Russell Merle Genet

PRECISE AUTOMATIC DIFFERENTIAL STELLAR PHOTOMETRY

The factors limiting the precision of differential stellar photometry are reviewed. Errors due to variable atmospheric extinction can be reduced to below 0.001 mag at good sites by utilizing the speed of robotic telescopes. Existing photometric systems produce aliasing errors, which are several millimagnitudes in general but may be reduced to about a millimagnitude in special circumstances. Conventional differential photometry neglects several other important effects, which are discussed in detail. If all of these are properly handled, it appears possible to do differential photometry of variable stars with an overall precision of 0.001 mag with ground based robotic telescopes.

Five years of photometry of ? andromedae

We present photoelectric photometry of this bright long-period RS CVn binary and use it, along with earlier photometry, to derive the photometric period and discuss the changing light curve shape. The best ephemeris for times of minimum light is 2443829.2+53.d95E. Because times of minimum and maximum extending back to those of Calder in 1933–37 can be phased together properly, the principal dark region must have maintained its identify for almost 50 yr. Over the last five years the brightness range has been 3m.70<V<4m.05. During 1980–81 shallow secondary minima developed at phases where maxima occurred in previous years. λ And remains the only wellestablished case of non synchronous rotation among the known RS CVn binaries.

Why managers need an evolutionary theory of organizations

Most observers have agreed that the theory of human behavior derived from the assumption of selfish rationality is inadequate to describe human behavior and human organizations (Rousseau et al., 1998). The issue is what other approach to theory building will provide an adequate theoretical toolkit for human behavior. We argue in this essay that evolutionary theory is the proper foundation for the human sciences, particularly a theory that includes an account of cultural evolution. This theory shows how the limited but real altruistic tendencies of humans arose by tribal-scale group selection on cultural norms followed by coevolutionary responses on the part of our genes. Our tribal social instincts in turn act as a moral hidden hand that makes human organizations possible. We introduce this theory and describe some implications of it for strategy and organization. In effect, managers want to control the cultural evolution of organizations so as to make them perform better. Understanding the tribal roots of our social instincts and the dynamic properties of cultural evolution should lead to a better understanding of the potentials of humans to create functional organizations and to a better understanding of how organizations can become dysfunctional and fail. We hope to strike up a dialog with SO!’s readers about the applications of cultural evolutionary theory.

THE AUTOMATIC PHOTOELECTRIC TELESCOPE SERVICE.

Automatic observatories have the potential of gathering sizable amounts of high-quality astronomical data at low cost. The Automatic Photoelectric Telescope Service (APT Service) has realized this potential and is routinely making photometric observations of a large number of variable stars. However, without observers to provide on-site monitoring, it was necessary to incorporate special quality checks into the operation of the APT Service at its multiple automatic telescope installation on Mount Hopkins.

AUTOMATIC TELESCOPES LARGE AND SMALL

Completely automatic (unmanned) telescopes of small size are now being routinely used for photometry of brighter stars. The advantages of unmanned operation include lower operating costs and highly efficient operation in well-defined observational programs. While problems may exist in extending unmanned operation to larger ground-based optical telescopes and other sensory modes besides photometry, this extension is already underway.

New paradigms for producing high-performing meter class ground-based telescopes

Design-to-cost exercises and innovative design have resulted in remarkably high performing half-meter class wide field astronomical telescopes. This approach is being extended to meter+ class telescopes with further innovation on mounts and optics. Custom motors, drives and bearings have been developed to keep performance up and cost down. We will also report on a concurrent engineering campaign with Brashear Optics to ensure optical performance while maintaining the highest value for primary mirrors in our line of meter (and larger) class astronomical telescopes.

