Hektor Monteiro

Proper motions of the optically visible open clusters based on the UCAC4 catalog

We present a catalog of mean proper motions and membership probabilities of individual stars for optically visible open clusters, which have been determined using data from the UCAC4 catalog in a homogeneous way. The mean proper motion of the cluster and the membership probabilities of the stars in the region of each cluster were determined by applying the statistical method in a modified fashion. In this study, we applied a global optimization procedure to fit the observed distribution of proper motions with two overlapping normal bivariate frequency functions, which also take the individual proper motion errors into account. For 724 clusters, this is the first determination of proper motion, and for the whole sample, we present results with a much larger number of identified astrometric member stars. Furthermore, it was possible to estimate the mean radial velocity of 364 clusters (102 unpublished so far) with the stellar membership using published radial velocity catalogs. These results provide an increase of 30% and 19% in the sample of open clusters with a determined mean absolute proper motion and mean radial velocity, respectively.

Fitting isochrones to open cluster photometric data - A new global optimization tool

We present a new technique to fit color–magnitude diagrams of open clusters based on the cross-entropy global optimization algorithm. The method uses theoretical isochrones available in the literature and maximizes a weighted likelihood function based on distances measured in the color–magnitude space. The weights are obtained through a non parametric technique that takes into account the star distance to the observed center of the cluster, observed magnitude uncertainties, the stellar density profile of the cluster among others. The parameters determined simultaneously are distance, reddening, age and metallicity. The method takes binary fraction into account and uses a Monte-Carlo approach to obtain uncertainties on the determined parameters for the cluster by running the fitting algorithm many times with a re-sampled data set through a bootstrapping procedure. We present results for 9 well studied open clusters, based on 15 distinct data sets, and show that the results are consistent with previous studies. The method is shown to be reliable and free of the subjectivity of most previous visual isochrone fitting techniques.

Parsec-scale jet precession in BL Lacertae (2200+420)

BL Lacertae is the prototype of the BL Lac class of active galactic nuclei, exhibiting intensive activity on parsec (pc) scales, such as intense core variability and multiple ejections of jet components. In particular, in previous works the existence of precession motions in the pc-scale jet of BL Lacertae has been suggested. In this work we revisit this issue, investigating temporal changes of the observed right ascension and declination offsets of the jet knots in terms of our relativistic jet-precession model. The seven free parameters of our precession model were optimized via a heuristic cross-entropy method, comparing the projected precession helix with the positions of the jet components on the plane of the sky and imposing constraints on their maximum and minimum superluminal velocities. Our optimized best model is compatible with a jet having a bulk velocity of 0.9824c, which is precessing with a period of about 12.1 yr in the observer’s reference frame and changing its orientation in relation to the line of sight between 4 ◦ and 5 ◦ , approximately. Assuming that the jet precession has its origin in a supermassive binary black hole system, we show that the 2.3-yr periodic variation in the structural position angle of the very-long-baseline interferometry (VLBI) core of BL Lacertae reported by Stirling et al. is compatible with a nutation phenomenon if the secondary black hole has a mass higher than about six times that of the primary black hole.

Fitting isochrones to open cluster photometric data - II. Nonparametric open cluster membership likelihood estimation and its application in optical and 2MASS near-IR data

Aims. Open clusters are essential tools for understanding Galactic structure, as well as stellar evolution, because they are distributed over the whole Galactic plane, and because their ages, distances, and reddening can be determined. The values of derived cluster fundamental parameters can vary greatly because of the often subjective nature of both the isochrone fitting technique and member star selection. To minimize the subjectivity in the selection of stars and to improve the fitting procedure, our group has developed a nonparametric method that estimates the membership likelihood for apparent cluster stars. Methods. The cluster member selection method is based on the star position relative to the cluster center, the density of stars in the color–magnitude diagram (which can be multidimensional), the photometric errors, and the limiting magnitude of observations. We use this method, together with the global optimization tool developed in our previous articles, to fit theoretical isochrones to open cluster photometric data, making use of UBV and 2MASS data sets. Results. Using this likelihood estimation as a weight in the fitting procedure, we show that the method is robust in that it assigns low weights to most contaminating stars and high weights to the stars that are likely cluster members. Our results show that the fundamental parameters determined using 2MASS data agree with those from UBV data when both are determined from the global optimization fitting method, however, the analysis of the open cluster Dias 6 indicates that a revision of the determined parameters might be required for some cases.

IMAGING THE ELUSIVE H-POOR GAS IN THE HIGH adf PLANETARY NEBULA NGC 6778

We present the first direct image of the high-metallicity gas component in a planetary nebula (NGC 6778), taken with the OSIRIS Blue Tunable Filter centered on the O II 4649+50 angstroms optical recombination lines (ORLs) at the 10.4m Gran Telescopio Canarias. We show that the emission of these faint O II ORLs is concentrated in the central parts of the planetary nebula and is not spatially coincident either with emission coming from the bright [O III] 5007 angstroms collisionally excited line (CEL) or the bright H alpha recombination line. From monochromatic emission line maps taken with VIMOS at the 8.2m Very Large Telescope, we find that the spatial distribution of the emission from the auroral [O III] 4363 line resembles that of the O II ORLs but differs from nebular [O III] 5007 CEL distribution, implying a temperature gradient inside the planetary nebula. The centrally peaked distribution of the O II emission and the differences with the [O III] and H I emission profiles are consistent with the presence of an H-poor gas whose origin may be linked to the binarity of the central star. However, determination of the spatial distribution of the ORLs and CELs in other PNe, and a comparison of their dynamics is needed to further constrain the geometry and ejection mechanism of the metal-rich (H-poor) component and hence, understand the origin of the abundance discrepancy problem in PNe.

Cross‐entropy optimizer: a new tool to study precession in astrophysical jets

Evidence of jet precession in many galactic and extragalactic sources has been reported in the literature. Much of this evidence is based on studies of the kinematics of the jet knots, which depends on the correct identification of the components to determine their respective proper motions and position angles on the plane of the sky. Identification problems related to fitting procedures, as well as observations poorly sampled in time, may influence the follow-up of the components in time, which consequently might contribute to a misinterpretation of the data. In order to deal with these limitations, we introduce a very powerful statistical tool to analyse jet precession: the cross-entropy method for continuous multi-extremal optimization. Only based on the raw data of the jet components (right ascension and declination offsets from the core), the cross-entropy method searches for the precession model parameters that better represent the data. In this work we present a large number of tests to validate this technique, using synthetic precessing jets built from a given set of precession parameters. With the aim of recovering these parameters, we applied the cross-entropy method to our precession model, varying exhaustively the quantities associated with the method. Our results have shown that even in the most challenging tests, the cross-entropy method was able to find the correct parameters within a 1 per cent level. Even for a non-precessing jet, our optimization method could point out successfully the lack of precession.

Deciphering the bipolar planetary nebula Abell 14 with 3D ionization and morphological studies

Abell 14 is a poorly studied object despite being considered a born again planetary nebula. We performed a detailed study of its 3D morphology and ionization structure using the SHAPE and MOCASSIN codes. We found that Abell 14 is a highly evolved, bipolar nebula with a kinematical age of

Fitting isochrones to open cluster photometric data - III. Estimating metallicities from UBV photometry

\sim

On the alignment of PNe and local magnetic field at the Galactic centre: magnetohydrodynamical numerical simulations

19,400 yr for a distance of 4 kpc. The high He abundance, and N/O ratio indicate a progenitor of 5

Spatially resolved physical and chemical properties of the planetary nebula NGC 3242

M_{\odot}