion stars,ejecta–companion interaction,early excess emission,early radio/X-ray emission from circumstellar material interaction,surviving companion stars,late-time spectra and photometry,polarization signals and supernova remnant properties.Despite the efforts from both the theoretical and observational sides,questions of how the WDs reach an explosive state and what progenitor systems are more likely to produce SNe Ia remain open.No single published model is able to consistently explain all observational features and the full diversity of SNe Ia.This may indicate that either a new progenitor paradigm or an improvement in current models is needed if all SNe Ia arise from the same origin.An alternative scenario is that different progenitor channels and explosion mechanisms contribute to SNe Ia.In the next decade,the ongoing campaigns with the James Webb Space Telescope,Gaia and the Zwicky Transient Facility,and upcoming extensive projects with the Vera C.Rubin Observatory's Legacy Survey of Space and Time and the Square Kilometre Array will allow us to conduct not only studies of individual SNe Ia in unprecedented detail but also systematic investigations for different subclasses of SNe Ia.This will advance theory and observations of SNe Ia sufficiently far to gain a deeper understanding of their origin and explosion mechanism.

On the Physical Processes in Contact Binary Systems

Three important physical processes occurring in contact binary systems are studied. The first one is the effect of spin, orbital rotation and tide on the structure of the components, which includes also the effect of meridian circulation on the mixing of the chemical elements in the components. The second one is the mass and energy exchange between the components. To describe the energy exchange, a new approach is introduced based on the understanding that the exchange is due to the release of the potential, kinetic and thermal energy of the exchanged mass. The third is the loss of mass and angular momentum through the outer Lagrangian point. The rate of mass loss and the angular momentum carded away by the lost mass are discussed. To show the effects of these processes, we follow the evolution of a binary system consisting of a 12M⊙ and a 5M⊙ star with mass exchange between the components and mass loss via the outer Lagrangian point, both with and without considering the effects of rotation and tide. The result shows that the effect of rotation and tide advances the start of the semi-detached and the contact phases, and delays the end of the hydrogen-burning phase of the primary. Furthermore, it can change not only the occurrence of mass and angular momentum loss via the outer Lagrangian point, but also the contact or semi-contact status of the system. Thus, this effect can result in the special phenomenon of short-term variations occurring over a slow increase of the orbital period. The occurrence of mass and angular momentum loss via the outer Lagrangian point can affect the orbital period of the system significantly, but this process can be influenced, even suppressed out by the effect of rotation and tide. The mass and energy exchange occurs in the common envelope. The net result of the mass exchange process is a mass transfer from the primary to the secondary during the whole contact phase.