Basalt or Not? Near-infrared Spectra, Surface Mineralogical Estimates, and Meteorite Analogs for 33 Vp-type Asteroids

Investigations of the main asteroid belt and efforts to constrain that populations physical characteristics involve the daunting task of studying hundreds of thousands of small bodies. Taxonomic systems are routinely employed to study the large scale nature of the asteroid belt because they utilize common observational parameters, but asteroid taxonomies only define broadly observable properties and are not compositionally diagnostic (Tholen, 1984; Carvano et al., 2010, Hasselmann et al., 2012). This work builds upon the results of Hardersen et al. (2014, 2015), which has the goal of constraining the abundance and distribution of basaltic asteroids throughout the main asteroid belt. We report on the near infrared (NIR: 0.7 to 2.5 microns) reflectance spectra, surface mineralogical characterizations, spectral band parameter analysis, and meteorite analogs for 33 Vp asteroids. NIR reflectance spectroscopy is an effective remote sensing technique to detect most pyroxene group minerals, which are spectrally distinct with two very broad spectral absorptions at 0.9 and 1.9 microns (Cloutis et al., 1986; Gaffey et al., 2002; Burbine et al., 2009). Combined with the results from Hardersen et al. (2014, 2015), we identify basaltic asteroids for 95 percent (39 of 41) of our inner-belt Vp sample, but only 25 percent (2 of 8) of the outer-belt Vp sample. Inner belt basaltic asteroids are most likely associated with 4 Vesta and represent impact fragments ejected from previous collisions. Outer belt Vp asteroids exhibit disparate spectral, mineralogic, and meteorite analog characteristics and likely originate from diverse parent bodies. The discovery of two additional likely basaltic asteroids provides additional evidence for an outer-belt basaltic asteroid population.

Crafting a New Narrative to Support Sustainability

In 1968—during the first manned voyage to orbit the moon—Astronaut William Anders took the famous photograph known as Earthrise, which graphically depicts Earth as a small oasis in a dark, cold, hostile space. Environmentalists used Earthrise to spread their message of the need to care for our fragile planet, and it played a pivotal role in catalyzing the great environmental campaign successes of the 1970s in the United States, such as Earth Day, the Clean Air and Clean Water Acts, and the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency.1

New 1982 - 1990 Photometry of Andromedae and its 11-Year Cycle

We present photoelectric photometry of λ And never before published, obtained between February 1982 and December 1990 at 29 different observatories. Then we combine it with all other photometry available to us (previously published, contained in the I.A.U. Commission 27 Archives, and obtained with the Vanderbilt 16-inch automatic telescope but not yet published), to yield a 14.8-year data base. Analysis reveals a long-term cycle in mean brightness, with a full range of 0m.15 and a period of 11.4 ± 0.4 years. Because most of our new photometry was concentrated in the 1983-84 observing season, we analyze that one well-defined light curve with a two-spot model. Spot A keeps a 0m.04 amplitude throughout four rotation cycles whereas the amplitude of spot B diminishes from 0m.09 down almost to 0m.03. The spot rotation periods were 55d.9 ± 0d.6 and 520d.8 ± 1d.0, respectively.

U-B-V photometry of the spectroscopic-visual triple HD 165590

HD 165590 is a visual binary (dG0 + dG5,P = 20.y25,e = 0.96) whoseA component is an SB1 double (dG5 + dM:P = 0.d88,e≈0.0). TheA pair (Aa +Ab) undergoes partial eclipses. PhotoelectricUBV photometry from Lines and one of the Automatic Photoelectric Telescopes, andV photometry from Scarfe are examined here. The data are from the 1977, 1984, 1985, and 1986 observing seasons. The non-eclipse light variations are analyzed with a FORTRAN program which does a sinusoidal curve fitvia least squares repeatedly to obtain the best period. Periods found from each observing season and passband are consistent with Boydet al. (1985): the greatest variations seem to be produced by a rotating (∼0.d88), spotted, G0 star (theAa component). To the residuals from the first analysis a further curve fit is made to determine characteristics of the wave due to the ellipticity effect. An early limit on the spectral type of the unseenAb component, based on the primary eclpse depth and the upper limit on the depth of the unseen secondary eclipse, is K2. Eclipse depths and widths seen here suggest that theA pairs inclination = 74.09 ± 10, close to theA +B inclination of 82.07 ± 20 (Battenet al., 1979). TheA pairs orbital period does not appear to vary, appearing instead to be well-described by a new linear ephemeris (Hel. J.D. = 2443665.4568 + 0.d8795045E) which does, however, take into account a variable light-travel-times as theA component orbits theA +B center of mass with a 20.y25 period. The maximum light-travel-time O-C thus produced is + /−8.m4 = + /−0.d0059.